WorldWideScience

Sample records for sonic high accuracy

  1. High Precision UTDR Measurements by Sonic Velocity Compensation with Reference Transducer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sam Stade

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available An ultrasonic sensor design with sonic velocity compensation is developed to improve the accuracy of distance measurement in membrane modules. High accuracy real-time distance measurements are needed in membrane fouling and compaction studies. The benefits of the sonic velocity compensation with a reference transducer are compared to the sonic velocity calculated with the measured temperature and pressure using the model by Belogol’skii, Sekoyan et al. In the experiments the temperature was changed from 25 to 60 °C at pressures of 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5 MPa. The set measurement distance was 17.8 mm. Distance measurements with sonic velocity compensation were over ten times more accurate than the ones calculated based on the model. Using the reference transducer measured sonic velocity, the standard deviations for the distance measurements varied from 0.6 to 2.0 µm, while using the calculated sonic velocity the standard deviations were 21–39 µm. In industrial liquors, not only the temperature and the pressure, which were studied in this paper, but also the properties of the filtered solution, such as solute concentration, density, viscosity, etc., may vary greatly, leading to inaccuracy in the use of the Belogol’skii, Sekoyan et al. model. Therefore, calibration of the sonic velocity with reference transducers is needed for accurate distance measurements.

  2. High-Quality Seismic Observations of Sonic Booms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wurman, Gilead; Haering, Edward A., Jr.; Price, Michael J.

    2011-01-01

    The SonicBREWS project (Sonic Boom Resistant Earthquake Warning Systems) is a collaborative effort between Seismic Warning Systems, Inc. and NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. This project aims to evaluate the effects of sonic booms on Earthquake Warning Systems in order to prevent such systems from experiencing false alarms due to sonic booms. The airspace above the Antelope Valley, California includes the High Altitude Supersonic Corridor and the Black Mountain Supersonic Corridor. These corridors are among the few places in the US where supersonic flight is permitted, and sonic booms are commonplace in the Antelope Valley. One result of this project is a rich dataset of high-quality accelerometer records of sonic booms which can shed light on the interaction between these atmospheric phenomena and the solid earth. Nearly 100 sonic booms were recorded with low-noise triaxial MEMS accelerometers recording 1000 samples per second. The sonic booms had peak overpressures ranging up to approximately 10 psf and were recorded in three flight series in 2010 and 2011. Each boom was recorded with up to four accelerometers in various array configurations up to 100 meter baseline lengths, both in the built environment and the free field. All sonic booms were also recorded by nearby microphones. We present the results of the project in terms of the potential for sonic-boom-induced false alarms in Earthquake Warning Systems, and highlight some of the interesting features of the dataset.

  3. Evaluation of the IRAD flexible probe sonic extensometer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glenn, H.D.; Patrick, W.C.; Rector, N.L.; Butler, L.S.

    1986-08-01

    Evaluation of the IRAD sonic extensometer was initiated with an electronic-circuit analysis which indicated an accuracy of +-0.001 in. (0.025 mm). Readings from two sonic probes consistently were low by 2% for distances between magnetic anchors, but were accurate to +-0.002 and +-0.003 in. (0.051 and 0.076 mm) for small displacements. Although a series of high explosive tests subjected magnetic anchors to peak accelerations of from 2100 g to 32,000 g the anchors generally did not experience detectable damage. Sonic probe readings exhibited a sensitivity to temperature changes with two of the four segments monitored exceeding the correction factor cited by the manufacturer

  4. High-resolution proton and carbon-13 NMR of membranes: why sonicate?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oldfield, E.; Bowers, J.L.; Forbes, J.

    1987-01-01

    The authors have obtained high-field (11.7-T) proton and carbon-13 Fourier transform (FT) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of egg lecithin and egg lecithin-chloresterol (1:1) multibilayers, using magic-angle sample spinning (MASS) techniques, and sonicated egg lecithin and egg lecithin-cholesterol (1:1) vesicles, using conventional FT NMR methods. Resolution of the proton and carbon-13 MASS NMR spectra of the pure egg lecithin samples is essentially identical with that of sonicated samples, but spectra of the unsonicated lipid, using MASS, can be obtained very much faster than with the more dilute, sonicated systems. With the 1:1 lecithin-cholesterol system, proton MASS NMR spectra are virtually identical with conventional FT spectra of sonicated samples, while the 13 C NMR, the authors demonstrate that most 13 C nuclei in the cholesterol moiety can be monitored, even though these same nuclei are essentially invisible, i.e., are severely broadened, in the corresponding sonicated systems. In addition, 13 C MASS NMR spectra can again be recorded much faster than with sonicated samples, due to concentration effects. Taken together, these results strongly suggest there will seldom be need in the future to resort to ultransonic disruption of lipid bilayer membranes in order to obtain high-resolution proton or carbon-13 NMR spectra

  5. Flow tilt angles near forest edges – Part 1: Sonic anemometry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. Dellwik

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available An analysis of flow tilt angles from a fetch-limited beech forest site with clearings is presented in the context of vertical advection of carbon dioxide. Flow angles and vertical velocities from two sonic anemometers by different manufacturers were analyzed. Instead of using rotations, where zero-flow angles were assumed for neutral flow, the data was interpreted in relation to upstream and downstream forest edges.

    Uncertainties caused by flow distortion, vertical misalignment and limited sampling time (statistical uncertainty were evaluated and found to be highly significant. Since the attack angle distribution of the wind on the sonic anemometer is a function of atmospheric stratification, an instrumental error caused by imperfect flow distortion correction is also a function of the atmospheric stratification. In addition, it is discussed that the sonic anemometers have temperature dependent off-sets. These features of the investigated sonic anemometers make them unsuitable for measuring vertical velocities over highly turbulent forested terrain. By comparing the sonic anemometer results to that of a conically scanning Doppler lidar (Dellwik et al., 2010b, sonic anemometer accuracy for measuring mean flow tilt angles was estimated to between 2° and 3°. Use of planar fit algorithms, where the mean vertical velocity is calculated as the difference between the neutral and non-neutral flow, does not solve this problem of low accuracy and is not recommended.

    Because of the large uncertainties caused by flow distortion and vertical alignment, it was only possible to a limited extent to relate sonic anemometer flow tilt angles to upwind forest edges, but the results by the lidar indicated that an internal boundary layer affect flow tilt angles at 21m above the forest. This is in accordance with earlier studies at the site.

    Since the mean flow tilt angles do not follow the terrain, an estimate of the vertical advection

  6. 1995 NASA High-Speed Research Program Sonic Boom Workshop. Volume 2; Configuration Design, Analysis, and Testing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baize, Daniel G. (Editor)

    1999-01-01

    The High-Speed Research Program and NASA Langley Research Center sponsored the NASA High-Speed Research Program Sonic Boom Workshop on September 12-13, 1995. The workshop was designed to bring together NASAs scientists and engineers and their counterparts in industry, other Government agencies, and academia working together in the sonic boom element of NASAs High-Speed Research Program. Specific objectives of this workshop were to: (1) report the progress and status of research in sonic boom propagation, acceptability, and design; (2) promote and disseminate this technology within the appropriate technical communities; (3) help promote synergy among the scientists working in the Program; and (4) identify technology pacing, the development C, of viable reduced-boom High-Speed Civil Transport concepts. The Workshop was organized in four sessions: Sessions 1 Sonic Boom Propagation (Theoretical); Session 2 Sonic Boom Propagation (Experimental); Session 3 Acceptability Studies-Human and Animal; and Session 4 - Configuration Design, Analysis, and Testing.

  7. High-Speed Research: 1994 Sonic Boom Workshop. Configuration, Design, Analysis and Testing

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCurdy, David A. (Editor)

    1999-01-01

    The third High-Speed Research Sonic Boom Workshop was held at NASA Langley Research Center on June 1-3, 1994. The purpose of this workshop was to provide a forum for Government, industry, and university participants to present and discuss progress in their research. The workshop was organized into sessions dealing with atmospheric propagation; acceptability studies; and configuration design, and testing. Attendance at the workshop was by invitation only. The workshop proceedings include papers on design, analysis, and testing of low-boom high-speed civil transport configurations and experimental techniques for measuring sonic booms. Significant progress is noted in these areas in the time since the previous workshop a year earlier. The papers include preliminary results of sonic boom wind tunnel tests conducted during 1993 and 1994 on several low-boom designs. Results of a mission performance analysis of all low-boom designs are also included. Two experimental methods for measuring near-field signatures of airplanes in flight are reported.

  8. The Effect of Sonic Booms on Earthquake Warning Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wurman, Gilead; Haering, Edward A, Jr.; Price, Michael J.

    2011-01-01

    Several aerospace companies are designing quiet supersonic business jets for service over the United States. These aircraft have the potential to increase the occurrence of mild sonic booms across the country. This leads to interest among earthquake warning (EQW) developers and the general seismological community in characterizing the effect of sonic booms on seismic sensors in the field, their potential impact on EQW systems, and means of discriminating their signatures from those of earthquakes. The SonicBREWS project (Sonic Boom Resistant Earthquake Warning Systems) is a collaborative effort between Seismic Warning Systems, Inc. (SWS) and NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. This project aims to evaluate the effects of sonic booms on EQW sensors. The study consists of exposing high-sample-rate (1000 sps) triaxial accelerometers to sonic booms with overpressures ranging from 10 to 600 Pa in the free field and the built environment. The accelerometers record the coupling of the sonic boom to the ground and surrounding structures, while microphones record the acoustic wave above ground near the sensor. Sonic booms are broadband signals with more high-frequency content than earthquakes. Even a 1000 sps accelerometer will produce a significantly aliased record. Thus the observed peak ground velocity is strongly dependent on the sampling rate, and increases as the sampling rate is reduced. At 1000 sps we observe ground velocities that exceed those of P-waves from ML 3 earthquakes at local distances, suggesting that sonic booms are not negligible for EQW applications. We present the results of several experiments conducted under SonicBREWS showing the effects of typical-case low amplitude sonic booms and worst-case high amplitude booms. We show the effects of various sensor placements and sensor array geometries. Finally, we suggest possible avenues for discriminating sonic booms from earthquakes for the purposes of EQW.

  9. Comparison and flowering valuation of New Guinea Impatiens cultivars from Sonic and Super Sonic groups

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ludmiła Startek

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available In the years 2002-2003 the flowering of four New Guinea Impatiens cultivars from Sonic and Super Sonic groups were compared. They were the following cultivars: 'Sonic Pink', 'Sonic Sweet Cherry', 'Super Sonic Cherry Cream' and 'Super Sonic Hot Pink'. The experiments were carried out from the middle of April till the middle of October. Neutralised sphagnum peat with slow release fertiliser Osmocote Plus 5/6 was used as medium. It was found that the cultivar 'Sonic Pink' began blooming 1-4 weeks earlier than the other cultivars. The cultivars 'Sonic Sweet Cherry' and 'Super Sonic Cherry Cream' had significantly more abundant flowering (105.3-113.3 flowers per plant than the cultivars 'Sonic Pink' and 'Super Sonic Hot Pink' (72.0-92.8 flowers per plant. All the cultivars had big flowers (6.3-7.8 cm in diameter. The most similar flowers were found in 'Sonic Sweet Cherry' and the least similar in 'Super Sonic Hot Pink'.

  10. Sonic boom predictions using a modified Euler code

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siclari, Michael J.

    1992-04-01

    The environmental impact of a next generation fleet of high-speed civil transports (HSCT) is of great concern in the evaluation of the commercial development of such a transport. One of the potential environmental impacts of a high speed civilian transport is the sonic boom generated by the aircraft and its effects on the population, wildlife, and structures in the vicinity of its flight path. If an HSCT aircraft is restricted from flying overland routes due to excessive booms, the commercial feasibility of such a venture may be questionable. NASA has taken the lead in evaluating and resolving the issues surrounding the development of a high speed civilian transport through its High-Speed Research Program (HSRP). The present paper discusses the usage of a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) nonlinear code in predicting the pressure signature and ultimately the sonic boom generated by a high speed civilian transport. NASA had designed, built, and wind tunnel tested two low boom configurations for flight at Mach 2 and Mach 3. Experimental data was taken at several distances from these models up to a body length from the axis of the aircraft. The near field experimental data serves as a test bed for computational fluid dynamic codes in evaluating their accuracy and reliability for predicting the behavior of future HSCT designs. Sonic boom prediction methodology exists which is based on modified linear theory. These methods can be used reliably if near field signatures are available at distances from the aircraft where nonlinear and three dimensional effects have diminished in importance. Up to the present time, the only reliable method to obtain this data was via the wind tunnel with costly model construction and testing. It is the intent of the present paper to apply a modified three dimensional Euler code to predict the near field signatures of the two low boom configurations recently tested by NASA.

  11. Suppression of the sonic heat transfer limit in high-temperature heat pipes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dobran, Flavio

    1989-08-01

    The design of high-performance heat pipes requires optimization of heat transfer surfaces and liquid and vapor flow channels to suppress the heat transfer operating limits. In the paper an analytical model of the vapor flow in high-temperature heat pipes is presented, showing that the axial heat transport capacity limited by the sonic heat transfer limit depends on the working fluid, vapor flow area, manner of liquid evaporation into the vapor core of the evaporator, and lengths of the evaporator and adiabatic regions. Limited comparisons of the model predictions with data of the sonic heat transfer limits are shown to be very reasonable, giving credibility to the proposed analytical approach to determine the effect of various parameters on the axial heat transport capacity. Large axial heat transfer rates can be achieved with large vapor flow cross-sectional areas, small lengths of evaporator and adiabatic regions or a vapor flow area increase in these regions, and liquid evaporation in the evaporator normal to the main flow.

  12. Clearly Transparent Nanopaper from Highly Concentrated Cellulose Nanofiber Dispersion Using Dilution and Sonication

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takaaki Kasuga

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Nanopaper prepared from holocellulose pulp is one of the best substrates for flexible electronics because of its high thermal resistance and high clear transparency. However, the clearness of nanopaper decreases with increasing concentration of the starting cellulose nanofiber dispersion—with the use of a 2.2 wt % dispersion, for example—resulting in translucent nanopaper with a high haze of 44%. To overcome this problem, we show that the dilution of this high-concentration dispersion with water followed by sonication for 10 s reduces the haze to less than 10% while maintaining the high thermal resistance of the nanopaper. Furthermore, the combination of water dilution and a short sonication treatment improves the clearness of the nanopaper, which would translate into cost savings for the transportation and storage of this highly concentrated cellulose nanofiber dispersion. Finally, we demonstrate the improvement of the electrical conductivity of clear transparent nanopaper prepared from an initially high-concentration dispersion by dropping and heating silver nanowire ink on the nanopaper. These achievements will pave the way toward the realization of the mass production of nanofiber-based flexible devices.

  13. Sonic Interaction Design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    ) challenges these prevalent approaches by considering sound as an active medium that can enable novel sensory and social experiences through interactive technologies. This book offers an overview of the emerging SID research, discussing theories, methods, and practices, with a focus on the multisensory......Sound is an integral part of every user experience but a neglected medium in design disciplines. Design of an artifact’s sonic qualities is often limited to the shaping of functional, representational, and signaling roles of sound. The interdisciplinary field of sonic interaction design (SID...... aspects of sonic experience. Sonic Interaction Design gathers contributions from scholars, artists, and designers working at the intersections of fields ranging from electronic music to cognitive science. They offer both theoretical considerations of key themes and case studies of products and systems...

  14. Field intercomparison of prevailing sonic anemometers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mauder, Matthias; Zeeman, Matthias J.

    2018-01-01

    Three-dimensional sonic anemometers are the core component of eddy covariance systems, which are widely used for micrometeorological and ecological research. In order to characterize the measurement uncertainty of these instruments we present and analyse the results from a field intercomparison experiment of six commonly used sonic anemometer models from four major manufacturers. These models include Campbell CSAT3, Gill HS-50 and R3, METEK uSonic-3 Omni, R. M. Young 81000 and 81000RE. The experiment was conducted over a meadow at the TERENO/ICOS site DE-Fen in southern Germany over a period of 16 days in June of 2016 as part of the ScaleX campaign. The measurement height was 3 m for all sensors, which were separated by 9 m from each other, each on its own tripod, in order to limit contamination of the turbulence measurements by adjacent structures as much as possible. Moreover, the high-frequency data from all instruments were treated with the same post-processing algorithm. In this study, we compare the results for various turbulence statistics, which include mean horizontal wind speed, standard deviations of vertical wind velocity and sonic temperature, friction velocity, and the buoyancy flux. Quantitative measures of uncertainty, such as bias and comparability, are derived from these results. We find that biases are generally very small for all sensors and all computed variables, except for the sonic temperature measurements of the two Gill sonic anemometers (HS and R3), confirming a known transducer-temperature dependence of the sonic temperature measurement. The best overall agreement between the different instruments was found for the mean wind speed and the buoyancy flux.

  15. A Flight Research Overview of WSPR, a Pilot Project for Sonic Boom Community Response

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cliatt, Larry James; Haering, Ed; Jones, Thomas P.; Waggoner, Erin R.; Flattery, Ashley K.; Wiley, Scott L.

    2014-01-01

    In support of NASAs ongoing effort to bring supersonic commercial travel to the public, NASA Dryden Flight Research Center and NASA Langley Research Center, in cooperation with other industry organizations, conducted a flight research experiment to identify the methods, tools, and best practices for a large-scale quiet (or low) sonic boom community human response test. The name of the effort was Waveforms and Sonic boom Perception and Response. Such tests will go towards building a dataset that governing agencies like the Federal Aviation Administration and International Civil Aviation Organization will use to establish regulations for acceptable sound levels of overland sonic booms. Until WSPR, there had never been an effort that studied the response of people in their own homes and performing daily activities to non-traditional, low sonic booms.WSPR was a NASA collaborative effort with several industry partners, in response to a NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate Research Opportunities in Aeronautics. The primary contractor was Wyle. Other partners included Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, Pennsylvania State University, Tetra Tech, and Fidell Associates, Inc.A major objective of the effort included exposing a community with the sonic boom magnitudes and occurrences expected in high-air traffic regions with a network of supersonic commercial aircraft in place. Low-level sonic booms designed to simulate those produced by the next generation of commercial supersonic aircraft were generated over a small residential community. The sonic boom footprint was recorded with an autonomous wireless microphone array that spanned the entire community. Human response data was collected using multiple survey methods. The research focused on essential elements of community response testing including subject recruitment, survey methods, instrumentation systems, flight planning and operations, and data analysis methods.This paper focuses on NASAs role in the efforts

  16. SU-E-J-03: Characterization of the Precision and Accuracy of a New, Preclinical, MRI-Guided Focused Ultrasound System for Image-Guided Interventions in Small-Bore, High-Field Magnets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ellens, N; Farahani, K

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: MRI-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) has many potential and realized applications including controlled heating and localized drug delivery. The development of many of these applications requires extensive preclinical work, much of it in small animal models. The goal of this study is to characterize the spatial targeting accuracy and reproducibility of a preclinical high field MRgFUS system for thermal ablation and drug delivery applications. Methods: The RK300 (FUS Instruments, Toronto, Canada) is a motorized, 2-axis FUS positioning system suitable for small bore (72 mm), high-field MRI systems. The accuracy of the system was assessed in three ways. First, the precision of the system was assessed by sonicating regular grids of 5 mm squares on polystyrene plates and comparing the resulting focal dimples to the intended pattern, thereby assessing the reproducibility and precision of the motion control alone. Second, the targeting accuracy was assessed by imaging a polystyrene plate with randomly drilled holes and replicating the hole pattern by sonicating the observed hole locations on intact polystyrene plates and comparing the results. Third, the practicallyrealizable accuracy and precision were assessed by comparing the locations of transcranial, FUS-induced blood-brain-barrier disruption (BBBD) (observed through Gadolinium enhancement) to the intended targets in a retrospective analysis of animals sonicated for other experiments. Results: The evenly-spaced grids indicated that the precision was 0.11 +/− 0.05 mm. When image-guidance was included by targeting random locations, the accuracy was 0.5 +/− 0.2 mm. The effective accuracy in the four rodent brains assessed was 0.8 +/− 0.6 mm. In all cases, the error appeared normally distributed (p<0.05) in both orthogonal axes, though the left/right error was systematically greater than the superior/inferior error. Conclusions: The targeting accuracy of this device is sub-millimeter, suitable for many

  17. SU-E-J-03: Characterization of the Precision and Accuracy of a New, Preclinical, MRI-Guided Focused Ultrasound System for Image-Guided Interventions in Small-Bore, High-Field Magnets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ellens, N [Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland (United States); Farahani, K [National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD (United States)

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: MRI-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) has many potential and realized applications including controlled heating and localized drug delivery. The development of many of these applications requires extensive preclinical work, much of it in small animal models. The goal of this study is to characterize the spatial targeting accuracy and reproducibility of a preclinical high field MRgFUS system for thermal ablation and drug delivery applications. Methods: The RK300 (FUS Instruments, Toronto, Canada) is a motorized, 2-axis FUS positioning system suitable for small bore (72 mm), high-field MRI systems. The accuracy of the system was assessed in three ways. First, the precision of the system was assessed by sonicating regular grids of 5 mm squares on polystyrene plates and comparing the resulting focal dimples to the intended pattern, thereby assessing the reproducibility and precision of the motion control alone. Second, the targeting accuracy was assessed by imaging a polystyrene plate with randomly drilled holes and replicating the hole pattern by sonicating the observed hole locations on intact polystyrene plates and comparing the results. Third, the practicallyrealizable accuracy and precision were assessed by comparing the locations of transcranial, FUS-induced blood-brain-barrier disruption (BBBD) (observed through Gadolinium enhancement) to the intended targets in a retrospective analysis of animals sonicated for other experiments. Results: The evenly-spaced grids indicated that the precision was 0.11 +/− 0.05 mm. When image-guidance was included by targeting random locations, the accuracy was 0.5 +/− 0.2 mm. The effective accuracy in the four rodent brains assessed was 0.8 +/− 0.6 mm. In all cases, the error appeared normally distributed (p<0.05) in both orthogonal axes, though the left/right error was systematically greater than the superior/inferior error. Conclusions: The targeting accuracy of this device is sub-millimeter, suitable for many

  18. A Flight Research Overview of WSPR, a Pilot Project for Sonic Boom Community Response

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cliatt, Larry J., II; Haering, Edward A., Jr.; Jones, Thomas P.; Waggoner, Erin R.; Flattery, Ashley K.; Wiley, Scott L.

    2014-01-01

    In support of the ongoing effort by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to bring supersonic commercial travel to the public, the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center and the NASA Langley Research Center, in cooperation with other industry organizations, conducted a flight research experiment to identify the methods, tools, and best practices for a large-scale quiet (or low) sonic boom community human response test. The name of the effort was Waveforms and Sonic boom Perception and Response (WSPR). Such tests will be applied to building a dataset that governing agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration and the International Civil Aviation Organization will use to establish regulations for acceptable sound levels of overland sonic booms. The WSPR test was the first such effort that studied responses to non-traditional low sonic booms while the subject persons were in their own homes and performing daily activities.The WSPR test was a NASA collaborative effort with several industry partners, in response to a NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate Research Opportunities in Aeronautics. The primary contractor was Wyle (El Segundo, California). Other partners included Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (Savannah, Georgia); Pennsylvania State University (University Park, Pennsylvania); Tetra Tech, Inc. (Pasadena, California); and Fidell Associates, Inc. (Woodland Hills, California).A major objective of the effort included exposing a community to the sonic boom magnitudes and occurrences that would be expected to occur in high-air traffic regions having a network of supersonic commercial aircraft in place. Low-level sonic booms designed to simulate those produced by the next generation of commercial supersonic aircraft were generated over a small residential community. The sonic boom footprint was recorded with an autonomous wireless microphone array that spanned the entire community. Human response data were collected using multiple

  19. Sonic Watermarking

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryuki Tachibana

    2004-10-01

    Full Text Available Audio watermarking has been used mainly for digital sound. In this paper, we extend the range of its applications to live performances with a new composition method for real-time audio watermarking. Sonic watermarking mixes the sound of the watermark signal and the host sound in the air to detect illegal music recordings recorded from auditoriums. We propose an audio watermarking algorithm for sonic watermarking that increases the magnitudes of the host signal only in segmented areas pseudorandomly chosen in the time-frequency plane. The result of a MUSHRA subjective listening test assesses the acoustic quality of the method in the range of “excellent quality.” The robustness is dependent on the type of music samples. For popular and orchestral music, a watermark can be stably detected from music samples that have been sonic-watermarked and then once compressed in an MPEG 1 layer 3 file.

  20. Applications of antireflection coatings in sonic crystal-based acoustic devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Yun; Deng Ke; Xu Shengjun; Qiu Chunyin; Yang Hai; Liu Zhengyou

    2011-01-01

    The unwanted reflection seriously baffles the practical applications of sonic crystals, such as for various acoustic lenses designed by utilizing the in-band properties of sonic crystals. Herein we introduce the concept of the antireflection coating into the sonic crystal-based devices. The efficiency of such accessorial structures is demonstrated well by an originally high reflection system. Promising perspectives can be anticipated in extending the antireflection coating layers into more general acoustic applications through a flexible design process.

  1. USAF Flight Test Investigation of Focused Sonic Booms: Project Have Bears

    Science.gov (United States)

    Downing, Micah; Zamot, Noel; Moss, Chris; Morin, Daniel; Wolski, Ed; Chung, Sukhwan; Plotkin, Kenneth; Maglieri, Domenic

    1996-01-01

    Supersonic operations from military aircraft generate sonic booms that can affect people, animals and structures. A substantial experimental data base exists on sonic booms for aircraft in steady flight and confidence in the predictive techniques has been established. All the focus sonic boom data that are in existence today were collected during the 60's and 70's as part of the information base to the US Supersonic Transport program and the French Jericho studies for the Concorde. These experiments formed the data base to develop sonic boom propagation and prediction theories for focusing. There is a renewed interest in high-speed transports for civilian application. Moreover, today's fighter aircraft have better performance capabilities, and supersonic flights ars more common during air combat maneuvers. Most of the existing data on focus booms are related to high-speed civil operations such as transitional linear accelerations and mild turns. However, military aircraft operating in training areas perform more drastic maneuvers such as dives and high-g turns. An update and confirmation of USAF prediction capabilities is required to demonstrate the ability to predict and control sonic boom impacts, especially those produced by air combat maneuvers.

  2. Production of talc nano sheets via fine grinding and sonication processes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Samayamutthirian Palaniandy; Noorina Hidayu Jamil Khairun Azizi Mohd Azizli; Syed Fuad Saiyid Hashim; Hashim Hussin

    2009-01-01

    Fine grinding of high purity talc in jet mill at low grinding pressure was carried out by varying the feed rate and classifier rotational speed. These ground particles were sonicated in laboratory ultrasonic bath by varying the soniction period at five levels. The ground and sonicated particles were characterized in terms of particle size and particle size distribution. Mechanochemical and sonochemical effect of talc was determine via X-ray diffraction. Particle shape and surface texture of the ground and sonicated product was determined via scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. The ground particle size exhibited particle size below 10 μm with narrow size distribution. The reduction of peak intensity in (002) plane indicated the layered structure has been distorted. The sonicated talc shows that the thickness of the talc particles after the sonication process is 20 nm but the lateral particle size still remains in micron range. The reduction of the XRD peak intensity for (002) plane and thickness of sonicated talc as shown in SEM and TEM micrographs proves that fine grinding and sonication process produces talc nano sheets. (author)

  3. Stakeholder acceptance analysis ResonantSonic drilling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peterson, T.

    1995-12-01

    This report presents evaluations, recommendations, and requirements concerning ResonantSonic Drilling (Sonic Drilling), derived from a three-year program of stakeholder involvement. Sonic Drilling is an innovative method to reach contamination in soil and groundwater. The resonant sonic drill rig uses counter-rotating weights to generate energy, which causes the drill pipe to vibrate elastically along its entire length. In the resonant condition, forces of up to 200,000 pounds are transmitted to the drill bit face to create a cutting action. The resonant energy causes subsurface materials to move back into the adjacent formation, permitting the drill pipe to advance. This report is for technology developers and those responsible for making decisions about the use of technology to remediate contamination by volatile organic compounds. Stakeholders' perspectives help those responsible for technology deployment to make good decisions concerning the acceptability and applicability of sonic drilling to the remediation problems they face

  4. Analysis of Nozzle Jet Plume Effects on Sonic Boom Signature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bui, Trong

    2010-01-01

    An axisymmetric full Navier-Stokes computational fluid dynamics (CFD) study was conducted to examine nozzle exhaust jet plume effects on the sonic boom signature of a supersonic aircraft. A simplified axisymmetric nozzle geometry, representative of the nozzle on the NASA Dryden NF-15B Lift and Nozzle Change Effects on Tail Shock (LaNCETS) research airplane, was considered. The highly underexpanded nozzle flow is found to provide significantly more reduction in the tail shock strength in the sonic boom N-wave pressure signature than perfectly expanded and overexpanded nozzle flows. A tail shock train in the sonic boom signature, similar to what was observed in the LaNCETS flight data, is observed for the highly underexpanded nozzle flow. The CFD results provide a detailed description of the nozzle flow physics involved in the LaNCETS nozzle at different nozzle expansion conditions and help in interpreting LaNCETS flight data as well as in the eventual CFD analysis of a full LaNCETS aircraft. The current study also provided important information on proper modeling of the LaNCETS aircraft nozzle. The primary objective of the current CFD research effort was to support the LaNCETS flight research data analysis effort by studying the detailed nozzle exhaust jet plume s imperfect expansion effects on the sonic boom signature of a supersonic aircraft. Figure 1 illustrates the primary flow physics present in the interaction between the exhaust jet plume shock and the sonic boom coming off of an axisymmetric body in supersonic flight. The steeper tail shock from highly expanded jet plume reduces the dip of the sonic boom N-wave signature. A structured finite-volume compressible full Navier-Stokes CFD code was used in the current study. This approach is not limited by the simplifying assumptions inherent in previous sonic boom analysis efforts. Also, this study was the first known jet plume sonic boom CFD study in which the full viscous nozzle flow field was modeled, without

  5. Paper mechanisms for sonic interaction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Delle Monache, Stefano; Rocchesso, Davide; Qi, Ji

    2012-01-01

    Introducing continuous sonic interaction in augmented pop-up books enhances the expressive and performative qualities of movables, making the whole narrative experience more engaging and personal. The SaMPL Spring School on Sounding Popables explored the specific topic of paper-driven sonic...

  6. Intensification of transesterification via sonication numerical simulation and sensitivity study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Janajreh, Isam; ElSamad, Tala; Noorul Hussain, Mohammed

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • 3D numerical simulation of transesterification is accomplished. • A non-isothermal, reactive Navier–stokes was carried out. • Conventional and sonicated process was compared as far as reaction kinetics and yield. • Higher kinetic rates are achieved at lower molar ratios in sonicated process. • It validates feasibility of numerical simulation for transesterification assessment. - Abstract: Transesterification is known as slow reaction that can take over several hours to complete. The process involves two immiscible reactants to produce the biodiesel and the byproduct glycerol. Biodiesel commercialization has always been hindered by the long process times of the transesterification reaction. Catalyzing the process and increasing the agitation rate is the mode of intensifying the process additional to the increase of the molar ratio, temperature, circulation that all penalize the overall process metrics. Finding shorter path by reducing the reaction into a few minutes and ensures high quality biodiesel, in economically viable way is coming along with sonication. This drastic reduction moves the technology from the slow batch process into the high throughput continuous process. In a practical sense this means a huge optimization for the biodiesel production process which opens pathways for faster, voluminous and cheaper production. The mechanism of sonication assisted reaction is explained by the creation of microbubbles which increases the interfacial surface reaction areas and the presence of high localized temperature and turbulence as these microbubbles implode. As a result the reaction kinetics of sonicated transesterification as inferred by several authors is much faster. The aim of this work is to implement the inferred rates in a high fidelity numerical reactive flow simulation model while considering the reactor geometry. It is based on Navier–Stokes equations coupled with energy equation for non-isothermal flow and the transport

  7. The Sound of Stigmatization: Sonic Habitus, Sonic Styles, and Boundary Work in an Urban Slum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwarz, Ori

    2015-07-01

    Based on focus groups and interviews with student renters in an Israeli slum, the article explores the contributions of differences in sonic styles and sensibilities to boundary work, social categorization, and evaluation. Alongside visual cues such as broken windows, bad neighborhoods are characterized by sonic cues, such as shouts from windows. Students understand "being ghetto" as being loud in a particular way and use loudness as a central resource in their boundary work. Loudness is read as a performative index of class and ethnicity, and the performance of middle-class studentship entails being appalled by stigmatized sonic practices and participating in their exoticization. However, the sonic is not merely yet another resource of boundary work. Paying sociological attention to senses other than vision reveals complex interactions between structures anchored in the body, structures anchored in language, and actors' identification strategies, which may refine theorizations of the body and the senses in social theory.

  8. The sonic borehole logging tool

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oelgaard, P.L.

    1990-09-01

    This report deals with the sonic borehole tool. First a review of the various elastic wave types is given and velocity values of compressional waves in various materials listed. Next follows a discussion of 3 models for the relation between transit time and porosity, and a comparison between the 3 models is made. The design of sonic tools is described including their geometry. The path of the sonic signals is discussed. Also the effect of environmental factors on the results of the tools are considered. Finally a number of applications are described. In two appendices the mechanics of deformable bodies and formulas for the velocity of sound are reviewed. (author)

  9. Characterization of ANFO explosive by high accuracy ESI(±)-FTMS with forensic identification on real samples by EASI(-)-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernandes, Vinicius Veri; Franco, Marcos Fernado; Santos, Jandyson Machado; Melendez-Perez, Jose J; de Morais, Damila Rodrigues; Rocha, Werickson Fortunato de Carvalho; Borges, Rodrigo; de Souza, Wanderley; Zacca, Jorge Jardim; Logrado, Lucio Paulo Lima; Eberlin, Marcos Nogueira; Correa, Deleon Nascimento

    2015-04-01

    Ammonium nitrate fuel oil (ANFO) is an explosive used in many civil applications. In Brazil, ANFO has unfortunately also been used in criminal attacks, mainly in automated teller machine (ATM) explosions. In this paper, we describe a detailed characterization of the ANFO composition and its two main constituents (diesel and a nitrate explosive) using high resolution and accuracy mass spectrometry performed on an FT-ICR-mass spectrometer with electrospray ionization (ESI(±)-FTMS) in both the positive and negative ion modes. Via ESI(-)-MS, an ion marker for ANFO was characterized. Using a direct and simple ambient desorption/ionization technique, i.e., easy ambient sonic-spray ionization mass spectrometry (EASI-MS), in a simpler, lower accuracy but robust single quadrupole mass spectrometer, the ANFO ion marker was directly detected from the surface of banknotes collected from ATM explosion theft. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Phase I ResonantSonic CRADA report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Richterich, L.R.; Amos, L.O.; Fancher, J.D.; McLellan, G.W.; Setzer, W.V.; Tuttle, B.G.; Hockey, R.L.; Ferris, R.H.; Riechers, D.M.; Pitman, S.G.

    1994-01-01

    This test report describes the Phase 1 testing and results of the ResonantSonic drilling method. This effort was conducted as part of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between the US Department of Energy, Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Westinghouse Hanford Company and Water Development Corporation. The purpose of this demonstration was to evaluate the Water Development Corporation's ResonantSonic drilling system, modify components as necessary and determine compatible drilling applications for the ResonantSonic drilling method for use at facilities in the DOE complex and private industry. Initially, the ResonantSonic drill was used to drill several test holes at the Drilling Technology Test Site to assess the feasibility of drilling vertical and angle holes. After this initial phase, a 45 degree angle vapor extraction well was drilled to a depth of 168 feet at the 200 West Carbon Tetrachloride Site. This well was drilled and completed in nine days. Extensive geologic and vapor sampling were conducted while drilling this well. In addition, testing was also conducted at the test site to evaluated drilling with larger diameter casing (8 5/8 inch). Evaluation of the Resonant Sonic drilling method will be continued during the Phase 2 portion of testing to determine if improvements to the ResonantSonic system will make it a more viable method for drilling and sampling

  11. Characterization of sonicated natural zeolite/ferric chloride hexahydrate by infrared spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prasetyo, T. A. B.; Soegijono, B.

    2018-03-01

    The characteristics of sonicated Bayah natural zeolite with and without ferric chloride hexahydrate solution using infrared method has been studied. High intensity ultrasonic waves were exposed to the samples for 40 min, 80 min and 120 min. Infra red spectra analysis was conducted to evaluate zeolite vibrational spectrum contributions, namely, the vibrations from the framework of the zeolite, from the charge-balancing cations, and from the relatively isolated groups, such as the surface OH groups and their behavior after sonication process. An addition of FeCl3.6H2O and sonication process on natural zeolite improved secondary building units link by forming oxygen bridges and also close relationship with duration of applied high intensity ultrasonic process. Longer ultrasonic process resulted in more increment of O-H absorbance.

  12. High Tensile Strength of Engineered β-Solenoid Fibrils via Sonication and Pulling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Zeyu; Parker, Amanda S; Peralta, Maria D R; Ravikumar, Krishnakumar M; Cox, Daniel L; Toney, Michael D

    2017-11-07

    We present estimates of ultimate tensile strength (UTS) for two engineered β-solenoid protein mutant fibril structures (spruce budworm and Rhagium inquisitor antifreeze proteins) derived from sonication-based measurements and from force pulling molecular dynamics simulations, both in water. Sonication experiments generate limiting scissioned fibrils with a well-defined length-to-width correlation for the mutant spruce budworm protein and the resultant UTS estimate is 0.66 ± 0.08 GPa. For fibrils formed from engineered R. inquisitor antifreeze protein, depending upon geometry, we estimate UTSs of 3.5 ± 3.2-5.5 ± 5.1 GPa for proteins with interfacial disulfide bonds, and 1.6 ± 1.5-2.5 ± 2.3 GPa for the reduced form. The large error bars for the R. inquisitor structures are intrinsic to the broad distribution of limiting scission lengths. Simulations provide pulling velocity-dependent UTSs increasing from 0.2 to 1 GPa in the available speed range, and 1.5 GPa extrapolated to the speeds expected in the sonication experiments. Simulations yield low-velocity values for the Young's modulus of 6.0 GPa. Without protein optimization, these mechanical parameters are similar to those of spider silk and Kevlar, but in contrast to spider silk, these proteins have a precisely known sequence-structure relationship. Copyright © 2017 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Accuracy of different diagnostic tests for early, delayed and late prosthetic joint infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernández-Sampedro, M; Fariñas-Alvarez, C; Garces-Zarzalejo, C; Alonso-Aguirre, M A; Salas-Venero, C; Martínez-Martínez, L; Fariñas, M C

    2017-08-25

    A combination of laboratory, histopathological and microbiological tests for diagnosis of prosthetic joint infection (PJI) have been strongly recommended. This study aims to characterize the accuracy of individual or group tests, such as culture of sonicate fluid, synovial fluid and peri-implant tissue, C-reactive protein (CRP) and histopathology for detection of early, delayed and late PJI. A prospective study of patients undergoing hip or knee arthroplasty from February 2009 to February 2014 was performed in a Spanish tertiary health care hospital. The diagnostic accuracy of the different methods was evaluated constructing receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curve areas. One hundred thirty consecutive patients were included: 18 (13.8%) early PJI, 35 (27%) delayed PJI and 77 (59.2%) late PJI. For individual parameters, the area under the ROC curve for peri-implant tissue culture was larger for early (0.917) than for delayed (0.829) and late PJI (0.778), p = 0.033. There was a significantly larger difference for ROC area in the synovial fluid culture for delayed (0.803) than for early (0.781) and late infections (0.679), p = 0.039. The comparison of the areas under the ROC curves for the two microbiological tests showed that sonicate fluid was significantly different from peri-implant tissue in delayed (0.951 vs 0.829, p = 0.005) and late PJI (0.901 vs 0.778, p = 0.000). The conjunction of preoperative parameters, synovial fluid culture and CRP, improved the accuracy for late PJI (p = 0.01). The conjunction of histopathology and sonicate fluid culture increased the area under ROC curve of sonication in early (0.917 vs 1.000); p = 0.06 and late cases (0.901 vs 0.999); p < 0.001. For early PJI, sonicate fluid and peri-implant tissue cultures achieve the same best sensitivity. For delayed and late PJI, sonicate fluid culture is the most sensitive individual diagnostic method. By combining histopathology and peri-implant tissue, all early, 97% of

  14. Research on Test-bench for Sonic Logging Tool

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xianping Liu

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, the test-bench for sonic logging tool is proposed and designed to realize automatic calibration and testing of the sonic logging tool. The test-bench System consists of Host Computer, Embedded Controlling Board, and functional boards. The Host Computer serves as the Human Machine Interface (HMI and processes uploaded data. The software running on Host Computer is designed on VC++, which is developed based on multithreading, Dynamic Linkable Library (DLL and Multiple Document Interface (MDI techniques. The Embedded Controlling Board uses ARM7 as the microcontroller and communicates with Host Computer via Ethernet. The Embedded Controlling Board software is realized based on embedded uclinux operating system with a layered architecture. The functional boards are designed based on Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA and provide test interfaces for the logging tool. The functional board software is divided into independent sub-modules that can repeatedly be used by various functional boards and then integrated those sub-modules in the top layer. With the layered architecture and modularized design, the software system is highly reliable and extensible. With the help of designed system, a test has been conducted quickly and successfully on the electronic receiving cabin of the sonic logging tool. It demonstrated that the system could greatly improve the production efficiency of the sonic logging tool.

  15. Intercostal high intensity focused ultrasound for liver ablation: The influence of beam shaping on sonication efficacy and near-field risks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Greef, M. de, E-mail: m.degreef@umcutrecht.nl; Wijlemans, J. W.; Bartels, L. W.; Moonen, C. T. W.; Ries, M. [Imaging Division, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht 3508GA (Netherlands); Schubert, G.; Koskela, J. [Philips Healthcare, Vantaa FI-01511 (Finland)

    2015-08-15

    Purpose: One of the major issues in high intensity focused ultrasound ablation of abdominal lesions is obstruction of the ultrasound beam by the thoracic cage. Beam shaping strategies have been shown by several authors to increase focal point intensity while limiting rib exposure. However, as rib obstruction leaves only part of the aperture available for energy transmission, conserving total emitted acoustic power, the intensity in the near-field tissues inherently increases after beam shaping. Despite of effective rib sparing, those tissues are therefore subjected to increased risk of thermal damage. In this study, for a number of clinically representative intercostal sonication geometries, modeling clinically available hardware, the effect of beam shaping on both the exposure of the ribs and near-field to acoustic energy was evaluated and the implications for the volumetric ablation rate were addressed. Methods: A relationship between rib temperature rise and acoustic energy density was established by means of in vivo MR thermometry and simulations of the incident acoustic energy for the corresponding anatomies. This relationship was used for interpretation of rib exposure in subsequent numerical simulations in which rib spacing, focal point placement, and the focal point trajectory were varied. The time required to heat a targeted region to 65 °C was determined without and with the application of beam shaping. The required sonication time was used to calculate the acoustic energy density at the fat–muscle interface and at the surface of the ribs. At the fat–muscle interface, exposure was compared to available literature data and rib exposure was interpreted based on the earlier obtained relation between measured temperature rise and simulated acoustic energy density. To estimate the volumetric ablation rate, the cool-down time between periods of energy exposure was estimated using a time-averaged power limit of 100 kJ/h. Results: At the level of the ribs

  16. ResonantSonic drilling: History, progress and advances in environmental restoration programs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Volk, B.W.; McLellan, G.W.; Moak, D.J.; Lerch, R.E.; Thompson, K.M.; Barrow, J.C.

    1993-01-01

    ResonantSonic SM drilling is being used in the environmental industry to drill faster, cheaper, and safer than conventional drilling methodologies. ResonantSonic is a registered service mark of the Water Development Corporation, Woodland, California. The ResonantSonic drilling method, requires no mud, air or water for rapid penetration through geologic materials ranging from rock and clay to sand and boulders. The specialized drill head imparts high frequency vibrations into a steel drill pipe creating a drilling action which allows the retrieval of continuous, undisturbed cores. An added benefit is that the method can be used for angle drilling. The ReasonantSonic method has been used in the past for projects ranging from pile driving to horizontal drilling. Current programs are utilizing the technique as a valuable tool for obtaining in situ, pristine environmental samples. In the future, this drilling technology could be used for remote, automated sampling at hazardous waste sites

  17. Realism Assessment of Sonic Boom Simulators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sullivan, Brenda M.; Davies, Patrica; Hodgdon, Kthleen K.; Salamone, Joseph A., III; Pilon, Anthony

    2008-01-01

    Developments in small supersonic aircraft design are predicted to result in low-intensity sonic booms. Booms generated by current aircraft are similar to those that led to the ban on commercial supersonic fli ght over the US, so are unsuitable for parametric studies of psychoac oustic response to low-intensity booms. Therefore, simulators have be en used to study the impact of predicted low-intensity sonic booms. H owever, simulators have been criticized because, when simulating conv entional-level booms, the sounds were observed to be unrealistic by p eople experienced in listening to sonic booms. Thus, two studies were conducted to measure the perceived realism of three sonic boom simul ators. Experienced listeners rated the realism of conventional sonic boom signatures when played in these simulators. The effects on percei ved realism of factors such as duration of post-boom noise, exclusion of very low frequency components, inclusion of ground reflections, a nd type of simulator were examined. Duration of post-boom noise was f ound to have a strong effect on perceived realism, while type of simu lator had a weak effect. It was determined that post-boom noise had t o be at least 1.5 seconds long for the sound to be rated very realist ic. Loudness level did not affect realism for the range of sounds pla yed in the tests (80-93 dB ASEL).

  18. Production Well Performance Enhancement using Sonication Technology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adewumi, Michael A; Ityokumbul, M Thaddeus; Watson, Robert W; Eltohami, Eltohami; Farias, Mario; Heckman, Glenn; Houlihan, Brendan; Karoor, Samata Prakash; Miller, Bruce G; Mohammed, Nazia; Olanrewaju, Johnson; Ozdemir, Mine; Rejepov, Dautmamed; Sadegh, Abdallah A; Quammie, Kevin E; Zaghloul, Jose; Hughes, W Jack; Montgomery, Thomas C

    2005-12-31

    The objective of this project was to develop a sonic well performance enhancement technology that focused on near wellbore formation damage. In order to successfully achieve this objective, a three-year project was defined. The entire project was broken into four tasks. The overall objective of all this was to foster a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in sonic energy interactions with fluid flow in porous media and adapt such knowledge for field applications. The fours tasks are: • Laboratory studies • Mathematical modeling • Sonic tool design and development • Field demonstration The project was designed to be completed in three years; however, due to budget cuts, support was only provided for the first year, and hence the full objective of the project could not be accomplished. This report summarizes what was accomplished with the support provided by the US Department of Energy. Experiments performed focused on determining the inception of cavitation, studying thermal dissipation under cavitation conditions, investigating sonic energy interactions with glass beads and oil, and studying the effects of sonication on crude oil properties. Our findings show that the voltage threshold for onset of cavitation is independent of transducer-hydrophone separation distance. In addition, thermal dissipation under cavitation conditions contributed to the mobilization of deposited paraffins and waxes. Our preliminary laboratory experiments suggest that waxes are mobilized when the fluid temperature approaches 40°C. Experiments were conducted that provided insights into the interactions between sonic wave and the fluid contained in the porous media. Most of these studies were carried out in a slim-tube apparatus. A numerical model was developed for simulating the effect of sonication in the nearwellbore region. The numerical model developed was validated using a number of standard testbed problems. However, actual application of the model for scale

  19. Quantification of Radicals Generated in a Sonicator

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kassim Badmus

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The hydroxyl radical (OH• is a powerful oxidant produced as a consequence of cavitation in water. It can react nonspecifically in breaking down persistent organic pollutants in water into their mineral form. It can also recombine to form hydrogen peroxide which is very useful in water treatment. In this study, terephthalic acid (TA and potassium iodide dosimetry were used to quantify and investigate the behaviour of the generated OH radical in a laboratory scale sonicator. The 2-hydroxyl terephthalic acid (HTA formed during terephthalic acid dosimetry was determined by optical fibre spectrometer. The production rate of HTA served as a means of evaluating and characterizing the OH• generated over given time in a sonicator. The influence of sonicator power intensity, solution pH and irradiation time upon OH• generation were investigated. Approximately 2.2 ´ 10-9 M s-1 of OH radical was generated during the sonication process. The rate of generation of the OH radicals was established to be independent of the concentration of the initial reactant. Thus, the rate of generation of OH• can be predicted by zero order kinetics in a sonicator.

  20. Simulation of wireline sonic logging measurements acquired with Borehole-Eccentered tools using a high-order adaptive finite-element method

    KAUST Repository

    Pardo, David

    2011-07-01

    The paper introduces a high-order, adaptive finite-element method for simulation of sonic measurements acquired with borehole-eccentered logging instruments. The resulting frequency-domain based algorithm combines a Fourier series expansion in one spatial dimension with a two-dimensional high-order adaptive finite-element method (FEM), and incorporates a perfectly matched layer (PML) for truncation of the computational domain. The simulation method was verified for various model problems, including a comparison to a semi-analytical solution developed specifically for this purpose. Numerical results indicate that for a wireline sonic tool operating in a fast formation, the main propagation modes are insensitive to the distance from the center of the tool to the center of the borehole (eccentricity distance). However, new flexural modes arise with an increase in eccentricity distance. In soft formations, we identify a new dipole tool mode which arises as a result of tool eccentricity. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.

  1. Simulation of wireline sonic logging measurements acquired with Borehole-Eccentered tools using a high-order adaptive finite-element method

    KAUST Repository

    Pardo, David; Matuszyk, Paweł Jerzy; Muga, Ignacio; Torres-Verdí n, Carlos; Mora Cordova, Angel; Calo, Victor M.

    2011-01-01

    The paper introduces a high-order, adaptive finite-element method for simulation of sonic measurements acquired with borehole-eccentered logging instruments. The resulting frequency-domain based algorithm combines a Fourier series expansion in one spatial dimension with a two-dimensional high-order adaptive finite-element method (FEM), and incorporates a perfectly matched layer (PML) for truncation of the computational domain. The simulation method was verified for various model problems, including a comparison to a semi-analytical solution developed specifically for this purpose. Numerical results indicate that for a wireline sonic tool operating in a fast formation, the main propagation modes are insensitive to the distance from the center of the tool to the center of the borehole (eccentricity distance). However, new flexural modes arise with an increase in eccentricity distance. In soft formations, we identify a new dipole tool mode which arises as a result of tool eccentricity. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.

  2. Subjective Response to Simulated Sonic Booms in Homes

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCurdy, David A.; Brown, Sherilyn A.

    1996-01-01

    One of the environmental issues affecting the development of a second-generation supersonic commercial transport is the impact of sonic booms on people. Aircraft designers are attempting to design the transport to produce sonic boom signatures that will have minimum impact on the public. Current supersonic commercial aircraft produce an 'N-wave' sonic boom pressure signature that is considered unacceptable by the public. This has resulted in first-generation supersonic transports being banned from flying supersonic over land in the United States, a severe economic constraint. By tailoring aircraft volume and lift distributions, designers hope to produce sonic boom signatures having specific shapes other than 'N-wave' that may be more acceptable to the public. As part of the effort to develop a second-generation supersonic commercial transport, Langley Research Center is conducting research to study people's subjective response to sonic booms. As part of that research, a system was developed for performing studies of the subjective response of people to the occurrence of simulated sonic booms in their homes. The In-Home Noise Generation/Response System (IHONORS) provides a degree of situational realism not available in the laboratory and a degree of control over the noise exposure not found in community surveys. The computer-controlled audio system generates the simulated sonic booms, measures the noise levels, and records the subjects' ratings and can be placed and operated in individual homes for extended periods of time. The system was used to conduct an in-home study of subjective response to simulated sonic booms. The primary objective of the study was to determine the effect on annoyance of the number of sonic boom occurrences in a realistic environment. The effects on annoyance of several other parameters were also examined. Initially, data analyses were based on all the data collected. However, further analyser found that test subjects adapted to the sonic

  3. Dispersion characteristics of negative refraction sonic crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, L.-Y.; Chen, L.-W.; Wang, R.C.-C.

    2008-01-01

    Dispersion characteristics of negative refraction sonic crystals are investigated. The plane wave expansion method is used to calculate the equifrequency surface; the dependences of refractive direction on frequencies and incident angles for triangular lattices are shown. There exist the positive and negative refractive waves which include k.V g ≥0 and k.V g ≤0 in the second band for the triangular system. We also use the finite element method to demonstrate that the relative intensity of the transmitted acoustic waves is dependent on incident frequencies and angles. The positions of the partial band gaps obtained by the plane wave expansion method are in good agreement with those obtained by the finite element method. The sonic crystals with negative effective index are shown to have higher transmission intensities. By using the negative refraction behavior, we can design a sonic crystal plane lens to focus a sonic wave

  4. Optimizing sonication parameters for dispersion of single-walled carbon nanotubes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yu, Haibo [Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems (Fraunhofer ENAS), 09126 Chemnitz (Germany); Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China); State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 110016 Shenyang (China); Hermann, Sascha, E-mail: sascha.hermann@zfm.tu-chemnitz.de [Center for Microtechnologies (ZfM), Chemnitz University of Technology, 09126 Chemnitz (Germany); Schulz, Stefan E.; Gessner, Thomas [Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems (Fraunhofer ENAS), 09126 Chemnitz (Germany); Center for Microtechnologies (ZfM), Chemnitz University of Technology, 09126 Chemnitz (Germany); Dong, Zaili [State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 110016 Shenyang (China); Li, Wen J., E-mail: wenjungli@gmail.com [State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 110016 Shenyang (China); Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR (China)

    2012-10-26

    Graphical abstract: We study the dispersing behavior of SWCNTs based on the surfactant and the optimization of sonication parameters including the sonication power and running time. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We study the optimization of sonication for the surfactant-based dispersion of SWCNTs. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The absorption spectrum of SWCNT solution strongly depend on the sonication conditions. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The sonication process has an important influence on the average length and diameters of SWCNTs in solution. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Centrifugation mainly contributes to the decrease of nonresonant absorption background. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Under the same sonication parameters, the large-diameter tip performs dispersion of SWCNTs better than the small-diameter tip. -- Abstract: Non-covalent functionalization based on surfactants has become one of the most common methods for dispersing of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). Previously, efforts have mainly been focused on experimenting with different surfactant systems, varying their concentrations and solvents. However sonication plays a very important role during the surfactant-based dispersion process for SWCNTs. The sonication treatment enables the surfactant molecules to adsorb onto the surface of SWCNTs by overcoming the interactions induced by the hydrophobic, electrostatic and van der Waals forces. This work describes a systematic study of the influence of the sonication power and time on the dispersion of SWCNTs. UV-vis-NIR absorption spectra is used to analyze and to evaluate the dispersion of SWCNTs in an aqueous solution of 1 w/v% sodium deoxycholate (DOC) showing that the resonant and nonresonant background absorption strongly depends on the sonication conditions. Furthermore, the diameter and length of SWCNTs under different sonication parameters are investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM).

