The time-varying shortest path problem with fuzzy transit costs and speedup

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rezapour Hassan

2016-08-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we focus on the time-varying shortest path problem, where the transit costs are fuzzy numbers. Moreover, we consider this problem in which the transit time can be shortened at a fuzzy speedup cost. Speedup may also be a better decision to find the shortest path from a source vertex to a specified vertex.

MARRT: Medial Axis biased rapidly-exploring random trees

KAUST Repository

Denny, Jory

2014-05-01

© 2014 IEEE. Motion planning is a difficult and widely studied problem in robotics. Current research aims not only to find feasible paths, but to ensure paths have certain properties, e.g., shortest or safest paths. This is difficult for current state-of-the-art sampling-based techniques as they typically focus on simply finding any path. Despite this difficulty, sampling-based techniques have shown great success in planning for a wide range of applications. Among such planners, Rapidly-Exploring Random Trees (RRTs) search the planning space by biasing exploration toward unexplored regions. This paper introduces a novel RRT variant, Medial Axis RRT (MARRT), which biases tree exploration to the medial axis of free space by pushing all configurations from expansion steps towards the medial axis. We prove that this biasing increases the tree\\'s clearance from obstacles. Improving obstacle clearance is useful where path safety is important, e.g., path planning for robots performing tasks in close proximity to the elderly. Finally, we experimentally analyze MARRT, emphasizing its ability to effectively map difficult passages while increasing obstacle clearance, and compare it to contemporary RRT techniques.

Shortest Path Problems in a Stochastic and Dynamic Environment

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Cho, Jae

2003-01-01

.... Particularly, we develop a variety of algorithms to solve the expected shortest path problem in addition to techniques for computing the total travel time distribution along a path in the network...

An Application of Multi-Criteria Shortest Path to a Customizable Hex-Map Environment

Science.gov (United States)

2015-03-26

47 Appendix A. Shortest Path Code ( VBA ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Appendix B. Quad Chart...efficient shortest path algorithm into the modeling environment, namely Excel VBA . While various algorithms offer the potential for more efficiency in...graphical interface is extremely intuitive and easily accessible to a user with no prior knowledge of the system. Since the Metz model is based on the

External Memory Algorithms for Diameter and All-Pair Shortest-Paths on Sparse Graphs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arge, Lars; Meyer, Ulrich; Toma, Laura

2004-01-01

We present several new external-memory algorithms for finding all-pairs shortest paths in a V -node, Eedge undirected graph. For all-pairs shortest paths and diameter in unweighted undirected graphs we present cache-oblivious algorithms with O(V · E B logM B E B) I/Os, where B is the block-size a...

Finding Shortest Paths on Terrains by Killing Two Birds with One Stone

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kaul, Manohar; Wong, Raymond Chi-Wing; Yang, Bin

2013-01-01

With the increasing availability of terrain data, e.g., from aerial laser scans, the management of such data is attracting increasing at- tention in both industry and academia. In particular, spatial queries, e.g., k -nearest neighbor and reverse nearest neighbor queries, in Euclidean and spatial...... network spaces are being extended to ter- rains. Such queries all rely on an important operation, that of finding shortest surface distances. However, shortest surface dis- tance computation is very time consuming. We propose techniques that enable efficient computation of lower and upper bounds...... of the shortest surface distance, which enable faster query processing by eliminating expensive distance computations. Empirical studies show that our bounds are much tighter than the best-known bounds in many cases and that they enable speedups of up to 43 times for some well-known spatial querie...

Optimal solution for travelling salesman problem using heuristic shortest path algorithm with imprecise arc length

Science.gov (United States)

Bakar, Sumarni Abu; Ibrahim, Milbah

2017-08-01

The shortest path problem is a popular problem in graph theory. It is about finding a path with minimum length between a specified pair of vertices. In any network the weight of each edge is usually represented in a form of crisp real number and subsequently the weight is used in the calculation of shortest path problem using deterministic algorithms. However, due to failure, uncertainty is always encountered in practice whereby the weight of edge of the network is uncertain and imprecise. In this paper, a modified algorithm which utilized heuristic shortest path method and fuzzy approach is proposed for solving a network with imprecise arc length. Here, interval number and triangular fuzzy number in representing arc length of the network are considered. The modified algorithm is then applied to a specific example of the Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP). Total shortest distance obtained from this algorithm is then compared with the total distance obtained from traditional nearest neighbour heuristic algorithm. The result shows that the modified algorithm can provide not only on the sequence of visited cities which shown to be similar with traditional approach but it also provides a good measurement of total shortest distance which is lesser as compared to the total shortest distance calculated using traditional approach. Hence, this research could contribute to the enrichment of methods used in solving TSP.

Structural parcellation of the thalamus using shortest-path tractography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kasenburg, Niklas; Darkner, Sune; Hahn, Ute

2016-01-01

that parcellation of the thalamus results in p-value maps that are spatially coherent across subjects. Comparing to the state-of-the-art parcellation of Behrens et al. [1], we observe some agreement, but the soft segmentation exhibits better stability for voxels connected to multiple target regions.......We demonstrate how structural parcellation can be implemented using shortest-path tractography, thereby addressing some of the shortcomings of the conventional approaches. In particular, our algorithm quantifies, via p-values, the confidence that a voxel in the parcellated region is connected...... to each cortical target region. Calculation of these statistical measures is derived from a rank-based test on the histogram of tract-based scores from all the shortest paths found between the source voxel and each voxel within the target region. Using data from the Human Connectome Project, we show...

The shortest path algorithm performance comparison in graph and relational database on a transportation network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mario Miler

2014-02-01

Full Text Available In the field of geoinformation and transportation science, the shortest path is calculated on graph data mostly found in road and transportation networks. This data is often stored in various database systems. Many applications dealing with transportation network require calculation of the shortest path. The objective of this research is to compare the performance of Dijkstra shortest path calculation in PostgreSQL (with pgRouting and Neo4j graph database for the purpose of determining if there is any difference regarding the speed of the calculation. Benchmarking was done on commodity hardware using OpenStreetMap road network. The first assumption is that Neo4j graph database would be well suited for the shortest path calculation on transportation networks but this does not come without some cost. Memory proved to be an issue in Neo4j setup when dealing with larger transportation networks.

Multiple Object Tracking Using the Shortest Path Faster Association Algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhenghao Xi

2014-01-01

Full Text Available To solve the persistently multiple object tracking in cluttered environments, this paper presents a novel tracking association approach based on the shortest path faster algorithm. First, the multiple object tracking is formulated as an integer programming problem of the flow network. Then we relax the integer programming to a standard linear programming problem. Therefore, the global optimum can be quickly obtained using the shortest path faster algorithm. The proposed method avoids the difficulties of integer programming, and it has a lower worst-case complexity than competing methods but better robustness and tracking accuracy in complex environments. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm takes less time than other state-of-the-art methods and can operate in real time.

Special cases of the quadratic shortest path problem

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sotirov, Renata; Hu, Hao

2017-01-01

The quadratic shortest path problem (QSPP) is the problem of finding a path with prespecified start vertex s and end vertex t in a digraph such that the sum of weights of arcs and the sum of interaction costs over all pairs of arcs on the path is minimized. We first consider a variant of the QSPP

DiversePathsJ: diverse shortest paths for bioimage analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Uhlmann, Virginie; Haubold, Carsten; Hamprecht, Fred A; Unser, Michael

2018-02-01

We introduce a formulation for the general task of finding diverse shortest paths between two end-points. Our approach is not linked to a specific biological problem and can be applied to a large variety of images thanks to its generic implementation as a user-friendly ImageJ/Fiji plugin. It relies on the introduction of additional layers in a Viterbi path graph, which requires slight modifications to the standard Viterbi algorithm rules. This layered graph construction allows for the specification of various constraints imposing diversity between solutions. The software allows obtaining a collection of diverse shortest paths under some user-defined constraints through a convenient and user-friendly interface. It can be used alone or be integrated into larger image analysis pipelines. http://bigwww.epfl.ch/algorithms/diversepathsj. michael.unser@epfl.ch or fred.hamprecht@iwr.uni-heidelberg.de. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

Effective caching of shortest paths for location-based services

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Christian S.; Thomsen, Jeppe Rishede; Yiu, Man Lung

2012-01-01

Web search is ubiquitous in our daily lives. Caching has been extensively used to reduce the computation time of the search engine and reduce the network traffic beyond a proxy server. Another form of web search, known as online shortest path search, is popular due to advances in geo...

Shortest-path network analysis is a useful approach toward identifying genetic determinants of longevity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J R Managbanag

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Identification of genes that modulate longevity is a major focus of aging-related research and an area of intense public interest. In addition to facilitating an improved understanding of the basic mechanisms of aging, such genes represent potential targets for therapeutic intervention in multiple age-associated diseases, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders. To date, however, targeted efforts at identifying longevity-associated genes have been limited by a lack of predictive power, and useful algorithms for candidate gene-identification have also been lacking. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We have utilized a shortest-path network analysis to identify novel genes that modulate longevity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Based on a set of previously reported genes associated with increased life span, we applied a shortest-path network algorithm to a pre-existing protein-protein interaction dataset in order to construct a shortest-path longevity network. To validate this network, the replicative aging potential of 88 single-gene deletion strains corresponding to predicted components of the shortest-path longevity network was determined. Here we report that the single-gene deletion strains identified by our shortest-path longevity analysis are significantly enriched for mutations conferring either increased or decreased replicative life span, relative to a randomly selected set of 564 single-gene deletion strains or to the current data set available for the entire haploid deletion collection. Further, we report the identification of previously unknown longevity genes, several of which function in a conserved longevity pathway believed to mediate life span extension in response to dietary restriction. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This work demonstrates that shortest-path network analysis is a useful approach toward identifying genetic determinants of longevity and represents the first application of

Prograph Based Analysis of Single Source Shortest Path Problem with Few Distinct Positive Lengths

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Bhowmik

2011-08-01

Full Text Available In this paper we propose an experimental study model S3P2 of a fast fully dynamic programming algorithm design technique in finite directed graphs with few distinct nonnegative real edge weights. The Bellman-Ford’s approach for shortest path problems has come out in various implementations. In this paper the approach once again is re-investigated with adjacency matrix selection in associate least running time. The model tests proposed algorithm against arbitrarily but positive valued weighted digraphs introducing notion of Prograph that speeds up finding the shortest path over previous implementations. Our experiments have established abstract results with the intention that the proposed algorithm can consistently dominate other existing algorithms for Single Source Shortest Path Problems. A comparison study is also shown among Dijkstra’s algorithm, Bellman-Ford algorithm, and our algorithm.

The Shortest Path Problems in Battery-Electric Vehicle Dispatching with Battery Renewal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Minfang Huang

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Electric vehicles play a key role for developing an eco-sustainable transport system. One critical component of an electric vehicle is its battery, which can be quickly charged or exchanged before it runs out. The problem of electric vehicle dispatching falls into the category of the shortest path problem with resource renewal. In this paper, we study the shortest path problems in (1 electric transit bus scheduling and (2 electric truck routing with time windows. In these applications, a fully-charged battery allows running a limited operational distance, and the battery before depletion needs to be quickly charged or exchanged with a fully-charged one at a battery management facility. The limited distance and battery renewal result in a shortest path problem with resource renewal. We develop a label-correcting algorithm with state space relaxation to find optimal solutions. In the computational experiments, real-world road geometry data are used to generate realistic travel distances, and other types of data are obtained from the real world or randomly generated. The computational results show that the label-correcting algorithm performs very well.

Personal computer based decision support system for routing nuclear spent fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chin, Shih-Miao; Joy, D.S.; Johnson, P.E.; Bobic, S.M.; Miaou, Shaw-Pin

1989-01-01

An approach has been formulated to route nuclear spent fuel over the US Interstate highway network. This approach involves the generation of alternative routes so that any potential adverse impacts will not only concentrate on regions along the shortest path between the nuclear power plant and repository. Extensive literature research on the shortest path finding algorithms has been carried out. Consequently, an extremely efficient shortest path algorithm has been implemented and significantly increases the overall system performance. State-of-the-art interactive computer graphics is used. In addition to easy-to-use pop-up menus, full color mapping and display capabilities are also incorporated. All of these features have been implemented on commonly available personal computers. 6 figs., 2 tabs

Evaluation of Shortest Paths in Road Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farrukh Shehzad

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Optimization is a key factor in almost all the topics of operations research / management science and economics.The road networks can be optimized within different constraints like time, distance, cost and traffic running onthe roads.This study is based on optimization of real road network by means of distances. Two main objectives arepursued in this research: 1 road distances among different routes are composed in detail; 2 two standardalgorithms (Dijkstra and Floyd-Warshall algoritms are applied to optimize/minimize these distances for bothsingle-source and all-pairs shortest path problems.

The Shortest QRS Duration of an Electrocardiogram Might Be an Optimal Electrocardiographic Predictor for Response to Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jan-Yow; Lin, Kuo-Hung; Chang, Kuan-Cheng; Chou, Che-Yi

2017-08-03

QRS duration has been associated with the response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). However, the methods for defining QRS duration to predict the outcome of CRT have discrepancies in previous reports. The aim of this study was to determine an optimal measurement of QRS duration to predict the response to CRT.Sixty-one patients who received CRT were analyzed. All patients had class III-IV heart failure, left ventricular ejection fraction not more than 35%, and complete left bundle branch block. The shortest, longest, and average QRS durations from the 12 leads of each electrocardiogram (ECG) were measured. The responses to CRT were determined using the changes in echocardiography after 6 months. Thirty-five (57.4%) patients were responders and 26 (42.6%) patients were non-responders. The pre-procedure shortest, average, and longest QRS durations and the QRS shortening (ΔQRS) of the shortest QRS duration were significantly associated with the response to CRT in a univariate logistic regression analysis (P = 0.002, P = 0.03, P = 0.04 and P = 0.04, respectively). Based on the measurement of the area under curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve, only the pre-procedure shortest QRS duration and the ΔQRS of the shortest QRS duration showed significant discrimination for the response to CRT (P = 0.002 and P = 0.038, respectively). Multivariable logistic regression showed the pre-procedure shortest QRS duration is an independent predictor for the response to CRT.The shortest QRS duration from the 12 leads of the electrocardiogram might be an optimal measurement to predict the response to CRT.

Spatial interpolation of fine particulate matter concentrations using the shortest wind-field path distance.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Longxiang Li

Full Text Available Effective assessments of air-pollution exposure depend on the ability to accurately predict pollutant concentrations at unmonitored locations, which can be achieved through spatial interpolation. However, most interpolation approaches currently in use are based on the Euclidean distance, which cannot account for the complex nonlinear features displayed by air-pollution distributions in the wind-field. In this study, an interpolation method based on the shortest path distance is developed to characterize the impact of complex urban wind-field on the distribution of the particulate matter concentration. In this method, the wind-field is incorporated by first interpolating the observed wind-field from a meteorological-station network, then using this continuous wind-field to construct a cost surface based on Gaussian dispersion model and calculating the shortest wind-field path distances between locations, and finally replacing the Euclidean distances typically used in Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW with the shortest wind-field path distances. This proposed methodology is used to generate daily and hourly estimation surfaces for the particulate matter concentration in the urban area of Beijing in May 2013. This study demonstrates that wind-fields can be incorporated into an interpolation framework using the shortest wind-field path distance, which leads to a remarkable improvement in both the prediction accuracy and the visual reproduction of the wind-flow effect, both of which are of great importance for the assessment of the effects of pollutants on human health.

MARKETING DATABASES – THE SHORTEST WAY TO CLIENT’S HEART

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Popa Adela Laura

2008-05-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to present the potential which could be offered by managing databases in direct marketing through gathering the information that could offer the shortest and efficient way to the clients needs. The paper includes the necessary steps to make this activity a real success

A new approach to shortest paths on networks based on the quantum bosonic mechanism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiang Xin; Wang Hailong; Tang Shaoting; Ma Lili; Zhang Zhanli; Zheng Zhiming, E-mail: jiangxin@ss.buaa.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Mathematics, Informatics and Behavioral Semantics, Ministry of Education, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 100191 Beijing (China)

2011-01-15

This paper presents quantum bosonic shortest path searching (QBSPS), a natural, practical and highly heuristic physical algorithm for reasoning about the recognition of network structure via quantum dynamics. QBSPS is based on an Anderson-like itinerant bosonic system in which a boson's Green function is used as a navigation pointer for one to accurately approach the terminals. QBSPS is demonstrated by rigorous mathematical and physical proofs and plenty of simulations, showing how it can be used as a greedy routing to seek the shortest path between different locations. In methodology, it is an interesting and new algorithm rooted in the quantum mechanism other than combinatorics. In practice, for the all-pairs shortest-path problem in a random scale-free network with N vertices, QBSPS runs in O({mu}(N) ln ln N) time. In application, we suggest that the corresponding experimental realizations are feasible by considering path searching in quantum optical communication networks; in this situation, the method performs a pure local search on networks without requiring the global structure that is necessary for current graph algorithms.

Experiments with the auction algorithm for the shortest path problem

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Jesper; Pedersen, Ib

1999-01-01

The auction approach for the shortest path problem (SPP) as introduced by Bertsekas is tested experimentally. Parallel algorithms using the auction approach are developed and tested. Both the sequential and parallel auction algorithms perform significantly worse than a state-of-the-art Dijkstra-l......-like reference algorithm. Experiments are run on a distributed-memory MIMD class Meiko parallel computer....

Five-Axis Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing for Nuclear Component Manufacture

Science.gov (United States)

Hehr, Adam; Wenning, Justin; Terrani, Kurt; Babu, Sudarsanam Suresh; Norfolk, Mark

2017-03-01

Ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) is a three-dimensional metal printing technology which uses high-frequency vibrations to scrub and weld together both similar and dissimilar metal foils. There is no melting in the process and no special atmosphere requirements are needed. Consequently, dissimilar metals can be joined with little to no intermetallic compound formation, and large components can be manufactured. These attributes have the potential to transform manufacturing of nuclear reactor core components such as control elements for the High Flux Isotope Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. These components are hybrid structures consisting of an outer cladding layer in contact with the coolant with neutron-absorbing materials inside, such as neutron poisons for reactor control purposes. UAM systems are built into a computer numerical control (CNC) framework to utilize intermittent subtractive processes. These subtractive processes are used to introduce internal features as the component is being built and for net shaping. The CNC framework is also used for controlling the motion of the welding operation. It is demonstrated here that curved components with embedded features can be produced using a five-axis code for the welder for the first time.

Study on k-shortest paths with behavioral impedance domain from the intermodal public transportation system perspective

OpenAIRE

Pereira, Hernane Borges de Barros; Pérez Vidal, Lluís; Lozada, Eleazar G. Madrid

2003-01-01

Behavioral impedance domain consists of a theory on route planning for pedestrians, within which constraint management is considered. The goal of this paper is to present the k-shortest path model using the behavioral impedance approach. After the mathematical model building, optimization problem and resolution problem by a behavioral impedance algorithm, it is discussed how behavioral impedance cost function is embedded in the k-shortest path model. From the pedestrian's route planning persp...

Differences in physical environmental characteristics between adolescents' actual and shortest cycling routes: a study using a Google Street View-based audit.

Science.gov (United States)

Verhoeven, Hannah; Van Hecke, Linde; Van Dyck, Delfien; Baert, Tim; Van de Weghe, Nico; Clarys, Peter; Deforche, Benedicte; Van Cauwenberg, Jelle

2018-05-29

The objective evaluation of the physical environmental characteristics (e.g. speed limit, cycling infrastructure) along adolescents' actual cycling routes remains understudied, although it may provide important insights into why adolescents prefer one cycling route over another. The present study aims to gain insight into the physical environmental characteristics determining the route choice of adolescent cyclists by comparing differences in physical environmental characteristics between their actual cycling routes and the shortest possible cycling routes. Adolescents (n = 204; 46.5% boys; 14.4 ± 1.2 years) recruited at secondary schools in and around Ghent (city in Flanders, northern part of Belgium) were instructed to wear a Global Positioning System device in order to identify cycling trips. For all identified cycling trips, the shortest possible route that could have been taken was calculated. Actual cycling routes that were not the shortest possible cycling routes were divided into street segments. Segments were audited with a Google Street View-based tool to assess physical environmental characteristics along actual and shortest cycling routes. Out of 160 actual cycling trips, 73.1% did not differ from the shortest possible cycling route. For actual cycling routes that were not the shortest cycling route, a speed limit of 30 km/h, roads having few buildings with windows on the street side and roads without cycle lane were more frequently present compared to the shortest possible cycling routes. A mixed land use, roads with commercial destinations, arterial roads, cycle lanes separated from traffic by white lines, small cycle lanes and cycle lanes covered by lighting were less frequently present along actual cycling routes compared to the shortest possible cycling routes. Results showed that distance mainly determines the route along which adolescents cycle. In addition, adolescents cycled more along residential streets (even if no cycle lane was

Analysis of the asymmetric shortest queue problem : part 2: numerical analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Adan, I.J.B.F.; Wessels, J.; Zijm, W.H.M.

1990-01-01

In this paper we study a system consisting of two parallel servers with different service rates. Jobs arrive according to a Poisson stream and generate an exponentially distributed workload. On arrival a job joins the shortest queue and in case both queues have equal lengths, he joins the first

Analysis of the asymmetric shortest queue problem : Part 1: theoretical analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Adan, I.J.B.F.; Wessels, J.; Zijm, W.H.M.

1990-01-01

In this paper we study a system consisting of two parallel servers with different service rates. Jobs arrive according to a Poisson stream and generate an exponentially distributed workload. On arrival a job joins the shortest queue and in case both queues have equal lengths. be joins the first

Establishment Of The Shortest Route A Prototype For Facilitation In Road Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sumaira Yousuf Khan

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Calculating the shortest path between two locations in a road network is a significant problem in network analysis. Roads play a pivotal role in day to day activities of masses live in places and areas. They travel for various purposes that are to study to work to shop and to supply their goods and the like from one place to another place. Even in this modern era roads remain one of the mediums used most frequently for travel and transportation. Being ignorant of the shortest routes people sometimes have to travel long distances consume extra precious time money and bare undesirable mental stress. Karachi is the second most populated and the seventh biggest city of the world. It is the central place of Pakistan which is famous for industry banking trade and economic activity and there are places which frequently visit by the inhabitants for their miscellaneous requirements. Federal Board of Revenue FBR is one of the departments that deal with taxation and revenue generation in the country. A common man residing near or distant areas often visit FBR to settle their business property and tax related issues. In order to facilitate the masses an effort is being made to develop a prototype based on Dijkstras Algorithm DA to establish a shortest route that will help individuals in navigation and subsequently alleviate difficulties faced by them in travelling road networks.

Efficient evaluation of shortest travel-time path queries through spatial mashups

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Detian

2017-01-07

In the real world, the route/path with the shortest travel time in a road network is more meaningful than that with the shortest network distance for location-based services (LBS). However, not every LBS provider has adequate resources to compute/estimate travel time for routes by themselves. A cost-effective way for LBS providers to estimate travel time for routes is to issue external route requests to Web mapping services (e.g., Google Maps, Bing Maps, and MapQuest Maps). Due to the high cost of processing such external route requests and the usage limits of Web mapping services, we take the advantage of direction sharing, parallel requesting and waypoints supported by Web mapping services to reduce the number of external route requests and the query response time for shortest travel-time route queries in this paper. We first give the definition of sharing ability to reflect the possibility of sharing the direction information of a route with others, and find out the queries that their query routes are independent with each other for parallel processing. Then, we model the problem of selecting the optimal waypoints for an external route request as finding the longest simple path in a weighted complete digraph. As it is a MAX SNP-hard problem, we propose a greedy algorithm with performance guarantee to find the best set of waypoints in an external route request. We evaluate the performance of our approach using a real Web mapping service, a real road network, real and synthetic data sets. Experimental results show the efficiency, scalability, and applicability of our approach.

Efficient evaluation of shortest travel-time path queries through spatial mashups

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Detian; Chow, Chi-Yin; Liu, An; Zhang, Xiangliang; Ding, Qingzhu; Li, Qing

2017-01-01

In the real world, the route/path with the shortest travel time in a road network is more meaningful than that with the shortest network distance for location-based services (LBS). However, not every LBS provider has adequate resources to compute/estimate travel time for routes by themselves. A cost-effective way for LBS providers to estimate travel time for routes is to issue external route requests to Web mapping services (e.g., Google Maps, Bing Maps, and MapQuest Maps). Due to the high cost of processing such external route requests and the usage limits of Web mapping services, we take the advantage of direction sharing, parallel requesting and waypoints supported by Web mapping services to reduce the number of external route requests and the query response time for shortest travel-time route queries in this paper. We first give the definition of sharing ability to reflect the possibility of sharing the direction information of a route with others, and find out the queries that their query routes are independent with each other for parallel processing. Then, we model the problem of selecting the optimal waypoints for an external route request as finding the longest simple path in a weighted complete digraph. As it is a MAX SNP-hard problem, we propose a greedy algorithm with performance guarantee to find the best set of waypoints in an external route request. We evaluate the performance of our approach using a real Web mapping service, a real road network, real and synthetic data sets. Experimental results show the efficiency, scalability, and applicability of our approach.

ESHOPPS: A COMPUTATIONAL TOOL TO AID THE TEACHING OF SHORTEST PATH ALGORITHMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. J. de A. LIMA

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The development of a computational tool called EShoPPS – Environment for Shortest Path Problem Solving, which is used to assist students in understanding the working of Dijkstra, Greedy search and A*(star algorithms is presented in this paper. Such algorithms are commonly taught in graduate and undergraduate courses of Engineering and Informatics and are used for solving many optimization problems that can be characterized as Shortest Path Problem. The EShoPPS is an interactive tool that allows students to create a graph representing the problem and also helps in developing their knowledge of each specific algorithm. Experiments performed with 155 students of undergraduate and graduate courses such as Industrial Engineering, Computer Science and Information Systems have shown that by using the EShoPPS tool students were able to improve their interpretation of investigated algorithms.

A Universal Concept for Robust Solving of Shortest Path Problems in Dynamically Reconfigurable Graphs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jean Chamberlain Chedjou

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper develops a flexible analytical concept for robust shortest path detection in dynamically reconfigurable graphs. The concept is expressed by a mathematical model representing the shortest path problem solver. The proposed mathematical model is characterized by three fundamental parameters expressing (a the graph topology (through the “incidence matrix”, (b the edge weights (with dynamic external weights’ setting capability, and (c the dynamic reconfigurability through external input(s of the source-destination nodes pair. In order to demonstrate the universality of the developed concept, a general algorithm is proposed to determine the three fundamental parameters (of the mathematical model developed for all types of graphs regardless of their topology, magnitude, and size. It is demonstrated that the main advantage of the developed concept is that arc costs, the origin-destination pair setting, and the graph topology are dynamically provided by external commands, which are inputs of the shortest path solver model. This enables high flexibility and full reconfigurability of the developed concept, without any retraining need. To validate the concept developed, benchmarking is performed leading to a comparison of its performance with the performances of two well-known concepts based on neural networks.

Shortest triplet clustering: reconstructing large phylogenies using representative sets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sy Vinh Le

2005-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Understanding the evolutionary relationships among species based on their genetic information is one of the primary objectives in phylogenetic analysis. Reconstructing phylogenies for large data sets is still a challenging task in Bioinformatics. Results We propose a new distance-based clustering method, the shortest triplet clustering algorithm (STC, to reconstruct phylogenies. The main idea is the introduction of a natural definition of so-called k-representative sets. Based on k-representative sets, shortest triplets are reconstructed and serve as building blocks for the STC algorithm to agglomerate sequences for tree reconstruction in O(n2 time for n sequences. Simulations show that STC gives better topological accuracy than other tested methods that also build a first starting tree. STC appears as a very good method to start the tree reconstruction. However, all tested methods give similar results if balanced nearest neighbor interchange (BNNI is applied as a post-processing step. BNNI leads to an improvement in all instances. The program is available at http://www.bi.uni-duesseldorf.de/software/stc/. Conclusion The results demonstrate that the new approach efficiently reconstructs phylogenies for large data sets. We found that BNNI boosts the topological accuracy of all methods including STC, therefore, one should use BNNI as a post-processing step to get better topological accuracy.

The Resource constrained shortest path problem implemented in a lazy functional language

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hartel, Pieter H.; Glaser, Hugh

The resource constrained shortest path problem is an NP-hard problem for which many ingenious algorithms have been developed. These algorithms are usually implemented in Fortran or another imperative programming language. We have implemented some of the simpler algorithms in a lazy functional

Floyd-warshall algorithm to determine the shortest path based on android

Science.gov (United States)

Ramadiani; Bukhori, D.; Azainil; Dengen, N.

2018-04-01

The development of technology has made all areas of life easier now, one of which is the ease of obtaining geographic information. The use of geographic information may vary according to need, for example, the digital map learning, navigation systems, observations area, and much more. With the support of adequate infrastructure, almost no one will ever get lost to a destination even to foreign places or that have never been visited before. The reasons why many institutions and business entities use technology to improve services to consumers and to streamline the production process undertaken and so forth. Speaking of the efficient, there are many elements related to efficiency in navigation systems, and one of them is the efficiency in terms of distance. The shortest distance determination algorithm required in this research is used Floyd-Warshall Algorithm. Floyd-Warshall algorithm is the algorithm to find the fastest path and the shortest distance between 2 nodes, while the program is intended to find the path of more than 2 nodes.

An Efficient Shortest Path Routing Algorithm for Directed Indoor Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sultan Alamri

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Routing systems for outdoor space have become the focus of many research works. Such routing systems are based on spatial road networks where moving objects (such as cars are affected by the directed roads and the movement of traffic, which may include traffic jams. Indoor routing, on the other hand, must take into account the features of indoor space such as walls and rooms. In this paper, we take indoor routing in a new direction whereby we consider the features that a building has in common with outdoor spaces. Inside some buildings, there may be directed floors where moving objects must move in a certain direction through directed corridors in order to reach a certain location. For example, on train platforms or in museums, movement in the corridors may be directed. In these directed floor spaces, a routing system enabling a visitor to take the shortest path to a certain location is essential. Therefore, this work proposes a new approach for buildings with directed indoor spaces, where each room can be affected by the density of the moving objects. The proposed system obtains the shortest path between objects or rooms taking into consideration the directed indoor space and the capacity of the objects to move within each room/cell.

Degree distribution of shortest path trees and bias of network sampling algorithms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bhamidi, S.; Goodman, J.A.; Hofstad, van der R.W.; Komjáthy, J.

2013-01-01

In this article, we explicitly derive the limiting distribution of the degree distribution of the shortest path tree from a single source on various random network models with edge weights. We determine the power-law exponent of the degree distribution of this tree and compare it to the degree

Degree distribution of shortest path trees and bias of network sampling algorithms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bhamidi, S.; Goodman, J.A.; Hofstad, van der R.W.; Komjáthy, J.

2015-01-01

In this article, we explicitly derive the limiting degree distribution of the shortest path tree from a single source on various random network models with edge weights. We determine the asymptotics of the degree distribution for large degrees of this tree and compare it to the degree distribution

Training shortest-path tractography: Automatic learning of spatial priors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kasenburg, Niklas; Liptrot, Matthew George; Reislev, Nina Linde

2016-01-01

Tractography is the standard tool for automatic delineation of white matter tracts from diffusion weighted images. However, the output of tractography often requires post-processing to remove false positives and ensure a robust delineation of the studied tract, and this demands expert prior...... knowledge. Here we demonstrate how such prior knowledge, or indeed any prior spatial information, can be automatically incorporated into a shortest-path tractography approach to produce more robust results. We describe how such a prior can be automatically generated (learned) from a population, and we...

Calculating Graph Algorithms for Dominance and Shortest Path

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sergey, Ilya; Midtgaard, Jan; Clarke, Dave

2012-01-01

We calculate two iterative, polynomial-time graph algorithms from the literature: a dominance algorithm and an algorithm for the single-source shortest path problem. Both algorithms are calculated directly from the definition of the properties by fixed-point fusion of (1) a least fixed point...... expressing all finite paths through a directed graph and (2) Galois connections that capture dominance and path length. The approach illustrates that reasoning in the style of fixed-point calculus extends gracefully to the domain of graph algorithms. We thereby bridge common practice from the school...... of program calculation with common practice from the school of static program analysis, and build a novel view on iterative graph algorithms as instances of abstract interpretation...

Optimal improvement of graphs related to nuclear safeguards problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacobsen, S.E.

1977-08-01

This report develops the methodology for optimally improving graphs related to nuclear safeguards issues. In particular, given a fixed number of dollars, the report provides a method for optimally allocating such dollars over the arcs of a weighted graph (the weights vary as a function of dollars spent on arcs) so as to improve the system effectiveness measure which is the shortest of all shortest paths to several targets. Arc weights can be either clock times or detection probabilities and the algorithm does not explicitly consider all paths to the targets

A 2D analytical cylindrical gate tunnel FET (CG-TFET) model: impact of shortest tunneling distance

Science.gov (United States)

Dash, S.; Mishra, G. P.

2015-09-01

A 2D analytical tunnel field-effect transistor (FET) potential model with cylindrical gate (CG-TFET) based on the solution of Laplace’s equation is proposed. The band-to-band tunneling (BTBT) current is derived by the help of lateral electric field and the shortest tunneling distance. However, the analysis is extended to obtain the subthreshold swing (SS) and transfer characteristics of the device. The dependency of drain current, SS and transconductance on gate voltage and shortest tunneling distance is discussed. Also, the effect of scaling the gate oxide thickness and the cylindrical body diameter on the electrical parameters of the device is analyzed.

A 2D analytical cylindrical gate tunnel FET (CG-TFET) model: impact of shortest tunneling distance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dash, S; Mishra, G P

2015-01-01

A 2D analytical tunnel field-effect transistor (FET) potential model with cylindrical gate (CG-TFET) based on the solution of Laplace’s equation is proposed. The band-to-band tunneling (BTBT) current is derived by the help of lateral electric field and the shortest tunneling distance. However, the analysis is extended to obtain the subthreshold swing (SS) and transfer characteristics of the device. The dependency of drain current, SS and transconductance on gate voltage and shortest tunneling distance is discussed. Also, the effect of scaling the gate oxide thickness and the cylindrical body diameter on the electrical parameters of the device is analyzed. (paper)

Children's route choice during active transportation to school: Difference between shortest and actual route

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dessing, D.; Vries, S.I. de; Hegeman, G.; Verhagen, E.; Mechelen, W. van; Pierik, F.H.

2016-01-01

Background: The purpose of this study is to increase our understanding of environmental correlates that are associated with route choice during active transportation to school (ATS) by comparing characteristics of actual walking and cycling routes between home and school with the shortest possible

Approaching the Brachistochrone Using Inclined Planes--Striving for Shortest or Equal Travelling Times

Science.gov (United States)

Theilmann, Florian

2017-01-01

The classical "brachistochrone" problem asks for the path on which a mobile point M just driven by its own gravity will travel in the shortest possible time between two given points "A" and "B." The resulting curve, the cycloid, will also be the "tautochrone" curve, i.e. the travelling time of the mobile…

DESIGNING APPLICATION OF ANT COLONY SYSTEM ALGORITHM FOR THE SHORTEST ROUTE OF BANDA ACEH CITY AND ACEH BESAR REGENCY TOURISM BY USING GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE MATLAB

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Durisman Durisman

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Banda Aceh city and Aceh Besar Regency are two of the leading tourism areas located in the province of Aceh. For travelling, there are some important things to be considered, such as determining schedule and distance of tourism. Every tourist certainly chooses the shortest route to reach the destination since it can save time, energy, and money. The purpose of this reserach is to develop a method that can be used in calculating the shortest route and applied to the tourism of Banda Aceh city and Aceh Besar regency. In this reserach, Ant Colony Optimization algorithm is used to determine the shortest route to tourism of Banda Aceh city and Aceh Besar regency. From the analysis made by using both manual calculation and  GUI MATLAB program application test, the shortest route can be obtained with a minimum distance of 120.85 km in one travel. Based on the test result, the application for tourism (in Banda Aceh city and Aceh Besar regency shortest route searching built by utilizing the Ant Colony Optimization algorithm can find optimal route.  Keyword: tourism, the shortest route, Ant Colony Optimization

Performance analysis of parallel identical machines with a generalized shortest queue arrival mechanism

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Houtum, Geert-Jan; Adan, I.J.B.F.; Wessels, J.; Zijm, Willem H.M.

In this paper we study a production system consisting of a group of parallel machines producing multiple job types. Each machine has its own queue and it can process a restricted set of job types only. On arrival a job joins the shortest queue among all queues capable of serving that job. Under the

PI3K-Akt-mTORC1-S6K1/2 Axis Controls Th17 Differentiation by Regulating Gfi1 Expression and Nuclear Translocation of RORγ

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yutaka Kurebayashi

2012-04-01

Full Text Available The PI3K-Akt-mTORC1 axis contributes to the activation, survival, and proliferation of CD4+ T cells upon stimulation through TCR and CD28. Here, we demonstrate that the suppression of this axis by deletion of p85α or PI3K/mTORC1 inhibitors as well as T cell-specific deletion of raptor, an essential component of mTORC1, impairs Th17 differentiation in vitro and in vivo in a S6K1/2-dependent fashion. Inhibition of PI3K-Akt-mTORC1-S6K1 axis impairs the downregulation of Gfi1, a negative regulator of Th17 differentiation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that S6K2, a nuclear counterpart of S6K1, is induced by the PI3K-Akt-mTORC1 axis, binds RORγ, and carries RORγ to the nucleus. These results point toward a pivotal role of PI3K-Akt-mTORC1-S6K1/2 axis in Th17 differentiation.

Shortest path problem on a grid network with unordered intermediate points

Science.gov (United States)

Saw, Veekeong; Rahman, Amirah; Eng Ong, Wen

2017-10-01

We consider a shortest path problem with single cost factor on a grid network with unordered intermediate points. A two stage heuristic algorithm is proposed to find a feasible solution path within a reasonable amount of time. To evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm, computational experiments are performed on grid maps of varying size and number of intermediate points. Preliminary results for the problem are reported. Numerical comparisons against brute forcing show that the proposed algorithm consistently yields solutions that are within 10% of the optimal solution and uses significantly less computation time.

A shortest-path graph kernel for estimating gene product semantic similarity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alvarez Marco A

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Existing methods for calculating semantic similarity between gene products using the Gene Ontology (GO often rely on external resources, which are not part of the ontology. Consequently, changes in these external resources like biased term distribution caused by shifting of hot research topics, will affect the calculation of semantic similarity. One way to avoid this problem is to use semantic methods that are "intrinsic" to the ontology, i.e. independent of external knowledge. Results We present a shortest-path graph kernel (spgk method that relies exclusively on the GO and its structure. In spgk, a gene product is represented by an induced subgraph of the GO, which consists of all the GO terms annotating it. Then a shortest-path graph kernel is used to compute the similarity between two graphs. In a comprehensive evaluation using a benchmark dataset, spgk compares favorably with other methods that depend on external resources. Compared with simUI, a method that is also intrinsic to GO, spgk achieves slightly better results on the benchmark dataset. Statistical tests show that the improvement is significant when the resolution and EC similarity correlation coefficient are used to measure the performance, but is insignificant when the Pfam similarity correlation coefficient is used. Conclusions Spgk uses a graph kernel method in polynomial time to exploit the structure of the GO to calculate semantic similarity between gene products. It provides an alternative to both methods that use external resources and "intrinsic" methods with comparable performance.

External Data Structures for Shortest Path Queries on Planar Digraphs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arge, Lars; Toma, Laura

2005-01-01

In this paper we present space-query trade-offs for external memory data structures that answer shortest path queries on planar directed graphs. For any S = Ω(N 1 + ε) and S = O(N2/B), our main result is a family of structures that use S space and answer queries in O(N2/ S B) I/Os, thus obtaining...... optimal space-query product O(N2/B). An S space structure can be constructed in O(√S · sort(N)) I/Os, where sort(N) is the number of I/Os needed to sort N elements, B is the disk block size, and N is the size of the graph....

Comparison of Genetic Algorithm and Hill Climbing for Shortest Path Optimization Mapping

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fronita Mona

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP is an optimization to find the shortest path to reach several destinations in one trip without passing through the same city and back again to the early departure city, the process is applied to the delivery systems. This comparison is done using two methods, namely optimization genetic algorithm and hill climbing. Hill Climbing works by directly selecting a new path that is exchanged with the neighbour’s to get the track distance smaller than the previous track, without testing. Genetic algorithms depend on the input parameters, they are the number of population, the probability of crossover, mutation probability and the number of generations. To simplify the process of determining the shortest path supported by the development of software that uses the google map API. Tests carried out as much as 20 times with the number of city 8, 16, 24 and 32 to see which method is optimal in terms of distance and time computation. Based on experiments conducted with a number of cities 3, 4, 5 and 6 producing the same value and optimal distance for the genetic algorithm and hill climbing, the value of this distance begins to differ with the number of city 7. The overall results shows that these tests, hill climbing are more optimal to number of small cities and the number of cities over 30 optimized using genetic algorithms.

Tilted axis rotation in odd-odd {sup 164}Tm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reviol, W.; Riedinger, L.L.; Wang, X.Z.; Zhang, J.Y. [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)] [and others

1996-12-31

Ten band structures are observed in {sup 164}Tm, among them sets of parallel and anti-parallel couplings of the proton and neutron spins. The Tilted Axis Cranking scheme is applied for the first time to an odd-odd nucleus in a prominent region of nuclear deformation.

Impacts of Different Mobile User Interfaces on Students’ Satisfaction for Learning Dijkstra’s Shortest Path Algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mazyar Seraj

2014-10-01

Full Text Available This paper describes an experimental study of learning Dijkstra’s shortest path algorithm on mobile devices. The aim of the study is to investigate and compare the impacts of two different mobile screen user interfaces on students’ satisfaction for learning the technical subject. A mobile learning prototype was developed for learning Dijkstra’s shortest path algorithm on Apple iPhone 4 operated on iPhone operating system (iOS, and Acer Inconia Tab operated on an Android operating system. Thirty students, who are either currently studying or had previously studied Computer Networks, were recruited for the usability trial. At the end of each single session, students’ satisfaction interacting with the two mobile devices was measured using QUIS questionnaire. Although there is no significant difference in students’ satisfaction between the two different mobile screen interfaces, the subjective findings indicate that Acer Inconia Tab gained higher scores as compared to Apple iPhone 4.

A MODIFIED GENETIC ALGORITHM FOR FINDING FUZZY SHORTEST PATHS IN UNCERTAIN NETWORKS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. A. Heidari

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In realistic network analysis, there are several uncertainties in the measurements and computation of the arcs and vertices. These uncertainties should also be considered in realizing the shortest path problem (SPP due to the inherent fuzziness in the body of expert's knowledge. In this paper, we investigated the SPP under uncertainty to evaluate our modified genetic strategy. We improved the performance of genetic algorithm (GA to investigate a class of shortest path problems on networks with vague arc weights. The solutions of the uncertain SPP with considering fuzzy path lengths are examined and compared in detail. As a robust metaheuristic, GA algorithm is modified and evaluated to tackle the fuzzy SPP (FSPP with uncertain arcs. For this purpose, first, a dynamic operation is implemented to enrich the exploration/exploitation patterns of the conventional procedure and mitigate the premature convergence of GA technique. Then, the modified GA (MGA strategy is used to resolve the FSPP. The attained results of the proposed strategy are compared to those of GA with regard to the cost, quality of paths and CPU times. Numerical instances are provided to demonstrate the success of the proposed MGA-FSPP strategy in comparison with GA. The simulations affirm that not only the proposed technique can outperform GA, but also the qualities of the paths are effectively improved. The results clarify that the competence of the proposed GA is preferred in view of quality quantities. The results also demonstrate that the proposed method can efficiently be utilized to handle FSPP in uncertain networks.

Influence of drag force upon the shortest time trajectory of an aircraft

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrei CRAIFALEANU

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The shortest time trajectory of an aircraft between two given locations is determined using a simple mathematical model. By taking into account the drag force (viscous friction force with the air, a problem of variational calculus is obtained which consists in determining two functions that minimize a functional, subject to a non-holonomic constraint. The trajectory is determined directly, by numerical integration of Euler equations with multipliers. Three types of drag forces were considered: constant, linear and quadratic. The results are verified through comparison to the values obtained from numerical minimization of the involved functional approximate forms.

Instability of nuclear wobbling motion and tilted axis rotation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuzaki, Masayuki; Ohtsubo, Shin-Ichi

2004-01-01

We study a possible correspondence between the softening of the wobbling mode and the 'phase transition' of the one-dimensionally rotating mean field to a three-dimensionally rotating one by comparing the properties of the wobbling mode obtained by the one-dimensional cranking model + random phase approximation with the total Routhian surface obtained by the three-dimensional tilted-axis cranking model. The potential surface for the observed wobbling mode excited on the triaxial superdeformed states in 163 Lu is also analyzed

A minimum resource neural network framework for solving multiconstraint shortest path problems.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Junying; Zhao, Xiaoxue; He, Xiaotao

2014-08-01

Characterized by using minimum hard (structural) and soft (computational) resources, a novel parameter-free minimal resource neural network (MRNN) framework is proposed for solving a wide range of single-source shortest path (SP) problems for various graph types. The problems are the k-shortest time path problems with any combination of three constraints: time, hop, and label constraints, and the graphs can be directed, undirected, or bidirected with symmetric and/or asymmetric traversal time, which can be real and time dependent. Isomorphic to the graph where the SP is to be sought, the network is activated by generating autowave at source neuron and the autowave travels automatically along the paths with the speed of a hop in an iteration. Properties of the network are studied, algorithms are presented, and computation complexity is analyzed. The framework guarantees globally optimal solutions of a series of problems during the iteration process of the network, which provides insight into why even the SP is still too long to be satisfied. The network facilitates very large scale integrated circuit implementation and adapt to very large scale problems due to its massively parallel processing and minimum resource utilization. When implemented in a sequentially processing computer, experiments on synthetic graphs, road maps of cities of the USA, and vehicle routing with time windows indicate that the MRNN is especially efficient for large scale sparse graphs and even dense graphs with some constraints, e.g., the CPU time taken and the iteration number used for the road maps of cities of the USA is even less than  ∼ 2% and 0.5% that of the Dijkstra's algorithm.

Crushing method for nuclear fuel powder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasegawa, Shin-ichi; Tsuchiya, Haruo.

1997-01-01

A crushing medium is contained in mill pots disposed at the circumferential periphery of a main axis. The diameter of each mill pot is determined such that powdery nuclear fuels containing aggregated powders and ground and mixed powders do not reach criticality. A plurality of mill pots are revolved in the direction of the main axis while each pots rotating on its axis. Powdery nuclear fuels containing aggregated powders are conveyed to a supply portion of the moll pot, and an inert gas is supplied to the supply portion. The powdery nuclear fuels are supplied from the supply portion to the inside of the mill pots, and the powdery nuclear fuels containing aggregated powders are crushed by centrifugal force caused by the rotation and the revolving of the mill pots by means of the crushing medium. UO 2 powder in uranium oxide fuels can be crushed continuously. PuO 2 powder and UO 2 powder in MOX fuels can be crushed and mixed continuously. (I.N.)

Virginia Power's nuclear operations: Leading by example

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuehn, S.E.

1995-01-01

Success has been a long time coming for Virginia Power's nuclear units, but after a record run and some of the shortest refueling outages ever, the rest of the industry could learn a few things. This article describes the changes made by Virginia Power at its Surry and North Anna plants. Virginia Power's recipe for success called for equal amounts of individual initiative, management savvy, engineering discipline, organization, dedication, perseverance, pride, introspection, motivation, and humility

Particle swarm optimization for determining shortest distance to voltage collapse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arya, L.D.; Choube, S.C. [Electrical Engineering Department, S.G.S.I.T.S. Indore, MP 452 003 (India); Shrivastava, M. [Electrical Engineering Department, Government Engineering College Ujjain, MP 456 010 (India); Kothari, D.P. [Centre for Energy Studies, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (India)

2007-12-15

This paper describes an algorithm for computing shortest distance to voltage collapse or determination of CSNBP using PSO technique. A direction along CSNBP gives conservative results from voltage security view point. This information is useful to the operator to steer the system away from this point by taking corrective actions. The distance to a closest bifurcation is a minimum of the loadability given a slack bus or participation factors for increasing generation as the load increases. CSNBP determination has been formulated as an optimization problem to be used in PSO technique. PSO is a new evolutionary algorithm (EA) which is population based inspired by the social behavior of animals such as fish schooling and birds flocking. It can handle optimization problems with any complexity since mechanization is simple with few parameters to be tuned. The developed algorithm has been implemented on two standard test systems. (author)

Shortest multiple disconnected path for the analysis of entanglements in two- and three-dimensional polymeric systems

Science.gov (United States)

Kröger, Martin

2005-06-01

We present an algorithm which returns a shortest path and related number of entanglements for a given configuration of a polymeric system in 2 or 3 dimensions. Rubinstein and Helfand, and later Everaers et al. introduced a concept to extract primitive paths for dense polymeric melts made of linear chains (a multiple disconnected multibead 'path'), where each primitive path is defined as a path connecting the (space-fixed) ends of a polymer under the constraint of non-interpenetration (excluded volume) between primitive paths of different chains, such that the multiple disconnected path fulfills a minimization criterion. The present algorithm uses geometrical operations and provides a—model independent—efficient approximate solution to this challenging problem. Primitive paths are treated as 'infinitely' thin (we further allow for finite thickness to model excluded volume), and tensionless lines rather than multibead chains, excluded volume is taken into account without a force law. The present implementation allows to construct a shortest multiple disconnected path (SP) for 2D systems (polymeric chain within spherical obstacles) and an optimal SP for 3D systems (collection of polymeric chains). The number of entanglements is then simply obtained from the SP as either the number of interior kinks, or from the average length of a line segment. Further, information about structure and potentially also the dynamics of entanglements is immediately available from the SP. We apply the method to study the 'concentration' dependence of the degree of entanglement in phantom chain systems. Program summaryTitle of program:Z Catalogue number:ADVG Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/ADVG Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University of Belfast, N. Ireland Computer for which the program is designed and others on which it has been tested: Silicon Graphics (Irix), Sun (Solaris), PC (Linux) Operating systems or monitors under which the

Measurements of isocenter path characteristics of the gantry rotation axis with a smartphone application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schiefer, H.; Peters, S.; Plasswilm, L.; Ingulfsen, N.; Kluckert, J.

2015-01-01

Purpose: For stereotactic radiosurgery, the AAPM Report No. 54 [AAPM Task Group 42 (AAPM, 1995)] requires the overall stability of the isocenter (couch, gantry, and collimator) to be within a 1 mm radius. In reality, a rotating system has no rigid axis and thus no isocenter point which is fixed in space. As a consequence, the isocenter concept is reviewed here. It is the aim to develop a measurement method following the revised definitions. Methods: The mechanical isocenter is defined here by the point which rotates on the shortest path in the room coordinate system. The path is labeled as “isocenter path.” Its center of gravity is assumed to be the mechanical isocenter. Following this definition, an image-based and radiation-free measurement method was developed. Multiple marker pairs in a plane perpendicular to the assumed gantry rotation axis of a linear accelerator are imaged with a smartphone application from several rotation angles. Each marker pair represents an independent measuring system. The room coordinates of the isocenter path and the mechanical isocenter are calculated based on the marker coordinates. The presented measurement method is by this means strictly focused on the mechanical isocenter. Results: The measurement result is available virtually immediately following completion of measurement. When 12 independent measurement systems are evaluated, the standard deviations of the isocenter path points and mechanical isocenter coordinates are 0.02 and 0.002 mm, respectively. Conclusions: The measurement is highly accurate, time efficient, and simple to adapt. It is therefore suitable for regular checks of the mechanical isocenter characteristics of the gantry and collimator rotation axis. When the isocenter path is reproducible and its extent is in the range of the needed geometrical accuracy, it should be taken into account in the planning process. This is especially true for stereotactic treatments and radiosurgery

Measurements of isocenter path characteristics of the gantry rotation axis with a smartphone application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schiefer, H., E-mail: johann.schiefer@kssg.ch; Peters, S.; Plasswilm, L. [Klinik für Radio-Onkologie, Kantonsspital St.Gallen, Rorschacherstrasse 107, St.Gallen CH-9007 (Switzerland); Ingulfsen, N.; Kluckert, J. [Kantonsschule am Burggraben St.Gallen, Burggraben 21, St.Gallen CH-9000 (Switzerland)

2015-03-15

Purpose: For stereotactic radiosurgery, the AAPM Report No. 54 [AAPM Task Group 42 (AAPM, 1995)] requires the overall stability of the isocenter (couch, gantry, and collimator) to be within a 1 mm radius. In reality, a rotating system has no rigid axis and thus no isocenter point which is fixed in space. As a consequence, the isocenter concept is reviewed here. It is the aim to develop a measurement method following the revised definitions. Methods: The mechanical isocenter is defined here by the point which rotates on the shortest path in the room coordinate system. The path is labeled as “isocenter path.” Its center of gravity is assumed to be the mechanical isocenter. Following this definition, an image-based and radiation-free measurement method was developed. Multiple marker pairs in a plane perpendicular to the assumed gantry rotation axis of a linear accelerator are imaged with a smartphone application from several rotation angles. Each marker pair represents an independent measuring system. The room coordinates of the isocenter path and the mechanical isocenter are calculated based on the marker coordinates. The presented measurement method is by this means strictly focused on the mechanical isocenter. Results: The measurement result is available virtually immediately following completion of measurement. When 12 independent measurement systems are evaluated, the standard deviations of the isocenter path points and mechanical isocenter coordinates are 0.02 and 0.002 mm, respectively. Conclusions: The measurement is highly accurate, time efficient, and simple to adapt. It is therefore suitable for regular checks of the mechanical isocenter characteristics of the gantry and collimator rotation axis. When the isocenter path is reproducible and its extent is in the range of the needed geometrical accuracy, it should be taken into account in the planning process. This is especially true for stereotactic treatments and radiosurgery.

Nuclear radiation sensors and monitoring following a nuclear or radiological emergencies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhatnagar, P.K.

2009-01-01

Management of Nuclear and Radiological Emergencies arising from Radiological Dispersive Device (RDD), Improvised Nuclear Devices (IND), Nuclear Reactors/Power plants and Nuclear War require measurement of ionizing radiations and radioactivity on an enhanced scale relative to the levels encountered in peaceful uses of ionizing radiations and radioactivity. It is heartening that since Hiroshima, Nagasaki nuclear disaster, the world has been quiet but since early 2000 there has been a fear of certain devices to be used by terrorists, which could lead to panic, and disaster due to dispersal of radioactivity by RDD, IND. Nuclear attack would lead to blast, thermal, initial nuclear radiation, nuclear fall out leading to gamma and neutron dose, dose rates in range from few R, R/h to kR, kR/h, and determinations of k Bq or higher order. Such situations have been visualized at national levels and National Disaster Management Authority NDMA has been established and Disaster Management Act 2005 has come into existence. NDMA has prepared guidelines for Nuclear and radiological emergency management highlighting preparedness, mitigation, response, capacity building, etc. Critical point in all these issues is detection of emergency, quick intimation to the concerned for action in shortest possible time. Upper most requirement by those involved in pursuing action, is radiation sensor based radiation monitors for personnel, area, and to assess contamination due to radioactivity.This presentation briefly describes the Indian scenario in the development of the radiation sensors and the sensor-based radiation monitors. (author)

Nuclear radiation sensors and monitoring following a nuclear or radiological emergencies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bhatnagar, P K [Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur (India)

2009-01-15

Management of Nuclear and Radiological Emergencies arising from Radiological Dispersive Device (RDD), Improvised Nuclear Devices (IND), Nuclear Reactors/Power plants and Nuclear War require measurement of ionizing radiations and radioactivity on an enhanced scale relative to the levels encountered in peaceful uses of ionizing radiations and radioactivity. It is heartening that since Hiroshima, Nagasaki nuclear disaster, the world has been quiet but since early 2000 there has been a fear of certain devices to be used by terrorists, which could lead to panic, and disaster due to dispersal of radioactivity by RDD, IND. Nuclear attack would lead to blast, thermal, initial nuclear radiation, nuclear fall out leading to gamma and neutron dose, dose rates in range from few R, R/h to kR, kR/h, and determinations of k Bq or higher order. Such situations have been visualized at national levels and National Disaster Management Authority NDMA has been established and Disaster Management Act 2005 has come into existence. NDMA has prepared guidelines for Nuclear and radiological emergency management highlighting preparedness, mitigation, response, capacity building, etc. Critical point in all these issues is detection of emergency, quick intimation to the concerned for action in shortest possible time. Upper most requirement by those involved in pursuing action, is radiation sensor based radiation monitors for personnel, area, and to assess contamination due to radioactivity.This presentation briefly describes the Indian scenario in the development of the radiation sensors and the sensor-based radiation monitors. (author)

DARHT Axis-I Diode Simulations II: Geometrical Scaling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ekdahl, Carl A. Jr. [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2012-06-14

Flash radiography of large hydrodynamic experiments driven by high explosives is a venerable diagnostic technique in use at many laboratories. Many of the largest hydrodynamic experiments study mockups of nuclear weapons, and are often called hydrotests for short. The dual-axis radiography for hydrodynamic testing (DARHT) facility uses two electron linear-induction accelerators (LIA) to produce the radiographic source spots for perpendicular views of a hydrotest. The first of these LIAs produces a single pulse, with a fixed {approx}60-ns pulsewidth. The second axis LIA produces as many as four pulses within 1.6-{micro}s, with variable pulsewidths and separation. There are a wide variety of hydrotest geometries, each with a unique radiographic requirement, so there is a need to adjust the radiographic dose for the best images. This can be accomplished on the second axis by simply adjusting the pulsewidths, but is more problematic on the first axis. Changing the beam energy or introducing radiation attenuation also changes the spectrum, which is undesirable. Moreover, using radiation attenuation introduces significant blur, increasing the effective spot size. The dose can also be adjusted by changing the beam kinetic energy. This is a very sensitive method, because the dose scales as the {approx}2.8 power of the energy, but it would require retuning the accelerator. This leaves manipulating the beam current as the best means for adjusting the dose, and one way to do this is to change the size of the cathode. This method has been proposed, and is being tested. This article describes simulations undertaken to develop scaling laws for use as design tools in changing the Axis-1 beam current by changing the cathode size.

ACL2 Meets the GPU: Formalizing a CUDA-based Parallelizable All-Pairs Shortest Path Algorithm in ACL2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David S. Hardin

2013-04-01

Full Text Available As Graphics Processing Units (GPUs have gained in capability and GPU development environments have matured, developers are increasingly turning to the GPU to off-load the main host CPU of numerically-intensive, parallelizable computations. Modern GPUs feature hundreds of cores, and offer programming niceties such as double-precision floating point, and even limited recursion. This shift from CPU to GPU, however, raises the question: how do we know that these new GPU-based algorithms are correct? In order to explore this new verification frontier, we formalized a parallelizable all-pairs shortest path (APSP algorithm for weighted graphs, originally coded in NVIDIA's CUDA language, in ACL2. The ACL2 specification is written using a single-threaded object (stobj and tail recursion, as the stobj/tail recursion combination yields the most straightforward translation from imperative programming languages, as well as efficient, scalable executable specifications within ACL2 itself. The ACL2 version of the APSP algorithm can process millions of vertices and edges with little to no garbage generation, and executes at one-sixth the speed of a host-based version of APSP coded in C – a very respectable result for a theorem prover. In addition to formalizing the APSP algorithm (which uses Dijkstra's shortest path algorithm at its core, we have also provided capability that the original APSP code lacked, namely shortest path recovery. Path recovery is accomplished using a secondary ACL2 stobj implementing a LIFO stack, which is proven correct. To conclude the experiment, we ported the ACL2 version of the APSP kernels back to C, resulting in a less than 5% slowdown, and also performed a partial back-port to CUDA, which, surprisingly, yielded a slight performance increase.

The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Thyroid Axis in Infants and Children: Protection from Radioiodines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeffrey Fisher

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Potassium iodide (KI is recommended as an emergency treatment for exposure to radioiodines, most commonly associated with nuclear detonation or mishaps at nuclear power plants. Protecting the thyroid gland of infants and children remains a priority because of increased incidence of thyroid cancer in the young exposed to radioiodines (such as 131I and 133I. There is a lack of clinical studies for KI and radioiodines in children or infants to draw definitive conclusions about the effectiveness and safety of KI administration in the young. In this paper, we compare functional aspects of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT axis in the young and adults and review the limited studies of KI in children. The HPT axis in the infant and child is hyperactive and therefore will respond less effectively to KI treatment compared to adults. Research on the safety and efficacy of KI in infants and children is needed.

Comparison of the efficiency of two algorithms which solve the shortest path problem with an emotional agent

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petruseva Silvana

2006-01-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the comparison of the efficiency of two algorithms, by estimation of their complexity. For solving the problem, the Neural Network Crossbar Adaptive Array (NN-CAA is used as the agent architecture, implementing a model of an emotion. The problem discussed is how to find the shortest path in an environment with n states. The domains concerned are environments with n states, one of which is the starting state, one is the goal state, and some states are undesirable and they should be avoided. It is obtained that finding one path (one solution is efficient, i.e. in polynomial time by both algorithms. One of the algorithms is faster than the other only in the multiplicative constant, and it shows a step forward toward the optimality of the learning process. However, finding the optimal solution (the shortest path by both algorithms is in exponential time which is asserted by two theorems. It might be concluded that the concept of subgoal is one step forward toward the optimality of the process of the agent learning. Yet, it should be explored further on, in order to obtain an efficient, polynomial algorithm.

Solving fuzzy shortest path problem by genetic algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Syarif, A.; Muludi, K.; Adrian, R.; Gen, M.

2018-03-01

Shortest Path Problem (SPP) is known as one of well-studied fields in the area Operations Research and Mathematical Optimization. It has been applied for many engineering and management designs. The objective is usually to determine path(s) in the network with minimum total cost or traveling time. In the past, the cost value for each arc was usually assigned or estimated as a deteministic value. For some specific real world applications, however, it is often difficult to determine the cost value properly. One way of handling such uncertainty in decision making is by introducing fuzzy approach. With this situation, it will become difficult to solve the problem optimally. This paper presents the investigations on the application of Genetic Algorithm (GA) to a new SPP model in which the cost values are represented as Triangular Fuzzy Number (TFN). We adopts the concept of ranking fuzzy numbers to determine how good the solutions. Here, by giving his/her degree value, the decision maker can determine the range of objective value. This would be very valuable for decision support system in the real world applications.Simulation experiments were carried out by modifying several test problems with 10-25 nodes. It is noted that the proposed approach is capable attaining a good solution with different degree of optimism for the tested problems.

Nuclear axis. Secret collaboration between West Germany and South Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cervenka, Z.; Rogers, B.

1978-01-01

Today there is virtually no doubt that the white racist minority government in Pretoria has-or shortly will have-its finger on the nuclear button, introducing a new and extremely volatile element into African politics and threatening the peace of the whole world. This book is the sinister story of how they are getting the bomb and who has helped them. Relying on hitherto top-secret government documents, informants, and the public record, Zdenek Cervenka of the Scandinavian Institute of Africa Affairs, and Barbara Rogers, formerly of the British Foreign Office and a consultant to the United Nations and the Congressional Subcommittee on Southern Africa, have pieced together the story of the clandestine collaboration between West Germany, and South Africa to develop operational nuclear weapons. The authors trace Germany's rise as a military nuclear power (only thirty years after unconditional surrender); the growth of its atomic cooperation with South Africa; the transfer of secret technological data; the way in which other countries-including the United States, Britain, France, Israel-have been involved. The authors show that the Germans, pledged never to develop nuclear weapons, have become a major nuclear power, and, together with the South African military-industrial complex, now have the power to alter the course of modern history in Europe, Africa, and the rest of the world. The authors conclude with a discussion of how the international system of nuclear safeguards failed and how the Western allies acquiesced in that failure

Assessment of endocrine disorders of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis by nuclear medicine techniques; Nuklearmedizinische Verfahren zur Abklaerung endokrinologischer Erkrankungen der Hypothalamus-Hypophysen-Achse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schmidt, M.; Theissen, P.; Dietlein, M.; Schicha, H. [Koeln Univ. (Germany). Klinik und Poliklinik fuer Nuklearmedizin; Jackenhoevel, F.; Krone, W. [Koeln Univ. (Germany). Klinik II fuer Innere Medizin

2002-04-01

The following article reviews nuclear medicine techniques which can be used for assessment of endocrine disorders of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. For planar and SPECT imaging somatostatin-receptor- and dopamine-D2-receptor-scintigraphy are the most widely distributed techniques. These nuclear medicine techniques may be indicated in selected cases to answer differential diagnostic problems. They can be helpful to search for presence and localization of receptor positive tissue. Furthermore they can detect metastasis in the rare cases of a pituitary carcinoma. Scintigraphy with Gallium-67 is suitable for further diagnostic evaluation in suspected hypophysitis. Other SPECT radiopharmaca do not have relevant clinical significance. F-18-FDG as PET radiopharmacon is not ideal because obvious pituitary adenomas could not be visualized. Other PET radiopharmaca including C-11-methionine, C-11-tyrosine, F-18-fluoroethylspiperone, C-11-methylspiperone, and C-11-raclopride are available in specialized centers only. Overall indications for nuclear medicine in studies for the assessment of endocrine disorders of the hypothalamic-pituitary-axis are rare. Original studies often report only about a small number of patients. According to the authors' opinion the relevance of nuclear medicine in studies of clinically important endocrinologic fields, e. g. localization of small ACTH-producing pituitary adenomas, tumor localization in ectopic ACTH syndrome, localization of recurrent pituitary tissue, assessment of small incidentalomas, can not be definitely given yet. (orig.) [German] Diese Uebersichtsarbeit fasst die nuklearmedizinischen Untersuchungsverfahren zur Abklaerung endokrinologischer Erkrankungen der Hypothalamus-Hypophysen-Achse zusammen. Bei den planaren und SPECT-Unter suchungen sind Somatostatin-Rezeptor- und Dopamin-D2-Rezeptor-Szintigraphie die verbreitetsten Untersuchungstechniken. Im Einzelfall sind sie zur Differenzialdiagnostik, zum Nachweis und zur

Virginia Power's nuclear operations: Leading by example

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuehn, S.E.

1995-02-01

Success has been a long time coming for Virginia Power's nuclear units, but after a record run and some of the shortest refueling outages ever, the rest of the industry could learn a few things. This article describes the changes made by Virginia Power at its Surry and North Anna plants. Virginia Power's recipe for success called for equal amounts of individual initiative, management savvy, engineering discipline, organization, dedication, perseverance, pride, introspection, motivation, and humility.

The tomography of human mobility - what do shortest-path trees reveal?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thiemann, Christian [Eng. Sci. and Appl. Math, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (United States); Max-Planck-Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Goettingen (Germany); Grady, Daniel; Brockmann, Dirk [Eng. Sci. and Appl. Math, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (United States)

2010-07-01

Similar to illustrating the anatomy of organs using pictures of tissue slices taken at various depths, we construct shortest-path trees of different nodes to create tomograms of large-scale human mobility networks. This tomography allows us to measure global properties of the system conditioned on a reference location in the network to gain a fuller characterization of a node. It also suggests a canonical coordinate system for representing complex networks and dynamical processes thereon in a simplified way, revealing a new symmetry in the human mobility networks we investigated. Furthermore, introducing the notion of tree similarity, we devised a new technique for clustering nodes with similar topological footprint, yielding a unique and efficient method for community identification and topological backbone extraction. We applied these methods to a multi-scale human mobility network obtained from the dollar-bill-tracking site wheresgoerge.com and to the U.S. and world-wide air transportation network.

The discussion of a method to determine the underground destruction range of nuclear earth penetrator bursts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geng Xiaobing; Zhang Zhongshan

2007-01-01

This thesis chooses cross hole seismic tomography to determine the destruction range of surrounded rock in virtue of the characteristic of nuclear earth penetrator explosion.According to Fermat's principle, ray tracing method-the shortest path method suggested by Moser used, a programme was produced to calculate seismic travel time and then to simulate the collection the practical travel time data. The Genetic Algorithm is adopted as the inversion method to simulate in accordance with the crater model of nuclear earth penetrator explosion. (authors)

Nuclear spinner for SATCOM applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karlin, J.J.; Raab, B.

1976-01-01

In order to avoid the power limitations of the solar-powered spinner satellites, operators of commercial communications spacecraft have turned to three-axis-stabilized designs. Nuclear-powered spacecraft can avoid this limitation, while retaining the desirable weight, stability, and cost advantages of the spinner approach. A nuclear spinner satellite launched on a Delta-3914 can provide enough weight and volume capacity for both C- and Ku-band operation, with a total capacity exceeding 40,000 one-way circuits, almost twice the capacity of present-day solar-three-axis designs. It is shown that, based on the criterion of cost-per-satellite-circuit in orbit, a nuclear spinner Satcom is superior to any present day solar-powered satellite in the Delta-launched class. However, in order to retain this superiority in the face of anticipated advances in solar power technology, a nuclear power system of at least 4 watts (e)/lb specific power is required

Development of triple axis neutron spectrometer (Paper No. 24)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pal, B.C.; Wadhwa, N.R.; Goveas, S.H.

1987-02-01

The triple axis neutron spectrometers are the basic instruments intended for use with neutron beams from reactors. Various types of spectrometers, each devoted to different kinds of measurement can be designed and manufactured, once a prototype having all the attributes of a versatile instrument is designed and developed. With the view to achieving self reliance in this field, Central Workshops of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Bombay designed and developed a prototype of triple axis spectrometer meeting the specifications prepared by Nuclear Physics Division of BARC . This spectrometer, with a moving wedge system was successfully manufactured and installed at 'DHRUVA'. Another version of this spectrometer, called the 'Polarised Neutron Spectrometer' was also built and exported to South Korea and installed at Korea Advanced Energy Research Institute, Seoul. This paper deals with basic concept, development of design, engineering of mechanical assemblies, the manufacturing approach and problems encountered during manufacture. (author). 3 figs

MARRT: Medial Axis biased rapidly-exploring random trees

KAUST Repository

Denny, Jory; Greco, Evan; Thomas, Shawna; Amato, Nancy M.

2014-01-01

© 2014 IEEE. Motion planning is a difficult and widely studied problem in robotics. Current research aims not only to find feasible paths, but to ensure paths have certain properties, e.g., shortest or safest paths. This is difficult for current

A new sensor for detection of coolant leakage in nuclear power plants using off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Lim; Park, Hyunmin; Kim, Taek-Soo; Ko, Kwang-Hoon; Jeong, Do-Young

2012-01-01

A new sensor based on laser absorption spectroscopy was developed for the detection of coolant leakage which may happen in pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR). Off-axis integrated output spectroscopy (OA-ICOS) technique was adopted for developing a simple and robust sensor with sufficient sensitivity. Leak events could be monitored by detecting a small change in semi-heavy water (HDO) concentration induced by the exchange reaction of leaked heavy water (D 2 O) with light water (H 2 O). From the results of feasibility tests, we have shown that the measured area of absorption features was linearly correlated with HDO concentration, and the minimum detectable change of HDO concentration with the developed sensor was evaluated as 3.2 ppm. This new sensor is expected to be a reliable and promising device for the detection of coolant leakage since it has some advantages on real-time monitoring and early detection for nuclear safety.

Extended shortest path selection for package routing of complex networks

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Fan; Zhang, Lei; Wang, Bing-Hong; Liu, Lu; Zhang, Xing-Yi

The routing strategy plays a very important role in complex networks such as Internet system and Peer-to-Peer networks. However, most of the previous work concentrates only on the path selection, e.g. Flooding and Random Walk, or finding the shortest path (SP) and rarely considering the local load information such as SP and Distance Vector Routing. Flow-based Routing mainly considers load balance and still cannot achieve best optimization. Thus, in this paper, we propose a novel dynamic routing strategy on complex network by incorporating the local load information into SP algorithm to enhance the traffic flow routing optimization. It was found that the flow in a network is greatly affected by the waiting time of the network, so we should not consider only choosing optimized path for package transformation but also consider node congestion. As a result, the packages should be transmitted with a global optimized path with smaller congestion and relatively short distance. Analysis work and simulation experiments show that the proposed algorithm can largely enhance the network flow with the maximum throughput within an acceptable calculating time. The detailed analysis of the algorithm will also be provided for explaining the efficiency.

ATCA/AXIe compatible board for fast control and data acquisition in nuclear fusion experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batista, A.J.N.; Leong, C.; Bexiga, V.; Rodrigues, A.P.; Combo, A.; Carvalho, B.B.; Fortunato, J.; Correia, M.; Teixeira, J.P.; Teixeira, I.C.; Sousa, J.; Gonçalves, B.; Varandas, C.A.F.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► High performance board for fast control and data acquisition. ► Large IO channel number per board with galvanic isolation. ► Optimized for high reliability and availability. ► Targeted for nuclear fusion experiments with long duration discharges. ► To be used on the ITER Fast Plant System Controller prototype. - Abstract: An in-house development of an Advanced Telecommunications Computing Architecture (ATCA) board for fast control and data acquisition, with Input/Output (IO) processing capability, is presented. The architecture, compatible with the ATCA (PICMG 3.4) and ATCA eXtensions for Instrumentation (AXIe) specifications, comprises a passive Rear Transition Module (RTM) for IO connectivity to ease hot-swap maintenance and simultaneously to increase cabling life cycle. The board complies with ITER Fast Plant System Controller (FPSC) guidelines for rear IO connectivity and redundancy, in order to provide high levels of reliability and availability to the control and data acquisition systems of nuclear fusion devices with long duration plasma discharges. Simultaneously digitized data from all Analog to Digital Converters (ADC) of the board can be filtered/decimated in a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), decreasing data throughput, increasing resolution, and sent through Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) Express to multi-core processors in the ATCA shelf hub slots. Concurrently the multi-core processors can update the board Digital to Analog Converters (DAC) in real-time. Full-duplex point-to-point communication links between all FPGAs, of peer boards inside the shelf, allow the implementation of distributed algorithms and Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) systems. Support for several timing and synchronization solutions is also provided. Some key features are onboard ADC or DAC modules with galvanic isolation, Xilinx Virtex 6 FPGA, standard Dual Data Rate (DDR) 3 SODIMM memory, standard CompactFLASH memory card, Intelligent

Fast and accurate global multiphase arrival tracking: the irregular shortest-path method in a 3-D spherical earth model

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Guo-Jiao; Bai, Chao-Ying; Greenhalgh, Stewart

2013-09-01

The traditional grid/cell-based wavefront expansion algorithms, such as the shortest path algorithm, can only find the first arrivals or multiply reflected (or mode converted) waves transmitted from subsurface interfaces, but cannot calculate the other later reflections/conversions having a minimax time path. In order to overcome the above limitations, we introduce the concept of a stationary minimax time path of Fermat's Principle into the multistage irregular shortest path method. Here we extend it from Cartesian coordinates for a flat earth model to global ray tracing of multiple phases in a 3-D complex spherical earth model. The ray tracing results for 49 different kinds of crustal, mantle and core phases show that the maximum absolute traveltime error is less than 0.12 s and the average absolute traveltime error is within 0.09 s when compared with the AK135 theoretical traveltime tables for a 1-D reference model. Numerical tests in terms of computational accuracy and CPU time consumption indicate that the new scheme is an accurate, efficient and a practical way to perform 3-D multiphase arrival tracking in regional or global traveltime tomography.

Bimetallic spacer means for a nuclear fuel assembly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anthony, A.J.

1981-01-01

A bimetallic spacer means designed to be cooperatively associated with a nuclear fuel assembly and operative to resist the occurrence of in-reactor bowing of the nuclear fuel assembly. The subject bimetallic spacer means in accord with one embodiment of the invention includes a member formed, at least principally, of Zircaloy to which are attached a plurality of stainless steel strips. The latter stainless steel strips are located on the external surface of the Zircaloy member and with the major axis of each of the plurality of stainless steel strips extending substantially perpendicular to the major axis of the Zircaloy member. In accord with another embodiment of the invention, the subject bimetallic spacer means includes a member formed at least principally of Zircaloy to which a plurality of stainless steel strips are attached so as to be positioned thereon externally thereof and with the major axis of each of the plurality of stainless steel strips extending substantially parallel to the major axis of the Zircaloy member. In accord with a further embodiment of the invention, the stainless steel strips are attached to preselected members, each embodying at least a cladding of Zircaloy, which are located in the rows of fuel rods that define the perimeter of the fuel matrix of the nuclear fuel assembly. In each of the embodiments, the stainless steel strips during power production expand outwardly to a greater extent than do the members to which the stainless steel strips are attached, thereby forming stiff springs which abut against like bimetallic spacer means with which the other nuclear fuel assemblies are provided in a given nuclear reactor core to thus prevent the occurrence of in-reactor bowing of the nuclear fuel assemblies. Namely, the stainless steel strips expand laterally relative to the fuel assembly and thereby occupy the space adjacent to the external surface of the fuel assembly

Development of five axis robotic system for an industrial neutron tomography imaging system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vyas, R J; Radke, M G; Mishra, J K; Arunkumar, G V.D.; Ramakumar, M S [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai (India). Div. of Remote Handling and Robotics

1994-12-31

Tomography is one of the latest techniques in the field of nondestructive testing. X-rays, gamma rays or neutrons are used as an energy source whereas five axis manipulator is designed to move the specimen across the beam. The 5 axis robotic system has been indigenously developed, designed, manufactured and tested to move up to 10 kg payload. Computer is necessary to process and store data and retrieve it for processing. The same computer is used for control of manipulator. Computer aided tomography is carried out for research and industrial use. Neutron beam will be used either for evaluation of organic materials in attenuation based measurements or for evaluation on the basis of neutron activation of materials like nuclear fuels. The paper describes the indigenously developed 5-axis robotic system as a part of a facility built around Kamini reactor at Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam. (author). 4 figs.

Nuclear Structure of 186Re

Science.gov (United States)

2016-12-24

equipotential surfaces defining the shapes of quadrupole-deformed nuclei are shown in Figure 3, in which the e↵ects of varying and are... equipotential surfaces in deformed nuclei, with the axis of nuclear symmetry identified as the z axis. The spherical shape has = 0, while the oblate...Equation (11) are seen to represent the mass-energy contained in the volume of the nucleus, adjusted for the surface tension and the Coulomb

Single-Axis Three-Beam Amplitude Monopulse Antenna-Signal Processing Issues

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doerry, Armin W. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Bickel, Douglas L. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2015-05-01

Typically, when three or more antenna beams along a single axis are required, the answer has been multiple antenna phase-centers, essentially a phase-monopulse system. Such systems and their design parameters are well-reported in the literature. Less appreciated is that three or more antenna beams can also be generated in an amplitude-monopulse fashion. Consequently, design guidelines and performance analysis of such antennas is somewhat under-reported in the literature. We provide discussion herein of three beams arrayed in a single axis with an amplitude-monopulse configuration. Acknowledgements The preparation of this report is the result of an unfunded research and development activity. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administ ration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Gut Microbiota-brain Axis

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Hong-Xing Wang; Yu-Ping Wang

2016-01-01

Objective:To systematically review the updated information about the gut microbiota-brain axis.Data Sources:All articles about gut microbiota-brain axis published up to July 18,2016,were identified through a literature search on PubMed,ScienceDirect,and Web of Science,with the keywords of"gut microbiota","gut-brain axis",and "neuroscience".Study Selection:All relevant articles on gut microbiota and gut-brain axis were included and carefully reviewed,with no limitation of study design.Results:It is well-recognized that gut microbiota affects the brain's physiological,behavioral,and cognitive functions although its precise mechanism has not yet been fully understood.Gut microbiota-brain axis may include gut microbiota and their metabolic products,enteric nervous system,sympathetic and parasympathetic branches within the autonomic nervous system,neural-immune system,neuroendocrine system,and central nervous system.Moreover,there may be five communication routes between gut microbiota and brain,including the gut-brain's neural network,neuroendocrine-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis,gut immune system,some neurotransmitters and neural regulators synthesized by gut bacteria,and barrier paths including intestinal mucosal barrier and blood-brain barrier.The microbiome is used to define the composition and functional characteristics of gut microbiota,and metagenomics is an appropriate technique to characterize gut microbiota.Conclusions:Gut microbiota-brain axis refers to a bidirectional information network between the gut microbiota and the brain,which may provide a new way to protect the brain in the near future.

Ukraine's non-nuclear option

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batiouk, V.

1992-01-01

It seems that only yesterday the dilemma confronting our world was not that of war or peace but rather of life or death for mankind, the reason being mainly the prospect of mass annihilation which became increasingly vivid with each and every new explosive nuclear device added to the already existing enormous stockpiles of warheads of mass annihilation. Against this gloomy background of a despairingly reckless arms race, the long-awaited signs began to appear. First the United States and the Soviet Union found it possible to initiate the process by cutting into their immeasurable nuclear arsenals, then Ukraine declared its intention to become non-nuclear by the end of 1994. All the newly independent States, of the former Soviet Union, except Russia, also agreed to renounce possession of nuclear arms. The declarations were put into effect and the most recent specific action was the removal by 6 may 1992 of all short-range nuclear weapons from Ukrainian territory to Russian soil with a view to their ultimate dismantlement. The signature on 23 May 1992 in Lisbon by four ex-Soviet States (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine) and the United States of a Protocol to the 1991 Treaty on the Reduction of Strategic Offensive Weapons (START), significantly lowered the risk of nuclear war. By this accord Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine agreed to destroy or turn over to Russia all strategic nuclear warheads and to accede ''in the shortest possible time to the 1968 Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty''. In early May, Ukraine proposed to remove all nuclear weapons from the Black Sea and make it a zone of peace

Mechanical impedance of the sitting human body in single-axis compared to multi-axis whole-body vibration exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Holmlund, P; Lundström, R

2001-01-01

The study was aimed to investigate the mechanical impedance of the sitting human body and to compare data obtained in laboratory single-axis investigations with multi-axis data from in vehicle measurements. The experiments were performed in a laboratory for single-axis measurements. The multi-axis exposure was generated with an eight-seat minibus where the rear seats had been replaced with a rigid one. The subjects in the multi-axis experiment all participated in the single-axis experiments. There are quite a few investigations in the literature describing the human response to single-axis exposure. The response from the human body can be expected to be affected by multi-axis input in a different way than from a single-axis exposure. The present knowledge of the effect of multiple axis exposure is very limited. The measurements were performed using a specially designed force and accelerometer plate. This plate was placed between the subject and the hard seat. Outcome shows a clear difference between mechanical impedance for multi-axis exposure compared to single-axis. This is especially clear in the x-direction where the difference is very large. The conclusion is that it seems unlikely that single-axis mechanical impedance data can be directly transferred to a multi-axis environment. This is due to the force cross-talk between different directions.

Environmental stressors and epigenetic control of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-axis (HPA-axis)

OpenAIRE

Lee, Richard; Sawa, Akira

2014-01-01

In this review, we provide a brief summary of several key studies that broaden our understanding of stress and its epigenetic control of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA)-axis function and behavior. Clinical and animal studies suggest a link among exposure to stress, dysregulation of the HPA-axis, and susceptibility to neuropsychiatric illnesses. Recent studies have supported the notion that exposure to glucocorticoids and stress in various forms, duration, and intensity during di...

Why do they think nuclear power is origin of global warming effect?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukae, Chiyokazu

2005-01-01

A questionnaire on nuclear power was conducted on 1500 adults in Kansai area, Japan, from October 9 to November 9, 2003. The recovery ratio was 71.0%. The results showed that 34% of them thought the nuclear power was protection of the global warming effect and 35% it was origin of the effect. It was analyzed by the logistic regression analysis method on whether the nuclear power was protection of global warming effect or not. About 43% of them recognized the nuclear power contributed to control carbon dioxide emission, and the mechanism of global warming effect. However, 35% of them did not recognize the mechanism and thought radioactive materials emission gave bad effects on the global environment. To make recognize the nuclear power is a good power source for protection of the global warming effect, the amount of reduction of carbon dioxide emission by nuclear power had to be shown. It is the shortest way for solution of the global warming problem to prove worthy of nuclear power's trust by safety and stable operation. (S.Y.)

Nuclear

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2014-01-01

This document proposes a presentation and discussion of the main notions, issues, principles, or characteristics related to nuclear energy: radioactivity (presence in the environment, explanation, measurement, periods and activities, low doses, applications), fuel cycle (front end, mining and ore concentration, refining and conversion, fuel fabrication, in the reactor, back end with reprocessing and recycling, transport), the future of the thorium-based fuel cycle (motivations, benefits and drawbacks), nuclear reactors (principles of fission reactors, reactor types, PWR reactors, BWR, heavy-water reactor, high temperature reactor of HTR, future reactors), nuclear wastes (classification, packaging and storage, legal aspects, vitrification, choice of a deep storage option, quantities and costs, foreign practices), radioactive releases of nuclear installations (main released radio-elements, radioactive releases by nuclear reactors and by La Hague plant, gaseous and liquid effluents, impact of releases, regulation), the OSPAR Convention, management and safety of nuclear activities (from control to quality insurance, to quality management and to sustainable development), national safety bodies (mission, means, organisation and activities of ASN, IRSN, HCTISN), international bodies, nuclear and medicine (applications of radioactivity, medical imagery, radiotherapy, doses in nuclear medicine, implementation, the accident in Epinal), nuclear and R and D (past R and D programmes and expenses, main actors in France and present funding, main R and D axis, international cooperation)

Reduction of wind power induced reserve requirements by advanced shortest-term forecasts and prediction intervals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dobschinski, Jan; Wessel, Arne; Lange, Bernhard; Bremen, Lueder von [Fraunhofer Institut fuer Windenergie und Energiesystemtechnik (IWES), Kassel (Germany)

2009-07-01

In electricity systems with large penetration of wind power, the limited predictability of the wind power generation leads to an increase in reserve and balancing requirements. At first the present study concentrates on the capability of dynamic day-ahead prediction intervals to reduce the wind power induced reserve and balancing requirements. Alternatively the reduction of large forecast errors of the German wind power generation by using advanced shortest-term predictions has been evaluated in a second approach. With focus on the allocation of minute reserve power the aim is to estimate the maximal remaining uncertainty after trading activities on the intraday market. Finally both approaches were used in a case study concerning the reserve requirements induced by the total German wind power expansion in 2007. (orig.)

The effect of non-sphericity on mass and anisotropy measurements in dSph galaxies with Schwarzschild method

Science.gov (United States)

Kowalczyk, Klaudia; Łokas, Ewa L.; Valluri, Monica

2018-05-01

In our previous work we confirmed the reliability of the spherically symmetric Schwarzschild orbit-superposition method to recover the mass and velocity anisotropy profiles of spherical dwarf galaxies. Here, we investigate the effect of its application to intrinsically non-spherical objects. For this purpose we use a model of a dwarf spheroidal galaxy formed in a numerical simulation of a major merger of two discy dwarfs. The shape of the stellar component of the merger remnant is axisymmetric and prolate which allows us to identify and measure the bias caused by observing the spheroidal galaxy along different directions, especially the longest and shortest principal axis. The modelling is based on mock data generated from the remnant that are observationally available for dwarfs: projected positions and line-of-sight velocities of the stars. In order to obtain a reliable tool while keeping the number of parameters low we parametrize the total mass distribution as a radius-dependent mass-to-light ratio with just two free parameters we aim to constrain. Our study shows that if the total density profile is known, the true, radially increasing anisotropy profile can be well recovered for the observations along the longest axis whereas the data along the shortest axis lead to the inference of an incorrect, isotropic model. On the other hand, if the density profile is derived from the method as well, the anisotropy is always underestimated but the total mass profile is well recovered for the data along the shortest axis whereas for the longest axis the mass content is overestimated.

Aeroelastically coupled blades for vertical axis wind turbines

Science.gov (United States)

Paquette, Joshua; Barone, Matthew F.

2016-02-23

Various technologies described herein pertain to a vertical axis wind turbine blade configured to rotate about a rotation axis. The vertical axis wind turbine blade includes at least an attachment segment, a rear swept segment, and optionally, a forward swept segment. The attachment segment is contiguous with the forward swept segment, and the forward swept segment is contiguous with the rear swept segment. The attachment segment includes a first portion of a centroid axis, the forward swept segment includes a second portion of the centroid axis, and the rear swept segment includes a third portion of the centroid axis. The second portion of the centroid axis is angularly displaced ahead of the first portion of the centroid axis and the third portion of the centroid axis is angularly displaced behind the first portion of the centroid axis in the direction of rotation about the rotation axis.

Design Of Single-Axis And Dual-Axis Solar Tracking Systems Protected Against High Wind Speeds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mai Salaheldin Elsherbiny

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Solar energy is rapidly gaining ground as an important mean of expanding renewable energy use. Solar tracking is employed in order to maximize collected solar radiation by a photovoltaic panel. In this paper we present a prototype for Automatic solar tracker that is designed using Arduino UNO with Wind sensor to Cease Wind effect on panels if wind speed exceeds certain threshold. The Proposed solar tracker tracks the location of the sun anywhere in any time by calculating the position of the sun. For producing the maximum amount of solar energy a solar panel must always be perpendicular to the source of light. Because the sun motion plane varies daily and during the day it moves from east to west one needs two axis tracking to follow the suns position. Maximum possible power is collected when two axis tracking is done. However two axis tracking is relatively costly and complex. A compromise between maximum power collection and system simplicity is obtained by single axis tracking where the plane North south axis is fixed while the east west motion is accomplished. This work deals with the design of both single and two axis tracking systems. Automatic trackers is also compared to Fixed one in terms of Energy generated Efficiency Cost and System reliability.

A Shortest-Path-Based Method for the Analysis and Prediction of Fruit-Related Genes in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Liucun; Zhang, Yu-Hang; Su, Fangchu; Chen, Lei; Huang, Tao; Cai, Yu-Dong

2016-01-01

Biologically, fruits are defined as seed-bearing reproductive structures in angiosperms that develop from the ovary. The fertilization, development and maturation of fruits are crucial for plant reproduction and are precisely regulated by intrinsic genetic regulatory factors. In this study, we used Arabidopsis thaliana as a model organism and attempted to identify novel genes related to fruit-associated biological processes. Specifically, using validated genes, we applied a shortest-path-based method to identify several novel genes in a large network constructed using the protein-protein interactions observed in Arabidopsis thaliana. The described analyses indicate that several of the discovered genes are associated with fruit fertilization, development and maturation in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Theoretical tool movement required to diamond turn an off-axis paraboloid on axis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, D.C.

1976-01-01

Current techniques for manufacturing off-axis paraboloids are both expensive and insufficiently accurate. An alternative method, turning the workpiece about its axis on a diamond-turning machine, is presented, and the equations describing the necessary tool movement are derived. A discussion of a particular case suggests that the proposed technique is feasible

Theoretical tool movement required to diamond turn an off-axis paraboloid on axis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, D.C.

1975-01-01

High-quality, off-axis parabolic reflectors, required by the CTR and laser-fusion programs at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (LLL) and other ERDA laboratories, are currently manufactured by hand. There are several drawbacks to this method, including lead times of up to a year, costs in excess of dollars 75,000 for a small reflector, and unsatisfactory limits to the tolerances obtainable. This situation has led to a search for cheaper and more accurate methods of manufacturing off-axis paraboloids. An alternative method, turning the workpiece about its axis on a diamond-turning machine, is presented, and the equations describing the necessary tool movement are derived. A discussion of a particular case suggests that the proposed technique is feasible

UMAPRM: Uniformly sampling the medial axis

KAUST Repository

Yeh, Hsin-Yi Cindy

2014-05-01

© 2014 IEEE. Maintaining clearance, or distance from obstacles, is a vital component of successful motion planning algorithms. Maintaining high clearance often creates safer paths for robots. Contemporary sampling-based planning algorithms That utilize The medial axis, or The set of all points equidistant To Two or more obstacles, produce higher clearance paths. However, They are biased heavily Toward certain portions of The medial axis, sometimes ignoring parts critical To planning, e.g., specific Types of narrow passages. We introduce Uniform Medial Axis Probabilistic RoadMap (UMAPRM), a novel planning variant That generates samples uniformly on The medial axis of The free portion of Cspace. We Theoretically analyze The distribution generated by UMAPRM and show its uniformity. Our results show That UMAPRM\\'s distribution of samples along The medial axis is not only uniform but also preferable To other medial axis samplers in certain planning problems. We demonstrate That UMAPRM has negligible computational overhead over other sampling Techniques and can solve problems The others could not, e.g., a bug Trap. Finally, we demonstrate UMAPRM successfully generates higher clearance paths in The examples.

The antidepressant fluoxetine normalizes the nuclear glucocorticoid receptor evoked by psychosocial stress

Science.gov (United States)

Mitić, M.; Simić, I.; Djordjević, J.; Radojčić, M. B.; Adžić, M.

2011-12-01

Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has been implicated in the pathophysiology of depression and stress disorders. Glucocorticoids, key regulators of the stress response, exert diverse effects on cellular processes in the hippocampus. Beside non-genomic pathways, glucocorticoid effects are mediated through activation of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a ligand activated transcriptional factor that belongs to the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily. We analysed the GR protein levels both in the cytoplasmic and nuclear compartments of the hippocampus of Wistar rats exposed to chronic psychosocial isolation stress upon chronic fluoxetine (FLU) treatment. Under chronic stress, corticosterone levels (CORT) were decreased compared to the control, and treatment with FLU did not change its level in the stressed rats. At the molecular level, FLU normalized the level of nuclear GR protein in the hippocampus of the stressed rats. Discrepancy between normalization of nuclear GR in the hippocampus and lack of normalization of HPA axis activity judged by CORT, suggests that other brain structures such as the amygdale and prefrontal cortex that also regulate HPA axis activity, seem not to be normalized by the FLU treatment used in our study.

Activities report 1991-1992: Nuclear Research Center of Strasbourg

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

This activities report of the Nuclear Research Centre of Strasbourg for the years 1991 and 1992, presents nine research axis: theoretical physics, mechanisms of reactions and nuclear structure, extreme forms of nuclei, exotic nuclei, hot and dense nuclear matter, ultra-relativistic heavy ions, physics of LEP (European Large Electron-Positron storage ring) at 'DELPHI', chemistry and physics of radiations, physics and applications of semi-conductors

Installation and commissioning of operation nuclear power plant reactor protection system modernization project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Weiwei

2010-01-01

Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant is the first nuclear power plant in mainland China; it is also the first one which realizes the modernization of analog technology based Reactor Protection System in the operation nuclear power plant of China. The implementation schedule is the shortest one which use same digital technology platform (TELEPERM XS of AREVA NP) to modifying the safety class I and C system in the world, the whole project spent 28 months from equipment contract signed to putting system into operation. It open up a era for operation nuclear power plant using mature digital technology to make safety class I and C system modernization in China. The important practical significance of this successful project is very obvious. This article focus on two important project stage--equipment installation and system commissioning, it is based on a large number of engineering implementation fact, it covers the problems and solutions happened during the installation and commission. The purpose of the article is to share the experience and lessons of safety I and C system modernization for other operation nuclear power plant. (authors)

Images of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashiguchi, Katsuhisa; Misumi, Jyuji; Yamada, Akira; Sakurai, Yukihiro; Seki, Fumiyasu; Shinohara, Hirofumi; Misumi, Emiko; Kinjou, Akira; Kubo, Tomonori.

1995-01-01

This study was conducted to check and see, using Hayashi's quantification method III, whether or not the respondents differed in their images of a nuclear power plant, depending on their demographic variables particularly occupations. In our simple tabulation, we compared subject groups of nuclear power plant employees with general citizens, nurses and students in terms of their images of a nuclear power plant. The results were that while the nuclear power plant employees were high in their evaluations of facts about a nuclear power plant and in their positive images of a nuclear power plant, general citizens, nurses and students were overwhelmingly high in their negative images of a nuclear power plant. In our analysis on category score by means of the quantification method III, the first correlation axis was the dimension of 'safety'-'danger' and the second correlation axis was the dimension of 'subjectivity'-'objectivity', and that the first quadrant was the area of 'safety-subjectivity', the second quadrant was the area of 'danger-subjectivity', the third quadrant as the area of 'danger-objectivity', and the forth quadrant was the area of 'safety-objectivity'. In our analysis of sample score, 16 occupation groups was compared. As a result, it was found that the 16 occupation groups' images of a nuclear power plant were, in the order of favorableness, (1) section chiefs in charge, maintenance subsection chiefs, maintenance foremen, (2) field leaders from subcontractors, (3) maintenance section members, operation section members, (4) employees of those subcontractors, (5) general citizens, nurses and students. On the 'safety-danger' dimension, nuclear power plant workers on the one hand and general citizens, nurses and students on the other were clearly divided in terms of their images of a nuclear power plant. Nuclear power plant workers were concentrated in the area of 'safety' and general citizens, nurses and students in the area of 'danger'. (J.P.N.)

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and dibutyl phthalate disrupt dorsal-ventral axis determination via the Wnt/{beta}-catenin signaling pathway in zebrafish embryos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fairbairn, Elise A., E-mail: efairbairn@ucdavis.edu [University of California Davis, Bodega Marine Laboratory, P.O. Box 247, Bodega Bay, CA 94923 (United States); Bonthius, Jessica, E-mail: jessica.bonthius@gmail.com [University of California Davis, Bodega Marine Laboratory, P.O. Box 247, Bodega Bay, CA 94923 (United States); Cherr, Gary N., E-mail: gncherr@ucdavis.edu [University of California Davis, Bodega Marine Laboratory, P.O. Box 247, Bodega Bay, CA 94923 (United States); Department of Environmental Toxicology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616 (United States); Department of Nutrition, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616 (United States)

2012-11-15

The canonical Wnt/{beta}-catenin signaling pathway is critical during early teleost development for establishing the dorsal-ventral axis. Within this pathway, GSK-3{beta}, a key regulatory kinase in the Wnt pathway, regulates {beta}-catenin degradation and thus the ability of {beta}-catenin to enter nuclei, where it can activate expression of genes that have been linked to the specification of the dorsal-ventral axis. In this study, we describe the morphological abnormalities that resulted in zebrafish embryos when axis determination was disrupted by environmental contaminants. These abnormalities were linked to abnormal nuclear accumulation of {beta}-catenin. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the developmental abnormalities and altered nuclear {beta}-catenin accumulation occurred when embryos were exposed to commercial GSK-3{beta} inhibitors. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to commercially available GSK-3 inhibitors (GSK-3 Inhibitor IX and 1-azakenpaullone), or common environmental contaminants (dibutyl phthalate or the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons phenanthrene and fluorene) from the 2 to 8-cell stage through the mid-blastula transition (MBT). These embryos displayed morphological abnormalities at 12.5 h post-fertilization (hpf) that were comparable to embryos exposed to lithium chloride (LiCl) (300 mM LiCl for 10 min, prior to the MBT), a classic disruptor of embryonic axis determination. Whole-mount immunolabeling and laser scanning confocal microscopy were used to localize {beta}-catenin. The commercial GSK-3 Inhibitors as well as LiCl, dibutyl phthalate, fluorene and phenanthrene all induced an increase in the levels of nuclear {beta}-catenin throughout the embryo, indicating that the morphological abnormalities were a result of disruption of Wnt/{beta}-catenin signaling during dorsal-ventral axis specification. The ability of environmental chemicals to directly or indirectly target GSK-3{beta} was assessed. Using Western blot analysis, the ability of these

Small flow rate can supply inwardly migrating shortest-period planets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taylor S.F.

2013-04-01

Full Text Available The number of exoplanets found with periods as short as one day and less was surprising given how fast these planets had been expected to migrate into the star due to the tides raised on the star by planets at such close distances. It has been seen as improbable that we would find planets in such a small final fraction of their lives [1]. The favored solution has been that the tidal dissipation is much weaker than expected, which would mean that the final infall would be a larger fraction of the planets’ life. We find no reason, however, to exclude the explanation that a small number of planets are continuously sent migrating inwards such that these planets indeed are in the last fraction of their lives. Following the observation that the distribution of medium planets disfavors tidal dissipation being significantly weaker than has been found from observations of binary stars [2], we now show that the numbers of planets in such a “flow” of excess planets migrating inwards is low enough that even depletion of the three-day pileup is a plausible source. Then the shortest period occurrence distribution would be shaped by planets continuously being sent into the star, which may explain the depletion of the pileup in the Kepler field relative to the solar neighborhood [3]. Because Kepler observes above the galactic plan, [3] suggested the Kepler field may include an older population of stars. The tidal dissipation strength in stars due to giant planets may be not greatly weaker than it is in binary stars.

Quantitative Nuclear Cardiology: How objective?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crawley, J.C.W.; Raval, U.; Soman, P.; Lahiri, A.

1997-01-01

The object of this study was to establish the accuracy required from the operator in indicating the centre and axis the left ventricle, and in placing regions of interest (ROIs), whilst using the MYO TOMO and MYO QUANT software to analyze tomographic data from nuclear cardiology

Nuclear fuel pellet transfer escalator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huggins, T.B. Sr.; Roberts, E.; Edmunds, M.O.

1991-01-01

This patent describes a nuclear fuel pellet escalator for loading nuclear fuel pellets into a sintering boat. It comprises a generally horizontally-disposed pellet transfer conveyor for moving pellets in single file fashion from a receiving end to a discharge end thereof, the conveyor being mounted about an axis at its receiving end for pivotal movement to generally vertically move its discharge end toward and away from a sintering boat when placed below the discharge end of the conveyor, the conveyor including an elongated arm swingable vertically about the axis and having an elongated channel recessed below an upper side of the arm and extending between the receiving and discharge ends of the conveyor; a pellet dispensing chute mounted to the arm of the conveyor at the discharge end thereof and extending therebelow such that the chute is carried at the discharge end of the conveyor for generally vertical movement therewith toward and away from the sintering boat

High-efficiency deflection of high energy protons due to channeling along the 〈110〉 axis of a bent silicon crystal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. Scandale

2016-09-01

Full Text Available A deflection efficiency of about 61% was observed for 400 GeV/c protons due to channeling, most strongly along the 〈110〉 axis of a bent silicon crystal. It is comparable with the deflection efficiency in planar channeling and considerably larger than in the case of the 〈111〉 axis. The measured probability of inelastic nuclear interactions of protons in channeling along the 〈110〉 axis is only about 10% of its amorphous level whereas in channeling along the (110 planes it is about 25%. High efficiency deflection and small beam losses make this axial orientation of a silicon crystal a useful tool for the beam steering of high energy charged particles.

Nuclear magnetic resonance scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, I.R.

1985-01-01

A nuclear magnetic resonance apparatus is described including a magnet system which is capable of providing a steady magnetic field along an axis, and is constructed so as to define a plurality of regions along the axis in each of which the field is substantially homogeneous so that in each region an imaging operation may be separately carried out. Iron shields increase the field homogeneity. In use, each patient lies on a wheeled trolley which is provided with magnetic field gradient coils and an RF coil system, some of the coils being movable to facilitate positioning of the patient, and there are terminals for connection to a common computing and control facility. (author)

Vertical axis wind turbine airfoil

Science.gov (United States)

Krivcov, Vladimir; Krivospitski, Vladimir; Maksimov, Vasili; Halstead, Richard; Grahov, Jurij Vasiljevich

2012-12-18

A vertical axis wind turbine airfoil is described. The wind turbine airfoil can include a leading edge, a trailing edge, an upper curved surface, a lower curved surface, and a centerline running between the upper surface and the lower surface and from the leading edge to the trailing edge. The airfoil can be configured so that the distance between the centerline and the upper surface is the same as the distance between the centerline and the lower surface at all points along the length of the airfoil. A plurality of such airfoils can be included in a vertical axis wind turbine. These airfoils can be vertically disposed and can rotate about a vertical axis.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR): principles and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quibilan, E.I.

The basis for the phenomenon of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is the ability of certain nuclei possessing both intrinsic angular momentum or ''spin'' I and magnetic moment to absorb electromagnetic energy in the radio frequency range. In principle, there are approximately 200 nuclei which may be investigated using the NMR technique. The NMR spectrum consists of intensity peaks along an axis calibrated in terms of the steady magnetic field or the frequency of the radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation. Analysis of the number, spacing, position and intensity of the lines in an NMR spectrum consists of intensity peaks along an axis calibrated in terms of the steady magnetic field or the frequency of the radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation. Analysis of the number, spacing, position and intensity of the lines in an NMR spectrum provides a variety of qualitative and quantitative analytical applications. The most obvious applications consist of the measurements of nuclear properties, such as spin number and nuclear magnetic moment. In liquids, the fine structure of resonance spectra provides a tool for chemical identification and molecular structure analysis. Other applications include the measurements of self-diffusion coefficients, magnetic fields and field homogeneity, inter-nuclear distances, and, in some cases, the water content of biological materials. (author)

Drum of storing fuel assemblies of nuclear reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Artemiev, L.N.; Batjukov, V.I.; Fadeev, A.I.

1979-01-01

The proposed drum for storing fuel assemblies of a nuclear reactor comprises a holder rotatable around its axis and provided with tubular sockets arranged in concentric rows along the circumference of the holder so that the axis of at least one socket of each row intersects the trajectory described by the grip of the recharging mechanism in the course of its movement. The proposed drum design makes it possible to facilitate and speed up the process of recharging fuel asemblies

Distortion definition and correction in off-axis systems

Science.gov (United States)

Da Deppo, Vania; Simioni, Emanuele; Naletto, Giampiero; Cremonese, Gabriele

2015-09-01

Off-axis optical configurations are becoming more and more used in a variety of applications, in particular they are the most preferred solution for cameras devoted to Solar System planets and small bodies (i.e. asteroids and comets) study. Off-axis designs, being devoid of central obstruction, are able to guarantee better PSF and MTF performance, and thus higher contrast imaging capabilities with respect to classical on-axis designs. In particular they are suitable for observing extended targets with intrinsic low contrast features, or scenes where a high dynamical signal range is present. Classical distortion theory is able to well describe the performance of the on-axis systems, but it has to be adapted for the off-axis case. A proper way to deal with off-axis distortion definition is thus needed together with dedicated techniques to accurately measure and hence remove the distortion effects present in the acquired images. In this paper, a review of the distortion definition for off-axis systems will be given. In particular the method adopted by the authors to deal with the distortion related issues (definition, measure, removal) in some off-axis instruments will be described in detail.

Subcritical nuclear assembly

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vega C, H. R., E-mail: fermineutron@yahoo.com [Universidad Autonoma de Zacatecas, Unidad Academica de Estudios Nucleares, Cipres No. 10, Fracc. La Penuela, 98068 Zacatecas (Mexico)

2014-08-15

A Subcritical Nuclear Assembly is a device where the nuclear-fission chain reaction is initiated and maintained using an external neutron source. It is a valuable educational and research tool where in a safe way many reactor parameters can be measured. Here, we have used the Wigner-Seitz method in the six-factor formula to calculate the effective multiplication factor of a subcritical nuclear reactor Nuclear Chicago model 9000. This reactor has approximately 2500 kg of natural uranium heterogeneously distributed in slugs. The reactor uses a {sup 239}PuBe neutron source that is located in the center of an hexagonal array. Using Monte Carlo methods, with the MCNP5 code, a three-dimensional model of the subcritical reactor was designed to estimate the effective multiplication factor, the neutron spectra, the total and thermal neutron fluences along the radial and axial axis. With the neutron spectra in two locations outside the reactor the ambient dose equivalent were estimated. (Author)

Subcritical nuclear assembly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vega C, H. R.

2014-08-01

A Subcritical Nuclear Assembly is a device where the nuclear-fission chain reaction is initiated and maintained using an external neutron source. It is a valuable educational and research tool where in a safe way many reactor parameters can be measured. Here, we have used the Wigner-Seitz method in the six-factor formula to calculate the effective multiplication factor of a subcritical nuclear reactor Nuclear Chicago model 9000. This reactor has approximately 2500 kg of natural uranium heterogeneously distributed in slugs. The reactor uses a 239 PuBe neutron source that is located in the center of an hexagonal array. Using Monte Carlo methods, with the MCNP5 code, a three-dimensional model of the subcritical reactor was designed to estimate the effective multiplication factor, the neutron spectra, the total and thermal neutron fluences along the radial and axial axis. With the neutron spectra in two locations outside the reactor the ambient dose equivalent were estimated. (Author)

Actuator assembly including a single axis of rotation locking member

Science.gov (United States)

Quitmeyer, James N.; Benson, Dwayne M.; Geck, Kellan P.

2009-12-08

An actuator assembly including an actuator housing assembly and a single axis of rotation locking member fixedly attached to a portion of the actuator housing assembly and an external mounting structure. The single axis of rotation locking member restricting rotational movement of the actuator housing assembly about at least one axis. The single axis of rotation locking member is coupled at a first end to the actuator housing assembly about a Y axis and at a 90.degree. angle to an X and Z axis providing rotation of the actuator housing assembly about the Y axis. The single axis of rotation locking member is coupled at a second end to a mounting structure, and more particularly a mounting pin, about an X axis and at a 90.degree. angle to a Y and Z axis providing rotation of the actuator housing assembly about the X axis. The actuator assembly is thereby restricted from rotation about the Z axis.

Effect of Relative Marker Movement on the Calculation of the Foot Torsion Axis Using a Combined Cardan Angle and Helical Axis Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Graf, Eveline S.; Wright, Ian C.; Stefanyshyn, Darren J.

2012-01-01

The two main movements occurring between the forefoot and rearfoot segment of a human foot are flexion at the metatarsophalangeal joints and torsion in the midfoot. The location of the torsion axis within the foot is currently unknown. The purpose of this study was to develop a method based on Cardan angles and the finite helical axis approach to calculate the torsion axis without the effect of flexion. As the finite helical axis method is susceptible to error due to noise with small helical rotations, a minimal amount of rotation was defined in order to accurately determine the torsion axis location. Using simulation, the location of the axis based on data containing noise was compared to the axis location of data without noise with a one-sample t-test and Fisher's combined probability score. When using only data with helical rotation of seven degrees or more, the location of the torsion axis based on the data with noise was within 0.2 mm of the reference location. Therefore, the proposed method allowed an accurate calculation of the foot torsion axis location. PMID:22666303

Effect of Relative Marker Movement on the Calculation of the Foot Torsion Axis Using a Combined Cardan Angle and Helical Axis Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eveline S. Graf

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The two main movements occurring between the forefoot and rearfoot segment of a human foot are flexion at the metatarsophalangeal joints and torsion in the midfoot. The location of the torsion axis within the foot is currently unknown. The purpose of this study was to develop a method based on Cardan angles and the finite helical axis approach to calculate the torsion axis without the effect of flexion. As the finite helical axis method is susceptible to error due to noise with small helical rotations, a minimal amount of rotation was defined in order to accurately determine the torsion axis location. Using simulation, the location of the axis based on data containing noise was compared to the axis location of data without noise with a one-sample t-test and Fisher's combined probability score. When using only data with helical rotation of seven degrees or more, the location of the torsion axis based on the data with noise was within 0.2 mm of the reference location. Therefore, the proposed method allowed an accurate calculation of the foot torsion axis location.

Concept of a Programmable Fixture for 3-Axis CNC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad Dalloul

2017-09-01

Full Text Available CNC machine is the one of the major reasons for industrial advancement in recent decades for its ability of producing accurate parts. The most commen CNC machines are of 3-axis and adopted widely in the industrial sector. However, for producing more complicated parts 5-axis CNC machines are required. Although the introduction of the 5-axis machine came after the 3-axis CNC machine has established itself and many manufacturers did not make the move toward the newer model and its high pricing compared to the 3-axis model did not help either. In this time the development of a fixture or a platform to help transfer the 3-axis to a 5-axis to some degree. This paper discusses the concept of a programmable fixture that gives 3-axis CNC machine the freedom to act in similar manner as the 5-axis. The paper describes the mechanism with some initial results of the testing. Result showed that the platform moves in translation manner with an average error of 5.58 % and 7.303% average error for rotation movement.

Spatial pattern analysis of nuclear migration in remodelled muscles during Drosophila metamorphosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuleesha; Feng, Lin; Wasser, Martin

2017-07-10

Many human muscle wasting diseases are associated with abnormal nuclear localization. During metamorphosis in Drosophila melanogaster, multi-nucleated larval dorsal abdominal muscles either undergo cell death or are remodeled to temporary adult muscles. Muscle remodeling is associated with anti-polar nuclear migration and atrophy during early pupation followed by polar migration and muscle growth during late pupation. Muscle remodeling is a useful model to study genes involved in myonuclear migration. Previously, we showed that loss of Cathepsin-L inhibited anti-polar movements, while knockdown of autophagy-related genes affected nuclear positioning along the medial axis in late metamorphosis. To compare the phenotypic effects of gene perturbations on nuclear migration more objectively, we developed new descriptors of myonuclear distribution. To obtain nuclear pattern features, we designed an algorithm to detect and track nuclear regions inside live muscles. Nuclear tracks were used to distinguish between fast moving nuclei associated with fragments of dead muscles (sarcolytes) and slow-moving nuclei inside remodelled muscles. Nuclear spatial pattern features, such as longitudinal (lonNS) and lateral nuclear spread (latNS), allowed us to compare nuclear migration during muscle remodelling in different genetic backgrounds. Anti-polar migration leads to a lonNS decrease. As expected, lack of myonuclear migration caused by the loss of Cp1 was correlated with a significantly lower lonNS decrease. Unexpectedly, the decrease in lonNS was significantly enhanced by Atg9, Atg5 and Atg18 silencing, indicating that the loss of autophagy promotes the migration and clustering of nuclei. Loss of autophagy also caused a scattering of nuclei along the lateral axis, leading to a two-row as opposed to single row distribution in control muscles. Increased latNS resulting from knockdown of Atg9 and Atg18 was correlated with increased muscle diameter, suggesting that the wider muscle

Nuclear toxicology at CEA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giustranti, C.

2001-01-01

CEA (French commission of atomic energy) has launched a new program dedicated to the study of the transfer of heavy metals and some radionuclides from environment to living beings. The substances that will be studied, are those that are involved in research, medical activities, and in nuclear industry. It means iodine, technetium, trans-uranides (uranium and plutonium), fission products (iodine, cesium), carbon, cobalt, boron and beryllium. This program is composed of 2 axis: the first one concerns the bio-geo-chemical cycles that are involved in transfer and the second axis deals with the detoxication processes that appear in animal and man cells. This program will rely on the strong competencies of CEA in chemistry, radiochemistry, biology, physiology and toxicology. (A.C.)

Nuclear characteristics of the endometrial cytology: liquid-based versus conventional preparation.

Science.gov (United States)

Norimatsu, Yoshiaki; Shigematsu, Yumie; Sakamoto, Shingo; Ohsaki, Hiroyuki; Yanoh, Kenji; Kawanishi, Namiki; Kobayashi, Tadao K

2013-02-01

The aim of this study was to assess the utility of liquid-based cytologic preparation (LP) compared with conventional preparation (CP) for the assessment of nuclear findings in endometrial glandular and stromal breakdown (EGBD) which may be misdiagnosed as carcinoma in EGBD cases. The material consists of cytologic smears including 20 cases of proliferative endometrium (PE), 20 cases of EGBD, and 20 cases of endometrioid adenocarcinoma grade1 (G1) for which histopathological diagnosis was obtained by endometrial curettage at the JA Suzuka General Hospital. Nuclear findings were examined in PE cells, EGBD-stromal cells, EGBD-metaplastic cells, and G1 cells, respectively. It was examined about the following items; (1) nuclear shape; (2) A long/minor axis ratio in cell nuclei; (3) an area of cell nuclei; (4) overlapping nuclei. Results are as follows: (1) nuclear shape; as for the reniform shape of EGBD-stromal cells and spindle shape of EGBD-metaplastic cells, the ratio of the LP method was a higher value than the CP method. (2) The long axis and area of cell nuclei; LP in all groups was a recognizable tendency for nuclear shrinkage. (3) The long/minor axis ratio in cell nuclei; only EGBD-metaplastic cells recognize a significant difference between CP and LP. (4) Overlapping nuclei; LP was a higher value in comparison with CP in the other groups except PE cells, and the degree of overlapping nuclei was enhanced about three times. Therefore, although a cell of LP has a shrinking tendency, (1) it is excellent that LP preserves a characteristic of nuclear shape than CP; (2) a cellular characteristic becomes clearer, because three-dimensional architecture of LP is preserved of than CP. As for the standard preparation method for endometrial cytology samples, we considered that a concrete introduction of the LP method poses no problems. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Shields for nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aspden, G.J.

1984-01-01

The patent concerns shields for nuclear reactors. The roof shield comprises a normally fixed radial outer portion, a radial inner portion rotatable about a vertical axis, and a connection between the inner and outer portions. In the event of hypothecal core disruption conditions, a cantilever system on the inner wall allows the upward movement of the inner wall, in order to prevent loss of containment. (UK)

Spatial distribution of soil contamination by 137Cs and 239,240Pu in the village of Dolon near the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site: new information on traces of the radioactive plume from the 29 August 1949 nuclear test.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, M; Tomita, J; Sakaguchi, A; Imanaka, T; Fukutani, S; Endo, S; Tanaka, K; Hoshi, M; Gusev, B I; Apsalikov, A N

2008-04-01

The village of Dolon located about 60 km northeast from the border of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site in Kazakhstan is one of the most affected inhabited settlements as a result of nuclear tests by the former USSR. Radioactive contamination in Dolon was mainly caused by the first USSR nuclear test on 29 August 1949. As part of the efforts to reconstruct the radiation dose in Dolon, Cs and Pu in soil samples collected from 26 locations in the vicinity of and within the village were measured to determine the width and position of the center-axis of the radioactive plume that passed over the village from the 29 August 1949 nuclear test. Measured soil inventories of Cs and Pu were plotted as a function of the distance from the supposed center-axis of the plume. A clear shape similar to a Gaussian function was observed in their spatial distributions with each maximum around a center-axis. It was suggested that the plume width that contaminated Dolon was at most 10 km and the real center-axis of the radioactive plume passed 0.7-0.9 km north of the supposed centerline. A peak-like shape with the maximum near the center-axis was also observed in the spatial distribution of the Pu/Cs activity ratio, which may reflect the fractionation effect between Pu and Cs during the deposition process. These results support the recently reported results. The data obtained here will provide useful information on the efforts to estimate radiation dose in Dolon as reliably as possible. Health Phys. 94(4):328-337; 2008.

Suicidal behavior on Axis VI: clinical data supporting a sixth Axis for DSM-V.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Orden, Kimberly A; Witte, Tracy K; Holm-Denoma, Jill; Gordon, Kathryn H; Joiner, Thomas E

2011-01-01

Oquendo and colleagues (Oquendo, Baca-García, Mann, & Giner, 2008; Oquendo & Currier, 2009) recommend that DSM-V emphasize suicide risk assessment on a sixth axis, thereby increasing regularity of suicide risk assessments. We propose that evidence of nonredundancy with Axis V - Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) is one piece of data that can serve as a starting point for a line of research establishing incremental predictive utility for a separate suicide risk assessment in the DSM framework. A standardized suicide risk assessment protocol, measures of depressive, anxious, and eating disordered symptomatology, as well as an index of comorbidity were administered to a sample of 412 adult outpatients. Our data indicate that data from standardized suicide risk assessments are associated with indices of symptomatology severity as well as comorbidity, controlling for GAF. These results support the nonredundancy of the assessments and suggest the utility of longitudinal investigations of the predictive utility of a sixth DSM axis in the assessment of suicide risk.