  5. Synergic effect of tungstophosphoric acid and sonication for rapid synthesis of crystalline nanocellulose.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamid, Sharifah Bee Abd; Zain, Siti Khadijah; Das, Rasel; Centi, Gabriele

    2016-03-15

    The utilization of sonication in combination with tungstophosphoric acid (PWA) catalyst reduces dramatically the time of operations from 30h to 10min by using an optimum sonication power of 225W. The basic cellulosic structure is maintained, allowing preparing high-quality nanocellulose. The size of the nanocellulose obtained was in the range from 15 to 35nm in diameter and several hundred nanometers in length, with a high crystallinity of about 88%. The nanocellulose shows a surface charge of -38.2mV which allows to obtaina stable colloidal suspension. The surface tension of the stable, swollen aqueous nanocellulose was close to that of water. These characteristics, together with the fast procedure allowed from the synergic combination of PWA and sonication, evidence the high potential of the proposed method for the industrial production of nanocellulose having the properties required in many applications. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  6. Recent Progress on Sonic Boom Research at NASA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loubeau, Alexandra

    2012-01-01

    Sonic boom research conducted at NASA through the Supersonics Project of the Fundamental Aeronautics Program is oriented toward understanding the potential impact of sonic boom noise on communities from new low-boom supersonic aircraft designs. Encompassing research in atmospheric propagation, structural response, and human response, NASA research contributes to knowledge in key areas needed to support development of a new noise-based standard for supersonic aircraft certification. Partnerships with several industry, government, and academic institutions have enabled the recent execution of several acoustic field studies on sonic booms. An overview of recent activities funded by NASA includes: focus boom model development and experimental validation, field experiments of structural transmission of sonic booms into large buildings, and low boom community response testing.

  7. High-performance Sonitopia (Sonic Utopia): Hyper intelligent Material-based Architectural Systems for Acoustic Energy Harvesting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heidari, F.; Mahdavinejad, M.

    2017-08-01

    The rate of energy consumption in all over the world, based on reliable statistics of international institutions such as the International Energy Agency (IEA) shows significant increase in energy demand in recent years. Periodical recorded data shows a continuous increasing trend in energy consumption especially in developed countries as well as recently emerged developing economies such as China and India. While air pollution and water contamination as results of high consumption of fossil energy resources might be consider as menace to civic ideals such as livability, conviviality and people-oriented cities. In other hand, automobile dependency, cars oriented design and other noisy activities in urban spaces consider as threats to urban life. Thus contemporary urban design and planning concentrates on rethinking about ecology of sound, reorganizing the soundscape of neighborhoods, redesigning the sonic order of urban space. It seems that contemporary architecture and planning trends through soundscape mapping look for sonitopia (Sonic + Utopia) This paper is to propose some interactive hyper intelligent material-based architectural systems for acoustic energy harvesting. The proposed architectural design system may be result in high-performance architecture and planning strategies for future cities. The ultimate aim of research is to develop a comprehensive system for acoustic energy harvesting which cover the aim of noise reduction as well as being in harmony with architectural design. The research methodology is based on a literature review as well as experimental and quasi-experimental strategies according the paradigm of designedly ways of doing and knowing. While architectural design has solution-focused essence in problem-solving process, the proposed systems had better be hyper intelligent rather than predefined procedures. Therefore, the steps of the inference mechanism of the research include: 1- understanding sonic energy and noise potentials as energy

  8. ResonantSonic drilling: History, progress, and advances in environmental restoration programs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moak, D.J.

    1995-01-01

    ResonantSonic drilling is being used in the environmental industry to drill faster, cheaper, and safer than conventional drilling methodologies. The ResonantSonic drilling method requires no mud, air, or water for rapid penetration through geologic materials ranging from rock and clay to sand and boulders. A specialized drill head imparts high frequency vibrations into steel drill pipe and creates a drilling action which allows the retrieval of continuous, undisturbed cores. An added benefit is that the method can be used for angle drilling. The ResonantSonic method has been used in the past for projects ranging from pile driving to horizontal drilling. Current programs utilize the technique as a valuable tool for obtaining in situ, pristine environmental samples. In the future, this drilling technology could be used for remote, automated sampling at hazardous waste sites

  9. Continuous and pulse sonication effects on transesterification of used vegetable oil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martinez-Guerra, Edith; Gude, Veera Gnaneswar

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • We studied continuous and pulse sonication effects on transesterification reaction. • Pulse sonication appears to have superior effects on transesterification reaction. • Effects of various process parameters on FAMEs yield were discussed in detail. • Effects of ultrasonic intensity and power density were compared for both conditions. • Continuous sonication may be beneficial for short time and plug-flow conditions. - Abstract: This study reports on the effects of direct application of continuous and pulse sonication on transesterification reaction of used vegetable oil. Specific to this research, thermal effects of ultrasonics in transesterification reaction without external conventional heating along with the effects of different ultrasonic intensities and power densities were reported. Two process parametric evaluation studies were conducted to compare the effects of continuous and pulse sonication. These included methanol to oil ratio, catalyst concentration and reaction time effects on the transesterification reaction. For continuous sonication, a catalyst amount of 0.5% (wt/wt), methanol to oil ratio of 9:1 was sufficient to complete the transesterification reaction in 1–2 min at a power output of 150 W with a biodiesel yield of 93.5%. For pulse sonication, a maximum biodiesel yield of 98% was achieved at 2.5 min of reaction time, 9:1 methanol to oil ratio, and 1.25% catalyst. Generally, higher biodiesel yields were observed for pulse sonication compared to continuous sonication under any given process condition. Power density and ultrasonic intensity tests revealed that biodiesel yields were more sensitive to continuous sonication due to intense mixing. A plug-flow or contact-type reactor design may improve overall ultrasonic utilization in the transesterification reaction under continuous sonication

  10. Mechanism of inhibition of the tumor suppressor Patched by Sonic Hedgehog.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tukachinsky, Hanna; Petrov, Kostadin; Watanabe, Miyako; Salic, Adrian

    2016-10-04

    The Hedgehog cell-cell signaling pathway is crucial for animal development, and its misregulation is implicated in numerous birth defects and cancers. In unstimulated cells, pathway activity is inhibited by the tumor suppressor membrane protein, Patched. Hedgehog signaling is triggered by the secreted Hedgehog ligand, which binds and inhibits Patched, thus setting in motion the downstream events in signal transduction. Despite its critical importance, the mechanism by which Hedgehog antagonizes Patched has remained unknown. Here, we show that vertebrate Patched1 inhibition is caused by direct, palmitate-dependent interaction with the Sonic Hedgehog ligand. We find that a short palmitoylated N-terminal fragment of Sonic Hedgehog binds Patched1 and, strikingly, is sufficient to inhibit it and to activate signaling. The rest of Sonic Hedgehog confers high-affinity Patched1 binding and internalization through a distinct binding site, but, surprisingly, it is not absolutely required for signaling. The palmitate-dependent interaction with Patched1 is specifically impaired in a Sonic Hedgehog mutant causing human holoprosencephaly, the most frequent congenital brain malformation, explaining its drastically reduced potency. The palmitate-dependent interaction is also abolished in constitutively inhibited Patched1 point mutants causing the Gorlin cancer syndrome, suggesting that they might adopt a conformation distinct from the wild type. Our data demonstrate that Sonic Hedgehog signals via the palmitate-dependent arm of a two-pronged contact with Patched1. Furthermore, our results suggest that, during Hedgehog signaling, ligand binding inhibits Patched by trapping it in an inactive conformation, a mechanism that explains the dramatically reduced activity of oncogenic Patched1 mutants.

  11. Improvement of vertical velocity statistics measured by a Doppler lidar through comparison with sonic anemometer observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonin, Timothy A.; Newman, Jennifer F.; Klein, Petra M.; Chilson, Phillip B.; Wharton, Sonia

    2016-12-01

    Since turbulence measurements from Doppler lidars are being increasingly used within wind energy and boundary-layer meteorology, it is important to assess and improve the accuracy of these observations. While turbulent quantities are measured by Doppler lidars in several different ways, the simplest and most frequently used statistic is vertical velocity variance (w'2) from zenith stares. However, the competing effects of signal noise and resolution volume limitations, which respectively increase and decrease w'2, reduce the accuracy of these measurements. Herein, an established method that utilises the autocovariance of the signal to remove noise is evaluated and its skill in correcting for volume-averaging effects in the calculation of w'2 is also assessed. Additionally, this autocovariance technique is further refined by defining the amount of lag time to use for the most accurate estimates of w'2. Through comparison of observations from two Doppler lidars and sonic anemometers on a 300 m tower, the autocovariance technique is shown to generally improve estimates of w'2. After the autocovariance technique is applied, values of w'2 from the Doppler lidars are generally in close agreement (R2 ≈ 0.95 - 0.98) with those calculated from sonic anemometer measurements.

  12. From Ecological Sounding Artifacts Towards Sonic Artifact Ecologies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Erkut, Cumhur; Serafin, Stefania

    2016-01-01

    The discipline of sonic interaction design has been focused on the interaction between a single user and an artifact. This strongly limits one of the fundamental aspects of music as a social and interactive experience. In this paper we propose sonic artifact ecologies as a mean to examine interac...

  13. Environmental Pollution: Noise Pollution - Sonic Boom

    Science.gov (United States)

    1977-06-01

    UNCLASSIFIED AD-A041 400 DDC/BIB-77/06 ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION NOISE POLLUTION SONIC BOOM A DDC BIBLIOGRAPHY DDC-TAS Cameron Station Alexandria, Va...rn7Sttio 658S-A041 400 4 TITLE xand r.VuhtlVlia) 2 TA i b- 1iblog ra ph y ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION : --. Apr-l IM59-Jul, 7NOISE POLLUTION -SONIC BOOM. 1,976...BIBLIOGRAPHY SEARCH CONTROL NO. /2OM09 AD- 769 970 20/1 1/3 DEFENSE UOCUMENTATION CENTER ALEXANDRIA VA ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION : NOISE POLLUTION

  14. State of the art of sonic boom modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plotkin, Kenneth J.

    2002-01-01

    Based on fundamental theory developed through the 1950s and 1960s, sonic boom modeling has evolved into practical tools. Over the past decade, there have been requirements for design tools for an advanced supersonic transport, and for tools for environmental assessment of various military and aerospace activities. This has resulted in a number of advances in the understanding of the physics of sonic booms, including shock wave rise times, propagation through turbulence, and blending sonic boom theory with modern computational fluid dynamics (CFD) aerodynamic design methods. This article reviews the early fundamental theory, recent advances in theory, and the application of these advances to practical models.

  15. Sonic morphology: Aesthetic dimensional auditory spatial awareness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitehouse, Martha M.

    The sound and ceramic sculpture installation, " Skirting the Edge: Experiences in Sound & Form," is an integration of art and science demonstrating the concept of sonic morphology. "Sonic morphology" is herein defined as aesthetic three-dimensional auditory spatial awareness. The exhibition explicates my empirical phenomenal observations that sound has a three-dimensional form. Composed of ceramic sculptures that allude to different social and physical situations, coupled with sound compositions that enhance and create a three-dimensional auditory and visual aesthetic experience (see accompanying DVD), the exhibition supports the research question, "What is the relationship between sound and form?" Precisely how people aurally experience three-dimensional space involves an integration of spatial properties, auditory perception, individual history, and cultural mores. People also utilize environmental sound events as a guide in social situations and in remembering their personal history, as well as a guide in moving through space. Aesthetically, sound affects the fascination, meaning, and attention one has within a particular space. Sonic morphology brings art forms such as a movie, video, sound composition, and musical performance into the cognitive scope by generating meaning from the link between the visual and auditory senses. This research examined sonic morphology as an extension of musique concrete, sound as object, originating in Pierre Schaeffer's work in the 1940s. Pointing, as John Cage did, to the corporeal three-dimensional experience of "all sound," I composed works that took their total form only through the perceiver-participant's participation in the exhibition. While contemporary artist Alvin Lucier creates artworks that draw attention to making sound visible, "Skirting the Edge" engages the perceiver-participant visually and aurally, leading to recognition of sonic morphology.

  16. Using homogenization, sonication and thermo-sonication to inactivate fungi

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bevilacqua, Antonio; Sinigaglia, Milena; Corbo, Maria Rosaria

    2016-01-01

    Ultrasound (US), Thermo-sonication (TS) and High Pressure Homogenization (HPH) were studied as tools to inactivate the spores of Penicillium spp. and Mucor spp. inoculated in distilled water. For US, the power ranged from 40% to 100%, pulse from 2 to 10 s, and duration of the treatment from 2 to 10 min. TS was performed combining US (40–80% of power, for 8 min and pulse of 2 s) with a thermal treatment (50, 55 and 60°C at 4, 8 and 12 min). Homogenization was done at 30–150 MPa for 1, 2 and 3 times. Power was the most important factors to determine the antifungal effect of US and TS towards the conidia of Penicillium spp.; on the other hand, in US treatments Mucor spp. was also affected by pulse and time. HPH exerted a significant antifungal effect only if the highest pressures were applied for 2–3 times. PMID:27375964

  17. The Impact of Sonication on the Surface Quality of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koh, Byumseok; Cheng, Wei

    2015-08-01

    Sonication process is regularly adopted for dispersing single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in an aqueous medium. This can be achieved by either covalent functionalization of SWCNTs with strong acid or by noncovalent functionalization using dispersants that adsorb onto the surface of SWCNTs during dispersion. Because the dispersion process is usually performed using sonication, unintentional free radical formation during sonication process may induce covalent modification of SWCNT surface. Herein, we have systematically investigated the status of SWCNT surface modification under various sonication conditions using Raman spectroscopy. Comparing ID /IG (Raman intensities between D and G bands) ratio of SWCNTs under various sonication conditions suggests that typical sonication conditions (1-6 h bath sonication with sonication power between 3 and 80 W) in aqueous media do not induce covalent modification of SWCNT surface. In addition, we confirm that SWCNT dispersion with single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) involves noncovalent adsorption of ssDNA onto the surface of SWCNTs, but not covalent linkage between ssDNA and SWCNT surface. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.

  18. Shuttle sonic boom - Technology and predictions. [environmental impact

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holloway, P. F.; Wilhold, G. A.; Jones, J. H.; Garcia, F., Jr.; Hicks, R. M.

    1973-01-01

    Because the shuttle differs significantly in both geometric and operational characteristics from conventional supersonic aircraft, estimation of sonic boom characteristics required a new technology base. The prediction procedures thus developed are reviewed. Flight measurements obtained for both the ascent and entry phases of the Apollo 15 and 16 and for the ascent phase only of the Apollo 17 missions are presented which verify the techniques established for application to shuttle. Results of extensive analysis of the sonic boom overpressure characteristics completed to date are presented which indicate that this factor of the shuttle's environmental impact is predictable, localized, of short duration and acceptable. Efforts are continuing to define the shuttle sonic boom characteristics to a fine level of detail based on the final system design.

  19. Novel quantitative autophagy analysis by organelle flow cytometry after cell sonication.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael Degtyarev

    Full Text Available Autophagy is a dynamic process of bulk degradation of cellular proteins and organelles in lysosomes. Current methods of autophagy measurement include microscopy-based counting of autophagic vacuoles (AVs in cells. We have developed a novel method to quantitatively analyze individual AVs using flow cytometry. This method, OFACS (organelle flow after cell sonication, takes advantage of efficient cell disruption with a brief sonication, generating cell homogenates with fluorescently labeled AVs that retain their integrity as confirmed with light and electron microscopy analysis. These AVs could be detected directly in the sonicated cell homogenates on a flow cytometer as a distinct population of expected organelle size on a cytometry plot. Treatment of cells with inhibitors of autophagic flux, such as chloroquine or lysosomal protease inhibitors, increased the number of particles in this population under autophagy inducing conditions, while inhibition of autophagy induction with 3-methyladenine or knockdown of ATG proteins prevented this accumulation. This assay can be easily performed in a high-throughput format and opens up previously unexplored avenues for autophagy analysis.

  20. ACCUWIND - Accurate wind speed measurements in wind energy - Summary report[Cup and sonic anemometers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Friis Pedersen, T.; Dahlberg, J.Aa.; Cuerva, A.; Mouzakis, F.; Busche, P.; Eecen, P.; Sanz-Andres, A.; Franchini, S.; Markkilde Petersen, S.

    2006-07-15

    The cup anemometer is at present the standard instrument used for mean wind speed measurement in wind energy. It is being applied in high numbers around the world for wind energy assessments. It is also applied exclusively for accredited power performance measurements for certification and verification purposes, and for purposes of optimisation in research and development. The revised IEC standard on power performance measurements has now included requirements for classification of cup anemometers. The basis for setting up such requirements of cup anemometers is two EU projects SITEPARIDEN and CLASSCUP from which the proposed classification method for cup anemometers was developed for the IEC standard. While cup anemometers at present are the standard anemometer being used for average wind speed measurements, sonic anemometers have been developed significantly over the last years, and prices have come down. The application of sonic anemometers may increase in wind energy if they prove to have comparable or better operational characteristics compared to cup anemometers, and if similar requirements to sonic anemometers are established as for cup anemometers. Sonic anemometers have historically been used by meteorologists for turbulence measurements, but have also found a role on wind turbine nacelles for wind speed and yaw control purposes. The report on cup and sonic anemometry deals with establishment of robustness in assessment and classification by focus on methods and procedures for analysis of characteristics of cup and sonic anemometers. The methods and procedures provide a platform, hopefully for use in meeting the requirements of the IEC standard on power performance measurements, as well as for development of improved instruments. (au)

  1. Synthesis of biodiesel from castor oil: Silent versus sonicated methylation and energy studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sáez-Bastante, J.; Pinzi, S.; Jiménez-Romero, F.J.; Luque de Castro, M.D.; Priego-Capote, F.; Dorado, M.P.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Sonicated transesterification leads to higher conversion than conventional one. • Energy consumption required by conventional and ultrasound-assisted transesterification was compared. • Ultrasound-assisted methylation is more competitive in terms of energy than conventional one. - Abstract: In recent years, biodiesel is evolving to be one of the most employed biofuels for partial replacement of petrodiesel. The most widely used feedstocks for biodiesel production are vegetable oils. Among them, castor oil presents two interesting features as biodiesel raw material; on one hand, it does not compete with edible oils; on the other, the cultivar does not require high inputs. In this research, a comparison between conventional and ultrasound-assisted transesterification was carried out in terms of castor oil methyl ester (COME) yield and energy efficiency. Results show that sonicated transesterification leads to higher COME yields under lower methanol-to-oil molar ratio, lower amount of catalyst, shorter reaction time and lower amount of energy required. Ultrasound-assisted transesterification parameters were optimized resulting in the following optimum conditions: 20 kHz fixed frequency, 70% duty cycle, 40% sonication amplitude, 4.87 methanol-to-oil molar ratio, 1.4% w/w amount of catalyst and 3 sonication cycles (3 min 48 s) that provided 86.57% w/w COME yield. The energy required along each type of transesterification was measured leading to the conclusion that sonicated transesterification consumes a significant lower amount of energy than conventional one, thus achieving higher COME yield

  2. Acoustic transparency in two-dimensional sonic crystals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sanchez-Dehesa, Jose; Torrent, Daniel [Wave Phenomena Group, Department of Electronic Engineering, Polytechnic University of Valencia, C/ Camino de Vera s/n, E-46022 Valencia (Spain); Cai Liangwu [Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506 (United States)], E-mail: jsdehesa@upvnet.upv.es

    2009-01-15

    Acoustic transparency is studied in two-dimensional sonic crystals consisting of hexagonal distributions of cylinders with continuously varying properties. The transparency condition is achieved by selectively closing the acoustic bandgaps, which are governed by the structure factor of the cylindrical scatterers. It is shown here that cylindrical scatterers with the proposed continuously varying properties are physically realizable by using metafluids based on sonic crystals. The feasibility of this proposal is analyzed by a numerical experiment based on multiple scattering theory.

  3. Sonic Interactions in Virtual Reality: State of the Art, Current Challenges, and Future Directions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serafin, Stefania; Geronazzo, Michele; Erkut, Cumhur; Nilsson, Niels C; Nordahl, Rolf

    2018-03-01

    A high-fidelity but efficient sound simulation is an essential element of any VR experience. Many of the techniques used in virtual acoustics are graphical rendering techniques suitably modified to account for sound generation and propagation. In recent years, several advances in hardware and software technologies have been facilitating the development of immersive interactive sound-rendering experiences. In this article, we present a review of the state of the art of such simulations, with a focus on the different elements that, combined, provide a complete interactive sonic experience. This includes physics-based simulation of sound effects and their propagation in space together with binaural rendering to simulate the position of sound sources. We present how these different elements of the sound design pipeline have been addressed in the literature, trying to find the trade-off between accuracy and plausibility. Recent applications and current challenges are also presented.

  4. Evaluation of Rheological Properties and Swelling Behaviour of Sonicated Scleroglucan Samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Siddique Akber Ansari

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Scleroglucan is a natural polysaccharide that has been proposed for various applications. However there is no investigation on its property variations when the molecular weight of this polymer is reduced. Scleroglucan was sonicated at two different polymer concentrations for different periods of time and the effect of sonication was investigated with respect to molecular weight variations and rheological properties. Molar mass, estimated by viscometric measurements, was drastically reduced already after a sonication for a few min. Sonicated samples were used for the preparation of gels in the presence of borate ions. The effect of borax on the new samples was investigated by recording the mechanical spectra and the flow curves. A comparison with the system prepared with the dialysed polymer was also carried out. The anisotropic elongation, observed with tablets of scleroglucan and borax, was remarkably reduced when the sonicated samples were used for the preparation of the gels.

  5. Sonication-Induced Modification of Carbon Nanotubes: Effect on the Rheological and Thermo-Oxidative Behaviour of Polymer-Based Nanocomposites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arrigo, Rossella; Teresi, Rosalia; Gambarotti, Cristian; Parisi, Filippo; Lazzara, Giuseppe; Dintcheva, Nadka Tzankova

    2018-03-05

    The aim of this work is the investigation of the effect of ultrasound treatment on the structural characteristics of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and the consequent influence that the shortening induced by sonication exerts on the morphology, rheological behaviour and thermo-oxidative resistance of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)-based nanocomposites. First, CNTs have been subjected to sonication for different time intervals and the performed spectroscopic and morphological analyses reveal that a dramatic decrease of the CNT's original length occurs with increased sonication time. The reduction of the initial length of CNTs strongly affects the nanocomposite rheological behaviour, which progressively changes from solid-like to liquid-like as the CNT sonication time increases. The study of the thermo-oxidative behaviour of the investigated nanocomposites reveals that the CNT sonication has a detrimental effect on the thermo-oxidative stability of nanocomposites, especially for long exposure times. The worsening of the thermo-oxidative resistance of sonicated CNT-containing nanocomposites could be attributed to the lower thermal conductivity of low-aspect-ratio CNTs, which causes the increase of the local temperature at the polymer/nanofillers interphase, with the consequent acceleration of the degradative phenomena.

  6. Sonication-Induced Modification of Carbon Nanotubes: Effect on the Rheological and Thermo-Oxidative Behaviour of Polymer-Based Nanocomposites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teresi, Rosalia; Gambarotti, Cristian; Dintcheva, Nadka Tzankova

    2018-01-01

    The aim of this work is the investigation of the effect of ultrasound treatment on the structural characteristics of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and the consequent influence that the shortening induced by sonication exerts on the morphology, rheological behaviour and thermo-oxidative resistance of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)-based nanocomposites. First, CNTs have been subjected to sonication for different time intervals and the performed spectroscopic and morphological analyses reveal that a dramatic decrease of the CNT’s original length occurs with increased sonication time. The reduction of the initial length of CNTs strongly affects the nanocomposite rheological behaviour, which progressively changes from solid-like to liquid-like as the CNT sonication time increases. The study of the thermo-oxidative behaviour of the investigated nanocomposites reveals that the CNT sonication has a detrimental effect on the thermo-oxidative stability of nanocomposites, especially for long exposure times. The worsening of the thermo-oxidative resistance of sonicated CNT-containing nanocomposites could be attributed to the lower thermal conductivity of low-aspect-ratio CNTs, which causes the increase of the local temperature at the polymer/nanofillers interphase, with the consequent acceleration of the degradative phenomena. PMID:29510595

  7. Stability of sonicated aqueous suspensions of phospholipids under air.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Almog, R; Forward, R; Samsonoff, C

    1991-12-01

    The stability of phospholipids in liposomal aqueous suspension against oxidative degradation in air was investigated using spectrophotometric indices, glutathione peroxidase reactivity and thin layer chromatography. Zwitterionic phospholipid was found to be susceptible to degradation via oxidation of polyunsaturated hydrocarbon chains and ester hydrolysis, producing oxidized lysophosphatide and free fatty acid derivatives. These products were characterized as hydroperoxides based on their reactivity with the selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase isolated from human erythrocytes. Lecithin in Tris buffer was more resistant to hydrolysis than in water. The sonication of 8.0 mM of soybean phosphatidylcholine (SB-PC) suspension in 0.1 M Tris (pH 7.5) in the presence of air produced relatively high concentration of conjugated diene hydroperoxide, but a small amount of hydrolyzed products. Anionic phospholipids, such as egg-phosphatidylglycerol (egg-PG), demonstrated higher resistance to air oxidation than the zwitterionic lecithin, but its oxidation was promoted by sonication.

  8. The detectability of cracks using sonic IR

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morbidini, Marco; Cawley, Peter

    2009-05-01

    This paper proposes a methodology to study the detectability of fatigue cracks in metals using sonic IR (also known as thermosonics). The method relies on the validation of simple finite-element thermal models of the cracks and specimens in which the thermal loads have been defined by means of a priori measurement of the additional damping introduced in the specimens by each crack. This estimate of crack damping is used in conjunction with a local measurement of the vibration strain during ultrasonic excitation to retrieve the power released at the crack; these functions are then input to the thermal model of the specimens to find the resulting temperature rises (sonic IR signals). The method was validated on mild steel beams with two-dimensional cracks obtained in the low-cycle fatigue regime as well as nickel-based superalloy beams with three-dimensional "thumbnail" cracks generated in the high-cycle fatigue regime. The equivalent 40kHz strain necessary to obtain a desired temperature rise was calculated for cracks in the nickel superalloy set, and the detectability of cracks as a function of length in the range of 1-5mm was discussed.

  9. An Intermediate in the evolution of superfast sonic muscles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mok Hin-Kiu

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Intermediate forms in the evolution of new adaptations such as transitions from water to land and the evolution of flight are often poorly understood. Similarly, the evolution of superfast sonic muscles in fishes, often considered the fastest muscles in vertebrates, has been a mystery because slow bladder movement does not generate sound. Slow muscles that stretch the swimbladder and then produce sound during recoil have recently been discovered in ophidiiform fishes. Here we describe the disturbance call (produced when fish are held and sonic mechanism in an unrelated perciform pearl perch (Glaucosomatidae that represents an intermediate condition in the evolution of super-fast sonic muscles. Results The pearl perch disturbance call is a two-part sound produced by a fast sonic muscle that rapidly stretches the bladder and an antagonistic tendon-smooth muscle combination (part 1 causing the tendon and bladder to snap back (part 2 generating a higher-frequency and greater-amplitude pulse. The smooth muscle is confirmed by electron microscopy and protein analysis. To our knowledge smooth muscle attachment to a tendon is unknown in animals. Conclusion The pearl perch, an advanced perciform teleost unrelated to ophidiiform fishes, uses a slow type mechanism to produce the major portion of the sound pulse during recoil, but the swimbladder is stretched by a fast muscle. Similarities between the two unrelated lineages, suggest independent and convergent evolution of sonic muscles and indicate intermediate forms in the evolution of superfast muscles.

  10. Sonic anemometry to measure natural ventilation in greenhouses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    López, Alejandro; Valera, Diego Luis; Molina-Aiz, Francisco

    2011-01-01

    The present work has developed a methodology for studying natural ventilation in Mediterranean greenhouses by means of sonic anemometry. In addition, specific calculation programmes have been designed to enable processing and analysis of the data recorded during the experiments. Sonic anemometry allows us to study the direction of the airflow at all the greenhouse vents. Knowing through which vents the air enters and leaves the greenhouse enables us to establish the airflow pattern of the greenhouse under natural ventilation conditions. In the greenhouse analysed in this work for Poniente wind (from the southwest), a roof vent designed to open towards the North (leeward) could allow a positive interaction between the wind and stack effects, improving the ventilation capacity of the greenhouse. The cooling effect produced by the mass of turbulent air oscillating between inside and outside the greenhouse at the side vents was limited to 2% (for high wind speed, u(o) ≥ 4 m s(-1)) reaching 36.3% when wind speed was lower (u(o) = 2 m s(-1)).

  11. Study on combined effects of acidification and sonication on selected quality attributes of carrot juice during storage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jabbar, S.; Hu, B.; Ali, S.

    2014-01-01

    This study evaluated the combined effects of acid blanching and sonication treatments on selected quality parameters of carrot juice stored at 4 degree C for 18 days. Carrots were blanched in acidified water (40g/L citric acid) at 100 degree C for 4 min and the juice was then extracted. Sonication of the juice was done at an amplitude level of 70% and a frequency of 20 kHz for 2 min at 15 degree C, keeping the pulse duration of 5 Sec on and 5 Sec off. As results, the combined treatment of acidification and sonication of carrot juice showed a significant decrease in pH and increase (P < 0.05) in acidity which remained stable during storage period. No significant changes were observed in Brix. Color values (L, a, b) and non enzymatic browning (NEB) influenced significantly in acidified and sonicated carrot juice during storage period. Maximum stability of total phenol, total antioxidant capacity, cloud value and ascorbic acid were also observed in the combined treatment of acidification and sonication. The findings of this study indicated that the combined treatments of acidification and sonication may successfully be utilized for the production of high quality carrot juice with improved stability of total phenol, total antioxidant capacity, cloud value and ascorbic acid during 18 days of storage. (author)

  12. High accuracy FIONA-AFM hybrid imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fronczek, D.N.; Quammen, C.; Wang, H.; Kisker, C.; Superfine, R.; Taylor, R.; Erie, D.A.; Tessmer, I.

    2011-01-01

    Multi-protein complexes are ubiquitous and play essential roles in many biological mechanisms. Single molecule imaging techniques such as electron microscopy (EM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) are powerful methods for characterizing the structural properties of multi-protein and multi-protein-DNA complexes. However, a significant limitation to these techniques is the ability to distinguish different proteins from one another. Here, we combine high resolution fluorescence microscopy and AFM (FIONA-AFM) to allow the identification of different proteins in such complexes. Using quantum dots as fiducial markers in addition to fluorescently labeled proteins, we are able to align fluorescence and AFM information to ≥8 nm accuracy. This accuracy is sufficient to identify individual fluorescently labeled proteins in most multi-protein complexes. We investigate the limitations of localization precision and accuracy in fluorescence and AFM images separately and their effects on the overall registration accuracy of FIONA-AFM hybrid images. This combination of the two orthogonal techniques (FIONA and AFM) opens a wide spectrum of possible applications to the study of protein interactions, because AFM can yield high resolution (5-10 nm) information about the conformational properties of multi-protein complexes and the fluorescence can indicate spatial relationships of the proteins in the complexes. -- Research highlights: → Integration of fluorescent signals in AFM topography with high (<10 nm) accuracy. → Investigation of limitations and quantitative analysis of fluorescence-AFM image registration using quantum dots. → Fluorescence center tracking and display as localization probability distributions in AFM topography (FIONA-AFM). → Application of FIONA-AFM to a biological sample containing damaged DNA and the DNA repair proteins UvrA and UvrB conjugated to quantum dots.

  13. High Accuracy Transistor Compact Model Calibrations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hembree, Charles E. [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Mar, Alan [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Robertson, Perry J. [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2015-09-01

    Typically, transistors are modeled by the application of calibrated nominal and range models. These models consists of differing parameter values that describe the location and the upper and lower limits of a distribution of some transistor characteristic such as current capacity. Correspond- ingly, when using this approach, high degrees of accuracy of the transistor models are not expected since the set of models is a surrogate for a statistical description of the devices. The use of these types of models describes expected performances considering the extremes of process or transistor deviations. In contrast, circuits that have very stringent accuracy requirements require modeling techniques with higher accuracy. Since these accurate models have low error in transistor descriptions, these models can be used to describe part to part variations as well as an accurate description of a single circuit instance. Thus, models that meet these stipulations also enable the calculation of quantifi- cation of margins with respect to a functional threshold and uncertainties in these margins. Given this need, new model high accuracy calibration techniques for bipolar junction transis- tors have been developed and are described in this report.

  14. Particle formation induced by sonication during yogurt fermentation - Impact of exopolysaccharide-producing starter cultures on physical properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Körzendörfer, Adrian; Nöbel, Stefan; Hinrichs, Jörg

    2017-07-01

    Two major quality defects of yogurt are syneresis and the presence of large particles, and several reasons have been extensively discussed. Vibrations during fermentation, particularly generated by pumps, must be considered as a further cause as latest research showed that both ultrasound and low frequencies induced visible particles. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of sonication during fermentation with starter cultures differing in exopolysaccharide (EPS) synthesis on the physical properties of set (syneresis, firmness) and stirred yogurt (large particles, laser diffraction, rheology). Skim milk was fermented with starter cultures YC-471 (low EPS) or YF-L 901 (high EPS) (Chr. Hansen) and sonicated for 5min at pH5.2. Sonicated set gels exhibited syneresis and were softer than respective controls. The mechanical treatment was adjusted to quantify visible particles (d≥0.9mm) in stirred yogurts properly. Sonication significantly increased particle numbers, however, the effect was less pronounced when YF-L 901 was used, indicating EPS as a tool to reduce syneresis and particle formation due to vibrations. Rheological parameters and size of microgel particles were rather influenced by starter cultures than by sonication. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Sonic Hedgehog Signaling Promotes Tumor Growth

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Bushman, Wade

    2007-01-01

    ... of the DOD New Investigator award indicate that Shh signaling promotes tumor growth. This proposal addresses the hypothesis that Sonic hedgehog signaling promotes tumor growth by activating stromal cell gene expression...

  16. Sonic journeys with the dead

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sabra, Jakob Borrits

    This audio-paper is a site-specific investigation of relations between a gravesite at Vor Frelser Cemetery (Cemetery of Our Saviour), Copenhagen, Denmark, its cultural history and publicly co-constructed memories. The audio-paper follows a non-representational approach to sonic media and the meta...

  17. Chalk porosity and sonic velocity versus burial depth

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fabricius, Ida Lykke; Gommesen, Lars; Krogsbøll, Anette Susanne

    2008-01-01

    Seventy chalk samples from four formations in the overpressured Danish central North Sea have been analyzed to investigate how correlations of porosity and sonic velocity with burial depth are affected by varying mineralogy, fluid pressure, and early introduction of petroleum. The results show th...... for fluid pressure because the cementing ions originate from stylolites, which are mechanically similar to fractures. We find that cementation occurs over a relatively short depth interval.......Seventy chalk samples from four formations in the overpressured Danish central North Sea have been analyzed to investigate how correlations of porosity and sonic velocity with burial depth are affected by varying mineralogy, fluid pressure, and early introduction of petroleum. The results show...... that porosity and sonic velocity follow the most consistent depth trends when fluid pressure and pore-volume compressibility are considered. Quartz content up to 10% has no marked effect, but more than 5% clay causes lower porosity and velocity. The mineralogical effect differs between P-wave and shear velocity...

  18. Sonic mediations: body, sound, technology

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Birdsall, C.; Enns, A.

    2008-01-01

    Sonic Mediations: Body, Sound, Technology is a collection of original essays that represents an invaluable contribution to the burgeoning field of sound studies. While sound is often posited as having a bridging function, as a passive in-between, this volume invites readers to rethink the concept of

  19. Focused ultrasound-mediated noninvasive blood-brain barrier modulation: preclinical examination of efficacy and safety in various sonication parameters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Jaewoo; Kong, Chanho; Cho, Jae Sung; Lee, Jihyeon; Koh, Chin Su; Yoon, Min-Sik; Na, Young Cheol; Chang, Won Seok; Chang, Jin Woo

    2018-02-01

    OBJECTIVE The application of pharmacological therapeutics in neurological disorders is limited by the ability of these agents to penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Focused ultrasound (FUS) has recently gained attention for its potential application as a method for locally opening the BBB and thereby facilitating drug delivery into the brain parenchyma. However, this method still requires optimization to maximize its safety and efficacy for clinical use. In the present study, the authors examined several sonication parameters of FUS influencing BBB opening in small animals. METHODS Changes in BBB permeability were observed during transcranial sonication using low-intensity FUS in 20 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. The authors examined the effects of FUS sonication with different sonication parameters, varying acoustic pressure, center frequency, burst duration, microbubble (MB) type, MB dose, pulse repetition frequency (PRF), and total exposure time. The focal region of BBB opening was identified by Evans blue dye. Additionally, H & E staining was used to identify blood vessel damage. RESULTS Acoustic pressure amplitude and burst duration were closely associated with enhancement of BBB opening efficiency, but these parameters were also highly correlated with tissue damage in the sonicated region. In contrast, MB types, MB dose, total exposure time, and PRF had an influence on BBB opening without conspicuous tissue damage after FUS sonication. CONCLUSIONS The study aimed to identify these influential conditions and provide safety and efficacy values for further studies. Future work based on the current results is anticipated to facilitate the implementation of FUS sonication for drug delivery in various CNS disease states in the near future.

  20. Effect of sonication on technological properties of beef

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Z. J. Dolatowski

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Ultrasound treatment during rigor mortis period led to an acceleration of aging processes. No significant influence of sonication on acidity during ageing was observed. Ultrasound treatment did not influence the lightness, but according to the shear force measurements, improve meat tenderness. Differentiated technological properties of examined samples may result from influence of ultrasound on protein structures of meat. As a result of ultrasound treatment an increase of free calcium ions concentration occurred. Obtained results pointed out that sonication may be an effective method of formation of technological properties of beef during ageing.

  1. The sonic window: second generation results

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, William F.; Fuller, Michael I.; Brush, Edward V.; Eames, Matthew D. C.; Owen, Kevin; Ranganathan, Karthik; Blalock, Travis N.; Hossack, John A.

    2006-03-01

    Medical Ultrasound Imaging is widely used clinically because of its relatively low cost, portability, lack of ionizing radiation, and real-time nature. However, even with these advantages ultrasound has failed to permeate the broad array of clinical applications where its use could be of value. A prime example of this untapped potential is the routine use of ultrasound to guide intravenous access. In this particular application existing systems lack the required portability, low cost, and ease-of-use required for widespread acceptance. Our team has been working for a number of years to develop an extremely low-cost, pocket-sized, and intuitive ultrasound imaging system that we refer to as the "Sonic Window." We have previously described the first generation Sonic Window prototype that was a bench-top device using a 1024 element, fully populated array operating at a center frequency of 3.3 MHz. Through a high degree of custom front-end integration combined with multiplexing down to a 2 channel PC based digitizer this system acquired a full set of RF data over a course of 512 transmit events. While initial results were encouraging, this system exhibited limitations resulting from low SNR, relatively coarse array sampling, and relatively slow data acquisition. We have recently begun assembling a second-generation Sonic Window system. This system uses a 3600 element fully sampled array operating at 5.0 MHz with a 300 micron element pitch. This system extends the integration of the first generation system to include front-end protection, pre-amplification, a programmable bandpass filter, four sample and holds, and four A/D converters for all 3600 channels in a set of custom integrated circuits with a combined area smaller than the 1.8 x 1.8 cm footprint of the transducer array. We present initial results from this front-end and present benchmark results from a software beamformer implemented on the Analog Devices BF-561 DSP. We discuss our immediate plans for further

  2. The use of low density high accuracy (LDHA) data for correction of high density low accuracy (HDLA) point cloud

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rak, Michal Bartosz; Wozniak, Adam; Mayer, J. R. R.

    2016-06-01

    Coordinate measuring techniques rely on computer processing of coordinate values of points gathered from physical surfaces using contact or non-contact methods. Contact measurements are characterized by low density and high accuracy. On the other hand optical methods gather high density data of the whole object in a short time but with accuracy at least one order of magnitude lower than for contact measurements. Thus the drawback of contact methods is low density of data, while for non-contact methods it is low accuracy. In this paper a method for fusion of data from two measurements of fundamentally different nature: high density low accuracy (HDLA) and low density high accuracy (LDHA) is presented to overcome the limitations of both measuring methods. In the proposed method the concept of virtual markers is used to find a representation of pairs of corresponding characteristic points in both sets of data. In each pair the coordinates of the point from contact measurements is treated as a reference for the corresponding point from non-contact measurement. Transformation enabling displacement of characteristic points from optical measurement to their match from contact measurements is determined and applied to the whole point cloud. The efficiency of the proposed algorithm was evaluated by comparison with data from a coordinate measuring machine (CMM). Three surfaces were used for this evaluation: plane, turbine blade and engine cover. For the planar surface the achieved improvement was of around 200 μm. Similar results were obtained for the turbine blade but for the engine cover the improvement was smaller. For both freeform surfaces the improvement was higher for raw data than for data after creation of mesh of triangles.

  3. Performance of automated multiplex PCR using sonication fluid for diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection: a prospective cohort.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Renz, Nora; Feihl, Susanne; Cabric, Sabrina; Trampuz, Andrej

    2017-12-01

    Sonication of explanted prostheses improved the microbiological diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infections (PJI). We evaluated the performance of automated multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using sonication fluid for the microbiological diagnosis of PJI. In a prospective cohort using uniform definition criteria for PJI, explanted joint prostheses were investigated by sonication and the resulting sonication fluid was analyzed by culture and multiplex PCR. McNemar's Chi-squared test was used to compare the performance of diagnostic tests. Among 111 patients, PJI was diagnosed in 78 (70%) and aseptic failure in 33 (30%). For the diagnosis of PJI, the sensitivity and specificity of periprosthetic tissue culture was 51 and 100%, of sonication fluid culture 58 and 100%, and of sonication fluid PCR 51 and 94%, respectively. Among 70 microorganisms, periprosthetic tissue culture grew 52 (74%), sonication fluid culture grew 50 (71%) and sonication fluid PCR detected 37 pathogens (53%). If only organisms are considered, for which primers are included in the test panel, PCR detected 37 of 58 pathogens (64%). The sonication fluid PCR missed 19 pathogens (predominantly oral streptococci and anaerobes), whereas 7 additional microorganisms were detected only by PCR (including Cutibacterium spp. and coagulase-negative staphylococci). The performance of multiplex PCR using sonication fluid is comparable to culture of periprosthetic tissue or sonication fluid. The advantages of PCR are short processing time (PCR, especially of low-virulent organisms.

  4. A Simple Sonication Improves Protein Signal in Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Li-En; Su, Pin-Rui; Wu, Hsin-Yi; Hsu, Cheng-Chih

    2018-02-01

    Proper matrix application is crucial in obtaining high quality matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry imaging (MSI). Solvent-free sublimation was essentially introduced as an approach of homogeneous coating that gives small crystal size of the organic matrix. However, sublimation has lower extraction efficiency of analytes. Here, we present that a simple sonication step after the hydration in standard sublimation protocol significantly enhances the sensitivity of MALDI MSI. This modified procedure uses a common laboratory ultrasonicator to immobilize the analytes from tissue sections without noticeable delocalization. Improved imaging quality with additional peaks above 10 kDa in the spectra was thus obtained upon sonication treatment. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

  5. Improving the sludge disintegration efficiency of sonication by combining with alkalization and thermal pre-treatment methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Şahinkaya, S; Sevimli, M F; Aygün, A

    2012-01-01

    One of the most serious problems encountered in biological wastewater treatment processes is the production of waste activated sludge (WAS). Sonication, which is an energy-intensive process, is the most powerful sludge pre-treatment method. Due to lack of information about the combined pre-treatment methods of sonication, the combined pre-treatment methods were investigated and it was aimed to improve the disintegration efficiency of sonication by combining sonication with alkalization and thermal pre-treatment methods in this study. The process performances were evaluated based on the quantities of increases in soluble chemical oxygen demand (COD), protein and carbohydrate. The releases of soluble COD, carbohydrate and protein by the combined methods were higher than those by sonication, alkalization and thermal pre-treatment alone. Degrees of sludge disintegration in various options of sonication were in the following descending order: sono-alkalization > sono-thermal pre-treatment > sonication. Therefore, it was determined that combining sonication with alkalization significantly improved the sludge disintegration and decreased the required energy to reach the same yield by sonication. In addition, effects on sludge settleability and dewaterability and kinetic mathematical modelling of pre-treatment performances of these methods were investigated. It was proven that the proposed model accurately predicted the efficiencies of ultrasonic pre-treatment methods.

  6. PROGRESS ON DEVELOPING SONIC INFRARED IMAGING FOR DEFECT DETECTION IN COMPOSITE STRUCTURES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han Xiaoyan; He Qi; Li Wei; Newaz, Golam; Favro, Lawrence D.; Thomas, Robert L.

    2010-01-01

    At last year's QNDE conference, we presented our development of Sonic IR imaging technology in metal structures, with results from both experimental studies and theoretical computing. In the latest aircraft designs, such as the B787 from Boeing, composites have become the major materials in structures such as the fuselage and wings. This is in contrast to composites' use only in auxiliary components such as flaps and spoilers in the past. With today's advanced technology of fabrication, it is expected the new materials can be put in use in even more aircraft structures due to its light weight and high strength (high strength-to-weight ratio), high specific stiffness, tailorability of properties, design flexibility etc. Especially, with increases in fuel cost, reducing the aircraft's body weight becomes more and more appealing. In this presentation, we describe the progress on our development of Sonic IR imaging for aircraft composite structures. In particular, we describe the some unexpected results discovered while modeling delaminations. These results were later experimentally verified with an engineered delamination.

  7. Ultrasonic/Sonic Rotary-Hammer Drills

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badescu, Mircea; Sherrit, Stewart; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Bao, Xiaoqi; Kassab, Steve

    2010-01-01

    Ultrasonic/sonic rotary-hammer drill (USRoHD) is a recent addition to the collection of apparatuses based on ultrasonic/sonic drill corer (USDC). As described below, the USRoHD has several features, not present in a basic USDC, that increase efficiency and provide some redundancy against partial failure. USDCs and related apparatuses were conceived for boring into, and/or acquiring samples of, rock or other hard, brittle materials of geological interest. They have been described in numerous previous NASA Tech Briefs articles. To recapitulate: A USDC can be characterized as a lightweight, lowpower, piezoelectrically driven jackhammer in which ultrasonic and sonic vibrations are generated and coupled to a tool bit. A basic USDC includes a piezoelectric stack, an ultrasonic transducer horn connected to the stack, a free mass ( free in the sense that it can bounce axially a short distance between hard stops on the horn and the bit), and a tool bit. The piezoelectric stack creates ultrasonic vibrations that are mechanically amplified by the horn. The bouncing of the free mass between the hard stops generates the sonic vibrations. The combination of ultrasonic and sonic vibrations gives rise to a hammering action (and a resulting chiseling action at the tip of the tool bit) that is more effective for drilling than is the microhammering action of ultrasonic vibrations alone. The hammering and chiseling actions are so effective that unlike in conventional twist drilling, little applied axial force is needed to make the apparatus advance into the material of interest. There are numerous potential applications for USDCs and related apparatuses in geological exploration on Earth and on remote planets. In early USDC experiments, it was observed that accumulation of cuttings in a drilled hole causes the rate of penetration of the USDC to decrease steeply with depth, and that the rate of penetration can be increased by removing the cuttings. The USRoHD concept provides for

  8. Diagnostic accuracy of high-definition CT coronary angiography in high-risk patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iyengar, S.S.; Morgan-Hughes, G.; Ukoumunne, O.; Clayton, B.; Davies, E.J.; Nikolaou, V.; Hyde, C.J.; Shore, A.C.; Roobottom, C.A.

    2016-01-01

    Aim: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) using a combination of high-definition CT (HD-CTCA) and high level of reader experience, with invasive coronary angiography (ICA) as the reference standard, in high-risk patients for the investigation of coronary artery disease (CAD). Materials and methods: Three hundred high-risk patients underwent HD-CTCA and ICA. Independent experts evaluated the images for the presence of significant CAD, defined primarily as the presence of moderate (≥50%) stenosis and secondarily as the presence of severe (≥70%) stenosis in at least one coronary segment, in a blinded fashion. HD-CTCA was compared to ICA as the reference standard. Results: No patients were excluded. Two hundred and six patients (69%) had moderate and 178 (59%) had severe stenosis in at least one vessel at ICA. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 97.1%, 97.9%, 99% and 93.9% for moderate stenosis, and 98.9%, 93.4%, 95.7% and 98.3%, for severe stenosis, on a per-patient basis. Conclusion: The combination of HD-CTCA and experienced readers applied to a high-risk population, results in high diagnostic accuracy comparable to ICA. Modern generation CT systems in experienced hands might be considered for an expanded role. - Highlights: • Diagnostic accuracy of High-Definition CT Angiography (HD-CTCA) has been assessed. • Invasive Coronary angiography (ICA) is the reference standard. • Diagnostic accuracy of HD-CTCA is comparable to ICA. • Diagnostic accuracy is not affected by coronary calcium or stents. • HD-CTCA provides a non-invasive alternative in high-risk patients.

  9. Generation of toxic degradation products by sonication of Pluronic® dispersants: implications for nanotoxicity testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ruhung; Hughes, Tyler; Beck, Simon; Vakil, Samee; Li, Synyoung; Pantano, Paul; Draper, Rockford K

    2013-11-01

    Poloxamers (known by the trade name Pluronic®) are triblock copolymer surfactants that contain two polyethylene glycol blocks and one polypropylene glycol block of various sizes. Poloxamers are widely used as nanoparticle dispersants for nanotoxicity studies wherein nanoparticles are sonicated with a dispersant to prepare suspensions. It is known that poloxamers can be degraded during sonication and that reactive oxygen species contribute to the degradation process. However, the possibility that poloxamer degradation products are toxic to mammalian cells has not been well studied. We report here that aqueous solutions of poloxamer 188 (Pluronic® F-68) and poloxamer 407 (Pluronic® F-127) sonicated in the presence or absence of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) can became highly toxic to cultured cells. Moreover, toxicity correlated with the sonolytic degradation of the polymers. These findings suggest that caution should be used in interpreting the results of nanotoxicity studies where the potential sonolytic degradation of dispersants was not controlled.

  10. Systematic Calibration for Ultra-High Accuracy Inertial Measurement Units

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qingzhong Cai

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available An inertial navigation system (INS has been widely used in challenging GPS environments. With the rapid development of modern physics, an atomic gyroscope will come into use in the near future with a predicted accuracy of 5 × 10−6°/h or better. However, existing calibration methods and devices can not satisfy the accuracy requirements of future ultra-high accuracy inertial sensors. In this paper, an improved calibration model is established by introducing gyro g-sensitivity errors, accelerometer cross-coupling errors and lever arm errors. A systematic calibration method is proposed based on a 51-state Kalman filter and smoother. Simulation results show that the proposed calibration method can realize the estimation of all the parameters using a common dual-axis turntable. Laboratory and sailing tests prove that the position accuracy in a five-day inertial navigation can be improved about 8% by the proposed calibration method. The accuracy can be improved at least 20% when the position accuracy of the atomic gyro INS can reach a level of 0.1 nautical miles/5 d. Compared with the existing calibration methods, the proposed method, with more error sources and high order small error parameters calibrated for ultra-high accuracy inertial measurement units (IMUs using common turntables, has a great application potential in future atomic gyro INSs.

  11. Sonication assisted Agrobacterium -mediated transformation of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In this study, a protocol was developed to obtain stable lines of the Spring Dendrobium cultivar 'Sanya' via sonication assisted Agrobacterium-mediated transformation (SAAT) of protocorm-like bodies (PLBs). Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404 was used with the binary vector AG205 containing the chalcone ...

  12. Dog-Bone Horns for Piezoelectric Ultrasonic/Sonic Actuators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sherrit, Stewart; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Chang, Zensheu; Bao, Xiaoqi

    2007-01-01

    A shape reminiscent of a dog bone has been found to be superior to other shapes for mechanical-amplification horns that are components of piezoelectrically driven actuators used in a series of related devices denoted generally as ultrasonic/sonic drill/corers (USDCs). The first of these devices was reported in Ultrasonic/Sonic Drill/Corers With Integrated Sensors (NPO-20856), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 25, No. 1 (January 2001), page 38. The dog-bone shape was conceived especially for use in a more recent device in the series, denoted an ultrasonic/ sonic gopher, that was described in Ultrasonic/Sonic Mechanisms for Drilling and Coring (NPO-30291), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 27, No. 9 (September 2003), page 65. The figure shows an example of a dog-bone-shaped horn and other components of an ultrasonic gopher. Prerequisite to a meaningful description of this development is an unavoidably lengthy recapitulation of the principle of operation of a USDC and, more specifically, of the ultrasonic/sonic gopher as described previously in NASA Tech Briefs. The ultrasonic actuator includes a stack of piezoelectric rings, the horn, a metal backing, and a bolt that connects the aforementioned parts and provides compressive pre-strain to the piezoelectric stack to prevent breakage of the rings during extension. The stack of piezoelectric rings is excited at the resonance frequency of the overall ultrasonic actuator. Through mechanical amplification by the horn, the displacement in the ultrasonic vibration reaches tens of microns at the tip of the horn. The horn hammers an object that is denoted the free mass because it is free to move longitudinally over a limited distance between hard stops: The free mass bounces back and forth between the ultrasonic horn and a tool bit (a drill bit or a corer). Because the longitudinal speed of the free mass is smaller than the longitudinal speed of vibration of the tip of the horn, contact between the free mass and the horn tip usually occurs at a

  13. Design methodology for a community response questionnaire on sonic boom exposure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farbry, John E., Jr.; Fields, James M.; Molino, John A.; Demiranda, Gwendolyn A.

    1991-01-01

    A preliminary draft questionnaire concerning community response to sonic booms was developed. Interviews were conducted in two communities that had experienced supersonic overflights of the SR-71 airplane for several years. Even though the overflights had ceased about 6 months prior to the interviews, people clearly remembered hearing sonic booms. A total of 22 people living in central Utah and 23 people living along Idaho/Washington state border took part in these interviews. The draft questionnaire was constantly modified during the study in order to evaluate different versions. Questions were developed which related to annoyance, startle, sleep disturbance, building vibration, and building damage. Based on the data collected, a proposed community response survey response instrument was developed for application in a full-scale sonic boom study.