Lecturers' and Students’ Perception on Learning Dijkstra’s Shortest Path Algorithm Through Mobile Devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mazyar Seraj

2014-06-01

Full Text Available In recent years, many studies have been carried out on how to engage and support students in e-learning environments. Portable devices such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs, Tablet PCs, mobile phones and other mobile equipment have been used as parts of electronic learning environments to facilitate learning and teaching for both lecturers and students. However, there is still a dearth of study investigating the effects of small screen interfaces on mobile-based learning environments. This study aims to address two objectives: (i investigate lecturer and student difficulties encountered in teaching-learning process in traditional face-to-face classroom settings, and (ii to explore lecturer and student perceptions about learning the subject through mobile devices. This paper presents the results of a qualitative study using structured interviews to investigate lecturer and student experiences and perceptions on teaching and learning Dijkstra’s shortest path algorithm via mobile devices. The interview insights were then used as inputs to define user requirements for a mobile learning prototype. The findings show that the lecturers and students raised many issues about interactivity and the flexibility of effective learning applications on small screen devices, especially for a technical subject.

Design of the ventilation system of the nuclear facility(I). General requirements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, K. M.; Kang, I. S.; Bae, S. M.; Kim, T. K.; Kim, K. J

1998-03-01

To assure that the operation of the nuclear ventilation system is effective and economic, the reasonable design of system is essential. As the nuclear ventilation system has to meet the particular conditions; to keep the rooms at an below atmospheric pressure at all times and, furthermore, to maintain frequent air circulation in the rooms, the system needs the big rotating machinery. Consequently, the construction cost and the operational cost of the ventilation system is very high. For maximum function with the minimum cost, areas are to be divided into several zones depending on the level of radioactivity and the once-through air flow in the shortest route should be adopted. The pressure difference between the zones and the number of air circulations per unit time in the rooms must be reasonable, thus, the venting air volume should be of minimum. (author). 19 refs., 7 tabs., 21 figs.

Design of the ventilation system of the nuclear facility(I). General requirements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, K. M.; Kang, I. S.; Bae, S. M.; Kim, T. K.; Kim, K. J.

1998-03-01

To assure that the operation of the nuclear ventilation system is effective and economic, the reasonable design of system is essential. As the nuclear ventilation system has to meet the particular conditions; to keep the rooms at an below atmospheric pressure at all times and, furthermore, to maintain frequent air circulation in the rooms, the system needs the big rotating machinery. Consequently, the construction cost and the operational cost of the ventilation system is very high. For maximum function with the minimum cost, areas are to be divided into several zones depending on the level of radioactivity and the once-through air flow in the shortest route should be adopted. The pressure difference between the zones and the number of air circulations per unit time in the rooms must be reasonable, thus, the venting air volume should be of minimum. (author). 19 refs., 7 tabs., 21 figs

Major and minor axis kinematics of 22 ellipticals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franx, M.; Illingworth, G.; Heckman, T.

1989-01-01

Rotation curves and velocity dispersion profiles have been determined for the major and the minor axes of 22 elliptical galaxies. Rotation was detected in all but one galaxy, even though the sample was biased toward round ellipticals. Minor axis rotation larger than major axis rotation was measured in two galaxies, NGC 4406 and NGC 7507. Roughly 10 percent of ellipticals may show large minor axis velocities relative to those on the major axis. A simple model is used to derive a rotational axis from the observed minor and major axis velocities to a typical accuracy of 6 deg. The rotational and photometric minor axes aligned to better than 10 deg for 60 percent of the sample, implying that the direction of the angular momentum is related to the orientation of the figure of the galaxy. IC 1459 has a kinematically distinct core with its angular momentum opposite to the angular momentum of the outer parts, and NGC 4406 has a core with its angular momentum perpendicular to that of the outer parts. 46 refs

Effective shunt impedance comparison between s-band standing wave accelerators with on-axis and off-axis couplers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schriber, S.O.; Funk, L.W.; Hutcheon, R.M.

1976-01-01

The effective shunt impedances of a side-coupled S-band standing wave accelerating structure and a structure employing on-axis couplers have been compared by measuring the energy of accelerated electrons. Criteria for choosing an on-axis coupled structure compared to side-coupled and ''disk and washer'' accelerating structures are given. (author)

Hanle effect in (In,Ga)As quantum dots: Role of nuclear spin fluctuations

OpenAIRE

Kuznetsova, M. S.; Flisinski, K.; Gerlovin, I. Ya.; Ignatiev, I. V.; Kavokin, K. V.; Verbin, S. Yu.; Yakovlev, D. R.; Reuter, D.; Wieck, A. D.; Bayer, M.

2013-01-01

The role of nuclear spin fluctuations in the dynamic polarization of nuclear spins by electrons is investigated in (In,Ga)As quantum dots. The photoluminescence polarization under circularly polarized optical pumping in transverse magnetic fields (Hanle effect) is studied. A weak additional magnetic field parallel to the optical axis is used to control the efficiency of nuclear spin cooling and the sign of nuclear spin temperature. The shape of the Hanle curve is drastically modified with cha...

Nitric oxide in the stress axis.

Science.gov (United States)

López-Figueroa, M O; Day, H E; Akil, H; Watson, S J

1998-10-01

In recent years nitric oxide (NO) has emerged as a unique biological messenger. NO is a highly diffusible gas, synthesized from L-arginine by the enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Three unique subtypes of NOS have been described, each with a specific distribution profile in the brain and periphery. NOS subtype I is present, among other areas, in the hippocampus, hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal gland. Together these structures form the limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (LHPA) or stress axis, activation of which is one of the defining features of a stress response. Evidence suggests that NO may modulate the release of the stress hormones ACTH and corticosterone, and NOS activity and transcription is increased in the LHPA axis following various stressful stimuli. Furthermore, following activation of the stress axis, glucocorticoids are thought to down-regulate the transcription and activity of NOS via a feedback mechanism. Taken together, current data indicate a role for NO in the regulation of the LHPA axis, although at present this role is not well defined. It has been suggested that NO may act as a cellular communicator in plasticity and development, to facilitate the activation or the release of other neurotransmitters, to mediate immune responses, and/or as a vasodilator in the regulation of blood flow. In the following review we summarize some of the latest insights into the function of NO, with special attention to its relationship with the LHPA axis.

Neutral axis as damage sensitive feature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sigurdardottir, D H; Glisic, B

2013-01-01

Structural health monitoring (SHM) is the process of continuously or periodically measuring structural parameters and the transformation of the collected data into information on real structural conditions. The centroid of stiffness is a universal parameter and its position in a cross-section can be evaluated for any load-carrying beam structure as the position of the neutral axis under conveniently chosen loads. Thus, a change in the position of the neutral axis within a cross-section can indicate a change in the position of the centroid of stiffness, i.e., unusual structural behaviors. This paper proposes a novel monitoring method based on deterministic and probabilistic determination of the position of the neutral axis under conveniently chosen conditions. Therefore, the method proposed in this paper is potentially applicable to a large variety of beam-like structures. Data from two existing structures were used to validate the method and assess its performance: Streicker Bridge at Princeton University and the US202/NJ23 highway overpass in Wayne, NJ. The results show that the neutral axis location is varying even when damage is not present. Reasons for this variation are determined and the accuracy in the evaluation assessed. This paper concludes that the position of the neutral axis can be evaluated with sufficient accuracy using static and dynamic strain measurements performed on appropriate time-scales and indicates its potential to be used as a damage sensitive feature. (paper)

Neutral axis as damage sensitive feature

Science.gov (United States)

Sigurdardottir, D. H.; Glisic, B.

2013-07-01

Structural health monitoring (SHM) is the process of continuously or periodically measuring structural parameters and the transformation of the collected data into information on real structural conditions. The centroid of stiffness is a universal parameter and its position in a cross-section can be evaluated for any load-carrying beam structure as the position of the neutral axis under conveniently chosen loads. Thus, a change in the position of the neutral axis within a cross-section can indicate a change in the position of the centroid of stiffness, i.e., unusual structural behaviors. This paper proposes a novel monitoring method based on deterministic and probabilistic determination of the position of the neutral axis under conveniently chosen conditions. Therefore, the method proposed in this paper is potentially applicable to a large variety of beam-like structures. Data from two existing structures were used to validate the method and assess its performance: Streicker Bridge at Princeton University and the US202/NJ23 highway overpass in Wayne, NJ. The results show that the neutral axis location is varying even when damage is not present. Reasons for this variation are determined and the accuracy in the evaluation assessed. This paper concludes that the position of the neutral axis can be evaluated with sufficient accuracy using static and dynamic strain measurements performed on appropriate time-scales and indicates its potential to be used as a damage sensitive feature.

Crystal structure and magnetism of UOsAl

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andreev, A.V., E-mail: andreev@fzu.cz [Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences, Na Slovance 2, 182 21 Prague (Czech Republic); Daniš, S. [Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Charles University, Ke Karlovu 5, 121 16 Prague (Czech Republic); Šebek, J.; Henriques, M.S.; Vejpravová, J. [Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences, Na Slovance 2, 182 21 Prague (Czech Republic); Gorbunov, D.I. [Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences, Na Slovance 2, 182 21 Prague (Czech Republic); Dresden High Magnetic Field Laboratory (HLD-EMFL), Helmholtz-Zentrum, Dresden-Rossendorf, D-01314 Dresden (Germany); Havela, L. [Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Charles University, Ke Karlovu 5, 121 16 Prague (Czech Republic)

2017-04-15

Crystal structure, magnetization, and specific heat were studied on single crystal of uranium intermetallic compound UOsAl. It is a hexagonal Laves phase of MgZn{sub 2} type, space group P6{sub 3}/mmc, with lattice parameters a=536.4 pm, c=845.3 pm. Shortest inter-uranium distance 313 pm (along the c-axis) is considerably smaller than the Hill limit (340 pm). The compound is a weakly temperature-dependent paramagnet with magnetic susceptibility of ≈1.5*10{sup −8} m{sup 3} mol{sup −1} (at T=2 K), which is slightly higher with magnetic field along the a-axis compared to the c-axis. The Sommerfeld coefficient of electronic specific heat has moderate value of γ=36 mJ mol{sup −1} K{sup −2}. - Highlights: • Crystal structure and magnetic properties were studied on single crystal of UOsAl with hexagonal structure of MgZn{sub 2} type. • Shortest inter-uranium distance 313 pm (along the c-axis) is considerably smaller than the Hill limit (340 pm). • UOsAl has paramagnetic ground state as the compounds with T=Fe and Ru, i.e. 3d and 4d analogues of Os.

Optic axis-driven new horizons for hyperbolic metamaterials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boardman Allan D.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The broad assertion here is that the current hyperbolic metamaterial world is only partially served by investigations that incorporate only some limited version of anisotropy. Even modest deviations of the optic axis from the main propagation axis lead to new phase shifts, which not only compete with those created by absorption but end up dominating them. Some progress has been attempted in the literature by introducing the terms “asymmetric hyperbolic media”, but it appears that this kind of asymmetry only involves an optic axis at an angle to the interface of a uniaxial crystal. From a device point of view, many new prospects should appear and the outcomes of the investigations presented here yield a new general theory. It is emphasised that the orientation of the optic axis is a significant determinant in the resulting optical properties. Whereas for conventional anisotropic waveguides homogeneous propagating waves occur over a limited range of angular dispositions of the optic axis it is shown that for a hyperbolic guide a critical angular setting exists, above which the guided waves are always homogeneous. This has significant implications for metawaveguide designs. The resulting structures are more tolerant to optic axis misalignment.

HIGH TEMPERATURE, HIGH POWER HETEROGENEOUS NUCLEAR REACTOR

Science.gov (United States)

Hammond, R.P.; Wykoff, W.R.; Busey, H.M.

1960-06-14

A heterogeneous nuclear reactor is designed comprising a stationary housing and a rotatable annular core being supported for rotation about a vertical axis in the housing, the core containing a plurality of radial fuel- element supporting channels, the cylindrical empty space along the axis of the core providing a central plenum for the disposal of spent fuel elements, the core cross section outer periphery being vertically gradated in radius one end from the other to provide a coolant duct between the core and the housing, and means for inserting fresh fuel elements in the supporting channels under pressure and while the reactor is in operation.

Particle orbit analysis for LHD helical axis configurations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guasp, J.; Yamazaki, K.; Motojima, O.

1993-04-01

Fast ion orbits for helical magnetic axis configurations in LHD (Large Helical Device) are analyzed and compared with the standard circular axis case. Boundaries between passing and helically trapped particle regions show clear differences: in the non-planar axis case the helically trapped region spreads, near the magnetic axis, over a much wider band across the 90deg pitch angle value and shows a very marked asymmetry. The locally trapped particle region is also wider than in the standard case. The differences in the loss cone boundaries of the two cases are rather small, however, the effects of re-entering criteria are very important in both cases. On the contrary, effects of finite coil size are not significant. (author)

Energy Efficient Hybrid Dual Axis Solar Tracking System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rashid Ahammed Ferdaus

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the design and implementation of an energy efficient solar tracking system from a normal mechanical single axis to a hybrid dual axis. For optimizing the solar tracking mechanism electromechanical systems were evolved through implementation of different evolutional algorithms and methodologies. To present the tracker, a hybrid dual-axis solar tracking system is designed, built, and tested based on both the solar map and light sensor based continuous tracking mechanism. These light sensors also compare the darkness and cloudy and sunny conditions assisting daily tracking. The designed tracker can track sun’s apparent position at different months and seasons; thereby the electrical controlling device requires a real time clock device for guiding the tracking system in seeking solar position for the seasonal motion. So the combination of both of these tracking mechanisms made the designed tracker a hybrid one. The power gain and system power consumption are compared with a static and continuous dual axis solar tracking system. It is found that power gain of hybrid dual axis solar tracking system is almost equal to continuous dual axis solar tracking system, whereas the power saved in system operation by the hybrid tracker is 44.44% compared to the continuous tracking system.

Shortest loops are pacemakers in random networks of electrically coupled axons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikita eVladimirov

2012-04-01

Full Text Available High-frequency oscillations (HFOs are an important part of brain activity in health and disease. However, their origins remain obscure and controversial. One possible mechanism depends on the presence of sparsely distributed gap junctions that electrically couple the axons of principal cells. A plexus of electrically coupled axons is modeled as a random network with bidirectional connections between its nodes. Under certain conditions the network can demonstrate one of two types of oscillatory activity. Type I oscillations (100-200 Hz are predicted to be caused by spontaneously spiking axons in a network with strong (high-conductance gap junctions. Type II oscillations (200-300 Hz require no spontaneous spiking and relatively weak (low-conductance gap junctions, across which spike propagation failures occur. The type II oscillations are reentrant and self-sustained. Here we examine what determines the frequency of type II oscillations. Using simulations we show that the distribution of loop lengths is the key factor for determining frequency in type II network oscillations. We first analyze spike failure between two electrically coupled cells using a model of anatomically reconstructed CA1 pyramidal neuron. Then network oscillations are studied by a cellular automaton model with random network connectivity, in which we control loop statistics. We show that oscillation periods can be predicted from the network's loop statistics. The shortest loop, around which a spike can travel, is the most likely pacemaker candidate.The principle of one loop as a pacemaker is remarkable, because random networks contain a large number of loops juxtaposed and superimposed, and their number rapidly grows with network size. This principle allows us to predict the frequency of oscillations from network connectivity and visa versa. We finally propose that type I oscillations may correspond to ripples, while type II oscillations correspond to so-called fast ripples.

Triple axis spectrometers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clausen, K.N.

1997-01-01

Conventional triple-axis neutron spectroscopy was developed by Brockhouse over thirty years ago' and remains today a versatile and powerful tool for probing the dynamics of condensed matter. The original design of the triple axis spectrometer is technically simple and probes momentum and energy space on a point-by-point basis. This ability to systematically probe the scattering function in a way which only requires a few angles to be moved under computer control and where the observed data in general can be analysed using a pencil and graph paper or a simple fitting routine, has been essential for the success of the method. These constraints were quite reasonable at the time the technique was developed. Advances in computer based data acquisition, neutron beam optics, and position sensitive area detectors have been gradually implemented on many triple axis spectrometer spectrometers, but the full potential of this has not been fully exploited yet. Further improvement in terms of efficiency (beyond point by point inspection) and increased sensitivity (use of focusing optics whenever the problem allows it) could easily be up to a factor of 10-20 over present instruments for many problems at a cost which is negligible compared to that of increasing the flux of the source. The real cost will be in complexity - finding the optimal set-up for a given scan and interpreting the data as the they are taken. On-line transformation of the data for an appropriate display in Q, ω space and analysis tools will be equally important for this task, and the success of these new ideas will crucially depend on how well we solve these problems. (author)

Microbiota-Brain-Gut Axis and Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Quigley, Eamonn M M

2017-10-17

The purposes of this review were as follows: first, to provide an overview of the gut microbiota and its interactions with the gut and the central nervous system (the microbiota-gut-brain axis) in health, second, to review the relevance of this axis to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, and, finally, to assess the potential for microbiota-targeted therapies. Work on animal models has established the microbiota-gut-brain axis as a real phenomenon; to date, the evidence for its operation in man has been limited and has been confronted by considerable logistical challenges. Animal and translational models have incriminated a disturbed gut microbiota in a number of CNS disorders, including Parkinson's disease; data from human studies is scanty. While a theoretical basis can be developed for the use of microbiota-directed therapies in neurodegenerative disorders, support is yet to come from high-quality clinical trials. In theory, a role for the microbiota-gut-brain axis is highly plausible; clinical confirmation is awaited.

A psychology of the human brain-gut-microbiome axis.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Andrew P; Dinan, Timothy G; Clarke, Gerard; Cryan, John F

2017-04-01

In recent years, we have seen increasing research within neuroscience and biopsychology on the interactions between the brain, the gastrointestinal tract, the bacteria within the gastrointestinal tract, and the bidirectional relationship between these systems: the brain-gut-microbiome axis. Although research has demonstrated that the gut microbiota can impact upon cognition and a variety of stress-related behaviours, including those relevant to anxiety and depression, we still do not know how this occurs. A deeper understanding of how psychological development as well as social and cultural factors impact upon the brain-gut-microbiome axis will contextualise the role of the axis in humans and inform psychological interventions that improve health within the brain-gut-microbiome axis. Interventions ostensibly aimed at ameliorating disorders in one part of the brain-gut-microbiome axis (e.g., psychotherapy for depression) may nonetheless impact upon other parts of the axis (e.g., microbiome composition and function), and functional gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome represent a disorder of the axis, rather than an isolated problem either of psychology or of gastrointestinal function. The discipline of psychology needs to be cognisant of these interactions and can help to inform the future research agenda in this emerging field of research. In this review, we outline the role psychology has to play in understanding the brain-gut-microbiome axis, with a focus on human psychology and the use of research in laboratory animals to model human psychology.

A psychology of the human brain–gut–microbiome axis

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Andrew P.; Dinan, Timothy G.; Clarke, Gerard

2017-01-01

Abstract In recent years, we have seen increasing research within neuroscience and biopsychology on the interactions between the brain, the gastrointestinal tract, the bacteria within the gastrointestinal tract, and the bidirectional relationship between these systems: the brain–gut–microbiome axis. Although research has demonstrated that the gut microbiota can impact upon cognition and a variety of stress‐related behaviours, including those relevant to anxiety and depression, we still do not know how this occurs. A deeper understanding of how psychological development as well as social and cultural factors impact upon the brain–gut–microbiome axis will contextualise the role of the axis in humans and inform psychological interventions that improve health within the brain–gut–microbiome axis. Interventions ostensibly aimed at ameliorating disorders in one part of the brain–gut–microbiome axis (e.g., psychotherapy for depression) may nonetheless impact upon other parts of the axis (e.g., microbiome composition and function), and functional gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome represent a disorder of the axis, rather than an isolated problem either of psychology or of gastrointestinal function. The discipline of psychology needs to be cognisant of these interactions and can help to inform the future research agenda in this emerging field of research. In this review, we outline the role psychology has to play in understanding the brain–gut–microbiome axis, with a focus on human psychology and the use of research in laboratory animals to model human psychology. PMID:28804508

Nuclear receptors and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease1

Science.gov (United States)

Cave, Matthew C.; Clair, Heather B.; Hardesty, Josiah E.; Falkner, K. Cameron; Feng, Wenke; Clark, Barbara J.; Sidey, Jennifer; Shi, Hongxue; Aqel, Bashar A.; McClain, Craig J.; Prough, Russell A.

2016-01-01

Nuclear receptors are transcription factors which sense changing environmental or hormonal signals and effect transcriptional changes to regulate core life functions including growth, development, and reproduction. To support this function, following ligand-activation by xenobiotics, members of subfamily 1 nuclear receptors (NR1s) may heterodimerize with the retinoid X receptor (RXR) to regulate transcription of genes involved in energy and xenobiotic metabolism and inflammation. Several of these receptors including the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), the pregnane and xenobiotic receptor (PXR), the constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), the liver X receptor (LXR) and the farnesoid X receptor (FXR) are key regulators of the gut:liver:adipose axis and serve to coordinate metabolic responses across organ systems between the fed and fasting states. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease and may progress to cirrhosis and even hepatocellular carcinoma. NAFLD is associated with inappropriate nuclear receptor function and perturbations along the gut:liver:adipose axis including obesity, increased intestinal permeability with systemic inflammation, abnormal hepatic lipid metabolism, and insulin resistance. Environmental chemicals may compound the problem by directly interacting with nuclear receptors leading to metabolic confusion and the inability to differentiate fed from fasting conditions. This review focuses on the impact of nuclear receptors in the pathogenesis and treatment of NAFLD. Clinical trials including PIVENS and FLINT demonstrate that nuclear receptor targeted therapies may lead to the paradoxical dissociation of steatosis, inflammation, fibrosis, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and obesity. Novel strategies currently under development (including tissue-specific ligands and dual receptor agonists) may be required to separate the beneficial effects of nuclear receptor activation from unwanted metabolic

A Hybrid Optimized Weighted Minimum Spanning Tree for the Shortest Intrapath Selection in Wireless Sensor Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matheswaran Saravanan

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Wireless sensor network (WSN consists of sensor nodes that need energy efficient routing techniques as they have limited battery power, computing, and storage resources. WSN routing protocols should enable reliable multihop communication with energy constraints. Clustering is an effective way to reduce overheads and when this is aided by effective resource allocation, it results in reduced energy consumption. In this work, a novel hybrid evolutionary algorithm called Bee Algorithm-Simulated Annealing Weighted Minimal Spanning Tree (BASA-WMST routing is proposed in which randomly deployed sensor nodes are split into the best possible number of independent clusters with cluster head and optimal route. The former gathers data from sensors belonging to the cluster, forwarding them to the sink. The shortest intrapath selection for the cluster is selected using Weighted Minimum Spanning Tree (WMST. The proposed algorithm computes the distance-based Minimum Spanning Tree (MST of the weighted graph for the multihop network. The weights are dynamically changed based on the energy level of each sensor during route selection and optimized using the proposed bee algorithm simulated annealing algorithm.

Helical axis stellarator equilibrium model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koniges, A.E.; Johnson, J.L.

1985-02-01

An asymptotic model is developed to study MHD equilibria in toroidal systems with a helical magnetic axis. Using a characteristic coordinate system based on the vacuum field lines, the equilibrium problem is reduced to a two-dimensional generalized partial differential equation of the Grad-Shafranov type. A stellarator-expansion free-boundary equilibrium code is modified to solve the helical-axis equations. The expansion model is used to predict the equilibrium properties of Asperators NP-3 and NP-4. Numerically determined flux surfaces, magnetic well, transform, and shear are presented. The equilibria show a toroidal Shafranov shift

The hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in major affective disorder

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, M V; Kessing, L V

2001-01-01

disorder. The HPA axis is a complex neuroendocrine network with multiple integrated levels of control, and it is likely that the dysregulation involves abnormalities at several sites within the axis. At present, it is not clear whether the abnormalities are related to the affective episodes only......This paper reviews studies of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis activity in patients with affective disorders. It is concluded that, despite methodological drawbacks in most studies, dysregulation of the HPA axis seems to be a consistent finding in a proportion of patients with affective...... or to the disorder itself. There is a need for prospective studies of larger samples of patients to be followed during successive affective episodes with a combination of measurements of the HPA-axis activity and brain imaging....

Magnetic field coil in nuclear fusion device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamaguchi, Mitsugi; Takano, Hirohisa.

1975-01-01

Object: To provide an electrical-insulatively stabilized magnetic field coil in nuclear fusion device, restraining an increase in voltage when plasma current is rapidly changed. Structure: A magnetic field coil comprises coils arranged coaxial with respective vacuum vessels, said coils being wound in positive and reverse polarities so as to form a vertical magnetic field within the plasma. The coils of the positive polarity are arranged along the vacuum vessel inside of an axis vertical in section of the annular plasma and are arranged symmetrically up and down of a horizontal axis. On the other hand, the coils of the reverse polarity are arranged along the vacuum vessel outside of a vertical axis and arranged symmetrically up and down of the horizontal axis. These positive and reverse polarity coils are alternately connected in series, and lead portions of the coils are connected to a power source by means of connecting wires. In this case, lead positions of the coils are arranged in one direction, and the connecting wires are disposed in closely contact relation to offset magnetic fields formed by the connecting wires each other. (Kawakami, Y.)

Automated Slicing for a Multi-Axis Metal Deposition System (Preprint)

Science.gov (United States)

2006-09-01

experimented with different materials like H13 tool steel to build the part. Following the same slicing and scanning toolpath result, there is a geometric...and analysis tool -centroidal axis. Similar to medial axis, it contains geometry and topological information but is significantly computationally...geometry reasoning and analysis tool -centroidal axis. Similar to medial axis, it contains geometry and topological information but is significantly

Optical performance of inclined south-north single-axis tracked solar panels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Zhimin; Liu, Xinyue; Tang, Runsheng

2010-01-01

To investigate optical performance of the inclined south-north single-axis (ISN-axis, in short) tracked solar panels, a mathematical procedure to estimate the annual collectible radiation on fixed and tracked panels was suggested based on solar geometry and monthly horizontal radiation. For solar panels tracking about ISN-axis, the yearly optimal tilt-angle of ISN-axis for maximizing annual solar gain was about 3 o deviating from the site latitude in most of China except in areas with poor solar resources, and the maximum annual collectible radiation on ISN-axis tracked panels was about 97-98% of that on dual-axis tracked panels; whereas for ISN-axis tracked panels with the tilt-angle of ISN-axis being adjusted four times in a year at three fixed tilt-angles, the annual collectible radiation was almost close to that on dual-axis tracked panels, the optimum date of tilt-angle adjustment of ISN-axis was 23 days from the equinoxes, and the optimum tilt-angle adjustment value for each adjustment was about 22 o . Compared to fixed south-facing solar panels inclined at an optimal tilt-angle, the increase in the annual solar gain due to using ISN-axis sun tracking was above 30% in the areas with abundant solar resources and less than 20% in the areas with poor solar resources.

Positioning drive for absorber rods of a nuclear reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Acher, H.

1977-01-01

The invention concerns a positioning drive for absorber rods of a nuclear reactor, of a threaded spindle and traveling nut type. In this positioning drive, rollers are provided the nut, which engage with the threads of the spindle and have an axis extending essentially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the spindle. Three of the rollers are preferably combined in a traveling-nut housing, by means of anti-friction bearing elements. The positioning speed of such mechanical spindle drives can be increased thereby substantially. The invention is of interest particularly for boiling-water reactors. 9 claims, 8 figures

Proper time axis of a closed relativistic system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chernikov, N.A.; Fadeev, N.G.; Shavokhina, N.S.

1997-01-01

The definition of a proper time axis of a closed relativistic system of colliding particles is given. The solution of the proper time axis problem is presented. If the light velocity c equals the imaginary unit i, then in the case of a plane motion of the system the problem about the proper time axis turns out to be equivalent to the known in engineering mechanics problem about the reduction of any system of forces, applied to a rigid body, to the dynamic screw. In the general case, when c=i, the problem about the proper time axis turns out to be equivalent to the problem about the reduction to the dynamic screw of a system of forces, applied to a rigid body in a four-dimensional Euclidean space

Nuclear Fuel Test Rod Fabrication for Data Acquisition Test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joung, Chang-Young; Hong, Jin-Tae; Kim, Ka-Hye; Huh, Sung-Ho

2014-01-01

A nuclear fuel test rod must be fabricated with precise welding and assembly technologies, and confirmed for their soundness. Recently, we have developed various kinds of processing systems such as an orbital TIG welding system, a fiber laser welding system, an automated drilling system and a helium leak analyzer, which are able to fabricate the nuclear fuel test rods and rigs, and keep inspection systems to confirm the soundness of the nuclear fuel test rods and rids. The orbital TIG welding system can be used with two kinds of welding methods. One can perform the round welding for end-caps of a nuclear fuel test rod by an orbital head mounted in a low-pressure chamber. The other can do spot welding for a pin-hole of a nuclear fuel test rod in a high-pressure chamber to fill up helium gas of high pressure. The fiber laser welding system can weld cylindrical and 3 axis samples such as parts of a nuclear fuel test rod and instrumentation sensors which is moved by an index chuck and a 3 axis (X, Y, Z) servo stage controlled by the CNC program. To measure the real-time temperature change at the center of the nuclear fuel during the irradiation test, a thermocouple should be instrumented at that position. Therefore, a hole needs to be made at the center of fuel pellet to instrument the thermocouple. An automated drilling system can drill a fine hole into a fuel pellet without changing tools or breaking the work-piece. The helium leak analyzer (ASM-380 model of DEIXEN Co.) can check the leak of the nuclear fuel test rod filled with helium gas. This paper describes not only the assembly and fabrication methods used by the process systems, but also the results of the data acquisition test for the nuclear fuel test rod. A nuclear fuel test rod for the data acquisition test was fabricated using the welding and assembling echnologies acquired from previous tests

Nuclear Fuel Test Rod Fabrication for Data Acquisition Test

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joung, Chang-Young; Hong, Jin-Tae; Kim, Ka-Hye; Huh, Sung-Ho [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-10-15

A nuclear fuel test rod must be fabricated with precise welding and assembly technologies, and confirmed for their soundness. Recently, we have developed various kinds of processing systems such as an orbital TIG welding system, a fiber laser welding system, an automated drilling system and a helium leak analyzer, which are able to fabricate the nuclear fuel test rods and rigs, and keep inspection systems to confirm the soundness of the nuclear fuel test rods and rids. The orbital TIG welding system can be used with two kinds of welding methods. One can perform the round welding for end-caps of a nuclear fuel test rod by an orbital head mounted in a low-pressure chamber. The other can do spot welding for a pin-hole of a nuclear fuel test rod in a high-pressure chamber to fill up helium gas of high pressure. The fiber laser welding system can weld cylindrical and 3 axis samples such as parts of a nuclear fuel test rod and instrumentation sensors which is moved by an index chuck and a 3 axis (X, Y, Z) servo stage controlled by the CNC program. To measure the real-time temperature change at the center of the nuclear fuel during the irradiation test, a thermocouple should be instrumented at that position. Therefore, a hole needs to be made at the center of fuel pellet to instrument the thermocouple. An automated drilling system can drill a fine hole into a fuel pellet without changing tools or breaking the work-piece. The helium leak analyzer (ASM-380 model of DEIXEN Co.) can check the leak of the nuclear fuel test rod filled with helium gas. This paper describes not only the assembly and fabrication methods used by the process systems, but also the results of the data acquisition test for the nuclear fuel test rod. A nuclear fuel test rod for the data acquisition test was fabricated using the welding and assembling echnologies acquired from previous tests.

FAMILY HISTORY STUDY OF THE FAMILIAL COAGGREGATION OF BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER WITH AXIS I AND NON-BORDERLINE DRAMATIC CLUSTER AXIS II DISORDERS

OpenAIRE

Zanarini, Mary C.; Barison, Leah K.; Frankenburg, Frances R.; Reich, D. Bradford; Hudson, James I.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the familial coaggregation of borderline personality disorder (BPD) with a full array of axis I disorders and four axis II disorders (antisocial personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, and sadistic personality disorder) in the first-degree relatives of borderline probands and axis II comparison subjects. Four hundred and forty-five inpatients were interviewed about familial psychopathology using the Revi...

The nuclear axis. Secret collaboration between West Germany and South Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cervenka, Z.; Rogers, B.

1978-01-01

Post-war international politics are examined, with particular reference to international collaboration in the nuclear energy field and to the proliferation of atomic weapons capability. The development of atomic energy programmes in West Germany and in South Africa is discussed. South African uranium resources are described. Reference is made to the British-Dutch-West German collaboration on uranium enrichment, and to the South African enrichment process. Political activities involving atomic energy considerations are also discussed with reference to the countries mentioned and,in addition, to USA, Israel, Iran and Brazil. (U.K.)

A CREB-MPP7-AMOT Regulatory Axis Controls Muscle Stem Cell Expansion and Self-Renewal Competence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lydia Li

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Summary: Skeletal muscle regeneration requires resident muscle stem cells, termed satellite cells (SCs. SCs are largely quiescent during homeostasis yet become activated upon injury to supply myonuclei and self-renewed SCs. Molecular mechanisms underlying the competence of SCs to proliferate and self-renew in response to injury remain unclear. Here, we show that CREB activity establishes proliferative potential during SC quiescence. SCs with inhibited CREB activity remain quiescent and positioned in their niche, but upon injury, they cannot enter or maintain a proliferative state for expansion and self-renewal. We demonstrate mechanistically that Mpp7 is a CREB target and its functional mediator. MPP7 loss affects the level and sub-cellular localization of AMOT and YAP1 in quiescent SCs. Furthermore, MPP7 and AMOT are required for YAP1 nuclear accumulation, and the three are individually required for a proliferative state in myoblasts. We propose that the CREB-MPP7-AMOT-YAP1 axis establishes the competence of quiescent SCs to expand and self-renew, thereby preserving stem cell function. : Satellite cells are quiescent muscle stem cells that have the ability to regenerate muscles after injury. Li and Fan reveal an MPP7-AMOT-YAP1 regulatory axis that acts downstream of CREB to instill satellite cell competence. They also show how this regulatory axis prepares satellite cells for robust muscle regeneration after injury.

Ankle-foot orthosis bending axis influences running mechanics.

Science.gov (United States)

Russell Esposito, Elizabeth; Ranz, Ellyn C; Schmidtbauer, Kelly A; Neptune, Richard R; Wilken, Jason M

2017-07-01

Passive-dynamic ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) are commonly prescribed to improve locomotion for people with lower limb musculoskeletal weakness. The clinical prescription and design process are typically qualitative and based on observational assessment and experience. Prior work examining the effect of AFO design characteristics generally excludes higher impact activities such as running, providing clinicians and researchers limited information to guide the development of objective prescription guidelines. The proximal location of the bending axis may directly influence energy storage and return and resulting running mechanics. The purpose of this study was to determine if the location of an AFO's bending axis influences running mechanics. Marker and force data were recorded as 12 participants with lower extremity weakness ran overground while wearing a passive-dynamic AFO with posterior struts manufactured with central (middle) and off-centered (high and low) bending axes. Lower extremity joint angles, moments, powers, and ground reaction forces were calculated and compared between limbs and across bending axis conditions. Bending axis produced relatively small but significant changes. Ankle range of motion increased as the bending axis shifted distally (pbenefits during running, although individual preference and physical ability should also be considered. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Self-starting aerodynamics analysis of vertical axis wind turbine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianyang Zhu

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Vertical axis wind turbine is a special type of wind-force electric generator which is capable of working in the complicated wind environment. The self-starting aerodynamics is one of the most important considerations for this kind of turbine. This article aims at providing a systematic synthesis on the self-starting aerodynamic characteristics of vertical axis wind turbine based on the numerical analysis approach. First, the physical model of vertical axis wind turbine and its parameter definitions are presented. Secondary, the interaction model between the vertical axis wind turbine and fluid is developed by using the weak coupling approach; the numerical data of this model are then compared with the wind tunnel experimental data to show its feasibility. Third, the effects of solidity and fixed pitch angle on the self-starting aerodynamic characteristics of the vertical axis wind turbine are analyzed systematically. Finally, the quantification effects of the solidity and fixed pitch angle on the self-starting performance of the turbine can be obtained. The analysis in this study will provide straightforward physical insight into the self-starting aerodynamic characteristics of vertical axis wind turbine.

Design and optimize of 3-axis filament winding machine

Science.gov (United States)

Quanjin, Ma; Rejab, M. R. M.; Idris, M. S.; Bachtiar, B.; Siregar, J. P.; Harith, M. N.

2017-10-01

Filament winding technique is developed as the primary process for composite cylindrical structures fabrication at low cost. Fibres are wound on a rotating mandrel by a filament winding machine where resin impregnated fibres pass through a pay-out eye. This paper aims to develop and optimize a 3-axis, lightweight, practical, efficient, portable filament winding machine to satisfy the customer demand, which can fabricate pipes and round shape cylinders with resins. There are 3 main units on the 3-axis filament winding machine, which are the rotary unit, the delivery unit and control system unit. Comparison with previous existing filament winding machines in the factory, it has 3 degrees of freedom and can fabricate more complex shape specimens based on the mandrel shape and particular control system. The machine has been designed and fabricated on 3 axes movements with control system. The x-axis is for movement of the carriage, the y-axis is the rotation of mandrel and the z-axis is the movement of the pay-out eye. Cylindrical specimens with different dimensions and winding angles were produced. 3-axis automated filament winding machine has been successfully designed with simple control system.

Expression and Function of Xmsx-2B in Dorso-Ventral Axis Formation in Gastrula Embryos.

Science.gov (United States)

Onitsuka, I; Takeda, M; Maéno, M

2000-11-01

Msx is a homeodomain-containing transcriptional factor that plays an essential role in pattern formation in vertebrata and invertebrata embryos. In Xenopus laevis, two msx genes have been identified (Xmsx-1 and Xmsx-2). In the present study, we attempted to elucidate the expression and function of Xmsx-2B (formerly designated as Xhox7.1') in early embryogenesis. Whole mount in situ hybridization analyses showed that the expression pattern of Xmsx-2B at gastrula and neurula stages was very similar to that of Xmsx-1: the transcript of Xmsx-2B was observed in ventral and lateral sides of the embryo. At the tailbud stage, however, the expression pattern of Xmsx-2B in neural tissues was distinct from that of Xmsx-1. An RNA injection experiment revealed that, like BMP-4, Xmsx-2B has a strong ventralizing activity. In the Xmsx-2B -injected embryos, differentiation of axial structures such as the notochord, muscle, and neural tissue was completely suppressed, whereas alpha-globin mRNA, a blood cell marker, was highly expressed. Simultaneous injection of Xmsx-1 and Xmsx-2B RNAs showed that they function in an additive manner. It was also shown that coinjection of Xmsx-2B with a dominant-negative BMP-4 receptor (tBR), which can induce formation of secondary axis when injected alone in ventral blastomeres, suppressed secondary axis formation. Furthermore, Xmsx-2B also suppressed secondary axis formation, which was induced by a dominant-negative form of Xmsx-1 (VP16/msx-1). Therefore, like Xmsx-1, Xmsx-2B is a downstream nuclear factor of the BMP-4-derived ventralizing signal, and these two factors probably share the same target molecules. In conclusion, Xmsx-1 and Xmsx-2B function in dorso-ventral axis formation in early Xenopus laevis development.

Shot H3837: Darht's First Dual-Axis Explosive Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Mendez, Jacob; McNeil, Wendy Vogan; Harsh, James; Hull, Lawrence

2011-06-01

Test H3837 was the first explosive shot performed in front of both flash x-ray axes at the Los Alamos Dual Axis Radiographic HydroTest (DARHT) facility. Executed in November 2009, the shot was an explosively-driven metal flyer plate in a series of experiments designed to explore equation-of-state properties of shocked materials. Imaging the initial shock wave traveling through the flyer plate, DARHT Axis II captured the range of motion from the shock front emergence in the flyer to breakout at the free surface; the Axis I pulse provided a perpendicular perspective of the shot at a time coinciding with the third pulse of Axis II. Since the days of the Manhattan Project, penetrating radiography with multiple frames from different viewing angles has remained a high-profile goal at the Laboratory. H3837 is merely the beginning of a bright future for two-axis penetrating radiography.

Off-axis vortex breakdown in a shallow whirlpool.

Science.gov (United States)

Herrada, Miguel A; Shtern, Vladimir N; López-Herrera, José María

2013-06-01

The off-axis emergence of vortex breakdown (VB) is revealed. The steady axisymmetric flow in a vertical sealed cylinder, which is partially filled with water and the rest is filled with air, is driven by the rotating bottom disk. The numerical simulations show that VB can emerge away from the rotation axis, interface, and walls. As the rotation intensifies, VB first develops in the water region. If the water height is less (larger) than nearly one half of the cylinder radius, VB emerges off (on) the axis. As the rotation further increases, the off-axis VB ring touches the interface and then a thin countercirculation layer develops in the air flow above the water VB domain. This two-fluid VB ring shrinks (it even disappears in a very shallow whirlpool) as the interface approaches the bottom disk.

Relaxation of nuclear spin on holes in semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gr'ncharova, E.I.; Perel', V.I.

1977-01-01

The longitudienal relaxation time T 1 of nuclear spins due to dipole-dipole interaction with holes in semiconductors is calculated. Expressions for T 1 in cubic and uniaxial semiconductors are obtained for non-degenerate and degenerate cases. On the basis of comparison with available experimental data for silicon the agreement with the theoretical results is obtained. It is demonstrated that in uniaxial semiconductors the time of relaxation on holes for a nuclear spin directed along the c axis is considerably greater than that for a spin in the normal direction

Thoughts on the so-called 'radius-capitellum axis'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schild, H.; Mueller, H.A.; Wagner, H.; Baetz, W.; Mainz Univ.

1982-01-01

We have studied 438 patients radiologically in order to observe the so-called 'radius-capitellum axis'. In about a quarter of people with normal elbows the axis passes lateral to the middle portion of the capitellum, so that even when there is marked deviation, there is no certainty that the humero-radial joint is abnormal. Deviation of the axis can be caused by changes in the shape of the capitellum or of the radius, or by distension of the capsule of the elbow joint, or by various changes in muscular pull. (orig.) [de

Thoughts on the so-called radius-capitellum axis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schild, H; Mueller, H A; Wagner, H; Baetz, W

1982-02-01

We have studied 438 patients radiologically in order to observe the so-called 'radius-capitellum axis'. In about a quarter of people with normal elbows the axis passes lateral to the middle portion of the capitellum, so that even when there is marked deviation, there is no certainty that the humero-radial joint is abnormal. Deviation of the axis can be caused by changes in the shape of the capitellum or of the radius, or by distension of the capsule of the elbow joint, or by various changes in muscular pull.

Prestressed reactor vessel for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schoening, J.; Schwiers, H.G.

1982-01-01

With usual pressure vessels for nuclear reactor plants, especially for gas-cooled nuclear reactors, the load occurring due to the inner overpressure, especially the tensile load affecting the vessel top and/or bottom, their axis of inertia being horizontal, shall be compensated without a supplementary modification in design of the top and/or the bottom. This is attained by choosing an appropriate prestressing system of the vessel wall in the field the top and/or the bottom, so that the top and/or the bottom form a tension vault directed towards the interior of the vessel. (orig.) [de

K-Shortest-Path-Based Evacuation Routing with Police Resource Allocation in City Transportation Networks.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yunyue He

Full Text Available Emergency evacuation aims to transport people from dangerous places to safe shelters as quickly as possible. Police play an important role in the evacuation process, as they can handle traffic accidents immediately and help people move smoothly on roads. This paper investigates an evacuation routing problem that involves police resource allocation. We propose a novel k-th-shortest-path-based technique that uses explicit congestion control to optimize evacuation routing and police resource allocation. A nonlinear mixed-integer programming model is presented to formulate the problem. The model's objective is to minimize the overall evacuation clearance time. Two algorithms are given to solve the problem. The first one linearizes the original model and solves the linearized problem with CPLEX. The second one is a heuristic algorithm that uses a police resource utilization efficiency index to directly solve the original model. This police resource utilization efficiency index significantly aids in the evaluation of road links from an evacuation throughput perspective. The proposed algorithms are tested with a number of examples based on real data from cities of different sizes. The computational results show that the police resource utilization efficiency index is very helpful in finding near-optimal solutions. Additionally, comparing the performance of the heuristic algorithm and the linearization method by using randomly generated examples indicates that the efficiency of the heuristic algorithm is superior.

New Urban Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandru-Mihai CISMILIANU

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This paper develops a different approach for enhancing the performance of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines for the use in the urban or rural environment and remote isolated residential areas. Recently the vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT have become more attractive due to the major advantages of this type of turbines in comparison to the horizontal axis wind turbines. We aim to enhance the overall performance of the VAWT by adding a second set of blades (3 x 2=6 blades following the rules of biplane airplanes. The model has been made to operate at a maximum power in the range of the TSR between 2 to 2.5. The performances of the VAWT were investigated numerically and experimentally and justify the new proposed design.

Shapes of nuclear configurations in a cranked harmonic oscillator model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Troudet, T.; Arvieu, R.

1980-05-01

The shapes of nuclear configurations are calculated using Slater determinants built with cranked harmonic oscillator single particle states. The nuclear forces role is played by a volume conservation condition (of the potential or of the density) in a first part. In a second part, we have used the finite range, density dependent interaction of Cogny. A very simple classification of configurations emerges in the first part, the relevant parameter being the equatorial eccentricity of the nuclear density. A critical equatorial eccentricity is obtained which governs the accession to the case for which the nucleus is oblate and symmetric around its axis of rotation. Nuclear configurations calculated in the second part observe remarkably well these behaviors

Three-Axis Ground Reaction Force Distribution during Straight Walking.

Science.gov (United States)

Hori, Masataka; Nakai, Akihito; Shimoyama, Isao

2017-10-24

We measured the three-axis ground reaction force (GRF) distribution during straight walking. Small three-axis force sensors composed of rubber and sensor chips were fabricated and calibrated. After sensor calibration, 16 force sensors were attached to the left shoe. The three-axis force distribution during straight walking was measured, and the local features of the three-axis force under the sole of the shoe were analyzed. The heel area played a role in receiving the braking force, the base area of the fourth and fifth toes applied little vertical or shear force, the base area of the second and third toes generated a portion of the propulsive force and received a large vertical force, and the base area of the big toe helped move the body's center of mass to the other foot. The results demonstrate that measuring the three-axis GRF distribution is useful for a detailed analysis of bipedal locomotion.

Start-up test of Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Station Unit No.3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inomata, Toshio; Umezu, Akira; Kajikawa, Makoto; Koibuchi, Hiroshi; Netsu, Nobuhiko.

1986-01-01

In Unit 3 of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station II (daini), a BWR power plant of output 1,100 MW, commercial operation was started in June 1985. Its start-up test was finished successfully in about nine months. That is, new equipments introduced were demonstration tested. Though the items of testing are increased, the start-up test took short time, resulting in construction period only 54.7 months of the Unit 3, the shortest in the world. During the test, there was no scramming other than the planned. Described are the following: an outline of the Unit 3, the items of its improvement and standardization, including the new equipments, preparations for the start-up test, the start-up test and its evaluation. (Mori, K.)

Sensitivity study in order to improve the Mesh-grid in environmental nuclear monitoring system using parallels codes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serrao, Bruno P.; Schirru, Roberto

2015-01-01

All nuclear power plants need some monitoring system in order to monitoring the radioactivity that can be released in the atmosphere in case of accidents. Moreover, this system has also be capable to simulate future releases. For this, these systems calculate the wind field, the quantity of radioactive elements and the dispersion of these elements, around nuclear facilities. Angra 1, 2 and 3 (under construction) Complex site, has 15.75 x 10.75 kilometers (X x Y axis). The z axis is divided in 8 heights. So, the mesh has 23048 cells, each one 250 x 250 meters. This work aims to show the performance of an Environmental Nuclear Monitoring System when working with the cells with 100 x 100 meters and 50 x 50 meters, where the computational effort of this approach will be made using parallels computational programs. (author)

Sensitivity study in order to improve the Mesh-grid in environmental nuclear monitoring system using parallels codes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Serrao, Bruno P.; Schirru, Roberto, E-mail: bruno@lmp.ufrj.br, E-mail: schirru@lmp.ufrj.br [Coordenacao dos Programas de Pos-Graduacao em Engneharia (PEN/COPPE/UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Programa de Engenharia Nuclear

2015-07-01

All nuclear power plants need some monitoring system in order to monitoring the radioactivity that can be released in the atmosphere in case of accidents. Moreover, this system has also be capable to simulate future releases. For this, these systems calculate the wind field, the quantity of radioactive elements and the dispersion of these elements, around nuclear facilities. Angra 1, 2 and 3 (under construction) Complex site, has 15.75 x 10.75 kilometers (X x Y axis). The z axis is divided in 8 heights. So, the mesh has 23048 cells, each one 250 x 250 meters. This work aims to show the performance of an Environmental Nuclear Monitoring System when working with the cells with 100 x 100 meters and 50 x 50 meters, where the computational effort of this approach will be made using parallels computational programs. (author)

Calculation of the NMR chemical shift for a 4d1 system in a strong crystal field environment of trigonal symmetry with a threefold axis of quantization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahn, Sang Woon; Oh, Se Woung; Ro, Seung Woo

1986-01-01

The NMR chemical shift arising from 4d electron angular momentum and 4d electron angular momentum and 4d electron spin dipolar-nuclear spin angular momentum interactions for a 4d 1 system in a strong crystal field environment of trigonal symmetry, where the threefold axis is chosen to be the axis of quantization axis, has been examined. A general expression using the nonmultipole expansion method (exact method) is derived for the NMR chemical shift. From this expression all the multipolar terms are determined. we observe that along the (100), (010), (110), and (111) axes the NMR chemical shifts are positive while along the (001) axis, it is negative. We observe that the dipolar term (1/R 3 ) is the dominant contribution to the NMR chemical shift except for along the (111) axis. A comparison of the multipolar terms with the exact values shows also that the multipolar results are exactly in agreement with the exact values around R≥0.2 nm. The temperature dependence analysis on the NMR chemical shifts may imply that along the (111) axis the contribution to the NMR chemical shift is dominantly pseudo contact interaction. Separation of the contributions of the Fermi and the pseudo contact interactions would correctly imply that the dipolar interaction is the dominant contribution to the NMR chemical shifts along the (100), (010), (001), and (110) axes, but along the (111) axis the Fermi contact interaction is incorrectly the dominant contribution to the NMR chemical shift. (Author)

Distribution of shortest path lengths in a class of node duplication network models

Science.gov (United States)

Steinbock, Chanania; Biham, Ofer; Katzav, Eytan

2017-09-01

We present analytical results for the distribution of shortest path lengths (DSPL) in a network growth model which evolves by node duplication (ND). The model captures essential properties of the structure and growth dynamics of social networks, acquaintance networks, and scientific citation networks, where duplication mechanisms play a major role. Starting from an initial seed network, at each time step a random node, referred to as a mother node, is selected for duplication. Its daughter node is added to the network, forming a link to the mother node, and with probability p to each one of its neighbors. The degree distribution of the resulting network turns out to follow a power-law distribution, thus the ND network is a scale-free network. To calculate the DSPL we derive a master equation for the time evolution of the probability Pt(L =ℓ ) , ℓ =1 ,2 ,⋯ , where L is the distance between a pair of nodes and t is the time. Finding an exact analytical solution of the master equation, we obtain a closed form expression for Pt(L =ℓ ) . The mean distance 〈L〉 t and the diameter Δt are found to scale like lnt , namely, the ND network is a small-world network. The variance of the DSPL is also found to scale like lnt . Interestingly, the mean distance and the diameter exhibit properties of a small-world network, rather than the ultrasmall-world network behavior observed in other scale-free networks, in which 〈L〉 t˜lnlnt .

Technical note: Quantification of neurocranial shape variation using the shortest paths connecting pairs of anatomical landmarks.

Science.gov (United States)

Morita, Yusuke; Ogihara, Naomichi; Kanai, Takashi; Suzuki, Hiromasa

2013-08-01

Three-dimensional geometric morphometric techniques have been widely used in quantitative comparisons of craniofacial morphology in humans and nonhuman primates. However, few anatomical landmarks can actually be defined on the neurocranium. In this study, an alternative method is proposed for defining semi-landmarks on neurocranial surfaces for use in detailed analysis of cranial shape. Specifically, midsagittal, nuchal, and temporal lines were approximated using Bezier curves and equally spaced points along each of the curves were defined as semi-landmarks. The shortest paths connecting pairs of anatomical landmarks as well as semi-landmarks were then calculated in order to represent the surface morphology between landmarks using equally spaced points along the paths. To evaluate the efficacy of this method, the previously outlined technique was used in morphological analysis of sexual dimorphism in modern Japanese crania. The study sample comprised 22 specimens that were used to generate 110 anatomical semi-landmarks, which were used in geometric morphometric analysis. Although variations due to sexual dimorphism in human crania are very small, differences could be identified using the proposed landmark placement, which demonstrated the efficacy of the proposed method. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Kennedy V Axis assessment in an Italian outpatient and inpatient population].

Science.gov (United States)

Mundo, Emanuela; Bonalume, Laura; Del Corno, Franco; Madeddu, Fabio; Lang, Margherita

2010-01-01

Kennedy Axis V or K Axis acts is an alternative tool to the DSM-IVTR Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) Scale, that many researchers describe as a scale with poor inter-rater reliability and clinical utility. Unlike the GAF scale, K Axis provides a multidimensional and multiaxial approach to measure personal, social and interpersonal functioning in psychiatric outpatients and inpatients. In this study, we examined K Axis's inter-raters reliability by using it with an Italian clinical population. Clinicians used Kennedy Axis V to assess global functioning among 180 inpatients, in 9 psychiatric services in Lombardia and Piemonte. Patients were divided into 4 different diagnostic groups, according to the DSM-IV-TR criteria. Intraclass correlations between two independent raters's scores reveal high level of interrater reliability for all K Axis scales (0,633 < ICC < 0,813). Highly significant results in the Kruskal-Wallis test demonstrate that the patient diagnosis influence all the scales scores. Significant differences in patients functioning profiles in all K Axis scales, apart from Violence one, were noted between different diagnosis groups. In this study high level of raters agreement was noted, even if K Axis scales were used in different mental health services from different clinicians. K Axis scales provide a useful profile of patient global functioning, in line with the specific pathology.

Family history study of the familial coaggregation of borderline personality disorder with axis I and nonborderline dramatic cluster axis II disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Zanarini, Mary C; Barison, Leah K; Frankenburg, Frances R; Reich, D Bradford; Hudson, James I

2009-08-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the familial coaggregation of borderline personality disorder (BPD) with a full array of axis I disorders and four axis II disorders (antisocial personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, and sadistic personality disorder) in the first-degree relatives of borderline probands and axis II comparison subjects. Four hundred and forty-five inpatients were interviewed about familial psychopathology using the Revised Family History Questionnaire-a semistructured interview of demonstrated reliability. Of these 445 subjects, 341 met both DIB-R and DSM-III-R criteria for BPD and 104 met DSM-III-R criteria for another type of personality disorder (and neither criteria set for BPD). The psychopathology of 1,580 first-degree relatives of borderline probands and 472 relatives of axis II comparison subjects was assessed. Using structural models for familial coaggregation, it was found that BPD coaggregates with major depression, dysthymic disorder, bipolar I disorder, alcohol abuse/dependence, drug abuse/dependence, panic disorder, social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, somatoform pain disorder, and all four axis II disorders studied. Taken together, the results of this study suggest that common familial factors, particularly in the areas of affective disturbance and impulsivity, contribute to borderline personality disorder.

Nuclear movement in fungi.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiang, Xin

2017-12-11

Nuclear movement within a cell occurs in a variety of eukaryotic organisms including yeasts and filamentous fungi. Fungal molecular genetic studies identified the minus-end-directed microtubule motor cytoplasmic dynein as a critical protein for nuclear movement or orientation of the mitotic spindle contained in the nucleus. Studies in the budding yeast first indicated that dynein anchored at the cortex via its anchoring protein Num1 exerts pulling force on an astral microtubule to orient the anaphase spindle across the mother-daughter axis before nuclear division. Prior to anaphase, myosin V interacts with the plus end of an astral microtubule via Kar9-Bim1/EB1 and pulls the plus end along the actin cables to move the nucleus/spindle close to the bud neck. In addition, pushing or pulling forces generated from cortex-linked polymerization or depolymerization of microtubules drive nuclear movements in yeasts and possibly also in filamentous fungi. In filamentous fungi, multiple nuclei within a hyphal segment undergo dynein-dependent back-and-forth movements and their positioning is also influenced by cytoplasmic streaming toward the hyphal tip. In addition, nuclear movement occurs at various stages of fungal development and fungal infection of plant tissues. This review discusses our current understanding on the mechanisms of nuclear movement in fungal organisms, the importance of nuclear positioning and the regulatory strategies that ensure the proper positioning of nucleus/spindle. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Optically induced dynamic nuclear spin polarisation in diamond

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scheuer, Jochen; Naydenov, Boris; Jelezko, Fedor; Schwartz, Ilai; Chen, Qiong; Plenio, Martin B; Schulze-Sünninghausen, David; Luy, Burkhard; Carl, Patrick; Höfer, Peter; Retzker, Alexander; Sumiya, Hitoshi; Isoya, Junichi

2016-01-01

The sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) depends strongly on nuclear spin polarisation and, motivated by this observation, dynamical nuclear spin polarisation has recently been applied to enhance MRI protocols (Kurhanewicz et al 2011 Neoplasia 13 81). Nuclear spins associated with the 13 C carbon isotope (nuclear spin I = 1/2) in diamond possess uniquely long spin lattice relaxation times (Reynhardt and High 2011 Prog. Nucl. Magn. Reson. Spectrosc. 38 37). If they are present in diamond nanocrystals, especially when strongly polarised, they form a promising contrast agent for MRI. Current schemes for achieving nuclear polarisation, however, require cryogenic temperatures. Here we demonstrate an efficient scheme that realises optically induced 13 C nuclear spin hyperpolarisation in diamond at room temperature and low ambient magnetic field. Optical pumping of a nitrogen-vacancy centre creates a continuously renewable electron spin polarisation which can be transferred to surrounding 13 C nuclear spins. Importantly for future applications we also realise polarisation protocols that are robust against an unknown misalignment between magnetic field and crystal axis. (paper)

Analysis and design of a vertical axis wind turbine

OpenAIRE

Goyena Iriso, Joseba

2011-01-01

The main objective of this project is to design a new vertical axis wind turbine, specifically one Giromill wind turbine. The project development requires performing a previous study of the vertical axis wind turbines currently development. This study has to be performed before starting to design the wind turbine. Other very important aim is the development of a new vertical axis wind turbine. The after analyses that will result in the final design of the wind turbine will b...

Self-starting aerodynamics analysis of vertical axis wind turbine

OpenAIRE

Jianyang Zhu; Hailin Huang; Hao Shen

2015-01-01

Vertical axis wind turbine is a special type of wind-force electric generator which is capable of working in the complicated wind environment. The self-starting aerodynamics is one of the most important considerations for this kind of turbine. This article aims at providing a systematic synthesis on the self-starting aerodynamic characteristics of vertical axis wind turbine based on the numerical analysis approach. First, the physical model of vertical axis wind turbine and its parameter defi...

Nuclear reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rau, P.

1980-01-01

The reactor core of nuclear reactors usually is composed of individual elongated fuel elements that may be vertically arranged and through which coolant flows in axial direction, preferably from bottom to top. With their lower end the fuel elements gear in an opening of a lower support grid forming part of the core structure. According to the invention a locking is provided there, part of which is a control element that is movable along the fuel element axis. The corresponding locking element is engaged behind a lateral projection in the opening of the support grid. The invention is particularly suitable for breeder or converter reactors. (orig.) [de

Effects of the APC materials on c-axis correlated pinning effects in a-axis oriented Y123/2D APC multilayer films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takamura, M.; Mukaida, M.; Horii, S.; Ichinose, A.; Kita, R.; Namba, M.; Awaji, S.; Watanabe, K.; Matsumoto, K.; Yoshida, Y.; Teranishi, R.; Yamada, K.; Mori, N.

2009-01-01

For a-axis oriented and c-axis in-plane aligned YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ /artificial pinning center (Y123/APC) alternately-layered thin films, effects of the APC materials on the multilayer structures are discussed. Pr123, (Y 1-x Pr x )123 and Gd 2 CuO 4 (Gd214) were used as APCs. The multilayer structure was observed for Y123/Pr123 films and Y123/Gd214 films. However, some grains are also grown in the Y123/Gd214 film. For the Y123/Pr123 multilayer film, each Pr123 layer act as two-dimensional APCs (2D APCs) in the magnetic field angular dependences of the critical current density. The growth mechanism of the multilayer structure in the Y123/2D APC films is discussed by a transmission electron microscopy and an atomic force microscope. It is found that two conditions are needed to obtain the c-axis correlated pinning effects by 2D APC in the a-axis oriented and c-axis in-plane aligned Y123/APC multilayer films: the same structure as Y123; Y-free APC materials.

Off-axis and inline electron holography: Experimental comparison

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Latychevskaia, Tatiana; Formanek, Petr; Koch, C.T.; Lubk, Axel

2010-01-01

Electron holography is a very powerful technique for mapping static electric and magnetic potentials down to atomic resolution. While electron holography is commonly considered synonymous with its off-axis variant in the high energy electron microscopy community, inline electron holography is widely applied in low-energy electron microscopy, where the realization of the off-axis setup is still an experimental challenge. This paper demonstrates that both inline and off-axis holography may be used to recover amplitude and phase shift of the very same object, in our example latex spheres of 90 and 200 nm in diameter, producing very similar results, provided the object does not charge under the electron beam.

Experimental hyperthyroidism and central mediators of stress axis and thyroid axis activity in common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Geven, Edwin J W; Verkaar, Folkert; Flik, Gert; Klaren, Peter H M

2006-12-01

The effect of experimental hyperthyroidism, realized by T(4) injection, on central mediators of the hypothalamo-pituitary-interrenal axis (HPI-axis) in common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) was studied. Our results show that hyperthyroidism evokes a marked 3.2-fold reduction in basal plasma cortisol levels. Corticotropin-releasing hormone-binding protein (CRH-BP) mRNA levels in the hypothalamus, measured by real-time quantitative PCR, were significantly elevated by 40%, but CRH, urotensin-I, prepro-TRH, prohormone convertase-1 (PC1), and POMC mRNA levels were unchanged. In the pituitary pars distalis, PC1, CRH receptor-1, and POMC mRNA levels were unaffected, as was ACTH content. Plasma alpha-MSH concentrations were significantly elevated by 30% in hyperthyroid fish, and this was reflected in PC1 and POMC mRNA levels in pituitary pars intermedia that were increased 1.5- and 2.4-fold respectively. The alpha-MSH content of the pars intermedia was unchanged. Hyperthyroidism has profound effects on the basal levels of a central mediator, i.e., CRH-BP, of HPI-axis function in unstressed carp in vivo, and we conclude that HPI- and hypothalamo-pituitary-thyroid-axis functions are strongly interrelated. We suggest that the changes in plasma cortisol, thyroid hormone, and alpha-MSH levels reflect their concerted actions on energy metabolism.

A Comparison of the Cluster-Span Threshold and the Union of Shortest Paths as Objective Thresholds of EEG Functional Connectivity Networks from Beta Activity in Alzhaimer’s Disease

OpenAIRE

Smith, K; Abasolo, Daniel Emilio; Escudero, J

2016-01-01

The Cluster-Span Threshold (CST) is a recently introduced unbiased threshold for functional connectivity networks. This binarisation technique offers a natural trade-off of sparsity and density of information by balancing the ratio of closed to open triples in the network topology. Here we present findings comparing it with the Union of Shortest Paths (USP), another recently proposed objective method. We analyse standard network metrics of binarised networks for sensitivity to clinical Alzhei...

Gradient COUP-TFI Expression Is Required for Functional Organization of the Hippocampal Septo-Temporal Longitudinal Axis.

Science.gov (United States)

Flore, Gemma; Di Ruberto, Giuseppina; Parisot, Joséphine; Sannino, Sara; Russo, Fabio; Illingworth, Elizabeth A; Studer, Michèle; De Leonibus, Elvira

2017-02-01

The hippocampus (HP), a medial cortical structure, is subdivided into a distinct dorsal (septal) and ventral (temporal) portion, which is separated by an intermediate region lying on a longitudinal curvature. While the dorsal portion is more dedicated to spatial navigation and memory, the most ventral part processes emotional information. Genetic factors expressed in gradient during development seem to control the size and correct positioning of the HP along its longitudinal axis; however, their roles in regulating differential growth and in supporting its anatomical and functional dissociation remain unexplored. Here, we challenge the in vivo function of the nuclear receptor COUP-TFI (chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter transcription factor 1) in controlling the hippocampal, anatomical, and functional properties along its longitudinal axis. Loss of cortical COUP-TFI function results in a dysmorphic HP with altered shape, volume, and connectivity, particularly in its dorsal and intermediate regions. Notably, topographic inputs from the entorhinal cortex are strongly impaired in the dorsal portion of COUP-TFI mutants. These severe morphological changes are associated with selective spatial learning and memory impairment. These findings identify a novel transcriptional regulator required in the functional organization along the hippocampal septo-temporal axis supporting a genetic basis of the hippocampal volumetric growth with its final shape, circuit, and type of memory function. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Angular momentum projection of tilted axis rotating states

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oi, M; Onishi, N; Tajima, N [Tokyo Univ. (Japan); Horibata, T

1998-03-01

We applied an exact angular momentum projection to three dimensional cranked HFB (3d-CHFB) states. Tilted axis rotating states (TAR) and principal axis rotating states (PAR) are compared. It is shown that TAR is more adequate than PAR for description of the back bending phenomena driven by tilted rotation or wobbling motion. (author)

UARS PEM Level 2 AXIS 2 V001 (UARPE2AXIS2) at GES DISC

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The UARS Particle Environment Monitor (PEM) level 2 Atmosphere X-Ray Imaging Spectrometer (AXIS) unit 2 daily product contains the X-ray high-resolution spectral...

UARS PEM Level 2 AXIS 1 V001 (UARPE2AXIS1) at GES DISC

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The UARS Particle Environment Monitor (PEM) level 2 Atmosphere X-Ray Imaging Spectrometer (AXIS) unit 1 daily product contains the X-ray high-resolution spectral...

The nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor/heme oxygenase-1 axis is critical for the inflammatory features of type 2 diabetes-associated osteoarthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaamonde-Garcia, Carlos; Courties, Alice; Pigenet, Audrey; Laiguillon, Marie-Charlotte; Sautet, Alain; Houard, Xavier; Kerdine-Römer, Saadia; Meijide, Rosa; Berenbaum, Francis; Sellam, Jérémie

2017-09-01

Epidemiological findings support the hypothesis that type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a risk factor for osteoarthritis (OA). Moreover, OA cartilage from patients with T2DM exhibits a greater response to inflammatory stress, but the molecular mechanism is unclear. To investigate whether the antioxidant defense system participates in this response, we examined here the expression of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf-2), a master antioxidant transcription factor, and of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), one of its main target genes, in OA cartilage from T2DM and non-T2DM patients as well as in murine chondrocytes exposed to high glucose (HG). Ex vivo experiments indicated that Nrf-2 and HO-1 expression is reduced in T2DM versus non-T2DM OA cartilage (0.57-fold Nrf-2 and 0.34-fold HO-1), and prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) release was increased in samples with low HO-1 expression. HG-exposed, IL-1β-stimulated chondrocytes had lower Nrf-2 levels in vitro , particularly in the nuclear fraction, than chondrocytes exposed to normal glucose (NG). Accordingly, HO-1 levels were also decreased (0.49-fold) in these cells. The HO-1 inducer cobalt protoporphyrin IX more efficiently attenuated PGE 2 and IL-6 release in HG+IL-1β-treated cells than in NG+IL-1β-treated cells. Greater reductions in HO-1 expression and increase in PGE 2 /IL-6 production were observed in HG+IL-1β-stimulated chondrocytes from Nrf-2 -/- mice than in chondrocytes from wild-type mice. We conclude that the Nrf-2/HO-1 axis is a critical pathway in the hyperglucidic-mediated dysregulation of chondrocytes. Impairments in this antioxidant system may explain the greater inflammatory responsiveness of OA cartilage from T2DM patients and may inform treatments of such patients. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Phytochemicals for taming agitated immune-endocrine-neural axis.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Seema

2017-07-01

Homeostasis of immune-endocrine-neural axis is paramount for human health. If this axis gets agitated due to age, genetic variations, environmental exposures or lifestyle assaults, a cascade of adverse reactions occurs in human body. Cytokines, hormones and neurotransmitters, the effector molecules of this axis behave erratically, leading to a gamut of neural, endocrine, autoimmune, and metabolic diseases. Current panel of drugs can tackle some of them but not in a sustainable, benign way as a myriad of side effects, causal of them have been documented. In this context, phytochemicals, the secondary metabolites of plants seem beneficial. These bioactive constituents encompassing polyphenols, alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, tannins, lignans, stilbenoids (resveratrol), saponins, polysaccharides, glycosides, and lectins etc. have been proven to exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypolipidemic, hypotensive, antidiabetic, anticancer, immunomodulatory, anti-allergic, analgesic, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, dermatoprotective, and antimicrobial properties, among a litany of other biological effects. This review presents a holistic perspective of common afflictions resultant of immune-endocrine-neural axis disruption, and the phytochemicals capable of restoring their normalcy and mitigating the ailments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Modal Parameter Identification of New Design of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chougule, Prasad; Nielsen, Søren R.K.

2013-01-01

Vertical axis wind turbines have lower power efficiency than the horizontal axis wind turbines. However vertical axis wind turbines are proven to be economical and noise free on smaller scale. A new design of three bladed vertical axis wind turbine by using two airfoils in construction of each...... blade has been proposed to improve power efficiency. The purpose of two airfoils in blade design of vertical axis wind turbine is to create high lift which in turns gives higher power output. In such case the structural parameter identification is important to understand the system behavior due to its...... first kind of design before experimental analysis. Therefore a study is carried out to determine the natural frequency to avoid unstable state of the system due to rotational frequency of rotor. The present paper outlines a conceptual design of vertical axis wind turbine and a modal analysis by using...

Subquadratic medial-axis approximation in $\\mathbb{R}^3$

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian Scheffer

2015-09-01

Full Text Available We present an algorithm that approximates the medial axis of a smooth manifold in $\\mathbb{R}^3$ which is given by a sufficiently dense point sample. The resulting, non-discrete approximation is shown to converge to the medial axis as the sampling density approaches infinity. While all previous algorithms guaranteeing convergence have a running time quadratic in the size $n$ of the point sample, we achieve a running time of at most $\\mathcal{O}(n\\log^3 n$. While there is no subquadratic upper bound on the output complexity of previous algorithms for non-discrete medial axis approximation, the output of our algorithm is guaranteed to be of linear size.

Postnatal development of the atlas and axis: CT study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byun, Sung Su; Kim, Hyung Jin; Lim, Myung Kwan; Kim, Won Hong; Jeon, Yong Sun; Kim, Jeong Ho; Kim, Sung Tae

2003-01-01

To evaluate normal postnatal development of the atlas and axis by means of CT scanning. We prospectively analyzed CT scans of the developing atlas and axis of 200 normal children aged less than 14, investigating the CT appearance of these regions with particular attenuation to two synchondroses related to the atlas and four synchondroses and one ossification center related to the axis. Fusion varying was categorized as either low (grade1-5) or high (grade4-5), according to the varying degrees of fusion at each synchondrosis of ossification center. Neurocentral synchondrosis of the atlas was low grade in all children less than five, and high grade in all aged nine or more, while posterior synchondrosis of the atlas was low grade in 97% of children less than three and high grade in 99% aged three or more. As for the axis, neurocentral synchondrosis was low grade in all children less than three, and high grade in 97% of children aged five or more. PS of the axis was low grade in both children less than 6 months, and high grade in all aged two years or more. Dentocentral synchondrosis of the axis was low grade in 93% of children less than three and high grade in 96% of those aged at least five. Intradental axial synchondrosis was high grade in all children. Fusion of the terminal ossicle with the remainder of the dens was low in all children less than five and high in 97% of those aged nine of more. CT can help determine the parameters of normal postnatal development of the atlas and axis. A knowledge of normal ossification patterns of these regions may help provide an understanding of developmental anomalies and also help prevent confusion with fractures

Adversity-driven changes in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning during adolescence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Laceulle, O.M.; Nederhof, Esther; van Aken, M.A.G.; Ormel, Johan

2017-01-01

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has been proposed to be a key mechanism underlying the link between adversity and mental health, but longitudinal studies on adversity and HPA-axis functioning are scarce. Here, we studied adversity-driven changes in HPA-axis functioning during

The glutaredoxin/S-glutathionylation axis regulates interleukin-17A-induced proinflammatory responses in lung epithelial cells in association with S-glutathionylation of nuclear factor κB family proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Nolin, James D; Tully, Jane E; Hoffman, Sidra M; Guala, Amy S; van der Velden, Jos L; Poynter, Matthew E; van der Vliet, Albert; Anathy, Vikas; Janssen-Heininger, Yvonne M W

2014-08-01

Interleukin-17A (IL-17A) is a newly emerging player in the pathogenesis of chronic lung diseases that amplifies inflammatory responses and promotes tissue remodeling. Stimulation of lung epithelial cells with IL-17A leads to activation of the transcription factor nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), a key player in the orchestration of lung inflammation. We have previously demonstrated the importance of the redox-dependent posttranslational modification S-glutathionylation in limiting activation of NF-κB and downstream gene induction. Under physiological conditions, the enzyme glutaredoxin 1 (Grx1) acts to deglutathionylate NF-κB proteins, which restores functional activity. In this study, we sought to determine the impact of S-glutathionylation on IL-17A-induced NF-κB activation and expression of proinflammatory mediators. C10 mouse lung alveolar epithelial cells or primary mouse tracheal epithelial cells exposed to IL-17A show rapid activation of NF-κB and the induction of proinflammatory genes. Upon IL-17A exposure, sulfenic acid formation and S-glutathionylated proteins increased. Assessment of S-glutathionylation of NF-κB pathway components revealed S-glutathionylation of RelA (RelA-SSG) and inhibitory κB kinase α (IKKα-SSG) after stimulation with IL-17A. SiRNA-mediated ablation of Grx1 increased both RelA-SSG and IKKα-SSG and acutely increased nuclear content of RelA and tended to decrease nuclear RelB. SiRNA-mediated ablation or genetic ablation of Glrx1 decreased the expression of the NF-κB-regulated genes KC and CCL20 in response to IL-17A, but conversely increased the expression of IL-6. Last, siRNA-mediated ablation of IKKα attenuated nuclear RelA and RelB content and decreased expression of KC and CCL20 in response to IL-17A. Together, these data demonstrate a critical role for the S-glutathionylation/Grx1 redox axis in regulating IKKα and RelA S-glutathionylation and the responsiveness of epithelial cells to IL-17A. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc

Semiclassical shell structure and nuclear double-humped fission barriers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. G. Magner

2010-09-01

Full Text Available We derived the semiclassical trace formulas for the level density as sums over periodic-orbit families and isolated orbits within the improved stationary phase method. Averaged level-density shell corrections and shell-structure energies are continuous through all symmetry-breaking (bifurcation points with the correct asymptotics of the standard stationary phase approach accounting for continuous symmetries. We found enhancement of the nuclear shell structure near bifurcations in the superdeformed region. Our semiclassical results for the averaged level densities with the gross-shell and more thin-shell structures and the energy shell corrections for critical deformations are in good agreement with the quantum calculations for several single-particle Hamiltonians, in particular for the potentials with a sharp spheroidal shape. Enhancement of the shell structure owing to bifurcations of the shortest 3-dimensional orbits from equatorial orbits is responsible for the second well of fission barrier in a superdeformation region.

RITA: The reinvented triple axis spectrometer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mason, T.E. [Toronto Univ., ON (Canada). Dept. of Physics; Clausen, K.N.; Aeppli, G.; McMorrow, D.R.; Kjems, J.K. [Risoe National Lab., Roskilde (Denmark)

1995-11-01

Risoe National Laboratory was reported to be in the process of developing a new spectrometer design, RITA, based on the triple axis design. The spectrometer will attempt to incorporate more recent innovations such as multilayer supermirrors and microstrip proportional counters into a rethinking of the triple-axis spectrometer. By optimizing the beam optics, using supermirrors and extending the analyser to map regions of (Q, {omega}) space using an array of independently controllable pyrolytic graphite crystals focussed on an area detector, it was hoped that the efficiency of single-crystal inelastic experiments could be increased by as much as a factor of 20. 7 figs., 20 refs.

Equilibrium studies of helical axis stellarators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hender, T.C.; Carreras, B.A.; Garcia, L.; Harris, J.H.; Rome, J.A.; Cantrell, J.L.; Lynch, V.E.

1984-01-01

The equilibrium properties of helical axis stellarators are studied with a 3-D equilibrium code and with an average method (2-D). The helical axis ATF is shown to have a toroidally dominated equilibrium shift and good equilibria up to at least 10% peak beta. Low aspect ratio heliacs, with relatively large toroidal shifts, are shown to have low equilibrium beta limits (approx. 5%). Increasing the aspect ratio and number of field periods proportionally is found to improve the equilibrium beta limit. Alternatively, increasing the number of field periods at fixed aspect ratio which raises and lowers the toroidal shift improves the equilibrium beta limit

Vertical axis wind turbines: a survey and bibliography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abramovich, H

1987-01-01

The stimulus for the development of modern, big wind turbines has been the world-wide oil crisis during the seventies. Although the horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT) was the most popular type of wind turbine the Darrieus vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) has been recognized as a machine with competitive economic potential. The state of the art of the VAWT is reviewed. The wind turbine carrying the name of Darrieus was first proposed by the French inventor in 1925. His original patent covered a range of vertical-axis configurations but the term 'Darrieus' is now generally associated with the curved-blade geometry. In 1966 two researchers at the Canadian NRC again raised the idea of both the straight and curved-blade versions of the Darrieus VAWT.

THE LIMITED EFFECT OF COINCIDENT ORIENTATION ON THE CHOICE OF INTRINSIC AXIS (.).

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jing; Su, Wei

2015-06-01

The allocentric system computes and represents general object-to-object spatial relationships to provide a spatial frame of reference other than the egocentric system. The intrinsic frame-of-reference system theory, which suggests people learn the locations of objects based upon an intrinsic axis, is important in research about the allocentric system. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether the effect of coincident orientation on the choice of intrinsic axis was limited. Two groups of participants (24 men, 24 women; M age = 24 yr., SD = 2) encoded different spatial layouts in which the objects shared the coincident orientation of 315° and 225° separately at learning perspective (0°). The response pattern of partial-scene-recognition task following learning reflected different strategies for choosing the intrinsic axis under different conditions. Under the 315° object-orientation condition, the objects' coincident orientation was as important as the symmetric axis in the choice of the intrinsic axis. However, participants were more likely to choose the symmetric axis as the intrinsic axis under the 225° object-orientation condition. The results suggest the effect of coincident orientation on the choice of intrinsic axis is limited.

Measurement Axis Searching Model for Terrestrial Laser Scans Registration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shaoxing Hu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, terrestrial Lidar scans can cover rather a large area; the point densities are strongly varied because of the line-of-sight measurement principle in potential overlaps with scans taken from different viewpoints. Most of the traditional methods focus on registration algorithm and ignore searching model. Sometimes the traditional methods are directly used to align two point clouds; a large critically unsolved problem of the large biases will be created in areas distant from the overlaps while the local overlaps are often aligned well. So a novel measurement axis searching model (MASM has been proposed in this paper. The method includes four steps: (1 the principal axis fitting, (2 the measurement axis generation, (3 low-high-precision search, and (4 result generation. The principal axis gives an orientation to the point cloud; the search scope is limited by the measurement axis. The point cloud orientation can be adjusted gradually until the achievement of the global optimum using low- and high-precision search. We perform some experiments with simulated point clouds and real terrestrial laser scans. The results of simulated point clouds have shown the processing steps of our method, and the results of real terrestrial laser scans have shown the sensitivity of the approach with respect to the indoor and outdoor scenes.

On the generation of short-axis and radial long-axis slices in thallium-201 myocardial perfusion single-photon emission tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hastenberg, R.P.J.M. van; Eindhoven Univ. of Technology; Kemernik, G.J.; Hasman, A.

1996-01-01

We tried to develop fully automatic reorientation algorithms in thallium-201 myocardial perfusion single-photon emission tomography, and tested a method to evaluate the quality of reorientation. The left ventricle was automatically segmented using count density information, contours generated with Laplacian operators in both transaxial and sagittal slices, and morphological and positional characteristics of the contours. Reorientation was automatically performed based on knowledge of the long axis of a second degree surface fitted to the myocardial wall. We tried to achieve improvement in reorientation without relying on any functional description of left ventricular shape. Quality of reorientation was evaluated and improved using interactive tools in combination with radial long-axis slices. Two groups of 50 patients, after stress and rest, were analysed using the traditional manual and the fully automatic procedures. Automatic segmentation was successful in 98 out of 100 cases, and automatic reorientation was of reasonable quality. Reorientation obtained with the radial long-axis slices tool was better than after traditional manual or automatic reorientation. Automatic reorientation based on second degree surface fitting was in our hands less successful than reported in the literature. The tool using radial long-axis slices provides a better standard for testing reorientation algorithms than the traditional manual method. (orig.)

The manufacturing and metrology of off-axis mirrors

Science.gov (United States)

Penzkofer, Karlheinz; Rascher, Rolf; Küpper, Lutz; Liebl, Johannes

2015-10-01

Especially in the area of the large mirror manufacturing only a few manufacturers are capable to produce optical surfaces of high quality. Therefore a deterministic process should be developed in the project IFasO. In the field of telescope optics off-axis optical systems are becoming increasingly important. These systems try to avoid an obstructing of the incoming light by moving the secondary mirror out of the primary mirror's optical axis. This advantage leads to an increasing market for this type of optical surface. Until now off-axis mirrors were difficult or almost impossible to produce. With the processes developed in IFasO, high quality mirrors become possible. For this reason, this paper describes the manufacturing of off-axis surfaces and its problems. The mirror production used in the project IFasO is based on the specific design of the CNC center developed by the company Optotech. This center UPG2000 is capable of grinding, polishing, sagitta measurement and interferometric measurement in one mounting of the specimen. Usually a large optics has to be transported during their manufacturing after every individual process step. There is always a risk of damage of the specimen. The exact orientation of the surface relatively to the tool position is also required. This takes a huge amount of time and makes up most of the production time. In this presentation the use of UPG2000 and the next steps within the process development are described. In the current status the manufacturing of large off-axis elements with a PV < λ/10 rms is reproducible.

Review on the application of system engineer model in nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Guocai

2005-01-01

system engineer was adopted deeply and play important roles in nuclear power plants in United States and Canada, the plant performance indicates that system engineer mode is a good practice. Qinshan CANDU nuclear power plant, established the system engineer mode since commissioning, as a core, system engineer took charge of the preparation of commissioning procedures, organization, coordination and guidance of commissioning execution. Unit 1 was put into commercial operation 43 days in advance and 112 days ahead of schedule for Unit 2 with excellent quality. Commissioning period are just 10.5 and 7.8 months for both Units respectively. Which is the shortest record in the history of CANDU nuclear power plant commissioning up to now. During operation, systems engineer has strength in routine operating and units reliability improvement. Based on the practice of Qinshan CANDU nuclear power plant commissioning and production technical management, the main form of the article in the era of knowledge: its characteristics and advantage and operating mode of the system engineer mode. System engineer is different from project engineer, he act as the master of systems and takes full responsibility for systems technical management. System engineer should do many jobs and improvement schedule to ensure his system in health status. System health monitor is a basic tool in system management, which is useful for equipment performance improvement. At last, the author made a forecast and comment on the prospects for the system engineer in the future. (author)

Design and implementation of five-axis transformation function in CNC system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Feng

2014-04-01

Full Text Available To implement five-axis functions in CNC system, based on domestic system Lan Tian series, an improved design method for the system software structure is proposed in this paper. The numerical control kernel of CNC system is divided into the task layer and the motion layer. A five-axis transformation unit is integrated into the motion layer. After classifying five-axis machines into different types and analyzing their geometry information, the five-axis kinematic library is designed according to the abstract factory pattern. Furthermore, by taking CA spindle-tilting machine as an example, the forward and the inverse kinematic transformations are deduced. Based on the new software architecture and the five-axis kinematic library, algorithms of RTCP (rotation tool center point control and 3D radius compensation for end-milling are designed and realized. The milling results show that, with five-axis functions based on such software structure, the instructions with respect to the cutter’s position and orientation can be directly carried out in the CNC system.

Theory of coherent c-axis Josephson tunneling between layered superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnold, G. B.; Klemm, R. A.

2000-01-01

We calculate exactly the Josephson current for c-axis coherent tunneling between two layered superconductors, each with internal coherent tight-binding intra- and interlayer quasiparticle dispersions. Our results also apply when one or both of the superconductors is a bulk material, and include the usually neglected effects of surface states. For weak tunneling, our results reduce to our previous results derived using the tunneling Hamiltonian. Our results are also correct for strong tunneling. However, the c-axis tunneling expressions of Tanaka and Kashiwaya are shown to be incorrect in any limit. In addition, we consider the c-axis coherent critical current between two identical layered superconductors twisted an angle φ 0 about the c axis with respect to each other. Regardless of the order-parameter symmetry, our coherent tunneling results using a tight-binding intralayer quasiparticle dispersion are inconsistent with the recent c-axis twist bicrystal Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+δ twist junction experiments of Li et al. [Li et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 4160 (1999)]. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society

Human-robot collaborative navigation for autonomous maintenance management of nuclear installation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nugroho, Djoko Hari

2002-01-01

Development of human and robot collaborative navigation for autonomous maintenance management of nuclear installation has been conducted. The human-robot collaborative system is performed using a switching command between autonomous navigation and manual navigation that incorporate a human intervention. The autonomous navigation path is conducted using a novel algorithm of MLG method based on Lozano-Perez s visibility graph. The MLG optimizes the shortest distance and safe constraints. While the manual navigation is performed using manual robot tele operation tools. Experiment in the MLG autonomous navigation system is conducted for six times with 3-D starting point and destination point coordinate variation. The experiment shows a good performance of autonomous robot maneuver to avoid collision with obstacle. The switching navigation is well interpreted using open or close command to RS-232C constructed using LabVIEW

Axis-switching of a micro-jet

Science.gov (United States)

Cabaleiro, Juan Martin; Aider, Jean-Luc

2014-03-01

In this study, it is shown that free microjets can undergo complex transitions similar to large-scale free jets despite relatively low Reynolds numbers. Using an original experimental method allowing for the 3D reconstruction of the instantaneous spatial organization of the microjet, the axis-switching of a micro-jet is observed for the first time. This is the first experimental evidence of such complex phenomena for free micro-jets. Combining these experimental results with Direct Numerical Simulations it is shown that the mechanism responsible for the axis-switching is the deformation of a micro-vortex ring due to induction by the corner vortices, as it occurs in large scale non-circular jets.

On the Organization of Parallel Operation of Some Algorithms for Finding the Shortest Path on a Graph on a Computer System with Multiple Instruction Stream and Single Data Stream

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. E. Podol'skii

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The paper considers the implementing Bellman-Ford and Lee algorithms to find the shortest graph path on a computer system with multiple instruction stream and single data stream (MISD. The MISD computer is a computer that executes commands of arithmetic-logical processing (on the CPU and commands of structures processing (on the structures processor in parallel on a single data stream. Transformation of sequential programs into the MISD programs is a labor intensity process because it requires a stream of the arithmetic-logical processing to be manually separated from that of the structures processing. Algorithms based on the processing of data structures (e.g., algorithms on graphs show high performance on a MISD computer. Bellman-Ford and Lee algorithms for finding the shortest path on a graph are representatives of these algorithms. They are applied to robotics for automatic planning of the robot movement in-situ. Modification of Bellman-Ford and Lee algorithms for finding the shortest graph path in coprocessor MISD mode and the parallel MISD modification of these algorithms were first obtained in this article. Thus, this article continues a series of studies on the transformation of sequential algorithms into MISD ones (Dijkstra and Ford-Fulkerson 's algorithms and has a pronouncedly applied nature. The article also presents the analysis results of Bellman-Ford and Lee algorithms in MISD mode. The paper formulates the basic trends of a technique for parallelization of algorithms into arithmetic-logical processing stream and structures processing stream. Among the key areas for future research, development of the mathematical approach to provide a subsequently formalized and automated process of parallelizing sequential algorithms between the CPU and structures processor is highlighted. Among the mathematical models that can be used in future studies there are graph models of algorithms (e.g., dependency graph of a program. Due to the high

Calibration of three-axis magnetometers with differential evolution algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pang, Hongfeng; Zhang, Qi; Wang, Wei; Wang, Junya; Li, Ji; Luo, Shitu; Wan, Chengbiao; Chen, Dixiang; Pan, Mengchun; Luo, Feilu

2013-01-01

The accuracy of three-axis magnetometers is influenced by different scale and bias of each axis and nonorthogonality between axes. One limitation of traditional iteration methods is that initial parameters influence the calibration, thus leading to the local optimal or wrong results. In this paper, a new method is proposed to calibrate three-axis magnetometers. To employ this method, a nonmagnetic rotation platform, a proton magnetometer, a DM-050 three-axis magnetometer and the differential evolution (DE) algorithm are used. The performance of this calibration method is analyzed with simulation and experiment. In simulation, the calibration results of DE, unscented Kalman filter (UKF), recursive least squares (RLS) and genetic algorithm (GA) are compared. RMS error using DE is least, which is reduced from 81.233 nT to 1.567 nT. Experimental results show that comparing with UKF, RLS and GA, the DE algorithm has not only the least calibration error but also the best robustness. After calibration, RMS error is reduced from 68.914 nT to 2.919 nT. In addition, the DE algorithm is not sensitive to initial parameters, which is an important advantage compared with traditional iteration algorithms. The proposed algorithm can avoid the troublesome procedure to select suitable initial parameters, thus it can improve the calibration performance of three-axis magnetometers. - Highlights: • The calibration results and robustness of UKF, GA, RLS and DE algorithm are analyzed. • Calibration error of DE is the least in simulation and experiment. • Comparing with traditional calibration algorithms, DE is not sensitive to initial parameters. • It can improve the calibration performance of three-axis magnetometers

Dynamic transitions in a model of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis

Science.gov (United States)

Čupić, Željko; Marković, Vladimir M.; Maćešić, Stevan; Stanojević, Ana; Damjanović, Svetozar; Vukojević, Vladana; Kolar-Anić, Ljiljana

2016-03-01

Dynamic properties of a nonlinear five-dimensional stoichiometric model of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis were systematically investigated. Conditions under which qualitative transitions between dynamic states occur are determined by independently varying the rate constants of all reactions that constitute the model. Bifurcation types were further characterized using continuation algorithms and scale factor methods. Regions of bistability and transitions through supercritical Andronov-Hopf and saddle loop bifurcations were identified. Dynamic state analysis predicts that the HPA axis operates under basal (healthy) physiological conditions close to an Andronov-Hopf bifurcation. Dynamic properties of the stress-control axis have not been characterized experimentally, but modelling suggests that the proximity to a supercritical Andronov-Hopf bifurcation can give the HPA axis both, flexibility to respond to external stimuli and adjust to new conditions and stability, i.e., the capacity to return to the original dynamic state afterwards, which is essential for maintaining homeostasis. The analysis presented here reflects the properties of a low-dimensional model that succinctly describes neurochemical transformations underlying the HPA axis. However, the model accounts correctly for a number of experimentally observed properties of the stress-response axis. We therefore regard that the presented analysis is meaningful, showing how in silico investigations can be used to guide the experimentalists in understanding how the HPA axis activity changes under chronic disease and/or specific pharmacological manipulations.

Velocity measurement of model vertical axis wind turbines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, D.A.; McWilliam, M. [Waterloo Univ., ON (Canada). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

2006-07-01

An increasingly popular solution to future energy demand is wind energy. Wind turbine designs can be grouped according to their axis of rotation, either horizontal or vertical. Horizontal axis wind turbines have higher power output in a good wind regime than vertical axis turbines and are used in most commercial class designs. Vertical axis Savonius-based wind turbine designs are still widely used in some applications because of their simplistic design and low wind speed performance. There are many design variables that must be considered in order to optimize the power output in a given wind regime in a typical wind turbine design. Using particle image velocimetry, a study of the air flow around five different model vertical axis wind turbines was conducted in a closed loop wind tunnel. A standard Savonius design with two semi-circular blades overlapping, and two variations of this design, a deep blade and a shallow blade design were among the turbine models included in this study. It also evaluated alternate designs that attempt to increase the performance of the standard design by allowing compound blade curvature. Measurements were collected at a constant phase angle and also at random rotor orientations. It was found that evaluation of the flow patterns and measured velocities revealed consistent and stable flow patterns at any given phase angle. Large scale flow structures are evident in all designs such as vortices shed from blade surfaces. An important performance parameter was considered to be the ability of the flow to remain attached to the forward blade and redirect and reorient the flow to the following blade. 6 refs., 18 figs.

[Localization and registration of the hinge axis in black Africans].

Science.gov (United States)

Assi, K D; N'Guessan, K S; N'Dindin, C; Bamba, A

2003-06-01

The study of the cinematic method using "SAM" and "Quick Axis of FAG" added to mandibular condyle palpation for the hinge axis limited points, show that the Black Africans mandibular condyle rotation axis position is higher (3.5 mm) and backer (2 mm) than the Caucasians. The axial points are located to between 11 and 12 mm in front of the tragus and between 7 and 8 mm below on the perpendicular line to the furrow defining the tragus superior side to the Ectocanthus.

Nuclear fuel pellet charging device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komuro, Kojiro.

1990-01-01

The present invention concerns a nuclear fuel pellet loading device, in which nuclear fuel pellets are successively charged from an open end of a fuel can while rotating the can. That is, a fuel can sealed at one end with an end plug and opened at the other end is rotated around its pipe axis as the center on a rotationally diriving table. During rotation of the fuel can, nuclear fuel pellets are successively charged by means of a feed rod of a feeding device to the inside of the fuel can. The fuel can is rotated while being supported horizontally and the fuel pellets are charged from the open end thereof. Alternatively, the fuel can is rotated while being supported obliquely and the fuel pellets are charged gravitationally into the fuel can. In this way, the damages to the barrier of the fuel can can be reduce. Further, since the fuel pellets can be charged gravitationally by rotating the fuel can while being supported obliquely, the damages to the barrier can be reduced remarkably. (I.S.)

Functional Implications of the IL-23/IL-17 Immune Axis in Schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Debnath, Monojit; Berk, Michael

2017-12-01

The aetiology of schizophrenia seems to stem from complex interactions amongst environmental, genetic, metabolic, immunologic and oxidative components. Chronic low-grade inflammation has been persistently linked to schizophrenia, and this has primarily been based on the findings derived from Th1/Th2 cytokine balance. While the IL-23/IL-17 axis plays crucial role in the pathogenesis of several immune-mediated disorders, it has remained relatively unexplored in neuropsychiatric disorders. Altered levels of cytokines related to IL-23/IL-17 axis have been observed in schizophrenia patients in a few studies. In addition, other indirect factors known to confer schizophrenia risk like complement activation and altered gut microbiota are shown to modulate the IL-23/IL-17 axis. These preliminary observations provide crucial clues about the functional implications of IL-23/IL-17 axis in schizophrenia. In this review, an attempt has been made to highlight the biology of IL-23/IL-17 axis and its relevance to schizophrenia risk and pathogenesis. Given the pathogenic potential of the IL-23/IL-17 axis, therapeutic targeting of this axis may be a promising approach to benefit patients suffering from this devastating disorder.

Sequence-dependent rotation axis changes and interaction torque use in overarm throwing.

Science.gov (United States)

Hansen, Clint; Rezzoug, Nasser; Gorce, Philippe; Venture, Gentiane; Isableu, Brice

2016-01-01

We examined the role of rotation axes during an overarm throwing task. Participants performed such task and were asked to throw a ball at maximal velocity at a target. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the minimum inertia axis would be exploited during the throwing phases, a time when internal-external rotations of the shoulder are particularly important. A motion capture system was used to evaluate the performance and to compute the potential axes of rotation (minimum inertia axis, shoulder-centre of mass axis and the shoulder-elbow axis). More specifically, we investigated whether a velocity-dependent change in rotational axes can be observed in the different throwing phases and whether the control obeys the principle of minimum inertia resistance. Our results showed that the limbs' rotational axis mainly coincides with the minimum inertia axis during the cocking phase and with the shoulder-elbow axis during the acceleration phase. Besides these rotation axes changes, the use of interaction torque is also sequence-dependent. The sequence-dependent rotation axes changes associated with the use of interaction torque during the acceleration phase could be a key factor in the production of hand velocity at ball release.

Usefulness of Non-coplanar Helical Tomotherapy Using Variable Axis Baseplate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ha, Jin Sook; Chung, Yoon Sun; Lee, Ik Jae; Shin, Dong Bong; Kim, Jong Dae; Kim, Sei Joon; Jeon, Mi Jin; Chok, Yoon Jin; Kim, Ki Kwang; Lee, Seul Bee

2011-01-01

Helical Tomotherapy allows only coplanar beam delivery because it does not allow couch rotation. We investigated a method to introduce non-coplanar beam by tilting a patient's head for Tomotherapy. The aim of this study was to compare intrafractional movement during Tomotherapy between coplanar and non-coplanar patient's setup. Helical Tomotherapy was used for treating eight patients with intracranial tumor. The subjects were divided into three groups: one group (coplanar) of 2 patients who lay on S-plate with supine position and wore thermoplastic mask for immobilizing the head, second group (non-coplanar) of 3 patients who lay on S-plate with supine position and whose head was tilted with Variable Axis Baseplate and wore thermoplastic mask, and third group (non-coplanar plus mouthpiece) of 3 patients whose head was tilted and wore a mouthpiece immobilization device and thermoplastic mask. The patients were treated with Tomotherapy after treatment planning with Tomotherapy Planning System. Megavoltage computed tomography (MVCT) was performed before and after treatment, and the intrafractional error was measured with lateral(X), longitudinal(Y), vertical(Z) direction movements and vector (√x 2 +√y 2 +√z 2 ) value for assessing overall movement. Intrafractional error was compared among three groups by taking the error of MVCT taken after the treatment. As the correction values (X, Y, Z) between MVCT image taken after treatment and CT-simulation image are close to zero, the patient movement is small. When the mean values of movement of each direction for non-coplanar setup were compared with coplanar setup group, X-axis movement was decreased by 13%, but Y-axis and Z-axis movement were increased by 109% and 88%, respectively. Movements of Y-axis and Z-axis with non-coplanar setup were relatively greater than that of X-axis since a tilted head tended to slip down. The mean of X-axis movement of the group who used a mouthpiece was greater by 9.4% than the group

Optimal pitching axis location of flapping wings for efficient hovering flight.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Q; Goosen, J F L; van Keulen, F

2017-09-01

Flapping wings can pitch passively about their pitching axes due to their flexibility, inertia, and aerodynamic loads. A shift in the pitching axis location can dynamically alter the aerodynamic loads, which in turn changes the passive pitching motion and the flight efficiency. Therefore, it is of great interest to investigate the optimal pitching axis for flapping wings to maximize the power efficiency during hovering flight. In this study, flapping wings are modeled as rigid plates with non-uniform mass distribution. The wing flexibility is represented by a linearly torsional spring at the wing root. A predictive quasi-steady aerodynamic model is used to evaluate the lift generated by such wings. Two extreme power consumption scenarios are modeled for hovering flight, i.e. the power consumed by a drive system with and without the capacity of kinetic energy recovery. For wings with different shapes, the optimal pitching axis location is found such that the cycle-averaged power consumption during hovering flight is minimized. Optimization results show that the optimal pitching axis is located between the leading edge and the mid-chord line, which shows close resemblance to insect wings. An optimal pitching axis can save up to 33% of power during hovering flight when compared to traditional wings used by most of flapping wing micro air vehicles (FWMAVs). Traditional wings typically use the straight leading edge as the pitching axis. With the optimized pitching axis, flapping wings show higher pitching amplitudes and start the pitching reversals in advance of the sweeping reversals. These phenomena lead to higher lift-to-drag ratios and, thus, explain the lower power consumption. In addition, the optimized pitching axis provides the drive system higher potential to recycle energy during the deceleration phases as compared to their counterparts. This observation underlines the particular importance of the wing pitching axis location for energy-efficient FWMAVs when

A Method for Modeling of Floating Vertical Axis Wind Turbine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Kai; Hansen, Martin Otto Laver; Moan, Torgeir

2013-01-01

It is of interest to investigate the potential advantages of floating vertical axis wind turbine (FVAWT) due to its economical installation and maintenance. A novel 5MW vertical axis wind turbine concept with a Darrieus rotor mounted on a semi-submersible support structure is proposed in this paper....... In order to assess the technical and economic feasibility of this novel concept, a comprehensive simulation tool for modeling of the floating vertical axis wind turbine is needed. This work presents the development of a coupled method for modeling of the dynamics of a floating vertical axis wind turbine....... This integrated dynamic model takes into account the wind inflow, aerodynamics, hydrodynamics, structural dynamics (wind turbine, floating platform and the mooring lines) and a generator control. This approach calculates dynamic equilibrium at each time step and takes account of the interaction between the rotor...

Small Vertical Axis Wind Turbines: aerodynamics and starting behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Horia DUMITRESCU

2013-12-01

Full Text Available In urban areas the wind is very turbulent and unstable with fast changes in direction andvelocity. In these environments, the use of small vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT becomesincreasingly attractive due to several advantages over horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT.However, such designs have received much less attention than the more common propeller-typedesigns and the understanding of same aspects of their operation remains, to this day, incomplete.This is particularly true of their starting characteristics. Indeed, same authors heuristically maintainthat they cannot start without external assistance. This paper reviews the cause of the inability of thelow solidity fixed pitch vertical axis wind turbines to self-start, and investigates the way ofovercoming this draw back.

A local-circulation model for Darrieus vertical-axis wind turbines

Science.gov (United States)

Masse, B.

1986-04-01

A new computational model for the aerodynamics of the vertical-axis wind turbine is presented. Based on the local-circulation method generalized for curved blades, combined with a wake model for the vertical-axis wind turbine, it differs markedly from current models based on variations in the streamtube momentum and vortex models using the lifting-line theory. A computer code has been developed to calculate the loads and performance of the Darrieus vertical-axis wind turbine. The results show good agreement with experimental data and compare well with other methods.

The Performance Characteristics of a Closed Loop, One Axis ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper presents a closed loop one axis solar tracking device of the polar axis type, which achieves an accurate tracking of the sun with a steady state error of less, than 2%. This prototype uses a photo-sensing system to generate an error signal. This error signal switches on a relay, which actuates an electromechanical ...

Evacuation route planning during nuclear emergency using genetic algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suman, Vitisha; Sarkar, P.K.

2012-01-01

In nuclear industry the routing in case of any emergency is a cause of concern and of great importance. Even the smallest of time saved in the affected region saves a huge amount of otherwise received dose. Genetic algorithm an optimization technique has great ability to search for the optimal path from the affected region to a destination station in a spatially addressed problem. Usually heuristic algorithms are used to carry out these types of search strategy, but due to the lack of global sampling in the feasible solution space, these algorithms have considerable possibility of being trapped into local optima. Routing problems mainly are search problems for finding the shortest distance within a time limit to cover the required number of stations taking care of the traffics, road quality, population size etc. Lack of any formal mechanisms to help decision-makers explore the solution space of their problem and thereby challenges their assumptions about the number and range of options available. The Genetic Algorithm provides a way to optimize a multi-parameter constrained problem with an ease. Here use of Genetic Algorithm to generate a range of options available and to search a solution space and selectively focus on promising combinations of criteria makes them ideally suited to such complex spatial decision problems. The emergency response and routing can be made efficient, in accessing the closest facilities and determining the shortest route using genetic algorithm. The accuracy and care in creating database can be used to improve the result of the final output. The Genetic algorithm can be used to improve the accuracy of result on the basis of distance where other algorithm cannot be obtained. The search space can be utilized to its great extend

Nuclear fuel rod grip with modified diagonal spring structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DeMario, E.E.

1990-01-01

This patent describes a spring structure in a nuclear fuel rod grid including a plurality of inner and outer straps being interleaved with one another to form a matrix of hollow cells. Each of the cells is for receiving one fuel rod and being defined by pairs of opposing wall sections of the straps which wall sections are shared with adjacent cells. Each of the cells has a central longitudinal axis, a fuel rod engaging spring structure of resiliently yieldable material being integrally formed on each wall section of the inner straps. The spring structure comprising: a pair of spaced apart opposite outer portions being integrally attached at their outer ends to the respective wall section. The portions extending in alignment with one another and in generally diagonal relation to the direction of the central longitudinal axis of the one cell; and a middle portion disposed between and integrally connected at its outer ends with respective inner ends of the outer portions. The middle portion extending in generally transverse relation to the direction of the central longitudinal axis of the one cell

Comparison of Decisions Quality of Heuristic Methods with Limited Depth-First Search Techniques in the Graph Shortest Path Problem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vatutin Eduard

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the problem of analysis of effectiveness of the heuristic methods with limited depth-first search techniques of decision obtaining in the test problem of getting the shortest path in graph. The article briefly describes the group of methods based on the limit of branches number of the combinatorial search tree and limit of analyzed subtree depth used to solve the problem. The methodology of comparing experimental data for the estimation of the quality of solutions based on the performing of computational experiments with samples of graphs with pseudo-random structure and selected vertices and arcs number using the BOINC platform is considered. It also shows description of obtained experimental results which allow to identify the areas of the preferable usage of selected subset of heuristic methods depending on the size of the problem and power of constraints. It is shown that the considered pair of methods is ineffective in the selected problem and significantly inferior to the quality of solutions that are provided by ant colony optimization method and its modification with combinatorial returns.

Comparison of Decisions Quality of Heuristic Methods with Limited Depth-First Search Techniques in the Graph Shortest Path Problem

Science.gov (United States)

Vatutin, Eduard

2017-12-01

The article deals with the problem of analysis of effectiveness of the heuristic methods with limited depth-first search techniques of decision obtaining in the test problem of getting the shortest path in graph. The article briefly describes the group of methods based on the limit of branches number of the combinatorial search tree and limit of analyzed subtree depth used to solve the problem. The methodology of comparing experimental data for the estimation of the quality of solutions based on the performing of computational experiments with samples of graphs with pseudo-random structure and selected vertices and arcs number using the BOINC platform is considered. It also shows description of obtained experimental results which allow to identify the areas of the preferable usage of selected subset of heuristic methods depending on the size of the problem and power of constraints. It is shown that the considered pair of methods is ineffective in the selected problem and significantly inferior to the quality of solutions that are provided by ant colony optimization method and its modification with combinatorial returns.

Combined fracture of atlas and axis with infrequent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mosquera Betancourt, Dra. C. Gretel; Hernández González, MSc. Erick Héctor; Guevara Oré, Dr. Erick; Sulca Cedeño, Dr. Xavier; Téllez Isla, Dr. Rogers; Ramírez Reyes, Dra. Elizabet

2016-01-01

Background: combined lesions of atlas and axis are the most common cervical spine traumas in elderly people, with an incidence of about 70 %. The diagnosis demands the use of advance radiologic procedures and the treatment options runs through conservative to complex surgical interventions to restore the stability of the occipito-cervical region. Objective: to present a combined lesion of the first and second cervical vertebra as a less frequent shape of odontoid fracture. Clinical case: a 79-year-old patient who suffered a posterior cranial trauma followed by bilateral crevice brachialgia and paraesthesias after a horse fall. At physical exploration no signs of radicular or cordonal compression were demonstrated. Computarized axial tomography with tridimentional reconstructions showed a bilateral and symmetrical fracture of the posterior arch of the atlas, associated with longitudinal and oblique fracture of odontoid next to the isthmus. No dislocation was observed that is why the upper cervical spine stability was preserved. Conservative treatment was achieved by an external orthesis with a favourable evolution. Conclusions: for atlantoaxial traumatic lesions diagnosis, the use of computerized axial tomography is important associated or not with nuclear magnetic resonance. The stability of this region in correspondence with neurological status are the most important factors to select the best treatment choice. (author)

Space cutter compensation method for five-axis nonuniform rational basis spline machining

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanyu Ding

2015-07-01

Full Text Available In view of the good machining performance of traditional three-axis nonuniform rational basis spline interpolation and the space cutter compensation issue in multi-axis machining, this article presents a triple nonuniform rational basis spline five-axis interpolation method, which uses three nonuniform rational basis spline curves to describe cutter center location, cutter axis vector, and cutter contact point trajectory, respectively. The relative position of the cutter and workpiece is calculated under the workpiece coordinate system, and the cutter machining trajectory can be described precisely and smoothly using this method. The three nonuniform rational basis spline curves are transformed into a 12-dimentional Bézier curve to carry out discretization during the discrete process. With the cutter contact point trajectory as the precision control condition, the discretization is fast. As for different cutters and corners, the complete description method of space cutter compensation vector is presented in this article. Finally, the five-axis nonuniform rational basis spline machining method is further verified in a two-turntable five-axis machine.

UVB-induced nuclear translocation of TC-PTP by AKT/14-3-3σ axis inhibits keratinocyte survival and proliferation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Mihwa; Morales, Liza D; Baek, Minwoo; Slaga, Thomas J; DiGiovanni, John; Kim, Dae Joon

2017-10-31

Understanding protein subcellular localization is important to determining the functional role of specific proteins. T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase (TC-PTP) contains bipartite nuclear localization signals (NLSI and NLSII) in its C-terminus. We previously have demonstrated that the nuclear form of TC-PTP (TC45) is mainly localized to the cytoplasm in keratinocytes and it is translocated to the nucleus following UVB irradiation. Here, we report that TC45 is translocated by an AKT/14-3-3σ-mediated mechanism in response to UVB exposure, resulting in increased apoptosis and decreased keratinocyte proliferation. We demonstrate that UVB irradiation increased phosphorylation of AKT and induced nuclear translocation of 14-3-3σ and TC45. However, inhibition of AKT blocked nuclear translocation of TC45 and 14-3-3σ. Site-directed mutagenesis of 14-3-3σ binding sites within TC45 showed that a substitution at Threonine 179 (TC45/T179A) effectively blocked UVB-induced nuclear translocation of ectopic TC45 due to the disruption of the direct binding between TC45 and 14-3-3σ. Overexpression of TC45/T179A in keratinocytes resulted in a decrease of UVB-induced apoptosis which corresponded to an increase in nuclear phosphorylated STAT3, and cell proliferation was higher in TC45/T179A-overexpressing keratinocytes compared to control keratinocytes following UVB irradiation. Furthermore, deletion of TC45 NLSII blocked its UVB-induced nuclear translocation, indicating that both T179 and NLSII are required. Taken together, our findings suggest that AKT and 14-3-3σ cooperatively regulate TC45 nuclear translocation in a critical step of an early protective mechanism against UVB exposure that signals the deactivation of STAT3 in order to promote keratinocyte cell death and inhibit keratinocyte proliferation.

The development and testing of a novel cross axis wind turbine

Science.gov (United States)

Chong, W. T.; Muzammil, W. K.; Gwani, M.; Wong, K. H.; Fazlizan, A.; Wang, C. T.; Poh, S. C.

2016-06-01

A novel cross axis wind turbine (CAWT) which comprises of a cross axis blades arrangement was presented and investigated experimentally. The CAWT is a new type of wind turbine that extracts wind energy from airflow coming from the horizontal and vertical directions. The wind turbine consists of three vertical blades and six horizontal blades arranged in a cross axis orientation. Hubs in the middle of the CAWT link the horizontal and vertical blades through connectors to form the CAWT. The study used a 45° deflector to guide the oncoming airflow upward (vertical wind direction). The results from the study showed that the CAWT produced significant improvements in power output and rotational speed performance compared to a conventional straight-bladed vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT).

Precision grip responses to unexpected rotational perturbations scale with axis of rotation.

Science.gov (United States)

De Gregorio, Michael; Santos, Veronica J

2013-04-05

It has been established that rapid, pulse-like increases in precision grip forces ("catch-up responses") are elicited by unexpected translational perturbations and that response latency and strength scale according to the direction of linear slip relative to the hand as well as gravity. To determine if catch-up responses are elicited by unexpected rotational perturbations and are strength-, axis-, and/or direction-dependent, we imposed step torque loads about each of two axes which were defined relative to the subject's hand: the distal-proximal axis away from and towards the subject's palm, and the grip axis which connects the two fingertips. Precision grip responses were dominated initially by passive mechanics and then by active, unimodal catch-up responses. First dorsal interosseous activity, marking the start of the catch-up response, began 71-89 ms after the onset of perturbation. The onset latency, shape, and duration (217-231 ms) of the catch-up response were not affected by the axis, direction, or magnitude of the rotational perturbation, while strength was scaled by axis of rotation and slip conditions. Rotations about the grip axis that tilted the object away from the palm and induced rotational slip elicited stronger catch-up responses than rotations about the distal-proximal axis that twisted the object between the digits. To our knowledge, this study is the first to investigate grip responses to unexpected torque loads and to show characteristic, yet axis-dependent, catch-up responses for conditions other than pure linear slip. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lake Malawi cichlid evolution along a benthic/limnetic axis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hulsey, C D; Roberts, R J; Loh, Y-H E; Rupp, M F; Streelman, J T

2013-07-01

Divergence along a benthic to limnetic habitat axis is ubiquitous in aquatic systems. However, this type of habitat divergence has largely been examined in low diversity, high latitude lake systems. In this study, we examined the importance of benthic and limnetic divergence within the incredibly species-rich radiation of Lake Malawi cichlid fishes. Using novel phylogenetic reconstructions, we provided a series of hypotheses regarding the evolutionary relationships among 24 benthic and limnetic species that suggests divergence along this axis has occurred multiple times within Lake Malawi cichlids. Because pectoral fin morphology is often associated with divergence along this habitat axis in other fish groups, we investigated divergence in pectoral fin muscles in these benthic and limnetic cichlid species. We showed that the eight pectoral fin muscles and fin area generally tended to evolve in a tightly correlated manner in the Lake Malawi cichlids. Additionally, we found that larger pectoral fin muscles are strongly associated with the independent evolution of the benthic feeding habit across this group of fish. Evolutionary specialization along a benthic/limnetic axis has occurred multiple times within this tropical lake radiation and has produced repeated convergent matching between exploitation of water column habitats and locomotory morphology.

A four-axis hand controller for helicopter flight control

Science.gov (United States)

Demaio, Joe

1993-01-01

A proof-of-concept hand controller for controlling lateral and longitudinal cyclic pitch, collective pitch and tail rotor thrust was developed. The purpose of the work was to address problems of operator fatigue, poor proprioceptive feedback and cross-coupling of axes associated with many four-axis controller designs. The present design is an attempt to reduce cross-coupling to a level that can be controlled with breakout force, rather than to eliminate it entirely. The cascaded design placed lateral and longitudinal cyclic in their normal configuration. Tail rotor thrust was placed atop the cyclic controller. A left/right twisting motion with the wrist made the control input. The axis of rotation was canted outboard (clockwise) to minimize cross-coupling with the cyclic pitch axis. The collective control was a twist grip, like a motorcycle throttle. Measurement of the amount of cross-coupling involved in pure, single-axis inputs showed cross coupling under 10 percent of full deflection for all axes. This small amount of cross-coupling could be further reduced with better damping and force gradient control. Fatigue was not found to be a problem, and proprioceptive feedback was adequate for all flight tasks executed.

Late Presentation of a Type III Axis Fracture with Spondyloptosis

Science.gov (United States)

Jayakumar, Prakash; Choi, David; Casey, Adrian

2008-01-01

A 58-year-old man presented with an undiagnosed Effendi type III classification fracture and spondyloptosis of the axis with remarkably normal neurology. We discuss his surgery 4 years since the initial injury, and the presentation, features and management of fractures of the axis. PMID:18430325

New capacitive low-g triaxial accelerometer with low cross-axis sensitivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsu, Yu-Wen; Chen, Jen-Yi; Chien, Hsin-Tang; Chen, Sheah; Lin, Shih-Ting; Liao, Lu-Po

2010-01-01

This work describes a compact accelerometer, which integrates three spring-proof mass systems into a single structure to sense triaxial motion. It has a size of 1.3 × 1.28 mm 2 and an operating range of ±1 g. Silicon-on-glass (SOG) micromachining and deep reactive-ion etching (DRIE)-based process are adopted to fabricate this accelerometer with a high-aspect-ratio sensing structure. The accelerometer has an excellent z-axis output sensitivity of 1.434 V g −1 and a high resolution of 49 µg Hz −1/2 . The sensitivity and minimum cross-axis sensitivity of the x-axis in-plane accelerometer are 1.442 V g −1 and 0.03% and those of the y-axis accelerometer are 1.241 V g −1 and 0.21%, respectively. The new in-plane and out-of-plane accelerometer design exhibits high cross-axis sensitivity immunity, high sensitivity and high linearity suggesting that the triaxial accelerometer has the potential for use in future applications in consumer goods and the cellular phone marketþ

Dual axis translation apparatus and system for translating an optical beam and related method

Science.gov (United States)

Cassidy, Kelly

1991-01-01

A dual axis translation device and system in accordance with this invention, for translating an optical beam along both an x-axis and a y-axis which are perpendicular to one another, has a beam directing means acting on said optical beam for directing the beam along a particular path transverse to said x and y axes. An arrangement supporting said beam directing means for movement in the x and y direction within a given plane is provided. The arrangement includes a first means for translating said beam directing means along the x-axis in said given plane in order to translate the beam along said x-axis. The arrangement comprises a second means for translating said beam directing means along the y-axis in said given plane in order to translate the beam along said y-axis.