  14. Numerical Predictions of Sonic Boom Signatures for a Straight Line Segmented Leading Edge Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elmiligui, Alaa A.; Wilcox, Floyd J.; Cliff, Susan; Thomas, Scott

    2012-01-01

    A sonic boom wind tunnel test was conducted on a straight-line segmented leading edge (SLSLE) model in the NASA Langley 4- by 4- Foot Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel (UPWT). The purpose of the test was to determine whether accurate sonic boom measurements could be obtained while continuously moving the SLSLE model past a conical pressure probe. Sonic boom signatures were also obtained using the conventional move-pause data acquisition method for comparison. The continuous data acquisition approach allows for accurate signatures approximately 15 times faster than a move-pause technique. These successful results provide an incentive for future testing with greatly increased efficiency using the continuous model translation technique with the single probe to measure sonic boom signatures. Two widely used NASA codes, USM3D (Navier-Stokes) and CART3D-AERO (Euler, adjoint-based adaptive mesh), were used to compute off-body sonic boom pressure signatures of the SLSLE model at several different altitudes below the model at Mach 2.0. The computed pressure signatures compared well with wind tunnel data. The effect of the different altitude for signature extraction was evaluated by extrapolating the near field signatures to the ground and comparing pressure signatures and sonic boom loudness levels.

  15. Loss of Sonic hedgehog leads to alterations in intestinal secretory cell maturation and autophagy.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jessica Gagné-Sansfaçon

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Intestinal epithelial cells express the Sonic and Indian hedgehog ligands. Despite the strong interest in gut hedgehog signaling in GI diseases, no studies have specifically addressed the singular role of intestinal epithelial cell Sonic hedgehog signaling. The aim of this study was to investigate the specific role of Sonic hedgehog in adult ileal epithelial homeostasis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A Sonic hedgehog intestinal epithelial conditional knockout mouse model was generated. Assessment of ileal histological abnormalities, crypt epithelial cell proliferation, epithelial cell fate, junctional proteins, signaling pathways, as well as ultrastructural analysis of intracellular organelles were performed in control and mutant mice. Mice lacking intestinal epithelial Sonic Hedgehog displayed decreased ileal crypt/villus length, decreased crypt proliferation as well as a decrease in the number of ileal mucin-secreting goblet cells and antimicrobial peptide-secreting Paneth cells during adult life. These secretory cells also exhibited disruption of their secretory products in mutant mice. Ultrastructural microscopy analysis revealed a dilated ER lumen in secretory cells. This phenotype was also associated with a decrease in autophagy. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Altogether, these findings indicate that the loss of Sonic hedgehog can lead to ileal secretory cell modifications indicative of endoplasmic reticulum stress, accompanied by a significant reduction in autophagy.

  16. Influence of Chair Vibrations on Indoor Sonic Boom Annoyance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rathsam, Jonathan; Klos, Jacob; Loubeau, Alexandra

    2015-01-01

    One goal of NASA’s Commercial Supersonic Technology Project is to identify candidate noise metrics suitable for regulating quiet sonic boom aircraft. A suitable metric must consider the short duration and pronounced low frequency content of sonic booms. For indoor listeners, rattle and creaking sounds and floor and chair vibrations may also be important. The current study examined the effect of such vibrations on the annoyance of test subjects seated indoors. The study involved two chairs exposed to nearly identical acoustic levels: one placed directly on the floor, and the other isolated from floor vibrations by pneumatic elastomeric mounts. All subjects experienced both chairs, sitting in one chair for the first half of the experiment and the other chair for the remaining half. Each half of the experiment consisted of 80 impulsive noises played at the exterior of the sonic boom simulator. When all annoyance ratings were analyzed together there appeared to be no difference in mean annoyance with isolation condition. When the apparent effect of transfer bias was removed, a subtle but measurable effect of vibration on annoyance was identified.

  17. Negative refractions by triangular lattice sonic crystals in partial band gaps

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alagoz, S.; Sahin, A.; Alagoz, B. B.; Nur, S.

    2015-01-01

    This study numerically demonstrates the effects of partial band gaps on the negative refraction properties of sonic crystal. The partial band gap appearing at the second band edge leads to the efficient transmissions of scattered wave envelopes in the transverse directions inside triangular lattice sonic crystal, and therefore enhances the refraction property of sonic crystal. Numerical simulation results indicate a diagonal guidance of coupled scattered wave envelopes inside crystal structure at the partial band gap frequencies and then output waves are restored in the vicinity of the output interface of sonic crystal by combining phase coherent scattered waves according to Huygens’ principles. This mechanism leads to two operations for wavefront engineering: one is spatial wavefront shifting operation and the other is convex–concave wavefront inversion operation. The effects of this mechanism on the negative refraction and wave focalization are investigated by using the finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations. This study contributes to a better understanding of negative refraction and wave focusing mechanisms at the band edge frequencies, and shows the applications of the slab corner beam splitting and SC-air multilayer acoustic system. (paper)

  18. A study of sonic boom overpressure trends with respect to weight, altitude, Mach number, and vehicle shaping

    Science.gov (United States)

    Needleman, Kathy E.; Mack, Robert J.

    1990-01-01

    This paper presents and discusses trends in nose shock overpressure generated by two conceptual Mach 2.0 configurations. One configuration was designed for high aerodynamic efficiency, while the other was designed to produce a low boom, shaped-overpressure signature. Aerodynamic lift, sonic boom minimization, and Mach-sliced/area-rule codes were used to analyze and compute the sonic boom characteristics of both configurations with respect to cruise Mach number, weight, and altitude. The influence of these parameters on the overpressure and the overpressure trends are discussed and conclusions are given.

  19. Effect of sonic agitation, manual dynamic agitation on removal of Enterococcus faecalis biofilm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rajshekhar Chatterjee

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: The aim of the study was to compare manual dynamic agitation with sonic agitation on removal of intra radicular Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis biofilm. Material and Methods: Extracted mandibular premolars for orthodontic purpose were sectioned at cervical level and divided into three groups (n = 30. The root canals were instrumented using Protaper rotary instruments up to apical file F4. Roots were sterilized and E. faecalis bacteria were incubated within their root canal space for four weeks. Confirmation of biofilm was done using scanning electron microscopy and Gram staining. All groups were irrigated with side vented needle by using three percent sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl for 60 seconds. Two experimental groups were agitated with manual dynamic agitation (with master gutta-percha cone and sonic agitation (EndoActivator. Remaining bacteria were collected using sterile paper point, which were incubated inside brain-heart infusion (BHI broth to check turbidity. The turbid broth was streaked on blood agar plate for colony counts. Result: Both experimental groups showed highly significant difference in their mean colony count when compared with control group; with P < 0.001. Conclusion: Passive sonic agitation with EndoActivator has proven to be the best irrigating system followed by manual dynamic agitation and conventional needle irrigation.

  20. Use of high-intensity sonication for pre-treatment of biological tissues prior to multielemental analysis by total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De La Calle, Inmaculada; Costas, Marta; Cabaleiro, Noelia; Lavilla, Isela; Bendicho, Carlos

    2012-01-01

    In this work, two ultrasound-based procedures are developed for sample preparation prior to determination of P, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se and Sr in biological tissues by total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Ultrasound-assisted extraction by means of a cup-horn sonoreactor and ultrasonic-probe slurry sampling were compared with a well-established procedure such as magnetic agitation slurry sampling. For that purpose, seven certified reference materials and different real samples of animal tissue were used. Similar accuracy and precision is obtained with the three sample preparation approaches tried. Limits of detection were dependent on both the sample matrix and the sample pre-treatment used, best values being achieved with ultrasound-assisted extraction. Advantages of ultrasound-assisted extraction include reduced sample handling, decreased contamination risks (neither addition of surfactants nor use of foreign objects inside the extraction vial), simpler background (no solid particles onto the sample carrier) and improved recovery for some elements such as P. A mixture of 10% v/v HNO 3 + 20–40% v/v HCl was suitable for extraction from biological tissues. - Highlights: ► We implement high-intensity sonication for pre-treatment of biological tissues. ► Multielemental analysis is performed by total reflection X-ray spectrometry. ► Ultrasound-based procedures are developed and compared to conventional slurry preparation. ► Features such as background, recovery and sample handling are favored by using ultrasonic extraction.

  1. Effect of sonication on particle dispersion, administered dose and metal release of non-functionalized, non-inert metal nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pradhan, Sulena; Hedberg, Jonas, E-mail: jhed@kth.se; Blomberg, Eva [KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Division of Surface and Corrosion Science, Department of Chemistry (Sweden); Wold, Susanna [KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Division of Applied Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry (Sweden); Odnevall Wallinder, Inger [KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Division of Surface and Corrosion Science, Department of Chemistry (Sweden)

    2016-09-15

    In this study, we elucidate the effect of different sonication techniques to efficiently prepare particle dispersions from selected non-functionalized NPs (Cu, Al, Mn, ZnO), and corresponding consequences on the particle dose, surface charge and release of metals. Probe sonication was shown to be the preferred method for dispersing non-inert, non-functionalized metal NPs (Cu, Mn, Al). However, rapid sedimentation during sonication resulted in differences between the real and the administered doses in the order of 30–80 % when sonicating in 1 and 2.56 g/L NP stock solutions. After sonication, extensive agglomeration of the metal NPs resulted in rapid sedimentation of all particles. DLVO calculations supported these findings, showing the strong van der Waals forces of the metal NPs to result in significant NP agglomeration. Metal release from the metal NPs was slightly increased by increased sonication. The addition of a stabilizing agent (bovine serum albumin) had an accelerating effect on the release of metals in sonicated solutions. For Cu and Mn NPs, the extent of particle dissolution increased from <1.6 to ~5 % after sonication for 15 min. A prolonged sonication time (3–15 min) had negligible effects on the zeta potential of the studied NPs. In all, it is shown that it is of utmost importance to carefully investigate how sonication influences the physico-chemical properties of dispersed metal NPs. This should be considered in nanotoxicology investigations of metal NPs.Graphical Abstract.

  2. Uranium carbide dissolution in nitric solution: Sonication vs. silent conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Virot, Matthieu; Szenknect, Stéphanie; Chave, Tony; Dacheux, Nicolas; Moisy, Philippe; Nikitenko, Sergey I.

    2013-01-01

    The dissolution of uranium carbide (UC) in nitric acid media is considered by means of power ultrasound (sonication) or magnetic stirring. The induction period required to initiate UC dissolution was found to be dramatically shortened when sonicating a 3 M nitric solution (Ar, 20 kHz, 18 W cm −2 , 20 °C). At higher acidity, magnetic stirring offers faster dissolution kinetics compared to sonication. Ultrasound-assisted UC dissolution is found to be passivated after ∼60% dissolution and remains incomplete whatever the acidity which is confirmed by ICP–AES, LECO and SEM–EDX analyses. In general, the kinetics of UC dissolution is linked to the in situ generation of nitrous acid in agreement with the general mechanism of UC dissolution; the nitrous acid formation is reported to be faster under ultrasound at low acidity due to the nitric acid sonolysis. The carbon balance shared between the gaseous, liquid, and solid phases is strongly influenced by the applied dissolution procedure and HNO 3 concentration

  3. Uranium carbide dissolution in nitric solution: Sonication vs. silent conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Virot, Matthieu; Szenknect, Stéphanie; Chave, Tony; Dacheux, Nicolas; Moisy, Philippe; Nikitenko, Sergey I.

    2013-10-01

    The dissolution of uranium carbide (UC) in nitric acid media is considered by means of power ultrasound (sonication) or magnetic stirring. The induction period required to initiate UC dissolution was found to be dramatically shortened when sonicating a 3 M nitric solution (Ar, 20 kHz, 18 W cm-2, 20 °C). At higher acidity, magnetic stirring offers faster dissolution kinetics compared to sonication. Ultrasound-assisted UC dissolution is found to be passivated after ∼60% dissolution and remains incomplete whatever the acidity which is confirmed by ICP-AES, LECO and SEM-EDX analyses. In general, the kinetics of UC dissolution is linked to the in situ generation of nitrous acid in agreement with the general mechanism of UC dissolution; the nitrous acid formation is reported to be faster under ultrasound at low acidity due to the nitric acid sonolysis. The carbon balance shared between the gaseous, liquid, and solid phases is strongly influenced by the applied dissolution procedure and HNO3 concentration.

  4. Hydrogen storage in sonicated carbon materials

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hirscher, M.; Becher, M.; Haluska, M.; Dettlaff-Weglikowska, U.; Quintel, A.; Duesberg, G.S.; Choi, Y.J.; Downes, P.; Hulman, M.; Roth, S.; Stepanek, I.; Bernier, P.

    2001-01-01

    The hydrogen storage in purified single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), graphite and diamond powder was investigated at room temperature and ambient pressure. The samples were sonicated in 5 M HNO3 for various periods of time using an ultrasonic probe of the alloy Ti-6Al-4V. The goal of this

  5. Test plan for sonic drilling at the Hanford Site in FY 1993

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McLellan, G.W.

    1993-01-01

    This test plan describes the field demonstration of the sonic drilling system being conducted as a coordinated effort between the VOC-Arid ID (Integrated Demonstration) and the 200 West Area Carbon Tetrachloride ERA (Expedited Response Action) programs at Hanford. The purpose of this test is to evaluate the Water Development Corporation's drilling system, modify components as necessary and determine compatible drilling applications for the sonic drilling method for use at facilities in the DOE complex. The sonic demonstration is being conducted as the first field test under the Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) which involves the US Department of Energy, Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Westinghouse Hanford Company and Water Development Corporation. The sonic drilling system will be used to drill a 45 degree vadose zone well, two vertical wells at the VOC-Arid ID site, and several test holes at the Drilling Technology Test Site north of the 200 Area fire station. Testing at other locations will depend on the performance of the drilling method. Performance of this technology will be compared to the baseline drilling method (cable-tool)

  6. COMPARISON OF CULTURE OF SYNOVIAL FLUID, PERIPROSTHETIC TISSUE AND PROSTHESIS SONICATE FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF KNEE PROSTHESIS INFECTION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrej Trampuž

    2003-03-01

    Full Text Available Background. Synovial fluid and periprosthetic tissue specimens are the standard specimens cultured for the diagnosis of prosthetic joint infection (PJI. We hypothesize that ultrasonication of the explanted prosthesis may improve diagnosis of PJI by dislodging biofilm bacteria from the prosthesis surface and improve the sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis of PJI.Methods. Included were patients undergoing knee prosthesis exchange for septic or biomechanical failure and have not received antimicrobial therapy in the last 2 weeks prior specimen collection. Cultures of synovial fluid and periprosthetic tissue specimens were performed per the usual clinical practice. Additionally, explanted joint components were sonicated for 5 minutes at frequency 40 kHz in sterile Ringer’s solution; aliquots of 0.5 ml sonicate were plated onto five aerobic and five anaerobic blood agar plates, and incubated at 37 °C and examined for the next seven days. The number and identity of each colony morphology was recorded.Results. 35 patients undergoing knee replacement have been studied (24 for aseptic biomechanical failure and 11 for suspected PJI. In patients with PJI, coagulase-negative staphylococci (7 cases, Corynebacterium spp. (2 cases, Staphylococcus aureus (1 case, and viridans group streptococcus (1 case were recovered. Culture sensitivity and specificity were for synovial fluid 88% and 100%, for periprosthetic tissue 83% and 81%, and for explant sonicate 91% and 100%, respectively. In sonicate cultures higher numbers of microorganisms than in periprosthetic tissue cultures were consistently detected.Conclusions. Using synovial fluid, periprosthetic tissue, and explant sonicate cultures, 12%, 17% and 9% of PJI were missed, respectively. Explant sonicate cultures were the most sensitive with respect to the diagnosis of PJI, indicating that explant ultrasonication may improve bacterial recovery. In sonicate cultures, infecting organisms were detected in

  7. Mechanism of inhibition of the tumor suppressor Patched by Sonic Hedgehog

    OpenAIRE

    Tukachinsky, Hanna; Petrov, Kostadin; Watanabe, Miyako; Salic, Adrian

    2016-01-01

    The Hedgehog-signaling pathway plays key roles in animal development and physiology. Insufficient Hedgehog signaling causes birth defects, whereas uncontrolled signaling is implicated in cancer. Signaling is triggered by the secreted protein, Sonic Hedgehog, which inhibits the membrane protein Patched1, leading to pathway activation. Despite its fundamental importance, we do not understand how Sonic Hedgehog inhibits Patched1. Here, we uncover a critical interaction between the fatty-acid?mod...

  8. Sonication technique improves microbiological diagnosis in patients treated with antibiotics before surgery for prosthetic joint infections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scorzolini, Laura; Lichtner, Miriam; Iannetta, Marco; Mengoni, Fabio; Russo, Gianluca; Panni, Alfredo Schiavone; Vasso, Michele; Vasto, Michele; Bove, Marco; Villani, Ciro; Mastroianni, Claudio M; Vullo, Vincenzo

    2014-07-01

    Microbiological diagnosis is crucial for the appropriate management of implant-associated orthopedic infections (IAOIs). Sonication of biomaterials for microbiological diagnosis has not yet been introduced in routine clinical practice. Aim of this study was to describe the advantages and feasibility of this procedure in the clinical setting. We prospectively studied 56 consecutive patients undergoing revision because of IAOI and compared the sensitivity of sonication of explanted orthopedic implants with standard cultures. Patients were divided into two groups: those with foreign body infection (FBI, 15 patients) and those with prosthetic joint infection (PJI, 41 patients). Clinical, radiological and microbiological features were recorded. In the PJI group the sensitivity of sonication in detecting bacterial growth was higher than conventional culture (77% vs 34.1% respectively, p0.05). Coagulase-negative Staphylococci accounted for 90% of the bacteria detected by sonication. Moreover, we found that in the PJI group the sensitivity of sonication was not affected by the timing of antibiotic interruption before surgery. Sonication remains an important tool to improve microbiological diagnosis in PJIs, especially in patients who received previous antimicrobial treatment.

  9. The Effect of Sonic Bloom Fertilizing Technology on The Seed Germination and Growth of Acacia mangium Willd Seedling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mulyadi A T

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Acacia mangium Willd is one of the promising wood species, it is a fast growing species and can be used as raw materials for pulp, furniture and wood working. Musi Hutan Persada Company has planted Acacia mangium Willd in large scale for pulp processing raw materials and for wood working industry. The faculty of forestry of the Nusa Bangsa University in collaboration with the Musi Hutan Persada have examined  the effect of “Sonic Bloom” to the Acacia mangium Willd germination and seedling growth. The results of the research are the following : (1 The seed germination with “Sonic Bloom” provided percented of germination of 82%, better than those without “Sonic Bloom”, i.e. only 34%; (2 With Sonic Bloom,  the height of 80-days old seedling is 129.6 cm higher than those without “Sonic Bloom”of only 90.7 cm  ; (3 the diameter of 80-days old seedling with “Sonic Bloom” is 0,24 cm higher than those without “Sonic Bloom” harving diameters of only 0.19 cm.The study concludes that sonic bloom treatment is very useful for the seed germination and the growth of Acacia mangium Willd seedling Key Words : Sonic Bloom, persemaian, Acacia mangium, perkecambahan, bibit   Normal 0 false false false IN X-NONE X-NONE

  10. PRODUCTION WELL PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT USING SONICATION TECHNOLOGY

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Michael A. Adewumi; M. Thaddeus Ityokumbul; Robert W. Watson; Mario Farias; Glenn Heckman; Johnson Olanrewaju; Eltohami Eltohami; Bruce G. Miller; W. Jack Hughes; Thomas C. Montgomery

    2003-12-17

    The objective of this project is to develop a sonic well performance enhancement technology that focuses on near wellbore formations. In order to successfully achieve this objective, a three-year project has been defined with each year consisting of four tasks. The first task is the laboratory-scale study whose goal is to determine the underlying principles of the technology. The second task will develop a scale-up mathematical model to serve as the design guide for tool development. The third task is to develop effective transducers that can operate with variable frequency so that the most effective frequencies can be applied in any given situation. The system, assembled as part of the production string, ensures delivery of sufficient sonic energy to penetrate the near-wellbore formation. The last task is the actual field testing of the tool. The first year of the project has been completed.

  11. Self-collimated slow sound in sonic crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaya, Olgun Adem; Cicek, Ahmet; Ulug, Bulent

    2012-01-01

    Self-collimated slow-sound propagation in a two-dimensional rectangular sonic crystal composed of elliptical scatterers in air is numerically demonstrated. The group velocity at the centre and the edges of the fourth acoustic band is reduced to 45 m s -1 and 30 m s -1 , corresponding to 1/8 and 1/12 of the speed of sound in air, respectively. Elimination of omni-directional reflections encountered in linear waveguides and the reduction of group-velocity dispersion at the mid-band frequencies lead to preservation of pulse shape and amplitude upon traversal of the sonic crystal. Wave transmission is increased from approximately -20 to -2.5 dB, with almost an order of magnitude enhancement, via injector layers optimized through a pattern search algorithm. Self-collimating performance of the system is not degraded under oblique incidence, except for pulse broadening due to increased effective source width.

  12. Defatting and Sonication Enhances Protein Extraction from Edible Insects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Byoung Deug; Wong, Nathan A K; Auh, Joong-Hyuck

    2017-01-01

    Edible insects are attracting growing interest as a sustainable source of protein for addition to processed meat and dairy products. The current study investigated the optimal method for protein extraction from mealworm larvae ( Tenebrio molitor ), cricket adults ( Gryllus bimaculatus ), and silkworm pupae ( Bombyx mori ), for use in further applications. After defatting with n-hexane for up to 48 h, sonication was applied for 1-20 min and the protein yield was measured. All samples showed a total residual fat percentage below 1.36%, and a 35% to 94% improvement in protein yield (%). In conclusion, defatting with n-hexane combined with sonication improves the protein yield from insect samples.

  13. On/off ratio enhancement in single-walled carbon nanotube field-effect transistor by controlling network density via sonication

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jang, Ho-Kyun; Choi, Jun Hee; Kim, Do-Hyun; Kim, Gyu Tae

    2018-06-01

    Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) is generally used as a networked structure in the fabrication of a field-effect transistor (FET) since it is known that one-third of SWCNT is electrically metallic and the remains are semiconducting. In this case, the presence of metallic paths by metallic SWCNT (m-SWCNT) becomes a significant technical barrier which hinders the networks from achieving a semiconducting behavior, resulting in a low on/off ratio. Here, we report on an easy method of controlling the on/off ratio of a FET where semiconducting SWCNT (s-SWCNT) and m-SWCNT constitute networks between source and drain electrodes. A FET with SWCNT networks was simply sonicated under water to control the on/off ratio and network density. As a result, the FET having an almost metallic behavior due to the metallic paths by m-SWCNT exhibited a p-type semiconducting behavior. The on/off ratio ranged from 1 to 9.0 × 104 along sonication time. In addition, theoretical calculations based on Monte-Carlo method and circuit simulation were performed to understand and explain the phenomenon of a change in the on/off ratio and network density by sonication. On the basis of experimental and theoretical results, we found that metallic paths contributed to a high off-state current which leads to a low on/off ratio and that sonication formed sparse SWCNT networks where metallic paths of m-SWCNT were removed, resulting in a high on/off ratio. This method can open a chance to save the device which has been considered as a failed one due to a metallic behavior by a high network density leading to a low on/off ratio.

  14. Synthesis of PDLLA/PLLA-bentonite nanocomposite through sonication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sitompul, Johnner; Setyawan, Daru; Kim, Daniel Young Joon; Lee, Hyung Woo

    2016-01-01

    This paper concerns the synthesis of poly(D,L-lactic acid)/poly(L-lactic acid) bentonite nanocomposites. Poly (D,L-lactic acid) (PDLLA) was synthesized using lactic acid through the ZnO-catalyzed direct polycondensation method at vacuum pressure and poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) was synthesized with L-lactide by ring-opening polymerization method. The PDLLA/PLLA-bentonite nanocomposite films were synthesized using the solvent casting method. The nanoclay, bentonite, was prepared using the solution-intercalation method by dissolving the nanoparticles into chloroform before sonication. In this study, PDLLA/PLLA-bentonite nanocomposite films were produced using variable amounts of nanoclay and sonication times during the mixing of PDLLA/PLLA and bentonite. The properties of the PDLLA/PLLA nanocomposites were then characterized using the X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Universal Testing Machine (UTM), Water Vapor Permeability (WVP) tests, and the enzymatic biodegradability test. The XRD test was used to measure the intercalation of nanoclay layers in the PDLLA/PLLA matrix and the PDLLA/PLLA-bentonite intercalated nanocomposite films. It was found through these various tests that adding bentonite to the PDLLA/PLLA increases tensile strength to 56.76 MP. Furthermore, the biodegradability increases as well as the barrier properties of the polymers The different sonication time used during the mixing of the polymer solution with bentonite also affected the properties of the PDLLA/PLLA-bentonite nanocomposite films.

  15. Synthesis of PDLLA/PLLA-bentonite nanocomposite through sonication

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sitompul, Johnner, E-mail: sitompul@che.itb.ac.id; Setyawan, Daru, E-mail: daru.setyawan@gmail.com; Kim, Daniel Young Joon, E-mail: daniel.kim12321@gmail.com [Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Industrial Technology, Institute of Technology Bandung Jl. Ganesha 10, Bandung, West Java, 40132 (Indonesia); Lee, Hyung Woo, E-mail: leehw@che.itb.ac.id [Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Industrial Technology, Institute of Technology Bandung Jl. Ganesha 10, Bandung, West Java, 40132 (Indonesia); Research and Business Foundation, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi, 440-746 (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-04-19

    This paper concerns the synthesis of poly(D,L-lactic acid)/poly(L-lactic acid) bentonite nanocomposites. Poly (D,L-lactic acid) (PDLLA) was synthesized using lactic acid through the ZnO-catalyzed direct polycondensation method at vacuum pressure and poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) was synthesized with L-lactide by ring-opening polymerization method. The PDLLA/PLLA-bentonite nanocomposite films were synthesized using the solvent casting method. The nanoclay, bentonite, was prepared using the solution-intercalation method by dissolving the nanoparticles into chloroform before sonication. In this study, PDLLA/PLLA-bentonite nanocomposite films were produced using variable amounts of nanoclay and sonication times during the mixing of PDLLA/PLLA and bentonite. The properties of the PDLLA/PLLA nanocomposites were then characterized using the X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Universal Testing Machine (UTM), Water Vapor Permeability (WVP) tests, and the enzymatic biodegradability test. The XRD test was used to measure the intercalation of nanoclay layers in the PDLLA/PLLA matrix and the PDLLA/PLLA-bentonite intercalated nanocomposite films. It was found through these various tests that adding bentonite to the PDLLA/PLLA increases tensile strength to 56.76 MP. Furthermore, the biodegradability increases as well as the barrier properties of the polymers The different sonication time used during the mixing of the polymer solution with bentonite also affected the properties of the PDLLA/PLLA-bentonite nanocomposite films.

  16. Photoluminescence of MoS2 Prepared by Effective Grinding-Assisted Sonication Exfoliation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing-Yuan Wu

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Exfoliation of bulk molybdenum disulfide (MoS2 using sonication in appropriate solvent is a promising route to large-scale preparation of few-layered or monolayered crystals. Grinding-assisted sonication exfoliation was used for preparing monolayered MoS2 nanosheets from natural mineral molybdenite. By controlling the sonication time, larger crystallites could be further exfoliated to smaller as well as thinner nanosheets without damaging their structures. The concentration of 1.6 mg mL−1 of final solution could be achieved. Several microscopic techniques like scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy were employed to evaluate the exfoliation results. Strong photoluminescence with the peak centered at 440 nm was also observed in the resulting dispersion which included several small lateral-sized (~3 nm nanostructures.

  17. Portable high-intensity focused ultrasound system with 3D electronic steering, real-time cavitation monitoring, and 3D image reconstruction algorithms: a preclinical study in pigs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Jin Woo; Lee, Jae Young; Hwang, Eui Jin; Hwang, In Pyeong; Woo, Sung Min; Lee, Chang Joo; Park, Eun Joo; Choi, Byung Ihn

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and accuracy of a new portable ultrasonography-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (USg-HIFU) system with a 3-dimensional (3D) electronic steering transducer, a simultaneous ablation and imaging module, real-time cavitation monitoring, and 3D image reconstruction algorithms. To address the accuracy of the transducer, hydrophones in a water chamber were used to assess the generation of sonic fields. An animal study was also performed in five pigs by ablating in vivo thighs by single-point sonication (n=10) or volume sonication (n=10) and ex vivo kidneys by single-point sonication (n=10). Histological and statistical analyses were performed. In the hydrophone study, peak voltages were detected within 1.0 mm from the targets on the y- and z-axes and within 2.0-mm intervals along the x-axis (z-axis, direction of ultrasound propagation; y- and x-axes, perpendicular to the direction of ultrasound propagation). Twenty-nine of 30 HIFU sessions successfully created ablations at the target. The in vivo porcine thigh study showed only a small discrepancy (width, 0.5-1.1 mm; length, 3.0 mm) between the planning ultrasonograms and the pathological specimens. Inordinate thermal damage was not observed in the adjacent tissues or sonic pathways in the in vivo thigh and ex vivo kidney studies. Our study suggests that this new USg-HIFU system may be a safe and accurate technique for ablating soft tissues and encapsulated organs.

  18. Portable high-intensity focused ultrasound system with 3D electronic steering, real-time cavitation monitoring, and 3D image reconstruction algorithms: a preclinical study in pigs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choi, Jin Woo; Lee, Jae Young; Hwang, Eui Jin; Hwang, In Pyeong; Woo, Sung Min; Lee, Chang Joo; Park, Eun Joo; Choi, Byung Ihn [Dept. of Radiology and Institute of Radiation Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-10-15

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and accuracy of a new portable ultrasonography-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (USg-HIFU) system with a 3-dimensional (3D) electronic steering transducer, a simultaneous ablation and imaging module, real-time cavitation monitoring, and 3D image reconstruction algorithms. To address the accuracy of the transducer, hydrophones in a water chamber were used to assess the generation of sonic fields. An animal study was also performed in five pigs by ablating in vivo thighs by single-point sonication (n=10) or volume sonication (n=10) and ex vivo kidneys by single-point sonication (n=10). Histological and statistical analyses were performed. In the hydrophone study, peak voltages were detected within 1.0 mm from the targets on the y- and z-axes and within 2.0-mm intervals along the x-axis (z-axis, direction of ultrasound propagation; y- and x-axes, perpendicular to the direction of ultrasound propagation). Twenty-nine of 30 HIFU sessions successfully created ablations at the target. The in vivo porcine thigh study showed only a small discrepancy (width, 0.5-1.1 mm; length, 3.0 mm) between the planning ultrasonograms and the pathological specimens. Inordinate thermal damage was not observed in the adjacent tissues or sonic pathways in the in vivo thigh and ex vivo kidney studies. Our study suggests that this new USg-HIFU system may be a safe and accurate technique for ablating soft tissues and encapsulated organs.

  19. The Social and Sonic Semantics of Reggae

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Levisen, Carsten

    2017-01-01

    This study breaks new ground into the emerging discipline of sonic semantics and the study of language ideologies in postcolonial contexts. The case in point is the reggae sociality in Port Vila, Vanuatu, where young Pacific Islanders are forming new ways of socializing on the fragments of kastom...

  20. Research on Horizontal Accuracy Method of High Spatial Resolution Remotely Sensed Orthophoto Image

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Y. M.; Zhang, J. X.; Yu, F.; Dong, S.

    2018-04-01

    At present, in the inspection and acceptance of high spatial resolution remotly sensed orthophoto image, the horizontal accuracy detection is testing and evaluating the accuracy of images, which mostly based on a set of testing points with the same accuracy and reliability. However, it is difficult to get a set of testing points with the same accuracy and reliability in the areas where the field measurement is difficult and the reference data with high accuracy is not enough. So it is difficult to test and evaluate the horizontal accuracy of the orthophoto image. The uncertainty of the horizontal accuracy has become a bottleneck for the application of satellite borne high-resolution remote sensing image and the scope of service expansion. Therefore, this paper proposes a new method to test the horizontal accuracy of orthophoto image. This method using the testing points with different accuracy and reliability. These points' source is high accuracy reference data and field measurement. The new method solves the horizontal accuracy detection of the orthophoto image in the difficult areas and provides the basis for providing reliable orthophoto images to the users.

  1. Personality Traits Bias the Perceived Quality of Sonic Environments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    PerMagnus Lindborg

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available There have been few empirical investigations of how individual differences influence the perception of the sonic environment. The present study included the Big Five traits and noise sensitivity as personality factors in two listening experiments (n = 43, n = 45. Recordings of urban and restaurant soundscapes that had been selected based on their type were rated for Pleasantness and Eventfulness using the Swedish Soundscape Quality Protocol. Multivariate multiple regression analysis showed that ratings depended on the type and loudness of both kinds of sonic environments and that the personality factors made a small yet significant contribution. Univariate models explained 48% (cross-validated adjusted R2 of the variation in Pleasantness ratings of urban soundscapes, and 35% of Eventfulness. For restaurant soundscapes the percentages explained were 22% and 21%, respectively. Emotional stability and noise sensitivity were notable predictors whose contribution to explaining the variation in quality ratings was between one-tenth and nearly half of the soundscape indicators, as measured by squared semipartial correlation. Further analysis revealed that 36% of noise sensitivity could be predicted by broad personality dimensions, replicating previous research. Our study lends empirical support to the hypothesis that personality traits have a significant though comparatively small influence on the perceived quality of sonic environments.

  2. Reconfigurable origami sonic barriers with tunable bandgaps for traffic noise mitigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thota, M.; Wang, K. W.

    2017-10-01

    An origami sonic barrier composed of cylindrical inclusions attached onto an origami sheet is proposed. The idea allows for tunable sound blocking properties for application in attenuating complex traffic noise spectra. Folding of the underlying origami sheet transforms the periodicity of the inclusions between different Bravais lattices, viz. between a square and a hexagonal lattice, and such significant lattice re-configuration leads to drastic tuning of dispersion characteristics. The wave tuning capabilities are corroborated via performing theoretical and numerical investigations using a plane wave expansion method and an acoustic simulation package of COMSOL, while experiments are performed on a one-seventh scaled-down model of origami sonic barrier to demonstrate the lattice re-configuration between different Bravais lattices and the associated bandgap adaptability. Good sound blocking performance in the frequency range of traffic noise spectra combined with less efforts, required for actuating one-degree of freedom folding mechanism, makes the origami sonic barrier a potential candidate for mitigating complex traffic noise.

  3. Effective delivery of sonication energy to fast settling and agglomerating nanomaterial suspensions for cellular studies: Implications for stability, particle kinetics, dosimetry and toxicity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, Joel M; Beltran-Huarac, Juan; Pyrgiotakis, Georgios; Demokritou, Philip

    2018-04-01

    Typical in vitro assays used for high throughput toxicological screening and measuring nano-bio interactions are conducted by pipetting suspensions of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) dispersed in nutrient-rich culture media directly onto cells. In order to achieve fairly monodisperse and stable suspensions of small agglomerates, ultrasonic energy is usually applied to break apart large agglomerates that can form upon suspension in liquid. Lack of standardized protocols and methods for delivering sonication energy can introduce variability in the ENM suspension properties ( e.g . agglomerate size, polydispersity, suspension stability over time), and holds significant implications for in vitro dosimetry, toxicity, and other nano-bio interactions. Careful assessment of particle transformations during dispersion preparation and sonication is therefore critical for accurate interpretation of in vitro toxicity studies. In this short communication, the difficulties of preparing stable suspensions of rapidly settling ENMs are presented. Furthermore, methods to optimize the delivery of the critical sonication energy required to break large agglomerates and prepare stable, fairly monodispersed suspensions of fast settling ENMs are presented. A methodology for the efficient delivery of sonication energy in a discrete manner is presented and validated using various rapidly agglomerating and settling ENMs. The implications of continuous vs. discrete sonication on average hydrodynamic diameter, and polydispersity was also assessed for both fast and slow settling ENMs. For the rapidly agglomerating and settling ENMs (Ag15%/SiO 2 , Ag and CeO 2 ), the proposed discrete sonication achieved a significant reduction in the agglomerate diameter and polydispersity. In contrast, the relatively slow agglomerating and settling Fe 2 O 3 suspension did not exhibit statistically significant differences in average hydrodynamic diameter or polydispersity between the continuous and discrete

  4. Sonication-induced Ostwald ripening of ZIF-8 nanoparticles and formation of ZIF-8/polymer composite membranes

    KAUST Repository

    Thompson, Joshua A.

    2012-08-01

    The effect of typical membrane processing conditions on the structure, interfacial morphology, and gas separation performance of MOF/polymer nanocomposite membranes is investigated. In particular, the ZIF-8/Matrimid® nanocomposite membrane system is examined, and it is shown that ultrasonication - a commonly employed particle dispersion method - induces significant changes in the shape, size distribution, and structure of ZIF-8 particles suspended in an organic solvent during membrane processing. Dynamic light scattering and electron microscopy reveal that ZIF-8 nanoparticles undergo substantial Ostwald ripening when subjected to high intensity ultrasonication as often required in the formation of MOF/polymer nanocomposite membranes. Other characterization techniques reveal that the ripened particles exhibit lower pore volumes and lower surface areas compared to the as-made material. ZIF-8/Matrimid® composite membranes fabricated using two sonication methods show significant differences in microstructure. Permeation measurements show significant enhancement in permeability of CO 2 and increased CO 2/CH 4 selectivity in membranes fabricated with high-intensity sonication. In contrast, composite membranes prepared with low-intensity sonication are found to be defective. A careful evaluation of MOF membrane processing conditions, as well as knowledge of the properties of the MOF material after these membrane processing steps, are necessary to develop reliable processing-structure-property relations for MOF-containing membranes. © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Extraction of glutathione from EFB fermentation waste using methanol with sonication process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muryanto, Muryanto; Alvin, Nurdin, Muhammad; Hanifah, Ummu; Sudiyani, Yanni

    2017-11-01

    Glutathione is important compound on the human body. Glutathione have a widely use at pharmacy and cosmetics as detoxification, skin whitening agent, antioxidant and many other. This study aims to obtain glutathione from Saccharomyces cerevisiae in fermentation waste of second generation bioethanol. The remaining yeast in the empty fruit bunch (EFB) fermentation was separated from the fermentation solution use centrifugation process and then extracted using a methanol-water solution. The extraction process was done by maceration which was assisted by sonication process. Solvent concentration and time of sonication were varied to see its effect on glutathione concentration. The concentration of glutathione from the extraction process was analyzed using alloxan method with UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The results show that the highest glutathione concentration was approximately 1.32 g/L obtained with methanol solvent at 90 minutes of maceration following with 15 minutes sonication.

  6. A brief argument for, and summary of, the concept of Sonic Virtuality

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grimshaw, Mark

    2015-01-01

    Sonic virtuality is a conceptualization of sound devised with several purposes in mind. First, it provides a holistic definition of sound that takes account of factors beyond the bare physics of sound waves and their propagation. Second, in providing such a definition, it attempts to explain...... a number of sonic anomalies that existing definitions of sound, of which there are several, do not satisfactorily explain. Third, in its concept of sound as an emergent perception sited within the mind, it provides the conceptual framework to work with sound in the context of new and developing...... technologies. The essay begins with an enumeration of several existing definitions of sound and problems with them, focussing in particular upon the western world’s dominant definition of sound as a sound wave, and then provides a brief exposition of sonic virtuality before concluding with a speculative...

  7. High accuracy 3-D laser radar

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Busck, Jens; Heiselberg, Henning

    2004-01-01

    We have developed a mono-static staring 3-D laser radar based on gated viewing with range accuracy below 1 m at 10 m and 1 cm at 100. We use a high sensitivity, fast, intensified CCD camera, and a Nd:Yag passively Q-switched 32.4 kHz pulsed green laser at 532 nm. The CCD has 752x582 pixels. Camera...

  8. High accuracy autonomous navigation using the global positioning system (GPS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Truong, Son H.; Hart, Roger C.; Shoan, Wendy C.; Wood, Terri; Long, Anne C.; Oza, Dipak H.; Lee, Taesul

    1997-01-01

    The application of global positioning system (GPS) technology to the improvement of the accuracy and economy of spacecraft navigation, is reported. High-accuracy autonomous navigation algorithms are currently being qualified in conjunction with the GPS attitude determination flyer (GADFLY) experiment for the small satellite technology initiative Lewis spacecraft. Preflight performance assessments indicated that these algorithms are able to provide a real time total position accuracy of better than 10 m and a velocity accuracy of better than 0.01 m/s, with selective availability at typical levels. It is expected that the position accuracy will be increased to 2 m if corrections are provided by the GPS wide area augmentation system.

  9. Development of ClearPEM-Sonic, a multimodal mammography system for PET and Ultrasound

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cucciati, G.; Auffray, E.; Bugalho, R.; Cao, L.; Di Vara, N.; Farina, F.; Felix, N.; Frisch, B.; Ghezzi, A.; Juhan, V.; Jun, D.; Lasaygues, P.; Lecoq, P.; Mensah, S.; Mundler, O.; Neves, J.; Paganoni, M.; Peter, J.; Pizzichemi, M.; Siles, P.; Silva, J. C.; Silva, R.; Tavernier, S.; Tessonnier, L.; Varela, J.

    2014-03-01

    ClearPEM-Sonic is an innovative imaging device specifically developed for breast cancer. The possibility to work in PEM-Ultrasound multimodality allows to obtain metabolic and morphological information increasing the specificity of the exam. The ClearPEM detector is developed to maximize the sensitivity and the spatial resolution as compared to Whole-Body PET scanners. It is coupled with a 3D ultrasound system, the SuperSonic Imagine Aixplorer that improves the specificity of the exam by providing a tissue elasticity map. This work describes the ClearPEM-Sonic project focusing on the technological developments it has required, the technical merits (and limits) and the first multimodal images acquired on a dedicated phantom. It finally presents selected clinical case studies that confirm the value of PEM information.

  10. Development of ClearPEM-Sonic, a multimodal mammography system for PET and Ultrasound

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cucciati, G; Vara, N Di; Ghezzi, A; Paganoni, M; Pizzichemi, M; Auffray, E; Frisch, B; Lecoq, P; Bugalho, R; Neves, J; Cao, L; Peter, J; Farina, F; Felix, N; Juhan, V; Mundler, O; Siles, P; Jun, D; Lasaygues, P; Mensah, S

    2014-01-01

    ClearPEM-Sonic is an innovative imaging device specifically developed for breast cancer. The possibility to work in PEM-Ultrasound multimodality allows to obtain metabolic and morphological information increasing the specificity of the exam. The ClearPEM detector is developed to maximize the sensitivity and the spatial resolution as compared to Whole-Body PET scanners. It is coupled with a 3D ultrasound system, the SuperSonic Imagine Aixplorer that improves the specificity of the exam by providing a tissue elasticity map. This work describes the ClearPEM-Sonic project focusing on the technological developments it has required, the technical merits (and limits) and the first multimodal images acquired on a dedicated phantom. It finally presents selected clinical case studies that confirm the value of PEM information

  11. Acoustic energy harvesting by piezoelectric curved beams in the cavity of a sonic crystal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Wei-Chung; Wu, Liang-Yu; Chen, Lien-Wen; Liu, Chia-Ming

    2010-01-01

    Acoustic energy harvesting by piezoelectric curved beams in the cavity of a sonic crystal is investigated. A resonant cavity of the sonic crystal is used to localize the acoustic wave as the acoustic waves are incident into the sonic crystal at the resonant frequency. The piezoelectric curved beam is placed in the resonant cavity and vibrated by the acoustic wave. The energy harvesting can be achieved as the acoustic waves are incident at the resonant frequency. A model for energy harvesting of the piezoelectric curved beam is also developed to predict the output voltage and power of the energy harvesting. The experimental results are compared with the theoretical

  12. High accuracy wavelength calibration for a scanning visible spectrometer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Scotti, Filippo; Bell, Ronald E. [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States)

    2010-10-15

    Spectroscopic applications for plasma velocity measurements often require wavelength accuracies {<=}0.2 A. An automated calibration, which is stable over time and environmental conditions without the need to recalibrate after each grating movement, was developed for a scanning spectrometer to achieve high wavelength accuracy over the visible spectrum. This method fits all relevant spectrometer parameters using multiple calibration spectra. With a stepping-motor controlled sine drive, an accuracy of {approx}0.25 A has been demonstrated. With the addition of a high resolution (0.075 arc sec) optical encoder on the grating stage, greater precision ({approx}0.005 A) is possible, allowing absolute velocity measurements within {approx}0.3 km/s. This level of precision requires monitoring of atmospheric temperature and pressure and of grating bulk temperature to correct for changes in the refractive index of air and the groove density, respectively.

  13. Switched-capacitor techniques for high-accuracy filter and ADC design

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Quinn, P.J.; Roermund, van A.H.M.

    2007-01-01

    Switched capacitor (SC) techniques are well proven to be excellent candidates for implementing critical analogue functions with high accuracy, surpassing other analogue techniques when embedded in mixed-signal CMOS VLSI. Conventional SC circuits are primarily limited in accuracy by a) capacitor

  14. Living Melodies - Coevolution Of Sonic Communication

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dahlstedt, Palle; Nordahl, Mats G.

    2001-01-01

    The authors have constructed an artificial world of coevolving communicating agents. The behavior of the agents is described in terms of a simple genetic programming framework, which allows the evolution of foraging behavior and movement in order to reproduce, as well as sonic communication....... The sound of the entire world is used as musical raw material for the work. Musically interesting and useful structures are found to emerge....

  15. Improve the Recovery of Fermentable Sugar from Rice Straw by Sonication and Its Mathematical Modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhattacharyya, Saurav; Dutta, Somenath; Datta, Sidhartha; Bhattacharjee, Chiranjib

    2012-08-01

    Rice straw is waste renewable agricultural biomass, which contains sufficient amount of fermentable sugars like glucose, galactose fructose, xylose etc. These sugars can be treated with fermentation pathway to produce ethanol. Hydrolysis of pretreated rice straw in dilute sulfuric acid was investigated at different acid concentrations (0.25-0.75 % w/v), and sonication was carried out to improve the extent of sugar extraction. The current work examines the effect of sonication on extraction of total reducing sugar (TRS) and an empirical mathematical model has been established to predict it. Effects of various operating variables of sonication, including amplitude (60-100 %), cycle (0.6-1.0), treatment time (0-15 min) have been analyzed for each acid concentration. Observation shows that on optimization of the sonication conditions (100 % amplitude, 0.8 cycle and 10 min) around 90 % improvement of TRS extraction occurs at 0.5 % (w/v) acid concentration.

  16. High-accuracy mass spectrometry for fundamental studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kluge, H-Jürgen

    2010-01-01

    Mass spectrometry for fundamental studies in metrology and atomic, nuclear and particle physics requires extreme sensitivity and efficiency as well as ultimate resolving power and accuracy. An overview will be given on the global status of high-accuracy mass spectrometry for fundamental physics and metrology. Three quite different examples of modern mass spectrometric experiments in physics are presented: (i) the retardation spectrometer KATRIN at the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, employing electrostatic filtering in combination with magnetic-adiabatic collimation-the biggest mass spectrometer for determining the smallest mass, i.e. the mass of the electron anti-neutrino, (ii) the Experimental Cooler-Storage Ring at GSI-a mass spectrometer of medium size, relative to other accelerators, for determining medium-heavy masses and (iii) the Penning trap facility, SHIPTRAP, at GSI-the smallest mass spectrometer for determining the heaviest masses, those of super-heavy elements. Finally, a short view into the future will address the GSI project HITRAP at GSI for fundamental studies with highly-charged ions.

  17. 3D turbulence measurements using three intersecting Doppler LiDAR beams: validation against sonic anemometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carbajo Fuertes, Fernando; Valerio Iungo, Giacomo; Porté-Agel, Fernando

    2013-04-01

    Nowadays communities of researchers and industry in the wind engineering and meteorology sectors demand extensive and accurate measurements of atmospheric boundary layer turbulence for a better understanding of its role in a wide range of onshore and offshore applications: wind resource evaluation, wind turbine wakes, meteorology forecast, pollution and urban climate studies, etc. Atmospheric turbulence has been traditionally investigated through sonic anemometers installed on meteorological masts. However, the setup and maintenance of instrumented masts is generally very costly and the available location for the measurements is limited by the fixed position and height of the facility. In order to overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings, a measurement technique is proposed, based on the reconstruction of the three-dimensional velocity vector from simultaneous measurements of three intersecting Doppler wind LiDARs. This measuring technique presents the main advantage of being able to measure the wind velocity at any point in space inside a very large volume, which can be set and optimized for each test. Furthermore, it is very flexible regarding its transportation, installation and operation in any type of terrain. On the other hand, LiDAR measurements are strongly affected by the aerosol concentration in the air, precipitation, and the spatial and temporal resolution is poorer than that of a sonic anemometer. All this makes the comparison between these two kinds of measurements a complex task. The accuracy of the technique has been assessed by this study against sonic anemometer measurements carried out at different heights on the KNMI's meteorological mast at Cabauw's experimental site for atmospheric research (CESAR) in the Netherlands. An early uncertainty analysis shows that one of the most important parameters to be taken into account is the relative angles between the intersecting laser beams, i.e., the position of each LiDAR on the terrain and their

  18. Environmental Pollution: Noise Pollution - Sonic Boom. Volume I.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Defense Documentation Center, Alexandria, VA.

    The unclassified, annotated bibliography is Volume I of a two-volume set on Noise Pollution - Sonic Boom in a series of scheduled bibliographies on Environmental Pollution. Volume II is Confidential. Corporate author-monitoring agency, subject, title, contract, and report number indexes are included. (Author/JR)

  19. ResonantSonic drilling. Innovative technology summary report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-04-01

    The technology of ResonantSonic drilling is described. This technique has been demonstrated and deployed as an innovative tool to access the subsurface for installation of monitoring and/or remediation wells and for collection of subsurface materials for environmental restoration applications. The technology uses no drilling fluids, is safe and can be used to drill slant holes

  20. Accuracy Assessment for the Three-Dimensional Coordinates by High-Speed Videogrammetric Measurement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xianglei Liu

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available High-speed CMOS camera is a new kind of transducer to make the videogrammetric measurement for monitoring the displacement of high-speed shaking table structure. The purpose of this paper is to validate the three-dimensional coordinate accuracy of the shaking table structure acquired from the presented high-speed videogrammetric measuring system. In the paper, all of the key intermediate links are discussed, including the high-speed CMOS videogrammetric measurement system, the layout of the control network, the elliptical target detection, and the accuracy validation of final 3D spatial results. Through the accuracy analysis, the submillimeter accuracy can be made for the final the three-dimensional spatial coordinates which certify that the proposed high-speed videogrammetric technique is a better alternative technique which can replace the traditional transducer technique for monitoring the dynamic response for the shaking table structure.

  1. In Situ Monitoring of Dispersion Dynamics of Carbon Nanotubes during Sonication Using Electrical Conductivity Measurements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Syed Sadiq Ali

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The main challenge in the fabrication of carbon nanotube- (CNT- based composite materials is the optimization of the sonication time in order to obtain homogenous and uniform dispersion of CNTs. Past studies mostly relied on postprocessing characterization techniques to address this issue. In the present, however, in situ monitoring of dispersion dynamics of CNTs in distilled water is carried out using instantaneous conductivity measurements. Using a computer controlled data acquisition system, the time evolution of the solution conductivity was carefully recorded. The data were then used to evaluate the intensity of turbulent fluctuations, which clearly highlighted the existence of three distinct sonication phases. During the first phase, the conductivity fluctuations initially increased attaining ultimately a maximum, thus indicating the occurrence of large agglomerates of CNTs. During the second phase of sonication, the solution conductivity showed a rather steep increase while fluctuations steadily declined. This phenomenon can be attributed to the breakdown of large CNT agglomerates, resulting in greater dispersion homogeneity of CNTs. During the third phase, after almost 650 kJ/L of sonication energy, the conductivity increase was almost negligible. The fluctuation intensity also remained constant during this phase signifying that the further sonication was no longer required.

  2. Physico-chemical parameters, bioactive compounds and microbial quality of thermo-sonicated carrot juice during storage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez-Flores, Héctor E; Garnica-Romo, Ma Guadalupe; Bermúdez-Aguirre, Daniela; Pokhrel, Prashant Raj; Barbosa-Cánovas, Gustavo V

    2015-04-01

    Thermosonication has been successfully tested in food for microbial inactivation; however, changes in bioactive compounds and shelf-life of treated products have not been thoroughly investigated. Carrot juice was thermo-sonicated (24 kHz, 120 μm amplitude) at 50 °C, 54 °C and 58 °C for 10 min (acoustic power 2204.40, 2155.72, 2181.68 mW/mL, respectively). Quality parameters and microbial growth were evaluated after processing and during storage at 4 °C. Control and sonicated treatments at 50 °C and 54 °C had 10, 12 and 14 d of shelf-life, respectively. Samples sonicated at 58 °C had the best quality; microbial growth remained low at around 3-log for mesophiles, 4.5-log for yeasts and molds and 2-log for enterobacteria after 20 d of storage. Furthermore, thermo-sonicated juice at 58 °C retained >98% of carotenoids and 100% of ascorbic acid. Phenolic compounds increased in all stored, treated juices. Thermo-sonication is therefore a promising technology for preserving the quality of carrot juice by minimising the physicochemical changes during storage, retarding microbial growth and retaining the bioactive compounds. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Using sonic anemometer temperature to measure sensible heat flux in strong winds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. P. Burns

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Sonic anemometers simultaneously measure the turbulent fluctuations of vertical wind (w' and sonic temperature (Ts', and are commonly used to measure sensible heat flux (H. Our study examines 30-min heat fluxes measured with a Campbell Scientific CSAT3 sonic anemometer above a subalpine forest. We compared H calculated with Ts to H calculated with a co-located thermocouple and found that, for horizontal wind speed (U less than 8 m s−1, the agreement was around ±30 W m−2. However, for U ≈ 8 m s−1, the CSAT H had a generally positive deviation from H calculated with the thermocouple, reaching a maximum difference of ≈250 W m−2 at U ≈ 18 m s−1. With version 4 of the CSAT firmware, we found significant underestimation of the speed of sound and thus Ts in high winds (due to a delayed detection of the sonic pulse, which resulted in the large CSAT heat flux errors. Although this Ts error is qualitatively similar to the well-known fundamental correction for the crosswind component, it is quantitatively different and directly related to the firmware estimation of the pulse arrival time. For a CSAT running version 3 of the firmware, there does not appear to be a significant underestimation of Ts; however, a Ts error similar to that of version 4 may occur if the CSAT is sufficiently out of calibration. An empirical correction to the CSAT heat flux that is consistent with our conceptual understanding of the Ts error is presented. Within a broader context, the surface energy balance is used to evaluate the heat flux measurements, and the usefulness of side-by-side instrument comparisons is discussed.