Food and the circadian activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.M.O. Leal

1997-12-01

Full Text Available Temporal organization is an important feature of biological systems and its main function is to facilitate adaptation of the organism to the environment. The daily variation of biological variables arises from an internal time-keeping system. The major action of the environment is to synchronize the internal clock to a period of exactly 24 h. The light-dark cycle, food ingestion, barometric pressure, acoustic stimuli, scents and social cues have been mentioned as synchronizers or" zeitgebers". The circadian rhythmicity of plasma corticosteroids has been well characterized in man and in rats and evidence has been accumulated showing daily rhythmicity at every level of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA axis. Studies of restricted feeding in rats are of considerable importance because they reveal feeding as a major synchronizer of rhythms in HPA axis activity. The daily variation of the HPA axis stress response appears to be closely related to food intake as well as to basal activity. In humans, the association of feeding and HPA axis activity has been studied under physiological and pathological conditions such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia, malnutrition, obesity, diabetes mellitus and Cushing's syndrome. Complex neuroanatomical pathways and neurochemical circuitry are involved in feeding-associated HPA axis modulation. In the present review we focus on the interaction among HPA axis rhythmicity, food ingestion, and different nutritional and endocrine states

Optical Three-Axis Tactile Sensor for Robotic Fingers

OpenAIRE

Ohka, Masahiro; Takata, Jumpei; Kobayashi, Hiroaki; Suzuki, Hirofumi; Morisawa, Nobuyuki; Yussof, Hanafiah Bin

2008-01-01

A new three-axis tactile sensor to be mounted on multi-fingered hands is developed based on the principle of an optical waveguide-type tactile sensor comprised of an acrylic hemispherical dome, a light source, an array of rubber sensing elements, and a CCD camera. The sensing element of the present tactile sensor includes one columnar feeler and eight conical feelers. A three-axis force applied to the tip of the sensing element is detected by the contact areas of the conical feelers, which ma...

A swivelling transfer device for nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allain, Albert; Mulot, Pierre; Filloleau, Etienne

1974-01-01

The invention relates to a swivelling transfer device for fuel-assemblies. According to the invention, the device comprises, within a protective enclosure, a swivelling system comprising two sets of rails rotatable about an axis and so arranged that the lower and thereof penetrates into the extensions of the extremities of ramps dipped into the reactor and into a storage enclosure. This can apply to the transfer of nuclear reactor fuel assemblies, in particular for reactors of the molten sodium fast neutron type [fr

Design and analysis of a semi-submersible vertical axis wind turbine

OpenAIRE

Siddique, Muhammad Abu Zafar

2017-01-01

Wind energy are deployed by two types of wind turbines. They are Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT) and Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT), classified according to their axis of rotation. In recent years, offshore wind energy playing a vital role in the wind turbine industry due to high intensity of air, less turbulent and comparatively clean and easily employed in large area which is difficult to manage for onshore or near-shore. The advantages of HAWTs are now facing different challenge in ...

Device for detecting neutron flux in nuclear reactor. [BWR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bessho, Y; Nishizawa, Y

1976-07-30

The object of the invention is to ensure accuracy in the operation of the nuclear reactor by reducing the difference that results between the readings of a Traversing Incore Probe (TIP) and a Local Power Range Monitor (LPRM) when the neutron flux distribution undergoes a change. In an apparatus for detecting neutrons in a nuclear reactor, an LPRM sensor comprising a layer containing a substance capable of nuclear fission, a section filled with argon gas and a collector is constructed so as to surround a TIP within a TIP guide tube at the height of the reactor axis. In this way, the LPRM detects the average value of neutron distribution in the region surrounding the TIP, so that no great difference between the readings of both the sensors is produced even if the neutron flux distribution is changed.

Axis: Generating Explanations at Scale with Learnersourcing and Machine Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Joseph Jay; Kim, Juho; Rafferty, Anna; Heffernan, Neil; Maldonado, Samuel; Gajos, Krzysztof Z.; Lasecki, Walter S.; Heffernan, Neil

2016-01-01

While explanations may help people learn by providing information about why an answer is correct, many problems on online platforms lack high-quality explanations. This paper presents AXIS (Adaptive eXplanation Improvement System), a system for obtaining explanations. AXIS asks learners to generate, revise, and evaluate explanations as they solve…

Combined Structural Optimization and Aeroelastic Analysis of a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Roscher, Björn; Ferreira, Carlos Simao; Bernhammer, Lars O.

2015-01-01

Floating offshore wind energy poses challenges on the turbine design. A possible solution is vertical axis wind turbines, which are possibly easier to scale-up and require less components (lower maintenance) and a smaller floating structure than horizontal axis wind turbines. This paper presents...... a structural optimization and aeroelastic analysis of an optimized Troposkein vertical axis wind turbine to minimize the relation between the rotor mass and the swept area. The aeroelastic behavior of the different designs has been analyzed using a modified version of the HAWC2 code with the Actuator Cylinder...... model to compute the aerodynamics of the vertical axis wind turbine. The combined shape and topology optimization of a vertical axis wind turbine show a minimum mass to area ratio of 1.82 kg/m2 for blades with varying blade sections from a NACA 0040 at the attachment points to a NACA 0015...

Maximum Feedrate Interpolator for Multi-axis CNC Machining with Jerk Constraints

OpenAIRE

Beudaert , Xavier; Lavernhe , Sylvain; Tournier , Christophe

2012-01-01

A key role of the CNC is to perform the feedrate interpolation which means to generate the setpoints for each machine tool axis. The aim of the VPOp algorithm is to make maximum use of the machine tool respecting both tangential and axis jerk on rotary and linear axes. The developed algorithm uses an iterative constraints intersection approach. At each sampling period, all the constraints given by each axis are expressed and by intersecting all of them the allowable interval for the next poin...

Triple-axis spectrometer DruechaL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buehrer, W.; Keller, P.

1996-01-01

DruechaL is a triple-axis spectrometer located at a cold guide. The characteristics of guide and instrument allow the use of a broad spectral range of neutrons. The resolution in momentum and energy transfer can be tuned to match the experimental requirements by using either collimators or focusing systems (monochromator, antitrumpet, analyser). (author) figs., tabs., refs

Triple-axis spectrometer DruechaL

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buehrer, W; Keller, P [Lab. for Neutron Scattering ETH Zurich, Zurich (Switzerland) and Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen (Switzerland)

1996-11-01

DruechaL is a triple-axis spectrometer located at a cold guide. The characteristics of guide and instrument allow the use of a broad spectral range of neutrons. The resolution in momentum and energy transfer can be tuned to match the experimental requirements by using either collimators or focusing systems (monochromator, antitrumpet, analyser). (author) figs., tabs., refs.

Nuclear magnetic resonance and earth magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1998-01-01

Nuclear magnetic resonance concerns nuclei whose spin is different from 0. These nuclei exposed to a magnetic field is comparable to a peg top spinning around its axis while being moved by a precession movement called Larmor precession. This article presents an experiment whose aim is to reveal nuclear magnetism of nuclei by observing Larmor precession phenomena due to the earth magnetic field. The earth magnetic field being too weak, it is necessary to increase the magnetization of the sample during a polarization phase. First the sample is submitted to a magnetic field B perpendicular to the earth magnetic field B 0 , then B is cut off and the nuclei move back to their equilibrium position by executing a precession movement due to B 0 field. (A.C.)

Role of Met Axis in Head and Neck Cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Yiru, E-mail: xuyiru@umich.edu; Fisher, Gary J., E-mail: xuyiru@umich.edu [Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States)

2013-11-26

Head and neck cancer is the sixth most common type of cancer worldwide. Despite advances in aggressive multidisciplinary treatments, the 5-year survival rate for this dreadful disease is only 50%, mostly due to high rate of recurrence and early involvement of regional lymph nodes and subsequent metastasis. Understanding the molecular mechanisms responsible for invasion and metastasis is one of the most pressing goals in the field of head and neck cancer. Met, also known as hepatocyte growth factor receptor (HGFR), is a member of the receptor protein tyrosine kinase (RPTK) family. There is compelling evidence that Met axis is dysregulated and plays important roles in tumorigenesis, progression, metastasis, angiogenesis, and drug resistance in head and neck cancer. We describe in this review current understanding of Met axis in head and neck cancer biology and development of therapeutic inhibitors targeting Met axis.

Measurement of off-axis and peripheral skin dose using radiochromic film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Butson, Martin J.; Yu, P.K.N.; Metcalfe, P.E.

1998-01-01

A radiotherapy skin dose profile can be obtained with radiochromic film. The central axis skin dose relative to D max for a 10x10cm 2 field size was found to be 22%, 17% and 15.5% for 6 MV, 10 MV and 18 MV photon beams. Peripheral dose increased with increasing field size. At 10 MV the skin dose 2 cm outside the geometric field edge was measured as 6%, 10% and 17% for 10x10cm 2 , 20x20cm 2 and 30x30cm 2 field sizes respectively. Off-axis skin dose decreased as distance increased from central axis for fields with Perspex block trays. For a 20x20cm 2 field, an approximately 5-8% drop in percentage skin dose was observed from central axis to the beam edge. (author)

The overexpression and nuclear translocation of Trx-1 during hypoxia confers on HepG2 cells resistance to DDP, and GL-V9 reverses the resistance by suppressing the Trx-1/Ref-1 axis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Li; Li, Wei; Zhou, Yuxin; Zhang, Yi; Huang, Shaoliang; Xu, Xuefen; Li, Zhiyu; Guo, Qinglong

2015-05-01

Microenvironmental hypoxia gives many tumor cells the capacity for drug resistance. Thioredoxin family members play critical roles in the regulation of cellular redox homeostasis in a stressed environment. In this study, we established a hypoxia-drug resistance (hypoxia-DR) model using HepG2 cells and discovered that the overexpression and nuclear translocation of thioredoxin-1 (Trx-1) are closely associated with this resistance through the regulation of the metabolism by the oxidative stress response to glycolysis. Intranuclear Trx-1 enhances the DNA-binding activity of HIF-1α via its interaction with and reducing action on Ref-1, resulting in increased expression of glycolysis-related proteins (PDHK1, HKII, and LDHA), glucose uptake, and lactate generation under hypoxia. Meanwhile, we found that GL-V9, a newly synthesized flavonoid derivative, shows an ability to reverse the hypoxia-DR and has low toxicity both in vivo and in vitro. GL-V9 could inhibit the expression and nuclear translocation of Trx-1 and then suppress HIF-1α DNA-binding activity by inhibiting the Trx-1/Ref-1 axis. As a result, glycolysis is weakened and oxidative phosphorylation is enhanced. Thus, GL-V9 leads to an increment in intracellular ROS generation and consequently intensified apoptosis induced by DDP. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

SU-F-T-473: Evaluation of Off-Axis And Peripheral Dose Using Different Detectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ganesan, B; Prakasarao, A; Singaravelu, G [Anna University, Chennai, TamilNadu (India); Palraj, T; Rai, R [Dr. Rai Memorial Cancer Institute, Chennai, TamilNadu (India)

2016-06-15

Purpose: In radiation therapy, measurement of off-axis and peripheral dose is a tedious task. The dose distribution along the beam central axis give only part of the information required for an accurate dose description inside the patient. Dose distributions in 2-D and 3-D are determined with central axis data in conjunction with off-axis dose profiles. Combining a central axis dose distribution with off-axis data results in volume dose matrix that provides 2-D and 3-D information on dose distribution. By considering the importance of these two parameters this study investigates and compares the off axis and peripheral dose measurement using Ionization chamber, MOSFET, Radiochromic film and EDR2 film. Methods: In the measurement of off-axis and peripheral doses 0.6cc farmer type chamber, EDR-2 film, MD-55 radiochromic film and MOSFET detectors were used for both 6MV and 15MV beams. The off-axis and peripheral dose was measured at every 1 cm interval by changing the position of the couch without disturbing the other experimental setup in particular, the phantom with detector position. Results: Readings were obtained for both 6MV and 15MV photon beams at SSD technique for various field size using MOSFET, Ionization chamber and Radiochromic film. The results shows the percentage difference between various detectors for various field sizes. For Peripheral dose measurement were taken from the edge of the field size and for off axis it is measured form central axis dose. Conclusion: In conclusion, our study shows that no detector is ideal and only a comparison between different detectors highlights the weaknesses of each detector. MOSFET provides adequate dose assessment in off-axis and peripheral regions in 6MV and 15MV photon beams. Film dosimetry in general a convenient method to generate one- and two-dimensional dose distributions. The result of this indicates that MOSFET is flexible tool for relative dosimetry as films.

A steam superheater exchanger provided with two coaxial casings and an horizontal axis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marjollet, Jacques; Palacio, Gerard; Tondeur, Gerard.

1976-01-01

This invention concerns the general lay-out of an horizontal axis separator-superheater for supplying steam to a high power turbine, particularly for a nuclear power station. The invention significantly reduces the length of the pipework connecting the superheated steam outlet and its inlet to the turbine. For this, the outer casing is provided with a coaxial internal annular sleeve in which are housed, one above the other, the separator and the bundle of superheater tubes through which circulates the water emulsion to be separated and steam to be superheated. At the end of its treatment, the superheated steam spreads out in the space between the sleeve and the outer casing from whence it can be drawn off at any point of its periphery, thus making it possible to choose an extraction point as near as possible to the inlet of the turbine to be fed [fr

An additional reference axis improves femoral rotation alignment in image-free computer navigation assisted total knee arthroplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Inui, Hiroshi; Taketomi, Shuji; Nakamura, Kensuke; Sanada, Takaki; Tanaka, Sakae; Nakagawa, Takumi

2013-05-01

Few studies have demonstrated improvement in accuracy of rotational alignment using image-free navigation systems mainly due to the inconsistent registration of anatomical landmarks. We have used an image-free navigation for total knee arthroplasty, which adopts the average algorithm between two reference axes (transepicondylar axis and axis perpendicular to the Whiteside axis) for femoral component rotation control. We hypothesized that addition of another axis (condylar twisting axis measured on a preoperative radiograph) would improve the accuracy. One group using the average algorithm (double-axis group) was compared with the other group using another axis to confirm the accuracy of the average algorithm (triple-axis group). Femoral components were more accurately implanted for rotational alignment in the triple-axis group (ideal: triple-axis group 100%, double-axis group 82%, P<0.05). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Three-Axis Attitude Estimation Using Rate-Integrating Gyroscopes

Science.gov (United States)

Crassidis, John L.; Markley, F. Landis

2016-01-01

Traditionally, attitude estimation has been performed using a combination of external attitude sensors and internal three-axis gyroscopes. There are many studies of three-axis attitude estimation using gyros that read angular rates. Rate-integrating gyros measure integrated rates or angular displacements, but three-axis attitude estimation using these types of gyros has not been as fully investigated. This paper derives a Kalman filtering framework for attitude estimation using attitude sensors coupled with rate- integrating gyroscopes. In order to account for correlations introduced by using these gyros, the state vector must be augmented, compared with filters using traditional gyros that read angular rates. Two filters are derived in this paper. The first uses an augmented state-vector form that estimates attitude, gyro biases, and gyro angular displacements. The second ignores correlations, leading to a filter that estimates attitude and gyro biases only. Simulation comparisons are shown for both filters. The work presented in this paper focuses only on attitude estimation using rate-integrating gyros, but it can easily be extended to other applications such as inertial navigation, which estimates attitude and position.

Irritable bowel syndrome, the microbiota and the gut-brain axis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Raskov, Hans; Burcharth, Jakob; Pommergaard, Hans-Christian

2016-01-01

Irritable bowel syndrome is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder and it is now evident that irritable bowel syndrome is a multi-factorial complex of changes in microbiota and immunology. The bidirectional neurohumoral integrated communication between the microbiota and the autonomous...... nervous system is called the gut-brain-axis, which integrates brain and GI functions, such as gut motility, appetite and weight. The gut-brain-axis has a central function in the perpetuation of irritable bowel syndrome and the microbiota plays a critical role. The purpose of this article is to review...... recent research concerning the epidemiology of irritable bowel syndrome, influence of microbiota, probiota, gut-brain-axis, and possible treatment modalities on irritable bowel syndrome....

Small polarons and c-axis transport in highly anisotropic metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ho, A.F.; Schofield, A.J.

2002-09-01

Motivated by the anomalous c-axis transport properties of the quasi two-dimensional metal, Sr 2 RuO 4 , and some of its relatives, we have studied the interlayer hopping of single electrons that are coupled strongly to c-axis bosons. We find a c-axis resistivity that reflects the in-plane electronic scattering in the low and very high temperature limits (relative to the characteristic temperature of the boson T boson ). For temperatures near the T boson , a broad maximum in the resistivity can appear for sufficiently strong electron-boson coupling. This feature may account for the observed 'metallic to non-metallic crossover' seen in these layered oxides, where the boson may be a phonon. (author)

Analisis Semiotika Makna Pesan pada Iklan Axis Versi “Iritologi – Menatap Masa Depan”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Puri Sulistiyawati

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Abstrak Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui dan menganalisis makna pesan dalam iklan Axis versi “Iritologi – Menatap masa depan” di televisi dengan menggunakan pendekatan semiotika Roland Barthes. Dari analisis yang telah dilakukan berdasarkan makna denotasi, konotasi dan mitos dalam iklan Axis versi “iritologi – Menatap masa depan”, dapat diketahui bahwa iklan Axis memiliki konsep yang sangat sederhana, dengan mengusung tema tentang kebiasaan remaja dalam memanfaatkan media sosial. Dari visual iklan yang ditampilkan menguatkan pesan bahwa produk Axis ini menyasar remaja sebagai target audience, remaja atau pelajar adalah konsumen yang mendambakan produk dengan kalitas baik namun dengan harga yang terjangkau. Meski menyasar remaja, namun dalam target marketnya Axis tetap menyasar semua kalangan. Setting tempat atau latar pada iklan yang ditampilkan pun sebagai representasi bahwa Axis dapat dijangkau oleh semua kalangan ekonomi khususnya masyarakat menengah kebawah. Makna Mitos dalam iklan Axis ini tersirat pada scene tertentu. Secara umum iklan ini menyampaikan bahwa selfie dan media sosial sebagai bagian dari kehidupan masyaraka khususnya generasi muda, sebagai sarana untuk berinteraksi dan menunjukan eksistensinya kepada komunitas. Melalui foto yang diunggah pada media sosial, khalayak merepresentasikan perasaan maupun kegiatan yang sedang di lakukannya. Sehingga hal tersebut memicu kebutuhan akan jaringan komunikasi yang lancar dan ekonomis. Kata Kunci: iklan, axis, semiotika, mitos  Abstract The purpose of this research was to determine and analyze the meaning of message in Axis advertisement version “Iritologi – Menatap masa depan” on television using Roland Barthes semiotic approach. Analysis has been done based on the meaning of denotation, connotation and myth in Axis advertisement version “Iritologi – Menatap masa depan”, it can be seen that Axis advertisement has a simple concept, with a theme of

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor–ligand axis mediates pulmonary fibroblast migration and differentiation through increased arachidonic acid metabolism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Su, Hsiang-Han; Lin, Hsin-Ting; Suen, Jau-Ling; Sheu, Chau Chyun; Yokoyama, Kazunari K.; Huang, Shau-Ku; Cheng, Chih Mei

2016-01-01

Pulmonary fibroblast migration and differentiation are critical events in fibrogenesis; meanwhile, fibrosis characterizes the pathology of many respiratory diseases. The role of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a unique cellular chemical sensor, has been suggested in tissue fibrosis, but the mechanisms through which the AhR-ligand axis influences the fibrotic process remain undefined. In this study, the potential impact of the AhR-ligand axis on pulmonary fibroblast migration and differentiation was analyzed using human primary lung fibroblasts HFL-1 and CCL-202 cells. Boyden chamber-based cell migration assay showed that activated AhR in HFL-1cells significantly enhanced cell migration in response to 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), and a known AhR antagonist, CH223191, inhibited its migratory activity. Furthermore, the calcium mobilization and subsequent upregulated expression of arachidonic acid metabolizing enzymes, including cyclooxygenase2 (COX-2) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX), were observed in TCDD-treated HFL-1 cells, concomitant with elevated levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and leukotriene B4 (LTB4) secretion. Also, significantly increased expression of α-smooth muscle actin α-SMA), a fibroblast differentiation marker, was also noted in TCDD-treated HFL-1 cells (p < 0.05), resulting in a dynamic change in cytoskeleton protein levels and an increase in the nuclear translocation of the myocardin-related transcription factor. Moreover, the enhanced levels of α-SMA expression and fibroblast migration induced by TCDD, PGE2 and LTB4 were abrogated by selective inhibitors for COX-2 and 5-LOX. Knockdown of AhR by siRNA Completely diminished intracellular calcium uptake and reduced α-SMA protein verified by promoter-reporter assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation. Taken together, our results suggested the importance of the AhR-ligand axis in fibroblast migration and differentiation through its capacity in enhancing arachidonic acid metabolism.

Off-axis dose equivalent due to secondary neutrons from uniform scanning proton beams during proton radiotherapy

Science.gov (United States)

Islam, M. R.; Collums, T. L.; Zheng, Y.; Monson, J.; Benton, E. R.

2013-11-01

The production of secondary neutrons is an undesirable byproduct of proton therapy and it is important to quantify the contribution from secondary neutrons to patient dose received outside the treatment volume. The purpose of this study is to investigate the off-axis dose equivalent from secondary neutrons experimentally using CR-39 plastic nuclear track detectors (PNTD) at ProCure Proton Therapy Center, Oklahoma City, OK. In this experiment, we placed several layers of CR-39 PNTD laterally outside the treatment volume inside a phantom and in air at various depths and angles with respect to the primary beam axis. Three different proton beams with max energies of 78, 162 and 226 MeV and 4 cm modulation width, a 5 cm diameter brass aperture, and a small snout located 38 cm from isocenter were used for the entire experiment. Monte Carlo simulations were also performed based on the experimental setup using a simplified snout configuration and the FLUKA Monte Carlo radiation transport code. The measured ratio of secondary neutron dose equivalent to therapeutic primary proton dose (H/D) ranged from 0.3 ± 0.08 mSv Gy-1 for 78 MeV proton beam to 37.4 ± 2.42 mSv Gy-1 for 226 MeV proton beam. Both experiment and simulation showed a similar decreasing trend in dose equivalent with distance to the central axis and the magnitude varied by a factor of about 2 in most locations. H/D was found to increase as the energy of the primary proton beam increased and higher H/D was observed at 135° compared to 45° and 90°. The overall higher H/D in air indicates the predominance of external neutrons produced in the nozzle rather than inside the body.

Off-axis dose equivalent due to secondary neutrons from uniform scanning proton beams during proton radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Islam, M R; Collums, T L; Monson, J; Benton, E R; Zheng, Y

2013-01-01

The production of secondary neutrons is an undesirable byproduct of proton therapy and it is important to quantify the contribution from secondary neutrons to patient dose received outside the treatment volume. The purpose of this study is to investigate the off-axis dose equivalent from secondary neutrons experimentally using CR-39 plastic nuclear track detectors (PNTD) at ProCure Proton Therapy Center, Oklahoma City, OK. In this experiment, we placed several layers of CR-39 PNTD laterally outside the treatment volume inside a phantom and in air at various depths and angles with respect to the primary beam axis. Three different proton beams with max energies of 78, 162 and 226 MeV and 4 cm modulation width, a 5 cm diameter brass aperture, and a small snout located 38 cm from isocenter were used for the entire experiment. Monte Carlo simulations were also performed based on the experimental setup using a simplified snout configuration and the FLUKA Monte Carlo radiation transport code. The measured ratio of secondary neutron dose equivalent to therapeutic primary proton dose (H/D) ranged from 0.3 ± 0.08 mSv Gy −1  for 78 MeV proton beam to 37.4 ± 2.42 mSv Gy −1  for 226 MeV proton beam. Both experiment and simulation showed a similar decreasing trend in dose equivalent with distance to the central axis and the magnitude varied by a factor of about 2 in most locations. H/D was found to increase as the energy of the primary proton beam increased and higher H/D was observed at 135° compared to 45° and 90°. The overall higher H/D in air indicates the predominance of external neutrons produced in the nozzle rather than inside the body. (paper)

Active Design Method for the Static Characteristics of a Piezoelectric Six-Axis Force/Torque Sensor

OpenAIRE

Liu, Jun; Li, Min; Qin, Lan; Liu, Jingcheng

2014-01-01

To address the bottleneck issues of an elastic-style six-axis force/torque sensor (six-axis force sensor), this work proposes a no-elastic piezoelectric six-axis force sensor. The operating principle of the piezoelectric six-axis force sensor is analyzed, and a structural model is constructed. The static-active design theory of the piezoelectric six-axis force sensor is established, including a static analytical/mathematical model and numerical simulation model (finite element model). A piezo...

Evolution of hypothalamus-pituitary growth axis among fish, amphibian, birds and mammals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moaeen-Ud-Din M.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Hypothalamus-pituitary growth axis (HP growth axis regulates animal growth and development in pre-natal and post natal life governed by many factors. However, until recently, the evolutionary history of this axis among lineages is not understood. Aim of the present study was to understand the major events in evolution and evolutionary history and trend of HP growth axis. The diversity among Homo sapience, Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus, Gallus gallus, Danio rerio and Xenopus laevis was determined for genes involved in HP growth axis in current study. Sequences of HP growth axis genes were retrieved from NCBI (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/. Nucleotide diversity using Kimura’s two-parameter method; codon-based test of positive selection using the Nei-Gojobori; equality of evolutionary rate with Tajima's relative rate test and phylogenetic history using the RelTime method were estimated in MEGA6. Estimates of the coefficients of evolutionary differentiation based on nucleotides and amino acids substitution patterns of HP growth axis genes showed contrasting evolutionary patterns among the lineages. The results demonstrated that although these genes might have crucial functional roles in each of the species, however, their sequence divergence did not necessarily reflect similar molecular evolution among the species. Codon-based test of positive selection revealed that Human vs Mouse, Chicken vs Rat, Human vs Rat and Mouse vs Rat had similar and higher non synonymous substitutions (P > 0.05. Higher rate of non-synonymous substitutions at similar orthologs level among species indicated a similar positive selection pressure in these species. Results for relative rate test assessed with the chi-squared test showed difference on unique mutations among lineages at synonymous and non synonymous sites except Chicken vs Mouse, Human vs Mouse, Chicken vs Rat, Human vs Rat and Mouse vs Rat. This indicated that the mutagenic process that generates

Modulation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis by Early Life Stress Exposure

Science.gov (United States)

van Bodegom, Miranda; Homberg, Judith R.; Henckens, Marloes J. A. G.

2017-01-01

Exposure to stress during critical periods in development can have severe long-term consequences, increasing overall risk on psychopathology. One of the key stress response systems mediating these long-term effects of stress is the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis; a cascade of central and peripheral events resulting in the release of corticosteroids from the adrenal glands. Activation of the HPA-axis affects brain functioning to ensure a proper behavioral response to the stressor, but stress-induced (mal)adaptation of the HPA-axis' functional maturation may provide a mechanistic basis for the altered stress susceptibility later in life. Development of the HPA-axis and the brain regions involved in its regulation starts prenatally and continues after birth, and is protected by several mechanisms preventing corticosteroid over-exposure to the maturing brain. Nevertheless, early life stress (ELS) exposure has been reported to have numerous consequences on HPA-axis function in adulthood, affecting both its basal and stress-induced activity. According to the match/mismatch theory, encountering ELS prepares an organism for similar (“matching”) adversities during adulthood, while a mismatching environment results in an increased susceptibility to psychopathology, indicating that ELS can exert either beneficial or disadvantageous effects depending on the environmental context. Here, we review studies investigating the mechanistic underpinnings of the ELS-induced alterations in the structural and functional development of the HPA-axis and its key external regulators (amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex). The effects of ELS appear highly dependent on the developmental time window affected, the sex of the offspring, and the developmental stage at which effects are assessed. Albeit by distinct mechanisms, ELS induced by prenatal stressors, maternal separation, or the limited nesting model inducing fragmented maternal care, typically results in HPA-axis

Possibility for precise Weinberg-angle measurement in centrosymmetric crystals with axis

Science.gov (United States)

Mukhamedjanov, T. N.; Sushkov, O. P.

2006-03-01

We demonstrate that parity-nonconserving interaction due to the nuclear weak charge QW leads to a nonlinear magnetoelectric effect in centrosymmetric paramagnetic crystals. It is shown that the effect exists only in crystals with special symmetry axis k . Kinematically, the correlation (correction to energy) has the form HPNC∝QWE•[B×k](B•k) , where B and E are external magnetic and electric fields. This gives rise to the magnetic induction MPNC∝QW{k(B•[k×E])+[k×E](B•k)} . To be specific, we consider rare-earth-metal trifluorides and, in particular, dysprosium trifluoride which looks the most suitable for experiment. We estimate the optimal temperature for the experiment to be of a few kelvin. For the magnetic field B=1T and the electric field E=10kV/cm , the expected magnetic induction is 4πMPNC˜0.5×10-11G , six orders of magnitude larger than the best sensitivity currently under discussion. Dysprosium has several stable isotopes, and so comparison of the effects for different isotopes provides the possibility for precise measurement of the Weinberg angle.

Research on the aerodynamic characteristics of a lift drag hybrid vertical axis wind turbine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaojing Sun

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Compared with a drag-type vertical axis wind turbines, one of the greatest advantages for a lift-type vertical axis wind turbines is its higher power coefficient (Cp. However, the lift-type vertical axis wind turbines is not a self-starting turbine as its starting torque is very low. In order to combine the advantage of both the drag-type and the lift-type vertical axis wind turbines, a lift drag hybrid vertical axis wind turbines was designed in this article and its aerodynamics and starting performance was studied in detail with the aid of computational fluid dynamics simulations. Numerical results indicate that the power coefficient of this lift drag hybrid vertical axis wind turbines declines when the distance between its drag-type blades and the center of rotation of the turbine rotor increases, whereas its starting torque can be significantly improved. Studies also show that unlike the lift-type vertical axis wind turbines, this lift drag hybrid-type vertical axis wind turbines could be able to solve the problem of low start-up torque. However, the installation position of the drag blade is very important. If the drag blade is mounted very close to the spindle, the starting torque of the lift drag hybrid-type vertical axis wind turbines may not be improved at all. In addition, it has been found that the power coefficient of the studied vertical axis wind turbines is not as good as expected and possible reasons have been provided in this article after the pressure distribution along the surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blades of the hybrid turbine was analyzed.

Modal Analysis on Fluid-Structure Interaction of MW-Level Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Tower

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tan Jiqiu

2014-05-01

Full Text Available In order to avoid resonance problem of MW-level vertical axis wind turbine induced by wind, a flow field model of the MW-level vertical axis wind turbine is established by using the fluid flow control equations, calculate flow’s velocity and pressure of the MW-level vertical axis wind turbine and load onto tower’s before and after surface, study the Modal analysis of fluid-structure interaction of MW-level vertical axis wind turbine tower. The results show that fluid-structure interaction field of MW- level vertical axis wind turbine tower has little effect on the modal vibration mode, but has a great effect on its natural frequency and the maximum deformation, and the influence will decrease with increasing of modal order; MW-level vertical axis wind turbine tower needs to be raised the stiffness and strength, its structure also needs to be optimized; In the case of satisfy the intensity, the larger the ratio of the tower height and wind turbines diameter, the more soft the MW-level vertical axis wind turbine tower, the lower its frequency.

Microbiota-gut-brain axis and the central nervous system

OpenAIRE

Zhu, Xiqun; Han, Yong; Du, Jing; Liu, Renzhong; Jin, Ketao; Yi, Wei

2017-01-01

The gut and brain form the gut-brain axis through bidirectional nervous, endocrine, and immune communications. Changes in one of the organs will affect the other organs. Disorders in the composition and quantity of gut microorganisms can affect both the enteric nervous system and the central nervous system (CNS), thereby indicating the existence of a microbiota-gut-brain axis. Due to the intricate interactions between the gut and the brain, gut symbiotic microorganisms are closely associated ...

Targeting the gut-liver axis in cirrhosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Bjørn S; Havelund, Troels; Krag, Aleksander

2013-01-01

The gut-liver axis in cirrhosis and portal hypertension is gaining increasing attention as a key pathophysiological mechanism responsible for progression of liver failure and development of complications such as spontaneous infections and hepatocellular carcinoma. Antibiotics and non-selective β......-blockers (NSBB) intercept this axis and each drug has proven efficacy in clinical trials. A synergistic effect is a hitherto unproven possibility. There is an increasing body of evidence supporting improved outcome with expanded use of NSBB and antibiotic therapy beyond current indications. This review addresses...... the issue of pharmacological treatment of cirrhosis and portal hypertension with antibiotics and NSBB. We discuss their mechanism of action and suggest that combining the two treatment modalities could potentially reduce the risk of complications....

GRB 170817A: a short GRB seen off-axis

Science.gov (United States)

He, Xin-Bo; Tam, Pak-Hin Thomas; Shen, Rong-Feng

2018-04-01

The angular distribution of gamma-ray burst (GRB) jets is not yet clear. The observed luminosity of GRB 170817A is the lowest among all known short GRBs, which is best explained by the fact that our line of sight is outside of the jet opening angle, θ obs > θ j , where θ obs is the angle between our line of sight and the jet axis. As inferred by gravitational wave observations, as well as radio and X-ray afterglow modeling of GRB 170817A, it is likely that θ obs ∼ 20° – 28°. In this work, we quantitatively consider two scenarios of angular energy distribution of GRB ejecta: a top-hat jet and a structured jet with a power law index s. For the top-hat jet model, we get a large θ j (e.g., θ j > 10°), a rather high local (i.e., z 7.5 × 104, keV (∼500, keV for a typical short GRB). For the structured jet model, we use θ obs to give limits on s and θj for typical on-axis luminosity of a short GRB (e.g., 1049 erg s‑1 ∼ 1051 erg s‑1), and a low on-axis luminosity case (e.g., 1049 erg s‑1) gives more reasonable values of s. The structured jet model is more feasible for GRB 170817A than the top-hat jet model due to the rather high local short GRB rate, and the extremely high on-axis E peak,0 almost rules out the top-hat jet model. GRB 170817A is likely a low on-axis luminosity GRB (1049 erg s‑1) with a structured jet.

The Mechanical Axis of the First Ray: A Radiographic Assessment in Hallux Abducto Valgus Evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

LaPorta, Guido A; Nasser, Ellianne M; Mulhern, Jennifer L; Malay, D Scot

2016-01-01

The present report describes a new method of hallux abducto valgus deformity correction planning using the mechanical axis of the medial column (mechanical axis planning). This method of radiographic evaluation identifies an ideal position for the first metatarsal after correction and is useful regardless of the surgical procedure chosen. We retrospectively reviewed 200 radiographs to identify a "normal" value for the mechanical axis angle. We reviewed 100 radiographs of patients with hallux abducto valgus deformity (deformity group) and 100 radiographs of patients without hallux abducto valgus deformity (control group). The deformity group revealed an M1-M2 anatomic axis angle of 13.5° ± 2.83° and an M1-M2 mechanical axis angle of 11.58° ± 1°. The control group revealed an M1-M2 anatomic axis angle of 7.5° ± 1.76° and an M1-M2 mechanical axis angle of 11.19° ± 0.9°. The differences in the M1-M2 anatomic axis angle and M1-M2 mechanical axis angle were statistically significant between the control and deformity groups. We sought to provide a reliable method for planning hallux abducto valgus deformity correction by aligning the mechanical axis of the medial column and the mechanical axis of the first ray to the "normal" value of 11° to reduce the deformity. Copyright © 2016 American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The CNRS and the nuclear wastes management. Contribution to the program on the electronuclear cycle downstream PACE at the law of the 30 December 1991

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

This document is a presentation of the activities of the PACE program. It presents the researches historical aspects, the researches concerning the axis 1 (transmutation, nuclear data acquisition, scenarios, separation and physico-chemistry in homogenous solution, the specific conditioning) and the axis 2 researches (the containment safety studies of the underground disposal, the physico-chemical phenomenons at the interfaces, the radionuclides migration). (A.L.B.)

Lagrangian neoclassical transport theory applied to the region near the magnetic axis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Satake, Shinsuke; Okamoto, Masao; Sugama, Hideo

2002-01-01

Neoclassical transport theory around the magnetic axis of a tokamak is studied, in which relatively wide 'potato' orbits play an important role in transport. Lagrangian formulation of transport theory, which has been investigated to reflect finiteness of guiding-center orbit widths to transport equations, is developed in order to analyze neoclassical transport near the axis for a low-collisionality plasma. The treatment of self-collision term in Lagrangian formulation is revised to retain momentum conservation property of it. By directly reflecting the orbital properties of all the types of orbits in calculation, the ion thermal conductivity around the axis is found to decrease from that predicted by conventional neoclassical theory. This result supports recent numerical simulations which show the reduction of thermal conductivity near the magnetic axis

HPA axis hyperactivity as suicide predictor in elderly mood disorder inpatients.

Science.gov (United States)

Jokinen, Jussi; Nordström, Peter

2008-11-01

Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function is associated with suicidal behaviour and age-associated alterations in HPA axis functioning may render elderly individuals more susceptible to HPA dysregulation related to mood disorders. Research on HPA axis function in suicide prediction in elderly mood disorder patients is sparse. The study sample consisted of 99 depressed elderly inpatients 65 years of age or older admitted to the department of Psychiatry at the Karolinska University Hospital between 1980 and 2000. The hypothesis was that elderly mood disorder inpatients who fail to suppress cortisol in the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) are at higher risk of suicide. The DST non-suppression distinguished between suicides and survivors in elderly depressed inpatients and the suicide attempt at the index episode was a strong predictor for suicide. Additionally, the DST non-suppression showed higher specificity and predictive value in the suicide attempter group. Due to age-associated alterations in HPA axis functioning, the optimal cut-off for DST non-suppression in suicide prediction may be higher in elderly mood disorder inpatients. These data demonstrate the importance of attempted suicide and DST non-suppression as predictors of suicide risk in late-life depression and suggest the use for neuroendocrine testing of HPA axis functioning as a complementary tool in suicide prevention.

Electromechanical three-axis development for remote handling in the Hot Experimental Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garin, J.; Bolfing, B.J.; Satterlee, P.E.; Babcock, S.M.

1981-01-01

A three-axis closed-loop position control system has been designed and installed on an overhead bridge, carriage, tube hoist for automotive positioning of manipulation at a remotely maintained work site. The system provides accurate (within 3 min) and repeatable three-axis positioning of the manipulator. The position control system has been interfaced to a supervisory minicomputer system that provides teach-playback capability of manipulator positioning and color graphic display of the three-axis system position

Unusual aneurysm of the pancreas arcade by occlusion of the celiac axis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wrazidlo, W.; Jonas, J.; Wittek, M.

1987-01-01

This is a report about a rare aneurysm of the pancreas arcade - the angiography showing an occlusion of the celiac axis. Using a diagram of the arterial phase of the angiography, the morphology of the collateral circulation between the celiac axis and the superior mesenteric artery is described. The reason of the occlusion of the celiac axis formed collateral circulation and the origin of the aneurysm and the therapeutic steps to be taken are discussed. (orig.) [de

VERITAS: Versatile Triple-Axis Spectrometer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Sung Il

2006-04-15

Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute is planning to build a cold neutron triple-axis spectrometer at HANARO, the 30 MW research reactor. The spectrometer is expected to be completed in 2008 with the following configuration from the upstream to the downstream. Guide Supermirror m = 2, In-pile Straight Section, {approx} 5 m Curved Guide, {approx} 26 m w/ R 1500 m Straight Guide before the Instrument, {approx} 40 m Filters PG and Be Neutron Velocity Selector (Future) Monochromators Vertically Focusing Monochromators PG(002) and Heusler(111) Doubly Focusing Monochromators (Future) Monochromator-Sample Distance 2 m Collimation C1 Soller Collimators, 20', 40' 80'Beam Height at the Sample Table 1.5 m Sample-Analyzer Distance 1.0 m Collimation C2 Soller Collimators, 20', 40', 80' Radial Collimator Analyzers Horizontally Focusing Analyzers w/ Fixed Vertical Focusing PG(002) and Heusler(111) Analyzer-Detector Distance 0.5 m Detectors 5 cm Tube Detector 25 cm wide Position Sensitive Detector Once completed, the neutron flux at sample is expected to surpass that of SPINS at NCNR, making this instrument one of the most powerful 2nd generation cold neutron triple-axis spectrometers in the world.

VERITAS: Versatile Triple-Axis Spectrometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Sung Il

2006-04-01

Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute is planning to build a cold neutron triple-axis spectrometer at HANARO, the 30 MW research reactor. The spectrometer is expected to be completed in 2008 with the following configuration from the upstream to the downstream. Guide Supermirror m = 2, In-pile Straight Section, ∼ 5 m Curved Guide, ∼ 26 m w/ R 1500 m Straight Guide before the Instrument, ∼ 40 m Filters PG and Be Neutron Velocity Selector (Future) Monochromators Vertically Focusing Monochromators PG(002) and Heusler(111) Doubly Focusing Monochromators (Future) Monochromator-Sample Distance 2 m Collimation C1 Soller Collimators, 20', 40' 80'Beam Height at the Sample Table 1.5 m Sample-Analyzer Distance 1.0 m Collimation C2 Soller Collimators, 20', 40', 80' Radial Collimator Analyzers Horizontally Focusing Analyzers w/ Fixed Vertical Focusing PG(002) and Heusler(111) Analyzer-Detector Distance 0.5 m Detectors 5 cm Tube Detector 25 cm wide Position Sensitive Detector Once completed, the neutron flux at sample is expected to surpass that of SPINS at NCNR, making this instrument one of the most powerful 2nd generation cold neutron triple-axis spectrometers in the world

The GH/IGF-1 axis in ageing and longevity

Science.gov (United States)

List, Edward O.; Berryman, Darlene E.; Murrey, John W.

2014-01-01

Secretion of growth hormone (GH), and consequently that of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), declines over time until only low levels can be detected in individuals aged ≥60 years. This phenomenon, which is known as the ‘somatopause’, has led to recombinant human GH being widely promoted and abused as an antiageing drug, despite lack of evidence of efficacy. By contrast, several mutations that decrease the tone of the GH/IGF-1 axis are associated with extended longevity in mice. In humans, corresponding or similar mutations have been identified, but whether these mutations alter longevity has yet to be established. The powerful effect of reduced GH activity on lifespan extension in mice has generated the hypothesis that pharmaceutically inhibiting, rather than increasing, GH action might delay ageing. Moreover, mice as well as humans with reduced activity of the GH/IGF-1 axis are protected from cancer and diabetes mellitus, two major ageing-related morbidities. Here, we review data on mouse strains with alterations in the GH/IGF-1 axis and their effects on lifespan. The outcome of corresponding or similar mutations in humans is described, as well as the potential mechanisms underlying increased longevity and the therapeutic benefits and risks of medical disruption of the GH/IGF-1 axis in humans. PMID:23591370

Association between Mastication, the Hippocampus, and the HPA Axis: A Comprehensive Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Azuma, Kagaku; Zhou, Qian; Niwa, Masami; Kubo, Kin-Ya

2017-08-03

Mastication is mainly involved in food intake and nutrient digestion with the aid of teeth. Mastication is also important for preserving and promoting general health, including hippocampus-dependent cognition. Both animal and human studies indicate that mastication influences hippocampal functions through the end product of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, glucocorticoid (GC). Epidemiologic studies suggest that masticatory dysfunction in aged individuals, such as that resulting from tooth loss and periodontitis, acting as a source of chronic stress, activates the HPA axis, leading to increases in circulating GCs and eventually inducing various physical and psychological diseases, such as cognitive impairment, cardiovascular disorders, and osteoporosis. Recent studies demonstrated that masticatory stimulation or chewing during stressful conditions suppresses the hyperactivity of the HPA axis via GCs and GC receptors within the hippocampus, and ameliorates chronic stress-induced hippocampus-dependent cognitive deficits. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of current research regarding the association between mastication, the hippocampus, and HPA axis activity. We also discuss several potential molecular mechanisms involved in the interactions between mastication, hippocampal function, and HPA axis activity.

Congenital axis dysmorphism in a medieval skeleton : …secunda a vertendo epistropheus….

Science.gov (United States)

Travan, Luciana; Saccheri, Paola; Toso, Francesco; Crivellato, Enrico

2013-05-01

We describe here the axis dysmorphism that we observed in the skeletal remains of a human child dug up from a fifteenth century cemetery located in north-eastern Italy. This bone defect is discussed in the light of pertinent literature. We performed macroscopical examination and CT scan analysis of the axis. Axis structure was remarkably asymmetric. Whilst the left half exhibited normal morphology, the right one was smaller than normal, and its lateral articular surface showed horizontal orientation. In addition, the odontoid process appeared leftward deviated and displayed a supplementary articular-like facet situated on the right side of its surface. These findings suggest a diagnosis of unilateral irregular segmentation of atlas and axis, a rare dysmorphism dependent upon disturbances of notochordal development in early embryonic life. Likewise other malformations of the craniovertebral junction, this axis defect may alter the delicate mechanisms of upper neck movements and cause a complex series of clinical symptoms. This is an emblematic case whereby human skeletal remains may provide valuable information on the anatomical defects of craniovertebral junction.

Control and data acquisition ATCA/AXIe board designed for high system availability and reliability of nuclear fusion experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batista, A.J.N.; Leong, C.; Bexiga, V.; Rodrigues, A.P.; Combo, A.; Carvalho, B.B.; Carvalho, P.F.; Fortunato, J.; Santos, B.; Carvalho, P.; Correia, M.; Teixeira, J.P.; Teixeira, I.C.; Sousa, J.; Gonçalves, B.; Varandas, C.A.F.

2013-01-01

This paper describes the implementation and test of a control and data acquisition board designed to be integrated on systems demanding high availability and reliability, foreseen for future experiments like ITER or other long operation fusion devices. The Advanced Telecommunications Computing Architecture (ATCA) standard (PICMG 3.0 and 3.4) was selected for board implementation, which has support for the desired system robustness and performance. Some board features such as rear Input/Output (IO) signals connectivity (passive, copper tracks only), cable-less hot-swap maintenance, Intelligent Platform Management Controller (IPMC) and redundancy on timing signals, communications links and power supplies are significant board improvements, relatively to previous control and data acquisition boards, allowing the development of more reliable system architectures. Moreover, the developed board is also compatible with the emerging ATCA eXtensions for Instrumentation (AXIe) specifications, which provides additional timing and synchronization signals on the backplane. ATCA full-mesh, multi-gigabit, full-duplex, point-to-point communication links between Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA), of peer boards inside the shelf, allow the implementation of distributed algorithms and development of Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) systems. Up to 48 analog input channels, simultaneously digitized (2 MSPS @ 18-bits), are filtered/decimated by the board FPGA and sent to the ATCA/AXIe host through Peripheral Component Interconnect express (PCIe) using Direct Memory Access (DMA). In real-time, the host can update up to 48 analog output channels (1 MSPS @ 18-bits), per board, through PCIe. Further board characteristics comprise analog IO channels with galvanic isolation and an optional signal chopper mode, for offset compensation over time on digital integration of magnetic signals. Board time synchronization is attained by means of the Inter-Range Instrumentation Group (IRIG) time-code

Apparatus for installing and removing a control rod drive in a nuclear reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, A.P.L.; Ward, R.

1989-01-01

This patent describes an apparatus for installing and removing a control rod drive from beneath the pressure vessel of a nuclear reactor. It consists of elevator carriage for carrying the control rod drive into and out of the region beneath the pressure vessel in a generally horizontal position, an elevator cradle mounted on the carriage for pivotal movement about an axis between horizontal and vertical positions and for vertical movement, when in the vertical position, means for securing the control rod drive to the elevator cradle, and a winch cart movable horizontally between a first position spaced from the pivot axis and a second position near the pivot axis. The cart has a winch cable supporting the lower end of the elevator carriage for moving the elevator carriage and the control rod drive between horizontal and vertical positions on the elevator carriage when the cart is spaced from the pivot axis and for raising and lowering the elevator cradle and the control rod drive when the cart is positioned near the pivot axis. The control rod drive is mounted on the elevator cradle by a bearing permitting rotational and horizontal movement of the control rod drive when the drive is in a vertical position, a swing arm, a pneumatically actuated cylinder in axial alignment with the control rod drive for raising and lowering the control rod drive, and means pivotally mounting the cylinder on the swing arm for movement about an axis spaced from and generally parallel to the vertically extending axis so that the position of the cylinder and the control rod drive can be shifted horizontally about the vertically extending axes

Vertical axis wind turbine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Obretenov, V.; Tsalov, T.; Chakarov, T.

2012-01-01

In recent years, the interest in wind turbines with vertical axis noticeably increased. They have some important advantages: low cost, relatively simple structure, reliable packaging system of wind aggregate long period during which require no maintenance, low noise, independence of wind direction, etc.. The relatively low efficiency, however, makes them applicable mainly for small facilities. The work presents a methodology and software for approximately aerodynamic design of wind turbines of this type, and also analyzed the possibility of improving the efficiency of their workflow

HPA axis hyperactivity and attempted suicide in young adult mood disorder inpatients.

Science.gov (United States)

Jokinen, Jussi; Nordström, Peter

2009-07-01

Hyperactivity of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis is a consistent finding in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and most prospective studies of HPA-axis function have found that non-suppressors in the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) are more likely to commit suicide during follow-up. The results of studies on HPA-axis function and attempted suicide are less consistent. Suicide attempts are more common among young people than the elderly, whereas suicide is more common among the elderly. The impact of age related changes in HPA-axis system activity in relation to suicidal behaviour across the lifecycle may be of importance. The aim of the present study was to investigate the DST results in 36 young adult (30 years or younger) inpatients with mood disorder, with (n=18) and without suicide attempt at the index episode. The DST non-suppressor rate was 25% among young mood disorder inpatients. DST non-suppression was associated with suicide attempt and post-dexamethasone serum cortisol at 11:00 p.m. was significantly higher in suicide attempters compared to non-attempters. The DST non-suppressor rate was 39% in young adult suicide attempters compared with 11% in non-attempters. The results add to previous evidence in support of the role of HPA axis hyperactivity and suicidal behaviour. The present findings motivate to include HPA axis measures in the assessment of depression in young adults.

Nuclear reactivity control configuration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bingham, B.E.; DeMars, R.V.

1990-01-01

This patent describes a neutron flux control component assembly for use in a nuclear reactor. It comprises: at least three V-shaped close fitting carrier sheets nested together to provide a Y-shaped cross section and which are movable relative to each other along their longitudinal axis; at least three substantially identical neutron poison segments, one of each of the carrier sheets, movable between overlapped and exposed positions in response to movement of the carrier sheets; and each of the poison segments having a width grater than three times the effective thickness of the assembly of overlapping poison segments and capable of absorbing at least eighty percent of the neutrons that strike its surface

Analysis of deuterium relaxation-derived methyl axis order parameters and correlation with local structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mittermaier, Anthony; Kay, Lewis E.; Forman-Kay, Julie D.

1999-01-01

Methyl axis (S2axis) and backbone NH (S2NH) order parameters derived from eight proteins have been analyzed. Similar distribution profiles for Ala S2axis and S2NH order parameters were observed. A good correlation between the two S2axis values of Val and Leu methyl groups is noted, although differences between order parameters can arise. The relation of S2axis or S2NH to solvent accessibility and packing density has also been investigated. Correlations are weak, likely reflecting the importance of collective, non-local motions in proteins. The lack of correlation between these simple structural parameters and dynamics emphasizes the importance of motional studies to fully characterize proteins

A procedure for denoising dual-axis swallowing accelerometry signals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sejdić, Ervin; Chau, Tom; Steele, Catriona M

2010-01-01

Dual-axis swallowing accelerometry is an emerging tool for the assessment of dysphagia (swallowing difficulties). These signals however can be very noisy as a result of physiological and motion artifacts. In this note, we propose a novel scheme for denoising those signals, i.e. a computationally efficient search for the optimal denoising threshold within a reduced wavelet subspace. To determine a viable subspace, the algorithm relies on the minimum value of the estimated upper bound for the reconstruction error. A numerical analysis of the proposed scheme using synthetic test signals demonstrated that the proposed scheme is computationally more efficient than minimum noiseless description length (MNDL)-based denoising. It also yields smaller reconstruction errors than MNDL, SURE and Donoho denoising methods. When applied to dual-axis swallowing accelerometry signals, the proposed scheme exhibits improved performance for dry, wet and wet chin tuck swallows. These results are important for the further development of medical devices based on dual-axis swallowing accelerometry signals. (note)

Optimal shape of a cold-neutron triple-axis spectrometer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lefmann, K., E-mail: lefmann@fys.ku.d [Nanoscience and eScience Centers, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, 2100 Copenhagen O (Denmark); European Spallation Source, University of Lund, St. Algatan 4, Lund (Sweden); Filges, U. [Laboratory for Development and Methods, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI (Switzerland); Treue, F. [Nanoscience and eScience Centers, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, 2100 Copenhagen O (Denmark); Kirkensgard, J.J.K. [Institute of Nature and Models, Roskilde University (Denmark); Department of Basic Sciences and Environment, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen (Denmark); Plesner, B. [Institute of Nature and Models, Roskilde University (Denmark); Hansen, K.S. [Institute of Nature and Models, Roskilde University (Denmark); Mid-Greenland High School, Nuuk, Greenland (Denmark); Kleno, K.H. [Nanoscience and eScience Centers, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, 2100 Copenhagen O (Denmark); European Spallation Source, University of Lund, St. Algatan 4, Lund (Sweden)

2011-04-01

We have performed a McStas optimization of the primary spectrometer for a generic 40 m long, cold-neutron triple-axis spectrometer with a doubly focusing monochromator. The optimal design contains an elliptically focusing guide, a virtual source point before a low-grade PG monochromator, and non-equidistant focusing at the monochromator. The flux at 5 meV shows a gain factor 12 over the 'classical' design with a straight 12x3cm{sup 2}, m=2 guide and a vertically focusing PG monochromator. In addition, the energy resolution was found to be improved. This unexpectedly large design improvement agrees with the Liouville theorem and can be understood as the product of many smaller gain factors, combined with a more optimal utilization of the beam divergence within the guide. Our results may be relevant for a possible upgrade of a number of cold-neutron triple-axis spectrometers-and for a possible triple-axis spectrometer at the European Spallation Source.

THERMAL DISPLACEMENT OF CRANKSHAFT AXIS OF SLOW-SPEED MARINE ENGINE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lech Murawski

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The paper presents analysis of displacement of a crankshaft axis caused by temperature of marine, slow-speed main engine. Information of thermal displacement of a power transmission system axis is significant during a shaft line alignment and a crankshaft springing analysis. Warmed-up main engine is a source of deformations of an engine body as well as a ship hull in the area of an engine room and hence axis of a crankshaft and a shaftline. Engines' producers recommend the model of parallel displacement of the crankshaft axis under the influence of an engine heat. The model gives us the value (one number! of the crankshaft axis displacement in the hot propulsion system's condition. This model may be too simple in some cases. Presented numerical analyses are based on temperature measurements of the main engine body and the ship hull during a sea voyage. The paper presents computations of MAN B&W K98MC type engine (power: 40000 kW, revolutions: 94 rpm mounted on 4500 TEU container ship (length: 290 m. Propulsion system is working in nominal, steady-state conditions; it is the basic assumption during the analyses. Numerical analyses were preformed with usage of Nastran software based on Finite Element Method. The FEM model of the engine body comprised over 800 thousand degree of freedom. Stiffness of the ship hull (mainly double bottom with the foundation was modelled by a simple cuboid. Material properties of that cuboid were determined on the base of separately performed calculations.

Determinants of the epithelial-muscular axis on embryonic stem cell-derived gut-like structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Yi; Takaki, Miyako; Misawa, Hiromi; Matsuyoshi, Hiroko; Sasahira, Tomonori; Chihara, Yoshitomo; Fujii, Kiyomu; Ohmori, Hitoshi; Kuniyasu, Hiroki

2010-01-01

Dome-like structures with epithelial-muscular layers resembling the gut have been derived from mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. These domes have been reported to show spontaneous contractions and are called ES gut. In the present study, we examined the epithelial-muscular axis of these domes by detecting differentiation markers. A normal epithelial-muscular axis was exhibited in the domes with spontaneous motility, whereas the domes without spontaneous motility showed either an inverted or obscure axis. To investigate the factors affecting the epithelial-muscular axis, we examined the expression of hedgehog signaling factors in the domes. Expression of hedgehog family factors was detected in the epithelial components of the domes with motility, whereas this expression was inverted or obscure in the domes without motility. Out of the 25 domes, 10 of the 10 motility (+) domes showed a normal epithelial-muscular axis, whereas 14 of the 15 motility (-) domes lacked a normal epithelial-muscular axis. This implies that activin A upregulated the expression of sonic hedgehog and intestinal alkaline phosphatase in the embryoid bodies. These findings suggest that the motility of the ES gut depends on the domes' epithelial-muscular axis. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Nuclear fuel element

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwano, Yoshihiko.

1993-01-01

Microfine cracks having a depth of less than 10% of a pipe thickness are disposed radially from a central axis each at an interval of less than 100 micron over the entire inner circumferential surface of a zirconium alloy fuel cladding tube. For manufacturing such a nuclear fuel element, the inside of the cladding tube is at first filled with an electrolyte solution of potassium chloride. Then, electrolysis is conducted using the cladding tube as an anode and the electrolyte solution as a cathode, and the inner surface of the cladding tube with a zirconium dioxide layer having a predetermined thickness. Subsequently, the cladding tube is laid on a smooth steel plate and lightly compressed by other smooth steel plate to form microfine cracks in the zirconium dioxide layer on the inner surface of the cladding tube. Such a compressing operation is continuously applied to the cladding tube while rotating the cladding tube. This can inhibit progress of cracks on the inner surface of the cladding tube, thereby enabling to prevent failure of the cladding tube even if a pellet/cladding tube mechanical interaction is applied. Accordingly, reliability of the nuclear fuel elements is improved. (I.N.)

The anteroposterior axis of the tibia in Korean patients undergoing total knee replacement.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, C W; Seo, S S; Kim, J H; Roh, S M; Lee, C R

2014-11-01

The aim of this study was to find anatomical landmarks for rotational alignment of the tibial component in total knee replacement (TKR) in a CT-based study. Pre-operative CT scanning was performed on 94 South Korean patients (nine men, 85 women, 188 knees) with osteoarthritis of the knee joint prior to TKR. The tibial anteroposterior (AP) axis was defined as a line perpendicular to the femoral surgical transepicondylar axis and passing through the centre of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). The angles between the defined tibial AP axis and anatomical landmarks at various levels of the tibia were measured. The mean values of the angles between the defined tibial AP axis and the line connecting the anterior border of the proximal third of the tibia to the centre of the PCL was -0.2° (-17 to 14.1, sd 4.1). This was very close to the defined tibial axis, and remained so regardless of lower limb alignment and the degree of tibial bowing. Therefore, AP axis defined as described, is a reliable anatomical landmark for rotational alignment of tibial components. ©2014 The British Editorial Society of Bone & Joint Surgery.

Lagrangian neoclassical transport theory applied to the region near the magnetic axis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Satake, Shinsuke [The Graduate Univ. for Advanced Studies, Dept. of Fusion Science, Toki, Gifu (Japan); Okamoto, Masao; Sugama, Hideo [National Inst. for Fusion Science, Toki, Gifu (Japan)

2002-06-01

Neoclassical transport theory around the magnetic axis of a tokamak is studied, in which relatively wide ''potato'' orbits play an important role in transport. Lagrangian formulation of transport theory, which has been investigated to reflect finiteness of guiding-center orbit widths to transport equations, is developed in order to analyze neoclassical transport near the axis for a low-collisionality plasma. The treatment of self-collision term in Lagrangian formulation is revised to retain momentum conservation property of it. With directly reflecting the orbital properties of all the types of orbits in calculation, the ion thermal conductivity around the axis is found to decrease than from that predicted by conventional neoclassical theory. This result supports recent numerical simulations which show the reduction of thermal conductivity near the magnetic axis. (author)

Lagrangian neoclassical transport theory applied to the region near the magnetic axis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Satake, Shinsuke; Okamoto, Masao; Sugama, Hideo

2002-06-01

Neoclassical transport theory around the magnetic axis of a tokamak is studied, in which relatively wide ''potato'' orbits play an important role in transport. Lagrangian formulation of transport theory, which has been investigated to reflect finiteness of guiding-center orbit widths to transport equations, is developed in order to analyze neoclassical transport near the axis for a low-collisionality plasma. The treatment of self-collision term in Lagrangian formulation is revised to retain momentum conservation property of it. With directly reflecting the orbital properties of all the types of orbits in calculation, the ion thermal conductivity around the axis is found to decrease than from that predicted by conventional neoclassical theory. This result supports recent numerical simulations which show the reduction of thermal conductivity near the magnetic axis. (author)

Adolescent Survivors of Hurricane Katrina: A Pilot Study of Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Functioning

Science.gov (United States)

Pfefferbaum, Betty; Tucker, Phebe; Nitiéma, Pascal

2015-01-01

Background: The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis constitutes an important biological component of the stress response commonly studied through the measurement of cortisol. Limited research has examined HPA axis dysregulation in youth exposed to disasters. Objective: This study examined HPA axis activation in adolescent Hurricane Katrina…

Self-assembly of orthogonal three-axis sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, J. H.; Hu, S.; Gracias, D. H.