  4. An angle encoder for super-high resolution and super-high accuracy using SelfA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watanabe, Tsukasa; Kon, Masahito; Nabeshima, Nobuo; Taniguchi, Kayoko

    2014-06-01

    Angular measurement technology at high resolution for applications such as in hard disk drive manufacturing machines, precision measurement equipment and aspherical process machines requires a rotary encoder with high accuracy, high resolution and high response speed. However, a rotary encoder has angular deviation factors during operation due to scale error or installation error. It has been assumed to be impossible to achieve accuracy below 0.1″ in angular measurement or control after the installation onto the rotating axis. Self-calibration (Lu and Trumper 2007 CIRP Ann. 56 499; Kim et al 2011 Proc. MacroScale; Probst 2008 Meas. Sci. Technol. 19 015101; Probst et al Meas. Sci. Technol. 9 1059; Tadashi and Makoto 1993 J. Robot. Mechatronics 5 448; Ralf et al 2006 Meas. Sci. Technol. 17 2811) and cross-calibration (Probst et al 1998 Meas. Sci. Technol. 9 1059; Just et al 2009 Precis. Eng. 33 530; Burnashev 2013 Quantum Electron. 43 130) technologies for a rotary encoder have been actively discussed on the basis of the principle of circular closure. This discussion prompted the development of rotary tables which achieve reliable and high accuracy angular verification. We apply these technologies for the development of a rotary encoder not only to meet the requirement of super-high accuracy but also to meet that of super-high resolution. This paper presents the development of an encoder with 221 = 2097 152 resolutions per rotation (360°), that is, corresponding to a 0.62″ signal period, achieved by the combination of a laser rotary encoder supplied by Magnescale Co., Ltd and a self-calibratable encoder (SelfA) supplied by The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science & Technology (AIST). In addition, this paper introduces the development of a rotary encoder to guarantee ±0.03″ accuracy at any point of the interpolated signal, with respect to the encoder at the minimum resolution of 233, that is, corresponding to a 0.0015″ signal period after

  5. Increasing low frequency sound attenuation using compounded single layer of sonic crystal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gulia, Preeti; Gupta, Arpan

    2018-05-01

    Sonic crystals (SC) are man-made periodic structures where sound hard scatterers are arranged in a crystalline manner. SC reduces noise in a particular range of frequencies called as band gap. Sonic crystals have a promising application in noise shielding; however, the application is limited due to the size of structure. Particularly for low frequencies, the structure becomes quite bulky, restricting its practical application. This paper presents a compounded model of SC, which has the same overall area and filling fraction but with increased low frequency sound attenuation. Two cases have been considered, a three layer SC and a compounded single layer SC. Both models have been analyzed using finite element simulation and plane wave expansion method. Band gaps for periodic structures have been obtained using both methods which are in good agreement. Further, sound transmission loss has been evaluated using finite element method. The results demonstrate the use of compounded model of Sonic Crystal for low frequency sound attenuation.

  6. Low frequency sonic waves assisted cloud point extraction of polyhydroxyalkanoate from Cupriavidus necator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murugesan, Sivananth; Iyyaswami, Regupathi

    2017-08-15

    Low frequency sonic waves, less than 10kHz were introduced to assist cloud point extraction of polyhydroxyalkanoate from Cupriavidus necator present within the crude broth. Process parameters including surfactant system variables and sonication parameters were studied for their effect on extraction efficiency. Introduction of low frequency sonic waves assists in the dissolution of microbial cell wall by the surfactant micelles and release of cellular content, polyhydroxyalkanoate granules released were encapsulated by the micelle core which was confirmed by crotonic acid assay. In addition, sonic waves resulted in the separation of homogeneous surfactant and broth mixture into two distinct phases, top aqueous phase and polyhydroxyalkanoate enriched bottom surfactant rich phase. Mixed surfactant systems showed higher extraction efficiency compared to that of individual Triton X-100 concentrations, owing to increase in the hydrophobicity of the micellar core and its interaction with polyhydroxyalkanoate. Addition of salts to the mixed surfactant system induces screening of charged surfactant head groups and reduces inter-micellar repulsion, presence of ammonium ions lead to electrostatic repulsion and weaker cation sodium enhances the formation of micellar network. Addition of polyethylene glycol 8000 resulted in increasing interaction with the surfactant tails of the micelle core there by reducing the purity of polyhydroxyalkanoate. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Auscultation of concrete hydraulic dams by sonic tomography; Auscultation des structures hydrauliques en beton par tomographie sonique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kharrat, Y.; Rhazi, J.; Ballivy, G. [Sherbrooke Univ., PQ (Canada). Dept. de Genie Civil; Cote, P. [Centre de Nantes, Bouguenais (France)

    1995-12-31

    Sonic tomography, a new nondestructive testing method, was described to document the aging and internal degradation of concrete structures. The method is based on the transmission of sonic waves through concrete structures. New tomographic methodology similar to that used in medical or geophysical imaging was applied to existing sonic auscultation techniques used in civil engineering. In the process the speed of propagation of sonic waves in structures is measured with arrays of detectors. Fissures or zones of degradation can be spatially localized and an internal image of the structure can be constructed. Case studies of two hydraulic dams, one from France, the other in Quebec were presented as illustrations. . The theory and experimental procedures involved were described. 16 refs., 1 tab., 12 figs.

  8. Sound absorption enhancement of nonwoven felt by using coupled membrane - sonic crystal inclusion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fitriani, M. C.; Yahya, I.; Harjana; Ubaidillah; Aditya, F.; Siregar, Y.; Moeliono, M.; Sulaksono, S.

    2016-11-01

    The experimental results from laboratory test on the sound absorption performance of nonwoven felt with an array thin tubes and sonic crystal inclusions reported in this paper. The nonwoven felt sample was produced by a local company with 15 mm in its thickness and 900 gsm. The 6.4 mm diameter plastic straw was used to construct the thin tubes array while the sonic crystal is arranged in a 4 × 4 lattice crystal formation. It made from a PVC cylinder with 17 mm and 50 mm in diameter and length respectively. All cylinders have two holes positioned on 10 mm and 25 mm from the base. The results show that both treatments, array of thin tube and sonic crystal inclusions are effectively increased the sound absorption coefficient of the nonwoven felt significantly especially in the low frequency range starting from 200Hz.

  9. Diagnosis of Persistent Infection in Prosthetic Two-Stage Exchange: Evaluation of the Effect of Sonication on Antibiotic Release from Bone Cement Spacers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mariaux, Sandrine; Furustrand Tafin, Ulrika; Borens, Olivier

    2018-01-01

    Introduction : When treating periprosthetic joint infection with a two-stage procedure, antibiotic-impregnated spacers can be used in the interval between prosthetic removal and reimplantation. In our experience, cultures of sonicated spacers are most often negative. The objective of the study was to assess whether that sonication causes an elution of antibiotics, leading to elevated antibiotic concentrations in the sonication fluid inhibiting bacterial growth and thus causing false-negative cultures. Methods : A prospective monocentric study was performed from September 2014 to March 2016. Inclusion criteria were a two-stage procedure for prosthetic infection and agreement of the patient to participate in the study. Spacers were made of gentamicin-containing cement to which tobramycin and vancomycin were added. Antibiotic concentrations in the sonication fluid were determined by mass-spectometry (LC-MS). Results : 30 patients were identified (15 hip and 14 knee and 1 ankle arthroplasties). No cases of culture positive sonicated spacer fluid were observed in our serie. In the sonication fluid median concentrations of 13.2µg/ml, 392 µg/ml and 16.6 µg/ml were detected for vancomycin, tobramycin and gentamicin, respectively. According to the European Committee on antimicrobial susceptibility testing (EUCAST), these concentrations released from cement spacer during sonication are higher than the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for most bacteria relevant in prosthetic joint infections. Conclusion: Spacer sonication cultures remained sterile in all of our cases. Elevated concentrations of antibiotics released during sonication could explain partly negative-cultured sonicated spacers. Indeed, the absence of antibiotic free interval during the two-stages can also contribute to false-negative spacers sonicated cultures.

  10. Theory of elementary excitations in unstable Bose-Einstein condensates and the instability of sonic horizons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leonhardt, U.; Kiss, T.; Oehberg, P.

    2003-01-01

    Like classical fluids, quantum gases may suffer from hydrodynamic instabilities. Our paper develops a quantum version of the classical stability analysis in fluids, the Bogoliubov theory of elementary excitations in unstable Bose-Einstein condensates. In unstable condensates the excitation modes have complex frequencies. We derive the normalization conditions for unstable modes such that they can serve in a mode decomposition of the noncondensed component. Furthermore, we develop approximative techniques to determine the spectrum and the mode functions. Finally, we apply our theory to sonic horizons - sonic black and white holes. For sonic white holes the spectrum of unstable modes turns out to be intrinsically discrete, whereas black holes may be stable

  11. Antibacterial Efficacy of Calcium Hypochlorite with Vibringe Sonic Irrigation System on Enterococcus faecalis: An In Vitro Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dumani, Aysin; Guvenmez, Hatice Korkmaz; Yilmaz, Sehnaz; Yoldas, Oguz; Kurklu, Zeliha Gonca Bek

    2016-01-01

    Aim. The purpose of this study was to compare the in vitro efficacy of calcium hypochlorite (Ca[OCl]2) and sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) associated with sonic (Vibringe) irrigation system in root canals which were contaminated with Enterococcus faecalis. Material and Methods. The root canals of 84 single-rooted premolars were enlarged up to a file 40, autoclaved, inoculated with Enterococcus faecalis, and incubated for 21 days. The samples were divided into 7 groups according to the irrigation protocol: G0: no treatment; G1: distilled water; G2: 2.5% NaOCl; G3: 2.5% Ca(OCl)2; G4: distilled water with sonic activation; G5: 2.5% NaOCl with sonic activation; and G6: 2.5% Ca(OCl)2 with sonic activation. Before and after decontamination procedures microbiological samples were collected and the colony-forming units were counted and the percentages of reduction were calculated. Results. Distilled water with syringe irrigation and sonic activation groups demonstrated poor antibacterial effect on Enterococcus faecalis compared to other experimental groups (p irrigation systems with Ca(OCl)2 and NaOCl. Conclusion. The antimicrobial property of Ca(OCl)2 has been investigated and compared with that of NaOCl. Both conventional syringe irrigation and sonic irrigation were found effective at removing E. faecalis from the root canal of extracted human teeth. PMID:27218106

  12. Computer method to detect and correct cycle skipping on sonic logs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muller, D.C.

    1985-01-01

    A simple but effective computer method has been developed to detect cycle skipping on sonic logs and to replace cycle skips with estimates of correct traveltimes. The method can be used to correct observed traveltime pairs from the transmitter to both receivers. The basis of the method is the linearity of a plot of theoretical traveltime from the transmitter to the first receiver versus theoretical traveltime from the transmitter to the second receiver. Theoretical traveltime pairs are calculated assuming that the sonic logging tool is centered in the borehole, that the borehole diameter is constant, that the borehole fluid velocity is constant, and that the formation is homogeneous. The plot is linear for the full range of possible formation-rock velocity. Plots of observed traveltime pairs from a sonic logging tool are also linear but have a large degree of scatter due to borehole rugosity, sharp boundaries exhibiting large velocity contrasts, and system measurement uncertainties. However, this scatter can be reduced to a level that is less than scatter due to cycle skipping, so that cycle skips may be detected and discarded or replaced with estimated values of traveltime. Advantages of the method are that it can be applied in real time, that it can be used with data collected by existing tools, that it only affects data that exhibit cycle skipping and leaves other data unchanged, and that a correction trace can be generated which shows where cycle skipping occurs and the amount of correction applied. The method has been successfully tested on sonic log data taken in two holes drilled at the Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada

  13. A Phase-Locked Loop Continuous Wave Sonic Anemometer-Thermometer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Søren Ejling; Weller, F. W.; Busings, J. A.

    1979-01-01

    A continuous wake sonic anemometer-thermometer has been developed for simultaneous measurements of vertical velocity and temperature. The phase angle fluctuations are detected by means of a monolithic integrated phase-locked loop, the latter feature providing for inexpensive and accurate...

  14. Multiple refraction switches realized by stretching elastomeric scatterers in sonic crystals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. Huang

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available The effect of out-of-plane pre-stretch on the 2D sonic crystal with stretchable elastomeric scatterers is explored. The hyperelastic scatterers are characterized by a compressible neo-Hookean model. The Dirichlet-to-Neumann (DtN map is adopted to obtain the band structure and equi-frequency contours. We focus on the first passband and find that a variety of switching functionalities for refraction behaviors can be realized in selected frequencies under a specific pre-stretch range. These refraction switches enable an active control of wave propagation and are applicable in advanced technologies where switchable and multifunctional sonic crystals are required.

  15. Sonic Virtuality, Environment, and Presence

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grimshaw, Mark

    2018-01-01

    The article presents a brief introduction to the concept of sonic virtuality, a view of sound as a multi-modal, emergent perception that provides a framework that has since been used to provide an explanation of the formation of environments. Additionally, the article uses such concepts to explain...... the phenomenon of presence, not only in virtual worlds but also in actual worlds. The view put forward is that environment is an emergent perception, formed from the hypothetical modelling of salient worlds of sensory things, and it is in the environment that we feel present. The article ends with some thoughts...

  16. Effects of thermal treatment and sonication on quality attributes of Chokanan mango (Mangifera indica L.) juice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santhirasegaram, Vicknesha; Razali, Zuliana; Somasundram, Chandran

    2013-09-01

    Ultrasonic treatment is an emerging food processing technology that has growing interest among health-conscious consumers. Freshly squeezed Chokanan mango juice was thermally treated (at 90 °C for 30 and 60s) and sonicated (for 15, 30 and 60 min at 25 °C, 40 kHz frequency, 130 W) to compare the effect on microbial inactivation, physicochemical properties, antioxidant activities and other quality parameters. After sonication and thermal treatment, no significant changes occurred in pH, total soluble solids and titratable acidity. Sonication for 15 and 30 min showed significant improvement in selected quality parameters except color and ascorbic acid content, when compared to freshly squeezed juice (control). A significant increase in extractability of carotenoids (4-9%) and polyphenols (30-35%) was observed for juice subjected to ultrasonic treatment for 15 and 30 min, when compared to the control. In addition, enhancement of radical scavenging activity and reducing power was observed in all sonicated juice samples regardless of treatment time. Thermal and ultrasonic treatment exhibited significant reduction in microbial count of the juice. The results obtained support the use of sonication to improve the quality of Chokanan mango juice along with safety standard as an alternative to thermal treatment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Optimization of phycocyanin extraction from microalgae Spirulina platensis by sonication as antioxidant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dianursanti, Indraputri, Claudia Maya; Taurina, Zarahmaida

    2018-02-01

    Cardiovascular disease is known as an epidemic disease which has high casualty in the world. One of its trigger factors is the amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) inside the body. In order to regulate its amount, antioxidant ingestion is compulsory. Microalgae can be adopted as a source of antioxidant. Spirulina platensis is one of the consistently produced microalgae. It contains phycocyanin, a blue pigment, which is known as a nutritious food agent. Phycocyanin could be assumed as an antioxidant and has been clinically validated both in vitro and in vivo. This research is proposed to determine the optimum extraction time. The experiment was conducted by sonication at 37 kHz using phosphate buffer as the solvent. The result exhibited that increasing the sonication time would increase the yield until it achieved the optimum yield. Based on the experiment, the optimum extraction time was 25 minutes with yield of 8.25 mg/g dry biomass and purity of 0.6. It can be summarized that extraction time also affected the extraction efficiency and its antioxidant activity. This paper shows a prospect on future development in cultivating micro flora in Indonesia, particularly in Depok.

  18. An angle encoder for super-high resolution and super-high accuracy using SelfA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watanabe, Tsukasa; Kon, Masahito; Nabeshima, Nobuo; Taniguchi, Kayoko

    2014-01-01

    Angular measurement technology at high resolution for applications such as in hard disk drive manufacturing machines, precision measurement equipment and aspherical process machines requires a rotary encoder with high accuracy, high resolution and high response speed. However, a rotary encoder has angular deviation factors during operation due to scale error or installation error. It has been assumed to be impossible to achieve accuracy below 0.1″ in angular measurement or control after the installation onto the rotating axis. Self-calibration (Lu and Trumper 2007 CIRP Ann. 56 499; Kim et al 2011 Proc. MacroScale; Probst 2008 Meas. Sci. Technol. 19 015101; Probst et al Meas. Sci. Technol. 9 1059; Tadashi and Makoto 1993 J. Robot. Mechatronics 5 448; Ralf et al 2006 Meas. Sci. Technol. 17 2811) and cross-calibration (Probst et al 1998 Meas. Sci. Technol. 9 1059; Just et al 2009 Precis. Eng. 33 530; Burnashev 2013 Quantum Electron. 43 130) technologies for a rotary encoder have been actively discussed on the basis of the principle of circular closure. This discussion prompted the development of rotary tables which achieve reliable and high accuracy angular verification. We apply these technologies for the development of a rotary encoder not only to meet the requirement of super-high accuracy but also to meet that of super-high resolution. This paper presents the development of an encoder with 2 21 = 2097 152 resolutions per rotation (360°), that is, corresponding to a 0.62″ signal period, achieved by the combination of a laser rotary encoder supplied by Magnescale Co., Ltd and a self-calibratable encoder (SelfA) supplied by The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). In addition, this paper introduces the development of a rotary encoder to guarantee ±0.03″ accuracy at any point of the interpolated signal, with respect to the encoder at the minimum resolution of 2 33 , that is, corresponding to a 0.0015″ signal period

  19. Pilot Test of a Novel Method for Assessing Community Response to Low-Amplitude Sonic Booms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fidell, Sanford; Horonjeff, Richard D.; Harris, Michael

    2012-01-01

    A pilot test of a novel method for assessing residents annoyance to sonic booms was performed. During a two-week period, residents of the base housing area at Edwards Air Force Base provided data on their reactions to sonic booms using Smartphone-based interviews. Noise measurements were conducted at the same time. The report presents information about data collection methods and about test participants reactions to low-amplitude sonic booms. The latter information should not be viewed as definitive for several reasons. It may not be reliably generalized to the wider U.S. residential population (because it was not derived from a representative random sample) and the sample itself was not large.

  20. Diagnosis Of Persistent Infection In Prosthetic Two-Stage Exchange: PCR analysis of Sonication fluid From Bone Cement Spacers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mariaux, Sandrine; Tafin, Ulrika Furustrand; Borens, Olivier

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: When treating periprosthetic joint infections with a two-stage procedure, antibiotic-impregnated spacers are used in the interval between removal of prosthesis and reimplantation. According to our experience, cultures of sonicated spacers are most often negative. The objective of our study was to investigate whether PCR analysis would improve the detection of bacteria in the spacer sonication fluid. Methods: A prospective monocentric study was performed from September 2014 to January 2016. Inclusion criteria were two-stage procedure for prosthetic infection and agreement of the patient to participate in the study. Beside tissues samples and sonication, broad range bacterial PCRs, specific S. aureus PCRs and Unyvero-multiplex PCRs were performed on the sonicated spacer fluid. Results: 30 patients were identified (15 hip, 14 knee and 1 ankle replacements). At reimplantation, cultures of tissue samples and spacer sonication fluid were all negative. Broad range PCRs were all negative. Specific S. aureus PCRs were positive in 5 cases. We had two persistent infections and four cases of infection recurrence were observed, with bacteria different than for the initial infection in three cases. Conclusion: The three different types of PCRs did not detect any bacteria in spacer sonication fluid that was culture-negative. In our study, PCR did not improve the bacterial detection and did not help to predict whether the patient will present a persistent or recurrent infection. Prosthetic 2-stage exchange with short interval and antibiotic-impregnated spacer is an efficient treatment to eradicate infection as both culture- and molecular-based methods were unable to detect bacteria in spacer sonication fluid after reimplantation.

  1. Passenger Spaceplanes and Airplanes that Have Variable Configuration for Sonic Boom Reduction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Constantin SANDU

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available In the last time, the interest for passenger space plane, supersonic passenger aircraft and supersonic business jets is increasing. For reducing sonic boom effects at ground level, some companies proposed airplanes having fuselage with small traversal section or having curved fuselage. This paper presents a new practical method for exciting vibrations in the leading edge of wing, tail and airplane's nose surfaces in order to scatter the shock wave and to reduce the sonic boom impact at ground level. The leading edges of wing, tail and airplane nose are covered with thin elastic fairings made of carbon fiber composite material which are separated through small gaps by the adjacent surfaces of wing, tail and nose. When the aircraft flies over populated areas, compressed air bleed from the engine compressors excites the vibration of carbon fiber fairings. The air is released through calibrated nozzles and directly impinges on the fairing surface generating their vibration. Thus, the shock waves are scattered and the impact of sonic boom on ground is much reduced.

  2. The Binding Mode of the Sonic Hedgehog Inhibitor Robotnikinin, a Combined Docking and QM/MM MD Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuel Hitzenberger

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Erroneous activation of the Hedgehog pathway has been linked to a great amount of cancerous diseases and therefore a large number of studies aiming at its inhibition have been carried out. One leverage point for novel therapeutic strategies targeting the proteins involved, is the prevention of complex formation between the extracellular signaling protein Sonic Hedgehog and the transmembrane protein Patched 1. In 2009 robotnikinin, a small molecule capable of binding to and inhibiting the activity of Sonic Hedgehog has been identified, however in the absence of X-ray structures of the Sonic Hedgehog-robotnikinin complex, the binding mode of this inhibitor remains unknown. In order to aid with the identification of novel Sonic Hedgehog inhibitors, the presented investigation elucidates the binding mode of robotnikinin by performing an extensive docking study, including subsequent molecular mechanical as well as quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical molecular dynamics simulations. The attained configurations enabled the identification of a number of key protein-ligand interactions, aiding complex formation and providing stabilizing contributions to the binding of the ligand. The predicted structure of the Sonic Hedgehog-robotnikinin complex is provided via a PDB file as Supplementary Material and can be used for further reference.

  3. Fast and High Accuracy Wire Scanner

    CERN Document Server

    Koujili, M; Koopman, J; Ramos, D; Sapinski, M; De Freitas, J; Ait Amira, Y; Djerdir, A

    2009-01-01

    Scanning of a high intensity particle beam imposes challenging requirements on a Wire Scanner system. It is expected to reach a scanning speed of 20 m.s-1 with a position accuracy of the order of 1 μm. In addition a timing accuracy better than 1 millisecond is needed. The adopted solution consists of a fork holding a wire rotating by a maximum of 200°. Fork, rotor and angular position sensor are mounted on the same axis and located in a chamber connected to the beam vacuum. The requirements imply the design of a system with extremely low vibration, vacuum compatibility, radiation and temperature tolerance. The adopted solution consists of a rotary brushless synchronous motor with the permanent magnet rotor installed inside of the vacuum chamber and the stator installed outside. The accurate position sensor will be mounted on the rotary shaft inside of the vacuum chamber, has to resist a bake-out temperature of 200°C and ionizing radiation up to a dozen of kGy/year. A digital feedback controller allows maxi...

  4. Inversion of Supramolecular Chirality by Sonication-Induced Organogelation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maity, Sibaprasad; Das, Priyadip; Reches, Meital

    2015-01-01

    Natural helical structures have inspired the formation of well-ordered peptide-based chiral nanostructures in vitro. These structures have drawn much attention owing to their diverse applications in the area of asymmetric catalysts, chiral photonic materials, and nanoplasmonics. The self-assembly of two enantiomeric fluorinated aromatic dipeptides into ordered chiral fibrillar nanostructures upon sonication is described. These fibrils form organogels. Our results clearly indicate that fluorine-fluorine interactions play an important role in self-assembly. Circular dichroism analysis revealed that both peptides (peptides 1 and 2), containing two fluorines, depicted opposite cotton effects in their monomeric form compared with their aggregated form. This shows that supramolecular chirality inversion took place during the stimuli-responsive self-aggregation process. Conversely, peptide 3, containing one fluorine, did not exhibit chirality inversion in sonication-induced organogelation. Therefore, our results clearly indicate that fluorination plays an important role in the organogelation process of these aromatic dipeptides. Our findings may have broad implications regarding the design of chiral nanostructures for possible applications such as chiroptical switches, asymmetric catalysis, and chiral recognitions. PMID:26553508

  5. Bacterial recovery using sonication versus swabbing of titanium and stainless steel implants inoculated with Staphylococcus pseudintermedius or Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keeshen, Thomas; Case, J Brad; Wellehan, James F; Dujowich, Mauricio

    2017-09-12

    To evaluate the use of sonication to improve recovery of bacteria from metal discs infected with bacteria commonly associated with implant infections in veterinary medicine. In vitro study in which sterile titanium (Ti6Al4V) and stainless steel (AIS1316-L) discs were incubated with either Staphylococcus pseudintermedius or Pseudomonas aeruginosa for 24 hours. The following three groups were compared: 1) the sonication group involved immersing the discs in sterile saline and sonicating for five minutes; 2) the sham group was considered a negative control in which the discs were immersed in saline for five minutes without sonication; and 3) the swab group involved systematically swabbing the implant with a sterile culturette. All samples were plated on blood agar and incubated for 24 hours. Colonies were then counted and compared. For both species of bacteria, there was a significant increase in bacterial colonies isolated using sonication compared to the other two study groups (p = 0.0001). No differences in bacterial growth were found between the two types of metal implants. There was a significant increase in bacterial colony counts for S. pseudintermedius when comparing the swab group versus the sham group, but this was not significant for P. aeruginosa. Sonication significantly improves recovery of bacteria commonly associated with veterinary implant-associated surgical site infections compared to swabbing of implants in vitro. A prospective clinical evaluation is indicated to determine the in vivo efficacy of sonication in veterinary patients.

  6. Sonic Fiction as the Mapping of Difference

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holmboe, Rasmus; Stricker, Jan Høgh

    2015-01-01

    The here proposed audio paper/audio lecture performance is an iteration of a site-specific participatory performance piece by Danish artist, composer and musician, Andreas Führer. The piece, which has the title THE MAP IS NOT THE TERRITORY D’OR, is a scored sound walk, which shows a map designati......) as a discussion and contextualisation of sonic materialist (Cox, 2011) and signifying representationalist (Kim-Cohen, 2009) positions....

  7. Flow tilt angles near forest edges - Part 1: Sonic anemometry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dellwik, Ebba; Mann, Jakob; Larsen, Klaus Steenberg

    2010-01-01

    distortion and vertical alignment, it was only possible to a limited extent to relate sonic anemometer flow tilt angles to upwind forest edges, but the results by the lidar indicated that an internal boundary layer affect flow tilt angles at 21m above the forest. This is in accordance with earlier studies......-flow angles were assumed for neutral flow, the data was interpreted in relation to upstream and downstream forest edges. Uncertainties caused by flow distortion, vertical misalignment and limited sampling time (statistical uncertainty) were evaluated and found to be highly significant. Since the attack angle...... balance, unless all terms in the carbon dioxide conservation equation can be precisely estimated....

  8. Sonic branding: a framework for understanding sound branding and an overview of its most noticeable practices across industries

    OpenAIRE

    Bollue, Sebastien

    2015-01-01

    This thesis presents the importance and relevance of sound in branding, as very few studies on sonic branding have been conducted so far. The aim of this thesis is to lay out a framework for understanding sonic branding as a phenomenon and for getting an overview of the most notable practices of sonic branding across various industries. The study is commissioned by the advertising agency Wondergarden for who a workshop was also created. Additionally this thesis hopefully can inspire other...

  9. Mathematical modeling and optimization of sonication remediation of soil polluted with 2-methylpropane-2-thiol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    pejman roohi

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Existence of 2-methylpropane-2-thiol as an organosulfur and odorant compound in the soil could causes environmental problem and social dissatisfaction. In this study, remediation of this type of thiol using ultrasound is investigated. Central Composite Design (CCD based on Response Surface Model (RSM was used to obtain effects of the main factor (Power, sonication time and amount of water and their interactions. Analysis of variance and Pareto analysis shows that all main factors are effective (the percentage effects of 43.30%, 30.35% and 9.62% on removal efficiency for power, sonication time and amount of water respectively. Moreover, interaction between water content and power, and sonication time and power are effective interaction (with P-values of 0.025 and 0.007 respectively. Base on experiment results and analysis of variance effects of the daylight is not significant (P-value=0.825. P-value of lack of fit (0.176 suggested model assessed as a good model and adequately fits data. Highest levels of power and sonication time (86 watt and 38 minute respectively and water content in lower level (27 ml in studied interval lead to maximum removal efficiency (82.83%.

  10. Attenuation of hedgehog acyltransferase-catalyzed sonic Hedgehog palmitoylation causes reduced signaling, proliferation and invasiveness of human carcinoma cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Konitsiotis, Antonios D; Chang, Shu-Chun; Jovanović, Biljana

    2014-01-01

    ) cell line PANC-1 and transfected HEK293a cells Hhat localized to the endoplasmic reticulum. siRNA knockdown showed that Hhat is required for Sonic hedgehog (Shh) palmitoylation, for its assembly into high molecular weight extracellular complexes and for functional activity. Hhat knockdown inhibited Hh...

  11. Quantification of Net Erosion and Uplift Experienced by the Barmer Basin, Rajasthan Using Sonic Log

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitra, K.; Schulz, S.; Sarkar, A.

    2015-12-01

    Barmer Basin of Rajasthan, Western India is a hydrocarbon rich sedimentary basin currently being explored by Cairn India Limited. The hydrocarbon bearing Fatehgarh Formation is being found at different depths in different oil fields (e.g. From south to north: Guda, Vijaya & Vandana, Air field High) of the basin. The net uplift and erosion in the Barmer Basin has been quantified using compaction methodology. The sonic log, which is strongly controlled by porosity, is an appropriate indicator of compaction, and hence used for quantification of net uplift and erosion from compaction. The compaction methodology has been applied to the shale rich Dharvi Dungar Formation of Barmer Basin of Late Paleocene age. The net uplift and erosion is also being checked with the help of AFTA-VR and seismic sections. The results show relatively no uplift in the southernmost part of the basin and a Guda field well is thus taken to be the reference well with respect to which the uplifts in different parts of the basin have been calculated. The northern part of the basin i.e. Air Field High wells experienced maximum uplift (~2150m). Interestingly, a few wells further south of the reference well show evidence for uplift. The study was able to point out errors in the report produced with the help of AFTA-VR which found out less uplift in Vijaya & Vandana oil fields as opposed to sonic log data. The process of finding out uplift using sonic log has a standard deviation of 200m as compared to about 500m error in AFTA-VR method. This study has major implications for hydrocarbon exploration. Maturation of source rock will be higher for any given geothermal history if net uplift and erosion is incorporated in maturation modeling. They can also be used for porosity predictions of reservoir units in undrilled targets.

  12. Six propositions on the sonics of pornography

    OpenAIRE

    Mowlabocus, Sharif; Medhurst, Andy

    2017-01-01

    Pornography (and all its contentious pleasures, contested politics and attendant problematics) is enjoying a fresh wave of academic attention. The overwhelming majority of these studies, however, focus on the visual discourses of sexually explicit material. This risks the sonic dimensions of pornography being overlooked entirely. Yet porn is anything but silent. This speculative article maps out some of the ways in which the sounds of pornography (and the pornography of sound) might be approa...

  13. High-accuracy measurements of the normal specular reflectance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Voarino, Philippe; Piombini, Herve; Sabary, Frederic; Marteau, Daniel; Dubard, Jimmy; Hameury, Jacques; Filtz, Jean Remy

    2008-01-01

    The French Laser Megajoule (LMJ) is designed and constructed by the French Commissariata l'Energie Atomique (CEA). Its amplifying section needs highly reflective multilayer mirrors for the flash lamps. To monitor and improve the coating process, the reflectors have to be characterized to high accuracy. The described spectrophotometer is designed to measure normal specular reflectance with high repeatability by using a small spot size of 100 μm. Results are compared with ellipsometric measurements. The instrument can also perform spatial characterization to detect coating nonuniformity

  14. Sonication reduces the attachment of Salmonella Typhimurium ATCC 14028 cells to bacterial cellulose-based plant cell wall models and cut plant material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Michelle S F; Rahman, Sadequr; Dykes, Gary A

    2017-04-01

    This study investigated the removal of bacterial surface structures, particularly flagella, using sonication, and examined its effect on the attachment of Salmonella Typhimurium ATCC 14028 cells to plant cell walls. S. Typhimurium ATCC 14028 cells were subjected to sonication at 20 kHz to remove surface structures without affecting cell viability. Effective removal of flagella was determined by staining flagella of sonicated cells with Ryu's stain and enumerating the flagella remaining by direct microscopic counting. The attachment of sonicated S. Typhimurium cells to bacterial cellulose-based plant cell wall models and cut plant material (potato, apple, lettuce) was then evaluated. Varying concentrations of pectin and/or xyloglucan were used to produce a range of bacterial cellulose-based plant cell wall models. As compared to the non-sonicated controls, sonicated S. Typhimurium cells attached in significantly lower numbers (between 0.5 and 1.0 log CFU/cm 2 ) to all surfaces except to the bacterial cellulose-only composite without pectin and xyloglucan. Since attachment of S. Typhimurium to the bacterial cellulose-only composite was not affected by sonication, this suggests that bacterial surface structures, particularly flagella, could have specific interactions with pectin and xyloglucan. This study indicates that sonication may have potential applications for reducing Salmonella attachment during the processing of fresh produce. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. I cristalli sonici come barriere antirumore - Sonic crystals as tunable noise barriers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Federica Morandi

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Il presente contributo riporta un'introduzione al tema della propagazione del suono nei cristalli sonici e un excursus sulla letteratura scientifica più recente. Si discutono i risultati di alcune indagini sperimentali condotte presso l’Università di Bologna inerenti misure di Insertion Loss, misure effettuate all’interno del reticolo e misure di intensimetria. Infine i valori di Sound Insulation misurati per un cristallo sonico sono confrontati con valori misurati su barriere tradizionali, evidenziando come il cristallo sonico permetta di raggiungere un isolamento confrontabile con il valore soglia di Insertion Loss raggiungibile a causa della diffrazione del bordo superiore della barriera. ------ This work reports an introduction to the topic of wave propagation in sonic crystals and a review of the recent scientific literature. The paper presents the results of some experimental investigations carried out at the University of Bologna by discussing Insertion Loss measurements, measurements performed inside the lattice and sound intensity measurements. Finally, the Sound Insulation Index measured for a sonic crystal is compared to the values measured for common noise barriers, pointing out that sonic crystals reach insulation values comparable to the maximum Insertion Loss achievable due to the top edge diffraction.

  16. Methodology on quantification of sonication duration for safe application of MR guided focused ultrasound for liver tumour ablation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mihcin, Senay; Karakitsios, Ioannis; Le, Nhan; Strehlow, Jan; Demedts, Daniel; Schwenke, Michael; Haase, Sabrina; Preusser, Tobias; Melzer, Andreas

    2017-12-01

    Magnetic Resonance Guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) for liver tumour ablation is a challenging task due to motion caused by breathing and occlusion due the ribcage between the transducer and the tumour. To overcome these challenges, a novel system for liver tumour ablation during free breathing has been designed. The novel TRANS-FUSIMO Treatment System (TTS, EUFP7) interacts with a Magnetic Resonance (MR) scanner and a focused ultrasound transducer to sonicate to a moving target in liver. To meet the requirements of ISO 13485; a quality management system for medical device design, the system needs to be tested for certain process parameters. The duration of sonication and, the delay after the sonication button is activated, are among the parameters that need to be quantified for efficient and safe ablation of tumour tissue. A novel methodology is developed to quantify these process parameters. A computerised scope is programmed in LabVIEW to collect data via hydrophone; where the coordinates of fiber-optic sensor assembly was fed into the TRANS-FUSIMO treatment software via Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to sonicate to the tip of the sensor, which is synchronised with the clock of the scope, embedded in a degassed water tank via sensor assembly holder. The sonications were executed for 50 W, 100 W, 150 W for 10 s to quantify the actual sonication duration and the delay after the emergency stop by two independent operators for thirty times. The deviation of the system from the predefined specs was calculated. Student's-T test was used to investigate the user dependency. The duration of sonication and the delay after the sonication were quantified successfully with the developed method. TTS can sonicate with a maximum deviation of 0.16 s (Std 0.32) from the planned duration and with a delay of 14 ms (Std 0.14) for the emergency stop. Student's T tests indicate that the results do not depend on operators (p > .05). The evidence obtained via this

  17. Acoustic pressure in cavity of variously sized two-dimensional sonic crystals with various filling fractions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Liangyu; Chen Lienwen; Liu Chiaming

    2009-01-01

    This study theoretically and experimentally investigates the acoustic pressure in the cavity of a 2D sonic crystal. Such crystals are composed of polymethyl methacrylate cylinders with a square array embedded in air background. The plane wave expansion method and the supercell calculation are employed to calculate the band structure and obtain the defect band. The finite element method is adopted to simulate the pressure field in the sonic crystal and calculate the pressure in the middle of the cavity as a function of frequency. The effects of sizes and filling fractions are investigated, and the quality factor of the cavity is discussed. The measured spectra and pressures in the defect of the sonic crystal demonstrate that the acoustic waves can be localized in the defect at the resonant frequency

  18. Turbulence fluxes and variances measured with a sonic anemometer mounted on a tethered balloon

    OpenAIRE

    Canut, Guylaine; Couvreux, Fleur; Lothon, Marie; Legain, Dominique; Piguet, Bruno; Lampert, Astrid; Maurel, William; Moulin, Eric

    2016-01-01

    This study presents the first deployment in field campaigns of a balloon-borne turbulence probe, developed with a sonic anemometer and an inertial motion sensor suspended below a tethered balloon. This system measures temperature and horizontal and vertical wind at high frequency and allows the estimation of heat and momentum fluxes as well as turbulent kinetic energy in the lower part of the boundary layer. The system was validated during three field experiments with differ...

  19. Atmospheric stability and turbulence fluxes at Horns Rev—an intercomparison of sonic, bulk and WRF model data

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pena Diaz, Alfredo; Hahmann, Andrea N.

    2012-01-01

    anemometer at 15 m height and potential temperature differences between the water and the air above. Surface flux estimations from the advanced weather research and forecast (WRF) model are also validated against the sonic and bulk data. The correlation between the sonic and bulk estimates of friction...... to the surface, not only from a systematic bulk and WRF under‐prediction of the friction velocity when compared with the sonic value but also because of the lower magnitude of the sonic heat flux compared with that from the WRF simulations. Although they are not measured but parameterized or estimated, the bulk......–WRF comparisons of friction velocity and 10 m wind speed show good agreement. It is also shown that on a long‐term basis, the WRF and bulk estimates of stability are nearly equal and that a correction towards a slightly stable atmospheric condition has to be applied to the long‐term wind profile at Horns Rev...

  20. A high accuracy land use/cover retrieval system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alaa Hefnawy

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available The effects of spatial resolution on the accuracy of mapping land use/cover types have received increasing attention as a large number of multi-scale earth observation data become available. Although many methods of semi automated image classification of remotely sensed data have been established for improving the accuracy of land use/cover classification during the past 40 years, most of them were employed in single-resolution image classification, which led to unsatisfactory results. In this paper, we propose a multi-resolution fast adaptive content-based retrieval system of satellite images. Through our proposed system, we apply a Super Resolution technique for the Landsat-TM images to have a high resolution dataset. The human–computer interactive system is based on modified radial basis function for retrieval of satellite database images. We apply the backpropagation supervised artificial neural network classifier for both the multi and single resolution datasets. The results show significant improved land use/cover classification accuracy for the multi-resolution approach compared with those from single-resolution approach.

  1. High accuracy satellite drag model (HASDM)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Storz, Mark F.; Bowman, Bruce R.; Branson, Major James I.; Casali, Stephen J.; Tobiska, W. Kent

    The dominant error source in force models used to predict low-perigee satellite trajectories is atmospheric drag. Errors in operational thermospheric density models cause significant errors in predicted satellite positions, since these models do not account for dynamic changes in atmospheric drag for orbit predictions. The Air Force Space Battlelab's High Accuracy Satellite Drag Model (HASDM) estimates and predicts (out three days) a dynamically varying global density field. HASDM includes the Dynamic Calibration Atmosphere (DCA) algorithm that solves for the phases and amplitudes of the diurnal and semidiurnal variations of thermospheric density near real-time from the observed drag effects on a set of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) calibration satellites. The density correction is expressed as a function of latitude, local solar time and altitude. In HASDM, a time series prediction filter relates the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) energy index E10.7 and the geomagnetic storm index ap, to the DCA density correction parameters. The E10.7 index is generated by the SOLAR2000 model, the first full spectrum model of solar irradiance. The estimated and predicted density fields will be used operationally to significantly improve the accuracy of predicted trajectories for all low-perigee satellites.

  2. Assessment of extrusion-sonication process on flame retardant polypropylene by rheological characterization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guadalupe Sanchez-Olivares

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available In this work, the rheological behavior of flame retardant polypropylene composites produced by two methods: 1 twin-screw extrusion and 2 ultrasound application combined with a static mixer die single-screw extrusion is analyzed in detail; results are related to the morphology of the composites. The flame retardant polymer composites are composed of a polypropylene matrix, an intumescent flame retardant system and functionalized clay. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the combination of the static mixer die and on-line sonication reduced particle size and improved the dispersion and distribution of the intumescent additives in the polypropylene matrix at the micrometric level. From linear viscoelastic properties, the Han, Cole-Cole and van Gurp-Palmen diagrams characterized the improved particle dispersion of the flame retardant additives. Two well-defined rheological behaviors were observed in these diagrams. These behaviors are independent on clay presence and concentration. In fact, the ultrasound device generates a 3D highly interconnected structure similar to a co-continuous pattern observed in polymer blends as evidenced by rheological measurements. This improvement in the dispersion and distribution of the additives is attributed to the combined effect of the static mixer die and on-line sonication that allowed reducing the additive content while achieving the optimum classification UL94-V0.

  3. Generation of toxic degradation products by sonication of Pluronic® dispersants: implications for nanotoxicity testing

    OpenAIRE

    Wang, Ruhung; Hughes, Tyler; Beck, Simon; Vakil, Samee; Li, Synyoung; Pantano, Paul; Draper, Rockford K.

    2012-01-01

    Poloxamers (known by the trade name Pluronic®) are triblock copolymer surfactants that contain two polyethylene glycol blocks and one polypropylene glycol block of various sizes. Poloxamers are widely used as nanoparticle dispersants for nanotoxicity studies wherein nanoparticles are sonicated with a dispersant to prepare suspensions. It is known that poloxamers can be degraded during sonication and that reactive oxygen species contribute to the degradation process. However, the possibility t...

  4. Ultrasound sonication with microbubbles disrupts blood vessels and enhances tumor treatments of anticancer nanodrug

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lin CY

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Chung-Yin Lin1*, Hsiao-Ching Tseng1*, Heng-Ruei Shiu1, Ming-Fang Wu2, Cheng-Ying Chou3, Win-Li Lin1,41Institute of Biomedical Engineering, 2Laboratory Animal Center, 3Department of Bio-Industrial Mechatronics Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; 4Division of Medical Engineering Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan*These authors contributed equally to this workAbstract: Ultrasound (US sonication with microbubbles (MBs has the potential to disrupt blood vessels and enhance the delivery of drugs into the sonicated tissues. In this study, mouse ear tumors were employed to investigate the therapeutic effects of US, MBs, and pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD on tumors. Tumors started to receive treatments when they grew up to about 15 mm3 (early stage with injection of PLD 10 mg/kg, or up to 50 mm3 (medium stage with PLD 6 (or 4 mg/kg. Experiments included the control, PLD alone, PLD + MBs + US, US alone, and MBs + US groups. The procedure for the PLD + MBs + US group was that PLD was injected first, MB (SonoVue injection followed, and then US was immediately sonicated on the tumor. The results showed that: (1 US sonication with MBs was always able to produce a further hindrance to tumor growth for both early and medium-stage tumors; (2 for the medium-stage tumors, 6 mg/kg PLD alone was able to inhibit their growth, while it did not work for 4 mg/kg PLD alone; (3 with the application of MBs + US, 4 mg/kg PLD was able to inhibit the growth of medium-stage tumors; (4 for early stage tumors after the first treatment with a high dose of PLD alone (10 mg/kg, the tumor size still increased for several days and then decreased (a biphasic pattern; (5 MBs + US alone was able to hinder the growth of early stage tumors, but unable to hinder that of medium stage tumors. The results of histological examinations and blood perfusion measurements indicated that the application of MBs + US disrupts the tumor blood

  5. A New Three-Dimensional High-Accuracy Automatic Alignment System For Single-Mode Fibers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yun-jiang, Rao; Shang-lian, Huang; Ping, Li; Yu-mei, Wen; Jun, Tang

    1990-02-01

    In order to achieve the low-loss splices of single-mode fibers, a new three-dimension high-accuracy automatic alignment system for single -mode fibers has been developed, which includes a new-type three-dimension high-resolution microdisplacement servo stage driven by piezoelectric elements, a new high-accuracy measurement system for the misalignment error of the fiber core-axis, and a special single chip microcomputer processing system. The experimental results show that alignment accuracy of ±0.1 pin with a movable stroke of -±20μm has been obtained. This new system has more advantages than that reported.

  6. Prediction of sonic flow conditions at drill bit nozzles to minimize complications in UBD

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guo, B.; Ghalambor, A. [Louisiana Univ., Lafayette, LA (United States); Al-Bemani, A.S. [Sultan Qaboos Univ. (Oman)

    2002-06-01

    Sonic flow at drill bit nozzles can complicate underbalanced drilling (UBD) operations, and should be considered when choosing bit nozzles and fluid injection rates. The complications stem from pressure discontinuity and temperature drop at the nozzle. UBD refers to drilling operations where the drilling fluid pressures in the borehole are maintained at less than the pore pressure in the formation rock in the open-hole section. UBD has become a popular drilling method because it offers minimal lost circulation and reduces formation damage. This paper presents an analytical model for calculating the critical pressure ratio where two-phase sonic flow occurs. In particular, it describes how Sachdeva's two-phase choke model can be used to estimate the critical pressure ratio at nozzles that cause sonic flow. The critical pressure ratio charts can be coded in spreadsheets. The critical pressure ratio depends on the in-situ volumetric gas content, or gas-liquid ratio, which depends on gas injection and pressure. 6 refs., 2 tabs., 5 figs.

  7. Comparison of 3D turbulence measurements using three staring wind lidars and a sonic anemometer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mann, Jakob; Cariou, J.-P.; Courtney, Michael

    2008-01-01

    Three pulsed lidars were used in staring, non-scanning mode, placed so that their beams crossed close to a 3D sonic anemometer. The goal is to compare lidar volume averaged wind measurement with point measurement reference sensors and to demonstrate the feasibility of performing 3D turbulence mea...... measurements with lidars. The results show a very good correlation between the lidar and the sonic times series. The variance of the velocity measured by the Mar is attenuated due to spatial filtering, and the amount of attenuation can be predicted theoretically.......Three pulsed lidars were used in staring, non-scanning mode, placed so that their beams crossed close to a 3D sonic anemometer. The goal is to compare lidar volume averaged wind measurement with point measurement reference sensors and to demonstrate the feasibility of performing 3D turbulence...

  8. Adaptive sensor-based ultra-high accuracy solar concentrator tracker

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brinkley, Jordyn; Hassanzadeh, Ali

    2017-09-01

    Conventional solar trackers use information of the sun's position, either by direct sensing or by GPS. Our method uses the shading of the receiver. This, coupled with nonimaging optics design allows us to achieve ultra-high concentration. Incorporating a sensor based shadow tracking method with a two stage concentration solar hybrid parabolic trough allows the system to maintain high concentration with acute accuracy.

  9. OPACITY BROADENING OF {sup 13}CO LINEWIDTHS AND ITS EFFECT ON THE VARIANCE-SONIC MACH NUMBER RELATION

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Correia, C.; De Medeiros, J. R. [Departamento de Física Teórica e Experimental, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 59072-970 (Brazil); Burkhart, B.; Lazarian, A. [Astronomy Department, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 475 North Charter Street, WI 53711 (United States); Ossenkopf, V.; Stutzki, J. [Physikalisches Institut der Universität zu Köln, Zülpicher Strasse 77, D-50937 Köln (Germany); Kainulainen, J. [Max-Planck-Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Kowal, G., E-mail: caioftc@dfte.ufrn.br [Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090 (Brazil)

    2014-04-10

    We study how the estimation of the sonic Mach number (M{sub s} ) from {sup 13}CO linewidths relates to the actual three-dimensional sonic Mach number. For this purpose we analyze MHD simulations that include post-processing to take radiative transfer effects into account. As expected, we find very good agreement between the linewidth estimated sonic Mach number and the actual sonic Mach number of the simulations for optically thin tracers. However, we find that opacity broadening causes M{sub s} to be overestimated by a factor of ≈1.16-1.3 when calculated from optically thick {sup 13}CO lines. We also find that there is a dependence on the magnetic field: super-Alfvénic turbulence shows increased line broadening compared with sub-Alfvénic turbulence for all values of optical depth for supersonic turbulence. Our results have implications for the observationally derived sonic Mach number-density standard deviation (σ{sub ρ/(ρ)}) relationship, σ{sub ρ/〈ρ〉}{sup 2}=b{sup 2}M{sub s}{sup 2}, and the related column density standard deviation (σ {sub N/(N)}) sonic Mach number relationship. In particular, we find that the parameter b, as an indicator of solenoidal versus compressive driving, will be underestimated as a result of opacity broadening. We compare the σ {sub N/(N)}-M{sub s} relation derived from synthetic dust extinction maps and {sup 13}CO linewidths with recent observational studies and find that solenoidally driven MHD turbulence simulations have values of σ {sub N/(N)}which are lower than real molecular clouds. This may be due to the influence of self-gravity which should be included in simulations of molecular cloud dynamics.

  10. High accuracy digital aging monitor based on PLL-VCO circuit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Yuejun; Jiang Zhidi; Wang Pengjun; Zhang Xuelong

    2015-01-01

    As the manufacturing process is scaled down to the nanoscale, the aging phenomenon significantly affects the reliability and lifetime of integrated circuits. Consequently, the precise measurement of digital CMOS aging is a key aspect of nanoscale aging tolerant circuit design. This paper proposes a high accuracy digital aging monitor using phase-locked loop and voltage-controlled oscillator (PLL-VCO) circuit. The proposed monitor eliminates the circuit self-aging effect for the characteristic of PLL, whose frequency has no relationship with circuit aging phenomenon. The PLL-VCO monitor is implemented in TSMC low power 65 nm CMOS technology, and its area occupies 303.28 × 298.94 μm 2 . After accelerating aging tests, the experimental results show that PLL-VCO monitor improves accuracy about high temperature by 2.4% and high voltage by 18.7%. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

  11. Interdisciplinarity in Medialogy with applications to Sonic Interaction Design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nordahl, Rolf; Serafin, Stefania

    2009-01-01

    Medialogy is a novel education developed in Denmark since 2002, whose goal is to combine technology and creativity in the design, contextualization and evaluation of media technology. In this paper we describe the progression of the sonic interaction design curriculum in the Medialogy education, ......, stressing the importance of a transdisciplinary training for engineers working on interactive sound....

  12. CERN, World's largest particle physics lab, selects Progress SonicMQ

    CERN Document Server

    2007-01-01

    "Progress Software Corporation (NADAQ: PRGS), a global supplier of application insfrastructure software used to develop, deploy, integrate and manage business applications, today announced that CERN the world's largest physis laboratory and particle accelerator, has chosen Progress® SonicMQ® for mission-critical message delivery." (1 page)

  13. A proposal for limited criminal liability in high-accuracy endoscopic sinus surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voultsos, P; Casini, M; Ricci, G; Tambone, V; Midolo, E; Spagnolo, A G

    2017-02-01

    The aim of the present study is to propose legal reform limiting surgeons' criminal liability in high-accuracy and high-risk surgery such as endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). The study includes a review of the medical literature, focusing on identifying and examining reasons why ESS carries a very high risk of serious complications related to inaccurate surgical manoeuvers and reviewing British and Italian legal theory and case-law on medical negligence, especially with regard to Italian Law 189/2012 (so called "Balduzzi" Law). It was found that serious complications due to inaccurate surgical manoeuvers may occur in ESS regardless of the skill, experience and prudence/diligence of the surgeon. Subjectivity should be essential to medical negligence, especially regarding high-accuracy surgery. Italian Law 189/2012 represents a good basis for the limitation of criminal liability resulting from inaccurate manoeuvres in high-accuracy surgery such as ESS. It is concluded that ESS surgeons should be relieved of criminal liability in cases of simple/ordinary negligence where guidelines have been observed. © Copyright by Società Italiana di Otorinolaringologia e Chirurgia Cervico-Facciale, Rome, Italy.

  14. 101-SY waste sample speed of sound/rheology testing for sonic probe program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cannon, N.S.

    1994-01-01

    One problem faced in the clean-up operation at Hanford is that a number of radioactive waste storage tanks are experiencing a periodic buildup and release of potentially explosive gases. The best known example is Tank 241-SY-101 (commonly referred to as 101-SY) in which hydrogen gas periodically built up within the waste to the point that increased buoyancy caused a roll-over event, in which the gas was suddenly released in potentially explosive concentrations (if an ignition source were present). The sonic probe concept is to generate acoustic vibrations in the 101-SY tank waste at nominally 100 Hz, with sufficient amplitude to cause the controlled release of hydrogen bubbles trapped in the waste. The sonic probe may provide a potentially cost-effective alternative to large mixer pumps now used for hydrogen mitigation purposes. Two important parameters needed to determine sonic probe effectiveness and design are the speed of sound and yield stress of the tank waste. Tests to determine these parameters in a 240 ml sample of 101-SY waste (obtained near the tank bottom) were performed, and the results are reported

  15. High current high accuracy IGBT pulse generator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nesterov, V.V.; Donaldson, A.R.

    1995-05-01

    A solid state pulse generator capable of delivering high current triangular or trapezoidal pulses into an inductive load has been developed at SLAC. Energy stored in a capacitor bank of the pulse generator is switched to the load through a pair of insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBT). The circuit can then recover the remaining energy and transfer it back to the capacitor bank without reversing the capacitor voltage. A third IGBT device is employed to control the initial charge to the capacitor bank, a command charging technique, and to compensate for pulse to pulse power losses. The rack mounted pulse generator contains a 525 μF capacitor bank. It can deliver 500 A at 900V into inductive loads up to 3 mH. The current amplitude and discharge time are controlled to 0.02% accuracy by a precision controller through the SLAC central computer system. This pulse generator drives a series pair of extraction dipoles

  16. High-accuracy determination for optical indicatrix rotation in ferroelectric DTGS

    OpenAIRE

    O.S.Kushnir; O.A.Bevz; O.G.Vlokh

    2000-01-01

    Optical indicatrix rotation in deuterated ferroelectric triglycine sulphate is studied with the high-accuracy null-polarimetric technique. The behaviour of the effect in ferroelectric phase is referred to quadratic spontaneous electrooptics.

  17. Achieving High Accuracy in Calculations of NMR Parameters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Faber, Rasmus

    quantum chemical methods have been developed, the calculation of NMR parameters with quantitative accuracy is far from trivial. In this thesis I address some of the issues that makes accurate calculation of NMR parameters so challenging, with the main focus on SSCCs. High accuracy quantum chemical......, but no programs were available to perform such calculations. As part of this thesis the CFOUR program has therefore been extended to allow the calculation of SSCCs using the CC3 method. CC3 calculations of SSCCs have then been performed for several molecules, including some difficult cases. These results show...... vibrations must be included. The calculation of vibrational corrections to NMR parameters has been reviewed as part of this thesis. A study of the basis set convergence of vibrational corrections to nuclear shielding constants has also been performed. The basis set error in vibrational correction...