2008-01-01

Conventional planar microfabrication is widely utilized to construct sensors for the measurement of physical or chemical properties. However, in these devices, the information component measured is typically restricted to only one vectorial axis. Here, we describe a self-assembling strategy that can be utilized to construct three dimensional (3D) cubic devices that facilitate measurement along three axes. This 3D measurement is achieved by arranging sensing elements orthogonally; any sensing element that can be lithographically patterned can be utilized. The 3D arrangement of sensors allows for the measurement of angular and orientation parameters. As an example, we describe a three-axis cantilever based sensor and demonstrate measurement of an evaporated analyte using resonant frequency shifts of cantilevers in each of the x, y, and z axes

Three axis vector atomic magnetometer utilizing polarimetric technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pradhan, Swarupananda, E-mail: spradhan@barc.gov.in, E-mail: pradhans75@gmail.com [Laser and Plasma Technology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, India and Homi Bhabha National Institute, Department of Atomic Energy, Mumbai 400094 (India)

2016-09-15

The three axis vector magnetic field measurement based on the interaction of a single elliptically polarized light beam with an atomic system is described. The magnetic field direction dependent atomic responses are extracted by the polarimetric detection in combination with laser frequency modulation and magnetic field modulation techniques. The magnetometer geometry offers additional critical requirements like compact size and large dynamic range for space application. Further, the three axis magnetic field is measured using only the reflected signal (one polarization component) from the polarimeter and thus can be easily expanded to make spatial array of detectors and/or high sensitivity field gradient measurement as required for biomedical application.

Active design method for the static characteristics of a piezoelectric six-axis force/torque sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jun; Li, Min; Qin, Lan; Liu, Jingcheng

2014-01-02

To address the bottleneck issues of an elastic-style six-axis force/torque sensor (six-axis force sensor), this work proposes a no-elastic piezoelectric six-axis force sensor. The operating principle of the piezoelectric six-axis force sensor is analyzed, and a structural model is constructed. The static-active design theory of the piezoelectric six-axis force sensor is established, including a static analytical/mathematical model and numerical simulation model (finite element model). A piezoelectric six-axis force sensor experimental prototype is developed according to the analytical mathematical model and numerical simulation model, and selected static characteristic parameters (including sensitivity, isotropic degree and cross-coupling) are tested using this model with three approaches. The measured results are in agreement with the analytical results from the static-active design method. Therefore, this study has successfully established a foundation for further research into the piezoelectric multi-axis force sensor and an overall design approach based on static characteristics.

Investigation of the microstructures of ion beams emitted from PF-1000 at different angles to the Z-axis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Skladnik-Sadowska, E.; Czaus, K.; Malinowski, K.; Kwiatkowski, R.; Zebrowski, J. [The Andrzej Soltan Institute for Nuclear Studies, IPJ, 05-400 Otwock-Swierk (Poland); Sadowski, M.J. [The Andrzej Soltan Institute for Nuclear Studies, IPJ, 0R-400 Otwock-Swierk (Poland)] [Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion, IPPLM, 01-497 Warsaw (Poland); Paduch, M.; Scholz, M. [Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion, IPPLM, 01-497 Warsaw (Poland); Kubes, P. [Czech Technical University, CVUT, 166-27 Prague (Czech Republic); Garkusha, I.E. [Institute of Plasma Physics, NSC KIPT, 61-108 Kharkov (Ukraine); Talebitaher, A. [Plasma Radiation Sources Laboratory, NIE NTU, 637616 Singapore (Singapore)

2011-07-01

The paper describes diagnostics of fast ion beams emitted from the large PF-1000 facility operated at 21-27 kV, 290-480 kJ. The use was made of pinhole cameras equipped with PM-355 nuclear track detectors and placed at different angles to the discharge axis. The ion measurements performed at 0 degree angle, as well as those at 60 degrees angle showed a complex spatial structure of the fast ion beams. The ion measurements, which were for the first time performed in the upstream direction (at 180 degrees angle), have proved that some fast deuteron beams are emitted also in the upstream direction. This document is composed of a paper and a poster. (authors)

Method for the mechanical axis alignment of the linear induction accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Hong; China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang; Yao Jin; Liu Yunlong; Zhang Linwen; Deng Jianjun

2004-01-01

Accurate mechanical axis alignment is a basic requirement for assembling a linear induction accelerator (LIA). The total length of an LIA is usually over thirty or fifty meters, and it consists of many induction cells. By using a laser tracker a new method of mechanical axis alignment for LIA is established to achieve the high accuracy. This paper introduces the method and gives implementation step and point position measure errors of the mechanical axis alignment. During the alignment process a 55 m-long alignment control survey net is built, and the theoretic revision of the coordinate of the control survey net is presented. (authors)

Optimization of automation: III. Development of optimization method for determining automation rate in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Seung Min; Kim, Jong Hyun; Kim, Man Cheol; Seong, Poong Hyun

2016-01-01

Highlights: • We propose an appropriate automation rate that enables the best human performance. • We analyze the shortest working time considering Situation Awareness Recovery (SAR). • The optimized automation rate is estimated by integrating the automation and ostracism rate estimation methods. • The process to derive the optimized automation rate is demonstrated through case studies. - Abstract: Automation has been introduced in various industries, including the nuclear field, because it is commonly believed that automation promises greater efficiency, lower workloads, and fewer operator errors through reducing operator errors and enhancing operator and system performance. However, the excessive introduction of automation has deteriorated operator performance due to the side effects of automation, which are referred to as Out-of-the-Loop (OOTL), and this is critical issue that must be resolved. Thus, in order to determine the optimal level of automation introduction that assures the best human operator performance, a quantitative method of optimizing the automation is proposed in this paper. In order to propose the optimization method for determining appropriate automation levels that enable the best human performance, the automation rate and ostracism rate, which are estimation methods that quantitatively analyze the positive and negative effects of automation, respectively, are integrated. The integration was conducted in order to derive the shortest working time through considering the concept of situation awareness recovery (SAR), which states that the automation rate with the shortest working time assures the best human performance. The process to derive the optimized automation rate is demonstrated through an emergency operation scenario-based case study. In this case study, four types of procedures are assumed through redesigning the original emergency operating procedure according to the introduced automation and ostracism levels. Using the

Nuclear variants of bone morphogenetic proteins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meinhart Christopher A

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs contribute to many different aspects of development including mesoderm formation, heart development, neurogenesis, skeletal development, and axis formation. They have previously been recognized only as secreted growth factors, but the present study detected Bmp2, Bmp4, and Gdf5/CDMP1 in the nuclei of cultured cells using immunocytochemistry and immunoblotting of nuclear extracts. Results In all three proteins, a bipartite nuclear localization signal (NLS was found to overlap the site at which the proproteins are cleaved to release the mature growth factors from the propeptides. Mutational analyses indicated that the nuclear variants of these three proteins are produced by initiating translation from downstream alternative start codons. The resulting proteins lack N-terminal signal peptides and are therefore translated in the cytoplasm rather than the endoplasmic reticulum, thus avoiding proteolytic processing in the secretory pathway. Instead, the uncleaved proteins (designated nBmp2, nBmp4, and nGdf5 containing the intact NLSs are translocated to the nucleus. Immunostaining of endogenous nBmp2 in cultured cells demonstrated that the amount of nBmp2 as well as its nuclear/cytoplasmic distribution differs between cells that are in M-phase versus other phases of the cell cycle. Conclusions The observation that nBmp2 localization varies throughout the cell cycle, as well as the conservation of a nuclear localization mechanism among three different BMP family members, suggests that these novel nuclear variants of BMP family proteins play an important functional role in the cell.

Modal Analysis on Fluid-Structure Interaction of MW-Level Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Tower

OpenAIRE

Tan Jiqiu; Zhong Dingqing; Wang Qiong

2014-01-01

In order to avoid resonance problem of MW-level vertical axis wind turbine induced by wind, a flow field model of the MW-level vertical axis wind turbine is established by using the fluid flow control equations, calculate flow’s velocity and pressure of the MW-level vertical axis wind turbine and load onto tower’s before and after surface, study the Modal analysis of fluid-structure interaction of MW-level vertical axis wind turbine tower. The results show that fluid-structure interaction fie...

Robot for Investigations and Assessments of Nuclear Areas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kanaan, Daniel; Dogny, Stephane [AREVA D and S/DT, 30206 Bagnols sur Ceze (France)

2015-07-01

RIANA is a remote controlled Robot dedicated for Investigations and Assessments of Nuclear Areas. The development of RIANA is motivated by the need to have at disposal a proven robot, tested in hot cells; a robot capable of remotely investigate and characterise the inside of nuclear facilities in order to collect efficiently all the required data in the shortest possible time. It is based on a wireless medium sized remote carrier that may carry a wide variety of interchangeable modules, sensors and tools. It is easily customised to match specific requirements and quickly configured depending on the mission and the operator's preferences. RIANA integrates localisation and navigation systems. The robot will be able to generate / update a 2D map of its surrounding and exploring areas. The position of the robot is given accurately on the map. Furthermore, the robot will be able to autonomously calculate, define and follow a trajectory between 2 points taking into account its environment and obstacles. The robot is configurable to manage obstacles and restrict access to forbidden areas. RIANA allows an advanced control of modules, sensors and tools; all collected data (radiological and measured data) are displayed in real time in different format (chart, on the generated map...) and stored in a single place so that may be exported in a convenient format for data processing. This modular design gives RIANA the flexibility to perform multiple investigation missions where humans cannot work such as: visual inspections, dynamic localization and 2D mapping, characterizations and nuclear measurements of floor and walls, non destructive testing, samples collection: solid and liquid. The benefits of using RIANA are: - reducing the personnel exposures by limiting the manual intervention time, - minimizing the time and reducing the cost of investigation operations, - providing critical inputs to set up and optimize cleanup and dismantling operations. (authors)

Robot for Investigations and Assessments of Nuclear Areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanaan, Daniel; Dogny, Stephane

2015-01-01

RIANA is a remote controlled Robot dedicated for Investigations and Assessments of Nuclear Areas. The development of RIANA is motivated by the need to have at disposal a proven robot, tested in hot cells; a robot capable of remotely investigate and characterise the inside of nuclear facilities in order to collect efficiently all the required data in the shortest possible time. It is based on a wireless medium sized remote carrier that may carry a wide variety of interchangeable modules, sensors and tools. It is easily customised to match specific requirements and quickly configured depending on the mission and the operator's preferences. RIANA integrates localisation and navigation systems. The robot will be able to generate / update a 2D map of its surrounding and exploring areas. The position of the robot is given accurately on the map. Furthermore, the robot will be able to autonomously calculate, define and follow a trajectory between 2 points taking into account its environment and obstacles. The robot is configurable to manage obstacles and restrict access to forbidden areas. RIANA allows an advanced control of modules, sensors and tools; all collected data (radiological and measured data) are displayed in real time in different format (chart, on the generated map...) and stored in a single place so that may be exported in a convenient format for data processing. This modular design gives RIANA the flexibility to perform multiple investigation missions where humans cannot work such as: visual inspections, dynamic localization and 2D mapping, characterizations and nuclear measurements of floor and walls, non destructive testing, samples collection: solid and liquid. The benefits of using RIANA are: - reducing the personnel exposures by limiting the manual intervention time, - minimizing the time and reducing the cost of investigation operations, - providing critical inputs to set up and optimize cleanup and dismantling operations. (authors)

Helical-axis stellarators with noninterlocking planar coils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reiman, A.; Boozer, A.

1983-08-01

The properties of helical axis stellarator fields generated by unlinked, planar coils are described. It is shown that such fields can have a magnetic well and large rotational transform, implying large equilibrium and stability beta limits

Helical-axis stellarators with noninterlocking planar coils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reiman, A.; Boozer, A.

1983-08-01

The properties of helical axis stellarator fields generated by unlinked, planar coils are described. It is shown that such fields can have a magnetic well and large rotational transform, implying large equilibrium and stability beta limits.

Analytical characterization of radiation fields generated by certain witch-type distributed axi-symmetrical ion beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Timus, D.M.; Kalla, S.L.; Abbas, M.I.

2005-01-01

Increasing interest is being shown in obtaining accurate predictions concerning radiation fields produced by ion beams impinging on homogeneous plane targets, the effect of this process being exothermic nuclear reactions. Previous theoretical studies made by the authors have focused on radiation fields generated by homogeneous plane disk- or ring-shaped sources, based on a unified treatment of the radiation field distribution developed by Hubbell and co-workers. In the case of an equivalent homogeneous source anisotropically emitting in non dispersive media, the Legendre polynomial series expansion method for specific emissivity function can be successfully applied when conditions for the convergence of the approximating series are satisfied. We have developed an analytical expression for the radiation field distribution around a homogeneous disk-shaped target bombarded by Witch-type distributed (in transverse plane) ion beams whose elementary areas anisotropically emit following a cos-type law in non dispersive media. Results of this investigation can be extended to various experimental situations in which the assumption of an angular omni-directional as well as of a constant space distribution of nuclear reaction emissivity over the accelerator target surface or other kinds of axi-symmetric plane sources of radiation is no longer valid. Animated 3 D graphics visualization is suggested

Equilibrium and stability of off-axis periodically focused particle beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moraes, J.S.; Pakter, R.; Rizzato, F.B.

2004-01-01

A general equation for the centroid motion of free, continuous, intense beams propagating off axis in solenoidal periodic focusing fields is derived. The centroid equation is found to be independent of the specific beam distribution and may exhibit unstable solutions. A new Vlasov equilibrium for off-axis beam propagation is also obtained. The properties of the equilibrium and the relevance of centroid motion to beam confinement are discussed

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis genetic variation and early stress moderates amygdala function.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Iorio, Christina R; Carey, Caitlin E; Michalski, Lindsay J; Corral-Frias, Nadia S; Conley, Emily Drabant; Hariri, Ahmad R; Bogdan, Ryan

2017-06-01

Early life stress may precipitate psychopathology, at least in part, by influencing amygdala function. Converging evidence across species suggests that links between childhood stress and amygdala function may be dependent upon hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function. Using data from college-attending non-Hispanic European-Americans (n=308) who completed the Duke Neurogenetics Study, we examined whether early life stress (ELS) and HPA axis genetic variation interact to predict threat-related amygdala function as well as psychopathology symptoms. A biologically-informed multilocus profile score (BIMPS) captured HPA axis genetic variation (FKBP5 rs1360780, CRHR1 rs110402; NR3C2 rs5522/rs4635799) previously associated with its function (higher BIMPS are reflective of higher HPA axis activity). BOLD fMRI data were acquired while participants completed an emotional face matching task. ELS and depression and anxiety symptoms were measured using the childhood trauma questionnaire and the mood and anxiety symptom questionnaire, respectively. The interaction between HPA axis BIMPS and ELS was associated with right amygdala reactivity to threat-related stimuli, after accounting for multiple testing (empirical-p=0.016). Among individuals with higher BIMPS (i.e., the upper 21.4%), ELS was positively coupled with threat-related amygdala reactivity, which was absent among those with average or low BIMPS. Further, higher BIMPS were associated with greater self-reported anxious arousal, though there was no evidence that amygdala function mediated this relationship. Polygenic variation linked to HPA axis function may moderate the effects of early life stress on threat-related amygdala function and confer risk for anxiety symptomatology. However, what, if any, neural mechanisms may mediate the relationship between HPA axis BIMPS and anxiety symptomatology remains unclear. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High-accuracy self-calibration method for dual-axis rotation-modulating RLG-INS

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Guo; Gao, Chunfeng; Wang, Qi; Wang, Qun; Long, Xingwu

2017-05-01

Inertial navigation system has been the core component of both military and civil navigation systems. Dual-axis rotation modulation can completely eliminate the inertial elements constant errors of the three axes to improve the system accuracy. But the error caused by the misalignment angles and the scale factor error cannot be eliminated through dual-axis rotation modulation. And discrete calibration method cannot fulfill requirements of high-accurate calibration of the mechanically dithered ring laser gyroscope navigation system with shock absorbers. This paper has analyzed the effect of calibration error during one modulated period and presented a new systematic self-calibration method for dual-axis rotation-modulating RLG-INS. Procedure for self-calibration of dual-axis rotation-modulating RLG-INS has been designed. The results of self-calibration simulation experiment proved that: this scheme can estimate all the errors in the calibration error model, the calibration precision of the inertial sensors scale factor error is less than 1ppm and the misalignment is less than 5″. These results have validated the systematic self-calibration method and proved its importance for accuracy improvement of dual -axis rotation inertial navigation system with mechanically dithered ring laser gyroscope.

Tilted c-Axis Thin-Film Bulk Wave Resonant Pressure Sensors With Improved Sensitivity

OpenAIRE

Anderås, Emil; Katardjiev, Ilia; Yantchev, Ventsislav

2012-01-01

Aluminum nitride thin film bulk wave resonant pressure sensors employing c- and tilted c-axis texture, have been fabricated and tested for their pressure sensitivities. The c-axis tilted FBAR pressure sensors demonstrate substantially higher pressure sensitivity compared to its c-axis oriented counterpart. More specifically the thickness plate quasi-shear resonance has demonstrated the highest pressure sensitivity while further being able to preserve its performance in liquid environment.

Nuclear Organization in the Spinal Cord Depends on Motor Neuron Lamination Orchestrated by Catenin and Afadin Function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carola Dewitz

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Motor neurons in the spinal cord are found grouped in nuclear structures termed pools, whose position is precisely orchestrated during development. Despite the emerging role of pool organization in the assembly of spinal circuits, little is known about the morphogenetic programs underlying the patterning of motor neuron subtypes. We applied three-dimensional analysis of motor neuron position to reveal the roles and contributions of cell adhesive function by inactivating N-cadherin, catenin, and afadin signaling. Our findings reveal that nuclear organization of motor neurons is dependent on inside-out positioning, orchestrated by N-cadherin, catenin, and afadin activities, controlling cell body layering on the medio-lateral axis. In addition to this lamination-like program, motor neurons undergo a secondary, independent phase of organization. This process results in segregation of motor neurons along the dorso-ventral axis of the spinal cord, does not require N-cadherin or afadin activity, and can proceed even when medio-lateral positioning is perturbed.

Maintenance of Gastrointestinal Glucose Homeostasis by the Gut-Brain Axis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xiyue; Eslamfam, Shabnam; Fang, Luoyun; Qiao, Shiyan; Ma, Xi

2017-01-01

Gastrointestinal homeostasis is a dynamic balance under the interaction between the host, GI tract, nutrition and energy metabolism. Glucose is the main energy source in living cells. Thus, glucose metabolic disorders can impair normal cellular function and endanger organisms' health. Diseases that are associated with glucose metabolic disorders such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and other metabolic syndromes are in fact life threatening. Digestive system is responsible for food digestion and nutrient absorption. It is also involved in neuronal, immune, and endocrine pathways. In addition, the gut microbiota plays an essential role in initiating signal transduction, and communication between the enteric and central nervous system. Gut-brain axis is composed of enteric neural system, central neural system, and all the efferent and afferent neurons that are involved in signal transduction between the brain and gut-brain. Gut-brain axis is influenced by the gut-microbiota as well as numerous neurotransmitters. Properly regulated gut-brain axis ensures normal digestion, absorption, energy production, and subsequently maintenance of glucose homeostasis. Understanding the underlying regulatory mechanisms of gut-brain axis involved in gluose homeostasis would enable us develop more efficient means of prevention and management of metabolic disease such as diabetic, obesity, and hypertension. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Off-Axis Gaussian Beams with Random Displacement in Atmospheric Turbulence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yahya Baykal

2006-10-01

Full Text Available Our recent work in which we study the propagation of the general Hermite-sinusoidal-Gaussian laser beams in wireless broadband access telecommunication systems is elaborated in this paper to cover the special case of an off-axis Gaussian beam. We mainly investigate the propagation characteristics in atmospheric turbulence of an off-axis Gaussian beam possessing Gaussian distributed random displacement parameters. Our interest is to search for different types of laser beams that will improve the performance of a wireless broadband access system when atmospheric turbulence is considered. Our formulation is based on the basic solution of the second order mutual coherence function evaluated at the receiver plane. For fixed turbulence strength, the coherence length calculated at the receiver plane is found to decrease as the variance of the random displacement is increased. It is shown that as the turbulence becomes stronger, coherence lengths due to off-axis Gaussian beams tend to approach the same value, irrespective of the variance of the random displacement. As expected, the beam spreading is found to be pronounced for larger variance of displacement parameter. Average intensity profiles when atmospheric turbulence is present are plotted for different values of the variance of the random displacement parameter of the off-axis Gaussian beam.

Engineering the on-axis intensity of Bessel beam by a feedback tuning loop

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Runze; Yu, Xianghua; Yang, Yanlong; Peng, Tong; Yao, Baoli; Zhang, Chunmin; Ye, Tong

2018-02-01

The Bessel beam belongs to a typical class of non-diffractive optical fields that are characterized by their invariant focal profiles along the propagation direction. However, ideal Bessel beams only rigorously exist in theory; Bessel beams generated in the lab are quasi-Bessel beams with finite focal extensions and varying intensity profiles along the propagation axis. The ability to engineer the on-axis intensity profile to the desired shape is essential for many applications. Here we demonstrate an iterative optimization-based approach to engineering the on-axis intensity of Bessel beams. The genetic algorithm is used to demonstrate this approach. Starting with a traditional axicon phase mask, in the design process, the computed on-axis beam profile is fed into a feedback tuning loop of an iterative optimization process, which searches for an optimal radial phase distribution that can generate a generalized Bessel beam with the desired onaxis intensity profile. The experimental implementation involves a fine-tuning process that adjusts the originally targeted profile so that the optimization process can optimize the phase mask to yield an improved on-axis profile. Our proposed method has been demonstrated in engineering several zeroth-order Bessel beams with customized on-axis profiles. High accuracy and high energy throughput merit its use in many applications.

HPA AXIS RELATED GENES AND RESPONSE TO PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPIES: GENETICS AND EPIGENETICS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roberts, Susanna; Keers, Robert; Lester, Kathryn J.; Coleman, Jonathan R. I.; Breen, Gerome; Arendt, Kristian; Blatter-Meunier, Judith; Cooper, Peter; Creswell, Cathy; Fjermestad, Krister; Havik, Odd E.; Herren, Chantal; Hogendoorn, Sanne M.; Hudson, Jennifer L.; Krause, Karen; Lyneham, Heidi J.; Morris, Talia; Nauta, Maaike; Rapee, Ronald M.; Rey, Yasmin; Schneider, Silvia; Schneider, Sophie C.; Silverman, Wendy K.; Thastum, Mikael; Thirlwall, Kerstin; Waite, Polly; Eley, Thalia C.; Wong, Chloe C. Y.

2015-01-01

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functioning has been implicated in the development of stress-related psychiatric diagnoses and response to adverse life experiences. This study aimed to investigate the association between genetic and epigenetics in HPA axis and response to cognitive

Multi-Axis Thrust Measurements of the EO-1 Pulsed Plasma Thruster

Science.gov (United States)

Arrington, Lynn A.; Haag, Thomas W.

1999-01-01

Pulsed plasma thrusters are low thrust propulsive devices which have a high specific impulse at low power. A pulsed plasma thruster is currently scheduled to fly as an experiment on NASA's Earth Observing-1 satellite mission. The pulsed plasma thruster will be used to replace one of the reaction wheels. As part of the qualification testing of the thruster it is necessary to determine the nominal thrust as a function of charge energy. These data will be used to determine control algorithms. Testing was first completed on a breadboard pulsed plasma thruster to determine nominal or primary axis thrust and associated propellant mass consumption as a function of energy and then later to determine if any significant off-axis thrust component existed. On conclusion that there was a significant off-axis thrust component with the bread-board in the direction of the anode electrode, the test matrix was expanded on the flight hardware to include thrust measurements along all three orthogonal axes. Similar off-axis components were found with the flight unit.

Microfabrication and Characterization of an Integrated 3-Axis CMOS-MEMS Accelerometer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongwei QU

2007-10-01

Full Text Available This paper reports the fabrication and characterization of a monolithically integrated 3-axis CMOS-MEMS accelerometer with a single proof mass. An improved microfabrication process has been developed to solve the structure overheating and particle contamination problems in the plasma etching processes of device fabrication. The whole device is made of bulk silicon except for some short thin films for electrical isolation, allowing large sensing capacitance and flat device structure. A low-noise, low-power amplifier is designed for each axis, which provides 40 dB on-chip amplification and consumes only 1 mW power. Quasi-static and dynamic characterization of the fabricated device has been performed. The measured sensitivities of the lateral- and z-axis accelerometers are 560 mV/g and 320 mV/g, respectively, which can be tuned by simply varying the amplitude of the modulation signal. The over-all noise floors of the lateral- and z-axis are 12 μg/ÖHz and 110 μg/ÖHz, respectively when tested at 200 Hz.

Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Modulation of Glucocorticoids in the Cardiovascular System.

Science.gov (United States)

Burford, Natalie G; Webster, Natalia A; Cruz-Topete, Diana

2017-10-16

The collective of endocrine organs acting in homeostatic regulation-known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis-comprises an integration of the central nervous system as well as peripheral tissues. These organs respond to imminent or perceived threats that elicit a stress response, primarily culminating in the release of glucocorticoids into the systemic circulation by the adrenal glands. Although the secretion of glucocorticoids serves to protect and maintain homeostasis in the typical operation at baseline levels, inadequate regulation can lead to physiologic and psychologic pathologies. The cardiovascular system is especially susceptible to prolonged dysregulation of the HPA axis and glucocorticoid production. There is debate about whether cardiovascular health risks arise from the direct detrimental effects of stress axis activation or whether pathologies develop secondary to the accompanying metabolic strain of excess glucocorticoids. In this review, we will explore the emerging research that indicates stress does have direct effects on the cardiovascular system via the HPA axis activation, with emphasis on the latest research on the impact of glucocorticoids signaling in the vasculature and the heart.

Analytical Aerodynamic Simulation Tools for Vertical Axis Wind Turbines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deglaire, Paul

2010-01-01

Wind power is a renewable energy source that is today the fastest growing solution to reduce CO 2 emissions in the electric energy mix. Upwind horizontal axis wind turbine with three blades has been the preferred technical choice for more than two decades. This horizontal axis concept is today widely leading the market. The current PhD thesis will cover an alternative type of wind turbine with straight blades and rotating along the vertical axis. A brief overview of the main differences between the horizontal and vertical axis concept has been made. However the main focus of this thesis is the aerodynamics of the wind turbine blades. Making aerodynamically efficient turbines starts with efficient blades. Making efficient blades requires a good understanding of the physical phenomena and effective simulations tools to model them. The specific aerodynamics for straight bladed vertical axis turbine flow are reviewed together with the standard aerodynamic simulations tools that have been used in the past by blade and rotor designer. A reasonably fast (regarding computer power) and accurate (regarding comparison with experimental results) simulation method was still lacking in the field prior to the current work. This thesis aims at designing such a method. Analytical methods can be used to model complex flow if the geometry is simple. Therefore, a conformal mapping method is derived to transform any set of section into a set of standard circles. Then analytical procedures are generalized to simulate moving multibody sections in the complex vertical flows and forces experienced by the blades. Finally the fast semi analytical aerodynamic algorithm boosted by fast multipole methods to handle high number of vortices is coupled with a simple structural model of the rotor to investigate potential aeroelastic instabilities. Together with these advanced simulation tools, a standard double multiple streamtube model has been developed and used to design several straight bladed

Tuning the DARHT Axis-II linear induction accelerator focusing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ekdahl, Carl A. [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2012-04-24

Flash radiography of large hydrodynamic experiments driven by high explosives is a well-known diagnostic technique in use at many laboratories, and the Dual-Axis Radiography for Hydrodynamic Testing (DARHT) facility at Los Alamos produces flash radiographs of large hydrodynamic experiments. Two linear induction accelerators (LIAs) make the bremsstrahlung radiographic source spots for orthogonal views of each test. The 2-kA, 20-MeV Axis-I LIA creates a single 60-ns radiography pulse. The 1.7-kA, 16.5-MeV Axis-II LIA creates up to four radiography pulses by kicking them out of a longer pulse that has a 1.6-{mu}s flattop. The Axis-II injector, LIA, kicker, and downstream transport (DST) to the bremsstrahlung converter are described. Adjusting the magnetic focusing and steering elements to optimize the electron-beam transport through an LIA is often called 'tuning.' As in all high-current LIAs, the focusing field is designed to be as close to that of the ideal continuous solenoid as physically possible. In ideal continuous solenoidal transport a smoothly varying beam size can easily be found for which radial forces balance, and the beam is said to be 'matched' to the focusing field. A 'mismatched' beam exhibits unwanted oscillations in size, which are a source of free energy that contributes to emittance growth. This is undesirable, because in the absence of beam-target effects, the radiographic spot size is proportional to the emittance. Tuning the Axis-II LIA is done in two steps. First, the solenoidal focusing elements are set to values designed to provide a matched beam with little or no envelope oscillations, and little or no beam-breakup (BBU) instability growth. Then, steering elements are adjusted to minimize the motion of the centroid of a well-centered beam at the LIA exit. This article only describes the design of the tune for the focusing solenoids. The DARHT Axis-II LIA was required to be re-tuned after installing an

Application of one-axis sun tracking system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sefa, Ibrahim; Demirtas, Mehmet; Colak, Ilhami [Gazi University, Faculty of Technical Education, Department of Electrical Education, GEMEC-Gazi Electric Machines and Control Group, Ankara (Turkey)

2009-11-15

This paper introduces design and application of a novel one-axis sun tracking system which follows the position of the sun and allows investigating effects of one-axis tracking system on the solar energy in Turkey. The tracking system includes a serial communication interface based on RS 485 to monitor whole processes on a computer screen and to plot data as graphic. In addition, system parameters such as the current, the voltage and the panel position have been observed by means of a microcontroller. The energy collected is measured and compared with a fixed solar system for the same solar panel. The results show that the solar energy collected on the tracking system is considerably much efficient than the fixed system. The tracking system developed in this study provides easy installation, simple mechanism and less maintenance. (author)

Application of one-axis sun tracking system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sefa, Ibrahim; Demirtas, Mehmet; Colak, Ilhami

2009-01-01

This paper introduces design and application of a novel one-axis sun tracking system which follows the position of the sun and allows investigating effects of one-axis tracking system on the solar energy in Turkey. The tracking system includes a serial communication interface based on RS 485 to monitor whole processes on a computer screen and to plot data as graphic. In addition, system parameters such as the current, the voltage and the panel position have been observed by means of a microcontroller. The energy collected is measured and compared with a fixed solar system for the same solar panel. The results show that the solar energy collected on the tracking system is considerably much efficient than the fixed system. The tracking system developed in this study provides easy installation, simple mechanism and less maintenance.

Cognition and HPA axis reactivity in mildly to moderately depressed outpatients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krogh, Jesper; Videbech, Poul; Renvillard, Signe Groth

2012-01-01

Background: Patients with depression display neurobiological changes of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis as well as cognitive disturbances. Aims: To assess any association between hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity and memory-related cognitive functions. Methods: Depressed...... the following day at the same times. Results: Patients and controls did not differ on any memory-related cognitive skills. After dexamethasone the cortisol level was 1.7 nmol/l higher (95% CI 0.0-2.8, P =¿0.05) in depressed patients compared with controls. In the control group, but not in the patients...... after dexamethasone and visuo-spatial memory primarily driven by the healthy controls. Otherwise, no association were found between HPA axis reactivity and memory-related cognitive function....

The application of image processing in the measurement for three-light-axis parallelity of laser ranger

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yang; Wang, Qianqian

2008-12-01

When laser ranger is transported or used in field operations, the transmitting axis, receiving axis and aiming axis may be not parallel. The nonparallelism of the three-light-axis will affect the range-measuring ability or make laser ranger not be operated exactly. So testing and adjusting the three-light-axis parallelity in the production and maintenance of laser ranger is important to ensure using laser ranger reliably. The paper proposes a new measurement method using digital image processing based on the comparison of some common measurement methods for the three-light-axis parallelity. It uses large aperture off-axis paraboloid reflector to get the images of laser spot and white light cross line, and then process the images on LabVIEW platform. The center of white light cross line can be achieved by the matching arithmetic in LABVIEW DLL. And the center of laser spot can be achieved by gradation transformation, binarization and area filter in turn. The software system can set CCD, detect the off-axis paraboloid reflector, measure the parallelity of transmitting axis and aiming axis and control the attenuation device. The hardware system selects SAA7111A, a programmable vedio decoding chip, to perform A/D conversion. FIFO (first-in first-out) is selected as buffer.USB bus is used to transmit data to PC. The three-light-axis parallelity can be achieved according to the position bias between them. The device based on this method has been already used. The application proves this method has high precision, speediness and automatization.

The highest velocity and the shortest duration permitting attainment of VO2max during running

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tiago Turnes

2015-02-01

Full Text Available DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/1980-0037.2015v17n2p226   The severe-intensity domain has important applications for the prescription of running training and the elaboration of experimental designs. The objectives of this study were: 1 to investigate the validity of a previously proposed model to estimate the shortest exercise duration (TLOW and the highest velocity (VHIGH at which VO2max is reached during running, and 2 to evaluate the effects of aerobic training status on these variables. Eight runners and eight physically active subjects performed several treadmill running exercise tests to fatigue in order to mathematically estimate and to experimentally determine TLOW and VHIGH. The relationship between the time to achieve VO2max and time to exhaustion (Tlim was used to estimate TLOW. VHIGH was estimated using the critical velocity model. VHIGH was assumed to be the highest velocity at which VO2 was equal to or higher than the average VO2max minus one standard deviation. TLOW was defined as Tlim associated with VHIGH. Runners presented better aerobic fitness and higher VHIGH (22.2 ± 1.9 km.h-1 than active subjects (20.0 ± 2.1 km.h-1. However, TLOW did not differ between groups (runners: 101 ± 39 s; active subjects: 100 ± 35 s. TLOW and VHIGH were not well estimated by the model proposed, with high coefficients of variation (> 6% and a low correlation coefficient (r<0.70, a fact reducing the validity of the model. It was concluded that aerobic training status positively affected only VHIGH. Furthermore, the model proposed presented low validity to estimate the upper boundary of the severe-intensity domain (i.e., VHIGH, irrespective of the subjects’ training status.

Design, Fabrication, and Modeling of a Novel Dual-Axis Control Input PZT Gyroscope

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cheng-Yang Chang

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Conventional gyroscopes are equipped with a single-axis control input, limiting their performance. Although researchers have proposed control algorithms with dual-axis control inputs to improve gyroscope performance, most have verified the control algorithms through numerical simulations because they lacked practical devices with dual-axis control inputs. The aim of this study was to design a piezoelectric gyroscope equipped with a dual-axis control input so that researchers may experimentally verify those control algorithms in future. Designing a piezoelectric gyroscope with a dual-axis control input is more difficult than designing a conventional gyroscope because the control input must be effective over a broad frequency range to compensate for imperfections, and the multiple mode shapes in flexural deformations complicate the relation between flexural deformation and the proof mass position. This study solved these problems by using a lead zirconate titanate (PZT material, introducing additional electrodes for shielding, developing an optimal electrode pattern, and performing calibrations of undesired couplings. The results indicated that the fabricated device could be operated at 5.5±1 kHz to perform dual-axis actuations and position measurements. The calibration of the fabricated device was completed by system identifications of a new dynamic model including gyroscopic motions, electromechanical coupling, mechanical coupling, electrostatic coupling, and capacitive output impedance. Finally, without the assistance of control algorithms, the “open loop sensitivity” of the fabricated gyroscope was 1.82 μV/deg/s with a nonlinearity of 9.5% full-scale output. This sensitivity is comparable with those of other PZT gyroscopes with single-axis control inputs.

Design, Fabrication, and Modeling of a Novel Dual-Axis Control Input PZT Gyroscope.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Cheng-Yang; Chen, Tsung-Lin

2017-10-31

Conventional gyroscopes are equipped with a single-axis control input, limiting their performance. Although researchers have proposed control algorithms with dual-axis control inputs to improve gyroscope performance, most have verified the control algorithms through numerical simulations because they lacked practical devices with dual-axis control inputs. The aim of this study was to design a piezoelectric gyroscope equipped with a dual-axis control input so that researchers may experimentally verify those control algorithms in future. Designing a piezoelectric gyroscope with a dual-axis control input is more difficult than designing a conventional gyroscope because the control input must be effective over a broad frequency range to compensate for imperfections, and the multiple mode shapes in flexural deformations complicate the relation between flexural deformation and the proof mass position. This study solved these problems by using a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) material, introducing additional electrodes for shielding, developing an optimal electrode pattern, and performing calibrations of undesired couplings. The results indicated that the fabricated device could be operated at 5.5±1 kHz to perform dual-axis actuations and position measurements. The calibration of the fabricated device was completed by system identifications of a new dynamic model including gyroscopic motions, electromechanical coupling, mechanical coupling, electrostatic coupling, and capacitive output impedance. Finally, without the assistance of control algorithms, the "open loop sensitivity" of the fabricated gyroscope was 1.82 μV/deg/s with a nonlinearity of 9.5% full-scale output. This sensitivity is comparable with those of other PZT gyroscopes with single-axis control inputs.

A Miniature Magnetic-Force-Based Three-Axis AC Magnetic Sensor with Piezoelectric/Vibrational Energy-Harvesting Functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chiao-Fang Hung

2017-02-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we demonstrate a miniature magnetic-force-based, three-axis, AC magnetic sensor with piezoelectric/vibrational energy-harvesting functions. For magnetic sensing, the sensor employs a magnetic–mechanical–piezoelectric configuration (which uses magnetic force and torque, a compact, single, mechanical mechanism, and the piezoelectric effect to convert x-axis and y-axis in-plane and z-axis magnetic fields into piezoelectric voltage outputs. Under the x-axis magnetic field (sine-wave, 100 Hz, 0.2–3.2 gauss and the z-axis magnetic field (sine-wave, 142 Hz, 0.2–3.2 gauss, the voltage output with the sensitivity of the sensor are 1.13–26.15 mV with 8.79 mV/gauss and 1.31–8.92 mV with 2.63 mV/gauss, respectively. In addition, through this configuration, the sensor can harness ambient vibrational energy, i.e., possessing piezoelectric/vibrational energy-harvesting functions. Under x-axis vibration (sine-wave, 100 Hz, 3.5 g and z-axis vibration (sine-wave, 142 Hz, 3.8 g, the root-mean-square voltage output with power output of the sensor is 439 mV with 0.333 μW and 138 mV with 0.051 μW, respectively. These results show that the sensor, using this configuration, successfully achieves three-axis magnetic field sensing and three-axis vibration energy-harvesting. Due to these features, the three-axis AC magnetic sensor could be an important design reference in order to develop future three-axis AC magnetic sensors, which possess energy-harvesting functions, for practical industrial applications, such as intelligent vehicle/traffic monitoring, processes monitoring, security systems, and so on.

Anteroposterior axis patterning by early canonical Wnt signaling during hemichordate development

Science.gov (United States)

Darras, Sébastien; Fritzenwanker, Jens H.; Uhlinger, Kevin R.; Farrelly, Ellyn; Pani, Ariel M.; Hurley, Imogen A.; Norris, Rachael P.; Osovitz, Michelle; Terasaki, Mark; Wu, Mike; Aronowicz, Jochanan; Kirschner, Marc; Gerhart, John C.

2018-01-01

The Wnt family of secreted proteins has been proposed to play a conserved role in early specification of the bilaterian anteroposterior (A/P) axis. This hypothesis is based predominantly on data from vertebrate embryogenesis as well as planarian regeneration and homeostasis, indicating that canonical Wnt (cWnt) signaling endows cells with positional information along the A/P axis. Outside of these phyla, there is strong support for a conserved role of cWnt signaling in the repression of anterior fates, but little comparative support for a conserved role in promotion of posterior fates. We further test the hypothesis by investigating the role of cWnt signaling during early patterning along the A/P axis of the hemichordate Saccoglossus kowalevskii. We have cloned and investigated the expression of the complete Wnt ligand and Frizzled receptor complement of S. kowalevskii during early development along with many secreted Wnt modifiers. Eleven of the 13 Wnt ligands are ectodermally expressed in overlapping domains, predominantly in the posterior, and Wnt antagonists are localized predominantly to the anterior ectoderm in a pattern reminiscent of their distribution in vertebrate embryos. Overexpression and knockdown experiments, in combination with embryological manipulations, establish the importance of cWnt signaling for repression of anterior fates and activation of mid-axial ectodermal fates during the early development of S. kowalevskii. However, surprisingly, terminal posterior fates, defined by posterior Hox genes, are unresponsive to manipulation of cWnt levels during the early establishment of the A/P axis at late blastula and early gastrula. We establish experimental support for a conserved role of Wnt signaling in the early specification of the A/P axis during deuterostome body plan diversification, and further build support for an ancestral role of this pathway in early evolution of the bilaterian A/P axis. We find strong support for a role of cWnt in

Design Of Rotor Blade For Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Using Double Aerofoil

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chougule, Prasad; Ratkovich, Nicolas Rios; Kirkegaard, Poul Henning

Nowadays, small vertical axis wind turbines are receiving more attention compared to horizontal wind turbines due to their suitability in urban use because they generate less noise, have bird free turbines and lower cost. There is few vertical axis wind turbines design with good power curve....... However, the efficiency of power extraction has not been improved. Therefore, an attempt has been made to utilize high lift technology in practice for vertical axis wind turbines in order to improve power efficiency. High lift is obtained by double aerofoil elements mainly used in aeroplane wing design....... In this current work two aerofoils are used to design a rotor blade for a vertical axis wind turbine to improve the power efficiency on the rotor. Double aerofoil blade design consists of a main aerofoil and a slat aerofoil. The parameters related to position and orientation of the slat aerofoil with respect...

Blade pitch optimization methods for vertical-axis wind turbines

Science.gov (United States)

Kozak, Peter

Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) offer an inherently simpler design than horizontal-axis machines, while their lower blade speed mitigates safety and noise concerns, potentially allowing for installation closer to populated and ecologically sensitive areas. While VAWTs do offer significant operational advantages, development has been hampered by the difficulty of modeling the aerodynamics involved, further complicated by their rotating geometry. This thesis presents results from a simulation of a baseline VAWT computed using Star-CCM+, a commercial finite-volume (FVM) code. VAWT aerodynamics are shown to be dominated at low tip-speed ratios by dynamic stall phenomena and at high tip-speed ratios by wake-blade interactions. Several optimization techniques have been developed for the adjustment of blade pitch based on finite-volume simulations and streamtube models. The effectiveness of the optimization procedure is evaluated and the basic architecture for a feedback control system is proposed. Implementation of variable blade pitch is shown to increase a baseline turbine's power output between 40%-100%, depending on the optimization technique, improving the turbine's competitiveness when compared with a commercially-available horizontal-axis turbine.

Organization of co-occurring Axis II features in borderline personality disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Critchfield, Kenneth L; Clarkin, John F; Levy, Kenneth N; Kernberg, Otto F

2008-06-01

Considerable heterogeneity exists in the comorbid Axis II features that frequently accompany borderline personality disorder (BPD). These features have potential to be meaningfully organized, relate to specific BPD presentation, and have implications for treatment process and outcome. The present study explored patterns of Axis II comorbidity in order to identify subtypes of BPD. A well-defined sample of 90 patients diagnosed with BPD was recruited as part of an RCT study. Participants were administered the International Personality Disorder Examination (Loranger, 1999) to diagnose BPD and assess comorbid Axis II features. Other measures were also administered to assess aspects of current work and relationship functioning, symptomatology, and self-concept. Q-factoring was used to develop subtypes based on commonly occurring Axis II profiles, identifying three: Cluster A (elevated paranoid and schizotypal features), Cluster B (elevated narcissistic and histrionic features), and Cluster C (elevated avoidant and obsessive-compulsive features). An additional factor analysis revealed two dimensions underlying the comorbid features identifiable as: extraversion versus introversion and antagonism versus constraint. Validity of these two maps of comorbidity was explored in terms of the BPD criteria themselves, as well as on work and relationship functioning, identity diffusion, views of self and others, positive and negative affect, behavioural dyscontrol, and symptomatic distress. Clinically meaningful subtypes can be identified for BPD based on co-occurring Axis II features. Further research is needed to replicate and further establish base-rates of these subtypes as well as their differential implications for treatment.

Vortex capturing vertical axis wind turbine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zannetti, L; Gallizio, F; Ottino, G

2007-01-01

An analytical-numerical study is presented for an innovative lift vertical axis turbine whose blades are designed with vortex trapping cavities that act as passive flow control devices. The unsteady flow field past one-bladed and two-bladed turbines is described by a combined analytical and numerical method based on conformal mapping and on a blob vortex method

From Bench to Bedside: Translating the Prolactin/Vasoinhibin Axis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jakob Triebel

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The prolactin/vasoinhibin axis defines an endocrine system, in which prolactin (PRL and vasoinhibins regulate blood vessel growth and function, the secretion of other hormones, inflammatory and immune processes, coagulation, and behavior. The core element of the PRL/vasoinhibin axis is the generation of vasoinhibins, which consists in the proteolytic cleavage of their precursor molecule PRL. Vasoinhibins can interact with multiple different partners to mediate their effects in various tissues and anatomical compartments, indicating their pleiotropic nature. Based on accumulating knowledge about the PRL/vasoinhibin axis, two clinical trials were initiated, in which vasoinhibin levels are the target of therapeutic interventions. One trial investigates the effect of levosulpiride, a selective dopamine D2-receptor antagonist, on retinal alterations in patients with diabetic macular edema and retinopathy. The rationale of this trial is that the levosulpiride-induced hyperprolactinemia resulting in increased retinal vasoinhibins could lead to beneficiary outcomes in terms of a vasoinhibin-mediated antagonization of diabetes-induced retinal alterations. Another trial investigated the effect of bromocriptine, a dopamine D2-receptor agonist, for the treatment of peripartum cardiomyopathy. The rationale of treatment with bromocriptine is the inhibition of vasoinhibin generation by substrate depletion to prevent detrimental effects on the myocardial microvascularization. The trial demonstrated that bromocriptine treatment was associated with a high rate of left ventricular recovery and low morbidity and mortality. Therapeutic interventions into the PRL/vasoinhibin axis bear the risk of side effects in the areas of blood coagulation, blood pressure, and alterations of the mental state.

A Wavelet Bicoherence-Based Quadratic Nonlinearity Feature for Translational Axis Condition Monitoring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yong Li

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The translational axis is one of the most important subsystems in modern machine tools, as its degradation may result in the loss of the product qualification and lower the control precision. Condition-based maintenance (CBM has been considered as one of the advanced maintenance schemes to achieve effective, reliable and cost-effective operation of machine systems, however, current vibration-based maintenance schemes cannot be employed directly in the translational axis system, due to its complex structure and the inefficiency of commonly used condition monitoring features. In this paper, a wavelet bicoherence-based quadratic nonlinearity feature is proposed for translational axis condition monitoring by using the torque signature of the drive servomotor. Firstly, the quadratic nonlinearity of the servomotor torque signature is discussed, and then, a biphase randomization wavelet bicoherence is introduced for its quadratic nonlinear detection. On this basis, a quadratic nonlinearity feature is proposed for condition monitoring of the translational axis. The properties of the proposed quadratic nonlinearity feature are investigated by simulations. Subsequently, this feature is applied to the real-world servomotor torque data collected from the X-axis on a high precision vertical machining centre. All the results show that the performance of the proposed feature is much better than that of original condition monitoring features.

Vertical axis wind turbines

Science.gov (United States)

Krivcov, Vladimir [Miass, RU; Krivospitski, Vladimir [Miass, RU; Maksimov, Vasili [Miass, RU; Halstead, Richard [Rohnert Park, CA; Grahov, Jurij [Miass, RU

2011-03-08

A vertical axis wind turbine is described. The wind turbine can include a top ring, a middle ring and a lower ring, wherein a plurality of vertical airfoils are disposed between the rings. For example, three vertical airfoils can be attached between the upper ring and the middle ring. In addition, three more vertical airfoils can be attached between the lower ring and the middle ring. When wind contacts the vertically arranged airfoils the rings begin to spin. By connecting the rings to a center pole which spins an alternator, electricity can be generated from wind.

RGM regulates BMP-mediated secondary axis formation in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis.

Science.gov (United States)

Leclère, Lucas; Rentzsch, Fabian

2014-12-11

Patterning of the metazoan dorsoventral axis is mediated by a complex interplay of BMP signaling regulators. Repulsive guidance molecule (RGM) is a conserved BMP coreceptor that has not been implicated in axis specification. We show that NvRGM is a key positive regulator of BMP signaling during secondary axis establishment in the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis. NvRGM regulates first the generation and later the shape of a BMP-dependent Smad1/5/8 gradient with peak activity on the side opposite the NvBMP/NvRGM/NvChordin expression domain. Full knockdown of Smad1/5/8 signaling blocks the formation of endodermal structures, the mesenteries, and the establishment of bilateral symmetry, while altering the gradient through partial NvRGM or NvBMP knockdown shifts the boundaries of asymmetric gene expression and the positioning of the mesenteries along the secondary axis. These findings provide insight into the diversification of axis specification mechanisms and identify a previously unrecognized role for RGM in BMP-mediated axial patterning. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Estimating the spin axis orientation of the Echostar-2 box-wing geosynchronous satellite

Science.gov (United States)

Earl, Michael A.; Somers, Philip W.; Kabin, Konstantin; Bédard, Donald; Wade, Gregg A.

2018-04-01

For the first time, the spin axis orientation of an inactive box-wing geosynchronous satellite has been estimated from ground-based optical photometric observations of Echostar-2's specular reflections. Recent photometric light curves obtained of Echostar-2 over four years suggest that unusually bright and brief specular reflections were occurring twice within an observed spin period. These bright and brief specular reflections suggested two satellite surfaces with surface normals separated by approximately 180°. The geometry between the satellite, the Sun, and the observing location at the time of each of the brightest observed reflections, was used to estimate Echostar-2's equatorial spin axis orientation coordinates. When considering prograde and retrograde rotation, Echostar-2's spin axis orientation was estimated to have been located within 30° of either equatorial coordinate pole. Echostar-2's spin axis was observed to have moved approximately 180° in right ascension, within a time span of six months, suggesting a roughly one year spin axis precession period about the satellite's angular momentum vector.

Dual Axis Controller for Extreme Environments, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Dual Axis Controller for Extreme Environments (DACEE) addresses a critical need of NASA's future exploration plans to investigate extreme environments within our...

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis tonus is associated with hippocampal microstructural asymmetry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Kathrine Skak; Jernigan, Terry L; Iversen, Pernille

2012-01-01

It is well-established that prolonged high levels of cortisol have adverse effects on hippocampal neurons and glial cells. Morphometric studies linking hippocampus volume to basal HPA-axis activity, however, have yielded less consistent results. Asymmetry may also be considered, since there is gr......It is well-established that prolonged high levels of cortisol have adverse effects on hippocampal neurons and glial cells. Morphometric studies linking hippocampus volume to basal HPA-axis activity, however, have yielded less consistent results. Asymmetry may also be considered, since....... Observed associations raise a number of possibilities, among them an asymmetric role of the hippocampus on HPA-axis regulation, or conversely, that individual variations in secreted cortisol, perhaps associated with stress, may have lateralized effects on hippocampal microstructure. Our results point...

Nanoscratch Characterization of GaN Epilayers on c- and a-Axis Sapphire Substrates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen Hua-Chiang

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract In this study, we used metal organic chemical vapor deposition to form gallium nitride (GaN epilayers on c- and a-axis sapphire substrates and then used the nanoscratch technique and atomic force microscopy (AFM to determine the nanotribological behavior and deformation characteristics of the GaN epilayers, respectively. The AFM morphological studies revealed that pile-up phenomena occurred on both sides of the scratches formed on the GaN epilayers. It is suggested that cracking dominates in the case of GaN epilayers while ploughing during the process of scratching; the appearances of the scratched surfaces were significantly different for the GaN epilayers on the c- and a-axis sapphire substrates. In addition, compared to the c-axis substrate, we obtained higher values of the coefficient of friction (μ and deeper penetration of the scratches on the GaN a-axis sapphire sample when we set the ramped force at 4,000 μN. This discrepancy suggests that GaN epilayers grown on c-axis sapphire have higher shear resistances than those formed on a-axis sapphire. The occurrence of pile-up events indicates that the generation and motion of individual dislocation, which we measured under the sites of critical brittle transitions of the scratch track, resulted in ductile and/or brittle properties as a result of the deformed and strain-hardened lattice structure.

Interpretation and quality of the tilted axis cranking approximation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frauendorf, S.; Meng, J.

1996-06-01

Comparing with the exact solutions of the model system of one and two particles coupled to an axial rotor, the quality of the semi classical tilted axis cranking approximation is investigated. Extensive comparisons of the energies and M1 and E2 transition probabilities are carried out for the lowest bands. Very good agreement is found, except near band crossings. Various recipes to take into account finite K within the frame of the usual principal axis cranking are included into the comparison. A set of rules is suggested that permits to construct the excited bands from the cranking configurations, avoiding spurious states. (orig.)

Vertical-axis turbine/propeller for ship propulsion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barkla, H.M.

1984-01-01

There are so many variables in the design and operating conditions of a vertical-axis turbine/propeller for the propulsion of a ship by wind that a preliminary study is offered, based on two simplified models. Study of a linear motion of blades in air and water shows optimum conditions for blade-speed and blade-incidence. Analysis of the second, cyclical model is simplified by the assumption of constant angles of incidence. While the logical superiority of the vertical-axis system, with its low transmission loss, may not alone give it the advantage over all other systems in upwind and downwind sailing, there are indications that in the beam wind it is in a class of its own; the Voith-Schneider-Type propeller then produces a thrust with a major component to windward, so that the combined unit leaves little or no athwartships force.

Kalman Filter for Estimation of Sensor Acceleration Using Six - axis Inertial Sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jung Keun

2015-01-01

Although an accelerometer is a sensor that measures acceleration, it cannot be used by itself to measure the acceleration when the orientation of the sensor changes. This paper introduces a Kalman filter for the estimation of a sensor acceleration based on a six-axis inertial sensor (i.e., a three-axis accelerometer and three-axis gyroscope). The novelty of the proposed Kalman filter lies in the fact that its state vector includes not only the tilt angle variable but also the sensor acceleration. Thus, the filter can explicitly estimate the latter with a high accuracy. The accuracy of acceleration estimates were validated experimentally under three different dynamic conditions, using an optical motion capture system. It could be concluded that the performance of the proposed Kalman filter was comparable to that of the state-of-the-art estimation algorithm employed by the Xsens MTw. The proposed algorithm may be more suitable than inertial/magnetic sensor-based algorithms for various applications adopting six-axis inertial sensors

Fusion reactor cost reductions by employing non-nuclear grade components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bourque, R.F.; Maya, I.; Schultz, K.R.; Sonn, D.L.; Wise, R.K.

1987-09-01

The Cascade inertial confinement fusion reactor fits the requirements of low radioactive inventories and inherent safety and is therefore a candidate for non-nuclear construction throughout. This reactor consists of a rotating blanket of ceramic granules that absorb the energy from D-T target explosions occurring along the rotational axis. Laser energy is beamed in axially from both ends. Two cost estimates were made for an 815 MWe Cascade power plant. One was based on an ''all conventional'' plant, which is constructed and costed using well-established, conventional fossil power plant methods. The second was a ''nuclear plus conventional'' design, constructed and costed using a combination of fossil and fission reactor plant methods and standards that would be typical of advanced fission reactors. The total capital requirements for the ''all conventional'' construction plant were estimated in 1985 dollars at $1490 M, including indirect costs. Similarly, the ''nuclear plus conventional'' construction plant was estimated at $1940 M. The savings of $450 M (23%) represents strictly the difference between Cascade ICF power plants designed and constructed to nuclear safety-related requirements versus all non-nuclear. This example clearly shows that, if fusion plants can take advantage of low activation materials and inherent safety features to eliminate the need for nuclear-related expenses, then such plants may have economic advantages over nuclear-grade systems. 13 refs., 1 fig., 5 tabs

RNAspa: a shortest path approach for comparative prediction of the secondary structure of ncRNA molecules

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Michaeli Shulamit

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In recent years, RNA molecules that are not translated into proteins (ncRNAs have drawn a great deal of attention, as they were shown to be involved in many cellular functions. One of the most important computational problems regarding ncRNA is to predict the secondary structure of a molecule from its sequence. In particular, we attempted to predict the secondary structure for a set of unaligned ncRNA molecules that are taken from the same family, and thus presumably have a similar structure. Results We developed the RNAspa program, which comparatively predicts the secondary structure for a set of ncRNA molecules in linear time in the number of molecules. We observed that in a list of several hundred suboptimal minimal free energy (MFE predictions, as provided by the RNAsubopt program of the Vienna package, it is likely that at least one suggested structure would be similar to the true, correct one. The suboptimal solutions of each molecule are represented as a layer of vertices in a graph. The shortest path in this graph is the basis for structural predictions for the molecule. We also show that RNA secondary structures can be compared very rapidly by a simple string Edit-Distance algorithm with a minimal loss of accuracy. We show that this approach allows us to more deeply explore the suboptimal structure space. Conclusion The algorithm was tested on three datasets which include several ncRNA families taken from the Rfam database. These datasets allowed for comparison of the algorithm with other methods. In these tests, RNAspa performed better than four other programs.

Characterization of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal-Axis in Familial Longevity under Resting Conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jansen, Steffy W; Roelfsema, Ferdinand; Akintola, Abimbola A

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis is the most important neuro-endocrine stress response system of our body which is of critical importance for survival. Disturbances in HPA-axis activity have been associated with adverse metabolic and cognitive changes. Humans enriched...... for longevity have less metabolic and cognitive disturbances and therefore diminished activity of the HPA axis may be a potential candidate mechanism underlying healthy familial longevity. Here, we compared 24-h plasma ACTH and serum cortisol concentration profiles and different aspects of the regulation...... of the HPA-axis in offspring from long-lived siblings, who are enriched for familial longevity and age-matched controls. DESIGN: Case-control study within the Leiden Longevity study cohort consisting of 20 middle-aged offspring of nonagenarian siblings (offspring) together with 18 partners (controls...