  18. Value of PCR in sonication fluid for the diagnosis of orthopedic hardware-associated infections: Has the molecular era arrived?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Renz, Nora; Cabric, Sabrina; Morgenstern, Christian; Schuetz, Michael A; Trampuz, Andrej

    2018-04-01

    Bone healing disturbance following fracture fixation represents a continuing challenge. We evaluated a novel fully automated polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay using sonication fluid from retrieved orthopedic hardware to diagnose infection. In this prospective diagnostic cohort study, explanted orthopedic hardware materials from consecutive patients were investigated by sonication and the resulting sonication fluid was analyzed by culture (standard procedure) and multiplex PCR (investigational procedure). Hardware-associated infection was defined as visible purulence, presence of a sinus tract, implant on view, inflammation in peri-implant tissue or positive culture. McNemar's chi-squared test was used to compare the performance of diagnostic tests. For the clinical performance all pathogens were considered, whereas for analytical performance only microorganisms were considered for which primers are included in the PCR assay. Among 51 patients, hardware-associated infection was diagnosed in 38 cases (75%) and non-infectious causes in 13 patients (25%). The sensitivity for diagnosing infection was 66% for peri-implant tissue culture, 84% for sonication fluid culture, 71% (clinical performance) and 77% (analytical performance) for sonication fluid PCR, the specificity of all tests was >90%. The analytical sensitivity of PCR was higher for gram-negative bacilli (100%), coagulase-negative staphylococci (89%) and Staphylococcus aureus (75%) than for Cutibacterium (formerly Propionibacterium) acnes (57%), enterococci (50%) and Candida spp. (25%). The performance of sonication fluid PCR for diagnosis of orthopedic hardware-associated infection was comparable to culture tests. The additional advantage of PCR was short processing time (PCR has the potential to complement conventional cultures. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Integrated test plan ResonantSonic drilling system technology demonstration-1995, at the Hanford Site: Revision 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McLellan, G.W.

    1994-01-01

    This integrated test plan describes the demonstration test of the ResonantSonic drilling system. This demonstration is part of the Office of Technology Development's Volatile Organic Compound Arid Integrated Demonstration (VOC-Arid ID). Two main purposes of this demonstration are (1) to continue testing the ResonantSonic drilling system compatibility with the Hanford Site waste characterization programs, and (2) to transfer this method for use at the Hanford Site, other government sites, and the private sector. The ResonantSonic method is a dry drilling technique. Field testing of this method began in July 1993. During the next four months, nine holes were drilled, and continuous core samples were retrieved. Penetration rates were 2 to 3 times the baseline, and the operational downtime rate was less than 10%. Successfully demonstrated equipment refinements included a prototype 300 series ResonantSonic head, a new drill rod design for 18-centimeter diameter pipe, and an automated pipe handling system. Various configurations of sampling equipment and drill bits were tested, depending on geologic conditions. The principal objective of the VOC-Arid ID is to determine the viability of emerging technologies that can be used to characterize, remediate, and/or monitor arid or semiarid sites containing VOCs (e.g., carbon tetrachloride) with or without associated metal and radionuclide contamination

  20. Velocity analysis of LWD and wireline sonic data in hydrate-bearing sediments on the Cascadia Margin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goldberg, D.; Guerin, G.; Malinverno, A.; Cook, A. [Columbia Univ., Palisades, NY (United States)

    2008-07-01

    Sonic velocity logs provide an ideal method to study the physical properties and porosity of drilled sequences and to tie logging data with seismic and core measurements. These measurements are increasingly required for geotechnical and shallow seismic exploration in shallow marine sediments where P-wave velocity is extremely low, often close to the fluid velocity. Because of the strong effects of wave modes linked to the presence of a logging tool in the borehole, such as leaky-P modes, low velocity values make the analysis of sonic logs from logging-while-drilling (LWD) measurements challenging. This paper presented the results from LWD and wireline sonic tools deployed in shallow gas hydrate bearing hemipelagic muds on the Cascadia margin. Five sites were drilled through a fairly heterogeneous section of hemipelagic sediments with generally high core recovery. The study also examined the frequency dispersion of borehole leaky-P modes and established a minimum depth of about 50-100 metres beneath the seafloor at each site where preliminary compressional velocity logs could be accurately estimated using LWD data. Hydrate saturation was derived using published models and the best estimate of Vp at these sites was also derived. Results were compared with independent resistivity-derived saturations. The saturation estimates from various hydrate occurrence zones were found to be in good agreement when using velocity and resistivity logs with established model assumptions, and when using both wireline and LWD data, considering lateral variability between holes drilled on the Cascadia margin. 9 refs., 1 tab., 6 figs.

  1. High-Accuracy Spherical Near-Field Measurements for Satellite Antenna Testing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Breinbjerg, Olav

    2017-01-01

    The spherical near-field antenna measurement technique is unique in combining several distinct advantages and it generally constitutes the most accurate technique for experimental characterization of radiation from antennas. From the outset in 1970, spherical near-field antenna measurements have...... matured into a well-established technique that is widely used for testing antennas for many wireless applications. In particular, for high-accuracy applications, such as remote sensing satellite missions in ESA's Earth Observation Programme with uncertainty requirements at the level of 0.05dB - 0.10d......B, the spherical near-field antenna measurement technique is generally superior. This paper addresses the means to achieving high measurement accuracy; these include the measurement technique per se, its implementation in terms of proper measurement procedures, the use of uncertainty estimates, as well as facility...

  2. High Accuracy Piezoelectric Kinemometer; Cinemometro piezoelectrico de alta exactitud (VUAE)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jimenez Martinez, F. J.; Frutos, J. de; Pastor, C.; Vazquez Rodriguez, M.

    2012-07-01

    We have developed a portable computerized and low consumption, our system is called High Accuracy Piezoelectric Kinemometer measurement, herein VUAE. By the high accuracy obtained by VUAE it make able to use the VUAE to obtain references measurements of system for measuring Speeds in Vehicles. Therefore VUAE could be used how reference equipment to estimate the error of installed kinemometers. The VUAE was created with n (n=2) pairs of ultrasonic transmitter-receiver, herein E-Rult. The transmitters used in the n couples E-Rult generate n ultrasonic barriers and receivers receive the echoes when the vehicle crosses the barriers. Digital processing of the echoes signals let us to obtain acceptable signals. Later, by mean of cross correlation technics is possible make a highly exact estimation of speed of the vehicle. The log of the moments of interception and the distance between each of the n ultrasounds allows for a highly exact estimation of speed of the vehicle. VUAE speed measurements were compared to a speed reference system based on piezoelectric cables. (Author) 11 refs.

  3. A simpler sampling interface of venturi easy ambient sonic-spray ionization mass spectrometry for high-throughput screening enzyme inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ning; Liu, Yang; Yang, YuHan; He, Lan; Ouyang, Jin

    2016-03-24

    High-throughput screening (HTS) is often required in enzyme inhibitor drugs screening. Mass spectrometry (MS) provides a powerful method for high-throughput screening enzyme inhibitors because its high speed, sensitivity and property of lable free. However, most of the MS methods need complicated sampling interface system. Overall throughput was limited by sample loading in these cases. In this study, we develop a simple interface which coupled droplet segmented system to a venturi easy ambient sonic-spray ionization mass spectrometer. It is fabricated by using a single capillary to act as both sampling probe and the emitter, which simplifies the construction, reduces the cost and shorten the sampling time. Samples sucked by venturi effect are segmented to nanoliter plugs by air, then the plugs can be detected by MS directly. This system eliminated the need for flow injection which was popular used in classic scheme. The new system is applied to screen angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors. High-throughput was achieved in analyzing 96 samples at 1.6 s per sample. The plugs formation was at 0.5s per sample. Carry-over between samples was less than 5%, the peak height RSD was 2.92% (n = 15). Dose-response curves of 3 known inhibitors were also measured to validate its potential in drug discovery. The calculated IC50 agreed well with reported values. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Effect of sonication treatment on fibrilating snake fruit (Sallaca) frond fiber

    Science.gov (United States)

    Darmanto, Seno; Rochardjo, Heru S. B.; Jamasri, Widyorini, Ragil

    2018-02-01

    Aim of this research is to investigate influence of chemical and sonication treatment on fibrillating and mechanical properties of snake fruit frond fiber. The presence of surface impurities and the large amount of hydroxyl groups in natural fibers make less attractive for polymeric materials reinforcement. Effort to remove the impurities can be done by few treatments that consist of physical, chemical and mechanical treatment. Snake fruit frond bundle fiber were firstly subjected to chemical treatments with alkali solution, steaming at 2 bar and steam explosion at 6 bar by 40 times releasing of steam. Advanced treatment is done by flowing ultrasonic wave at 20 kHz by 90 - 210 watt. The output of fibrillation can reach fiber in range 10 - 25 nm compared with 10.72 µm in diameter for sonication and 6 bar in pressure of steam with 40x of rapidly steam release respectively.

  5. Comparison of 3D turbulence measurements using three staring wind lidars and a sonic anemometer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mann, J; Courtney, M S; Mikkelsen, T; Wagner, R; Lindeloew, P; Sjoeholm, M; Enevoldsen, K; Cariou, J-P; Parmentier, R

    2008-01-01

    Three pulsed lidars were used in staring, non-scanning mode, placed so that their beams crossed close to a 3D sonic anemometer. The goal is to compare lidar volume averaged wind measurement with point measurement reference sensors and to demonstrate the feasibility of performing 3D turbulence measurements with lidars. The results show a very good correlation between the lidar and the sonic times series. The variance of the velocity measured by the lidar is attenuated due to spatial filtering, and the amount of attenuation can be predicted theoretically

  6. Measurement of mechanical properties of metallic glass at elevated temperature using sonic resonance method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaluvan, Suresh; Zhang, Haifeng; Mridha, Sanghita; Mukherjee, Sundeep

    2017-04-01

    Bulk metallic glasses are fully amorphous multi-component alloys with homogeneous and isotropic structure down to the atomic scale. Some attractive attributes of bulk metallic glasses include high strength and hardness as well as excellent corrosion and wear resistance. However, there are few reports and limited understanding of their mechanical properties at elevated temperatures. We used a nondestructive sonic resonance method to measure the Young's modulus and Shear modulus of a bulk metallic glass, Zr41.2Ti13.8Cu12.5Ni10Be22.5, at elevated temperatures. The measurement system was designed using a laser displacement sensor to detect the sonic vibration produced by a speaker on the specimen in high-temperature furnace. The OMICRON Bode-100 Vector Network Analyzer was used to sweep the frequency and its output was connected to the speaker which vibrated the material in its flexural mode and torsional modes. A Polytec OFV-505 laser vibrometer sensor was used to capture the vibration of the material at various frequencies. The flexural and torsional mode frequency shift due to the temperature variation was used to determine the Young's modulus and Shear modulus. The temperature range of measurement was from 50°C to 350°C. The Young's modulus was found to reduce from 100GPa to 94GPa for the 300°C temperature span. Similarly, the Shear modulus decreased from 38.5GPa at 50°C to 36GPa at 350°C.

  7. TRAPPING HO2 FREE RADICAL IN SONICATED WATER%空化水中HO2自由基的捕获

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    刘岩; 王军

    2003-01-01

    @@ 1 INTRODUCTION As a new advanced oxidation process (AOP) in water treatment, sonochemistry in water treatment has been paid more attention for one decade[1-7]. The collapsed cavitation bubbles give rise to high temperature and high pressure[8] to generate free radical, e.g. OH, O, HO2 in sonicated water. These kinds of radicals can oxidize the organic substances dissolved in water.

  8. Biodiesel from waste cooking oils via direct sonication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gude, Veera Gnaneswar; Grant, Georgene Elizabeth

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • Thermal effects of direct sonication on transesterification reaction were studied. • Ultrasonics may effectively transesterify waste oils without external heating. • Intense mixing with temperature rise completes transesterification instantly. • Plug flow process reactor design with ultrasound may prove energy efficient. • Process optimization and biodiesel conversion analysis was presented. - Abstract: This study investigates the effect of direct sonication in conversion of waste cooking oil into biodiesel. Waste cooking oils may cause environmental hazards if not disposed properly. However, waste cooking oils can serve as low-cost feedstock for biodiesel production. Ultrasonics, a non-conventional process technique, was applied to directly convert waste cooking oil into biodiesel in a single step. Ultrasonics transesterify waste cooking oils very efficiently due to increased mass/heat transfer phenomena and specific thermal/athermal effects at molecular levels. Thus, energy and chemical consumption in the overall process is greatly reduced compared to conventional biodiesel processes. Specific to this research, thermal effects of ultrasonics in transesterification reaction without external conventional heating along with effects of different ultrasonic, energy intensities and energy density are reported. Optimization of process parameters such as methanol to oil ratio, catalyst concentration and reaction time are also presented. It was observed that small reactor design such as plug-flow or contact-type reactor design may improve overall ultrasonic utilization in the transesterification reaction due to increased energy density and ultrasonic intensity

  9. Morphology and crystallinity of sisal nanocellulose after sonication

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sosiati, H.; Wijayanti, D. A.; Triyana, K.; Kamiel, B.

    2017-09-01

    Different preparation methods on the natural fibers resulted in different morphology. However, the relationships between type of natural fibers, preparation methods and the morphology of produced nanocellulose could not be exactly defined. The sisal nanocellulose was presently prepared by alkalization and bleaching followed by sonication to verify changes in the morphology and crystallinity of nanocellulose related to the formation mechanism. The extracted microcellulose was subjected to scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The isolated cellulose nanospheres were examined with respect to morphology by SEM and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and, to crystallinity by electron diffraction analysis. Bleaching after alkalization made the microfibrils clearly separated from each other to the individual fiber whose width of the single fiber was ranging from 6 to 13 µm. The XRD crystallinity index (CI) of microcellulose gradually increased after the chemical treatments; 83.12% for raw sisal fiber, 88.57% for alkali treated fiber and 94.03% for bleached fibers. The ultrasonic agitation after bleaching that was carried out at 750 Watt, 20 kHz and amplitude of 39% for 2 h produces homogeneous cellulose nanospheres less than 50 nm in diameter with relatively low crystallinity. The electron diffraction analysis confirmed that the low crystallinity of produced nnocellulose is related to the effect of chemical treatment done before sonication.

  10. Turbulence fluxes and variances measured with a sonic anemometer mounted on a tethered balloon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Canut, Guylaine; Couvreux, Fleur; Lothon, Marie; Legain, Dominique; Piguet, Bruno; Lampert, Astrid; Maurel, William; Moulin, Eric

    2016-09-01

    This study presents the first deployment in field campaigns of a balloon-borne turbulence probe, developed with a sonic anemometer and an inertial motion sensor suspended below a tethered balloon. This system measures temperature and horizontal and vertical wind at high frequency and allows the estimation of heat and momentum fluxes as well as turbulent kinetic energy in the lower part of the boundary layer. The system was validated during three field experiments with different convective boundary-layer conditions, based on turbulent measurements from instrumented towers and aircraft.

  11. Why is a high accuracy needed in dosimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lanzl, L.H.

    1976-01-01

    Dose and exposure intercomparisons on a national or international basis have become an important component of quality assurance in the practice of good radiotherapy. A high degree of accuracy of γ and x radiation dosimetry is essential in our international society, where medical information is so readily exchanged and used. The value of accurate dosimetry lies mainly in the avoidance of complications in normal tissue and an optimal degree of tumor control

  12. AFSC/RACE/SAP/Cummiskey: Red king crab sonic tagging and dive database

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This is data from a long-term monitoring project which utilized sonic tags to follow aggregations of red king crab in Womens Bay near Kodiak Alaska. The database...

  13. Real time analysis of brain tissue by direct combination of ultrasonic surgical aspiration and sonic spray mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schäfer, Karl-Christian; Balog, Júlia; Szaniszló, Tamás; Szalay, Dániel; Mezey, Géza; Dénes, Júlia; Bognár, László; Oertel, Matthias; Takáts, Zoltán

    2011-10-15

    Direct combination of cavitron ultrasonic surgical aspirator (CUSA) and sonic spray ionization mass spectrometry is presented. A commercially available ultrasonic surgical device was coupled to a Venturi easy ambient sonic-spray ionization (V-EASI) source by directly introducing liquified tissue debris into the Venturi air jet pump. The Venturi air jet pump was found to efficiently nebulize the suspended tissue material for gas phase ion production. The ionization mechanism involving solely pneumatic spraying was associated with that of sonic spray ionization. Positive and negative ionization spectra were obtained from brain and liver samples reflecting the primary application areas of the surgical device. Mass spectra were found to feature predominantly complex lipid-type constituents of tissues in both ion polarity modes. Multiply charged peptide anions were also detected. The influence of instrumental settings was characterized in detail. Venturi pump geometry and flow parameters were found to be critically important in ionization efficiency. Standard solutions of phospholipids and peptides were analyzed in order to test the dynamic range, sensitivity, and suppression effects. The spectra of the intact tissue specimens were found to be highly specific to the histological tissue type. The principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) based data analysis method was developed for real-time tissue identification in a surgical environment. The method has been successfully tested on post-mortem and ex vivo human samples including astrocytomas, meningeomas, metastatic brain tumors, and healthy brain tissue. © 2011 American Chemical Society

  14. Effects of rust in the crack face on crack detection based on Sonic-IR method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harai, Y.; Izumi, Y.; Tanabe, H.; Takamatsu, T.; Sakagami, T.

    2015-01-01

    Sonic-IR, which is based on the thermographic detection of the temperature rise due to frictional heating at the defect faces under ultrasonic excitation, has an advantage in the detection of closed and small defects. However, this method has a lot of nuclear factors relating to heat generation. In this study, effects of rust in the crack faces on the crack detection based on the sonic-IR method is experimentally investigated by using crack specimens. The heat generation by ultrasonic excitation was observed regularly during rust accelerated test using original device. The distribution of temperature change around the crack was changed with the progress of rust. This change in heat generation, it believed to be due to change in the contact state of the crack surface due to rust. As a result, it was found that heat generation by ultrasonic excitation is affected by rust in the crack faces. And it was also found that crack detection can be conducted by sonic-IR even if rust was generated in the crack faces. (author)

  15. Innovative Fiber-Optic Gyroscopes (FOGs) for High Accuracy Space Applications, Phase II

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This project aims to develop a compact, highly innovative Inertial Reference/Measurement Unit (IRU/IMU) that pushes the state-of-the-art in high accuracy performance...

  16. Sonication-based isolation and enrichment of Chlorella protothecoides chloroplasts for illumina genome sequencing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Angelova, Angelina [University of Arizona; Park, Sang-Hycuk [University of Arizona; Kyndt, John [Bellevue University; Fitzsimmons, Kevin [University of Arizona; Brown, Judith K [University of Arizona

    2013-09-01

    With the increasing world demand for biofuel, a number of oleaginous algal species are being considered as renewable sources of oil. Chlorella protothecoides Krüger synthesizes triacylglycerols (TAGs) as storage compounds that can be converted into renewable fuel utilizing an anabolic pathway that is poorly understood. The paucity of algal chloroplast genome sequences has been an important constraint to chloroplast transformation and for studying gene expression in TAGs pathways. In this study, the intact chloroplasts were released from algal cells using sonication followed by sucrose gradient centrifugation, resulting in a 2.36-fold enrichment of chloroplasts from C. protothecoides, based on qPCR analysis. The C. protothecoides chloroplast genome (cpDNA) was determined using the Illumina HiSeq 2000 sequencing platform and found to be 84,576 Kb in size (8.57 Kb) in size, with a GC content of 30.8 %. This is the first report of an optimized protocol that uses a sonication step, followed by sucrose gradient centrifugation, to release and enrich intact chloroplasts from a microalga (C. prototheocoides) of sufficient quality to permit chloroplast genome sequencing with high coverage, while minimizing nuclear genome contamination. The approach is expected to guide chloroplast isolation from other oleaginous algal species for a variety of uses that benefit from enrichment of chloroplasts, ranging from biochemical analysis to genomics studies.

  17. High accuracy acoustic relative humidity measurement in duct flow with air.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Schaik, Wilhelm; Grooten, Mart; Wernaart, Twan; van der Geld, Cees

    2010-01-01

    An acoustic relative humidity sensor for air-steam mixtures in duct flow is designed and tested. Theory, construction, calibration, considerations on dynamic response and results are presented. The measurement device is capable of measuring line averaged values of gas velocity, temperature and relative humidity (RH) instantaneously, by applying two ultrasonic transducers and an array of four temperature sensors. Measurement ranges are: gas velocity of 0-12 m/s with an error of ± 0.13 m/s, temperature 0-100 °C with an error of ± 0.07 °C and relative humidity 0-100% with accuracy better than 2 % RH above 50 °C. Main advantage over conventional humidity sensors is the high sensitivity at high RH at temperatures exceeding 50 °C, with accuracy increasing with increasing temperature. The sensors are non-intrusive and resist highly humid environments.

  18. Mixing volume determination in batch transfers through sonic detectors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baptista, Renan Martins [PETROBRAS S.A., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Centro de Pesquisas]. E-mail: renan@cenpes.petrobras.com.br; Rachid, Felipe Bastos de Freitas [Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niteroi, RJ (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Mecanica]. E-mail: rachid@mec.uff.br; Araujo, Jose Henrique Carneiro de [Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niteroi, RJ (Brazil). Dept. de Ciencia da Computacao]. E-mail: jhca@dcc.ic.uff.br

    2000-07-01

    An experimental methodology to evaluate mixing volumes in batch transfers by means of sonic detectors has been reported in this paper. Mixing volumes have then been computed in a transfer of diesel/gasoline carried out through a pipeline operated by Petrobras for different interface points. It has been shown that an adequate choice of the interface points is crucial for keeping the mixing volume uncertainty within acceptable limits. (author)

  19. Two high accuracy digital integrators for Rogowski current transducers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Pan-dian; Li, Hong-bin; Li, Zhen-hua

    2014-01-01

    The Rogowski current transducers have been widely used in AC current measurement, but their accuracy is mainly subject to the analog integrators, which have typical problems such as poor long-term stability and being susceptible to environmental conditions. The digital integrators can be another choice, but they cannot obtain a stable and accurate output for the reason that the DC component in original signal can be accumulated, which will lead to output DC drift. Unknown initial conditions can also result in integral output DC offset. This paper proposes two improved digital integrators used in Rogowski current transducers instead of traditional analog integrators for high measuring accuracy. A proportional-integral-derivative (PID) feedback controller and an attenuation coefficient have been applied in improving the Al-Alaoui integrator to change its DC response and get an ideal frequency response. For the special design in the field of digital signal processing, the improved digital integrators have better performance than analog integrators. Simulation models are built for the purpose of verification and comparison. The experiments prove that the designed integrators can achieve higher accuracy than analog integrators in steady-state response, transient-state response, and temperature changing condition.

  20. Geophysical borehole logging in Lavia borehole - results and interpretation of sonic and tube wave measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andersson, P.; Stenberg, L.

    1985-02-01

    Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co, SKB has been contracted by Industrial Power Company LTD, TVO to perform geophysical logging in a borehole at Lavia in Western Finland. The logging has been conducted by Swedish Geological Co, SGAB in accordance with an agreement for cooperation with SKB. The depth of the borehole is 1001 m, diameter 56 mm and inclination 10-20 degrees to the vertical. The aim of the logging was to determine the various geophysical parameters in the borehole in order to interpret and understand the rock mass properties in the vicinity of the borehole. According to the contract the report covers the following main objectives: a technical description of the field work and the equipment used; a review of the theoretical base for the sonic and tube wave methods; an interpretation and presentation of the results obtained by sonic and tube wave mesurements. The evaluation of the sonic and tube wave measurements shows good correlation. On a qualitative basis there seems to be a correlation between tube wave generating points, the relative tube wave amplitudes and the hydraulic conductivity measurements performed as hydraulical tests between packers in the borehole. The low velocity anamalies in the sonic log are mainly caused by tectonic features like fractures and fracture zones but to some extent also by contacts between granite and diorite. The estimation of elastic properties of the rock mass from observation of tube wave velocity are in accordance with laboratory determinations made on core samples. (author)

  1. Floral Sonication is an Innate Behaviour in Bumblebees that can be Fine-Tuned with Experience in Manipulating Flowers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgan, Tan; Whitehorn, Penelope; Lye, Gillian C; Vallejo-Marín, Mario

    Bumblebees demonstrate an extensive capacity for learning complex motor skills to maximise exploitation of floral rewards. This ability is well studied in nectar collection but its role in pollen foraging is less well understood. Floral sonication is used by bees to extract pollen from some plant species with anthers which must be vibrated (buzzed) to release pollen. Pollen removal is determined by sonication characteristics including frequency and amplitude, and thus the ability to optimise sonication should allow bees to maximise the pollen collection. We investigated the ability of the buff-tailed bumblebee ( Bombus terrestris ) to modify the frequency and amplitude of their buzzes with increasing experience manipulating flowers of the buzz-pollinated plant Solanum rostratum . We analysed flight and feeding vibrations generated by naïve workers across feeding bouts. Feeding buzzes were of a higher frequency and a lower amplitude than flight buzzes. Both flight and feeding buzzes had reduced amplitudes with increasing number of foraging trips. However, the frequency of their feeding buzzes was reduced significantly more than their flight buzzes as bumblebee workers gained experience manipulating flowers. These results suggest that bumblebees are able to modify the characteristics of their buzzes with experience manipulating buzz-pollinated flowers. We discuss our findings in the context of bumblebee learning, and the current understanding of the optimal sonication characteristics for releasing pollen in buzz-pollinated species. Our results present a tantalising insight into the potential role of learning in floral sonication, paving the way for future research in this area.

  2. Electron ray tracing with high accuracy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saito, K.; Okubo, T.; Takamoto, K.; Uno, Y.; Kondo, M.

    1986-01-01

    An electron ray tracing program is developed to investigate the overall geometrical and chromatic aberrations in electron optical systems. The program also computes aberrations due to manufacturing errors in lenses and deflectors. Computation accuracy is improved by (1) calculating electrostatic and magnetic scalar potentials using the finite element method with third-order isoparametric elements, and (2) solving the modified ray equation which the aberrations satisfy. Computation accuracy of 4 nm is achieved for calculating optical properties of the system with an electrostatic lens

  3. High accuracy 3D electromagnetic finite element analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nelson, Eric M.

    1997-01-01

    A high accuracy 3D electromagnetic finite element field solver employing quadratic hexahedral elements and quadratic mixed-order one-form basis functions will be described. The solver is based on an object-oriented C++ class library. Test cases demonstrate that frequency errors less than 10 ppm can be achieved using modest workstations, and that the solutions have no contamination from spurious modes. The role of differential geometry and geometrical physics in finite element analysis will also be discussed

  4. High accuracy 3D electromagnetic finite element analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nelson, E.M.

    1996-01-01

    A high accuracy 3D electromagnetic finite element field solver employing quadratic hexahedral elements and quadratic mixed-order one-form basis functions will be described. The solver is based on an object-oriented C++ class library. Test cases demonstrate that frequency errors less than 10 ppm can be achieved using modest workstations, and that the solutions have no contamination from spurious modes. The role of differential geometry and geometrical physics in finite element analysis will also be discussed

  5. A High-Throughput, High-Accuracy System-Level Simulation Framework for System on Chips

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guanyi Sun

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Today's System-on-Chips (SoCs design is extremely challenging because it involves complicated design tradeoffs and heterogeneous design expertise. To explore the large solution space, system architects have to rely on system-level simulators to identify an optimized SoC architecture. In this paper, we propose a system-level simulation framework, System Performance Simulation Implementation Mechanism, or SPSIM. Based on SystemC TLM2.0, the framework consists of an executable SoC model, a simulation tool chain, and a modeling methodology. Compared with the large body of existing research in this area, this work is aimed at delivering a high simulation throughput and, at the same time, guaranteeing a high accuracy on real industrial applications. Integrating the leading TLM techniques, our simulator can attain a simulation speed that is not slower than that of the hardware execution by a factor of 35 on a set of real-world applications. SPSIM incorporates effective timing models, which can achieve a high accuracy after hardware-based calibration. Experimental results on a set of mobile applications proved that the difference between the simulated and measured results of timing performance is within 10%, which in the past can only be attained by cycle-accurate models.

  6. Accuracy of hiatal hernia detection with esophageal high-resolution manometry

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Weijenborg, P. W.; van Hoeij, F. B.; Smout, A. J. P. M.; Bredenoord, A. J.

    2015-01-01

    The diagnosis of a sliding hiatal hernia is classically made with endoscopy or barium esophagogram. Spatial separation of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and diaphragm, the hallmark of hiatal hernia, can also be observed on high-resolution manometry (HRM), but the diagnostic accuracy of this

  7. High Accuracy Acoustic Relative Humidity Measurement inDuct Flow with Air

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cees van der Geld

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available An acoustic relative humidity sensor for air-steam mixtures in duct flow is designed and tested. Theory, construction, calibration, considerations on dynamic response and results are presented. The measurement device is capable of measuring line averaged values of gas velocity, temperature and relative humidity (RH instantaneously, by applying two ultrasonic transducers and an array of four temperature sensors. Measurement ranges are: gas velocity of 0–12 m/s with an error of ±0.13 m/s, temperature 0–100 °C with an error of ±0.07 °C and relative humidity 0–100% with accuracy better than 2 % RH above 50 °C. Main advantage over conventional humidity sensors is the high sensitivity at high RH at temperatures exceeding 50 °C, with accuracy increasing with increasing temperature. The sensors are non-intrusive and resist highly humid environments.

  8. Development and sexual dimorphism of the sonic system in deep sea neobythitine fishes: The upper continental slope

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Heba A.; Mok, Hin-Kiu; Fine, Michael L.

    2016-09-01

    The anatomy of sound production in continental-slope fishes has been ignored since the work of NB Marshall in the 1960s. Due to food scarcity at great depths, we hypothesize that sonic muscles will be reduced in deep-water neobythitine cusk-eels (family Ophidiidae). Here we describe and quantify dimensions of the swimbladder and sonic muscles of three species from the upper slope. They have four pairs of well-developed sonic muscles (two medial and two lateral) with origins on the skull and insertions on the medial swimbladder (medial pair) or on modified epineural ribs that attach to the lateral swimbladder (lateral pair). Despite minor differences, relatively similar swimbladder dimensions, muscle length and external morphology suggest a conservative body plan. However, there are major differences in sonic muscle mass: medial muscles are heavier in males and made of relatively small fibers (ca 10 μm in diameter). Lateral muscles are generally larger in females and consist of larger fibers, as in epaxial trunk muscle. Muscle weight varies between species, and we suggest males produce advertisement calls that vary in amplitude and duration in different species. Due to differences in fiber size, we hypothesize that lateral muscles with larger fibers remain contracted during sound production, and medial muscles with smaller fibers will oscillate to drive swimbladder sound production.

  9. Background Pressure Profiles for Sonic Boom Vehicle Testing in the NASA Glenn 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castner, Raymond; Shaw, Stephen; Adamson, Eric; Simerly, Stephanie

    2013-01-01

    In an effort to identify test facilities that offer sonic boom measurement capabilities, an exploratory test program was initiated using wind tunnels at NASA research centers. The subject of this report is the sonic boom pressure rail data collected in the Glenn Research Center 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel. The purpose is to summarize the lessons learned based on the test activity, specifically relating to collecting sonic boom data which has a large amount of spatial pressure variation. The wind tunnel background pressure profiles are presented as well as data which demonstrated how both wind tunnel Mach number and model support-strut position affected the wind tunnel background pressure profile. Techniques were developed to mitigate these effects and are presented.

  10. 200 kHz Sonication of Mixed-Algae Suspension from a Eutrophic Lake: The Effect on the Caution vs. Outbreak Bloom Alert Levels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andinet Tekile

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available For effective ultrasonic algae removal, several studies have considered the ultrasound equipment linked factors, such as power and frequency. However, studies on the response of mixed algal cultures and associated water quality parameters to ultrasound are limited. In this lab-scale sonication, the removal of cyanobacteria at a pre-set frequency of 200 kHz on mixed algae suspensions collected from a eutrophic lake was investigated. The caution (17.5 µg/L and outbreak (1450 µg/L alert levels in terms of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a concentrations of the initial samples were each sonicated for 10, 15, and 20 min, and then kept in an incubator. Fifteen minutes of sonication resulted in best removal efficiency of 0.94 and 0.77, at an ultrasonic dose of 30 kWh/m3 at the outbreak and caution level concentrations, respectively. Immediately after 15 min sonication, and after standing in the incubator for a day, chlorophyll-a removal efficiencies of 0.28 and 0.90 were achieved in the outbreak level, respectively, and the matching removal efficiencies for the caution level were 0.23 and 0.64. Even though the removal was substantial in both cases, the final 147 µg/L chlorophyll-a concentration of the outbreak, which is itself still in the outbreak level range, shows that ultrasonication is not effective to satisfactorily remove algae from a concentrated suspension. Total dissolved nitrogen and chemical oxygen demand were reduced, overall, due to sonication. However, total dissolved phosphorus of the concentrated level was increased during the treatment. Although sonication needs further replicated experimental testing in whole-lake systems, our results show that 200 kHz sonication was able to reduce chlorophyll-a concentrations in small-scale laboratory tests.

  11. Cellular and molecular effects of electromagnetic radiation and sonic waves

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patricia Froes Meyer

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Electromagnetic radiation (in the form of pulsed magnetic fields, radiofrequency and intense pulsed light and mechanical agents (such as sonic waves have been used in physical therapy. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of low-intensity magnetic fields, sonic and radiofrequency waves, and intense pulsed light on the survival of Escherichia coli cultures and on the electrophoretic mobility of plasmid DNA. Exponentially growing E. coli AB1157 cultures and plasmid DNA samples were exposed to these physical agents and 0.9% NaCl (negative control and SnCl2 (positive control solutions. Aliquots of the cultures were diluted and spread onto a solidified rich medium. The colony-forming units were counted after overnight incubation and the survival fraction was calculated. Agarose gel electrophoresis was performed to visualise and quantify the plasmid topological forms. The results suggest that these agents do not alter the survival of E. coli cells or plasmid DNA electrophoresis mobility. Moreover, they do not protect against the lesive action of SnCl2. These physical agents therefore had no cytotoxic or genotoxic effects under the conditions studied.

  12. Effect of sonic application mode on the resin-dentin bond strength and dentin permeability of self-etching systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mena-Serrano, Alexandra; Costa, Thays Regina Ferreira da; Patzlaff, Rafael Tiago; Loguercio, Alessandro Dourado; Reis, Alessandra

    2014-10-01

    To compare manual and sonic adhesive application modes in terms of the permeability and microtensile bond strength of a self-etching adhesive applied in the one-step or two-step protocol. Self-etching All Bond SE (Bisco) was applied as a one- or a two-step adhesive under manual or sonic vibration modes on flat occlusal dentin surfaces of 64 human molars. Half of the teeth were used to measure the hydraulic conductance of dentin at 200 cm H₂O hydrostatic pressure for 5 min immediately after the adhesive application. In the other half, composite buildups (Opallis) were constructed incrementally to create resin-dentin sticks with a cross-sectional area of 0.8 mm² to be tested in tension (0.5 mm/min) immediately after restoration placement. Data were analyzed using a two-way ANOVA and Tukey's test (α = 0.05). The fluid conductance of dentin was significantly reduced by the sonic vibration mode for both adhesives, but no effect on the bond strength values was observed for either adhesive. The sonic application mode at an oscillating frequency of 170 Hz can reduce the fluid conductance of the one- and two-step All Bond SE adhesive when applied on dentin.

  13. Development and sexual dimorphism of the sonic system in three deep-sea neobythitine fishes and comparisons between upper mid and lower continental slope

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fine, Michael L.; Ali, Heba A.; Nguyen, Thanh Kim; Mok, Hin-Kiu; Parmentier, Eric

    2018-01-01

    Based on morphology, NB Marshall identified cusk-eels (family Ophidiidae) as one of the chief sound-producing groups on the continental slope. Due to food scarcity, we hypothesized that sonic systems will be reduced at great depths despite their potential importance in sexual reproduction. We examined this hypothesis in the cusk-eel subfamily Neobythitinae by comparing sonic morphology in Atlantic species from the upper-mid (Dicrolene intronigra) and deeper continental slope (Porogadus miles and Bathyonus pectoralis) with three Taiwanese species previously described from the upper slope (Hoplobrotula armatus, Neobythites longipes and N. unimaculatus). In all six species, medial muscles are heavier in males than in females. Dicrolene has four pairs of sonic muscles similar to the shallow Pacific species, suggesting neobythitine sonic anatomy is conservative and sufficient food exists to maintain a well-developed system at depths exceeding 1 km. The sonic system in Porogadus and Bathyonus was reduced to a single pair of ventral medial muscles that connects to a smaller and thinner swimbladder via a long tendon. Small muscle fiber diameters, a likely indicator of rapid contraction, were present in males of five of the species. However, in Bathyonus, the deepest species (pale coloration, reduced eye size, shorter sonic muscles and longer tendons), muscle fibers were larger suggesting an adaptation to facilitate rapid bladder movement for sound production while using slower contractions and less metabolic energy. The six species separate into three groups in length-weight regressions: the three upper slope species have the greatest weights per unit length, Dicrolene is lower, and the two deep species are further reduced consistent with the hypothesis that food limitation affects sonic anatomy at great depths.

  14. Beats, Flesh, and Grain : Sonic Tactility and Affect in Electronic Dance Music

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Garcia, Luis-Manuel

    2015-01-01

    This essay sets out to explore the tactilization of sound in electronic dance music (EDM), which offers an important sensory-affective bridge between touch, sonic experience, and an expansive sense of connection in dancing crowds. EDM events tend to engender spaces of heightened tactility and

  15. High accuracy 3D electromagnetic finite element analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nelson, E.M.

    1997-01-01

    A high accuracy 3D electromagnetic finite element field solver employing quadratic hexahedral elements and quadratic mixed-order one-form basis functions will be described. The solver is based on an object-oriented C++ class library. Test cases demonstrate that frequency errors less than 10 ppm can be achieved using modest workstations, and that the solutions have no contamination from spurious modes. The role of differential geometry and geometrical physics in finite element analysis will also be discussed. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

  16. Effect of sonication on the colloidal stability of iron oxide nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sodipo, Bashiru Kayode [Nano-Optoelectronics Research and Technology (NOR) Lab, School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Pulau Pinang (Malaysia); Aziz, Azlan Abdul [Nano-Biotechnology Research and Innovation (NanoBRI), Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Pulau Pinang (Malaysia)

    2015-04-24

    Colloidal stability of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles’ (SPION) suspensions, ultrasonically irradiated at various pH was studied. Electrophoresis measurement of the sonicated SPION showed that the shock waves and other unique conditions generated from the acoustic cavitation process (formation, growth and collapse of bubbles) affect the zeta potential value of the suspension. In this work, stabled colloidal suspensions of SPION were prepared and their pH is varied between 3 and 5. Prior to ultrasonic irradiation of the suspensions, their initial zeta potential values were determined. After ultrasonic irradiation of the suspensions, we observed that the sonication process interacts with colloidal stability of the nanoparticles. The results demonstrated that only suspensions with pH less 4 were found stable and able to retain more than 90% of its initial zeta potential value. However, at pH greater than 4, the suspensions were found unstable. The result implies that good zeta potential value of SPION can be sustained in sonochemical process as long as the pH of the mixture is kept below 4.

  17. Use of sonic tomography to detect and quantify wood decay in living trees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilbert, Gregory S; Ballesteros, Javier O; Barrios-Rodriguez, Cesar A; Bonadies, Ernesto F; Cedeño-Sánchez, Marjorie L; Fossatti-Caballero, Nohely J; Trejos-Rodríguez, Mariam M; Pérez-Suñiga, José Moises; Holub-Young, Katharine S; Henn, Laura A W; Thompson, Jennifer B; García-López, Cesar G; Romo, Amanda C; Johnston, Daniel C; Barrick, Pablo P; Jordan, Fulvia A; Hershcovich, Shiran; Russo, Natalie; Sánchez, Juan David; Fábrega, Juan Pablo; Lumpkin, Raleigh; McWilliams, Hunter A; Chester, Kathleen N; Burgos, Alana C; Wong, E Beatriz; Diab, Jonathan H; Renteria, Sonia A; Harrower, Jennifer T; Hooton, Douglas A; Glenn, Travis C; Faircloth, Brant C; Hubbell, Stephen P

    2016-12-01

    Field methodology and image analysis protocols using acoustic tomography were developed and evaluated as a tool to estimate the amount of internal decay and damage of living trees, with special attention to tropical rainforest trees with irregular trunk shapes. Living trunks of a diversity of tree species in tropical rainforests in the Republic of Panama were scanned using an Argus Electronic PiCUS 3 Sonic Tomograph and evaluated for the amount and patterns of internal decay. A protocol using ImageJ analysis software was used to quantify the proportions of intact and compromised wood. The protocols provide replicable estimates of internal decay and cavities for trees of varying shapes, wood density, and bark thickness. Sonic tomography, coupled with image analysis, provides an efficient, noninvasive approach to evaluate decay patterns and structural integrity of even irregularly shaped living trees.

  18. The effect of pattern overlap on the accuracy of high resolution electron backscatter diffraction measurements

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tong, Vivian, E-mail: v.tong13@imperial.ac.uk [Department of Materials, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Jiang, Jun [Department of Materials, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Wilkinson, Angus J. [Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PH (United Kingdom); Britton, T. Ben [Department of Materials, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom)

    2015-08-15

    High resolution, cross-correlation-based, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) measures the variation of elastic strains and lattice rotations from a reference state. Regions near grain boundaries are often of interest but overlap of patterns from the two grains could reduce accuracy of the cross-correlation analysis. To explore this concern, patterns from the interior of two grains have been mixed to simulate the interaction volume crossing a grain boundary so that the effect on the accuracy of the cross correlation results can be tested. It was found that the accuracy of HR-EBSD strain measurements performed in a FEG-SEM on zirconium remains good until the incident beam is less than 18 nm from a grain boundary. A simulated microstructure was used to measure how often pattern overlap occurs at any given EBSD step size, and a simple relation was found linking the probability of overlap with step size. - Highlights: • Pattern overlap occurs at grain boundaries and reduces HR-EBSD accuracy. • A test is devised to measure the accuracy of HR-EBSD in the presence of overlap. • High pass filters can sometimes, but not generally, improve HR-EBSD measurements. • Accuracy of HR-EBSD remains high until the reference pattern intensity is <72%. • 9% of points near a grain boundary will have significant error for 200nm step size in Zircaloy-4.

  19. Read-only high accuracy volume holographic optical correlator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Tian; Li, Jingming; Cao, Liangcai; He, Qingsheng; Jin, Guofan

    2011-10-01

    A read-only volume holographic correlator (VHC) is proposed. After the recording of all of the correlation database pages by angular multiplexing, a stand-alone read-only high accuracy VHC will be separated from the VHC recording facilities which include the high-power laser and the angular multiplexing system. The stand-alone VHC has its own low power readout laser and very compact and simple structure. Since there are two lasers that are employed for recording and readout, respectively, the optical alignment tolerance of the laser illumination on the SLM is very sensitive. The twodimensional angular tolerance is analyzed based on the theoretical model of the volume holographic correlator. The experimental demonstration of the proposed read-only VHC is introduced and discussed.

  20. Analysis of biodiesel and biodiesel-petrodiesel blends by high performance thin layer chromatography combined with easy ambient sonic-spray ionization mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eberlin, Livia S; Abdelnur, Patricia V; Passero, Alan; de Sa, Gilberto F; Daroda, Romeu J; de Souza, Vanderlea; Eberlin, Marcos N

    2009-08-01

    High performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) combined with on-spot detection and characterization via easy ambient sonic-spray ionization mass spectrometry (EASI-MS) is applied to the analysis of biodiesel (B100) and biodiesel-petrodiesel blends (BX). HPTLC provides chromatographic resolution of major components whereas EASI-MS allows on-spot characterization performed directly on the HPTLC surface at ambient conditions. Constituents (M) are detected by EASI-MS in a one component-one ion fashion as either [M + Na](+) or [M + H](+). For both B100 and BX samples, typical profiles of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) detected as [FAME + Na](+) ions allow biodiesel typification. The spectrum of the petrodiesel spot displays a homologous series of protonated alkyl pyridines which are characteristic for petrofuels (natural markers). The spectrum for residual or admixture oil spots is characterized by sodiated triglycerides [TAG + Na](+). The application of HPTLC to analyze B100 and BX samples and its combination with EASI-MS for on-spot characterization and quality control is demonstrated.

  1. The development of Sonic Pi and its use in educational partnerships: Co-creating pedagogies for learning computer programming

    OpenAIRE

    Aaron, S; Blackwell, Alan Frank; Burnard, Pamela Anne

    2017-01-01

    Sonic Pi is a new open source software tool and platform originally developed for the Raspberry Pi computer, designed to enable school children to learn programming by creating music. In this article we share insights from a scoping study on the development of Sonic Pi and its use in educational partnerships. Our findings draw attention to the importance of collaborative relationships between teacher and computer scientist and the value of creative pedagogies for learning computer programming...

  2. Optical System Error Analysis and Calibration Method of High-Accuracy Star Trackers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zheng You

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available The star tracker is a high-accuracy attitude measurement device widely used in spacecraft. Its performance depends largely on the precision of the optical system parameters. Therefore, the analysis of the optical system parameter errors and a precise calibration model are crucial to the accuracy of the star tracker. Research in this field is relatively lacking a systematic and universal analysis up to now. This paper proposes in detail an approach for the synthetic error analysis of the star tracker, without the complicated theoretical derivation. This approach can determine the error propagation relationship of the star tracker, and can build intuitively and systematically an error model. The analysis results can be used as a foundation and a guide for the optical design, calibration, and compensation of the star tracker. A calibration experiment is designed and conducted. Excellent calibration results are achieved based on the calibration model. To summarize, the error analysis approach and the calibration method are proved to be adequate and precise, and could provide an important guarantee for the design, manufacture, and measurement of high-accuracy star trackers.

  3. Optical system error analysis and calibration method of high-accuracy star trackers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Ting; Xing, Fei; You, Zheng

    2013-04-08

    The star tracker is a high-accuracy attitude measurement device widely used in spacecraft. Its performance depends largely on the precision of the optical system parameters. Therefore, the analysis of the optical system parameter errors and a precise calibration model are crucial to the accuracy of the star tracker. Research in this field is relatively lacking a systematic and universal analysis up to now. This paper proposes in detail an approach for the synthetic error analysis of the star tracker, without the complicated theoretical derivation. This approach can determine the error propagation relationship of the star tracker, and can build intuitively and systematically an error model. The analysis results can be used as a foundation and a guide for the optical design, calibration, and compensation of the star tracker. A calibration experiment is designed and conducted. Excellent calibration results are achieved based on the calibration model. To summarize, the error analysis approach and the calibration method are proved to be adequate and precise, and could provide an important guarantee for the design, manufacture, and measurement of high-accuracy star trackers.

  4. “Mood-modules”: Interconnected Wireless Toy Units for Studies of Social Play through Musical and Sonic Games

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Anne-Marie; Andersen, Hans Jørgen

    This paper outlines the research background, focus and methods that will be used in the study of musical and sonic games that are embedded in interconnected wireless toy modules. Seen in the light of the idea: “The ensemble as a musical and social experience”, an approach for designing electronic...... toys for children will be discussed. Five electronic toy units function as test objects. These sensor devices will contain musical and sonic games. Children manipulate sound parameters, when they interact with each sensor, or rather, combinations of sensors. When two or more children interact...

  5. Innovative Fiber-Optic Gyroscopes (FOGs) for High Accuracy Space Applications, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — NASA's future science and exploratory missions will require much lighter, smaller, and longer life rate sensors that can provide high accuracy navigational...

  6. Sonic hedgehog expression correlates with fundic gland differentiation in the adult gastrointestinal tract

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van den Brink, G. R.; Hardwick, J. C. H.; Nielsen, C.; Xu, C.; ten Kate, F. J.; Glickman, J.; van Deventer, S. J. H.; Roberts, D. J.; Peppelenbosch, M. P.

    2003-01-01

    Background: Sonic hedgehog (Shh) is an important endodermal morphogenetic signal during the development of the vertebrate gut. It controls gastrointestinal patterning in general, and gastric gland formation in particular. We have previously shown that Shh regulates gastric gland proliferation in the

  7. Synthesis and characterization of PMMA/clay nanocomposites prepared by in situ polymerization assisted by sonication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prado, Bruna R.; Bartoli, Julio R.; Ito, Edson N.

    2015-01-01

    In this work is presented the synthesis of nanocomposites of poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA, with organically montmorillonite (OMMT) modified clays by in situ polymerization assisted by sonication. A statistically designed experiment was used, central composing design (CCD), to study the effect of synthesis variables on the dispersion of nanoparticles in PMMA matrix. The processing and formulation factors studied were: energy of sonication and Flory-Huggins interaction parameter between PMMA and organoclay. The structural (XRD) and morphological (TEM) characterizations of the PMMA/OMMT nanocomposites are compared with the literature. It was observed significant exfoliation of OMMT modified with hydroxyl groups in the nanocomposites of PMMA, mainly at the low ultrasonic energy level (90 and 105 kJ) studied. (author)

  8. Evanescent waves and deaf bands in sonic crystals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romero-García, V.; Garcia-Raffi, L. M.; Sánchez-Pérez, J. V.

    2011-12-01

    The properties of sonic crystals (SC) are theoretically investigated in this work by solving the inverse problem k(ω) using the extended plane wave expansion (EPWE). The solution of the resulting eigenvalue problem gives the complex band structure which takes into account both the propagating and the evanescent modes. In this work we show the complete mathematical formulation of the EPWE for SC and the supercell approximation for its use in both a complete SC and a SC with defects. As an example we show a novel interpretation of the deaf bands in a complete SC in good agreement with multiple scattering simulations.

  9. Influence of Air Abrasion and Sonic Technique on Microtensile Bond Strength of One-Step Self-Etch Adhesive on Human Dentin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Baraba Anja

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the microtensile bond strength of one-step self-etch adhesive to human dentin surface modified with air abrasion and sonic technique and to assess the morphological characteristics of the pretreated dentin surface. The occlusal enamel was removed to obtain a flat dentin surface for thirty-six human molar teeth. The teeth were randomly divided into three experimental groups (n = 12 per group, according to the pretreatment of the dentin: (1 control group, (2 air abrasion group, and (3 sonic preparation group. Microtensile bond strength test was performed on a universal testing machine. Two specimens from each experimental group were subjected to SEM examination. There was no statistically significant difference in bond strength between the three experimental groups (P > 0.05. Mean microtensile bond strength (MPa values were 35.3 ± 12.8 for control group, 35.8 ± 13.5 for air abrasion group, and 37.7 ± 12.0 for sonic preparation group. The use of air abrasion and sonic preparation with one-step self-etch adhesive does not appear to enhance or impair microtensile bond strength in dentin.

  10. Influence and comparison of thermal, ultrasonic and thermo-sonic treatments on microbiological quality and sensory properties of rennet cheese whey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rajka Božanić

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Ultrasonication and thermo-sonication belong to alternative, non-thermal food processing methods. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of different ultrasound power inputs (240 W, 320 W, 400 W without and in combination with heat pre-treatment on microbial inactivation and sensory properties of rennet cheese whey in comparison with conventional pasteurization batch processes. Ultrasonication treatments had no impact on reduction of any group of studied microorganisms. Microbial inactivation caused by thermo-sonication treatments with pre-heating to 35 °C or 45 °C increased with nominal power input and/or exposure times and was probably due to the heat improved ultrasonic cavitation. Thermo-sonication treatments at nominal power input (400 W and preheating to 55 °C were the most effective resulting in greater microbial reduction compared to that observed by simulating pasteurization processes, but occurred probably due to developed heat solely. Sensory properties after ultrasonication and thermo-sonication were considerably improved in comparison with that after simulated pasteurization processes. Mouth feel of whey samples was considerably better, there was no occurrence of sediment and colour remained unchanged in almost all samples.

  11. Influence of a passive sonic irrigation system on the elimination of bacteria from root canal systems: a clinical study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huffaker, S Kirk; Safavi, Kamran; Spangberg, Larz S W; Kaufman, Blythe

    2010-08-01

    The present investigation evaluated the ability of a new passive sonic irrigation (sonic group) system (EndoActivator) to eliminate cultivable bacteria from root canals in vivo and compared it with that of standard syringe irrigation (control group). Data were obtained by using bacteriologic sampling of root canals treated by endodontic residents. Sampling results from 1 session of treatment were then compared with results obtained after intervisit calcium hydroxide disinfection and a second session of treatment. There was no significant difference in the ability of sonic group and control group to eliminate cultivable bacteria from root canals (P > .05). A second session and intervisit calcium hydroxide disinfection were able to eliminate cultivable bacteria from significantly more teeth than a single session of treatment (P treatment of apical periodontitis. Copyright 2010 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. MUSCLE: multiple sequence alignment with high accuracy and high throughput.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edgar, Robert C

    2004-01-01

    We describe MUSCLE, a new computer program for creating multiple alignments of protein sequences. Elements of the algorithm include fast distance estimation using kmer counting, progressive alignment using a new profile function we call the log-expectation score, and refinement using tree-dependent restricted partitioning. The speed and accuracy of MUSCLE are compared with T-Coffee, MAFFT and CLUSTALW on four test sets of reference alignments: BAliBASE, SABmark, SMART and a new benchmark, PREFAB. MUSCLE achieves the highest, or joint highest, rank in accuracy on each of these sets. Without refinement, MUSCLE achieves average accuracy statistically indistinguishable from T-Coffee and MAFFT, and is the fastest of the tested methods for large numbers of sequences, aligning 5000 sequences of average length 350 in 7 min on a current desktop computer. The MUSCLE program, source code and PREFAB test data are freely available at http://www.drive5. com/muscle.

  13. High Accuracy Evaluation of the Finite Fourier Transform Using Sampled Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morelli, Eugene A.

    1997-01-01

    Many system identification and signal processing procedures can be done advantageously in the frequency domain. A required preliminary step for this approach is the transformation of sampled time domain data into the frequency domain. The analytical tool used for this transformation is the finite Fourier transform. Inaccuracy in the transformation can degrade system identification and signal processing results. This work presents a method for evaluating the finite Fourier transform using cubic interpolation of sampled time domain data for high accuracy, and the chirp Zeta-transform for arbitrary frequency resolution. The accuracy of the technique is demonstrated in example cases where the transformation can be evaluated analytically. Arbitrary frequency resolution is shown to be important for capturing details of the data in the frequency domain. The technique is demonstrated using flight test data from a longitudinal maneuver of the F-18 High Alpha Research Vehicle.

  14. High accuracy interface characterization of three phase material systems in three dimensions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Peter Stanley; Hansen, Karin Vels; Larsen, Rasmus

    2010-01-01

    Quantification of interface properties such as two phase boundary area and triple phase boundary length is important in the characterization ofmanymaterial microstructures, in particular for solid oxide fuel cell electrodes. Three-dimensional images of these microstructures can be obtained...... by tomography schemes such as focused ion beam serial sectioning or micro-computed tomography. We present a high accuracy method of calculating two phase surface areas and triple phase length of triple phase systems from subvoxel accuracy segmentations of constituent phases. The method performs a three phase...... polygonization of the interface boundaries which results in a non-manifold mesh of connected faces. We show how the triple phase boundaries can be extracted as connected curve loops without branches. The accuracy of the method is analyzed by calculations on geometrical primitives...

  15. Enhanced Harnessing of the Graviola Bioactive Components Using a Neoteric Sonication Cum Microwave Coadjuvant Extraction Protocol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Se Chul Chun

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Graviola is one of the most accomplished natural anticancer therapists gaining popularity in recent times. Harnessing the full benefit from tapping all of its rich bioactive reservoirs is absolutely worthy and mandatory. It is in this regard that a well optimized extraction methodology gains paramount importance. In case of Graviola, no sophistication in terms of extraction methods is reported. A neoteric sonication cum microwave combined extraction technology was introduced that maximized the extraction process and minimized (7 min the extraction time. The extraction efficiency was validated based on the significant enrichment of bioactive ingredients in Graviola extracts following the sonication cum microwave combined protocol.

  16. Influence of borehole-eccentred tools on wireline and logging-while-drilling sonic logging measurements

    KAUST Repository

    Pardo, David; Matuszyk, Paweł Jerzy; Torres-Verdí n, Carlos; Mora Cordova, Angel; Muga, Ignacio; Calo, Victor M.

    2013-01-01

    We describe a numerical study to quantify the influence of tool-eccentricity on wireline (WL) and logging-while-drilling (LWD) sonic logging measurements. Simulations are performed with a height-polynomial-adaptive (hp) Fourier finite-element method

  17. protective and therapeutic effects of anaerobic bacteria sonicate on experimentally induced intestinal inflammation

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Sokol, Dan; Rossmann, Pavel; Jelen, P.; Hudcovic, Tomáš; Horáková, Dana; Jelínková, Lenka; Tučková, Ludmila; Tlaskalová, Helena

    2003-01-01

    Roč. 87, č. 1 (2003), s. 87 ISSN 0165-2478. [European Immunology Congress /15./. Rhodes, 08.06.2003-12.06.2003] Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5020903 Keywords : anacrobic * bacteria * sonicate Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 1.710, year: 2003

  18. Stimulation of lymphocytes in vitro by Bacteroides intermedius and Bacteroides (Porphyromonas) gingivalis sonicates

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Raber-Durlacher, J. E.; Zeijlemaker, W. P.; Meinesz, A. A.; Abraham-Inpijn, L.

    1990-01-01

    The present study was designed to assess whether the in vitro stimulation of lymphocytes by sonicates of Bacteroides intermedius and Bacteroides (Porphyromonas) gingivalis is antigen specific or non-specific. In addition, the role of T and B lymphocytes in these responses was assessed. Peripheral

  19. Sonic Boom Pressure Signature Uncertainty Calculation and Propagation to Ground Noise

    Science.gov (United States)

    West, Thomas K., IV; Bretl, Katherine N.; Walker, Eric L.; Pinier, Jeremy T.

    2015-01-01

    The objective of this study was to outline an approach for the quantification of uncertainty in sonic boom measurements and to investigate the effect of various near-field uncertainty representation approaches on ground noise predictions. These approaches included a symmetric versus asymmetric uncertainty band representation and a dispersion technique based on a partial sum Fourier series that allows for the inclusion of random error sources in the uncertainty. The near-field uncertainty was propagated to the ground level, along with additional uncertainty in the propagation modeling. Estimates of perceived loudness were obtained for the various types of uncertainty representation in the near-field. Analyses were performed on three configurations of interest to the sonic boom community: the SEEB-ALR, the 69o DeltaWing, and the LM 1021-01. Results showed that representation of the near-field uncertainty plays a key role in ground noise predictions. Using a Fourier series based dispersion approach can double the amount of uncertainty in the ground noise compared to a pure bias representation. Compared to previous computational fluid dynamics results, uncertainty in ground noise predictions were greater when considering the near-field experimental uncertainty.

  20. Transesterification of waste vegetable oil under pulse sonication using ethanol, methanol and ethanol–methanol mixtures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martinez-Guerra, Edith; Gude, Veera Gnaneswar, E-mail: gude@cee.msstate.edu

    2014-12-15

    Highlights: • Pulse sonication effect on transesterification of waste vegetable oil was studied. • Effects of ethanol, methanol, and alcohol mixtures on FAMEs yield were evaluated. • Effect of ultrasonic intensity, power density, and its output rates were evaluated. • Alcohol mixtures resulted in higher biodiesel yields due to better solubility. - Abstract: This study reports on the effects of direct pulse sonication and the type of alcohol (methanol and ethanol) on the transesterification reaction of waste vegetable oil without any external heating or mechanical mixing. Biodiesel yields and optimum process conditions for the transesterification reaction involving ethanol, methanol, and ethanol–methanol mixtures were evaluated. The effects of ultrasonic power densities (by varying sample volumes), power output rates (in W), and ultrasonic intensities (by varying the reactor size) were studied for transesterification reaction with ethanol, methanol and ethanol–methanol (50%-50%) mixtures. The optimum process conditions for ethanol or methanol based transesterification reaction of waste vegetable oil were determined as: 9:1 alcohol to oil ratio, 1% wt. catalyst amount, 1–2 min reaction time at a power output rate between 75 and 150 W. It was shown that the transesterification reactions using ethanol–methanol mixtures resulted in biodiesel yields as high as >99% at lower power density and ultrasound intensity when compared to ethanol or methanol based transesterification reactions.

  1. MRI monitoring of focused ultrasound sonications near metallic hardware.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weber, Hans; Ghanouni, Pejman; Pascal-Tenorio, Aurea; Pauly, Kim Butts; Hargreaves, Brian A

    2018-07-01

    To explore the temperature-induced signal change in two-dimensional multi-spectral imaging (2DMSI) for fast thermometry near metallic hardware to enable MR-guided focused ultrasound surgery (MRgFUS) in patients with implanted metallic hardware. 2DMSI was optimized for temperature sensitivity and applied to monitor focus ultrasound surgery (FUS) sonications near metallic hardware in phantoms and ex vivo porcine muscle tissue. Further, we evaluated its temperature sensitivity for in vivo muscle in patients without metallic hardware. In addition, we performed a comparison of temperature sensitivity between 2DMSI and conventional proton-resonance-frequency-shift (PRFS) thermometry at different distances from metal devices and different signal-to-noise ratios (SNR). 2DMSI thermometry enabled visualization of short ultrasound sonications near metallic hardware. Calibration using in vivo muscle yielded a constant temperature sensitivity for temperatures below 43 °C. For an off-resonance coverage of ± 6 kHz, we achieved a temperature sensitivity of 1.45%/K, resulting in a minimum detectable temperature change of ∼2.5 K for an SNR of 100 with a temporal resolution of 6 s per frame. The proposed 2DMSI thermometry has the potential to allow MR-guided FUS treatments of patients with metallic hardware and therefore expand its reach to a larger patient population. Magn Reson Med 80:259-271, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

  2. A Smart High Accuracy Silicon Piezoresistive Pressure Sensor Temperature Compensation System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guanwu Zhou

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Theoretical analysis in this paper indicates that the accuracy of a silicon piezoresistive pressure sensor is mainly affected by thermal drift, and varies nonlinearly with the temperature. Here, a smart temperature compensation system to reduce its effect on accuracy is proposed. Firstly, an effective conditioning circuit for signal processing and data acquisition is designed. The hardware to implement the system is fabricated. Then, a program is developed on LabVIEW which incorporates an extreme learning machine (ELM as the calibration algorithm for the pressure drift. The implementation of the algorithm was ported to a micro-control unit (MCU after calibration in the computer. Practical pressure measurement experiments are carried out to verify the system’s performance. The temperature compensation is solved in the interval from −40 to 85 °C. The compensated sensor is aimed at providing pressure measurement in oil-gas pipelines. Compared with other algorithms, ELM acquires higher accuracy and is more suitable for batch compensation because of its higher generalization and faster learning speed. The accuracy, linearity, zero temperature coefficient and sensitivity temperature coefficient of the tested sensor are 2.57% FS, 2.49% FS, 8.1 × 10−5/°C and 29.5 × 10−5/°C before compensation, and are improved to 0.13%FS, 0.15%FS, 1.17 × 10−5/°C and 2.1 × 10−5/°C respectively, after compensation. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed system is valid for the temperature compensation and high accuracy requirement of the sensor.

  3. Ultra-high accuracy optical testing: creating diffraction-limitedshort-wavelength optical systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goldberg, Kenneth A.; Naulleau, Patrick P.; Rekawa, Senajith B.; Denham, Paul E.; Liddle, J. Alexander; Gullikson, Eric M.; Jackson, KeithH.; Anderson, Erik H.; Taylor, John S.; Sommargren, Gary E.; Chapman,Henry N.; Phillion, Donald W.; Johnson, Michael; Barty, Anton; Soufli,Regina; Spiller, Eberhard A.; Walton, Christopher C.; Bajt, Sasa

    2005-08-03

    Since 1993, research in the fabrication of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) optical imaging systems, conducted at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), has produced the highest resolution optical systems ever made. We have pioneered the development of ultra-high-accuracy optical testing and alignment methods, working at extreme ultraviolet wavelengths, and pushing wavefront-measuring interferometry into the 2-20-nm wavelength range (60-600 eV). These coherent measurement techniques, including lateral shearing interferometry and phase-shifting point-diffraction interferometry (PS/PDI) have achieved RMS wavefront measurement accuracies of 0.5-1-{angstrom} and better for primary aberration terms, enabling the creation of diffraction-limited EUV optics. The measurement accuracy is established using careful null-testing procedures, and has been verified repeatedly through high-resolution imaging. We believe these methods are broadly applicable to the advancement of short-wavelength optical systems including space telescopes, microscope objectives, projection lenses, synchrotron beamline optics, diffractive and holographic optics, and more. Measurements have been performed on a tunable undulator beamline at LBNL's Advanced Light Source (ALS), optimized for high coherent flux; although many of these techniques should be adaptable to alternative ultraviolet, EUV, and soft x-ray light sources. To date, we have measured nine prototype all-reflective EUV optical systems with NA values between 0.08 and 0.30 (f/6.25 to f/1.67). These projection-imaging lenses were created for the semiconductor industry's advanced research in EUV photolithography, a technology slated for introduction in 2009-13. This paper reviews the methods used and our program's accomplishments to date.

  4. Evanescent waves and deaf bands in sonic crystals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. Romero-García

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available The properties of sonic crystals (SC are theoretically investigated in this work by solving the inverse problem k(ω using the extended plane wave expansion (EPWE. The solution of the resulting eigenvalue problem gives the complex band structure which takes into account both the propagating and the evanescent modes. In this work we show the complete mathematical formulation of the EPWE for SC and the supercell approximation for its use in both a complete SC and a SC with defects. As an example we show a novel interpretation of the deaf bands in a complete SC in good agreement with multiple scattering simulations.

  5. Empirical Musicology Review: Serialist Claims versus Sonic Reality

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    William Thomson

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available This study examines the descriptive mores of Serialism, as found in writings of leading American academics of the past half-century. A serious gap is revealed, especially between claims made for structural conditions rooted in dodecaphonic procedures and the actual kinetics of music as heard. Curious (and debilitating ambiguities and dead ends are noted in terms used to define critical perceptual conditions in such music; some claims of significance for features of 12- tone rows in certain works are revealed as wholly irrelevant to music as sonic event. Most prominent of the writings discussed are those of Milton Babbitt, Allen Forte and David Lewin.

  6. NiftyPET: a High-throughput Software Platform for High Quantitative Accuracy and Precision PET Imaging and Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markiewicz, Pawel J; Ehrhardt, Matthias J; Erlandsson, Kjell; Noonan, Philip J; Barnes, Anna; Schott, Jonathan M; Atkinson, David; Arridge, Simon R; Hutton, Brian F; Ourselin, Sebastien

    2018-01-01

    We present a standalone, scalable and high-throughput software platform for PET image reconstruction and analysis. We focus on high fidelity modelling of the acquisition processes to provide high accuracy and precision quantitative imaging, especially for large axial field of view scanners. All the core routines are implemented using parallel computing available from within the Python package NiftyPET, enabling easy access, manipulation and visualisation of data at any processing stage. The pipeline of the platform starts from MR and raw PET input data and is divided into the following processing stages: (1) list-mode data processing; (2) accurate attenuation coefficient map generation; (3) detector normalisation; (4) exact forward and back projection between sinogram and image space; (5) estimation of reduced-variance random events; (6) high accuracy fully 3D estimation of scatter events; (7) voxel-based partial volume correction; (8) region- and voxel-level image analysis. We demonstrate the advantages of this platform using an amyloid brain scan where all the processing is executed from a single and uniform computational environment in Python. The high accuracy acquisition modelling is achieved through span-1 (no axial compression) ray tracing for true, random and scatter events. Furthermore, the platform offers uncertainty estimation of any image derived statistic to facilitate robust tracking of subtle physiological changes in longitudinal studies. The platform also supports the development of new reconstruction and analysis algorithms through restricting the axial field of view to any set of rings covering a region of interest and thus performing fully 3D reconstruction and corrections using real data significantly faster. All the software is available as open source with the accompanying wiki-page and test data.

  7. Sonication-Based Improvement of the Physicochemical Properties of Guar Gum as a Potential Substrate for Modified Drug Delivery Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Siddique Akber Ansari

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Guar Gum is a natural polysaccharide that, due to its physicochemical properties, is extensively investigated for biomedical applications as a matrix for modified drug delivery, but it is also used in the food industry as well as in cosmetics. A commercial sample of Guar Gum was sonicated for different periods of time, and the reduction in the average molecular weight was monitored by means of viscometric measurements. At the same time, the rheological behaviour was also followed, in terms of viscoelasticity range, flow curves, and mechanical spectra. Sonicated samples were used for the preparation of gels in the presence of borate ions. The effect of borax on the new samples was investigated by recording mechanical spectra, flow curves, and visible absorption spectra of complexes with Congo Red. The anisotropic elongation, observed in previous studies with tablets of Guar Gum and borax, was remarkably reduced when the sonicated samples were used for the preparation of the gels.

  8. Physical properties of a new sonically placed composite resin restorative material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ibarra, Emily T; Lien, Wen; Casey, Jeffery; Dixon, Sara A; Vandewalle, Kraig S

    2015-01-01

    A new nanohybrid composite activated by sonic energy has been recently introduced as a single-step, bulk-fill restorative material. The purpose of this study was to compare the physical properties of this new composite to various other composite restorative materials marketed for posterior or bulk-fill placement. The following physical properties were examined: depth of cure, volumetric shrinkage, flexural strength, flexural modulus, fracture toughness, and percent porosity. A mean and standard deviation were determined per group. One-way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc tests were performed per property (α = 0.05). Percent porosity was evaluated with a Kruskal-Wallis/Mann-Whitney test (α = 0.005). Significant differences were found between groups (P composite restorative materials, the new nanohybrid composite showed low shrinkage and percent porosity, moderate fracture toughness and flexural modulus, and high flexural strength. However, it also demonstrated a relatively reduced depth of cure compared to the other composites.

  9. Synergistic impact of sonic-tenside on biomass disintegration potential: Acidogenic and methane potential studies, kinetics and cost analytics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tamilarasan, K; Arulazhagan, P; Rani, R Uma; Kaliappan, S; Banu, J Rajesh

    2018-04-01

    An exploration into the symbiotic impact of sonic-tenside (SDBS - sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate) on biomass disintegration potential and to reduce the energy consumption was studied. At optimized condition (specific energy input 9600 kJ/kg TS; SDBS dosage 0.07 g/g SS), higher percentage of biomass lysis and solids reduction (23.9% and 19.8%) was obtained in blended sonic-tenside disintegration (STD), than sonic disintegration (SD) (17.6% and 9.8%). The bioacidogenic potential (BAP) assay in terms of volatile fatty acids (VFA) production (722 mg/L) was found to be higher for STD, in comparison to SD (350 mg/L). The impact of STD on anaerobic digestion was evident from its methane yield (0.239 g/g COD), higher than SD (0.182 g/g COD). A monetary evaluation of the present study provides a net gain of 2 USD/ton for STD, indicating the profitability of the technique. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. High-accuracy self-mixing interferometer based on single high-order orthogonally polarized feedback effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Zhaoli; Qu, Xueming; Tan, Yidong; Tan, Runtao; Zhang, Shulian

    2015-06-29

    A simple and high-accuracy self-mixing interferometer based on single high-order orthogonally polarized feedback effects is presented. The single high-order feedback effect is realized when dual-frequency laser reflects numerous times in a Fabry-Perot cavity and then goes back to the laser resonator along the same route. In this case, two orthogonally polarized feedback fringes with nanoscale resolution are obtained. This self-mixing interferometer has the advantages of higher sensitivity to weak signal than that of conventional interferometer. In addition, two orthogonally polarized fringes are useful for discriminating the moving direction of measured object. The experiment of measuring 2.5nm step is conducted, which shows a great potential in nanometrology.

  11. Automated novel high-accuracy miniaturized positioning system for use in analytical instrumentation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siomos, Konstadinos; Kaliakatsos, John; Apostolakis, Manolis; Lianakis, John; Duenow, Peter

    1996-01-01

    The development of three-dimensional automotive devices (micro-robots) for applications in analytical instrumentation, clinical chemical diagnostics and advanced laser optics, depends strongly on the ability of such a device: firstly to be positioned with high accuracy, reliability, and automatically, by means of user friendly interface techniques; secondly to be compact; and thirdly to operate under vacuum conditions, free of most of the problems connected with conventional micropositioners using stepping-motor gear techniques. The objective of this paper is to develop and construct a mechanically compact computer-based micropositioning system for coordinated motion in the X-Y-Z directions with: (1) a positioning accuracy of less than 1 micrometer, (the accuracy of the end-position of the system is controlled by a hard/software assembly using a self-constructed optical encoder); (2) a heat-free propulsion mechanism for vacuum operation; and (3) synchronized X-Y motion.

  12. Identification and delineation of areas flood hazard using high accuracy of DEM data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riadi, B.; Barus, B.; Widiatmaka; Yanuar, M. J. P.; Pramudya, B.

    2018-05-01

    Flood incidents that often occur in Karawang regency need to be mitigated. These expectations exist on technologies that can predict, anticipate and reduce disaster risks. Flood modeling techniques using Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data can be applied in mitigation activities. High accuracy DEM data used in modeling, will result in better flooding flood models. The result of high accuracy DEM data processing will yield information about surface morphology which can be used to identify indication of flood hazard area. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe flood hazard areas by identifying wetland areas using DEM data and Landsat-8 images. TerraSAR-X high-resolution data is used to detect wetlands from landscapes, while land cover is identified by Landsat image data. The Topography Wetness Index (TWI) method is used to detect and identify wetland areas with basic DEM data, while for land cover analysis using Tasseled Cap Transformation (TCT) method. The result of TWI modeling yields information about potential land of flood. Overlay TWI map with land cover map that produces information that in Karawang regency the most vulnerable areas occur flooding in rice fields. The spatial accuracy of the flood hazard area in this study was 87%.

  13. Accuracy of Estimating Highly Eccentric Binary Black Hole Parameters with Gravitational-wave Detections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gondán, László; Kocsis, Bence; Raffai, Péter; Frei, Zsolt

    2018-03-01

    Mergers of stellar-mass black holes on highly eccentric orbits are among the targets for ground-based gravitational-wave detectors, including LIGO, VIRGO, and KAGRA. These sources may commonly form through gravitational-wave emission in high-velocity dispersion systems or through the secular Kozai–Lidov mechanism in triple systems. Gravitational waves carry information about the binaries’ orbital parameters and source location. Using the Fisher matrix technique, we determine the measurement accuracy with which the LIGO–VIRGO–KAGRA network could measure the source parameters of eccentric binaries using a matched filtering search of the repeated burst and eccentric inspiral phases of the waveform. We account for general relativistic precession and the evolution of the orbital eccentricity and frequency during the inspiral. We find that the signal-to-noise ratio and the parameter measurement accuracy may be significantly higher for eccentric sources than for circular sources. This increase is sensitive to the initial pericenter distance, the initial eccentricity, and the component masses. For instance, compared to a 30 {M}ȯ –30 {M}ȯ non-spinning circular binary, the chirp mass and sky-localization accuracy can improve by a factor of ∼129 (38) and ∼2 (11) for an initially highly eccentric binary assuming an initial pericenter distance of 20 M tot (10 M tot).

  14. Comparison of the removal of calcium hydroxide medicaments on the root canal treatment irrigated with manual and sonic agitation technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Muryani

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Irrigation of the root canal system is an important part of the endodontic treatment principle which aims to improve the hygiene of the root canal system from any debris and medicament residue with the hydrodynamic system. Root irrigation technique can be done with the manual and sonic system by using 2.5% NaOCI irrigation solution. Calcium hydroxide is used as a medicament for root canal sterilization. Root canal treatment will fail due to the imperfect removal of calcium hydroxide residue. The objective of this research was to analyze the comparison of the removal of calcium hydroxide medicaments on the root canal treatment irrigated with manual and sonic agitation technique using 2.5% sodium hypochlorite solution. Methods: The methods used in this study was experimental laboratory. The sample used was 30 maxillary incisors. The teeth were then divided into two groups randomly, then the root canal preparation was done by the crown down technique with manual irrigation using 2.5% NaOCI solution. The radicular part of the teeth was then split longitudinally, given a standardized groove in the one-third of the apical part, then applied with water-solved calcium hydroxide. The teeth were unified afterwards by using flowable composites, then soaked in the artificial saliva at the temperature of 37ºC. The sample of the 1st group was irrigated by manual agitation technique, and the sample of the 2nd group 2 was irrigated by sonic agitation technique, then both were viewed by stereo microscope. The data results were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. Results: The results of calcium hydroxide removal were different between the root canals that were irrigated using 2.5% sodium hypochlorite irrigation solution by manual agitation technique compared to the sonic agitation technique. Irrigation using 2.5% sodium hypochlorite irrigation solution with the sonic agitation techniques were proven to be more effective in lifting Ca

  15. Use of sonic tomography to detect and quantify wood decay in living trees1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilbert, Gregory S.; Ballesteros, Javier O.; Barrios-Rodriguez, Cesar A.; Bonadies, Ernesto F.; Cedeño-Sánchez, Marjorie L.; Fossatti-Caballero, Nohely J.; Trejos-Rodríguez, Mariam M.; Pérez-Suñiga, José Moises; Holub-Young, Katharine S.; Henn, Laura A. W.; Thompson, Jennifer B.; García-López, Cesar G.; Romo, Amanda C.; Johnston, Daniel C.; Barrick, Pablo P.; Jordan, Fulvia A.; Hershcovich, Shiran; Russo, Natalie; Sánchez, Juan David; Fábrega, Juan Pablo; Lumpkin, Raleigh; McWilliams, Hunter A.; Chester, Kathleen N.; Burgos, Alana C.; Wong, E. Beatriz; Diab, Jonathan H.; Renteria, Sonia A.; Harrower, Jennifer T.; Hooton, Douglas A.; Glenn, Travis C.; Faircloth, Brant C.; Hubbell, Stephen P.

    2016-01-01

    Premise of the study: Field methodology and image analysis protocols using acoustic tomography were developed and evaluated as a tool to estimate the amount of internal decay and damage of living trees, with special attention to tropical rainforest trees with irregular trunk shapes. Methods and Results: Living trunks of a diversity of tree species in tropical rainforests in the Republic of Panama were scanned using an Argus Electronic PiCUS 3 Sonic Tomograph and evaluated for the amount and patterns of internal decay. A protocol using ImageJ analysis software was used to quantify the proportions of intact and compromised wood. The protocols provide replicable estimates of internal decay and cavities for trees of varying shapes, wood density, and bark thickness. Conclusions: Sonic tomography, coupled with image analysis, provides an efficient, noninvasive approach to evaluate decay patterns and structural integrity of even irregularly shaped living trees. PMID:28101433

  16. Efficacy of sonic and ultrasonic activation for removal of calcium hydroxide from mesial canals of mandibular molars: a microtomographic study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiseman, Anne; Cox, Timothy C; Paranjpe, Avina; Flake, Natasha M; Cohenca, Nestor; Johnson, James D

    2011-02-01

    The purpose of this study was to use micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) scanning to evaluate the efficacy of sonic and passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI) on calcium hydroxide (Ca[OH](2)) removal and to measure the volume and percentage of Ca(OH)(2) remaining in the root canal system. The root canals of 46 extracted human mandibular molar teeth were prepared with rotary instruments and randomly assigned to two experimental groups (n = 40) as well as positive and negative controls (n = 6). In each experimental group, 20 teeth were assigned to each irrigation protocol, sonic or passive ultrasonic irrigation. All experimental teeth and the positive controls were filled with Ca(OH)(2), whereas the negative control teeth did not receive Ca(OH)(2). All teeth were scanned using micro-CT scanning to determine the dressing volume. After 7 days, the Ca(OH)(2) was removed in the experimental groups using rotary instrumentation only, and the teeth were again scanned using micro-CT scanning to calculate volume and percentage of Ca(OH)(2) removed. Positive control teeth were not subjected to rotary instrumentation. Experimental samples were then irrigated using either sonic or passive ultrasonic and the volume of remaining Ca(OH)(2) was calculated using micro-CT. Remnants of Ca(OH)(2) were found in all experimental groups. No Ca(OH)(2) was found in the negative controls, whereas a mean of 8.7 mm(3) of Ca(OH)(2) was recorded in the positive controls. Rotary plus passive ultrasonic irrigation removed significantly more Ca(OH)(2) (85.7%) than rotary plus sonic irrigation (71.5%) (p < 0.001). The combination of rotary instrumentation and passive ultrasonic activation for 3 periods of 20 seconds results in significantly lower amounts of Ca(OH)(2) remnants in the canal compared with sonic irrigation. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  17. Ecoacoustic Music for Geoscience: Sonic Physiographies and Sound Casting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burtner, M.

    2017-12-01

    The author describes specific ecoacoustic applications in his original compositions, Sonic Physiography of a Time-Stretched Glacier (2015), Catalog of Roughness (2017), Sound Cast of Matanuska Glacier (2016) and Ecoacoustic Concerto (Eagle Rock) (2014). Ecoacoustic music uses technology to map systems from nature into music through techniques such as sonification, material amplification, and field recording. The author aspires for this music to be descriptive of the data (as one would expect from a visualization) and also to function as engaging and expressive music/sound art on its own. In this way, ecoacoustic music might provide a fitting accompaniment to a scientific presentation (such as music for a science video) while also offering an exemplary concert hall presentation for a dedicated listening public. The music can at once support the communication of scientific research, and help science make inroads into culture. The author discusses how music created using the data, sounds and methods derived from earth science can recast this research into a sonic art modality. Such music can amplify the communication and dissemination of scientific knowledge by broadening the diversity of methods and formats we use to bring excellent scientific research to the public. Music can also open the public's imagination to science, inspiring curiosity and emotional resonance. Hearing geoscience as music may help a non-scientist access scientific knowledge in new ways, and it can greatly expand the types of venues in which this work can appear. Anywhere music is played - concert halls, festivals, galleries, radio, etc - become a venue for scientific discovery.

  18. High accuracy positioning using carrier-phases with the opensource GPSTK software

    OpenAIRE

    Salazar Hernández, Dagoberto José; Hernández Pajares, Manuel; Juan Zornoza, José Miguel; Sanz Subirana, Jaume

    2008-01-01

    The objective of this work is to show how using a proper GNSS data management strategy, combined with the flexibility provided by the open source "GPS Toolkit" (GPSTk), it is possible to easily develop both simple code-based processing strategies as well as basic high accuracy carrier-phase positioning techniques like Precise Point Positioning (PPP

  19. Development of a full waveform digital sonic tool and its field application; Full wave onpa kenso sochi no kaihatsu to genchi tekiyo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Inazaki, T [Geological Survey of Japan, Tsukuba (Japan); Kurahashi, T [Public Works Research Institute, Tsukuba (Japan); Goebuchi, T [OYO Corp., Tokyo (Japan)

    1997-10-22

    Full waveform digital sonic tool (OYO) has been developed for the purpose of accurately measuring geophysical anomalies in the rockbed containing cracks, and its performance is evaluated by comparing its measurements with those obtained by the conventional sonic logging device (DBM). Modification involves the following. While gain is fixed in the DBM, it is variable in a times10-times200 range in the OYO. Analog transfer:ground surface A/D in the DBM is replaced by digital transfer:intra-probe A/D in the OYO. In the DBM, only a special program running on the MS-DOS can analyze waveform data but, in the OYO, waveforms are recorded in the SEG-Y format enabling the import of the data into generally available waveform processing software. In the OYO, a high-speed communication board is incorporated into the probe, which realizes high-speed communication. There is a very excellent agreement between the two in P-wave velocity distribution as reckoned from the initial run. Regarding the OYO, however, it is pointed out that gain control be performed with the greatest care to prevent waveforms from distortion. 5 figs.

  20. Thermography and Sonic Anemometry to Analyze Air Heaters in Mediterranean Greenhouses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Araceli Peña

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available The present work has developed a methodology based on thermography and sonic anemometry for studying the microclimate in Mediterranean greenhouses equipped with air heaters and polyethylene distribution ducts to distribute the warm air. Sonic anemometry allows us to identify the airflow pattern generated by the heaters and to analyze the temperature distribution inside the greenhouse, while thermography provides accurate crop temperature data. Air distribution by means of perforated polyethylene ducts at ground level, widely used in Mediterranean-type greenhouses, can generate heterogeneous temperature distributions inside the greenhouse when the system is not correctly designed. The system analyzed in this work used a polyethylene duct with a row of hot air outlet holes (all of equal diameter that expel warm air toward the ground to avoid plant damage. We have observed that this design (the most widely used in Almería’s greenhouses produces stagnation of hot air in the highest part of the structure, reducing the heating of the crop zone. Using 88 kW heating power (146.7 W∙m−2 the temperature inside the greenhouse is maintained 7.2 to 11.2 °C above the outside temperature. The crop temperature (17.6 to 19.9 °C was maintained above the minimum recommended value of 10 °C.

  1. Thermography and sonic anemometry to analyze air heaters in Mediterranean greenhouses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    López, Alejandro; Valera, Diego L; Molina-Aiz, Francisco; Peña, Araceli

    2012-10-16

    The present work has developed a methodology based on thermography and sonic anemometry for studying the microclimate in Mediterranean greenhouses equipped with air heaters and polyethylene distribution ducts to distribute the warm air. Sonic anemometry allows us to identify the airflow pattern generated by the heaters and to analyze the temperature distribution inside the greenhouse, while thermography provides accurate crop temperature data. Air distribution by means of perforated polyethylene ducts at ground level, widely used in Mediterranean-type greenhouses, can generate heterogeneous temperature distributions inside the greenhouse when the system is not correctly designed. The system analyzed in this work used a polyethylene duct with a row of hot air outlet holes (all of equal diameter) that expel warm air toward the ground to avoid plant damage. We have observed that this design (the most widely used in Almería's greenhouses) produces stagnation of hot air in the highest part of the structure, reducing the heating of the crop zone. Using 88 kW heating power (146.7 W ∙ m(-2)) the temperature inside the greenhouse is maintained 7.2 to 11.2 °C above the outside temperature. The crop temperature (17.6 to 19.9 °C) was maintained above the minimum recommended value of 10 °C.

  2. Heavy metals uptake by sonicated activated sludge: Relation with floc surface properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laurent, Julien; Casellas, Magali; Dagot, Christophe

    2009-01-01

    The effects of sonication of activated sludge on heavy metal uptake were in a first time investigated in respect with potential modifications of floc surface properties. The treatment led to the simultaneous increase of specific surface area and of the availability of negative and/or hydrophilic sites. In parallel, organic matter was released in the soluble fraction. Sorption isotherms of cadmium and copper showed that uptake characteristics and mechanisms were highly dependent on both heavy metal species and specific energy supplied. The increase of both specific surface area and fixation sites availability led to the increase of Cd(II) uptake. For Cu(II), organic matter released in soluble phase during the treatment seemed to act as a ligand and to limit adsorption on flocs surface. Three different heavy metals uptake mechanisms have been identified: proton exchange, ion exchange and (co)precipitation

  3. A New Approach to High-accuracy Road Orthophoto Mapping Based on Wavelet Transform

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ming Yang

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Existing orthophoto map based on satellite photography and aerial photography is not precise enough for road marking. This paper proposes a new approach to high-accuracy orthophoto mapping. The approach uses inverse perspective transformation to process the image information and generates the orthophoto fragment. The offline interpolation algorithm is used to process the location information. It processes the dead reckoning and the EKF location information, and uses the result to transform the fragments to the global coordinate system. At last it uses wavelet transform to divides the image to two frequency bands and uses weighted median algorithm to deal with them separately. The result of experiment shows that the map produced with this method has high accuracy.

  4. A new ultra-high-accuracy angle generator: current status and future direction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guertin, Christian F.; Geckeler, Ralf D.

    2017-09-01

    Lack of an extreme high-accuracy angular positioning device available in the United States has left a gap in industrial and scientific efforts conducted there, requiring certain user groups to undertake time-consuming work with overseas laboratories. Specifically, in x-ray mirror metrology the global research community is advancing the state-of-the-art to unprecedented levels. We aim to fill this U.S. gap by developing a versatile high-accuracy angle generator as a part of the national metrology tool set for x-ray mirror metrology and other important industries. Using an established calibration technique to measure the errors of the encoder scale graduations for full-rotation rotary encoders, we implemented an optimized arrangement of sensors positioned to minimize propagation of calibration errors. Our initial feasibility research shows that upon scaling to a full prototype and including additional calibration techniques we can expect to achieve uncertainties at the level of 0.01 arcsec (50 nrad) or better and offer the immense advantage of a highly automatable and customizable product to the commercial market.

  5. Sonic Kayaks: Environmental monitoring and experimental music by citizens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Griffiths, Amber G F; Kemp, Kirsty M; Matthews, Kaffe; Garrett, Joanne K; Griffiths, David J

    2017-11-01

    The Sonic Kayak is a musical instrument used to investigate nature and developed during open hacklab events. The kayaks are rigged with underwater environmental sensors, which allow paddlers to hear real-time water temperature sonifications and underwater sounds, generating live music from the marine world. Sensor data is also logged every second with location, time and date, which allows for fine-scale mapping of water temperatures and underwater noise that was previously unattainable using standard research equipment. The system can be used as a citizen science data collection device, research equipment for professional scientists, or a sound art installation in its own right.

  6. Effect of Legionella pneumophila sonicate on killing of Listeria monocytogenes by human polymorphonuclear neutrophils and monocytes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rechnitzer, C; Bangsborg, Jette Marie; Shand, G H

    1993-01-01

    Legionella pneumophila shares with other intracellular pathogens the ability to resist intracellular killing within phagocytes. An increasing number of cellular components of L. pneumophila are proposed as pathogenic factors of the organism. At the site of infection, the phagocytic cells will be ......Legionella pneumophila shares with other intracellular pathogens the ability to resist intracellular killing within phagocytes. An increasing number of cellular components of L. pneumophila are proposed as pathogenic factors of the organism. At the site of infection, the phagocytic cells...... are most likely to represent the inhibitory factors. The inhibitory activity of L. pneumophila sonic extract appears to be related to inhibition of killing mechanisms since uptake of Listeria was not affected by the sonicate. Our observations indicate that as Legionella infection progresses, bacterial...

  7. Ultra-high accuracy optical testing: creating diffraction-limited short-wavelength optical systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goldberg, Kenneth A.; Naulleau, Patrick P.; Rekawa, Senajith B.; Denham, Paul E.; Liddle, J. Alexander; Gullikson, Eric M.; Jackson, KeithH.; Anderson, Erik H.; Taylor, John S.; Sommargren, Gary E.; Chapman, Henry N.; Phillion, Donald W.; Johnson, Michael; Barty, Anton; Soufli, Regina; Spiller, Eberhard A.; Walton, Christopher C.; Bajt, Sasa

    2005-01-01

    Since 1993, research in the fabrication of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) optical imaging systems, conducted at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), has produced the highest resolution optical systems ever made. We have pioneered the development of ultra-high-accuracy optical testing and alignment methods, working at extreme ultraviolet wavelengths, and pushing wavefront-measuring interferometry into the 2-20-nm wavelength range (60-600 eV). These coherent measurement techniques, including lateral shearing interferometry and phase-shifting point-diffraction interferometry (PS/PDI) have achieved RMS wavefront measurement accuracies of 0.5-1-(angstrom) and better for primary aberration terms, enabling the creation of diffraction-limited EUV optics. The measurement accuracy is established using careful null-testing procedures, and has been verified repeatedly through high-resolution imaging. We believe these methods are broadly applicable to the advancement of short-wavelength optical systems including space telescopes, microscope objectives, projection lenses, synchrotron beamline optics, diffractive and holographic optics, and more. Measurements have been performed on a tunable undulator beamline at LBNL's Advanced Light Source (ALS), optimized for high coherent flux; although many of these techniques should be adaptable to alternative ultraviolet, EUV, and soft x-ray light sources. To date, we have measured nine prototype all-reflective EUV optical systems with NA values between 0.08 and 0.30 (f/6.25 to f/1.67). These projection-imaging lenses were created for the semiconductor industry's advanced research in EUV photolithography, a technology slated for introduction in 2009-13. This paper reviews the methods used and our program's accomplishments to date

  8. Survivin as a therapeutic target in Sonic hedgehog-driven medulloblastoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brun, S N; Markant, S L; Esparza, L A; Garcia, G; Terry, D; Huang, J-M; Pavlyukov, M S; Li, X-N; Grant, G A; Crawford, J R; Levy, M L; Conway, E M; Smith, L H; Nakano, I; Berezov, A; Greene, M I; Wang, Q; Wechsler-Reya, R J

    2015-07-01

    Medulloblastoma (MB) is a highly malignant brain tumor that occurs primarily in children. Although surgery, radiation and high-dose chemotherapy have led to increased survival, many MB patients still die from their disease, and patients who survive suffer severe long-term side effects as a consequence of treatment. Thus, more effective and less toxic therapies for MB are critically important. Development of such therapies depends in part on identification of genes that are necessary for growth and survival of tumor cells. Survivin is an inhibitor of apoptosis protein that regulates cell cycle progression and resistance to apoptosis, is frequently expressed in human MB and when expressed at high levels predicts poor clinical outcome. Therefore, we hypothesized that Survivin may have a critical role in growth and survival of MB cells and that targeting it may enhance MB therapy. Here we show that Survivin is overexpressed in tumors from patched (Ptch) mutant mice, a model of Sonic hedgehog (SHH)-driven MB. Genetic deletion of survivin in Ptch mutant tumor cells significantly inhibits proliferation and causes cell cycle arrest. Treatment with small-molecule antagonists of Survivin impairs proliferation and survival of both murine and human MB cells. Finally, Survivin antagonists impede growth of MB cells in vivo. These studies highlight the importance of Survivin in SHH-driven MB, and suggest that it may represent a novel therapeutic target in patients with this disease.

  9. Digitally controlled measurement of sonic elastic moduli and internal friction by phase analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    O'Brien, M.H.; Hunter, O. Jr.; Rasmussen, M.D.; Skank, H.D.

    1983-01-01

    An automated system is described for measuring internal friction and elastic moduli using sonic resonance techniques. This mirocomputer-controlled device does phase angle analysis in addition to traditional decay and peak-width internal friction measurement. The apparatus may be programmed to make measurements at any sequence of temperatures between room temperature and 1600 0 C

  10. Signaling domain of Sonic Hedgehog as cannibalistic calcium-regulated zinc-peptidase.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rocio Rebollido-Rios

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Sonic Hedgehog (Shh is a representative of the evolutionary closely related class of Hedgehog proteins that have essential signaling functions in animal development. The N-terminal domain (ShhN is also assigned to the group of LAS proteins (LAS = Lysostaphin type enzymes, D-Ala-D-Ala metalloproteases, Sonic Hedgehog, of which all members harbor a structurally well-defined Zn2+ center; however, it is remarkable that ShhN so far is the only LAS member without proven peptidase activity. Another unique feature of ShhN in the LAS group is a double-Ca2+ center close to the zinc. We have studied the effect of these calcium ions on ShhN structure, dynamics, and interactions. We find that the presence of calcium has a marked impact on ShhN properties, with the two calcium ions having different effects. The more strongly bound calcium ion significantly stabilizes the overall structure. Surprisingly, the binding of the second calcium ion switches the putative catalytic center from a state similar to LAS enzymes to a state that probably is catalytically inactive. We describe in detail the mechanics of the switch, including the effect on substrate co-ordinating residues and on the putative catalytic water molecule. The properties of the putative substrate binding site suggest that ShhN could degrade other ShhN molecules, e.g. by cleavage at highly conserved glycines in ShhN. To test experimentally the stability of ShhN against autodegradation, we compare two ShhN mutants in vitro: (1 a ShhN mutant unable to bind calcium but with putative catalytic center intact, and thus, according to our hypothesis, a constitutively active peptidase, and (2 a mutant carrying additionally mutation E177A, i.e., with the putative catalytically active residue knocked out. The in vitro results are consistent with ShhN being a cannibalistic zinc-peptidase. These experiments also reveal that the peptidase activity depends on pH.

  11. Mesencephalic basolateral domain specification is dependent on Sonic Hedgehog

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jesus E. Martinez-Lopez

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available In the study of central nervous system morphogenesis, the identification of new molecular markers allows us to identify domains along the antero-posterior and dorso-ventral axes. In the past years, the alar and basal plates of the midbrain have been divided into different domains. The precise location of the alar-basal boundary is still under discussion. We have identified Barhl1, Nhlh1 and Six3 as appropriate molecular markers to the adjacent domains of this transition. The description of their expression patterns and the contribution to the different mesencephalic populations corroborated their role in the specification of these domains. We studied the influence of Sonic Hedgehog on these markers and therefore on the specification of these territories. The lack of this morphogen produced severe alterations in the expression pattern of Barhl1 and Nhlh1 with consequent misspecification of the basolateral domain. Six3 expression was apparently unaffected, however its distribution changed leading to altered basal domains. In this study we confirmed the localization of the alar-basal boundary dorsal to the basolateral domain and demonstrated that the development of the basolateral domain highly depends on Shh.

  12. Mesencephalic basolateral domain specification is dependent on Sonic Hedgehog

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez-Lopez, Jesus E.; Moreno-Bravo, Juan A.; Madrigal, M. Pilar; Martinez, Salvador; Puelles, Eduardo

    2015-01-01

    In the study of central nervous system morphogenesis, the identification of new molecular markers allows us to identify domains along the antero-posterior and dorso-ventral (DV) axes. In the past years, the alar and basal plates of the midbrain have been divided into different domains. The precise location of the alar-basal boundary is still under discussion. We have identified Barhl1, Nhlh1 and Six3 as appropriate molecular markers to the adjacent domains of this transition. The description of their expression patterns and the contribution to the different mesencephalic populations corroborated their role in the specification of these domains. We studied the influence of Sonic Hedgehog on these markers and therefore on the specification of these territories. The lack of this morphogen produced severe alterations in the expression pattern of Barhl1 and Nhlh1 with consequent misspecification of the basolateral (BL) domain. Six3 expression was apparently unaffected, however its distribution changed leading to altered basal domains. In this study we confirmed the localization of the alar-basal boundary dorsal to the BL domain and demonstrated that the development of the BL domain highly depends on Shh. PMID:25741244

  13. G-Protein Gαs controls medulloblastoma initiation by suppressing sonic hedgehog signaling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Xuelian; Lu, Q Richard

    2015-01-01

    We identify Gαs as a novel tumor suppressor in medulloblastoma that functions principally by inhibition of sonic hedgehog signaling. Gαs not only stimulates cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent signaling but also inhibits ciliary trafficking of hedgehog components. Elevation of cAMP inhibits medulloblastoma growth and augments inhibition of smoothened to decrease tumor cell proliferation, thus highlighting Gαs as a potential therapeutic target.

  14. Sonic profile simulation from the profiles of gamma ray and resistivity in the wells from Campos Basin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leite, Marcos; Carrasquilla, Abel; Silva, Jadir da

    2008-01-01

    The knowledge of the mechanical properties of the rocks is essential in the calculation of the stability of the oil wells and in the elaboration of drilling projects, because they help in the selection of the best equipment for each geologic scene. In these activities, the most important mechanical property is the rock compressibility, which can be calculated from the sonic geophysical log, but this one, not always available in the well data set. In order to minimize this limitation, it was developed, in this work, a methodology to simulate it through an algorithm that utilizes fuzzy logic concepts, using as input data gamma ray and resistivity logs. The basic principle of this methodology is to propose that any geophysical log, including the sonic log, can be considered function of other measured geophysical logs in the same depths. On the other hand, to test the confidence of this approach, it was compared with two others commonly used in the simulation of logs: the linear multiple regression and the neural network back-propagation, showing, our methodology, however, better results. Finally, to validate the method, it was tested using wells from Namorado Oil Field in Campos Basin, which contains gamma ray, sonic and resistivity logs. (author)

  15. Live imaging of individual cell divisions in mouse neuroepithelium shows asymmetry in cilium formation and Sonic hedgehog response

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Piotrowska-Nitsche Karolina

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Primary cilia are microtubule-based sensory organelles that play important roles in developmental signaling pathways. Recent work demonstrated that, in cell culture, the daughter cell that inherits the older mother centriole generates a primary cilium and responds to external stimuli prior to its sister cell. This asynchrony in timing of cilia formation could be especially critical during development as cell divisions are required for both differentiation and maintenance of progenitor cell niches. Methods Here we integrate several fluorescent markers and use ex vivo live imaging of a single cell division within the mouse E8.5 neuroepithelium to reveal both the formation of a primary cilium and the transcriptional response to Sonic hedgehog in the daughter cells. Results We show that, upon cell division, cilia formation and the Sonic hedgehog response are asynchronous between the daughter cells. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that we can directly observe single cell divisions within the developing neuroepithelium and concomitantly monitor cilium formation or Sonic hedgehog response. We expect this method to be especially powerful in examining whether cellular behavior can lead to both differentiation and maintenance of cells in a progenitor niche.

  16. Transesterification of rubber seed oil by sonication technique for the production of methyl esters

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ragavan, S.N.; Roy, D.V. [Scott Christian College (Autonomous), Department of Chemistry, Research Centre, Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu (India)

    2011-07-15

    The ever-increasing concern due to the fast-depleting energy sources and the environmental impact of the fossil fuel burning has provoked the researchers to turn out for an environmentally benign fuel source. Biodiesel (fatty acid methyl esters) being renewable, biodegradable, non-toxic and eco-friendly, is now gaining momentum. Added carbon sequestration ability of rubber trees has made it one of the best sources for biodiesel in developing countries. Fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) from high acid content (23%) rubber seed oil by sonication technique at room temperature (32 C) is of good yield (80%). The FAMEs produced have acceptable fuel standards as specified by ASTM D 6751. This study deals with the utilisation of FAMEs as an alternate fuel for petrodiesel. (orig.)

  17. Valley Topological Phases in Bilayer Sonic Crystals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Jiuyang; Qiu, Chunyin; Deng, Weiyin; Huang, Xueqin; Li, Feng; Zhang, Fan; Chen, Shuqi; Liu, Zhengyou

    2018-03-01

    Recently, the topological physics in artificial crystals for classical waves has become an emerging research area. In this Letter, we propose a unique bilayer design of sonic crystals that are constructed by two layers of coupled hexagonal array of triangular scatterers. Assisted by the additional layer degree of freedom, a rich topological phase diagram is achieved by simply rotating scatterers in both layers. Under a unified theoretical framework, two kinds of valley-projected topological acoustic insulators are distinguished analytically, i.e., the layer-mixed and layer-polarized topological valley Hall phases, respectively. The theory is evidently confirmed by our numerical and experimental observations of the nontrivial edge states that propagate along the interfaces separating different topological phases. Various applications such as sound communications in integrated devices can be anticipated by the intriguing acoustic edge states enriched by the layer information.

  18. High-accuracy user identification using EEG biometrics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koike-Akino, Toshiaki; Mahajan, Ruhi; Marks, Tim K; Ye Wang; Watanabe, Shinji; Tuzel, Oncel; Orlik, Philip

    2016-08-01

    We analyze brain waves acquired through a consumer-grade EEG device to investigate its capabilities for user identification and authentication. First, we show the statistical significance of the P300 component in event-related potential (ERP) data from 14-channel EEGs across 25 subjects. We then apply a variety of machine learning techniques, comparing the user identification performance of various different combinations of a dimensionality reduction technique followed by a classification algorithm. Experimental results show that an identification accuracy of 72% can be achieved using only a single 800 ms ERP epoch. In addition, we demonstrate that the user identification accuracy can be significantly improved to more than 96.7% by joint classification of multiple epochs.

  19. High Accuracy Attitude Control System Design for Satellite with Flexible Appendages

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wenya Zhou

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available In order to realize the high accuracy attitude control of satellite with flexible appendages, attitude control system consisting of the controller and structural filter was designed. When the low order vibration frequency of flexible appendages is approximating the bandwidth of attitude control system, the vibration signal will enter the control system through measurement device to bring impact on the accuracy or even the stability. In order to reduce the impact of vibration of appendages on the attitude control system, the structural filter is designed in terms of rejecting the vibration of flexible appendages. Considering the potential problem of in-orbit frequency variation of the flexible appendages, the design method for the adaptive notch filter is proposed based on the in-orbit identification technology. Finally, the simulation results are given to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed design techniques.

  20. Waveforms and Sonic Boom Perception and Response (WSPR): Low-Boom Community Response Program Pilot Test Design, Execution, and Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Page, Juliet A.; Hodgdon, Kathleen K.; Krecker, Peg; Cowart, Robbie; Hobbs, Chris; Wilmer, Clif; Koening, Carrie; Holmes, Theresa; Gaugler, Trent; Shumway, Durland L.; hide

    2014-01-01

    The Waveforms and Sonic boom Perception and Response (WSPR) Program was designed to test and demonstrate the applicability and effectiveness of techniques to gather data relating human subjective response to multiple low-amplitude sonic booms. It was in essence a practice session for future wider scale testing on naive communities, using a purpose built low-boom demonstrator aircraft. The low-boom community response pilot experiment was conducted in California in November 2011. The WSPR team acquired sufficient data to assess and evaluate the effectiveness of the various physical and psychological data gathering techniques and analysis methods.

  1. Dynamics of micro-bubble sonication inside a phantom vessel

    KAUST Repository

    Qamar, Adnan; Samtaney, Ravi; Bull, Joseph L.

    2013-01-01

    A model for sonicated micro-bubble oscillations inside a phantom vessel is proposed. The model is not a variant of conventional Rayleigh-Plesset equation and is obtained from reduced Navier-Stokes equations. The model relates the micro-bubble oscillation dynamics with geometric and acoustic parameters in a consistent manner. It predicts micro-bubble oscillation dynamics as well as micro-bubble fragmentation when compared to the experimental data. For large micro-bubble radius to vessel diameter ratios, predictions are damped, suggesting breakdown of inherent modeling assumptions for these cases. Micro-bubble response with acoustic parameters is consistent with experiments and provides physical insight to the micro-bubble oscillation dynamics.

  2. Dynamics of micro-bubble sonication inside a phantom vessel

    KAUST Repository

    Qamar, Adnan

    2013-01-10

    A model for sonicated micro-bubble oscillations inside a phantom vessel is proposed. The model is not a variant of conventional Rayleigh-Plesset equation and is obtained from reduced Navier-Stokes equations. The model relates the micro-bubble oscillation dynamics with geometric and acoustic parameters in a consistent manner. It predicts micro-bubble oscillation dynamics as well as micro-bubble fragmentation when compared to the experimental data. For large micro-bubble radius to vessel diameter ratios, predictions are damped, suggesting breakdown of inherent modeling assumptions for these cases. Micro-bubble response with acoustic parameters is consistent with experiments and provides physical insight to the micro-bubble oscillation dynamics.

  3. Sonic Kayaks: Environmental monitoring and experimental music by citizens.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amber G F Griffiths

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The Sonic Kayak is a musical instrument used to investigate nature and developed during open hacklab events. The kayaks are rigged with underwater environmental sensors, which allow paddlers to hear real-time water temperature sonifications and underwater sounds, generating live music from the marine world. Sensor data is also logged every second with location, time and date, which allows for fine-scale mapping of water temperatures and underwater noise that was previously unattainable using standard research equipment. The system can be used as a citizen science data collection device, research equipment for professional scientists, or a sound art installation in its own right.

  4. Technics study on high accuracy crush dressing and sharpening of diamond grinding wheel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jia, Yunhai; Lu, Xuejun; Li, Jiangang; Zhu, Lixin; Song, Yingjie

    2011-05-01

    Mechanical grinding of artificial diamond grinding wheel was traditional wheel dressing process. The rotate speed and infeed depth of tool wheel were main technics parameters. The suitable technics parameters of metals-bonded diamond grinding wheel and resin-bonded diamond grinding wheel high accuracy crush dressing were obtained by a mount of experiment in super-hard material wheel dressing grind machine and by analysis of grinding force. In the same time, the effect of machine sharpening and sprinkle granule sharpening was contrasted. These analyses and lots of experiments had extent instruction significance to artificial diamond grinding wheel accuracy crush dressing.

  5. Immunohistochemical analysis of Sonic hedgehog signalling in normal human urinary tract development

    OpenAIRE

    Jenkins, Dagan; Winyard, Paul J D; Woolf, Adrian S.

    2007-01-01

    Studies of mouse mutants have demonstrated that Sonic hedgehog (SHH) signalling has a functional role in morphogenesis and differentiation at multiple sites within the forming urinary tract, and urinary tract malformations have been reported in humans with mutations that disrupt SHH signalling. However, there is only strikingly sparse and fragmentary information about the expression of SHH and associated signalling genes in normal human urinary tract development. We used immunohistochemistry ...

  6. High accuracy subwavelength distance measurements: A variable-angle standing-wave total-internal-reflection optical microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haynie, A.; Min, T.-J.; Luan, L.; Mu, W.; Ketterson, J. B.

    2009-01-01

    We describe an extension of the total-internal-reflection microscopy technique that permits direct in-plane distance measurements with high accuracy (<10 nm) over a wide range of separations. This high position accuracy arises from the creation of a standing evanescent wave and the ability to sweep the nodal positions (intensity minima of the standing wave) in a controlled manner via both the incident angle and the relative phase of the incoming laser beams. Some control over the vertical resolution is available through the ability to scan the incoming angle and with it the evanescent penetration depth.

  7. Treatment accuracy of hypofractionated spine and other highly conformal IMRT treatments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sutherland, B.; Hanlon, P.; Charles, P.