Elastic-plastic analysis of an axi-symmetric problem by a finite element method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Isozaki, Toshikuni

1984-06-01

Generally speaking, many structures are designed and fabricated on the basis of an axi-symmetric structure. Finite Element Method is the capable method to solve these axi-symmetric problems beyond the elastic limit. As the first step to solve these problems, the computer program for the elastic-plastic analysis of the axi-symmetric problem is composed. The basic program is based upon that described in Zienkiewicz's text book to solve the elastic plane stress problem, taking the plastic stress matrix by Yamada's method into consideration and it is converted to solve the axi-symmetric problem. For the verification of the program, the plane strain problem of a cylindrical tube under internal pressure was solved. The computed results were compared with those shown in ADINA's user's manual. They showed close agreement. (author)

Slicing algorithms for multi-axis 3-D metal printing of overhangs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Kyu Bok; Jee, Hae Seong

2015-01-01

A group of 3D metal printing or Additive metal manufacturing (AMM) processes, officially categorized as 'directed energy deposition (DED)' according to American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) classification, has enabled the building of full dense metallic tools and parts using metal powders precisely delivered and controlled with no powder bed. Mold making and metalworking are being taken in an entirely new direction. The overhang/undercut problem in DED processes, as much as other Additive manufacturing (AM) processes, has long remained unsolved, and the ones equipped with more than 3-axis tool mechanism turn out to be capable of depositing overhang/undercut features onto the part to be made. Multi-axis machines introduced for resolving the problem, however, require advanced preprocess software support for the process management that controls multi-axis tool paths. This study proposes slicing algorithms, sophisticatedly designed for the control of the tool paths on a 5-axis base table, to build overhang/undercut features. A methodical approach, using an auto-partitioning algorithm for generating three-dimensional layer (3DL) information, is proposed in this study, and various overhang features, as case studies, have been investigated and implemented by using the proposed method.

Slicing algorithms for multi-axis 3-D metal printing of overhangs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Kyu Bok; Jee, Hae Seong [Hongik University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2015-11-15

A group of 3D metal printing or Additive metal manufacturing (AMM) processes, officially categorized as 'directed energy deposition (DED)' according to American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) classification, has enabled the building of full dense metallic tools and parts using metal powders precisely delivered and controlled with no powder bed. Mold making and metalworking are being taken in an entirely new direction. The overhang/undercut problem in DED processes, as much as other Additive manufacturing (AM) processes, has long remained unsolved, and the ones equipped with more than 3-axis tool mechanism turn out to be capable of depositing overhang/undercut features onto the part to be made. Multi-axis machines introduced for resolving the problem, however, require advanced preprocess software support for the process management that controls multi-axis tool paths. This study proposes slicing algorithms, sophisticatedly designed for the control of the tool paths on a 5-axis base table, to build overhang/undercut features. A methodical approach, using an auto-partitioning algorithm for generating three-dimensional layer (3DL) information, is proposed in this study, and various overhang features, as case studies, have been investigated and implemented by using the proposed method.

The different roles of glucocorticoids in the hippocampus and hypothalamus in chronic stress-induced HPA axis hyperactivity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li-Juan Zhu

Full Text Available Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA hyperactivity is observed in many patients suffering from depression and the mechanism underling the dysfunction of HPA axis is not well understood. Chronic stress has a causal relationship with the hyperactivity of HPA axis. Stress induces the over-synthesis of glucocorticoids, which will arrive at all the body containing the brain. It is still complicated whether glucocorticoids account for chronic stress-induced HPA axis hyperactivity and in which part of the brain the glucocorticoids account for chronic stress-induced HPA axis hyperactivity. Here, we demonstrated that glucocorticoids were indispensable and sufficient for chronic stress-induced hyperactivity of HPA axis. Although acute glucocorticoids elevation in the hippocampus and hypothalamus exerted a negative regulation of HPA axis, we found that chronic glucocorticoids elevation in the hippocampus but not in the hypothalamus accounted for chronic stress-induced hyperactivity of HPA axis. Chronic glucocorticoids exposure in the hypothalamus still exerted a negative regulation of HPA axis activity. More importantly, we found mineralocorticoid receptor (MR - neuronal nitric oxide synthesis enzyme (nNOS - nitric oxide (NO pathway mediated the different roles of glucocorticoids in the hippocampus and hypothalamus in regulating HPA axis activity. This study suggests that the glucocorticoids in the hippocampus play an important role in the development of HPA axis hyperactivity and the glucocorticoids in the hypothalamus can't induce hyperactivity of HPA axis, revealing new insights into understanding the mechanism of depression.

UARS PEM Level 2 AXIS 1 V001

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The UARS Particle Environment Monitor (PEM) level 2 Atmosphere X-Ray Imaging Spectrometer (AXIS) unit 1 daily product contains the X-ray high-resolution spectral...

UARS PEM Level 2 AXIS 2 V001

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The UARS Particle Environment Monitor (PEM) level 2 Atmosphere X-Ray Imaging Spectrometer (AXIS) unit 2 daily product contains the X-ray high-resolution spectral...

Three-Axis Gasless Sounding Rocket Payload Attitude Control

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Gas released by current sounding rocket payload attitude control systems (ACS) has the potential to interfere with some types of science instruments. A single-axis...

The role of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal/interrenal axis in mediating predator-avoidance trade-offs.

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Breanna N; Carr, James A

2016-05-01

Maintaining energy balance and reproducing are important for fitness, yet animals have evolved mechanisms by which the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal/interrenal (HPA/HPI) axis can shut these activities off. While HPA/HPI axis inhibition of feeding and reproduction may have evolved as a predator defense, to date there has been no review across taxa of the causal evidence for such a relationship. Here we review the literature on this topic by addressing evidence for three predictions: that exposure to predators decreases reproduction and feeding, that exposure to predators activates the HPA/HPI axis, and that predator-induced activation of the HPA/HPI axis inhibits foraging and reproduction. Weight of evidence indicates that exposure to predator cues inhibits several aspects of foraging and reproduction. While the evidence from fish and mammals supports the hypothesis that predator cues activate the HPA/HPI axis, the existing data in other vertebrate taxa are equivocal. A causal role for the HPA axis in predator-induced suppression of feeding and reproduction has not been demonstrated to date, although many studies report correlative relationships between HPA activity and reproduction and/or feeding. Manipulation of HPA/HPI axis signaling will be required in future studies to demonstrate direct mediation of predator-induced inhibition of feeding and reproduction. Understanding the circuitry linking sensory pathways to their control of the HPA/HPI axis also is needed. Finally, the role that fear and anxiety pathways play in the response of the HPA axis to predator cues is needed to better understand the role that predators have played in shaping anxiety related behaviors in all species, including humans. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evanescent wave scattering at off-axis incidence on multiple cylinders located near a surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Siu-Chun

2015-01-01

The scattering characteristics of an infinite cylinder are strongly influenced by the incidence angle relative to its axis. If the incident wave propagates in the plane normal to the axis of the cylinder, the polarization of the scattered wave remains unchanged and the scattered wave propagates in the same plan as the incident wave. At off-axis incidence such that the incident direction makes an oblique angle with the cylinder axis, the scattered wave is depolarized, and its spatial distribution becomes three-dimensional. This paper presents the scattering solution for oblique incidence on multiple parallel cylinders located near a planar interface by an evanescent wave that is generated by total internal reflection of the source wave propagating in the higher refractive index substrate. Hertz potentials are utilized to formulate the interaction of inhomogeneous waves with the cylinders, scattering at the substrate interface, and near field scattering between the cylinders. Analytic formulas are derived for the electromagnetic fields and Poynting vector of scattered radiation in the near-field and their asymptotic forms in the far-field. Numerical examples are shown to illustrate scattering of evanescent wave by multiple cylinders at off-axis incidence. - Highlights: • Developed an exact solution for off-axis incidence on multiple cylinders. • Included depolarization, near-field scattering, and Fresnel effect in theory. • Derived analytic formulas for scattered radiation in the far field. • Illustrated evanescent scattering at off-axis incidence by numerical data

The Trading Axis in Irkutsk Downtown

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Grigoryeva

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The article reveals a linear concentration of the trading function in the historical center of Irkutsk. It features historical prerequisites and continuation of the tradition in the post-Soviet period, given the conversion of plants and factories. The article analyses the current state and prospects of modernization of the trading axis with its transformation into a modern public space.

Stressor-specific effects of sex on HPA axis hormones and activation of stress-related neurocircuitry.

Science.gov (United States)

Babb, Jessica A; Masini, Cher V; Day, Heidi E W; Campeau, Serge

2013-11-01

Experiencing stress can be physically and psychologically debilitating to an organism. Women have a higher prevalence of some stress-related mental illnesses, the reasons for which are unknown. These experiments explore differential HPA axis hormone release in male and female rats following acute stress. Female rats had a similar threshold of HPA axis hormone release following low intensity noise stress as male rats. Sex did not affect the acute release, or the return of HPA axis hormones to baseline following moderate intensity noise stress. Sensitive indices of auditory functioning obtained by modulation of the acoustic startle reflex by weak pre-pulses did not reveal any sexual dimorphism. Furthermore, male and female rats exhibited similar c-fos mRNA expression in the brain following noise stress, including several sex-influenced stress-related regions. The HPA axis response to noise stress was not affected by stage of estrous cycle, and ovariectomy significantly increased hormone release. Direct comparison of HPA axis hormone release to two different stressors in the same animals revealed that although female rats exhibit robustly higher HPA axis hormone release after restraint stress, the same effect was not observed following moderate and high intensity loud noise stress. Finally, the differential effect of sex on HPA axis responses to noise and restraint stress cannot readily be explained by differential social cues or general pain processing. These studies suggest the effect of sex on acute stress-induced HPA axis hormone activity is highly dependent on the type of stressor.

Research of z-axis geometric dose efficiency in multi-detector computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, You Hyun; Kim, Moon Chan

2006-01-01

With the recent prevalence of helical CT and multi-slice CT, which deliver higher radiation dose than conventional CT due to overbeaming effect in X-ray exposure and interpolation technique in image reconstruction. Although multi-detector and helical CT scanner provide a variety of opportunities for patient dose reduction, the potential risk for high radiation levels in CT examination can't be overemphasized in spite of acquiring more diagnostic information. So much more concerns is necessary about dose characteristics of CT scanner, especially dose efficient design as well as dose modulation software, because dose efficiency built into the scanner's design is probably the most important aspect of successful low dose clinical performance. This study was conducted to evaluate z-axis geometric dose efficiency in single detector CT and each level multi-detector CT, as well as to compare z-axis dose efficiency with change of technical scan parameters such as focal spot size of tube, beam collimation, detector combination, scan mode, pitch size, slice width and interval. The results obtained were as follows; 1. SDCT was most highest and 4 MDCT was most lowest in z-axis geometric dose efficiency among SDCT, 4, 8, 16, 64 slice MDCT made by GE manufacture. 2. Small focal spot was 0.67-13.62% higher than large focal spot in z-axis geometric dose efficiency at MDCT. 3. Large beam collimation was 3.13-51.52% higher than small beam collimation in z-axis geometric dose efficiency at MDCT. Z-axis geometric dose efficiency was same at 4 slice MDCT in all condition and 8 slice MDCT of large beam collimation with change of detector combination, but was changed irregularly at 8 slice MDCT of small beam collimation and 16 slice MDCT in all condition with change of detector combination. 5. There was no significant difference for z-axis geometric dose efficiency between conventional scan and helical scan, and with change of pitch factor, as well as change of slice width or interval for

2002–2012: 10 Years of Research Progress in Horizontal-Axis Marine Current Turbines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kai-Wern Ng

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Research in marine current energy, including tidal and ocean currents, has undergone significant growth in the past decade. The horizontal-axis marine current turbine is one of the machines used to harness marine current energy, which appears to be the most technologically and economically viable one at this stage. A number of large-scale marine current turbines rated at more than 1 MW have been deployed around the World. Parallel to the development of industry, academic research on horizontal-axis marine current turbines has also shown positive growth. This paper reviews previous research on horizontal-axis marine current turbines and provides a concise overview for future researchers who might be interested in horizontal-axis marine current turbines. The review covers several main aspects, such as: energy assessment, turbine design, wakes, generators, novel modifications and environmental impact. Future trends for research on horizontal-axis marine current turbines are also discussed.

Anatomy of an eradication effort: Removing Hawaii's illegally introduced axis deer

Science.gov (United States)

Hess, Steven C.; Muise, Jake; Schipper, Jan

2015-01-01

In February 2011, a rancher in the rural southern part of Hawaii Island reported a large mammal on her land. Her call mobilized several agencies led by the Big Island Invasive Species Committee (BIISC), a partnership to prevent, detect, and control the establishment and spread of invasive species, to sit up and take notice. Agency biologists installed camera traps to identify the animal, and a few months later verified the diagnostic field marks of a chervid with spots. The animal in questions was a chital, or axis deer (Axis axis)--a species native to tropical and subtropical India. Although the deer are abundant on the islands of Molokai, Lānai, and Maui, officials knew they weren't capable of swimming across the notoriously treacherous ʻAlenuihāhā channel, and subsequently suspected human intervention.

Determination of a sagittal plane axis of rotation for a dynamic office chair.

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, C M; Rast, F M; Böck, C; Kuster, R P; Baumgartner, D

2018-10-01

This study investigated the location of the axis of rotation in sagittal plane movement of the spine in a free sitting condition to adjust the kinematics of a mobile seat for a dynamic chair. Dynamic office chairs are designed to avoid continuous isometric muscle activity, and to facilitate increased mobility of the back during sitting. However, these chairs incorporate increased upper body movement which could distract office workers from the performance of their tasks. A chair with an axis of rotation above the seat would facilitate a stable upper back during movements of the lower back. The selection of a natural kinematic pattern is of high importance in order to match the properties of the spine. Twenty-one participants performed four cycles of flexion and extension of the spine during an upper arm hang on parallel bars. The location of the axis of rotation relative to the seat was estimated using infrared cameras and reflective skin markers. The median axis of rotation across all participants was located 36 cm above the seat for the complete movement and 39 cm for both the flexion and extension phases, each with an interquartile range of 20 cm. There was no significant effect of the movement direction on the location of the axis of rotation and only a weak, non-significant correlation between body height and the location of the axis of rotation. Individual movement patterns explained the majority of the variance. The axis of rotation for a spinal flexion/extension movement is located above the seat. The recommended radius for a guide rail of a mobile seat is between 36 cm and 39 cm. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cushing's Syndrome and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Hyperactivity in Chronic Central Serous Chorioretinopathy.

Science.gov (United States)

van Haalen, Femke M; van Dijk, Elon H C; Dekkers, Olaf M; Bizino, Maurice B; Dijkman, Greet; Biermasz, Nienke R; Boon, Camiel J F; Pereira, Alberto M

2018-01-01

Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC), a specific form of macular degeneration, has been reported as presenting manifestation of Cushing's syndrome. Furthermore, CSC has been associated with both exogenous hypercortisolism and endogenous Cushing's syndrome. It is important to know whether CSC patients should be screened for Cushing's syndrome. Although hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hyperactivity in CSC has been suggested, no detailed evaluation of the HPA axis has been performed in a large cohort of CSC patients. This study aimed to investigate whether Cushing's syndrome prevalence is increased among chronic CSC (cCSC) patients and whether detailed endocrinological phenotyping indicates hyperactivity of the HPA axis. Cross-sectional study. 86 cCSC patients and 24 controls. Prevalence of Cushing's syndrome, HPA axis activity. None of the cCSC patients met the clinical or biochemical criteria of Cushing's syndrome. However, compared to controls, HPA axis activity was increased in cCSC patients, reflected by higher 24 h urinary free cortisol, and accompanying higher waist circumference and diastolic blood pressure, whereas circadian cortisol rhythm and feedback were not different. Chronic CSC patients did not report more stress or stress-related problems on questionnaires. No case of Cushing's syndrome was revealed in a large cohort of cCSC patients. Therefore, we advise against screening for Cushing's syndrome in CSC patients, unless additional clinical features are present. However, our results indicate that cCSC is associated with hyperactivity of the HPA axis, albeit not accompanied with perception of more psychosocial stress.

Do low-calorie drinks 'cheat' the enteral-brain axis?

Science.gov (United States)

Ferreira, Adaliene V M; Generoso, Simone Vasconcelos; Teixeira, Antônio Lúcio

2014-09-01

The consumption of low-calorie beverages has increased worldwide, mainly because of their combination of sweet taste without adding significant calories to the diet. However, some epidemiological studies have linked the higher consumption of low-calorie beverages with increased body weight gain. Although a matter of debate, this paradoxical association between low-calorie beverages and weight gain has been attributed to their effect on the enteral-brain axis. More specifically, artificial sweeteners present in low-calorie beverages could induce appetite increase, probably due to an ambiguous psychobiological signal (uncoupling sweet taste from calorie intake) that confounds the appetite's regulatory mechanisms, promoting overeating and, ultimately, leading to weight gain. However, many studies do not support this assumption, and the mechanisms underlying the interaction between low-calorie beverages and the enteral-brain axis remain to be defined. The understanding of the effects of low-calorie drinks on the enteral-brain axis still remains in its infancy and needs to be unveiled. The consumption of low-calorie beverages reduces the calories from that drink, but compensatory phenomena may increase energy intake, and if so must be recognized and avoided.

Microbiota-gut-brain axis and the central nervous system.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Xiqun; Han, Yong; Du, Jing; Liu, Renzhong; Jin, Ketao; Yi, Wei

2017-08-08

The gut and brain form the gut-brain axis through bidirectional nervous, endocrine, and immune communications. Changes in one of the organs will affect the other organs. Disorders in the composition and quantity of gut microorganisms can affect both the enteric nervous system and the central nervous system (CNS), thereby indicating the existence of a microbiota-gut-brain axis. Due to the intricate interactions between the gut and the brain, gut symbiotic microorganisms are closely associated with various CNS diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and multiple sclerosis. In this paper, we will review the latest advances of studies on the correlation between gut microorganisms and CNS functions & diseases.

Determination of the number of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine blades based on power spectrum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fedak Waldemar

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Technology of wind exploitation has been applied widely all over the world and has already reached the level in which manufacturers want to maximize the yield with the minimum investment outlays. The main objective of this paper is the determination of the optimal number of blades in the Cup-Bladed Vertical Axis Wind Turbine. Optimizing the size of the Vertical Axis Wind Turbine allows the reduction of costs. The maximum power of the rotor is selected as the performance target. The optimum number of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine blades evaluation is based on analysis of a single blade simulation and its superposition for the whole rotor. The simulation of working blade was done in MatLab environment. Power spectrum graphs were prepared and compared throughout superposition of individual blades in the Vertical Axis Wind Turbine rotor. The major result of this research is the Vertical Axis Wind Turbine power characteristic. On the basis of the analysis of the power spectra, optimum number of the blades was specified for the analysed rotor. Power spectrum analysis of wind turbine enabled the specification of the optimal number of blades, and can be used regarding investment outlays and power output of the Vertical Axis Wind Turbine.

Determination of the number of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine blades based on power spectrum

Science.gov (United States)

Fedak, Waldemar; Anweiler, Stanisław; Gancarski, Wojciech; Ulbrich, Roman

2017-10-01

Technology of wind exploitation has been applied widely all over the world and has already reached the level in which manufacturers want to maximize the yield with the minimum investment outlays. The main objective of this paper is the determination of the optimal number of blades in the Cup-Bladed Vertical Axis Wind Turbine. Optimizing the size of the Vertical Axis Wind Turbine allows the reduction of costs. The maximum power of the rotor is selected as the performance target. The optimum number of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine blades evaluation is based on analysis of a single blade simulation and its superposition for the whole rotor. The simulation of working blade was done in MatLab environment. Power spectrum graphs were prepared and compared throughout superposition of individual blades in the Vertical Axis Wind Turbine rotor. The major result of this research is the Vertical Axis Wind Turbine power characteristic. On the basis of the analysis of the power spectra, optimum number of the blades was specified for the analysed rotor. Power spectrum analysis of wind turbine enabled the specification of the optimal number of blades, and can be used regarding investment outlays and power output of the Vertical Axis Wind Turbine.

The A/P axis in echinoderm ontogeny and evolution: evidence from fossils and molecules

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, K. J.; Arenas-Mena, C.; Davidson, E. H.

2000-01-01

Even though echinoderms are members of the Bilateria, the location of their anterior/posterior axis has remained enigmatic. Here we propose a novel solution to the problem employing three lines of evidence: the expression of a posterior class Hox gene in the coeloms of the nascent adult body plan within the larva; the anatomy of certain early fossil echinoderms; and finally the relation between endoskeletal plate morphology and the associated coelomic tissues. All three lines of evidence converge on the same answer, namely that the location of the adult mouth is anterior, and the anterior/posterior axis runs from the mouth through the adult coelomic compartments. This axis then orients the animal such that there is but a single plane of symmetry dividing the animal into left and right halves. We tentatively hypothesize that this plane of symmetry is positioned along the dorsal/ventral axis. These axis identifications lead to the conclusion that the five ambulacra are not primary body axes, but instead are outgrowths from the central anterior/posterior axis. These identifications also shed insight into several other evolutionary mysteries of various echinoderm clades such as the independent evolution of bilateral symmetry in irregular echinoids, but do not elucidate the underlying mechanisms of the adult coelomic architecture.

Pellet-press-to-sintering-boat nuclear fuel pellet loading system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bucher, G.D.

1988-01-01

This patent describes a system for loading nuclear fuel pellets into a sintering boat from a pellet press which ejects newly made the pellets from a pellet press die table surface. The system consists of: (a) a bowl having an inner surface, a longitudinal axis, an open and generally circular top of larger diameter, and an open and generally circular bottom of smaller diameter; (b) means for supporting the bowl in a generally upright position such that the bowl is rotatable about its longitudinal axis; (c) means for receiving the ejected pellets proximate the die table surface of the pellet press and for discharging the received pellets into the bowl at a location proximate the inner surface towards the top of the bowl with a pellet velocity having a horizontal component which is generally tangent to the inner surface of the bowl proximate the location; (d) means for rotating the bowl about the longitudinal axis such that the bowl proximate the location has a velocity generally equal, in magnitude and direction, to the horizontal component of the pellet velocity at the location; and (e) means for moving the sintering boat generally horizontally beneath and proximate the bottom of the bowl

Development of a Single-Axis Edge Detection System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hanshaw, R.A.

2000-02-18

A SIP (Societe Genevoise d'Instruments de Physique) Trioptic coordinate measuring machine was modified for calibration of high quality single-axis glass standards to an uncertainty of {+-}0.000020 inch. The modification was accomplished through the addition of a frame grabber board, vision software, a high-resolution camera, stepper motors, a two-axis motor controller, and an HP-IB interface card. An existing temperature system (hygrometer, barometer, laser interferometer system, and optics) was retained as part of the system. An existing Hewlett Packard computer was replaced with a personal computer to accommodate the frame grabber board. Each component was integrated into the existing system using Visual Basic. The system was automated for unattended measurements by creating a machine programming language, which is recognized within the main program.

Overview and Design of self-acting pitch control mechanism for vertical axis wind turbine using multi body simulation approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chougule, Prasad; Nielsen, Søren R.K.

2014-01-01

Awareness about wind energy is constantly growing in the world. Especially a demand for small scale wind turbine is increasing and various products are available in market. There are mainly two types of wind turbines, horizontal axis wind turbine and vertical axis wind turbines. Horizontal axis...... wind turbines are suitable for high wind speed whereas vertical axis wind turbines operate relatively low wind speed area. Vertical axis wind turbines are cost effective and simple in construction as compared to the horizontal axis wind turbine. However, vertical axis wind turbines have inherent...

[The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and depressive disorder: recent progress].

Science.gov (United States)

Kunugi, Hiroshi; Hori, Hiroaki; Numakawa, Tadahiro; Ota, Miho

2012-08-01

Depression is a stress-induced disorder and there is compelling evidence for the involvement of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis abnormalities in the disease. Chronic hyperactivity of the HPA axis and resultant excessive glucocorticoid (hypercortisolism) may be causal to depression. We demonstrated that the dexamethasone (DEX)/CRH test is a sensitive state-dependent marker to monitor HPA axis abnormalities. Restoration from HPA axis abnormalities occurs with clinical responses to treatment. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has also been implicated in depression. We found that glucocorticoid (DEX) suppresses BDNF-induced dendrite outgrowth and synaptic formation via blocking the MAPK pathway in early-developing cultured hippocampal neurons. Furthermore, we demonstrated that glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and TrkB (a specific receptor of BDNF) interact and that DEX acutely suppresses BDNF-induced glutamate release by affecting the PLC-gamma pathway in cultured cortical neurons, indicating a mechanism underlying the effect of excessive glucocorticoid on BDNF function and resultant damage in cortical neurons. In a macroscopic view using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we found that individuals with hypercortisolism detected by the DEX/CRH test demonstrated volume loss in gray matter and reduced neural network assessed with diffusion tensor imaging in several brain regions. Finally, we observed that individuals with hypocortisolism detected by the DEX/CRH test tend to present more distress symptoms, maladaptive coping styles, and schizotypal personality traits than their counterparts, which points to the important role of hypocortisolism as well as hypercortisolism in depression spectrum disorders.

Obesity and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in adolescent girls.

Science.gov (United States)

Hillman, Jennifer B; Dorn, Lorah D; Loucks, Tammy L; Berga, Sarah L

2012-03-01

Stress and stress-related concomitants, including hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation, are implicated in obesity and its attendant comorbidities. Little is known about this relationship in adolescents. To begin to address this important knowledge gap, we studied HPA axis activity in 262 healthy adolescent girls aged 11, 13, 15, and 17 years. We hypothesized that obesity would be correlated with increased HPA axis activity and reactivity. Measures of HPA axis activity included 3 blood samples obtained midday (between 1:00 and 2:00 pm) over the course of 40 minutes; overnight urine free cortisol; and cortisol levels 0, 20, and 40 minutes after venipuncture (cortisol reactivity). Measures of adiposity included body mass index (BMI), BMI z score (BMI-Z), percentage body fat, and fat distribution (central adiposity) assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Daytime levels of serum cortisol were inversely associated with BMI-Z and central adiposity (P cortisol excretion rate was positively correlated with BMI, BMI-Z, and central adiposity. There was blunting of cortisol response to venipuncture with increasing adiposity. Our results suggest that there may be reduced cortisol levels during the day and increased levels at night with increasing degree of adiposity. This study provides preliminary findings indicating an alteration of the circadian rhythm of cortisol with obesity. We conclude that obesity is associated with altered HPA activity in adolescent girls. The clinical implications of our findings require further investigation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Saikosaponin D relieves unpredictable chronic mild stress induced depressive-like behavior in rats: involvement of HPA axis and hippocampal neurogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Hong-Yan; Zhao, Ying-Hua; Zeng, Min-Jie; Fang, Fang; Li, Min; Qin, Ting-Ting; Ye, Lu-Yu; Li, Hong-Wei; Qu, Rong; Ma, Shi-Ping

2017-11-01

Saikosaponin D (SSD), a major bioactive component isolated from Radix Bupleuri, has been reported to exert neuroprotective properties. The present study was designed to investigate the anti-depressant-like effects and the potential mechanisms of SSD. Behavioural tests including sucrose preference test (SPT), open field test (OFT) and forced swim test (FST) were performed to study the antidepressant-like effects of SSD. In addition, we examined corticosterone and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) levels to evaluate hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function. Furthermore, hippocampal neurogenesis was assessed by testing doublecortin (DCX) levels, and neurotrophic molecule levels were also investigated in the hippocampus of rats. We found that unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) rats displayed lost body weight, decreased sucrose consumption in SPT, reduced locomotive activity in OFT, and increased immobility time in FST. Chronic treatment with SSD (0.75, 1.50 mg/kg) remarkably ameliorated the behavioral deficiency induced by UCMS procedure. SSD administration downregulated elevated serum corticosterone levels, as well as alleviated the suppression of GR expression and nuclear translocation caused by UCMS, suggesting that SSD is able to remit the dysfunction of HPA axis. In addition, Western blot and immunohistochemistry analysis showed that SSD treatment significantly increased the generation of neurons in the hippocampus of UCMS rats indicated by elevated DCX levels. Moreover, hippocampal neurotrophic molecule levels of UCMS rats such as phosphorylated cAMP response element binding protein (p-CREB) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were raised after SSD treatment. Together, Our results suggest that SSD opposed UCMS-induced depressive behaviors in rats, which was mediated, partially, by the enhancement of HPA axis function and consolidation of hippocampal neurogenesis.

Resolution of a triple axis spectrometer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Mourits; Bjerrum Møller, Hans

1969-01-01

A new method for obtaining the resolution function for a triple-axis neutron spectrometer is described, involving a combination of direct measurement and analytical calculation. All factors which contribute to the finite resolution of the instrument may be taken into account, and Gaussian...... or experimentally determined probability distributions may be used. The application to the study of the dispersion relation for excitations in a crystal is outlined...

Dynamics of the off axis intense beam propagation in a spiral inflector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goswami, A., E-mail: animesh@vecc.gov.in; Sing Babu, P., E-mail: psb@vecc.gov.in; Pandit, V.S., E-mail: pandit@vecc.gov.in

2017-01-01

In this paper the dynamics of space charge dominated beam in a spiral inflector is discussed by developing equations of motion for centroid and beam envelope for the off axis beam propagation. Evolution of the beam centroid and beam envelope is studied as a function of the beam current for various input beam parameters. The transmission of beam through the inflector is also estimated as a function of the beam current for an on axis and off axis beam by tracking a large number of particles. Simulation studies show that shift of the centroid from the axis at the inflector entrance affects the centroid location at the exit of the inflector and causes reduction in the beam transmission. The centroid shift at the entrance in the horizontal plane (h plane) is more critical as it affects the centroid shift in the vertical plane (u plane) by a large amount near the inflector exit where the available aperture is small. The beam transmission is found to reduce with increase in the centroid shift as well as with the beam current.

Nuclear power development in Russia. Russia's energy industry preparing for the free market economy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1993-01-01

The energy industry in Eastern Europe is preparing for the free market economy. The ambitions goal is to get fit and prepared for joining the free market economy as a competitor, and within the shortest possible time at that, struggling against the sharp wind of change that will blow, and trying to make the best of actually very unfavourable economic and political conditions. Priority has been given to privatisation of power plants and electricity networks, and to a speedy connection to the Western grids. However, all parties concerned are well aware that this task cannot be accomplished out of Russia's own resources alone. Whether the economy in Russia can be put on a stable footing and develop stable structures will depend on the development and efficient use of nuclear power, as the most important resources of Russia's energy industry are concentrated in the eastern part of the country, while 70% of electricity generation and demand is concentrated in the European part. (orig.) [de

Research on Parameter Design of Multi - axis Hydrostatic Transmission Vehicle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhao Liang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In order to obtain reasonable parameters in the design of driving system of multi-axis hydrostatic transmission vehicle, the working principle of single-side drive of hydrostatic transmission vehicle is introduced. The matching and control of engine and hydraulic pump are analyzed. According to the driving equation of vehicle, The driving force required for driving system is determined, and the parameters of hydraulic motor, hydraulic pump, system working pressure and braking system are designed and calculated, which provides the parameter design for driving system of multi-axis hydrostatic transmission Reliable theoretical basis.

Design of a Three-Axis Machine Tool Module

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Childers, Marshal

2003-01-01

This report documents the design improvement process of the components in a tool module for a three-axis machine tool, which occurred during the period of March-April 2002 in support of a critical U.S...

Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal Axis Functioning in Reactive and Proactive Aggression in Children

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez-Duran, Nestor L.; Olson, Sheryl L.; Hajal, Nastassia J.; Felt, Barbara T.; Vazquez, Delia M.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA-axis) reactivity and proactive and reactive aggression in pre-pubertal children. After a 30-min controlled base line period, 73 7-year-old children (40 males and 33 females) were randomly assigned to one of two experimental tasks designed to…

Experimentally challenged reactivity of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis in patients with recently diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dekkers, J. C.; Geenen, R.; Godaert, G. L.; Glaudemans, K. A.; Lafeber, F. P.; van Doornen, L. J.; Bijlsma, J. W.

2001-01-01

There is evidence that the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis is subresponsive in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We assessed HPA axis responses to experimental stressors mimicking daily life challenges in patients with RA to determine whether HPA axis activity is associated with Th1

Effect of magnetic axis shift on neoclassical transport in helical torus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanuki, Heiji; Todoroki, Jiro

2004-01-01

Neoclassical transport for large helical device (LHD) configurations is studied by solving the bounce-averaged Fokker-Planck equation. Numerical code employed in the present paper (CHD1) is much faster and more efficient than existing transport codes. Effects of the magnetic axis shift on the mono-energetic transport coefficients are studied in detail for the LHD configurations, revealing that a strong inward shift of the magnetic axis can reduce remarkably the neoclassical ripple transport. (author)

Genetic Alterations of the Thrombopoietin/MPL/JAK2 Axis Impacting Megakaryopoiesis

OpenAIRE

Plo, Isabelle; Bellanné-Chantelot, Christine; Mosca, Matthieu; Mazzi, Stefania; Marty, Caroline; Vainchenker, William

2017-01-01

Megakaryopoiesis is an original and complex cell process which leads to the formation of platelets. The homeostatic production of platelets is mainly regulated and controlled by thrombopoietin (TPO) and the TPO receptor (MPL)/JAK2 axis. Therefore, any hereditary or acquired abnormality affecting this signaling axis can result in thrombocytosis or thrombocytopenia. Thrombocytosis can be due to genetic alterations that affect either the intrinsic MPL signaling through gain-of-function (GOF) act...

Indigenous robotics technology in nuclear industries (Paper No. 039)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Challappa, S; Guha, S

1987-01-01

Robots are essential for material handling, stripping, fitting, welding and other operations in a hazardous environment as exits in nuclear industries. Adoptivity of the equipment to environment to carry out remote activity, accuracy of the performance and quality are the primordial considerations for selection of such types of robots. The essential features of a typical robot are described in this paper. As a first step towards development of such a robot, a six-axis multipurpose robot developed in Central Workshops, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, is also described in this paper. (author). 2 figs.

Indigenous robotics technology in nuclear industries (Paper No. 039)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Challappa, S.; Guha, S.

1987-02-01

Robots are essential for material handling, stripping, fitting, welding and other operations in a hazardous environment as exits in nuclear industries. Adoptivity of the equipment to environment to carry out remote activity, accuracy of the performance and quality are the primordial considerations for selection of such types of robots. The essential features of a typical robot are described in this paper. As a first step towards development of such a robot, a six-axis multipurpose robot developed in Central Workshops, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, is also described in this paper. (author). 2 figs

Latest development of safeguard pumps for nuclear power stations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schill, J.; Fekadu, J.

1979-01-01

Performance testing of Residual Heat Removal (RHR) pumps and High Pressure Safety Injection (HPSI) pumps is described. RHR pump is characterised by a combination of an impeller, diffuser and has an annular pressure retaining casted casing. This casing enables a 100% radiographic examination and its geometrical pattern facilitates the use of an axi-symmetric shell model for the computer analysis. Similar considerations govern the choice of the pressure casing of the HPSI pumps. These pumps are meant for nuclear facilities and have to meet certain limiting factors which are mentioned. (M.G.B.)

C-axis orientated AlN films deposited using deep oscillation magnetron sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Jianliang; Chistyakov, Roman

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Highly orientated AlN films were deposited by DOMS technique. • Controlled ion flux bombardment improved the texture and crystalline quality. • Excessive ion bombardment showed a detrimental effect on the c-axis orientation growth. • Improved c-axis alignment accompanied with stress relaxation with increasing film thickness. - Abstract: Highly c-axis orientated aluminum nitride (AlN) films were deposited on silicon (100) substrates by reactive deep oscillation magnetron sputtering (DOMS). No epitaxial favored bond layer and substrate heating were applied for assisting texture growth. The effects of the peak target current density (varied from 0.39 to 0.8 Acm"−"2) and film thickness (varied from 0.25 to 3.3 μm) on the c-axis orientation, microstructure, residual stress and mechanical properties of the AlN films were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction rocking curve methodology, transmission electron microscopy, optical profilometry, and nanoindentation. All AlN films exhibited a preferred orientation and compressive residual stresses. At similar film thicknesses, an increase in the peak target current density to 0.53 Acm"−"2 improved the orientation. Further increasing the peak target current density to above 0.53 Acm"−"2 showed limited contribution to the texture development. The study also showed that an increase in the thickness of the AlN films deposited by DOMS improved the c-axis alignment accompanied with a reduction in the residual stress.

C-axis orientated AlN films deposited using deep oscillation magnetron sputtering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, Jianliang, E-mail: Jianliang.lin@swri.org [Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78238 (United States); Chistyakov, Roman [Zpulser LLC, Mansfield, MA 02048 (United States)

2017-02-28

Highlights: • Highly <0001> orientated AlN films were deposited by DOMS technique. • Controlled ion flux bombardment improved the <0001> texture and crystalline quality. • Excessive ion bombardment showed a detrimental effect on the c-axis orientation growth. • Improved c-axis alignment accompanied with stress relaxation with increasing film thickness. - Abstract: Highly <0001> c-axis orientated aluminum nitride (AlN) films were deposited on silicon (100) substrates by reactive deep oscillation magnetron sputtering (DOMS). No epitaxial favored bond layer and substrate heating were applied for assisting texture growth. The effects of the peak target current density (varied from 0.39 to 0.8 Acm{sup −2}) and film thickness (varied from 0.25 to 3.3 μm) on the c-axis orientation, microstructure, residual stress and mechanical properties of the AlN films were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction rocking curve methodology, transmission electron microscopy, optical profilometry, and nanoindentation. All AlN films exhibited a <0001> preferred orientation and compressive residual stresses. At similar film thicknesses, an increase in the peak target current density to 0.53 Acm{sup −2} improved the <0001> orientation. Further increasing the peak target current density to above 0.53 Acm{sup −2} showed limited contribution to the texture development. The study also showed that an increase in the thickness of the AlN films deposited by DOMS improved the c-axis alignment accompanied with a reduction in the residual stress.

Variable property, steady, axi-symmetric, laminar, continuum plasma flow over spheroidal particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wen Yuemin; Jog, Milind A.

2005-01-01

Steady, continuum, laminar plasma flow over spheroidal particles has been numerically investigated in this paper using a finite volume method. To body-fit the non-spherical particle surface, an adaptive orthogonal grid is generated. The flow field and the temperature distribution are calculated for oblate and prolate particle shapes. A number of particle surface temperatures and far field temperatures are considered and thermo-physical property variation is fully accounted for in our model. The particle shapes are represented in terms of axis ratio which is defined as the ratio of axis perpendicular to the flow direction to the axis along the flow direction. For oblate shape, axis ratios from 1.6 (disk-like) to 1 (sphere) are used whereas for prolate shape, axis ratios of 1(sphere) to 0.4 (cylinder-like) are used. Effects of flow Reynolds number, particle shape, surface and far field temperatures, and variable properties, on the flow field, temperature variations, drag coefficient, and Nusselt number are outlined. Results show that particle shape has significant effect on flow and heat transfer to particle surface. Compared to a constant property flow, accounting for thermo-physical property variation leads to prediction of higher temperature and velocity gradients in the vicinity of the particle surface. Based on the numerical results, a correlation for the Nusslet number is proposed that accounts for the effect of particle shape in continuum flow with large thermo-physical property variation

A two-dimensional matrix correction for off-axis portal dose prediction errors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bailey, Daniel W.; Kumaraswamy, Lalith; Bakhtiari, Mohammad; Podgorsak, Matthew B.

2013-01-01

Purpose: This study presents a follow-up to a modified calibration procedure for portal dosimetry published by Bailey et al. [“An effective correction algorithm for off-axis portal dosimetry errors,” Med. Phys. 36, 4089–4094 (2009)]. A commercial portal dose prediction system exhibits disagreement of up to 15% (calibrated units) between measured and predicted images as off-axis distance increases. The previous modified calibration procedure accounts for these off-axis effects in most regions of the detecting surface, but is limited by the simplistic assumption of radial symmetry. Methods: We find that a two-dimensional (2D) matrix correction, applied to each calibrated image, accounts for off-axis prediction errors in all regions of the detecting surface, including those still problematic after the radial correction is performed. The correction matrix is calculated by quantitative comparison of predicted and measured images that span the entire detecting surface. The correction matrix was verified for dose-linearity, and its effectiveness was verified on a number of test fields. The 2D correction was employed to retrospectively examine 22 off-axis, asymmetric electronic-compensation breast fields, five intensity-modulated brain fields (moderate-high modulation) manipulated for far off-axis delivery, and 29 intensity-modulated clinical fields of varying complexity in the central portion of the detecting surface. Results: Employing the matrix correction to the off-axis test fields and clinical fields, predicted vs measured portal dose agreement improves by up to 15%, producing up to 10% better agreement than the radial correction in some areas of the detecting surface. Gamma evaluation analyses (3 mm, 3% global, 10% dose threshold) of predicted vs measured portal dose images demonstrate pass rate improvement of up to 75% with the matrix correction, producing pass rates that are up to 30% higher than those resulting from the radial correction technique alone. As

47 CFR 25.218 - Off-axis EIRP envelopes for FSS earth station operations.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Off-axis EIRP envelopes for FSS earth station operations. 25.218 Section 25.218 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS Technical Standards § 25.218 Off-axis EIRP envelopes for FSS...

Nuclear Organization in the Spinal Cord Depends on Motor Neuron Lamination Orchestrated by Catenin and Afadin Function.

Science.gov (United States)

Dewitz, Carola; Pimpinella, Sofia; Hackel, Patrick; Akalin, Altuna; Jessell, Thomas M; Zampieri, Niccolò

2018-02-13

Motor neurons in the spinal cord are found grouped in nuclear structures termed pools, whose position is precisely orchestrated during development. Despite the emerging role of pool organization in the assembly of spinal circuits, little is known about the morphogenetic programs underlying the patterning of motor neuron subtypes. We applied three-dimensional analysis of motor neuron position to reveal the roles and contributions of cell adhesive function by inactivating N-cadherin, catenin, and afadin signaling. Our findings reveal that nuclear organization of motor neurons is dependent on inside-out positioning, orchestrated by N-cadherin, catenin, and afadin activities, controlling cell body layering on the medio-lateral axis. In addition to this lamination-like program, motor neurons undergo a secondary, independent phase of organization. This process results in segregation of motor neurons along the dorso-ventral axis of the spinal cord, does not require N-cadherin or afadin activity, and can proceed even when medio-lateral positioning is perturbed. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterization of a multi-axis ion chamber array.

Science.gov (United States)

Simon, Thomas A; Kozelka, Jakub; Simon, William E; Kahler, Darren; Li, Jonathan; Liu, Chihray

2010-11-01

The aim of this work was to characterize a multi-axis ion chamber array (IC PROFILER; Sun Nuclear Corporation, Melbourne, FL, USA) that has the potential to simplify the acquisition of LINAC beam data. The IC PROFILER (or panel) measurement response was characterized with respect to radiation beam properties, including dose, dose per pulse, pulse rate frequency (PRF), and energy. Panel properties were also studied, including detector-calibration stability, power-on time, backscatter dependence, and the panel's agreement with water tank measurements [profiles, fractional depth dose (FDD), and output factors]. The panel's relative deviation was typically within (+/-) 1% of an independent (or nominal) response for all properties that were tested. Notable results were (a) a detectable relative field shape change of approximately 1% with linear accelerator PRF changes; (b) a large range in backscatter thickness had a minimal effect on the measured dose distribution (typically less than 1%); (c) the error spread in profile comparison between the panel and scanning water tank (Blue Phantom, CC13; IBA Schwarzenbruck, DE) was approximately (+/-) 0.75%. The ability of the panel to accurately reproduce water tank profiles, FDDs, and output factors is an indication of its abilities as a dosimetry system. The benefits of using the panel versus a scanning water tank are less setup time and less error susceptibility. The same measurements (including device setup and breakdown) for both systems took 180 min with the water tank versus 30 min with the panel. The time-savings increase as the measurement load is increased.

Dynamic Compensation for Two-Axis Robot Wrist Force Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junqing Ma

2013-01-01

Full Text Available To improve the dynamic characteristic of two-axis force sensors, a dynamic compensation method is proposed. The two-axis force sensor system is assumed to be a first-order system. The operation frequency of the system is expanded by a digital filter with backward difference network. To filter high-frequency noises, a low-pass filter is added after the dynamic compensation network. To avoid overcompensation, parameters of the proposed dynamic compensation method are defined by trial and error. Step response methods are utilized in dynamic calibration experiments. Compared to experiment data without compensation, the response time of the dynamic compensated data is reduced by 30%~40%. Experiments results demonstrate the effectiveness of our method.

Shaping the zebrafish heart: from left-right axis specification to epithelial tissue morphogenesis.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bakkers, J.; Verhoeven, M.C.; Abdelilah-Seyfried, S.

2009-01-01

Although vertebrates appear bilaterally symmetric on the outside, various internal organs, including the heart, are asymmetric with respect to their position and/or their orientation based on the left/right (L/R) axis. The L/R axis is determined during embryo development. Determination of the L/R

Central regulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis: focus on clinical aspects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fliers, E.; Boelen, A.; van Trotsenburg, A. S. P.

2014-01-01

The hypothalamus is the most prominent brain region involved in setpoint regulation of the thyroid axis. It generates the diurnal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) rhythm, and it plays a central role in the adaptation of the thyroid axis to environmental factors such as caloric deprivation or

A New, Adaptable, Optical High-Resolution 3-Axis Sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Niels Buchhold

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This article presents a new optical, multi-functional, high-resolution 3-axis sensor which serves to navigate and can, for example, replace standard joysticks in medical devices such as electric wheelchairs, surgical robots or medical diagnosis devices. A light source, e.g., a laser diode, is affixed to a movable axis and projects a random geometric shape on an image sensor (CMOS or CCD. The downstream microcontroller’s software identifies the geometric shape’s center, distortion and size, and then calculates x, y, and z coordinates, which can be processed in attached devices. Depending on the image sensor in use (e.g., 6.41 megapixels, the 3-axis sensor features a resolution of 1544 digits from right to left and 1038 digits up and down. Through interpolation, these values rise by a factor of 100. A unique feature is the exact reproducibility (deflection to coordinates and its precise ability to return to its neutral position. Moreover, optical signal processing provides a high level of protection against electromagnetic and radio frequency interference. The sensor is adaptive and adjustable to fit a user’s range of motion (stroke and force. This recommendation aims to optimize sensor systems such as joysticks in medical devices in terms of safety, ease of use, and adaptability.

l=1 helical axis heliotron device in Kyoto university

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagasaki, K.; Sano, F.; Mizuuchi, T.; Hanatani, K.; Okada, H.; Obiki, T.

1999-01-01

Helical systems are an attractive candidate for magnetic fusion reactor. Recently, there has been great progress in theoretical research of three dimensional magnetic field structures, resulting in several kinds of confinement optimization being proposed for toroidal magnetic confinement system. For example, some sophisticated ideas have appeared on stage such as quasi-helical symmetry and quasi-isodynamic system. To find experimentally which way is the best Optimisation, a new helical axis heliotron device, so called 'Heliotron J', is under construction in the Institute of Advanced Energy, Kyoto University, Japan. In this conference, the basic concept and the present status will be presented. In the conventional plane axis helical system, it was difficult to have both good particle confinement and good MHD stability simultaneously. The goal of Heliotron J project is to clarify their compatibility in the spatial axis toroidal device. The best way for Optimising the helical magnetic field configuration will be explored by investigating the plasma response to the change in the field components. The main subjects for plasma experiment are: demonstration of the existence of good magnetic flux surfaces, reduction of neoclassical transport in collisionless regime, MHD Stabilisation in high β plasma, controllability of bootstrap current, good confinement of high energy particles

Photographic simulation of off-axis blurring due to chromatic aberration in spectacle lenses.

Science.gov (United States)

Doroslovački, Pavle; Guyton, David L

2015-02-01

Spectacle lens materials of high refractive index (nd) tend to have high chromatic dispersion (low Abbé number [V]), which may contribute to visual blurring with oblique viewing. A patient who noted off-axis blurring with new high-refractive-index spectacle lenses prompted us to do a photographic simulation of the off-axis aberrations in 3 readily available spectacle lens materials, CR-39 (nd = 1.50), polyurethane (nd = 1.60), and polycarbonate (nd = 1.59). Both chromatic and monochromatic aberrations were found to cause off-axis image degradation. Chromatic aberration was more prominent in the higher-index materials (especially polycarbonate), whereas the lower-index CR-39 had more astigmatism of oblique incidence. It is important to consider off-axis aberrations when a patient complains of otherwise unexplained blurred vision with a new pair of spectacle lenses, especially given the increasing promotion of high-refractive-index materials with high chromatic dispersion. Copyright © 2015 American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fast phase processing in off-axis holography by CUDA including parallel phase unwrapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Backoach, Ohad; Kariv, Saar; Girshovitz, Pinhas; Shaked, Natan T

2016-02-22

We present parallel processing implementation for rapid extraction of the quantitative phase maps from off-axis holograms on the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) of the computer using computer unified device architecture (CUDA) programming. To obtain efficient implementation, we parallelized both the wrapped phase map extraction algorithm and the two-dimensional phase unwrapping algorithm. In contrast to previous implementations, we utilized unweighted least squares phase unwrapping algorithm that better suits parallelism. We compared the proposed algorithm run times on the CPU and the GPU of the computer for various sizes of off-axis holograms. Using the GPU implementation, we extracted the unwrapped phase maps from the recorded off-axis holograms at 35 frames per second (fps) for 4 mega pixel holograms, and at 129 fps for 1 mega pixel holograms, which presents the fastest processing framerates obtained so far, to the best of our knowledge. We then used common-path off-axis interferometric imaging to quantitatively capture the phase maps of a micro-organism with rapid flagellum movements.

Off-axis full-field swept-source optical coherence tomography using holographic refocusing

Science.gov (United States)

Hillmann, Dierck; Franke, Gesa; Hinkel, Laura; Bonin, Tim; Koch, Peter; Hüttmann, Gereon

2013-03-01

We demonstrate a full-field swept-source OCT using an off-axis geometry of the reference illumination. By using holographic refocusing techniques, a uniform lateral resolution is achieved over the measurement depth of approximately 80 Rayleigh lengths. Compared to a standard on-axis setup, artifacts and autocorrelation signals are suppressed and the measurement depth is doubled by resolving the complex conjugate ambiguity. Holographic refocusing was done efficiently by Fourier-domain resampling as demonstrated before in inverse scattering and holoscopy. It allowed to reconstruct a complete volume with about 10μm resolution over the complete measurement depth of more than 10mm. Off-axis full-field swept-source OCT enables high measurement depths, spanning many Rayleigh lengths with reduced artifacts.

[Corticotropic axis and chronic stress in abdominal obesity and metabolic syndrome].

Science.gov (United States)

Boullu-Ciocca, S; Verger, P; Bocquier, A; Oliver, C

2005-12-03

Several indicators of corticotropic axis hyperactivity have been observed in common abdominal obesity, which is clinically similar to the obesity found in Cushing's syndrome. Corticotropic axis hyperactivity may be involved in the development and metabolic and cardiovascular complications of abdominal obesity. Several mechanisms may be responsible for this hormonal dysregulation: genetic, lifestyle, and nutritional factors, and chronic stress. We note the necessity of methodologically-impeccable clinical studies for an objective evaluation of the role of stress in obesity.

Update on stress and depression: the role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA axis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mello Andrea de Abreu Feijó de

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Over the past 50 years, relationships between stress and the neurobiological changes seen in psychiatric disorders have been well-documented. A major focus of investigations in this area has been the role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA axis, both as a marker of stress response and as a mediator of additional downstream pathophysiologic changes. This review examines the emerging literature concerning the relationship between stress, HPA axis function, and depression, as well as the role of early life stress as an important risk factor for HPA axis dysregulation. The more recent studies reviewed suggest that the prominence of HPA axis hyperactivity in adults with depressive and anxiety disorders may constitute a link between the occurrence of adversity in childhood and the development of adult psychopathology

Design of a dual-axis optoelectronic level for precision angle measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, Kuang-Chao; Wang, Tsung-Han; Lin, Sheng-Yi; Liu, Yen-Chih

2011-01-01

The accuracy of machine tools is mainly determined by angular errors during linear motion according to the well-known Abbe principle. Precision angle measurement is important to precision machines. This paper presents the theory and experiments of a new dual-axis optoelectronic level with low cost and high precision. The system adopts a commercial DVD pickup head as the angle sensor in association with the double-layer pendulum mechanism for two-axis swings, respectively. In data processing with a microprocessor, the measured angles of both axes can be displayed on an LCD or exported to an external PC. Calibrated by a triple-beam laser angular interferometer, the error of the dual-axis optoelectronic level is better than ±0.7 arcsec in the measuring range of ±30 arcsec, and the settling time is within 0.5 s. Experiments show the applicability to the inspection of precision machines

Constraints on Spin Axis and Thermal Properties of Asteroids in the WISE Catalog

Science.gov (United States)

MacLennan, Eric M.; Emery, J. P.

2013-10-01

It has widely been accepted that dynamical state of asteroids can strongly be influenced by radiation forces (e.g., Yarkovsky and YORP). Determination of an object’s thermal properties and spin state are a critical step towards understanding the effects of these forces. In this respect, observations of thermal flux emitted from the surfaces of asteroids are a powerful tool. The emission of flux is determined by the temperature distribution which is controlled by the thermal inertia, rotation rate, and spin axis orientation. By gathering data at multiple viewing geometries, the temperature distribution can be modeled accurately enough to separate the effects attributed to (some of) these parameters. Over the length of its mission, the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) observed many asteroids in two epochs (i.e., on either side of opposition) such that data for both morning and afternoon times were gathered. We have begun a project that employs a Thermophysical Model (TPM) in order to analyze these multi-epoch thermal observations with the goal of deriving the thermal properties and spin axis of a large number of asteroids. Here, we first investigate the validity and limits of our method on objects with a previously determined spin axis. Asteroid (413) Edburga has a published spin axis of λ = 202o, β = - 45o (ecliptic longitude and latitude, respectively) using the lightcurve inversion method. With our technique, we estimate a solution consistent with the previous estimate. Applying our TPM to WISE multi-epoch thermal observations of (155) Scylla (no known spin axis estimate), we also place estimates for the ecliptic longitude and latitude of its spin axis. Analysis of multi-epoch thermal data enables determination of spin axis orientation without knowing the rotation period, in contrast to the lightcurve inversion method. This is due to the coupling of thermal inertia and rotation rate in determining the longitudinal distribution of temperature. Their

Nuclear toxicology. To detect, to clean

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia, D.; Lecomte-Pradines, C.; Quemeneur, E.; Petitot, F.; Souidi, M.; Bertho, J.M.; Junot, Ch.; Malard, V.; Berthomieu, C.; Chapon, V.; Gilbin, R.; Misson-Pons, J.; Vavasseur, A.; Richaud, P.; Ansoborlo, E.; Taran, F.; Benech, H.; Fattal, E.; Tsapis, N.; Menetrier, F.; Deverre, J.R.; Burgada, R.

2009-01-01

This file shows two complementary parts: one aiming to a better detection of exposure for man and environment and and other one relative to the treatments to be used when there is a contamination. The development of biological captors is a research axis that could be very useful for nuclear toxicologists that wish to dispose of perceptible measurement tools. In the same idea biological markers could be an important help to determine the toxic quantity in organism in case of internal radioactive contamination. About remedial actions, bacteria are able to reduce, to oxide, to capture pollutants and then it is not insane to use them in efficient and low cost remediation for waters or contaminated lands, especially by trace metals or radioactive compounds. Next to them, plants can offer the same service it is the case for sunflower able to treat water loaded in uranium. This file ends with a review of the different treatments known nowadays as therapies for contamination by radioisotopes used in nuclear industry. (N.C.)

Method of manufacturing nuclear fuel elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishida, Masao; Oguma, Masaomi.

1980-01-01

Purpose: To effectively prevent the bending of nuclear fuel elements in the reactor by grinding the end faces of pellets due to their mutual sliding. Method: In the manufacturing process of nuclear fuel elements, a plurality of pellets whose sides have been polished are fed one by one by way of a feeding mechanism through the central aperture in an electric motor into movable arms and retained horizontally with the central axis by being held on the side. Then, the pellet held by one of the arms is urged to another pellet held by the other of the arms by way of a pressing mechanism and the mating end faces of both of the pellets are polished by mutual sliding. Thereafter, the grinding dusts resulted are eliminated by drawing pressurized air and then the pellets are enforced into a cladding tube. Thus, the pellets are charged into the cladding tube with both polished end faces being contacted to each other, whereby the axial force is uniformly transmitted within the end faces to prevent the bending of the cladding tube. (Kawakami, Y.)

Spinning pipe gas lens aberrations along the axis and in the boundary layer

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Mafusire, C

2013-11-01

Full Text Available When the walls of an open-ended horizontal steel pipe are heated before the pipe is rotated along its axis, the exchange of the expelled heated air with the incoming cooler air, sucked in along the axis, results in a medium capable of focusing a...

Three-axis optical force plate for studies in small animal locomotor mechanics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsieh, S. Tonia

2006-01-01

The use of force plates to measure whole-body locomotor mechanics is a well-established technique. However, commercially available force plates are not sensitive enough for use on small-bodied vertebrates or invertebrates. The standard design for single- and multiple-axis, high-sensitivity force plates built by individual research groups uses semiconductor foil strain gauges to measure deflections; yet foil strain gauges are highly temperature and position sensitive, resulting in a drifting base line and nonlinear responses. I present here a design for a three-axis optical force plate that was successfully calibrated to measure forces as small as 1.5 mN and is capable of determining the position of center of pressure with a mean error of 0.07 cm along the X axis and 0.13 cm along the Y axis. Using optical sensors instead of foil strain gauges to measure deflection, this force plate is not subject to temperature-related drift and is more robust against slight positioning inaccuracies. This force plate was used to measure forces produced by amphibious fishes weighing less than 2 g as they jumped off the force platform

Flux-gate magnetometer spin axis offset calibration using the electron drift instrument

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plaschke, Ferdinand; Nakamura, Rumi; Baumjohann, Wolfgang; Steller, Manfred; Magnes, Werner; Leinweber, Hannes K; Chutter, Mark; Vaith, Hans

2014-01-01

Spin-stabilization of spacecraft immensely supports the in-flight calibration of on-board flux-gate magnetometers (FGMs). From 12 calibration parameters in total, 8 can be easily obtained by spectral analysis. From the remaining 4, the spin axis offset is known to be particularly variable. It is usually determined by analysis of Alfvénic fluctuations that are embedded in the solar wind. In the absence of solar wind observations, the spin axis offset may be obtained by comparison of FGM and electron drift instrument (EDI) measurements. The aim of our study is to develop methods that are readily usable for routine FGM spin axis offset calibration with EDI. This paper represents a major step forward in this direction. We improve an existing method to determine FGM spin axis offsets from EDI time-of-flight measurements by providing it with a comprehensive error analysis. In addition, we introduce a new, complementary method that uses EDI beam direction data instead of time-of-flight data. Using Cluster data, we show that both methods yield similarly accurate results, which are comparable yet more stable than those from a commonly used solar wind-based method. (paper)

Out of Axis Movement of an AUV inside a Water Pipeline

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Moonesun

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The research intends to evaluate the variation in the resistance and the lift of a torpedo shaped AUV brought about by the wall effect inside the pipe as it moves out of the axis inside a water pipeline. Movement of an AUV at the axis of a pipe causes minimum resistance and lift forces, but when the AUV moves at a position parallel with the axis of the pipe (out of axis of the pipe, the hydrodynamic forces especially the lift force changes. The AUV must be able to move a float inside the pipe and perform non-contact inspection. In water pipes having limited diameters, there is the wall effect. The added resistance and the lift have to be calculated accurately, which is a necessary requirement for the determination of the vehicle speed, power demand, control, range and duration of the operation. According to the findings of this paper, when moving at the center of pipe the ratio of AUV diameter to pipe diameter is equal to 12. This value can be considered for the determination of "the critical pipe diameter" which gives zero resistance. The results of this study can be applied for torpedo movement inside the torpedo tube. The analysis is performed by the Flow Vision (V.2.3 software based on the CFD method and solving the RANS equations.