    2011-01-01

    Full text: Spinal cord metastases pose difficult challenges for radiation treatment due to tight dose constraints and a concave PTY. This project aimed to thoroughly test the treatment accuracy of the Eclipse Treatment Planning System (TPS) for highly modulated IMRT treatments, in particular of the thoracic spine, using an Elekta Synergy Linear Accelerator. The increased understanding obtained through different quality assurance techniques allowed recommendations to be made for treatment site commissioning with improved accuracy at the Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH). Three thoracic spine IMRT plans at the PAH were used for data collection. Complex phantom models were built using CT data, and fields simulated using Monte Carlo modelling. The simulated dose distributions were compared with the TPS using gamma analysis and DYH comparison. High resolution QA was done for all fields using the MatriXX ion chamber array, MapCHECK2 diode array shifted, and the EPlD to determine a procedure for commissioning new treatment sites. Basic spine simulations found the TPS overestimated absorbed dose to bone, however within spinal cord there was good agreement. High resolution QA found the average gamma pass rate of the fields to be 99.1 % for MatriXX, 96.5% for MapCHECK2 shifted and 97.7% for EPlD. Preliminary results indicate agreement between the TPS and delivered dose distributions higher than previously believed for the investigated IMRT plans. The poor resolution of the MatriXX, and normalisation issues with MapCHECK2 leads to probable recommendation of EPlD for future IMRT commissioning due to the high resolution and minimal setup required.

  8. Influence of borehole-eccentred tools on wireline and logging-while-drilling sonic logging measurements

    KAUST Repository

    Pardo, David

    2013-02-13

    We describe a numerical study to quantify the influence of tool-eccentricity on wireline (WL) and logging-while-drilling (LWD) sonic logging measurements. Simulations are performed with a height-polynomial-adaptive (hp) Fourier finite-element method that delivers highly accurate solutions of linear visco-elasto-acoustic problems in the frequency domain. The analysis focuses on WL instruments equipped with monopole or dipole sources and LWD instruments with monopole excitation. Analysis of the main propagation modes obtained from frequency dispersion curves indicates that the additional high-order modes arising as a result of borehole-eccentricity interfere with the main modes (i.e., Stoneley, pseudo-Rayleigh and flexural). This often modifies (decreases) the estimation of shear and compressional formation velocities, which should be corrected (increased) to account for borehole-eccentricity effects. Undesired interferences between different modes can occur at different frequencies depending upon the properties of the formation and fluid annulus size, which may difficult the estimation of the formation velocities. © 2013 European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers.

  9. Megalin functions as an endocytic sonic hedgehog receptor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCarthy, Robert A; Barth, Jeremy L; Chintalapudi, Mastan R; Knaak, Christian; Argraves, W Scott

    2002-07-12

    Embryos deficient in the morphogen Sonic hedgehog (Shh) or the endocytic receptor megalin exhibit common neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Therefore, we have investigated the possibility that a functional relationship exists between the two proteins. During embryonic development, megalin was found to be expressed along the apical surfaces of neuroepithelial cells and was coexpressed with Shh in the ventral floor plate of the neural tube. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, homologous ligand displacement, and surface plasmon resonance techniques, it was found that the amino-terminal fragment of Shh (N-Shh) bound to megalin with high affinity. Megalin-expressing cells internalized N-Shh through a mechanism that was inhibited by antagonists of megalin, viz. anti-receptor-associated protein and anti-megalin antibodies. Heparin also inhibited N-Shh endocytosis, implicating proteoglycans in the internalization process, as has been described for other megalin ligands. Use of chloroquine to inhibit lysosomal proteinase activity showed that N-Shh endocytosed via megalin was not efficiently targeted to the lysosomes for degradation. The ability of megalin-internalized N-Shh to bypass lysosomes may relate to the finding that the interaction between N-Shh and megalin was resistant to dissociation with low pH. Together, these findings show that megalin is an efficient endocytic receptor for N-Shh. Furthermore, they implicate megalin as a new regulatory component of the Shh signaling pathway.

  10. Safety and skin delayed-type hypersensitivity response in vervet monkeys immunized with Leishmania donovani sonicate antigen delivered with adjuvants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joshua M. Mutiso

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available In this study, we report on the safety and skin delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH, responses of the Leishmania donovani whole cell sonicate antigen delivered in conjunction with alum-BCG (AlBCG, Montanide ISA 720 (MISA or Monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA in groups of vervet monkeys. Following three intradermal injections of the inoculums on days 0, 28 and 42, safety and DTH responses were assessed. Preliminary tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α and interferon gamma (IFN-γ levels were also measured and these were compared with DTH. Only those animals immunized with alum-BCG reacted adversely to the inoculum by producing ulcerative erythematous skin indurations. Non-parametric analysis of variance followed by a post-test showed significantly higher DTH responses in the MISA+Ag group compared with other immunized groups (p < 0.001. The MPLA+Ag group indicated significantly lower DTH responses to the sonicate antigen compared with the AlBCG+Ag group. There was a significant correlation between the DTH and cytokine responses (p < 0.0001. Based on this study we conclude that Leishmania donovani sonicate antigen containing MISA 720 is safe and is associated with a strong DTH reaction following immunization.

  11. High accuracy of family history of melanoma in Danish melanoma cases

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wadt, Karin A W; Drzewiecki, Krzysztof T; Gerdes, Anne-Marie

    2015-01-01

    The incidence of melanoma in Denmark has immensely increased over the last 10 years making Denmark a high risk country for melanoma. In the last two decades multiple public campaigns have sought to increase the awareness of melanoma. Family history of melanoma is a known major risk factor...... but previous studies have shown that self-reported family history of melanoma is highly inaccurate. These studies are 15 years old and we wanted to examine if a higher awareness of melanoma has increased the accuracy of self-reported family history of melanoma. We examined the family history of 181 melanoma...

  12. Microbial diversity in biofilm infections of the urinary tract with the use of sonication techniques

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Holá, V.; Růžička, F.; Horká, Marie

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 59, č. 3 (2010), s. 525-528 ISSN 0928-8244 R&D Projects: GA MZd(CZ) NS9678 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40310501 Keywords : biofilm * sonication * urinary tract infection * catheter Subject RIV: CA - Inorganic Chemistry Impact factor: 2.494, year: 2010

  13. Enhancement of the Signal-to-Noise Ratio in Sonic Logging Waveforms by Seismic Interferometry

    KAUST Repository

    Aldawood, Ali

    2012-04-01

    Sonic logs are essential tools for reliably identifying interval velocities which, in turn, are used in many seismic processes. One problem that arises, while logging, is irregularities due to washout zones along the borehole surfaces that scatters the transmitted energy and hence weakens the signal recorded at the receivers. To alleviate this problem, I have extended the theory of super-virtual refraction interferometry to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) sonic waveforms. Tests on synthetic and real data show noticeable signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) enhancements of refracted P-wave arrivals in the sonic waveforms. The theory of super-virtual interferometric stacking is composed of two redatuming steps followed by a stacking procedure. The first redatuming procedure is of correlation type, where traces are correlated together to get virtual traces with the sources datumed to the refractor. The second datuming step is of convolution type, where traces are convolved together to dedatum the sources back to their original positions. The stacking procedure following each step enhances the signal to noise ratio of the refracted P-wave first arrivals. Datuming with correlation and convolution of traces introduces severe artifacts denoted as correlation artifacts in super-virtual data. To overcome this problem, I replace the datuming with correlation step by datuming with deconvolution. Although the former datuming method is more robust, the latter one reduces the artifacts significantly. Moreover, deconvolution can be a noise amplifier which is why a regularization term is utilized, rendering the datuming with deconvolution more stable. Tests of datuming with deconvolution instead of correlation with synthetic and real data examples show significant reduction of these artifacts. This is especially true when compared with the conventional way of applying the super-virtual refraction interferometry method.

  14. Improvement of ore recovery efficiency in a flotation column cell using ultra-sonic enhanced bubbles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Filippov, L. O.; Royer, J. J.; Filippova, I. V.

    2017-07-01

    The ore process flotation technique is enhanced by using external ultra-sonic waves. Compared to the classical flotation method, the application of ultrasounds to flotation fluids generates micro-bubbles by hydrodynamic cavitation. Flotation performances increase was modelled as a result of increased probabilities of the particle-bubble attachment and reduced detachment probability under sonication. A simplified analytical Navier-Stokes model is used to predict the effect of ultrasonic waves on bubble behavior. If the theory is verified by experimentation, it predicts that the ultrasonic waves would create cavitation micro-bubbles, smaller than the flotation bubble added by the gas sparger. This effect leads to increasing the number of small bubbles in the liquid which promote particle-bubble attachment through coalescence between bubbles and micro-bubbles. The decrease in the radius of the flotation bubbles under external vibration forces has an additional effect by enhancing the bubble-particle collision. Preliminary results performed on a potash ore seem to confirm the theory.

  15. Local regularity analysis of strata heterogeneities from sonic logs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Gaci

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Borehole logs provide geological information about the rocks crossed by the wells. Several properties of rocks can be interpreted in terms of lithology, type and quantity of the fluid filling the pores and fractures.

    Here, the logs are assumed to be nonhomogeneous Brownian motions (nhBms which are generalized fractional Brownian motions (fBms indexed by depth-dependent Hurst parameters H(z. Three techniques, the local wavelet approach (LWA, the average-local wavelet approach (ALWA, and Peltier Algorithm (PA, are suggested to estimate the Hurst functions (or the regularity profiles from the logs.

    First, two synthetic sonic logs with different parameters, shaped by the successive random additions (SRA algorithm, are used to demonstrate the potential of the proposed methods. The obtained Hurst functions are close to the theoretical Hurst functions. Besides, the transitions between the modeled layers are marked by Hurst values discontinuities. It is also shown that PA leads to the best Hurst value estimations.

    Second, we investigate the multifractional property of sonic logs data recorded at two scientific deep boreholes: the pilot hole VB and the ultra deep main hole HB, drilled for the German Continental Deep Drilling Program (KTB. All the regularity profiles independently obtained for the logs provide a clear correlation with lithology, and from each regularity profile, we derive a similar segmentation in terms of lithological units. The lithological discontinuities (strata' bounds and faults contacts are located at the local extrema of the Hurst functions. Moreover, the regularity profiles are compared with the KTB estimated porosity logs, showing a significant relation between the local extrema of the Hurst functions and the fluid-filled fractures. The Hurst function may then constitute a tool to characterize underground heterogeneities.

  16. YAP regulates neuronal differentiation through Sonic hedgehog signaling pathway

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin, Yi-Ting; Ding, Jing-Ya; Li, Ming-Yang; Yeh, Tien-Shun; Wang, Tsu-Wei; Yu, Jenn-Yah

    2012-01-01

    Tight regulation of cell numbers by controlling cell proliferation and apoptosis is important during development. Recently, the Hippo pathway has been shown to regulate tissue growth and organ size in Drosophila. In mammalian cells, it also affects cell proliferation and differentiation in various tissues, including the nervous system. Interplay of several signaling cascades, such as Notch, Wnt, and Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) pathways, control cell proliferation during neuronal differentiation. However, it remains unclear whether the Hippo pathway coordinates with other signaling cascades in regulating neuronal differentiation. Here, we used P19 cells, a mouse embryonic carcinoma cell line, as a model to study roles of YAP, a core component of the Hippo pathway, in neuronal differentiation. P19 cells can be induced to differentiate into neurons by expressing a neural bHLH transcription factor gene Ascl1. Our results showed that YAP promoted cell proliferation and inhibited neuronal differentiation. Expression of Yap activated Shh but not Wnt or Notch signaling activity during neuronal differentiation. Furthermore, expression of Yap increased the expression of Patched homolog 1 (Ptch1), a downstream target of the Shh signaling. Knockdown of Gli2, a transcription factor of the Shh pathway, promoted neuronal differentiation even when Yap was over-expressed. We further demonstrated that over-expression of Yap inhibited neuronal differentiation in primary mouse cortical progenitors and Gli2 knockdown rescued the differentiation defect in Yap over-expressing cells. In conclusion, our study reveals that Shh signaling acts downstream of YAP in regulating neuronal differentiation. -- Highlights: ► YAP promotes cell proliferation and inhibits neuronal differentiation in P19 cells. ► YAP promotes Sonic hedgehog signaling activity during neuronal differentiation. ► Knockdown of Gli2 rescues the Yap-overexpression phenotype in P19 cells. ► Knockdown of Gli2 rescues the Yap

  17. YAP regulates neuronal differentiation through Sonic hedgehog signaling pathway

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lin, Yi-Ting; Ding, Jing-Ya [Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Genome Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan (China); Li, Ming-Yang [Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 116, Taiwan (China); Yeh, Tien-Shun [Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan (China); Wang, Tsu-Wei [Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 116, Taiwan (China); Yu, Jenn-Yah [Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Genome Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan (China); Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan (China)

    2012-09-10

    Tight regulation of cell numbers by controlling cell proliferation and apoptosis is important during development. Recently, the Hippo pathway has been shown to regulate tissue growth and organ size in Drosophila. In mammalian cells, it also affects cell proliferation and differentiation in various tissues, including the nervous system. Interplay of several signaling cascades, such as Notch, Wnt, and Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) pathways, control cell proliferation during neuronal differentiation. However, it remains unclear whether the Hippo pathway coordinates with other signaling cascades in regulating neuronal differentiation. Here, we used P19 cells, a mouse embryonic carcinoma cell line, as a model to study roles of YAP, a core component of the Hippo pathway, in neuronal differentiation. P19 cells can be induced to differentiate into neurons by expressing a neural bHLH transcription factor gene Ascl1. Our results showed that YAP promoted cell proliferation and inhibited neuronal differentiation. Expression of Yap activated Shh but not Wnt or Notch signaling activity during neuronal differentiation. Furthermore, expression of Yap increased the expression of Patched homolog 1 (Ptch1), a downstream target of the Shh signaling. Knockdown of Gli2, a transcription factor of the Shh pathway, promoted neuronal differentiation even when Yap was over-expressed. We further demonstrated that over-expression of Yap inhibited neuronal differentiation in primary mouse cortical progenitors and Gli2 knockdown rescued the differentiation defect in Yap over-expressing cells. In conclusion, our study reveals that Shh signaling acts downstream of YAP in regulating neuronal differentiation. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer YAP promotes cell proliferation and inhibits neuronal differentiation in P19 cells. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer YAP promotes Sonic hedgehog signaling activity during neuronal differentiation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Knockdown of Gli2 rescues the Yap

  18. The influence of sonication of poly(ethylene oxide) solutions to the quality of resulting electrospun nanofibrous mats

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Peer, Petra; Filip, Petr; Polášková, M.; Kucharczyk, P.; Pavlínek, V.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 126, April (2016), s. 101-106 ISSN 0141-3910 Institutional support: RVO:67985874 Keywords : electrospinning * nanofibres * poly(ethylene oxide) * sonication * degradation Subject RIV: BK - Fluid Dynamics Impact factor: 3.386, year: 2016

  19. Effects of Sonic Booms on Marine Mammals: Problem Review and Recommended Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowles, Ann E.

    1996-01-01

    By flying the High-Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) exclusively over uninhabited areas and mo over water, human annoyance will be reduced to acceptable levels. However, this strategy will for HSCT proponents to contend with the potential effects of sonic booms on animals, particularly ma mammals. What follows is a summary of the environmental regulations that must be addressed, the scientific community's concerns about the potential effects of the HSCT, and recommendations fox research to address the most important concerns. The recommendations included herein are based both on existing scientific evidence and regulatory needs. One cannot over-emphasize the importance of obtaining the appropriate information prior to substantial public exposure. Recent controversies over other human-made acoustic sources in the ocean suggest that the HSCT will receive intense scrutiny. It seems certain that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) or its equivalent will be necessary.

  20. Cloud Computing for Pharmacometrics: Using AWS, NONMEM, PsN, Grid Engine, and Sonic.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanduja, S; Jewell, P; Aron, E; Pharai, N

    2015-09-01

    Cloud computing allows pharmacometricians to access advanced hardware, network, and security resources available to expedite analysis and reporting. Cloud-based computing environments are available at a fraction of the time and effort when compared to traditional local datacenter-based solutions. This tutorial explains how to get started with building your own personal cloud computer cluster using Amazon Web Services (AWS), NONMEM, PsN, Grid Engine, and Sonic.

  1. Prediction of sonic boom from experimental near-field overpressure data. Volume 2: Data base construction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glatt, C. R.; Reiners, S. J.; Hague, D. S.

    1975-01-01

    A computerized method for storing, updating and augmenting experimentally determined overpressure signatures has been developed. A data base of pressure signatures for a shuttle type vehicle has been stored. The data base has been used for the prediction of sonic boom with the program described in Volume I.

  2. High-Accuracy Elevation Data at Large Scales from Airborne Single-Pass SAR Interferometry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guy Jean-Pierre Schumann

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Digital elevation models (DEMs are essential data sets for disaster risk management and humanitarian relief services as well as many environmental process models. At present, on the hand, globally available DEMs only meet the basic requirements and for many services and modeling studies are not of high enough spatial resolution and lack accuracy in the vertical. On the other hand, LiDAR-DEMs are of very high spatial resolution and great vertical accuracy but acquisition operations can be very costly for spatial scales larger than a couple of hundred square km and also have severe limitations in wetland areas and under cloudy and rainy conditions. The ideal situation would thus be to have a DEM technology that allows larger spatial coverage than LiDAR but without compromising resolution and vertical accuracy and still performing under some adverse weather conditions and at a reasonable cost. In this paper, we present a novel single pass In-SAR technology for airborne vehicles that is cost-effective and can generate DEMs with a vertical error of around 0.3 m for an average spatial resolution of 3 m. To demonstrate this capability, we compare a sample single-pass In-SAR Ka-band DEM of the California Central Valley from the NASA/JPL airborne GLISTIN-A to a high-resolution LiDAR DEM. We also perform a simple sensitivity analysis to floodplain inundation. Based on the findings of our analysis, we argue that this type of technology can and should be used to replace large regions of globally available lower resolution DEMs, particularly in coastal, delta and floodplain areas where a high number of assets, habitats and lives are at risk from natural disasters. We conclude with a discussion on requirements, advantages and caveats in terms of instrument and data processing.

  3. [Clinical use of the Sonic Air MM 1500 and the Meca Sonic 1400 in canal preparation in endodontics].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaye, F; Ba, I; Kane, A W; Mbaye, M; Ndoye Diop, A; Agboton-Johnson, C A

    1991-03-01

    The preparation for canalisation has remained manual for a long time, technically constrictive and lasting for a long time. The application of ultrasound in Endontony allows us to tackle more calmly the canal course of the teath. The aim of this work is to make a qualitative comparison of the endosonic technique and the manual technique with reference to cases treated in the Dentisterie Opératoire clinic in Dakar. 40 teeth of a complex canal anatomy and or in the posterior position in the buccal cavity were submitted to either a manual canalisation preparation or endosconic followed by monconic canal filling with a paste: 3 inc oxyde eugenol and iodoform. OPERATING FORMULA: Preparatory X rays: Allow us to evaluate the length of the work or the operating length after catheterisation: LO--length PRO, APEX RADIO-IMM LO--operating length PRO - occlusive point of reference The parietal support technique: The "synergetic" effect of ultrasonic oscillations of cavitation and of micro-acoustic currents associated with the action of the irrigation solution allow us to obtain canal incision. the pneumatic Sonic Air MM 1500; the Meca Sonic MMR 1400 coupled to a standard ISO motor; SHAPERS and Meca Shapers. Activated by shaper or Méca Shaper. Classic monoconic canal filling: Wadding paste + zinc oxyde paste-iodoform eugenol. X rays for orthocentric monitoring. RESULTS--DISCUSSION: In 60% of the cases treated, the patients presented with a complete dentition. The third inferior molar was in almost all the cases, the cause of the patient seeking a dental consultation. By endosonic treatment-conservation of teeth which would otherwise have been destined for extraction; biopulectomy or instituted pulpectomy for cases of desdodontite, endosconic amplication and canal sealing after the cooling of the inflammation. Duration of treatment: 2 sessions for gangrenous cases or desmodondite and one session for biopulpectomy or pulpectomy, with 4 sessions in 10% of the cases. Operation

  4. Microbial investigation of biofilms recovered from endotracheal tubes using sonication in intensive care unit pediatric patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thiago de Oliveira Ferreira

    2016-09-01

    Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that sonication technique can be applied to ET biofilms to identify microorganisms attached to their surface with a great variety of species identified. However, we did not find significant differences in comparison with the traditional tracheal aspirate culture approach.

  5. Sonication assisted dissolution of post-detonation nuclear debris using ammonium bifluoride

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mason, Christian A.; Brockman, John D. [Missouri Univ., Columbia, MO (United States). Research Reactor Center; Hubley, Nicholas T.; Wegge, Dana L. [Missouri Univ., Columbia, MO (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Robertson, J. David [Missouri Univ., Columbia, MO (United States). Research Reactor Center; Missouri Univ., Columbia, MO (United States). Dept. of Chemistry

    2017-07-01

    There is significant interest in reducing the timeline for post detonation nuclear debris examination. A critical need is rapid dissolution of refractory nuclear debris to facilitate measurement of key radioisotopes and isotope ratios. Field deployable, rapid dissolution and analysis methods could significantly shorten the attribution analysis timeline. The current practice uses HF in combination with other acids to attack silicates and other refractory minerals expected in debris samples. However, techniques requiring HF are not amenable to use in the field. The fluorinating agent ammonium bifluoride (ABF) is a potential field deployable substitute for HF. In this work we report on the use of in-direct sonication with ABF as a means to improve low-temperature acid digestion of seven USGS and NIST geological reference materials. Using this method, elemental recoveries for USGS reference materials DNC-1a Dolerite, QLO-1a Quartz Latite, SDC-1 Mica Schist, and BHVO-2 Hawaiian Basalt were quantitative while the recovery of elements in USGS AGV-2 Andesite and NIST SRM 278 Obsidian and 1413 High Alumina Sand were low.

  6. Sub-sonic thermal explosions investigated by radiography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Smilowitz, Laura B [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Henson, Bryan F [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Romero, Jerry J [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Asay, Blaine W [Los Alamos National Laboratory

    2010-01-01

    This paper reviews the past 5 years of experiments utilizing radiographic techniques to study defiagration in thermal explosions in HMX based formulations. Details of triggering and timing synchronization are given. Radiographic images collected using both protons and x-rays are presented. Comparisons of experiments with varying size, case confinement, binder, and synchronization are presented. Techniques for quantifying the data in the images are presented and a mechanism for post-ignition burn propagation in a thermal explosion is discussed. From these experiments, we have observed a mechanism for sub-sonic defiagration with both gas phase convective and solid phase conductive burning. The convective front velocity is directly measured from the radiographic images and consumes only a small fraction of the HE. It lights the HE as it passes beginning the slower solid state conductive burn process. This mechanism is used to create a model to simulate the radiographic results and a comparison will be shown.

  7. Preparation of Aligned ZnO Nanorod Arrays on Sn-Doped ZnO Thin Films by Sonicated Sol-Gel Immersion Fabricated for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. Saurdi

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Aligned ZnO Nanorod arrays are deposited on the Sn-doped ZnO thin film via sonicated sol-gel immersion method. The structural, optical, and electrical properties of the Sn-doped ZnO thin films were investigated. Results show that the Sn-doped ZnO thin films with small grain size (~20 nm, high average transmittance (96% in visible region, and good resistivity 7.7 × 102 Ω·cm are obtained for 2 at.% Sn doping concentration. The aligned ZnO nanorod arrays with large surface area were also obtained for 2 at.% Sn-doped ZnO thin film. They were grown on sol-gel derived Sn-doped ZnO thin film, which acts as a seed layer, via sonicated sol-gel immersion method. The grown aligned ZnO nanorod arrays show high transmittance at visible region. The fabricated dye-sensitised solar cell based on the 2.0 at.% Sn-doped ZnO thin film with aligned ZnO nanorod arrays exhibits improved current density, open-circuit voltage, fill factor, and conversion efficiency compared with the undoped ZnO and 1 at.% Sn-doped ZnO thin films.

  8. High-accuracy drilling with an image guided light weight robot: autonomous versus intuitive feed control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tauscher, Sebastian; Fuchs, Alexander; Baier, Fabian; Kahrs, Lüder A; Ortmaier, Tobias

    2017-10-01

    Assistance of robotic systems in the operating room promises higher accuracy and, hence, demanding surgical interventions become realisable (e.g. the direct cochlear access). Additionally, an intuitive user interface is crucial for the use of robots in surgery. Torque sensors in the joints can be employed for intuitive interaction concepts. Regarding the accuracy, they lead to a lower structural stiffness and, thus, to an additional error source. The aim of this contribution is to examine, if an accuracy needed for demanding interventions can be achieved by such a system or not. Feasible accuracy results of the robot-assisted process depend on each work-flow step. This work focuses on the determination of the tool coordinate frame. A method for drill axis definition is implemented and analysed. Furthermore, a concept of admittance feed control is developed. This allows the user to control feeding along the planned path by applying a force to the robots structure. The accuracy is researched by drilling experiments with a PMMA phantom and artificial bone blocks. The described drill axis estimation process results in a high angular repeatability ([Formula: see text]). In the first set of drilling results, an accuracy of [Formula: see text] at entrance and [Formula: see text] at target point excluding imaging was achieved. With admittance feed control an accuracy of [Formula: see text] at target point was realised. In a third set twelve holes were drilled in artificial temporal bone phantoms including imaging. In this set-up an error of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] was achieved. The results of conducted experiments show that accuracy requirements for demanding procedures such as the direct cochlear access can be fulfilled with compliant systems. Furthermore, it was shown that with the presented admittance feed control an accuracy of less then [Formula: see text] is achievable.

  9. Research on axial total pressure distributions of sonic steam jet in subcooled water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Xinzhuang; Li Wenjun; Yan Junjie

    2012-01-01

    The axial total pressure distributions of sonic steam jet in subcooled water were experimentally investigated for three different nozzle diameters (6.0 mm, 8.0 mm and 10.0 mm). The inlet steam pressure, and pool subcooling subcooled water temperature were in the range of 0.2-0.6 MPa and 420-860 ℃, respectively. The effect of steam pressure, subcooling water temperature and nozzle size on the axial pressure distributions were obtained, and also the characteristics of the maximum pressure and its position were studied. The results indicated that the characteristics of the maximum pressure were influenced by the nozzle size for low steam pressure, but the influence could be ignored for high steam pressure. Moreover, a correlation was given to correlate the position of the maximum pressure based on steam pressure and subcooling water temperature, and the discrepancies of predictions and experiments are within ±15%. (authors)

  10. High accuracy of family history of melanoma in Danish melanoma cases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wadt, Karin A W; Drzewiecki, Krzysztof T; Gerdes, Anne-Marie

    2015-12-01

    The incidence of melanoma in Denmark has immensely increased over the last 10 years making Denmark a high risk country for melanoma. In the last two decades multiple public campaigns have sought to increase the awareness of melanoma. Family history of melanoma is a known major risk factor but previous studies have shown that self-reported family history of melanoma is highly inaccurate. These studies are 15 years old and we wanted to examine if a higher awareness of melanoma has increased the accuracy of self-reported family history of melanoma. We examined the family history of 181 melanoma probands who reported 199 cases of melanoma in relatives, of which 135 cases where in first degree relatives. We confirmed the diagnosis of melanoma in 77% of all relatives, and in 83% of first degree relatives. In 181 probands we validated the negative family history of melanoma in 748 first degree relatives and found only 1 case of melanoma which was not reported in a 3 case melanoma family. Melanoma patients in Denmark report family history of melanoma in first and second degree relatives with a high level of accuracy with a true positive predictive value between 77 and 87%. In 99% of probands reporting a negative family history of melanoma in first degree relatives this information is correct. In clinical practice we recommend that melanoma diagnosis in relatives should be verified if possible, but even unverified reported melanoma cases in relatives should be included in the indication of genetic testing and assessment of melanoma risk in the family.

  11. Fission product model for BWR analysis with improved accuracy in high burnup

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ikehara, Tadashi; Yamamoto, Munenari; Ando, Yoshihira

    1998-01-01

    A new fission product (FP) chain model has been studied to be used in a BWR lattice calculation. In attempting to establish the model, two requirements, i.e. the accuracy in predicting burnup reactivity and the easiness in practical application, are simultaneously considered. The resultant FP model consists of 81 explicit FP nuclides and two lumped pseudo nuclides having the absorption cross sections independent of burnup history and fuel composition. For the verification, extensive numerical tests covering over a wide range of operational conditions and fuel compositions have been carried out. The results indicate that the estimated errors in burnup reactivity are within 0.1%Δk for exposures up to 100GWd/t. It is concluded that the present model can offer a high degree of accuracy for FP representation in BWR lattice calculation. (author)

  12. Er:YAG and CTH:YAG laser radiation: contact versus non-contact enamel ablation and sonic-activated bulk composite placement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buckova, M; Kasparova, M; Dostalova, T; Jelinkova, H; Sulc, J; Nemec, M; Fibrich, M; Bradna, P; Miyagi, M

    2013-01-01

    Laser radiation can be used for effective caries removal and cavity preparation without significant thermal effects, collateral damage of tooth structure, or patient discomfort. The aim of this study was to compare the quality of tissue after contact or non-contact Er:YAG and CTH:YAG laser radiation ablation. The second goal was to increase the sealing ability of hard dental tissues using sonic-activated bulk filling material with change in viscosity during processing. The artificial caries was prepared in intact teeth to simulate a demineralized surface and then the Er:YAG or CTH:YAG laser radiation was applied. The enamel artificial caries was gently removed by the laser radiation and sonic-activated composite fillings were inserted. A stereomicroscope and then a scanning electron microscope were used to evaluate the enamel surface. Er:YAG contact mode ablation in enamel was quick and precise; the cavity was smooth with a keyhole shaped prism and rod relief arrangement without a smear layer. The sonic-activated filling material was consistently regularly distributed; no cracks or microleakage in the enamel were observed. CTH:YAG irradiation was able to clean but not ablate the enamel surface; in contact and also in non-contact mode there was evidence of melting and fusing of the enamel. (paper)

  13. Er:YAG and CTH:YAG laser radiation: contact versus non-contact enamel ablation and sonic-activated bulk composite placement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buckova, M.; Kasparova, M.; Dostalova, T.; Jelinkova, H.; Sulc, J.; Nemec, M.; Fibrich, M.; Bradna, P.; Miyagi, M.

    2013-05-01

    Laser radiation can be used for effective caries removal and cavity preparation without significant thermal effects, collateral damage of tooth structure, or patient discomfort. The aim of this study was to compare the quality of tissue after contact or non-contact Er:YAG and CTH:YAG laser radiation ablation. The second goal was to increase the sealing ability of hard dental tissues using sonic-activated bulk filling material with change in viscosity during processing. The artificial caries was prepared in intact teeth to simulate a demineralized surface and then the Er:YAG or CTH:YAG laser radiation was applied. The enamel artificial caries was gently removed by the laser radiation and sonic-activated composite fillings were inserted. A stereomicroscope and then a scanning electron microscope were used to evaluate the enamel surface. Er:YAG contact mode ablation in enamel was quick and precise; the cavity was smooth with a keyhole shaped prism and rod relief arrangement without a smear layer. The sonic-activated filling material was consistently regularly distributed; no cracks or microleakage in the enamel were observed. CTH:YAG irradiation was able to clean but not ablate the enamel surface; in contact and also in non-contact mode there was evidence of melting and fusing of the enamel.

  14. Diagnostic accuracy of cone-beam computed tomography scans with high- and low-resolution modes for the detection of root perforations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shokri, Abbas; Eskandarloo, Amir; Norouzi, Marouf; Poorolajal, Jalal; Majidi, Gelareh; Aliyaly, Alireza

    2018-03-01

    This study compared the diagnostic accuracy of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans obtained with 2 CBCT systems with high- and low-resolution modes for the detection of root perforations in endodontically treated mandibular molars. The root canals of 72 mandibular molars were cleaned and shaped. Perforations measuring 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 mm in diameter were created at the furcation area of 48 roots, simulating strip perforations, or on the external surfaces of 48 roots, simulating root perforations. Forty-eight roots remained intact (control group). The roots were filled using gutta-percha (Gapadent, Tianjin, China) and AH26 sealer (Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland). The CBCT scans were obtained using the NewTom 3G (QR srl, Verona, Italy) and Cranex 3D (Soredex, Helsinki, Finland) CBCT systems in high- and low-resolution modes, and were evaluated by 2 observers. The chi-square test was used to assess the nominal variables. In strip perforations, the accuracies of low- and high-resolution modes were 75% and 83% for NewTom 3G and 67% and 69% for Cranex 3D. In root perforations, the accuracies of low- and high-resolution modes were 79% and 83% for NewTom 3G and was 56% and 73% for Cranex 3D. The accuracy of the 2 CBCT systems was different for the detection of strip and root perforations. The Cranex 3D had non-significantly higher accuracy than the NewTom 3G. In both scanners, the high-resolution mode yielded significantly higher accuracy than the low-resolution mode. The diagnostic accuracy of CBCT scans was not affected by the perforation diameter.

  15. An Eight-Week Clinical Evaluation of an Oscillating-Rotating Power Toothbrush with a Brush Head Utilizing Angled Bristles Compared with a Sonic Toothbrush in the Reduction of Gingivitis and Plaque.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ccahuana-Vasquez, Renzo A; Conde, Erinn; Grender, Julie M; Cunningham, Pamela; Qaqish, Jimmy; Goyal, C Ram

    2015-01-01

    To evaluate and compare the efficacy of an oscillating-rotating (O-R) power toothbrush with a brush head utilizing angled bristles to a marketed sonic toothbrush in the reduction of plaque and gingivitis over an eight-week period. This study used a randomized, examiner-blind, single-center, two-treatment, parallel group, eight-week design. Subjects with mild-to-moderate plaque and gingivitis were evaluated for baseline whole mouth, gingival margin, and approximal plaque, gingivitis, and gingival bleeding. Clinical assessments were performed using the Modified Gingival Index, Gingival Bleeding Index, and the Rustogi Modified Navy Plaque Index. Subjects received either the O-R brush (Oral-B Professional Care 1000 [D16u] with Oral-B CrossAction brush head [EB50]) or the sonic brush (Sonicare DiamondClean with the standard DiamondClean brush head). Subjects brushed twice daily for two minutes per brushing with the assigned brush and a standard fluoride dentifrice for eight weeks before returning for plaque and gingivitis evaluations using the same methods. Prior to baseline and Week 8 measurements, participants abstained from oral hygiene for 12 hours. One hundred and forty-eight subjects completed the study; 75 in the O-R group and 73 in the sonic group. Both brushes demonstrated statistically significant reductions in plaque and gingivitis over the eight-week study period (p gingivitis than the sonic brush. Whole mouth, gingival margin, and approximal plaque reductions were 27.7%, 46.8%, and 29.3% greater, respectively, compared with the sonic brush, while the reductions in gingivitis, gingival bleeding, and number of bleeding sites were 34.6%, 36.4%, and 36.1% greater, respectively, for the O-R brush than for the sonic brush (p gingivitis reductions for the O-R power brush incorporating the angled-bristled brush head were significantly greater than for the sonic power brush.

  16. Dispersion of Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes by in situ Polymerization Under Sonication

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Cheol; Ounaies, Zoubeida; Watson, Kent A.; Crooks, Roy E.; Smith, Joseph, Jr.; Lowther, Sharon E.; Connell, John W.; Siochi, Emilie J.; Harrison, Joycelyn S.; St.Clair, Terry L.

    2002-01-01

    Single wall nanotube reinforced polyimide nanocomposites were synthesized by in situ polymerization of monomers of interest in the presence of sonication. This process enabled uniform dispersion of single wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) bundles in the polymer matrix. The resultant SWNT-polyimide nanocomposite films were electrically conductive (antistatic) and optically transparent with significant conductivity enhancement (10 orders of magnitude) at a very low loading (0.1 vol%). Mechanical properties as well as thermal stability were also improved with the incorporation of the SWNT.

  17. Factors Determining the Inter-observer Variability and Diagnostic Accuracy of High-resolution Manometry for Esophageal Motility Disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Ji Hyun; Kim, Sung Eun; Cho, Yu Kyung; Lim, Chul-Hyun; Park, Moo In; Hwang, Jin Won; Jang, Jae-Sik; Oh, Minkyung

    2018-01-30

    Although high-resolution manometry (HRM) has the advantage of visual intuitiveness, its diagnostic validity remains under debate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of HRM for esophageal motility disorders. Six staff members and 8 trainees were recruited for the study. In total, 40 patients enrolled in manometry studies at 3 institutes were selected. Captured images of 10 representative swallows and a single swallow in analyzing mode in both high-resolution pressure topography (HRPT) and conventional line tracing formats were provided with calculated metrics. Assessments of esophageal motility disorders showed fair agreement for HRPT and moderate agreement for conventional line tracing (κ = 0.40 and 0.58, respectively). With the HRPT format, the k value was higher in category A (esophagogastric junction [EGJ] relaxation abnormality) than in categories B (major body peristalsis abnormalities with intact EGJ relaxation) and C (minor body peristalsis abnormalities or normal body peristalsis with intact EGJ relaxation). The overall exact diagnostic accuracy for the HRPT format was 58.8% and rater's position was an independent factor for exact diagnostic accuracy. The diagnostic accuracy for major disorders was 63.4% with the HRPT format. The frequency of major discrepancies was higher for category B disorders than for category A disorders (38.4% vs 15.4%; P < 0.001). The interpreter's experience significantly affected the exact diagnostic accuracy of HRM for esophageal motility disorders. The diagnostic accuracy for major disorders was higher for achalasia than distal esophageal spasm and jackhammer esophagus.

  18. DIRECT GEOREFERENCING : A NEW STANDARD IN PHOTOGRAMMETRY FOR HIGH ACCURACY MAPPING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Rizaldy

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Direct georeferencing is a new method in photogrammetry, especially in the digital camera era. Theoretically, this method does not require ground control points (GCP and the Aerial Triangulation (AT, to process aerial photography into ground coordinates. Compared with the old method, this method has three main advantages: faster data processing, simple workflow and less expensive project, at the same accuracy. Direct georeferencing using two devices, GPS and IMU. GPS recording the camera coordinates (X, Y, Z, and IMU recording the camera orientation (omega, phi, kappa. Both parameters merged into Exterior Orientation (EO parameter. This parameters required for next steps in the photogrammetric projects, such as stereocompilation, DSM generation, orthorectification and mosaic. Accuracy of this method was tested on topographic map project in Medan, Indonesia. Large-format digital camera Ultracam X from Vexcel is used, while the GPS / IMU is IGI AeroControl. 19 Independent Check Point (ICP were used to determine the accuracy. Horizontal accuracy is 0.356 meters and vertical accuracy is 0.483 meters. Data with this accuracy can be used for 1:2.500 map scale project.

  19. Effect of a passive sonic irrigation system on elimination of Enterococcus faecalis from root canal systems of primary teeth, using different concentrations of sodium hypochlorite: An in vitro evaluation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elham Afshari

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Background. This in vitro study aimed to compare the antibacterial effect of different concentrations of sodium hypochlorite on elimination of Enterococcus faecalis from root canal systems of primary teeth with or without a passive sonic irrigation system (EndoActivator. Methods. The root canals of 120 extracted single-rooted primary incisors were prepared using the crown-down technique. The teeth were autoclaved and inoculated with E. faecalis. The infected samples were then randomly divided into 6 experimental groups of 15 and positive and negative control groups as follows: group 1: 0.5% sodium hypochlorite solution; group 2: 2.5% sodium hypochlorite solution; group 3: 5% sodium hypochlorite solution; group 4: 0.5% sodium hypochlorite solution + sonic activation; group 5: 2.5% sodium hypochlorite solution + sonic activation; and group 6: 5% sodium hypochlorite solution + sonic activation. Microbiological samples were collected before and after disinfection procedures and the colony-forming units were counted. Statistical analyses were performed using the two-way ANOVA and post hoc Duncan's tests in cases of significant difference. Results. There were no significant differences between the groups in any of the variables (concentration of antiseptic or use of sonic irrigation system. Conclusion. Use of passive sonic irrigation systems in endodontic treatment of single-rooted primary teeth is of no benefit compared to regular needle irrigation. The results of this study also recommends use of lower concentrations of sodium hypochlorite solution (0.5% for irrigation of the root canal system rather than higher concentrations given approximately equal efficacy.

  20. Sonic Detection and Ranging (SODAR) Wind Profiler Instrument Handbook

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Coulter, Richard L. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

    2016-04-01

    The SODAR (Sonic Detection and Ranging) wind profiler measures wind profiles and backscattered signal strength between (nominally) 15 meters (m) and 500 m. It operates by transmitting acoustic energy into the atmosphere and measuring the strength and frequency of backscattered energy. The strength of the backscattered signal is determined by the strength of temperature inhomogeneities with size on the order of 10 centimeters (cm). Assuming the scattering elements in the atmosphere are moving with the mean wind, the horizontal wind field can be derived. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility Mobile Facility (AMF) has a system developed by Scintec, Inc. that transmits a sequence of frequencies to enhance signal determination.

  1. Music, Mechanism, and the "Sonic Turn" in Physical Diagnosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pesic, Peter

    2016-04-01

    The sonic diagnostic techniques of percussion and mediate auscultation advocated by Leopold von Auenbrugger and R. T. H. Laennec developed within larger musical contexts of practice, notation, and epistemology. Earlier, François-Nicolas Marquet proposed a musical notation of pulse that connected felt pulsation with heard music. Though contemporary vitalists rejected Marquet's work, mechanists such as Albrecht von Haller included it into the larger discourse about the physiological manifestations of bodily fluids and fibers. Educated in that mechanistic physiology, Auenbrugger used musical vocabulary to present his work on thoracic percussion; Laennec's musical experience shaped his exploration of the new timbres involved in mediate auscultation. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  2. High-accuracy identification and bioinformatic analysis of in vivo protein phosphorylation sites in yeast

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gnad, Florian; de Godoy, Lyris M F; Cox, Jürgen

    2009-01-01

    Protein phosphorylation is a fundamental regulatory mechanism that affects many cell signaling processes. Using high-accuracy MS and stable isotope labeling in cell culture-labeling, we provide a global view of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae phosphoproteome, containing 3620 phosphorylation sites ma...

  3. High Accuracy Mass Measurement of the Dripline Nuclides $^{12,14}$Be

    CERN Multimedia

    2002-01-01

    State-of-the art, three-body nuclear models that describe halo nuclides require the binding energy of the halo neutron(s) as a critical input parameter. In the case of $^{14}$Be, the uncertainty of this quantity is currently far too large (130 keV), inhibiting efforts at detailed theoretical description. A high accuracy, direct mass deterlnination of $^{14}$Be (as well as $^{12}$Be to obtain the two-neutron separation energy) is therefore required. The measurement can be performed with the MISTRAL spectrometer, which is presently the only possible solution due to required accuracy (10 keV) and short half-life (4.5 ms). Having achieved a 5 keV uncertainty for the mass of $^{11}$Li (8.6 ms), MISTRAL has proved the feasibility of such measurements. Since the current ISOLDE production rate of $^{14}$Be is only about 10/s, the installation of a beam cooler is underway in order to improve MISTRAL transmission. The projected improvement of an order of magnitude (in each transverse direction) will make this measureme...

  4. High Accuracy Beam Current Monitor System for CEBAF'S Experimental Hall A

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    J. Denard; A. Saha; G. Lavessiere

    2001-01-01

    CEBAF accelerator delivers continuous wave (CW) electron beams to three experimental Halls. In Hall A, all experiments require continuous, non-invasive current measurements and a few experiments require an absolute accuracy of 0.2 % in the current range from 1 to 180 (micro)A. A Parametric Current Transformer (PCT), manufactured by Bergoz, has an accurate and stable sensitivity of 4 (micro)A/V but its offset drifts at the muA level over time preclude its direct use for continuous measurements. Two cavity monitors are calibrated against the PCT with at least 50 (micro)A of beam current. The calibration procedure suppresses the error due to PCT's offset drifts by turning the beam on and off, which is invasive to the experiment. One of the goals of the system is to minimize the calibration time without compromising the measurement's accuracy. The linearity of the cavity monitors is a critical parameter for transferring the accurate calibration done at high currents over the whole dynamic range. The method for measuring accurately the linearity is described

  5. Sonic hedgehog promotes somitic chondrogenesis by altering the cellular response to BMP signaling

    OpenAIRE

    Murtaugh, L. Charles; Chyung, Jay H.; Lassar, Andrew B.

    1999-01-01

    Previous work has indicated that signals from the floor plate and notochord promote chondrogenesis of the somitic mesoderm. These tissues, acting through the secreted signaling molecule Sonic hedgehog (Shh), appear to be critical for the formation of the sclerotome. Later steps in the differentiation of sclerotome into cartilage may be independent of the influence of these axial tissues. Although the signals involved in these later steps have not yet been pinpointed, there is substantial evid...

  6. Efficacy of an electrically active sonic toothbrush and an oscillating/rotating powered toothbrush in the reduction of plaque and gingivitis: A comparative clinical trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Himanshu Dadlani

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to clinically evaluate and compare the efficacy of an electrically active sonic toothbrush and an oscillating/rotating powered toothbrush in the reduction of plaque and gingivitis. Material and Methods: For this study, 40 healthy student volunteers (20 males, 20 females were selected. The subjects were randomly assigned into two groups by a second examiner; one group used a current producing sonic toothbrush and the other group used a battery powered toothbrush. Plaque Index, Modified Gingival Index and Gingival Bleeding Index were assessed at baseline, 15 th day, 30 th day, 45 th day and 60 th day. Results: All the baseline indices appeared to be well balanced. At the end of the study, reduction in plaque index, modified gingival index and gingival bleeding index were statistically highly significant during each interval for both the toothbrushes. The difference in reduction of clinical parameters between the two toothbrushes was statistically non significant. Conclusion: Both the toothbrushes used in this study were clinically effective in removing plaque and improving gingival health.

  7. High-accuracy determination of the neutron flux at n{sub T}OF

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barbagallo, M.; Colonna, N.; Mastromarco, M.; Meaze, M.; Tagliente, G.; Variale, V. [Sezione di Bari, INFN, Bari (Italy); Guerrero, C.; Andriamonje, S.; Boccone, V.; Brugger, M.; Calviani, M.; Cerutti, F.; Chin, M.; Ferrari, A.; Kadi, Y.; Losito, R.; Versaci, R.; Vlachoudis, V. [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (Switzerland); Tsinganis, A. [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (Switzerland); National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Athens (Greece); Tarrio, D.; Duran, I.; Leal-Cidoncha, E.; Paradela, C. [Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago (Spain); Altstadt, S.; Goebel, K.; Langer, C.; Reifarth, R.; Schmidt, S.; Weigand, M. [Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe Universitaet, Frankfurt (Germany); Andrzejewski, J.; Marganiec, J.; Perkowski, J. [Uniwersytet Lodzki, Lodz (Poland); Audouin, L.; Leong, L.S.; Tassan-Got, L. [Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/IN2P3 - IPN, Orsay (France); Becares, V.; Cano-Ott, D.; Garcia, A.R.; Gonzalez-Romero, E.; Martinez, T.; Mendoza, E. [Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas Medioambientales y Tecnologicas (CIEMAT), Madrid (Spain); Becvar, F.; Krticka, M.; Kroll, J.; Valenta, S. [Charles University, Prague (Czech Republic); Belloni, F.; Fraval, K.; Gunsing, F.; Lampoudis, C.; Papaevangelou, T. [Commissariata l' Energie Atomique (CEA) Saclay - Irfu, Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Berthoumieux, E.; Chiaveri, E. [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (Switzerland); Commissariata l' Energie Atomique (CEA) Saclay - Irfu, Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Billowes, J.; Ware, T.; Wright, T. [University of Manchester, Manchester (United Kingdom); Bosnar, D.; Zugec, P. [University of Zagreb, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Zagreb (Croatia); Calvino, F.; Cortes, G.; Gomez-Hornillos, M.B.; Riego, A. [Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Barcelona (Spain); Carrapico, C.; Goncalves, I.F.; Sarmento, R.; Vaz, P. [Universidade Tecnica de Lisboa, Instituto Tecnologico e Nuclear, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Lisboa (Portugal); Cortes-Giraldo, M.A.; Praena, J.; Quesada, J.M.; Sabate-Gilarte, M. [Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla (Spain); Diakaki, M.; Karadimos, D.; Kokkoris, M.; Vlastou, R. [National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Athens (Greece); Domingo-Pardo, C.; Giubrone, G.; Tain, J.L. [CSIC-Universidad de Valencia, Instituto de Fisica Corpuscular, Valencia (Spain); Dressler, R.; Kivel, N.; Schumann, D.; Steinegger, P. [Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen PSI (Switzerland); Dzysiuk, N.; Mastinu, P.F. [Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, INFN, Rome (Italy); Eleftheriadis, C.; Manousos, A. [Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki (Greece); Ganesan, S.; Gurusamy, P.; Saxena, A. [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai (IN); Griesmayer, E.; Jericha, E.; Leeb, H. [Technische Universitaet Wien, Atominstitut, Wien (AT); Hernandez-Prieto, A. [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (CH); Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Barcelona (ES); Jenkins, D.G.; Vermeulen, M.J. [University of York, Heslington, York (GB); Kaeppeler, F. [Institut fuer Kernphysik, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Campus Nord, Karlsruhe (DE); Koehler, P. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge (US); Lederer, C. [Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe Universitaet, Frankfurt (DE); University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics, Vienna (AT); Massimi, C.; Mingrone, F.; Vannini, G. [Universita di Bologna (IT); INFN, Sezione di Bologna, Dipartimento di Fisica, Bologna (IT); Mengoni, A.; Ventura, A. [Agenzia nazionale per le nuove tecnologie, l' energia e lo sviluppo economico sostenibile (ENEA), Bologna (IT); Milazzo, P.M. [Sezione di Trieste, INFN, Trieste (IT); Mirea, M. [Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering - IFIN HH, Bucharest - Magurele (RO); Mondalaers, W.; Plompen, A.; Schillebeeckx, P. [Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements, European Commission JRC, Geel (BE); Pavlik, A.; Wallner, A. [University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics, Vienna (AT); Rauscher, T. [University of Basel, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Basel (CH); Roman, F. [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (CH); Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering - IFIN HH, Bucharest - Magurele (RO); Rubbia, C. [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (CH); Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso dell' INFN, Assergi (AQ) (IT); Weiss, C. [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (CH); Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe Universitaet, Frankfurt (DE)

    2013-12-15

    The neutron flux of the n{sub T}OF facility at CERN was measured, after installation of the new spallation target, with four different systems based on three neutron-converting reactions, which represent accepted cross sections standards in different energy regions. A careful comparison and combination of the different measurements allowed us to reach an unprecedented accuracy on the energy dependence of the neutron flux in the very wide range (thermal to 1 GeV) that characterizes the n{sub T}OF neutron beam. This is a pre-requisite for the high accuracy of cross section measurements at n{sub T}OF. An unexpected anomaly in the neutron-induced fission cross section of {sup 235}U is observed in the energy region between 10 and 30keV, hinting at a possible overestimation of this important cross section, well above currently assigned uncertainties. (orig.)

  8. High accuracy microwave frequency measurement based on single-drive dual-parallel Mach-Zehnder modulator

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhao, Ying; Pang, Xiaodan; Deng, Lei

    2011-01-01

    A novel approach for broadband microwave frequency measurement by employing a single-drive dual-parallel Mach-Zehnder modulator is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Based on bias manipulations of the modulator, conventional frequency-to-power mapping technique is developed by performing a...... 10−3 relative error. This high accuracy frequency measurement technique is a promising candidate for high-speed electronic warfare and defense applications....

  9. Innovative Technique for High-Accuracy Remote Monitoring of Surface Water

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gisler, A.; Barton-Grimley, R. A.; Thayer, J. P.; Crowley, G.

    2016-12-01

    Lidar (light detection and ranging) provides absolute depth and topographic mapping capability compared to other remote sensing methods, which is useful for mapping rapidly changing environments such as riverine systems and agricultural waterways. Effectiveness of current lidar bathymetric systems is limited by the difficulty in unambiguously identifying backscattered lidar signals from the water surface versus the bottom, limiting their depth resolution to 0.3-0.5 m. Additionally these are large, bulky systems that are constrained to expensive aircraft-mounted platforms and use waveform-processing techniques requiring substantial computation time. These restrictions are prohibitive for many potential users. A novel lidar device has been developed that allows for non-contact measurements of water depth down to 1 cm with an accuracy and precision of shallow to deep water allowing for shoreline charting, measuring water volume, mapping bottom topology, and identifying submerged objects. The scalability of the technique opens up the ability for handheld or UAS-mounted lidar bathymetric systems, which provides for potential applications currently unavailable to the community. The high laser pulse repetition rate allows for very fine horizontal resolution while the photon-counting technique permits real-time depth measurement and object detection. The enhanced measurement capability, portability, scalability, and relatively low-cost creates the opportunity to perform frequent high-accuracy monitoring and measuring of aquatic environments which is crucial for monitoring water resources on fast timescales. Results from recent campaigns measuring water depth in flowing creeks and murky ponds will be presented which demonstrate that the method is not limited by rough water surfaces and can map underwater topology through moderately turbid water.

  10. A Review of the Application of Ultrasound in Bioleaching and Insights from Sonication in (BioChemical Processes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shruti Vyas

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Chemical and biological leaching is practiced on a commercial scale for the mining of metals from ores. Although bioleaching is an environmentally-friendly alternative to chemical leaching, one of the principal shortcomings is the slow rate of leaching which needs to be addressed. The application of ultrasound in bioleaching, termed sonobioleaching, is a technique which has been reported to increase the rate and extent of metal extraction. This article reviews efforts made in the field of sonobioleaching. Since bioleaching is effectively a biological and chemical process, the effects of sonication on chemical leaching/reactions and biological processes are also reviewed. Although sonication increases metal extraction by increasing the metabolite production and enhanced mixing at a micro scale, research is limited in terms of the microorganisms explored. This paper highlights some shortcomings and limitations of existing techniques, and proposes directions for future research.

  11. A generalized polynomial chaos based ensemble Kalman filter with high accuracy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Jia; Xiu Dongbin

    2009-01-01

    As one of the most adopted sequential data assimilation methods in many areas, especially those involving complex nonlinear dynamics, the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) has been under extensive investigation regarding its properties and efficiency. Compared to other variants of the Kalman filter (KF), EnKF is straightforward to implement, as it employs random ensembles to represent solution states. This, however, introduces sampling errors that affect the accuracy of EnKF in a negative manner. Though sampling errors can be easily reduced by using a large number of samples, in practice this is undesirable as each ensemble member is a solution of the system of state equations and can be time consuming to compute for large-scale problems. In this paper we present an efficient EnKF implementation via generalized polynomial chaos (gPC) expansion. The key ingredients of the proposed approach involve (1) solving the system of stochastic state equations via the gPC methodology to gain efficiency; and (2) sampling the gPC approximation of the stochastic solution with an arbitrarily large number of samples, at virtually no additional computational cost, to drastically reduce the sampling errors. The resulting algorithm thus achieves a high accuracy at reduced computational cost, compared to the classical implementations of EnKF. Numerical examples are provided to verify the convergence property and accuracy improvement of the new algorithm. We also prove that for linear systems with Gaussian noise, the first-order gPC Kalman filter method is equivalent to the exact Kalman filter.