Beyond RPA in nuclear rotation and wobbling motion at high spin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaneko, Kazunari

1991-01-01

A quantum mechanical method of the nuclear rotation and the wobbling motion at high spin beyond the small-oscillation approximation is represented within the framework of time-dependent mean-field theory with some constraints. The constraints which determine the choice of the rotating reference frame are considered in the spin-orientation frame and the principal-axis frame. The quantization under such constraints is performed by making use of the Dirac bracket. Then the commutation relations of the angular momentum are derived. (orig.)

Examination process of a nuclear reactor fuel assembly and examination machine to bring the process into operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delaroche, P.; Leseur, A.; Saglio, R.; Vaubert, Y.

1983-01-01

The machine to examine a fuel assembly of a nuclear reactor includes a support on which the assembly to be examined is placed, a source emitting waves, directed to the assembly to be examined, devices to examine the assembly to be examined that receive the emitted wave by the said source and that have been reflected by the assembly. The examination devices have an axis, this axis being directed to a mirror, this mirror being inclined in such a way that it reflects the waves reflected by the assembly to the examination devices, a radiation protection, to avoid the radiation emitted by the assembly, being diposed between the assembly and the examination devices [fr

Theoretical performance of cross-wind axis turbines with results for a catenary vertical axis configuration

Science.gov (United States)

Muraca, R. J.; Stephens, M. V.; Dagenhart, J. R.

1975-01-01

A general analysis capable of predicting performance characteristics of cross-wind axis turbines was developed, including the effects of airfoil geometry, support struts, blade aspect ratio, windmill solidity, blade interference and curved flow. The results were compared with available wind tunnel results for a catenary blade shape. A theoretical performance curve for an aerodynamically efficient straight blade configuration was also presented. In addition, a linearized analytical solution applicable for straight configurations was developed. A listing of the computer program developed for numerical solutions of the general performance equations is included in the appendix.

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

Science.gov (United States)

Sitnitsky, A. E.

2011-12-01

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

/sup 14/N nuclear quadrupole resonance in ferroelectric sodium nitrite NaNO/sub 2/

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, S; Singh, K [Defence Science Lab., Delhi (India)

1974-06-01

Nuclear quadrupole resonance has been studied in ferroelectric sodium nitrite (NaNO/sub 2/) from 77 K to its phase transition point 437 K. The three rotational frequencies ..omega../sub c/ = 190 cm/sup -1/, ..omega../sub b/ = 120 cm/sup -1/ and ..omega../sub c/ = 227 cm/sup -1/ and their temperature variation when fitted in the Bayer-Kushida theory predict the temperature dependence of nqr frequencies reasonably well. A second order phase transition is found to occur at 180 K which is in confirmity with the one found earlier from thermal expansion and dielectric studies. The shift in resonance frequencies is seen to occur mainly by rotation around the 'c' axis and hence it is inferred that the mechanism of polarization reversal is intimately connected with orientational motion about 'c' axis. (auth)

Preliminary characterization of a one-axis acoustic system. [acoustic levitation for space processing

Science.gov (United States)

Oran, W. A.; Reiss, D. A.; Berge, L. H.; Parker, H. W.

1979-01-01

The acoustic fields and levitation forces produced along the axis of a single-axis resonance system were measured. The system consisted of a St. Clair generator and a planar reflector. The levitation force was measured for bodies of various sizes and geometries (i.e., spheres, cylinders, and discs). The force was found to be roughly proportional to the volume of the body until the characteristic body radius reaches approximately 2/k (k = wave number). The acoustic pressures along the axis were modeled using Huygens principle and a method of imaging to approximate multiple reflections. The modeled pressures were found to be in reasonable agreement with those measured with a calibrated microphone.

Inferring anatomical therapeutic chemical (ATC) class of drugs using shortest path and random walk with restart algorithms.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Lei; Liu, Tao; Zhao, Xian

2018-06-01

The anatomical therapeutic chemical (ATC) classification system is a widely accepted drug classification scheme. This system comprises five levels and includes several classes in each level. Drugs are classified into classes according to their therapeutic effects and characteristics. The first level includes 14 main classes. In this study, we proposed two network-based models to infer novel potential chemicals deemed to belong in the first level of ATC classification. To build these models, two large chemical networks were constructed using the chemical-chemical interaction information retrieved from the Search Tool for Interactions of Chemicals (STITCH). Two classic network algorithms, shortest path (SP) and random walk with restart (RWR) algorithms, were executed on the corresponding network to mine novel chemicals for each ATC class using the validated drugs in a class as seed nodes. Then, the obtained chemicals yielded by these two algorithms were further evaluated by a permutation test and an association test. The former can exclude chemicals produced by the structure of the network, i.e., false positive discoveries. By contrast, the latter identifies the most important chemicals that have strong associations with the ATC class. Comparisons indicated that the two models can provide quite dissimilar results, suggesting that the results yielded by one model can be essential supplements for those obtained by the other model. In addition, several representative inferred chemicals were analyzed to confirm the reliability of the results generated by the two models. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Accelerating Precision Medicine through Genetic and Genomic Big Data Analysis edited by Yudong Cai & Tao Huang. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Vertical axis darrieus windmills for microinvestments in Patagonia Region of Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Labriola, C.V.M.; Chiapero, R.; Castaso, P.E.; Tabarrozzi, R.

2000-01-01

Wind converters used during last decades were either Horizontal Axis Converter (HAC) or Vertical Axis Converters (VAC): Darrieus, Savonius, etc. ). HAC technology, takes advantage of aerodynamic development and the progress of the last years on structural materials and electronics controls, sufficiently tested in gust wind. Thereby the manufacturers allow reaching the maximum speed that the mill can afford in the guaranteed parameter range, minimising the outs of service by gust of wind and consequently the non-supply energy periods. (Authors)

PERMEABILITY OF SAVCIBEY DAM (BİLECİK AXIS LOCATION AND DESIGN OF GROUT CURTAIN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mustafa Can Canoğlu

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This study comprise the design of the planned grout curtain in Savcıbey Dam (Söğüt/Bilecik in order to provide impermeability along the dam axis. Within the context of field studies, engineering geology map was generated, ground investigation drilling was realized and permeability tests were performed. Within the field studies, the joint conditions of the geological units (Triassic aged Bozuyük Metamorphic schists under the dam axis and its effect on permeability was observed considering the positions of the discontinuities with regard to the dam axis location. Orientation of discontinuities generally have strikes changing between N – S and NNE – SSW. 5 boreholes on dam axis, 2 boreholes on cofferdam, 3 boreholes on diversion tunnel and 2 boreholes on spillway total 245 m ground investigation borehole were drilled. In order to determine the permeability profile of dam axis and design the grout curtain, Lugeon tests in Bozuyük Metamorphic units observed in dam axis, falling head permeability tests in alluviums observed in thalveg and slope debris observed in right abutment were performed. Lugeon tests realized in Bozuyük Metamorphic units show that the unit is generally permeable and partly low permeable. Alluvium and slope debris are highly permeable. In addition, drilling works realized in dam axis shows that the augmentation of the weathering degree cause an increase of permeability in Triassic aged Bozüyük Metamorphic schists. As a result of these studies information about the permeability of Savcıbey Dam was collected and the grout curtain hole was designed. Accordingly, it is predicted that approximately 40 m depth of grout curtain from the stripping excavation with the depth of 1.50 m would prevent the possible leakages.

Study of a simplified method of evaluating the economic maintenance importance of components in nuclear power plant system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aoki, Takayuki; Takagi, Toshiyuki; Kodama, Noriko

2014-01-01

Safety risk importance of components in nuclear power plants has been evaluated based on the probabilistic risk assessment and used for the decisions in various plant managements. But economic risk importance of the components has not been discussed very much. Therefore, this paper discusses risk importance of the components from the viewpoint of plant economic efficiency and proposes a simplified evaluation method of the economic risk importance (or economic maintenance importance). As a result of consideration, the followings were obtained. (1) A unit cost of power generation is selected as a performance indicator and can be related to a failure rate of components in nuclear power plant which is a result of maintenance. (2) The economic maintenance importance has to major factors, i.e. repair cost at component failure and production loss associated with plant outage due to component failure. (3) The developed method enables easy understanding of economic impacts of plant shutdown or power reduction due to component failures on the plane which adopts the repair cost in vertical axis and the production loss in horizontal axis. (author)

Adversity-driven changes in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning during adolescence. The trails study.

Science.gov (United States)

Laceulle, Odilia M; Nederhof, Esther; van Aken, Marcel A G; Ormel, Johan

2017-11-01

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has been proposed to be a key mechanism underlying the link between adversity and mental health, but longitudinal studies on adversity and HPA-axis functioning are scarce. Here, we studied adversity-driven changes in HPA-axis functioning during adolescence (N=141). HPA-axis functioning (basal cortisol, cortisol awakening response, anticipation of, reaction to and recovery after a stress task) was measured twice, at age 16 and 19. Adversity (i.e., social defeat and loss/illness) since age 16 was measured extensively with the Life Stress Interview at age 19. Adolescents who reported being exposed to social defeat showed increases in basal cortisol (ɳ 2 =0.029) and decreases in reaction to the stress task (ɳ 2 =0.030) from age 16-19, compared to their peers in the loss/illness and no stress group. The current study provides unique longitudinal data on the role of adversity in HPA-axis functioning. Evidence is provided that adversity can affect the body's neuroendocrine response to stress, dependent on the nature of both the HPA-measures and adverse events under study. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Off-axis electron holography of ferromagnetic multilayer nanowires

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Akhtari-Zavareh, Azadeh; Carignan, L. P.; Yelon, A.

2014-01-01

with respect to the axis of the wires. In thinner Cu/CoFeB ((multilayer, magnetic field vortices were detected, associated with opposing magnetization in neighbouring layers. The measured crystallinity, compositions, and layer thicknesses of individual NWs were found to be significantly different...

Modulation of HPA axis response to social stress in schizophrenia by childhood trauma.

Science.gov (United States)

Lange, Claudia; Huber, Christian G; Fröhlich, Daniela; Borgwardt, Stefan; Lang, Undine E; Walter, Marc

2017-08-01

HPA axis functioning plays an important role in the etiology of schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD). However, only few studies have examined HPA axis responsivity to psychosocial stress in SSD, and results are heterogeneous. Furthermore, childhood trauma is known to influence psychopathology and treatment outcome in SSD, but studies on the influence of childhood trauma on stress related HPA axis activity are missing. The purpose of this study was to investigate cortisol response to a psychosocial stress challenge in SSD patients, and to examine its association with severity of childhood trauma. The present study included 25 subacutely ill patients with a current episode of a chronic SSD and 25 healthy controls. Participants underwent the modified Trier Social Stress Test, and salivary cortisol levels were assessed. The childhood trauma questionnaire was used to assess severity of adverse life events. Overall, cortisol response was blunted in the patient group compared to the control group (pchildhood trauma experience: responders had experienced more emotional abuse in their past (pchildhood trauma might influence stress-related HPA axis activity in SSD. Our data contribute to the hypothesis that severity of childhood trauma may be of pathophysiological relevance in schizophrenia. In addition, it may be an overlooked factor contributing to inconsistent findings regarding HPA axis response to psychosocial stress in SSD. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Chronic Stress and Limbic-Hypothalamopituitary-Adrenal Axis (LHPA Response in Female Reproductive system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farideh Zafari Zangeneh

2009-12-01

Full Text Available The hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA axis is a critical adaptive system that maximizes survival potential in the face of physical or psychological challenge. The principal end products of the HPA axis, glucocorticoid hormones, act on multiple organ systems, including the brain, to maintain homeostatic balance. The brain is a target of stress, and the hippocampus is the first brain region, besides the hypothalamus, to be recognized as a target of glucocorticoids. These anatomical areas in brain are limbic system, and in particular the hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC and amigdal that have multiple control points in regulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA axis. The studies show the prefrontal cortex (PFC plays an important role in the regulation of stress-induced hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA activity and regulation of gonadal function in men and women is under the control of the HPA. This regulation is complex and sex steroids are important regulators of GnRH and gonadotropin release through classic feedback mechanisms in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. Chronic stress can have a deleterious effect on the reproductive axis that, for females, is manifested in reduced pulsatile gonadotropin secretion and increased incidence of ovulatory abnormalities and infertility. The limbic–hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (LHPA axis suggests a functional role for gonadal steroids in the regulation of a female’s response to stress.

Insulin-Like Growth Factor Axis Expression in Dental Pulp Cells Derived From Carious Teeth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hanaa Esa Alkharobi

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The insulin-like growth factor (IGF axis plays an important role in dental tissue regeneration and most components of this axis are expressed in human dental pulp cells (DPCs. In our previous study, we analyzed IGF axis gene expression in DPCs and demonstrated a novel role of IGF binding protein (IGFBP-2 and -3 in coordinating mineralized matrix formation in differentiating DPCs. A more recent study from our laboratory partially characterized dental pulp stem cells from teeth with superficial caries (cDPCs and showed that their potential to differentiate odontoblasts and/or into osteoblasts is enhanced by exposure to the mild inflammatory conditions characteristic of superficial caries. In the present study, we examine whether changes apparent in IGF axis expression during osteogenic differentiation of healthy DPCs are also apparent in DPCs derived from carious affected teeth.

Characterization of reactively sputtered c-axis aligned nanocrystalline InGaZnO{sub 4}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lynch, David M.; Zhu, Bin; Ast, Dieter G.; Thompson, Michael O. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 (United States); Levin, Barnaby D. A. [School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 (United States); Muller, David A. [School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 (United States); Kavli Institute for Nanoscale Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 (United States); Greene, Raymond G. [Corning Incorporated, Corning, New York 14831 (United States)

2014-12-29

Crystallinity and texturing of RF sputtered c-axis aligned crystal InGaZnO{sub 4} (CAAC IGZO) thin films were quantified using X-ray diffraction techniques. Above 190 °C, nanocrystalline films with an X-ray peak at 2θ = 30° (009 planes) developed with increasing c-axis normal texturing up to 310 °C. Under optimal conditions (310 °C, 10% O{sub 2}), films exhibited a c-axis texture full-width half-maximum of 20°. Cross-sectional high-resolution transmission electron microscopy confirmed these results, showing alignment variation of ±9° over a 15 × 15 nm field of view and indicating formation of much larger aligned domains than previously reported. At higher deposition temperatures, c-axis alignment was gradually lost as polycrystalline films developed.

Single-shot dual-wavelength in-line and off-axis hybrid digital holography

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Fengpeng; Wang, Dayong; Rong, Lu; Wang, Yunxin; Zhao, Jie

2018-02-01

We propose an in-line and off-axis hybrid holographic real-time imaging technique. The in-line and off-axis digital holograms are generated simultaneously by two lasers with different wavelengths, and they are recorded using a color camera with a single shot. The reconstruction is carried using an iterative algorithm in which the initial input is designed to include the intensity of the in-line hologram and the approximate phase distributions obtained from the off-axis hologram. In this way, the complex field in the object plane and the output by the iterative procedure can produce higher quality amplitude and phase images compared to traditional iterative phase retrieval. The performance of the technique has been demonstrated by acquiring the amplitude and phase images of a green lacewing's wing and a living moon jellyfish.

High flux polarized neutrons triple-axis spectrometer: 2T (LLB-Saclay)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bourges, Ph.; Hennion, B.; Sidis, Y.; Boutrouille, Ph.; Baroni, P.

1999-01-01

A description of the performance of the newly designed thermal beam triple-axis spectrometer, 2T at LLB (Saclay) is given. The beam tube will be increased to 50 x 120 mm 2 (HxV) before the monochromator. A gain of about a factor 2 on the neutron flux at the monitor position is expected after this operation, scheduled on April/May 1999. Polarized neutrons beam option will be installed on this triple axis. The polarization is obtained using high quality heusler crystals recently grown at ILL. The size of both heusler monochromator and analyzer have been chosen to fully cover the beam size. The monochromator (analyzer) will be equipped with a vertical (horizontal) curvature. The flux of the polarized beam on the detector is then expected to be 5 times better than IN20 at ILL (best existing polarized neutrons triple-axis on thermal beam) with incident energy upto 75 MeV. (author)

Ghrelin-induced hippocampal neurogenesis and enhancement of cognitive function are mediated independently of GH/IGF-1 axis: lessons from the spontaneous dwarf rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Endan; Kim, Yumi; Kim, Sehee; Park, Seungjoon

2013-01-01

We recently have reported that ghrelin modulates adult hippocampal neurogenesis. However, there is a possibility that the action of ghrelin on hippocampal neurogenesis could be, in part, due to the ability of ghrelin to stimulate the GH/insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 axis, where both GH and IGF-1 infusions are known to increase hippocampal neurogenesis. To explore this possibility, we assessed the impact of ghrelin on progenitor cell proliferation and differentiation in the dentate gyrus (DG) of spontaneous dwarf rats (SDRs), a dwarf strain with a mutation of the GH gene resulting in total loss of GH. Double immunohistochemical staining revealed that Ki-67-positive progenitor cells and doublecortin (DCX)-positive neuroblasts in the DG of the SDRs expressed ghrelin receptors. We found that ghrelin treatment in the SDRs significantly increased the number of proliferating cell nuclear antigen- and BrdU-labeled cells in the DG. The number of DCX-labeled cells in the DG of ghrelin-treated SDRs was also significantly increased compared with the vehicle-treated controls. To test whether ghrelin has a direct effect on cognitive performance independently of somatotropic axis, hippocampus-dependent learning and memory were assessed using the Y-maze and novel object recognition (NOR) test in the SDRs. Ghrelin treatment for 4 weeks by subcutaneous osmotic pump significantly increased alternation rates in the Y-maze and exploration time for novel object in the NOR test compared to vehicle-treated controls. Our results indicate that ghrelin-induced adult hippocampal neurogenesis and enhancement of cognitive function are mediated independently of somatotropic axis.

Anterior fixation of the axis.

Science.gov (United States)

Traynelis, Vincent C; Fontes, Ricardo B V

2010-09-01

Although anterior fixation of the axis is not commonly performed, plate fixation of C2 is an important technique for treating select upper cervical traumatic injuries and is also useful in the surgical management of spondylosis. To report the technique and outcomes of C2 anterior plate fixation for a series of patients in which the majority presented with symptomatic degenerative spondylosis. Forty-six consecutive patients underwent single or multilevel fusions over a 7-year period; 30 of these had advanced degenerative disease manifested by myelopathy or deformity. Exposure was achieved with rostral extension of the standard anterior cervical exposure via careful soft tissue dissection, mobilization of the superior thyroid artery, and the use of a table-mounted retractor. It was not necessary to remove the submandibular gland, section the digastric muscle, or make additional skin incisions. Screws were placed an average of 4.6 mm (+/- 2.3 mm) from the inferior C2 endplate with a mean sagittal trajectory of 15.7 degrees (+/- 7.6 degrees). Short- and long-term procedure-related mortality was 4.4%, and perioperative morbidity was 8.9%. Patients remained intubated an average of 2.5 days following surgery. Dysphagia was initially reported by 15.2% of patients but resolved by the 8th postoperative week in all patients. Arthrodesis was achieved in all patients available for long-term follow-up. Multilevel fusions were not associated with longer hospitalization or morbidity. Anterior plate fixation of the axis for degenerative disease can be accomplished with acceptable morbidity employing an extension of the standard anterolateral route.

The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis, Obesity, and Chronic Stress Exposure: Sleep and the HPA Axis in Obesity

OpenAIRE

Lucassen, Eliane A.; Cizza, Giovanni

2012-01-01

Obesity, exposure to stress and inadequate sleep are prevalent phenomena in modern society. In this review we focus on their relationships and critically evaluate causality. In obese individuals, one of the main stress systems, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, is altered, and concentrations of cortisol are elevated in adipose tissue due to elevated local activity of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD) type 1. Short sleep and decreased sleep quality are also associated with obesity....

Analysis of piston behavior according to eccentricity ratio of disk in bent-axis type piston pump

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baek, Il Hyun; Cho, Ihn Sung; Jung, Jae Youn; Hong, Lu

2008-01-01

To improve the performance of the bent-axis type axial piston pump driven by the tapered piston, it is necessary to know the driving characteristics and mechanism of the tapered piston and the cylinder block. Since each piston not only rotates on its axis and reciprocates in the cylinder bore but also revolves around the axis of the driving shaft, it is difficult to analyze the driving mechanism theoretically. The theoretical mechanism for the bent-axis type axial piston pump is studied by using the geometrical method. The driving range of the tapered piston is determined by theoretical equations. The results show that the cylinder block is driven by one tapered piston in a limited range and the core parameters such as the tilting angle of the piston and the ahead delay angle influence performance of the bent-axis type axial piston pump

Device for passive flow control around vertical axis marine turbine

Science.gov (United States)

Coşoiu, C. I.; Georgescu, A. M.; Degeratu, M.; Haşegan, L.; Hlevca, D.

2012-11-01

The power supplied by a turbine with the rotor placed in a free stream flow may be increased by augmenting the velocity in the rotor area. The energy of the free flow is dispersed and it may be concentrated by placing a profiled structure around the bare turbine in order to concentrate more energy in the rotor zone. At the Aerodynamic and Wind Engineering Laboratory (LAIV) of the Technical University of Civil Engineering of Bucharest (UTCB) it was developed a concentrating housing to be used for hydro or aeolian horizontal axis wind turbines, in order to increase the available energy in the active section of turbine rotor. The shape of the concentrating housing results by superposing several aero/hydro dynamic effects, the most important being the one generated by the passive flow control devices that were included in the housing structure. Those concentrating housings may be also adapted for hydro or aeolian turbines with vertical axis. The present paper details the numerical research effectuated at the LAIV to determine the performances of a vertical axis marine turbine equipped with such a concentrating device, in order to increase the energy quantity extracted from the main flow. The turbine is a Darrieus type one with three vertical straight blades, symmetric with respect to the axis of rotation, generated using a NACA4518 airfoil. The global performances of the turbine equipped with the concentrating housing were compared to the same characteristics of the bare turbine. In order to validate the numerical approach used in this paper, test cases from the literature resulting from experimental and numerical simulations for similar situations, were used.

Device for passive flow control around vertical axis marine turbine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coşoiu, C I; Georgescu, A M; Degeratu, M; Haşegan, L; Hlevca, D

2012-01-01

The power supplied by a turbine with the rotor placed in a free stream flow may be increased by augmenting the velocity in the rotor area. The energy of the free flow is dispersed and it may be concentrated by placing a profiled structure around the bare turbine in order to concentrate more energy in the rotor zone. At the Aerodynamic and Wind Engineering Laboratory (LAIV) of the Technical University of Civil Engineering of Bucharest (UTCB) it was developed a concentrating housing to be used for hydro or aeolian horizontal axis wind turbines, in order to increase the available energy in the active section of turbine rotor. The shape of the concentrating housing results by superposing several aero/hydro dynamic effects, the most important being the one generated by the passive flow control devices that were included in the housing structure. Those concentrating housings may be also adapted for hydro or aeolian turbines with vertical axis. The present paper details the numerical research effectuated at the LAIV to determine the performances of a vertical axis marine turbine equipped with such a concentrating device, in order to increase the energy quantity extracted from the main flow. The turbine is a Darrieus type one with three vertical straight blades, symmetric with respect to the axis of rotation, generated using a NACA4518 airfoil. The global performances of the turbine equipped with the concentrating housing were compared to the same characteristics of the bare turbine. In order to validate the numerical approach used in this paper, test cases from the literature resulting from experimental and numerical simulations for similar situations, were used.

Model-based therapeutic correction of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amos Ben-Zvi

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA axis is a major system maintaining body homeostasis by regulating the neuroendocrine and sympathetic nervous systems as well modulating immune function. Recent work has shown that the complex dynamics of this system accommodate several stable steady states, one of which corresponds to the hypocortisol state observed in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS. At present these dynamics are not formally considered in the development of treatment strategies. Here we use model-based predictive control (MPC methodology to estimate robust treatment courses for displacing the HPA axis from an abnormal hypocortisol steady state back to a healthy cortisol level. This approach was applied to a recent model of HPA axis dynamics incorporating glucocorticoid receptor kinetics. A candidate treatment that displays robust properties in the face of significant biological variability and measurement uncertainty requires that cortisol be further suppressed for a short period until adrenocorticotropic hormone levels exceed 30% of baseline. Treatment may then be discontinued, and the HPA axis will naturally progress to a stable attractor defined by normal hormone levels. Suppression of biologically available cortisol may be achieved through the use of binding proteins such as CBG and certain metabolizing enzymes, thus offering possible avenues for deployment in a clinical setting. Treatment strategies can therefore be designed that maximally exploit system dynamics to provide a robust response to treatment and ensure a positive outcome over a wide range of conditions. Perhaps most importantly, a treatment course involving further reduction in cortisol, even transient, is quite counterintuitive and challenges the conventional strategy of supplementing cortisol levels, an approach based on steady-state reasoning.

From the Bottom-Up: Chemotherapy and Gut-Brain Axis Dysregulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bajic, Juliana E; Johnston, Ian N; Howarth, Gordon S; Hutchinson, Mark R

2018-01-01

The central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract form the primary targets of chemotherapy-induced toxicities. Symptoms associated with damage to these regions have been clinically termed chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment and mucositis. Whilst extensive literature outlines the complex etiology of each pathology, to date neither chemotherapy-induced side-effect has considered the potential impact of one on the pathogenesis of the other disorder. This is surprising considering the close bidirectional relationship shared between each organ; the gut-brain axis. There are complex multiple pathways linking the gut to the brain and vice versa in both normal physiological function and disease. For instance, psychological and social factors influence motility and digestive function, symptom perception, and behaviors associated with illness and pathological outcomes. On the other hand, visceral pain affects central nociception pathways, mood and behavior. Recent interest highlights the influence of functional gut disorders, such as inflammatory bowel diseases and irritable bowel syndrome in the development of central comorbidities. Gut-brain axis dysfunction and microbiota dysbiosis have served as key portals in understanding the potential mechanisms associated with these functional gut disorders and their effects on cognition. In this review we will present the role gut-brain axis dysregulation plays in the chemotherapy setting, highlighting peripheral-to-central immune signaling mechanisms and their contribution to neuroimmunological changes associated with chemotherapy exposure. Here, we hypothesize that dysregulation of the gut-brain axis plays a major role in the intestinal, psychological and neurological complications following chemotherapy. We pay particular attention to evidence surrounding microbiota dysbiosis, the role of intestinal permeability, damage to nerves of the enteric and peripheral nervous systems and vagal and humoral mediated changes.

Involvement of Endogenous Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Naert, G; Zussy, C; Tran Van Ba, C; Chevallier, N; Tang, Y-P; Maurice, T; Givalois, L

2015-11-01

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) appears to be highly involved in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis regulation during adulthood, playing an important role in homeostasis maintenance. The present study aimed to determine the involvement of BDNF in HPA axis activity under basal and stress conditions via partial inhibition of this endogenous neurotrophin. Experiments were conducted in rats and mice with two complementary approaches: (i) BDNF knockdown with stereotaxic delivery of BDNF-specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) into the lateral ventricle of adult male rats and (ii) genetically induced knockdown (KD) of BDNF expression specifically in the central nervous system during the first ontogenesis in mice (KD mice). Delivery of siRNA in the rat brain decreased BDNF levels in the hippocampus (-31%) and hypothalamus (-35%) but not in the amygdala, frontal cortex and pituitary. In addition, siRNA induced no change of the basal HPA axis activity. BDNF siRNA rats exhibited decreased BDNF levels and concomitant altered adrenocortoctrophic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone responses to restraint stress, suggesting the involvement of BDNF in the HPA axis adaptive response to stress. In KD mice, BDNF levels in the hippocampus and hypothalamus were decreased by 20% in heterozygous and by 60% in homozygous animals compared to wild-type littermates. Although, in heterozygous KD mice, no significant change was observed in the basal levels of plasma ACTH and corticosterone, both hormones were significantly increased in homozygous KD mice, demonstrating that robust cerebral BDNF inhibition (60%) is necessary to affect basal HPA axis activity. All of these results in both rats and mice demonstrate the involvement and importance of a robust endogenous pool of BDNF in basal HPA axis regulation and the pivotal function of de novo BDNF synthesis in the establishment of an adapted response to stress. © 2015 British Society for Neuroendocrinology.

Wire-Array Precursor Plasma Interactions With On-Axis Foam Targets

Science.gov (United States)

Palmer, J. B. A.; Bland, S. N.

2005-10-01

The Dynamic Hohlraum (DH) Z-pinch on Z at Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) has been used to drive Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) and High Energy Density Physics (HEDP) relevant experiments. The power pulse from the DH cannot yet be reproduced using codes that can reproduce the performance of a Vacuum Hohlraum (VH) configuration on Z. Unlike the VH the DH has a low-density CH foam cylinder placed on the array axis. Production of precursor plasma, prior to the main implosion, is not included in the codes. This plasma is accelerated towards the array axis by the global J x B force and impacts onto the on-axis target. This bombardment alters the foam in various ways. Experiments have been performed on the 1 MA MAGPIE generator at Imperial College, London, to investigate the effect of this precursor bombardment. Diagnostics used were point-projection radiography with x-pinches, x-ray emission framing cameras, shadowgraphy and photoconduction diodes. Results show ablation of low-density plasma from the foam surface and compression of the foam by precursor pressure. Research sponsored by AWE, SNL, the SSAA program of NNSA under DOE Cooperative Agreement DE-FC03-02NA00057.

The effect of pitch angle on the performance of a vertical-axis wind turbine

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rezaeiha, A.; Kalkman, I.M.; Blocken, B.; Borg, R.P.; Gauci, P.; Staines, C.S.

2016-01-01

Wind energy is a highly promising resource to approach a sustainable built environment. Vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT) offer the advantage of omni-directional operation over horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT). This makes them ideal for utilization in urban environments which are characterized

Tunnel and thermal c-axis transport in BSCCO in the normal and pseudogap states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giura, M; Fastampa, R; Sarti, S; Pompeo, N; Silva, E

2007-01-01

We consider the problem of c-axis transport in double-layered cuprates, in particular with reference to Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+δ compounds. We exploit the effect of the two barriers on the thermal and tunnel transport. The resulting model is able to describe accurately the normal state c-axis resistivity in Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+δ , from the underdoped side up to the strongly overdoped. We extend the model, without introducing additional parameters, in order to allow for the decrease of the barrier when an external voltage bias is applied. The extended model is found to describe properly the c-axis resistivity for small voltage bias above the pseudogap temperature T * , the c-axis resistivity for large voltage bias even below T c , and the differential dI/dV curves taken in mesa structures

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis: what can it tell us about stressors?

Science.gov (United States)

Armario, Antonio

2006-10-01

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is an extremely sensitive physiological system whose activation, with the consequent release of ACTH and glucocorticoids, is triggered by a wide range of psychological experiences and physiological perturbations (stressors). The HPA axis is also activated by a high number of pharmacological agents that markedly differ in structure and function, although the precise mechanisms remain in most cases unknown. Activation of the HPA axis is the consequence of the convergence of stimulatory inputs from different brain regions into the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), where the most important ACTH secretagogues (corticotrophin releasing factor, CRF, and arginin-vasopressin, AVP) are formed. Plasma levels of ACTH and corticosterone (the latter under more restricted conditions), are considered as good markers of stress for three main reasons: (a) their plasma levels are proportional to the intensity of emotional and systemic stressors, (b) daily repeated exposure to a stressor usually resulted in reduced ACTH response to the same stressor, that is termed adaptation or habituation; and (c) chronic exposure to stressful situations results in tonic changes in the HPA axis that can be used as indices of the accumulative impact of these situations. These changes can be evaluated under resting conditions (i.e. adrenal weight, CRF and AVP gene expression in the PVN) or after some challenges (administration of CRF, ACTH or dexamethasone) that are classical endocrinological tests. There is also evidence that the activation of the HPA axis may also reflect subtle changes in the characteristics of the stressful situations (unpredictability, lack of control, omission of expected rewards, presence of conspecifics), although this is a topic that requires further studies.

Treg cell-IgA axis in maintenance of host immune homeostasis with microbiota

OpenAIRE

Feng, Ting; Elson, Charles O.; Cong, Yingzi

2010-01-01

The intestine is the home to a vast diversity of microbiota and a complex of mucosal immune system. Multiple regulatory mechanisms control host immune responses to microbiota and maintain intestinal immune homeostasis. This mini review will provide evidence indicating a Treg cell-IgA axis and such axis playing a major role in maintenance of intestinal homeostasis.

Design of rotor blade for vertical axis wind turbine using double aerofoil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chougule, P.D.; Ratkovich, N.; Kirkegaard, P.H.; Nielsen, Soeren R.K. [Aalborg Univ.. Dept. of Civil Engineering, Aalborg (Denmark)

2012-07-01

Nowadays, small vertical axis wind turbines are receiving more attention compared to horizontal wind turbines due to their suitability in urban use,because they generate less noise, have bird free turbines and lower cost. There are few vertical axis wind turbines design with good power curve. However, the efficiency of power extraction has not been improved. Therefore, an attempt has been made to utilize high lift technology in practice for vertical axis wind turbines in order to improve power efficiency. High lift is obtained by double aerofoil elements mainly used in aeroplane wing design. In this current work, two aerofoils are used to design a rotor blade for a vertical axis wind turbine to improve the power efficiency on the rotor. Double aerofoil blade design consists of a main aerofoil and a slat aerofoil. The parameters related to position and orientation of the slat aerofoil with respect to the main aerofoil defines the high lift. Orientation of slat aerofoil is a parameter of investigation in this paper. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) have been used to obtain the aerodynamic characteristics of double aerofoil. The CFD simulations were carried out using Star CCM+ v7.04 (CD-adapco, UK) software. Aerofoils used in this work are selected from standard aerofoil shapes. (Author)

Impact of Sleep and Its Disturbances on Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Activity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcella Balbo

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The daily rhythm of cortisol secretion is relatively stable and primarily under the influence of the circadian clock. Nevertheless, several other factors affect hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA axis activity. Sleep has modest but clearly detectable modulatory effects on HPA axis activity. Sleep onset exerts an inhibitory effect on cortisol secretion while awakenings and sleep offset are accompanied by cortisol stimulation. During waking, an association between cortisol secretory bursts and indices of central arousal has also been detected. Abrupt shifts of the sleep period induce a profound disruption in the daily cortisol rhythm, while sleep deprivation and/or reduced sleep quality seem to result in a modest but functionally important activation of the axis. HPA hyperactivity is clearly associated with metabolic, cognitive and psychiatric disorders and could be involved in the well-documented associations between sleep disturbances and the risk of obesity, diabetes and cognitive dysfunction. Several clinical syndromes, such as insomnia, depression, Cushing's syndrome, sleep disordered breathing (SDB display HPA hyperactivity, disturbed sleep, psychiatric and metabolic impairments. Further research to delineate the functional links between sleep and HPA axis activity is needed to fully understand the pathophysiology of these syndromes and to develop adequate strategies of prevention and treatment.

Mechanical design for modification of a neutral beam for off-axis injection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anderson, P.M. [General Atomics, P.O. Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-5608 (United States)], E-mail: anderson@fusion.gat.com; Hong, R.-M. [General Atomics, P.O. Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-5608 (United States)

2009-06-15

DIII-D is planning to implement off-axis neutral beam current drive by neutral beam injection through a midplane port at angles up to 15 deg. from horizontal. To accommodate the beam-line tilting, the following modifications are planned: (1) move the beam line away from the tokamak by 0.39 m to allow for a 0.68 m inside diameter welded bellows of necessary length to provide 15 deg. of vertical motion between the vessel port and the beam line; (2) reduce the vertical height of the injected beam from 0.48 m to 0.43 m to provide clearance for the inclined beam as it passes through the length of the vessel port; (3) add a linkage system between the front of the beam line and the tokamak to restrain the NB against the vacuum loading from the bellows while maintaining zero roll about the axis of the beam line as it is moved about a virtual pivot axis; (4) add a forward and two rear vertical actuators for raising and lowering the beam line (These actuators require coordinated position control to rotate the NB about a virtual pivot axis.); (5) incorporate lateral restraint to comply with seismic requirements.

Cushing’s Syndrome and Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis Hyperactivity in Chronic Central Serous Chorioretinopathy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Femke M. van Haalen

2018-02-01

Full Text Available ObjectiveCentral serous chorioretinopathy (CSC, a specific form of macular degeneration, has been reported as presenting manifestation of Cushing’s syndrome. Furthermore, CSC has been associated with both exogenous hypercortisolism and endogenous Cushing’s syndrome. It is important to know whether CSC patients should be screened for Cushing’s syndrome. Although hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA axis hyperactivity in CSC has been suggested, no detailed evaluation of the HPA axis has been performed in a large cohort of CSC patients. This study aimed to investigate whether Cushing’s syndrome prevalence is increased among chronic CSC (cCSC patients and whether detailed endocrinological phenotyping indicates hyperactivity of the HPA axis.DesignCross-sectional study.Patients86 cCSC patients and 24 controls.MeasurementsPrevalence of Cushing’s syndrome, HPA axis activity.ResultsNone of the cCSC patients met the clinical or biochemical criteria of Cushing’s syndrome. However, compared to controls, HPA axis activity was increased in cCSC patients, reflected by higher 24 h urinary free cortisol, and accompanying higher waist circumference and diastolic blood pressure, whereas circadian cortisol rhythm and feedback were not different. Chronic CSC patients did not report more stress or stress-related problems on questionnaires.ConclusionNo case of Cushing’s syndrome was revealed in a large cohort of cCSC patients. Therefore, we advise against screening for Cushing’s syndrome in CSC patients, unless additional clinical features are present. However, our results indicate that cCSC is associated with hyperactivity of the HPA axis, albeit not accompanied with perception of more psychosocial stress.

Robust techniques for polarization and detection of nuclear spin ensembles

Science.gov (United States)

Scheuer, Jochen; Schwartz, Ilai; Müller, Samuel; Chen, Qiong; Dhand, Ish; Plenio, Martin B.; Naydenov, Boris; Jelezko, Fedor

2017-11-01

Highly sensitive nuclear spin detection is crucial in many scientific areas including nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and quantum computing. The tiny thermal nuclear spin polarization represents a major obstacle towards this goal which may be overcome by dynamic nuclear spin polarization (DNP) methods. The latter often rely on the transfer of the thermally polarized electron spins to nearby nuclear spins, which is limited by the Boltzmann distribution of the former. Here we utilize microwave dressed states to transfer the high (>92 % ) nonequilibrium electron spin polarization of a single nitrogen-vacancy center (NV) induced by short laser pulses to the surrounding 13C carbon nuclear spins. The NV is repeatedly repolarized optically, thus providing an effectively infinite polarization reservoir. A saturation of the polarization of the nearby nuclear spins is achieved, which is confirmed by the decay of the polarization transfer signal and shows an excellent agreement with theoretical simulations. Hereby we introduce the polarization readout by polarization inversion method as a quantitative magnetization measure of the nuclear spin bath, which allows us to observe by ensemble averaging macroscopically hidden polarization dynamics like Landau-Zener-Stückelberg oscillations. Moreover, we show that using the integrated solid effect both for single- and double-quantum transitions nuclear spin polarization can be achieved even when the static magnetic field is not aligned along the NV's crystal axis. This opens a path for the application of our DNP technique to spins in and outside of nanodiamonds, enabling their application as MRI tracers. Furthermore, the methods reported here can be applied to other solid state systems where a central electron spin is coupled to a nuclear spin bath, e.g., phosphor donors in silicon and color centers in silicon carbide.

Influence of Moisture Content and Compression Axis on Physico-mechanical Properties of Shorea robusta Seeds

Science.gov (United States)

Shashikumar, C.; Pradhan, R. C.; Mishra, S.

2018-02-01

Shorea robusta (Sal) is mainly harvested and processed for its seed oil, which has diverse application in commercial food and non-food based industries. Before extraction of its oil, seeds undergo into various post-harvest unit operations. Physical and mechanical properties play an important role in the handling and other processing activity. In this study influence of moisture content and compression axis of sal seed on physico-mechanical properties were studied and their application are highlighted. The experiments were conducted at five different moisture levels of 6.38, 10.49, 13.63, 17.64, and 21.95% (d.b) at two different orientations. The first orientation is on major axis (LEN) of the seed, and the other orientation is on intermediate or minor axis (WID), which is right angle to the major axis. It was observed that 68% of sal seeds were of medium size group at initial moisture content of 10.49% (d.b). The mean length and width of sal seed was found to be 26.7 mm and 12.8 mm, respectively. It was found that values of hardness, deformation at hardness, deformation at hardness percentage and energy for rupture were higher in minor axis (WID) as compared to the major axis (LEN). The results provide necessary data that may be useful to engineers, scientists, industries in the design of a suitable post-harvest processing machine.

Influence of Moisture Content and Compression Axis on Physico-mechanical Properties of Shorea robusta Seeds

Science.gov (United States)

Shashikumar, C.; Pradhan, R. C.; Mishra, S.

2018-06-01

Shorea robusta (Sal) is mainly harvested and processed for its seed oil, which has diverse application in commercial food and non-food based industries. Before extraction of its oil, seeds undergo into various post-harvest unit operations. Physical and mechanical properties play an important role in the handling and other processing activity. In this study influence of moisture content and compression axis of sal seed on physico-mechanical properties were studied and their application are highlighted. The experiments were conducted at five different moisture levels of 6.38, 10.49, 13.63, 17.64, and 21.95% (d.b) at two different orientations. The first orientation is on major axis (LEN) of the seed, and the other orientation is on intermediate or minor axis (WID), which is right angle to the major axis. It was observed that 68% of sal seeds were of medium size group at initial moisture content of 10.49% (d.b). The mean length and width of sal seed was found to be 26.7 mm and 12.8 mm, respectively. It was found that values of hardness, deformation at hardness, deformation at hardness percentage and energy for rupture were higher in minor axis (WID) as compared to the major axis (LEN). The results provide necessary data that may be useful to engineers, scientists, industries in the design of a suitable post-harvest processing machine.

Innovative Design of a Darrieus Straight Bladed Vertical Axis Wind Turbine by using Multi Element Airfoil

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chougle, Prasad Devendra

. Mainly, there is the horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) and vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT). HAWTs are more popular than VAWTs due to failure of VAWT commercialization during the late of 1980s on a large scale. However, in recent research work it has been documented that VAWTs are more economical......, and the wind tunnel testing of double-element airfoil is performed. It is found that the aerodynamic characteristics of the airfoil increased considerably by delaying the angle of stall. These two facts are very suitable for vertical axis wind turbine since they operate in a larger range of angle of attack......, ±40_, compared to the horizontal axis wind turbines which operate in the range of attack, ±15_. A new design of vertical axis wind turbine is then proposed, and aerodynamic performance is evaluated based on double multiple stream tube methods. The performance parameters are almost doubled compared...

APS-U LATTICE DESIGN FOR OFF-AXIS ACCUMULATION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Yipeng; Borland, M.; Lindberg, R.; Sajaev, V.

2017-06-25

A 67-pm hybrid-seven-bend achromat (H7BA) lattice is being proposed for a future Advanced Photon Source (APS) multi-bend-achromat (MBA) upgrade project. This lattice design pushes for smaller emittance and requires use of a swap-out (on-axis) injection scheme due to limited dynamic acceptance. Alternate lattice design work has also been performed for the APS upgrade to achieve better beam dynamics performance than the nominal APS MBA lattice, in order to allow off-axis accumulation. Two such alternate H7BA lattice designs, which target a still-low emittance of 90 pm, are discussed in detail in this paper. Although the single-particle-dynamics performance is good, simulations of collective effects indicate that surprising difficulty would be expected accumulating high single-bunch charge in this lattice. The brightness of the 90-pm lattice is also a factor of two lower than the 67-pm H7BA lattice.

Design of low velocity-spread cusp guns for axis encircling beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lawson, W.

1987-01-01

The design of a novel electron gun suitable for intense beam cyclotron resonance devices is introduced here. An annular Pierce-type gun is used in conjunction with an unbalanced nonadiabatic field reversal and an adiabatic compression region to produce an axis-encircling beam. This beam is ideally suited for interaction with electromagnetic waves that have strong on-axis electric fields (e.g., the TE 0 /sub 11/ mode). Low velocity spreads are achieved by utilizing the beam self-fields in the compression region and by focusing in the Pierce gun

Efficiency of the DOMUS 750 vertical-axis wind turbine

Science.gov (United States)

Hallock, Kyle; Rasch, Tyler; Ju, Guoqiang; Alonso-Marroquin, Fernando

2017-06-01

The aim of this paper is to present some preliminary results on the efficiency of a wind turbine for an off-grid housing unit. To generate power, the unit uses a photovoltaic solar array and a vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT). The existing VAWT was analysed to improve efficiency and increase power generation. There were found to be two main sources of inefficiency: 1. the 750W DC epicyclic generator performed poorly in low winds, and 2. the turbine blades wobbled, allowing for energy loss due to off-axis rotation. A 12V DC permanent magnet alternator was chosen that met the power requirements of the housing unit and would generate power at lower wind speeds. A support bracket was designed to prevent the turbine blades from wobbling.

Apparatus and method for preventing the rotation of rods used in nuclear fuel assemblies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pilgrim, L.G. Jr.; Jackson, L.F.

1985-01-01

Apparatus and method for preventing the rotation of one or more elongated rods used in nuclear fuel assemblies include an end plug secured to one longitudinal end of such an elongated rod and having an out-of-cavity, non-round structure affixed thereto and configured to mate with a complementary shaped structure in a lower tie plate of a nuclear fuel assembly in such a manner as to prevent the rotation of the rod about its longitudinal axis. In one embodiment, the end plug includes a pair of flats formed on a portion of the end plug and configured to abut against a pair of flats formed on the outer surface of a cylindrical boss or sleeve of the lower tie plate, thereby to prevent the rotation of the rod. In another embodiment, four grooves, disposed 90 0 apart about the periphery of an end plug of a rod form a spline. The grooves are configured to receive four, radially inwardly protruding, key members disposed 90 0 apart about the periphery of a sleeve secured to the lower tie plate, thereby to prevent the rotation of the rod. In a further embodiment, a sleeve is secured to an end plug of a rod and includes four elongated slots disposed 90 0 apart about the periphery of the sleeve and configured in width, depth and spacing to receive and mate with four web portions of the lower tie plate of the nuclear fuel assembly, thereby to secure the rod against rotation about its longitudinal axis

Overview and Design of self-acting pitch control mechanism for vertical axis wind turbine using multi body simulation approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chougule, Prasad; Nielsen, Søren

2014-01-01

Awareness about wind energy is constantly growing in the world. Especially a demand for small scale wind turbine is increasing and various products are available in market. There are mainly two types of wind turbines, horizontal axis wind turbine and vertical axis wind turbines. Horizontal axis wind turbines are suitable for high wind speed whereas vertical axis wind turbines operate relatively low wind speed area. Vertical axis wind turbines are cost effective and simple in construction as compared to the horizontal axis wind turbine. However, vertical axis wind turbines have inherent problem of self-start inability and has low power coefficient as compare to the horizontal axis wind turbine. These two problems can be eliminated by incorporating the blade pitching mechanism. So, in this paper overview of various pitch control systems is discussed and design of self-acting pitch mechanism is given. A pitch control linkage mechanism for vertical axis wind turbine is modeled by multi-body approach using MSC Software. Aerodynamic loads are predicted from a mathematical model based on double multiple stream tube method. An appropriate airfoil which works at low Reynolds number is selected for blade design. It is also focused on commercialization of the vertical axis wind turbine which incorporates the self-acting pitch control system. These aerodynamic load model will be coupled with the multi-body model in future work for optimization of the pitch control linkage mechanism. A 500 Watt vertical axis wind turbine is designed and it is planned to implement the self-acting pitch control mechanism in real model

Does the GH/IGF-1 axis contribute to skeletal sexual dimorphism? Evidence from mouse studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zhongbo; Mohan, Subburaman; Yakar, Shoshana

2016-04-01

The contribution of the gonadotropic axis to skeletal sexual dimorphism (SSD) was clarified in recent years. Studies with animal models of estrogen receptor (ER) or androgen receptor (AR) null mice, as well as mice with bone cell-specific ablation of ER or AR, revealed that both hormones play major roles in skeletal acquisition, and that estrogen regulates skeletal accrual in both sexes. The growth hormone (GH) and its downstream effector, the insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) are also major determinants of peak bone mass during puberty and young adulthood, and play important roles in maintaining bone integrity during aging. A few studies in both humans and animal models suggest that in addition to the differences in sex steroid actions on bone, sex-specific effects of GH and IGF-1 play essential roles in SSD. However, the contributions of the somatotropic (GH/IGF-1) axis to SSD are controversial and data is difficult to interpret. GH/IGF-1 are pleotropic hormones that act in an endocrine and autocrine/paracrine fashion on multiple tissues, affecting body composition as well as metabolism. Thus, understanding the contribution of the somatotropic axis to SSD requires the use of mouse models that will differentiate between these two modes of action. Elucidation of the relative contribution of GH/IGF-1 axis to SSD is significant because GH is approved for the treatment of normal children with short stature and children with congenital growth disorders. Thus, if the GH/IGF-1 axis determines SSD, treatment with GH may be tailored according to sex. In the following review, we give an overview of the roles of sex steroids in determining SSD and how they may interact with the GH/IGF-1 axis in bone. We summarize several mouse models with impaired somatotropic axis and speculate on the possible contribution of that axis to SSD. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Space/Flight Operable Miniature Six Axis Transducer, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — FUTEK will fully design and manufacture a sensor capable of measuring forces in and about each axis. The unit will measure forces up to 300 Newton's in the principle...

Cracking the omega code: hydraulic architecture of the cycad leaf axis.

Science.gov (United States)

Tomlinson, P Barry; Ricciardi, Alison; Huggett, Brett A

2018-03-05

The leaf axis of members of the order Cycadales ('cycads') has long been recognized by its configuration of independent vascular bundles that, in transverse section, resemble the Greek letter omega (hence the 'omega pattern'). This provides a useful diagnostic character for the order, especially when applied to paleobotany. The function of this pattern has never been elucidated. Here we provide a three-dimensional analysis and explain the pattern in terms of the hydraulic architecture of the pinnately compound cycad leaf. The genus Cycas was used as a simple model, because each leaflet is supplied by a single vascular bundle. Sequential sectioning was conducted throughout the leaf axis and photographed with a digital camera. Photographs were registered and converted to a cinematic format, which provided an objective method of analysis. The omega pattern in the petiole can be sub-divided into three vascular components, an abaxial 'circle', a central 'column' and two adaxial 'wings', the last being the only direct source of vascular supply to the leaflets. Each leaflet is supplied by a vascular bundle that has divided or migrated directly from the closest wing bundle. There is neither multiplication nor anastomoses of vascular bundles in the other two components. Thus, as one proceeds from base to apex along the leaf axis, the number of vascular bundles in circle and column components is reduced distally by their uniform migration throughout all components. Consequently, the distal leaflets are irrigated by the more abaxial bundles, guaranteeing uniform water supply along the length of the axis. The omega pattern exemplifies one of the many solutions plants have achieved in supplying distal appendages of an axis with a uniform water supply. Our method presents a model that can be applied to other genera of cycads with more complex vascular organization. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights

The Remotely Controlled Robot System for Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koh, Kwangill; Lee, Gwangnam; Lim, Kyeyoung

1993-01-01

become a very useful tool in industry. In nuclear power plants, personnel has to be protected against the pollution of radiation. Because of radioactivity, operators are recommended to work in the shortest possible time. Also, it is essential to keep a distance as far as possible from the polluted area and wear the protected clothes for the safety

Local charge measurement using off-axis electron holography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beleggia, Marco; Gontard, L.C.; Dunin-Borkowski, R.0E.

2016-01-01

A model-independent approach based on Gauss’ theorem for measuring the local charge in a specimen from an electron-optical phase image recorded using off-axis electron holography was recently proposed. Here, we show that such a charge measurement is reliable when it is applied to determine the to...

Reconstruction of on-axis lensless Fourier transform digital hologram with the screen division method

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Hongzhen; Liu, Xu; Liu, Yong; Li, Dong; Chen, Zhu; Zheng, Fanglan; Yu, Deqiang

2017-10-01

An effective approach for reconstructing on-axis lensless Fourier Transform digital hologram by using the screen division method is proposed. Firstly, the on-axis Fourier Transform digital hologram is divided into sub-holograms. Then the reconstruction result of every sub-hologram is obtained according to the position of corresponding sub-hologram in the hologram reconstruction plane with Fourier transform operation. Finally, the reconstruction image of on-axis Fourier Transform digital hologram can be acquired by the superposition of the reconstruction result of sub-holograms. Compared with the traditional reconstruction method with the phase shifting technology, in which multiple digital holograms are required to record for obtaining the reconstruction image, this method can obtain the reconstruction image with only one digital hologram and therefore greatly simplify the recording and reconstruction process of on-axis lensless Fourier Transform digital holography. The effectiveness of the proposed method is well proved with the experimental results and it will have potential application foreground in the holographic measurement and display field.

Assessment of movement distribution in the lumbar spine using the instantaneous axis of rotation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Ki Won [Trine University, Angola (Indonesia)

2014-12-15

The position of the torso and the magnitude of exertion are thought to influence the distribution pattern of intervertebral movements within the lumbar spine. Abnormal intervertebral movements have been correlated with the risk of spine injuries. Since the capability to measure movement distribution within the lumbar spine noninvasively is limited, a convenient method to diagnose joint motion function was proposed. The goal of this research was to test the efficacy of the instantaneous axis of rotation for assessment of the distribution of movement within the lumbar spine. The proposed method was evaluated in the bio mechanical model. The results showed that the location of instantaneous axis of rotation lowered with increased trunk exertion force, and slightly moved higher with increased trunk angle. Recognizing that abnormal location of the instantaneous axis of rotation correlated with spinal pain, these results suggest potential the location of the instantaneous axis of rotation relates to the risk of low back pain on distributed spinal kinematics.

A new accurate curvature matching and optimal tool based five-axis machining algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Than; Lee, Jae Woo; Bohez, Erik L. J.

2009-01-01

Free-form surfaces are widely used in CAD systems to describe the part surface. Today, the most advanced machining of free from surfaces is done in five-axis machining using a flat end mill cutter. However, five-axis machining requires complex algorithms for gouging avoidance, collision detection and powerful computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) systems to support various operations. An accurate and efficient method is proposed for five-axis CNC machining of free-form surfaces. The proposed algorithm selects the best tool and plans the tool path autonomously using curvature matching and integrated inverse kinematics of the machine tool. The new algorithm uses the real cutter contact tool path generated by the inverse kinematics and not the linearized piecewise real cutter location tool path

Terahertz electron cyclotron maser interactions with an axis-encircling electron beam

Science.gov (United States)

Li, G. D.; Kao, S. H.; Chang, P. C.; Chu, K. R.

2015-04-01

To generate terahertz radiation via the electron cyclotron maser instability, harmonic interactions are essential in order to reduce the required magnetic field to a practical value. Also, high-order mode operation is required to avoid excessive Ohmic losses. The weaker harmonic interaction and mode competition associated with an over-moded structure present challenging problems to overcome. The axis-encircling electron beam is a well-known recipe for both problems. It strengthens the harmonic interaction, as well as minimizing the competing modes. Here, we examine these advantages through a broad data base obtained for a low-power, step-tunable, gyrotron oscillator. Linear results indicate far more higher-harmonic modes can be excited with an axis-encircling electron beam than with an off-axis electron beam. However, multi-mode, time-dependent simulations reveal an intrinsic tendency for a higher-harmonic mode to switch over to a lower-harmonic mode at a high beam current or upon a rapid current rise. Methods are presented to identify the narrow windows in the parameter space for stable harmonic interactions.

Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Modulation of Glucocorticoids in the Cardiovascular System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalie G. Burford

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The collective of endocrine organs acting in homeostatic regulation—known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA axis—comprises an integration of the central nervous system as well as peripheral tissues. These organs respond to imminent or perceived threats that elicit a stress response, primarily culminating in the release of glucocorticoids into the systemic circulation by the adrenal glands. Although the secretion of glucocorticoids serves to protect and maintain homeostasis in the typical operation at baseline levels, inadequate regulation can lead to physiologic and psychologic pathologies. The cardiovascular system is especially susceptible to prolonged dysregulation of the HPA axis and glucocorticoid production. There is debate about whether cardiovascular health risks arise from the direct detrimental effects of stress axis activation or whether pathologies develop secondary to the accompanying metabolic strain of excess glucocorticoids. In this review, we will explore the emerging research that indicates stress does have direct effects on the cardiovascular system via the HPA axis activation, with emphasis on the latest research on the impact of glucocorticoids signaling in the vasculature and the heart.

Terahertz electron cyclotron maser interactions with an axis-encircling electron beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, G. D.; Kao, S. H.; Chang, P. C.; Chu, K. R.

2015-01-01

To generate terahertz radiation via the electron cyclotron maser instability, harmonic interactions are essential in order to reduce the required magnetic field to a practical value. Also, high-order mode operation is required to avoid excessive Ohmic losses. The weaker harmonic interaction and mode competition associated with an over-moded structure present challenging problems to overcome. The axis-encircling electron beam is a well-known recipe for both problems. It strengthens the harmonic interaction, as well as minimizing the competing modes. Here, we examine these advantages through a broad data base obtained for a low-power, step-tunable, gyrotron oscillator. Linear results indicate far more higher-harmonic modes can be excited with an axis-encircling electron beam than with an off-axis electron beam. However, multi-mode, time-dependent simulations reveal an intrinsic tendency for a higher-harmonic mode to switch over to a lower-harmonic mode at a high beam current or upon a rapid current rise. Methods are presented to identify the narrow windows in the parameter space for stable harmonic interactions

design and implementation of a microcontroller based dual axis

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

In this paper, an efficient microcontroller-based dual axis solar radiation tracker which can be used to align a single photovoltaic (PV) ... replaced them with wind turbine generating stations. ... tracker which has both horizontal and vertical axle.

Automated Axis Alignment for a Nanomanipulator inside SEM and Its Error Optimization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chao Zhou

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In the motion of probing nanostructures, repeating position and movement is frequently happing and tolerance for position error is stringent. The consistency between the axis of manipulators and image is very significant since the visual servo is the most important tool in the automated manipulation. This paper proposed an automated axis alignment method for a nanomanipulator inside the SEM by recognizing the position of a closed-loop controlling the end-effector, which can characterize the relationship of these two axes, and then the rotation matrix can be calculated accordingly. The error of this method and its transfer function are also calculated to compare the iteration method and average method. The method in this paper can accelerate the process of axis alignment to avoid the electron beam induced deposition effect on the end tips. Experiment demonstration shows that it can achieve a 0.1-degree precision in 90 seconds.

Research and development of a control system for multi axis cooperative motion based on PMAC

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Xiao-xiao; Dong, Deng-feng; Zhou, Wei-hu

2017-10-01

Based on Programmable Multi-axes Controller (PMAC), a design of a multi axis motion control system for the simulator of spatial targets' dynamic optical properties is proposed. According to analysis the properties of spatial targets' simulator motion control system, using IPC as the main control layer, TurboPMAC2 as the control layer to meet coordinated motion control, data acquisition and analog output. A simulator using 5 servomotors which is connected with speed reducers to drive the output axis was implemented to simulate the motion of both the sun and the space target. Based on PMAC using PID and a notch filter algorithm, negative feedback, the speed and acceleration feed forward algorithm to satisfy the axis' requirements of the good stability and high precision at low speeds. In the actual system, it shows that the velocity precision is higher than 0.04 s ° and the precision of repetitive positioning is better than 0.006° when each axis is at a low-speed. Besides, the system achieves the control function of multi axis coordinated motion. The design provides an important technical support for detecting spatial targets, also promoting the theoretical research.