  12. Dendrosomatic Sonic Hedgehog Signaling in Hippocampal Neurons Regulates Axon Elongation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petralia, Ronald S.; Ott, Carolyn; Wang, Ya-Xian; Lippincott-Schwartz, Jennifer; Mattson, Mark P.

    2015-01-01

    The presence of Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) and its signaling components in the neurons of the hippocampus raises a question about what role the Shh signaling pathway may play in these neurons. We show here that activation of the Shh signaling pathway stimulates axon elongation in rat hippocampal neurons. This Shh-induced effect depends on the pathway transducer Smoothened (Smo) and the transcription factor Gli1. The axon itself does not respond directly to Shh; instead, the Shh signal transduction originates from the somatodendritic region of the neurons and occurs in neurons with and without detectable primary cilia. Upon Shh stimulation, Smo localization to dendrites increases significantly. Shh pathway activation results in increased levels of profilin1 (Pfn1), an actin-binding protein. Mutations in Pfn1's actin-binding sites or reduction of Pfn1 eliminate the Shh-induced axon elongation. These findings indicate that Shh can regulate axon growth, which may be critical for development of hippocampal neurons. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Although numerous signaling mechanisms have been identified that act directly on axons to regulate their outgrowth, it is not known whether signals transduced in dendrites may also affect axon outgrowth. We describe here a transcellular signaling pathway in embryonic hippocampal neurons in which activation of Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) receptors in dendrites stimulates axon growth. The pathway involves the dendritic-membrane-associated Shh signal transducer Smoothened (Smo) and the transcription factor Gli, which induces the expression of the gene encoding the actin-binding protein profilin 1. Our findings suggest scenarios in which stimulation of Shh in dendrites results in accelerated outgrowth of the axon, which therefore reaches its presumptive postsynaptic target cell more quickly. By this mechanism, Shh may play critical roles in the development of hippocampal neuronal circuits. PMID:26658865

  13. Harmonic motion imaging for focused ultrasound (HMIFU): a fully integrated technique for sonication and monitoring of thermal ablation in tissues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maleke, C; Konofagou, E E

    2008-01-01

    FUS (focused ultrasound), or HIFU (high-intensity-focused ultrasound) therapy, a minimally or non-invasive procedure that uses ultrasound to generate thermal necrosis, has been proven successful in several clinical applications. This paper discusses a method for monitoring thermal treatment at different sonication durations (10 s, 20 s and 30 s) using the amplitude-modulated (AM) harmonic motion imaging for focused ultrasound (HMIFU) technique in bovine liver samples in vitro. The feasibility of HMI for characterizing mechanical tissue properties has previously been demonstrated. Here, a confocal transducer, combining a 4.68 MHz therapy (FUS) and a 7.5 MHz diagnostic (pulse-echo) transducer, was used. The therapy transducer was driven by a low-frequency AM continuous signal at 25 Hz, producing a stable harmonic radiation force oscillating at the modulation frequency. A pulser/receiver was used to drive the pulse-echo transducer at a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 5.4 kHz. Radio-frequency (RF) signals were acquired using a standard pulse-echo technique. The temperature near the ablation region was simultaneously monitored. Both RF signals and temperature measurements were obtained before, during and after sonication. The resulting axial tissue displacement was estimated using one-dimensional cross correlation. When temperature at the focal zone was above 48 deg. C during heating, the coagulation necrosis occurred and tissue damage was irreversible. The HMI displacement profiles in relation to the temperature and sonication durations were analyzed. At the beginning of heating, the temperature at the focus increased sharply, while the tissue stiffness decreased resulting in higher HMI displacements. This was confirmed by an increase of 0.8 μm deg. C -1 (r = 0.93, p -1 , r = -0.92, p -1 , prior to and after lesion formation in seven bovine liver samples, respectively. This technique was thus capable of following the protein-denatured lesion formation based on the

  14. Sonication of seeds increase germination performance of sesame under low temperature stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fariborz SHEKARI

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available A laboratory experiment was conducted to determine the effect of ultrasound (US exposure time on germination behavior of sesame seeds. All tests were carried out at 20 kHz in a water bath ultrasonic device varying two factors, treatment duration (10, 20 and 30 min and germination temperature (15, 20 and 25 ºC. Parallel tests were run in which seeds were soaked in water without sonication in order to eliminate the effect of water from US test results. US treatments enhanced seeds water uptake. At mild exposure time it improved sesame seed germination performance and seedling growth at suboptimal temperatures as indicated by higher germination percentage and germination rate. US applying for 20 min had relatively high superoxide dismutase activity; however, had not significant differences with control and US duration for 10 min. The catalase activity was strongly increased by applying the US for a 10 and 20 min. Among the treatments, application of US vibration for 10 and 20 min reduced both of malondialdehyde and H2O2 contents, however high US duration (30 min increased both of the traits. In general, ultrasonic priming technique can be useful for early planting the sesame seeds, and lead to higher yields.

  15. High-accuracy defect sizing for CRDM penetration adapters using the ultrasonic TOFD technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Atkinson, I.

    1995-01-01

    Ultrasonic time-of-flight diffraction (TOFD) is the preferred technique for critical sizing of throughwall orientated defects in a wide range of components, primarily because it is intrinsically more accurate than amplitude-based techniques. For the same reason, TOFD is the preferred technique for sizing the cracks in control rod drive mechanism (CRDM) penetration adapters, which have been the subject of much recent attention. Once the considerable problem of restricted access for the UT probes has been overcome, this inspection lends itself to very high accuracy defect sizing using TOFD. In qualification trials under industrial conditions, depth sizing to an accuracy of ≤ 0.5 mm has been routinely achieved throughout the full wall thickness (16 mm) of the penetration adapters, using only a single probe pair and without recourse to signal processing. (author)

  16. Merging Metallic Catalysts and Sonication: A Periodic Table Overview

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claudia E. Domini

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available This account summarizes and discusses recent examples in which the combination of ultrasonic waves and metal-based reagents, including metal nanoparticles, has proven to be a useful choice in synthetic planning. Not only does sonication often enhance the activity of the metal catalyst/reagent, but it also greatly enhances the synthetic transformation that can be conducted under milder conditions relative to conventional protocols. For the sake of clarity, we have adopted a structure according to the periodic-table elements or families, distinguishing between bulk metal reagents and nanoparticles, as well as the supported variations, thus illustrating the characteristics of the method under consideration in target synthesis. The coverage focuses essentially on the last decade, although the discussion also strikes a comparative balance between the more recent advancements and past literature.

  17. Acoustic resonances in two-dimensional radial sonic crystal shells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Torrent, Daniel; Sanchez-Dehesa, Jose, E-mail: jsdehesa@upvnet.upv.e [Wave Phenomena Group, Departamento de Ingenieria Electronica, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, C/Camino de Vera s.n., E-46022 Valencia (Spain)

    2010-07-15

    Radial sonic crystals (RSC) are fluidlike structures infinitely periodic along the radial direction that verify the Bloch theorem and are possible only if certain specially designed acoustic metamaterials with mass density anisotropy can be engineered (see Torrent and Sanchez-Dehesa 2009 Phys. Rev. Lett. 103 064301). A comprehensive analysis of two-dimensional (2D) RSC shells is reported here. A given shell is in fact a circular slab with a central cavity. These finite crystal structures contain Fabry-Perot-like resonances and modes strongly localized at the central cavity. Semi-analytical expressions are developed to obtain the quality factors of the different resonances, their symmetry features and their excitation properties. The results reported here are completely general and can be extended to equivalent 3D spherical shells and to their photonic counterparts.

  18. High accuracy mantle convection simulation through modern numerical methods

    KAUST Repository

    Kronbichler, Martin

    2012-08-21

    Numerical simulation of the processes in the Earth\\'s mantle is a key piece in understanding its dynamics, composition, history and interaction with the lithosphere and the Earth\\'s core. However, doing so presents many practical difficulties related to the numerical methods that can accurately represent these processes at relevant scales. This paper presents an overview of the state of the art in algorithms for high-Rayleigh number flows such as those in the Earth\\'s mantle, and discusses their implementation in the Open Source code Aspect (Advanced Solver for Problems in Earth\\'s ConvecTion). Specifically, we show how an interconnected set of methods for adaptive mesh refinement (AMR), higher order spatial and temporal discretizations, advection stabilization and efficient linear solvers can provide high accuracy at a numerical cost unachievable with traditional methods, and how these methods can be designed in a way so that they scale to large numbers of processors on compute clusters. Aspect relies on the numerical software packages deal.II and Trilinos, enabling us to focus on high level code and keeping our implementation compact. We present results from validation tests using widely used benchmarks for our code, as well as scaling results from parallel runs. © 2012 The Authors Geophysical Journal International © 2012 RAS.

  19. Measurement system with high accuracy for laser beam quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ke, Yi; Zeng, Ciling; Xie, Peiyuan; Jiang, Qingshan; Liang, Ke; Yang, Zhenyu; Zhao, Ming

    2015-05-20

    Presently, most of the laser beam quality measurement system collimates the optical path manually with low efficiency and low repeatability. To solve these problems, this paper proposed a new collimated method to improve the reliability and accuracy of the measurement results. The system accuracy controlled the position of the mirror to change laser beam propagation direction, which can realize the beam perpendicularly incident to the photosurface of camera. The experiment results show that the proposed system has good repeatability and the measuring deviation of M2 factor is less than 0.6%.

  20. Accuracy of High-Resolution Ultrasonography in the Detection of Extensor Tendon Lacerations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dezfuli, Bobby; Taljanovic, Mihra S; Melville, David M; Krupinski, Elizabeth A; Sheppard, Joseph E

    2016-02-01

    Lacerations to the extensor mechanism are usually diagnosed clinically. Ultrasound (US) has been a growing diagnostic tool for tendon injuries since the 1990s. To date, there has been no publication establishing the accuracy and reliability of US in the evaluation of extensor mechanism lacerations in the hand. The purpose of this study is to determine the accuracy of US to detect extensor tendon injuries in the hand. Sixteen fingers and 4 thumbs in 4 fresh-frozen and thawed cadaveric hands were used. Sixty-eight 0.5-cm transverse skin lacerations were created. Twenty-seven extensor tendons were sharply transected. The remaining skin lacerations were used as sham dissection controls. One US technologist and one fellowship-trained musculoskeletal radiologist performed real-time dynamic US studies in and out of water bath. A second fellowship trained musculoskeletal radiologist subsequently reviewed the static US images. Dynamic and static US interpretation accuracy was assessed using dissection as "truth." All 27 extensor tendon lacerations and controls were identified correctly with dynamic imaging as either injury models that had a transected extensor tendon or sham controls with intact extensor tendons (sensitivity = 100%, specificity = 100%, positive predictive value = 1.0; all significantly greater than chance). Static imaging had a sensitivity of 85%, specificity of 89%, and accuracy of 88% (all significantly greater than chance). The results of the dynamic real time versus static US imaging were clearly different but did not reach statistical significance. Diagnostic US is a very accurate noninvasive study that can identify extensor mechanism injuries. Clinically suspected cases of acute extensor tendon injury scanned by high-frequency US can aid and/or confirm the diagnosis, with dynamic imaging providing added value compared to static. Ultrasonography, to aid in the diagnosis of extensor mechanism lacerations, can be successfully used in a reliable and

  1. Momentum correlations as signature of sonic Hawking radiation in Bose-Einstein condensates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Fabbri, N. Pavloff

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available We study the two-body momentum correlation signal in a quasi one dimensional Bose-Einstein condensate in the presence of a sonic horizon. We identify the relevant correlation lines in momentum space and compute the intensity of the corresponding signal. We consider a set of different experimental procedures and identify the specific issues of each measuring process. We show that some inter-channel correlations, in particular the Hawking quantum-partner one, are particularly well adapted for witnessing quantum non-separability, being resilient to the effects of temperature and/or quantum quenches.

  2. Sonic hedgehog protein promotes proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warzecha, Jörg; Göttig, Stephan; Brüning, Christian; Lindhorst, Elmar; Arabmothlagh, Mohammad; Kurth, Andreas

    2006-10-01

    Sonic hedgehog (Shh) protein is known to be an important signaling protein in early embryonic development. Also, Shh is involved in the induction of early cartilaginous differentiation of mesenchymal cells in the limb and in the spine. The impact of Shh on adult stem cells, human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), was tested. The MSCs were treated either with recombinant Sonic hedgehog protein (r-Shh) or with transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta(1)) as a positive control in vitro for 3 weeks. The effects on cartilaginous differentiation and proliferation were assayed. MSCs when treated with either Shh or TGF-beta(1) showed expression of cartilage markers aggrecan, Sox9, CEP-68, and collagen type II and X within 3 weeks. Only r-Shh-treated cells showed a very strong cell proliferation and much higher BrdU incorporation in cell assay systems. These are the first data that indicate an important role of Shh for the induction of cartilage production by MSCs in vitro.

  3. Enhancing the Accuracy of Advanced High Temperature Mechanical Testing through Thermography

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jonathan Jones

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes the advantages and enhanced accuracy thermography provides to high temperature mechanical testing. This technique is not only used to monitor, but also to control test specimen temperatures where the infra-red technique enables accurate non-invasive control of rapid thermal cycling for non-metallic materials. Isothermal and dynamic waveforms are employed over a 200–800 °C temperature range to pre-oxidised and coated specimens to assess the capability of the technique. This application shows thermography to be accurate to within ±2 °C of thermocouples, a standardised measurement technique. This work demonstrates the superior visibility of test temperatures previously unobtainable by conventional thermocouples or even more modern pyrometers that thermography can deliver. As a result, the speed and accuracy of thermal profiling, thermal gradient measurements and cold/hot spot identification using the technique has increased significantly to the point where temperature can now be controlled by averaging over a specified area. The increased visibility of specimen temperatures has revealed additional unknown effects such as thermocouple shadowing, preferential crack tip heating within an induction coil, and, fundamental response time of individual measurement techniques which are investigated further.

  4. Technical accuracy of a neuronavigation system measured with a high-precision mechanical micromanipulator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaus, M; Steinmeier, R; Sporer, T; Ganslandt, O; Fahlbusch, R

    1997-12-01

    This study was designed to determine and evaluate the different system-inherent sources of erroneous target localization of a light-emitting diode (LED)-based neuronavigation system (StealthStation, Stealth Technologies, Boulder, CO). The localization accuracy was estimated by applying a high-precision mechanical micromanipulator to move and exactly locate (+/- 0.1 micron) the pointer at multiple positions in the physical three-dimensional space. The localization error was evaluated by calculating the spatial distance between the (known) LED positions and the LED coordinates measured by the neuronavigator. The results are based on a study of approximately 280,000 independent coordinate measurements. The maximum localization error detected was 0.55 +/- 0.29 mm, with the z direction (distance to the camera array) being the most erroneous coordinate. Minimum localization error was found at a distance of 1400 mm from the central camera (optimal measurement position). Additional error due to 1) mechanical vibrations of the camera tripod (+/- 0.15 mm) and the reference frame (+/- 0.08 mm) and 2) extrapolation of the pointer tip position from the LED coordinates of at least +/- 0.12 mm were detected, leading to a total technical error of 0.55 +/- 0.64 mm. Based on this technical accuracy analysis, a set of handling recommendations is proposed, leading to an improved localization accuracy. The localization error could be reduced by 0.3 +/- 0.15 mm by correct camera positioning (1400 mm distance) plus 0.15 mm by vibration-eliminating fixation of the camera. Correct handling of the probe during the operation may improve the accuracy by up to 0.1 mm.

  5. The Use of Structural-Acoustic Techniques to Assess Potential Structural Damage From Sonic Booms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garrelick, Joel; Martini, Kyle

    1996-01-01

    The potential impact of supersonic operations includes structural damage from the sonic boom overpressure. This paper describes a study of how structural-acoustic modeling and testing techniques may be used to assess the potential for such damage in the absence of actual flyovers. Procedures are described whereby transfer functions relating structural response to sonic boom signature may be obtained with a stationary acoustic source and appropriate data processing. Further, by invoking structural-acoustic reciprocity, these transfer functions may also be acquired by measuring the radiated sound from the structure under a mechanical drive. The approach is based on the fundamental assumption of linearity, both with regard to the (acoustic) propagation of the boom in the vicinity of the structure and to the structure's response. Practical issues revolve around acoustic far field and source directivity requirements. The technique was implemented on a specially fabricated test structure at Edwards AFB, CA with the support of Wyle Laboratories, Inc. Blank shots from a cannon served as our acoustic source and taps from an instrumented hammer generated the mechanical drive. Simulated response functions were constructed. Results of comparisons with corresponding measurements recorded during dedicated supersonic flyovers with F-15 aircraft are presented for a number of sensor placements.

  6. A facile approach to manufacturing non-ionic surfactant nanodipsersions using proniosome technology and high-pressure homogenization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Najlah, Mohammad; Hidayat, Kanar; Omer, Huner K; Mwesigwa, Enosh; Ahmed, Waqar; AlObaidy, Kais G; Phoenix, David A; Elhissi, Abdelbary

    2015-03-01

    In this study, a niosome nanodispersion was manufactured using high-pressure homogenization following the hydration of proniosomes. Using beclometasone dipropionate (BDP) as a model drug, the characteristics of the homogenized niosomes were compared with vesicles prepared via the conventional approach of probe-sonication. Particle size, zeta potential, and the drug entrapment efficiency were similar for both size reduction mechanisms. However, high-pressure homogenization was much more efficient than sonication in terms of homogenization output rate, avoidance of sample contamination, offering a greater potential for a large-scale manufacturing of noisome nanodispersions. For example, high-pressure homogenization was capable of producing small size niosomes (209 nm) using a short single-step of size reduction (6 min) as compared with the time-consuming process of sonication (237 nm in >18 min) and the BDP entrapment efficiency was 29.65% ± 4.04 and 36.4% ± 2.8. In addition, for homogenization, the output rate of the high-pressure homogenization was 10 ml/min compared with 0.83 ml/min using the sonication protocol. In conclusion, a facile, applicable, and highly efficient approach for preparing niosome nanodispersions has been established using proniosome technology and high-pressure homogenization.

  7. Accuracy and high-speed technique for autoprocessing of Young's fringes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Wenyi; Tan, Yushan

    1991-12-01

    In this paper, an accurate and high-speed method for auto-processing of Young's fringes is proposed. A group of 1-D sampled intensity values along three or more different directions are taken from Young's fringes, and the fringe spacings of each direction are obtained by 1-D FFT respectively. Two directions that have smaller fringe spacing are selected from all directions. The accurate fringe spacings along these two directions are obtained by using orthogonal coherent phase detection technique (OCPD). The actual spacing and angle of Young's fringes, therefore, can be calculated. In this paper, the principle of OCPD is introduced in detail. The accuracy of the method is evaluated theoretically and experimentally.

  8. Acoustic metamaterials for new two-dimensional sonic devices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Torrent, Daniel; Sanchez-Dehesa, Jose [Wave Phenomena Group, Department of Electronic Engineering, Polytechnic University of Valencia, C/Camino de Vera sn, E-46022 Valencia (Spain)

    2007-09-15

    It has been shown that two-dimensional arrays of rigid or fluidlike cylinders in a fluid or a gas define, in the limit of large wavelengths, a class of acoustic metamaterials whose effective parameters (sound velocity and density) can be tailored up to a certain limit. This work goes a step further by considering arrays of solid cylinders in which the elastic properties of cylinders are taken into account. We have also treated mixtures of two different elastic cylinders. It is shown that both effects broaden the range of acoustic parameters available for designing metamaterials. For example, it is predicted that metamaterials with perfect matching of impedance with air are now possible by using aerogel and rigid cylinders equally distributed in a square lattice. As a potential application of the proposed metamaterial, we present a gradient index lens for airborne sound (i.e. a sonic Wood lens) whose functionality is demonstrated by multiple scattering simulations.

  9. Implementation of High Time Delay Accuracy of Ultrasonic Phased Array Based on Interpolation CIC Filter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Peilu; Li, Xinghua; Li, Haopeng; Su, Zhikun; Zhang, Hongxu

    2017-10-12

    In order to improve the accuracy of ultrasonic phased array focusing time delay, analyzing the original interpolation Cascade-Integrator-Comb (CIC) filter, an 8× interpolation CIC filter parallel algorithm was proposed, so that interpolation and multichannel decomposition can simultaneously process. Moreover, we summarized the general formula of arbitrary multiple interpolation CIC filter parallel algorithm and established an ultrasonic phased array focusing time delay system based on 8× interpolation CIC filter parallel algorithm. Improving the algorithmic structure, 12.5% of addition and 29.2% of multiplication was reduced, meanwhile the speed of computation is still very fast. Considering the existing problems of the CIC filter, we compensated the CIC filter; the compensated CIC filter's pass band is flatter, the transition band becomes steep, and the stop band attenuation increases. Finally, we verified the feasibility of this algorithm on Field Programming Gate Array (FPGA). In the case of system clock is 125 MHz, after 8× interpolation filtering and decomposition, time delay accuracy of the defect echo becomes 1 ns. Simulation and experimental results both show that the algorithm we proposed has strong feasibility. Because of the fast calculation, small computational amount and high resolution, this algorithm is especially suitable for applications with high time delay accuracy and fast detection.

  10. Implementation of High Time Delay Accuracy of Ultrasonic Phased Array Based on Interpolation CIC Filter

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peilu Liu

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available In order to improve the accuracy of ultrasonic phased array focusing time delay, analyzing the original interpolation Cascade-Integrator-Comb (CIC filter, an 8× interpolation CIC filter parallel algorithm was proposed, so that interpolation and multichannel decomposition can simultaneously process. Moreover, we summarized the general formula of arbitrary multiple interpolation CIC filter parallel algorithm and established an ultrasonic phased array focusing time delay system based on 8× interpolation CIC filter parallel algorithm. Improving the algorithmic structure, 12.5% of addition and 29.2% of multiplication was reduced, meanwhile the speed of computation is still very fast. Considering the existing problems of the CIC filter, we compensated the CIC filter; the compensated CIC filter’s pass band is flatter, the transition band becomes steep, and the stop band attenuation increases. Finally, we verified the feasibility of this algorithm on Field Programming Gate Array (FPGA. In the case of system clock is 125 MHz, after 8× interpolation filtering and decomposition, time delay accuracy of the defect echo becomes 1 ns. Simulation and experimental results both show that the algorithm we proposed has strong feasibility. Because of the fast calculation, small computational amount and high resolution, this algorithm is especially suitable for applications with high time delay accuracy and fast detection.

  11. Sonication contribution to identifying prosthetic joint infection with Ralstonia pickettii: a case report and review of the literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Birlutiu, Rares Mircea; Roman, Mihai Dan; Cismasiu, Razvan Silviu; Fleaca, Sorin Radu; Popa, Crina Maria; Mihalache, Manuela; Birlutiu, Victoria

    2017-07-19

    In the context of an increase number of primary and revision total hip and total knee arthroplasty performed yearly, an increased risk of complication is expected. Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) remains the most common and feared arthroplasty complication. Ralstonia pickettii is a Gram-negative bacterium, that has also been identified in biofilms. It remains an extremely rare cause of PJI. There is no report of an identification of R. pickettii on an extracted spacer loaded with antibiotic. We present the case of an 83-years-old Caucasian male patient, that underwent a right cemented total hip replacement surgery. The patient is diagnosed with an early PJI with no isolated microorganism. A debridement and change of mobile parts is performed. At the beginning of 2016, the patient in readmitted into the Orthopedic Department for sever, right abdominal and groin pain and elevated serum erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein. A joint aspiration is performed with a negative microbiological examination. A two-stage exchange with long interval management is adopted, and a preformed spacer loaded with gentamicin was implanted. In July 2016, based on the proinflammatory markers evolution, a shift a three-stage exchange strategy is decided. In September 2016, a debridement, and changing of the preformed spacer loaded with gentamicin with another was carried out. Bacteriological examination of the tissues sampled intraoperatively was positive for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. From the sonication fluid, no bacteria were isolated on culture or identified using the bbFISH assay. During the hospitalization period, the patient received i.v. ceftazidime 3x2g/day and p.o. ciprofloxacin 2x750mg/day, antibiotic therapy that was continued after discharge with p.o. ciprofloxacin 2x750mg/day for 6 weeks. In February 2017, a reimplantation of a revision prosthesis is performed. The retrieved spacer is sonicated, and after 4 days of incubation of the sonication fluid, R

  12. THE EFFECT OF MODERATE AND HIGH-INTENSITY FATIGUE ON GROUNDSTROKE ACCURACY IN EXPERT AND NON-EXPERT TENNIS PLAYERS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark Lyons

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Exploring the effects of fatigue on skilled performance in tennis presents a significant challenge to the researcher with respect to ecological validity. This study examined the effects of moderate and high-intensity fatigue on groundstroke accuracy in expert and non-expert tennis players. The research also explored whether the effects of fatigue are the same regardless of gender and player's achievement motivation characteristics. 13 expert (7 male, 6 female and 17 non-expert (13 male, 4 female tennis players participated in the study. Groundstroke accuracy was assessed using the modified Loughborough Tennis Skills Test. Fatigue was induced using the Loughborough Intermittent Tennis Test with moderate (70% and high-intensities (90% set as a percentage of peak heart rate (attained during a tennis-specific maximal hitting sprint test. Ratings of perceived exertion were used as an adjunct to the monitoring of heart rate. Achievement goal indicators for each player were assessed using the 2 x 2 Achievement Goals Questionnaire for Sport in an effort to examine if this personality characteristic provides insight into how players perform under moderate and high-intensity fatigue conditions. A series of mixed ANOVA's revealed significant fatigue effects on groundstroke accuracy regardless of expertise. The expert players however, maintained better groundstroke accuracy across all conditions compared to the novice players. Nevertheless, in both groups, performance following high-intensity fatigue deteriorated compared to performance at rest and performance while moderately fatigued. Groundstroke accuracy under moderate levels of fatigue was equivalent to that at rest. Fatigue effects were also similar regardless of gender. No fatigue by expertise, or fatigue by gender interactions were found. Fatigue effects were also equivalent regardless of player's achievement goal indicators. Future research is required to explore the effects of fatigue on

  13. Cause and Cure - Deterioration in Accuracy of CFD Simulations With Use of High-Aspect-Ratio Triangular Tetrahedral Grids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Sin-Chung; Chang, Chau-Lyan; Venkatachari, Balaji Shankar

    2017-01-01

    Traditionally high-aspect ratio triangular/tetrahedral meshes are avoided by CFD re-searchers in the vicinity of a solid wall, as it is known to reduce the accuracy of gradient computations in those regions and also cause numerical instability. Although for certain complex geometries, the use of high-aspect ratio triangular/tetrahedral elements in the vicinity of a solid wall can be replaced by quadrilateral/prismatic elements, ability to use triangular/tetrahedral elements in such regions without any degradation in accuracy can be beneficial from a mesh generation point of view. The benefits also carry over to numerical frameworks such as the space-time conservation element and solution element (CESE), where triangular/tetrahedral elements are the mandatory building blocks. With the requirement of the CESE method in mind, a rigorous mathematical framework that clearly identities the reason behind the difficulties in use of such high-aspect ratio triangular/tetrahedral elements is presented here. As will be shown, it turns out that the degree of accuracy deterioration of gradient computation involving a triangular element is hinged on the value of its shape factor Gamma def = sq sin Alpha1 + sq sin Alpha2 + sq sin Alpha3, where Alpha1; Alpha2 and Alpha3 are the internal angles of the element. In fact, it is shown that the degree of accuracy deterioration increases monotonically as the value of Gamma decreases monotonically from its maximal value 9/4 (attained by an equilateral triangle only) to a value much less than 1 (associated with a highly obtuse triangle). By taking advantage of the fact that a high-aspect ratio triangle is not necessarily highly obtuse, and in fact it can have a shape factor whose value is close to the maximal value 9/4, a potential solution to avoid accuracy deterioration of gradient computation associated with a high-aspect ratio triangular grid is given. Also a brief discussion on the extension of the current mathematical framework to the

  14. Very high-accuracy calibration of radiation pattern and gain of a near-field probe

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pivnenko, Sergey; Nielsen, Jeppe Majlund; Breinbjerg, Olav

    2014-01-01

    In this paper, very high-accuracy calibration of the radiation pattern and gain of a near-field probe is described. An open-ended waveguide near-field probe has been used in a recent measurement of the C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Antenna Subsystem for the Sentinel 1 mission of the Europ...

  15. Meditation experience predicts introspective accuracy.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kieran C R Fox

    Full Text Available The accuracy of subjective reports, especially those involving introspection of one's own internal processes, remains unclear, and research has demonstrated large individual differences in introspective accuracy. It has been hypothesized that introspective accuracy may be heightened in persons who engage in meditation practices, due to the highly introspective nature of such practices. We undertook a preliminary exploration of this hypothesis, examining introspective accuracy in a cross-section of meditation practitioners (1-15,000 hrs experience. Introspective accuracy was assessed by comparing subjective reports of tactile sensitivity for each of 20 body regions during a 'body-scanning' meditation with averaged, objective measures of tactile sensitivity (mean size of body representation area in primary somatosensory cortex; two-point discrimination threshold as reported in prior research. Expert meditators showed significantly better introspective accuracy than novices; overall meditation experience also significantly predicted individual introspective accuracy. These results suggest that long-term meditators provide more accurate introspective reports than novices.

  16. Acoustic beam splitting in a sonic crystal around a directional band gap

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cicek Ahmet; Kaya Olgun Adem; Ulug Bulent

    2013-01-01

    Beam splitting upon refraction in a triangular sonic crystal composed of aluminum cylinders in air is experimentally and numerically demonstrated to occur due to finite source size, which facilitates circumvention of a directional band gap. Experiments reveal that two distinct beams emerge at crystal output, in agreement with the numerical results obtained through the finite-element method. Beam splitting occurs at sufficiently-small source sizes comparable to lattice periodicity determined by the spatial gap width in reciprocal space. Split beams propagate in equal amplitude, whereas beam splitting is destructed for oblique incidence above a critical incidence angle

  17. From journal to headline: the accuracy of climate science news in Danish high quality newspapers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vestergård, Gunver Lystbæk

    2011-01-01

    analysis to examine the accuracy of Danish high quality newspapers in quoting scientific publications from 1997 to 2009. Out of 88 articles, 46 contained inaccuracies though the majority was found to be insignificant and random. The study concludes that Danish broadsheet newspapers are ‘moderately...

  18. Accuracy of High-Resolution MRI with Lumen Distention in Rectal Cancer Staging and Circumferential Margin Involvement Prediction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iannicelli, Elsa; Di Renzo, Sara; Ferri, Mario; Pilozzi, Emanuela; Di Girolamo, Marco; Sapori, Alessandra; Ziparo, Vincenzo; David, Vincenzo

    2014-01-01

    To evaluate the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with lumen distention for rectal cancer staging and circumferential resection margin (CRM) involvement prediction. Seventy-three patients with primary rectal cancer underwent high-resolution MRI with a phased-array coil performed using 60-80 mL room air rectal distention, 1-3 weeks before surgery. MRI results were compared to postoperative histopathological findings. The overall MRI T staging accuracy was calculated. CRM involvement prediction and the N staging, the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were assessed for each T stage. The agreement between MRI and histological results was assessed using weighted-kappa statistics. The overall MRI accuracy for T staging was 93.6% (k = 0.85). The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV for each T stage were as follows: 91.8%, 86.2%, 95.5%, 92.6% and 91.3% for the group ≤ T2; 90.4%, 94.6%, 86.1%, 87.5% and 94% for T3; 98,6%, 85.7%, 100%, 100% and 98.5% for T4, respectively. The predictive CRM accuracy was 94.5% (k = 0.86); the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV were 89.5%, 96.3%, 89.5%, and 96.3% respectively. The N staging accuracy was 68.49% (k = 0.4). MRI performed with rectal lumen distention has proved to be an effective technique both for rectal cancer staging and involved CRM predicting

  19. Accuracy of High-Resolution MRI with Lumen Distention in Rectal Cancer Staging and Circumferential Margin Involvement Prediction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Iannicelli, Elsa; Di Renzo, Sara [Radiology Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, University of Rome, Sapienza, Sant' Andrea Hospital, Rome 00189 (Italy); Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, University of Rome, Sapienza, Sant' Andrea Hospital, Rome 00189 (Italy); Ferri, Mario [Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, University of Rome, Sapienza, Sant' Andrea Hospital, Rome 00189 (Italy); Pilozzi, Emanuela [Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, University of Rome, Sapienza, Sant' Andrea Hospital, Rome 00189 (Italy); Di Girolamo, Marco; Sapori, Alessandra [Radiology Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, University of Rome, Sapienza, Sant' Andrea Hospital, Rome 00189 (Italy); Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, University of Rome, Sapienza, Sant' Andrea Hospital, Rome 00189 (Italy); Ziparo, Vincenzo [Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, University of Rome, Sapienza, Sant' Andrea Hospital, Rome 00189 (Italy); David, Vincenzo [Radiology Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, University of Rome, Sapienza, Sant' Andrea Hospital, Rome 00189 (Italy); Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, University of Rome, Sapienza, Sant' Andrea Hospital, Rome 00189 (Italy)

    2014-07-01

    To evaluate the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with lumen distention for rectal cancer staging and circumferential resection margin (CRM) involvement prediction. Seventy-three patients with primary rectal cancer underwent high-resolution MRI with a phased-array coil performed using 60-80 mL room air rectal distention, 1-3 weeks before surgery. MRI results were compared to postoperative histopathological findings. The overall MRI T staging accuracy was calculated. CRM involvement prediction and the N staging, the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were assessed for each T stage. The agreement between MRI and histological results was assessed using weighted-kappa statistics. The overall MRI accuracy for T staging was 93.6% (k = 0.85). The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV for each T stage were as follows: 91.8%, 86.2%, 95.5%, 92.6% and 91.3% for the group ≤ T2; 90.4%, 94.6%, 86.1%, 87.5% and 94% for T3; 98,6%, 85.7%, 100%, 100% and 98.5% for T4, respectively. The predictive CRM accuracy was 94.5% (k = 0.86); the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV were 89.5%, 96.3%, 89.5%, and 96.3% respectively. The N staging accuracy was 68.49% (k = 0.4). MRI performed with rectal lumen distention has proved to be an effective technique both for rectal cancer staging and involved CRM predicting.

  20. Gene masking - a technique to improve accuracy for cancer classification with high dimensionality in microarray data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saini, Harsh; Lal, Sunil Pranit; Naidu, Vimal Vikash; Pickering, Vincel Wince; Singh, Gurmeet; Tsunoda, Tatsuhiko; Sharma, Alok

    2016-12-05

    High dimensional feature space generally degrades classification in several applications. In this paper, we propose a strategy called gene masking, in which non-contributing dimensions are heuristically removed from the data to improve classification accuracy. Gene masking is implemented via a binary encoded genetic algorithm that can be integrated seamlessly with classifiers during the training phase of classification to perform feature selection. It can also be used to discriminate between features that contribute most to the classification, thereby, allowing researchers to isolate features that may have special significance. This technique was applied on publicly available datasets whereby it substantially reduced the number of features used for classification while maintaining high accuracies. The proposed technique can be extremely useful in feature selection as it heuristically removes non-contributing features to improve the performance of classifiers.

  1. High-accuracy critical exponents for O(N) hierarchical 3D sigma models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Godina, J. J.; Li, L.; Meurice, Y.; Oktay, M. B.

    2006-01-01

    The critical exponent γ and its subleading exponent Δ in the 3D O(N) Dyson's hierarchical model for N up to 20 are calculated with high accuracy. We calculate the critical temperatures for the measure δ(φ-vector.φ-vector-1). We extract the first coefficients of the 1/N expansion from our numerical data. We show that the leading and subleading exponents agree with Polchinski equation and the equivalent Litim equation, in the local potential approximation, with at least 4 significant digits

  2. High-accuracy numerical integration of charged particle motion – with application to ponderomotive force

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Furukawa, Masaru; Ohkawa, Yushiro; Matsuyama, Akinobu

    2016-01-01

    A high-accuracy numerical integration algorithm for a charged particle motion is developed. The algorithm is based on the Hamiltonian mechanics and the operator decomposition. The algorithm is made to be time-reversal symmetric, and its order of accuracy can be increased to any order by using a recurrence formula. One of the advantages is that it is an explicit method. An effective way to decompose the time evolution operator is examined; the Poisson tensor is decomposed and non-canonical variables are adopted. The algorithm is extended to a time dependent fields' case by introducing the extended phase space. Numerical tests showing the performance of the algorithm are presented. One is the pure cyclotron motion for a long time period, and the other is a charged particle motion in a rapidly oscillating field. (author)

  3. A Remotely Deployable Wind Sonic Anemometer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Awais

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Communication and computing shape up base for explosion of Internet of Things (IoT era. Humans can efficiently control the devices around their environment as per requirements because of IoT, the communication between different devices brings more flexibility in surrounding. Useful data is also gathered from some of these devices to create Big Data; where, further analysis assist in making life easier by developing good business models corresponding to user needs, enhance scientific research, formulating weather prediction or monitoring systems and contributing in other relative fields as well. Thus, in this research a remotely deployable IoT enabled Wind Sonic Anemometer has been designed and deployed to calculate average wind speed, direction, and gust. The proposed design is remotely deployable, user-friendly, power efficient and cost-effective because of opted modules i.e., ultrasonic sensors, GSM module, and solar panel. The testbed was also deployed at the roof of Computer & Information Systems Engineering (CIS department, NED UET. Further, its calibration has been carried out by using long short-term memory (LSTM, a deep learning technique; where ground truth data has been gathered from mechanical wind speed sensor (NRG-40 H deployed at top of Industrial & Manufacturing (IM department of NED UET. The obtained results are satisfactory and the performance of designed sensor is also good under various weather conditions.

  4. Sonic Hedgehog Signaling in Thyroid Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiulong Xu

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Thyroid cancer is the most common malignancy of the endocrine system. The initiation of thyroid cancer is often triggered by a genetic mutation in the phosphortidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K or mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK pathway, such as RAS and BRAF, or by the rearrangement of growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase genes such as RET/PTC. The sonic hedgehog (Shh pathway is evolutionarily conserved and plays an important role in the embryonic development of normal tissues and organs. Gene mutations in the Shh pathway are involved in basal cell carcinomas (BCC. Activation of the Shh pathway due to overexpression of the genes encoding the components of this pathway stimulates the growth and spread of a wide range of cancer types. The Shh pathway also plays an important role in cancer stem cell (CSC self-renewal. GDC-0449 and LDE-225, two inhibitors of this pathway, have been approved for treating BCC and are being tested as a single agent or in combination with other drugs for treating various other cancers. Here, we review the recent findings on activation of the Shh pathway in thyroid cancer and its role in maintaining thyroid CSC self-renewal. We also summarize the recent developments on crosstalk of the Shh pathway with the MAPK and PI3K oncogenic pathways, and its implications for combination therapy.

  5. Sonic Hedgehog Signaling in Thyroid Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Xiulong; Lu, Yurong; Li, Yi; Prinz, Richard A.

    2017-01-01

    Thyroid cancer is the most common malignancy of the endocrine system. The initiation of thyroid cancer is often triggered by a genetic mutation in the phosphortidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) or mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, such as RAS and BRAF, or by the rearrangement of growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase genes such as RET/PTC. The sonic hedgehog (Shh) pathway is evolutionarily conserved and plays an important role in the embryonic development of normal tissues and organs. Gene mutations in the Shh pathway are involved in basal cell carcinomas (BCC). Activation of the Shh pathway due to overexpression of the genes encoding the components of this pathway stimulates the growth and spread of a wide range of cancer types. The Shh pathway also plays an important role in cancer stem cell (CSC) self-renewal. GDC-0449 and LDE-225, two inhibitors of this pathway, have been approved for treating BCC and are being tested as a single agent or in combination with other drugs for treating various other cancers. Here, we review the recent findings on activation of the Shh pathway in thyroid cancer and its role in maintaining thyroid CSC self-renewal. We also summarize the recent developments on crosstalk of the Shh pathway with the MAPK and PI3K oncogenic pathways, and its implications for combination therapy. PMID:29163356

  6. Exploring sonic interaction design and presence: Natural Interactive Walking in Porto

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nordahl, Rolf; Serafin, Stefania; Fontana, Frederico

    2009-01-01

    In this paper we report on the results of a three days workshop whose goal was to combine interactive sounds and soundscape design to simulate the sensation of walking in a specific location of Porto. We discuss advantages and disadvantages of the different solutions proposed in terms of the tech......In this paper we report on the results of a three days workshop whose goal was to combine interactive sounds and soundscape design to simulate the sensation of walking in a specific location of Porto. We discuss advantages and disadvantages of the different solutions proposed in terms...... of the technology used, and issues of how sonic interaction combined with soundscape design affects presence in virtual environments....

  7. Realtime Interaction Analysis of Social Interplay in a Multimodal Musical-Sonic Interaction Context

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Anne-Marie

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents an approach to the analysis of social interplay among users in a multimodal interaction and musical performance situation. The approach consists of a combined method of realtime sensor data analysis for the description and interpretation of player gestures and video micro......-analysis methods used to describe the interaction situation and the context in which the social interplay takes place. This combined method is used in an iterative process, where the design of interactive games with musical-sonic feedback is improved according to newly discovered understandings and interpretations...

  8. Geoid undulation accuracy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rapp, Richard H.

    1993-01-01

    The determination of the geoid and equipotential surface of the Earth's gravity field, has long been of interest to geodesists and oceanographers. The geoid provides a surface to which the actual ocean surface can be compared with the differences implying information on the circulation patterns of the oceans. For use in oceanographic applications the geoid is ideally needed to a high accuracy and to a high resolution. There are applications that require geoid undulation information to an accuracy of +/- 10 cm with a resolution of 50 km. We are far from this goal today but substantial improvement in geoid determination has been made. In 1979 the cumulative geoid undulation error to spherical harmonic degree 20 was +/- 1.4 m for the GEM10 potential coefficient model. Today the corresponding value has been reduced to +/- 25 cm for GEM-T3 or +/- 11 cm for the OSU91A model. Similar improvements are noted by harmonic degree (wave-length) and in resolution. Potential coefficient models now exist to degree 360 based on a combination of data types. This paper discusses the accuracy changes that have taken place in the past 12 years in the determination of geoid undulations.

  9. Decontamination of stainless steel covered with radioactive iron oxide deposit using cathodic polarization and ultra-sonic vibration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sawa, Toshio; Takahashi, Sankichi; Kataoka, Ichiro; Itoh, Hisao.

    1985-01-01

    The most effective method for reduction of radio activity in BWR nuclear power plants is to remove the iron oxide deposits on cooling pipes. The dissolution behavior of Fe 3 O 4 deposits on the stainless steel were studied in the EDTA solution by means of cathodic polarization and ultra sonic vibration. The dissolution rates of deposits were determined by the decontamination factor (DF) calculated from the radio activity change. Dissolution rate of deposits were dependent on the electrode potential in the less noble range than their rest potentials of stainless steel. The potential at the highest dissolution rate was -1.0 V vs. SCE in the electrolyte at 80 0 C. But the time variation of DF showed that the DF ceased from increasing at some intermediate values. This is perhaps because the current hardly flows to the deposits in a narrow crevice. Therefore, for the dissolution of deposits on stainless steel, it became clear that the successive vibration by ultra-sonic after treating by cathodic polarization is effective. (author)

  10. An output amplitude configurable wideband automatic gain control with high gain step accuracy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    He Xiaofeng; Ye Tianchun; Mo Taishan; Ma Chengyan

    2012-01-01

    An output amplitude configurable wideband automatic gain control (AGC) with high gain step accuracy for the GNSS receiver is presented. The amplitude of an AGC is configurable in order to cooperate with baseband chips to achieve interference suppression and be compatible with different full range ADCs. And what's more, the gain-boosting technology is introduced and the circuit is improved to increase the step accuracy. A zero, which is composed by the source feedback resistance and the source capacity, is introduced to compensate for the pole. The AGC is fabricated in a 0.18 μm CMOS process. The AGC shows a 62 dB gain control range by 1 dB each step with a gain error of less than 0.2 dB. The AGC provides 3 dB bandwidth larger than 80 MHz and the overall power consumption is less than 1.8 mA, and the die area is 800 × 300 μm 2 . (semiconductor integrated circuits)

  11. High accuracy magnetic field mapping of the LEP spectrometer magnet

    CERN Document Server

    Roncarolo, F

    2000-01-01

    The Large Electron Positron accelerator (LEP) is a storage ring which has been operated since 1989 at the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN), located in the Geneva area. It is intended to experimentally verify the Standard Model theory and in particular to detect with high accuracy the mass of the electro-weak force bosons. Electrons and positrons are accelerated inside the LEP ring in opposite directions and forced to collide at four locations, once they reach an energy high enough for the experimental purposes. During head-to-head collisions the leptons loose all their energy and a huge amount of energy is concentrated in a small region. In this condition the energy is quickly converted in other particles which tend to go away from the interaction point. The higher the energy of the leptons before the collisions, the higher the mass of the particles that can escape. At LEP four large experimental detectors are accommodated. All detectors are multi purpose detectors covering a solid angle of alm...

  12. Sound production to electric discharge: sonic muscle evolution in progress in Synodontis spp. catfishes (Mochokidae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boyle, Kelly S; Colleye, Orphal; Parmentier, Eric

    2014-09-22

    Elucidating the origins of complex biological structures has been one of the major challenges of evolutionary studies. Within vertebrates, the capacity to produce regular coordinated electric organ discharges (EODs) has evolved independently in different fish lineages. Intermediate stages, however, are not known. We show that, within a single catfish genus, some species are able to produce sounds, electric discharges or both signals (though not simultaneously). We highlight that both acoustic and electric communication result from actions of the same muscle. In parallel to their abilities, the studied species show different degrees of myofibril development in the sonic and electric muscle. The lowest myofibril density was observed in Synodontis nigriventris, which produced EODs but no swim bladder sounds, whereas the greatest myofibril density was observed in Synodontis grandiops, the species that produced the longest sound trains but did not emit EODs. Additionally, S. grandiops exhibited the lowest auditory thresholds. Swim bladder sounds were similar among species, while EODs were distinctive at the species level. We hypothesize that communication with conspecifics favoured the development of species-specific EOD signals and suggest an evolutionary explanation for the transition from a fast sonic muscle to electrocytes. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

  13. Determination of UAV position using high accuracy navigation platform

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ireneusz Kubicki

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available The choice of navigation system for mini UAV is very important because of its application and exploitation, particularly when the installed on it a synthetic aperture radar requires highly precise information about an object’s position. The presented exemplary solution of such a system draws attention to the possible problems associated with the use of appropriate technology, sensors, and devices or with a complete navigation system. The position and spatial orientation errors of the measurement platform influence on the obtained SAR imaging. Both, turbulences and maneuvers performed during flight cause the changes in the position of the airborne object resulting in deterioration or lack of images from SAR. Consequently, it is necessary to perform operations for reducing or eliminating the impact of the sensors’ errors on the UAV position accuracy. You need to look for compromise solutions between newer better technologies and in the field of software. Keywords: navigation systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, sensors integration

  14. A high accuracy algorithm of displacement measurement for a micro-positioning stage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiang Zhang

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available A high accuracy displacement measurement algorithm for a two degrees of freedom compliant precision micro-positioning stage is proposed based on the computer micro-vision technique. The algorithm consists of an integer-pixel and a subpixel matching procedure. Series of simulations are conducted to verify the proposed method. The results show that the proposed algorithm possesses the advantages of high precision and stability, the resolution can attain to 0.01 pixel theoretically. In addition, the consuming time is reduced about 6.7 times compared with the classical normalized cross correlation algorithm. To validate the practical performance of the proposed algorithm, a laser interferometer measurement system (LIMS is built up. The experimental results demonstrate that the algorithm has better adaptability than that of the LIMS.

  15. Chemical effects of ionizing radiation and sonic energy in the context of chemical evolution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Negron Mendoza, A.; Albarran, G.

    1992-01-01

    Ionizing radiation and sonic energy are considered as sources for chemical evolution processes. These sources have still a modest place in the interdisciplinary approach for the prebiological synthesis of organic compounds. Studies in Radiation Chemistry and Sonochemistry can provide a deeper insight into the chemical processes that may have importance for prebiotic chemistry. The present work concerns the analysis of some chemical reactions induced by ionizing radiation or cavitation in aqueous media that may be relevant to chemical evolution studies. (author)

  16. Computer modeling of oil spill trajectories with a high accuracy method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garcia-Martinez, Reinaldo; Flores-Tovar, Henry

    1999-01-01

    This paper proposes a high accuracy numerical method to model oil spill trajectories using a particle-tracking algorithm. The Euler method, used to calculate oil trajectories, can give adequate solutions in most open ocean applications. However, this method may not predict accurate particle trajectories in certain highly non-uniform velocity fields near coastal zones or in river problems. Simple numerical experiments show that the Euler method may also introduce artificial numerical dispersion that could lead to overestimation of spill areas. This article proposes a fourth-order Runge-Kutta method with fourth-order velocity interpolation to calculate oil trajectories that minimise these problems. The algorithm is implemented in the OilTrack model to predict oil trajectories following the 'Nissos Amorgos' oil spill accident that occurred in the Gulf of Venezuela in 1997. Despite lack of adequate field information, model results compare well with observations in the impacted area. (Author)

  17. Art and Sonic Mining in the Archives: Methods for Investigating the Wartime History of Birmingham School of Art

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaughan, Sian

    2018-01-01

    "Absconditi Viscus" (or "Hidden Entries") is a series of sound compositions based on the history of Birmingham School of Art during the First World War. Sound artist Justin Wiggan explored the concept of historical sonic information that although lost could still potentially permeate the archival record and the fabric of the…

  18. Duplication of 7q36.3 encompassing the Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) gene is associated with congenital muscular hypertrophy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Lone Krøldrup; Kjaergaard, S; Kirchhoff, Marianne

    2012-01-01

    with muscular hypertrophy and mildly retarded psychomotor development. Array-CGH identified a small duplication of 7q36.3 including the Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) gene in both the aborted foetus and the live born male sib. Neither of the parents carried the 7q36.3 duplication. The consequences of overexpression...

  19. (Re)Educating the Senses to Multicultural Communities: Prospective Teachers Using Digital Media and Sonic Cartography to Listen for Culture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brownell, Cassie J.; Wargo, Jon M.

    2017-01-01

    Attuning to the acoustic ecologies of multicultural education, this critical qualitative project interrogated how elementary prospective teachers (PST) used digital media to write community through and with sound. Examining PST produced soundscapes and the practice of sonic cartography, this study inquired how "hearing" difference and…

  20. Effect of ultrasonic, sonic and rotating-oscillating powered toothbrushing systems on surface roughness and wear of white spot lesions and sound enamel: An in vitro study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernandé-Gatón, Patrícia; Palma-Dibb, Regina Guenka; Silva, Léa Assed Bezerra da; Faraoni, Juliana Jendiroba; de Queiroz, Alexandra Mussolino; Lucisano, Marília Pacífico; Silva, Raquel Assed Bezerra da; Nelson Filho, Paulo

    2018-04-01

    To evaluate the effect of ultrasonic, sonic and rotating-oscillating powered toothbrushing systems on surface roughness and wear of white spot lesions and sound enamel. 40 tooth segments obtained from third molar crowns had the enamel surface divided into thirds, one of which was not subjected to toothbrushing. In the other two thirds, sound enamel and enamel with artificially induced white spot lesions were randomly assigned to four groups (n=10) : UT: ultrasonic toothbrush (Emmi-dental); ST1: sonic toothbrush (Colgate ProClinical Omron); ST2: sonic toothbrush (Sonicare Philips); and ROT: rotating-oscillating toothbrush (control) (Oral-B Professional Care Triumph 5000 with SmartGuide). The specimens were analyzed by confocal laser microscopy for surface roughness and wear. Data were analyzed statistically by paired t-tests, Kruskal-Wallis, two-way ANOVA and Tukey's post-test (α= 0.05). The different powered toothbrushing systems did not cause a significant increase in the surface roughness of sound enamel (P> 0.05). In the ROT group, the roughness of white spot lesion surface increased significantly after toothbrushing and differed from the UT group (Pspot lesion compared with sound enamel, and this group differed significantly from the ST1 group (Pspot lesion increased surface roughness and wear. None of the powered toothbrushing systems (ultrasonic, sonic and rotating-oscillating) tested caused significant alterations on sound dental enamel. However, conventional rotating-oscillating toothbrushing on enamel with white spot lesion increased surface roughness and wear. Copyright©American Journal of Dentistry.

  1. 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.

  2. Discharge coefficient correlations for circular-arc venturi flowmeters at critical /sonic/ flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arnberg, B. T.; Britton, C. L.; Seidl, W. F.

    1973-01-01

    Experimental data are analyzed to support theoretical predictions for discharge coefficients in circular-arc venturi flow meters operating in the critical sonic flow regime at throat Reynolds numbers above 150 thousand. The data tend to verify the predicted 0.25% decrease in the discharge coefficient during transition from a laminar to turbulent boundary layer. Four different test gases and three flow measurement facilities were used in the experiments with 17 venturis with throat sizes from 0.15 to 1.37 in. and Beta ratios ranging from 0.014 to 0.25. Recommendations are given as to how the effectiveness of future studies in the field could be improved.

  3. [Method for evaluating the positional accuracy of a six-degrees-of-freedom radiotherapy couch using high definition digital cameras].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takemura, Akihiro; Ueda, Shinichi; Noto, Kimiya; Kurata, Yuichi; Shoji, Saori

    2011-01-01

    In this study, we proposed and evaluated a positional accuracy assessment method with two high-resolution digital cameras for add-on six-degrees-of-freedom radiotherapy (6D) couches. Two high resolution digital cameras (D5000, Nikon Co.) were used in this accuracy assessment method. These cameras were placed on two orthogonal axes of a linear accelerator (LINAC) coordinate system and focused on the isocenter of the LINAC. Pictures of a needle that was fixed on the 6D couch were taken by the cameras during couch motions of translation and rotation of each axis. The coordinates of the needle in the pictures were obtained using manual measurement, and the coordinate error of the needle was calculated. The accuracy of a HexaPOD evo (Elekta AB, Sweden) was evaluated using this method. All of the mean values of the X, Y, and Z coordinate errors in the translation tests were within ±0.1 mm. However, the standard deviation of the Z coordinate errors in the Z translation test was 0.24 mm, which is higher than the others. In the X rotation test, we found that the X coordinate of the rotational origin of the 6D couch was shifted. We proposed an accuracy assessment method for a 6D couch. The method was able to evaluate the accuracy of the motion of only the 6D couch and revealed the deviation of the origin of the couch rotation. This accuracy assessment method is effective for evaluating add-on 6D couch positioning.

  4. A randomized 12-week clinical comparison of an oscillating-rotating toothbrush to a new sonic brush in the reduction of gingivitis and plaque.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klukowska, M; Grender, J M; Conde, E; Ccahuana-Vasquez, Renzo Alberto; Goyal, C R

    2014-01-01

    To evaluate the efficacy of a marketed oscillating-rotating (O-R) power toothbrush (Oral-B Triumph with SmartGuide and FlossAction brush head, D34/EB25) to a new sonic toothbrush (Sonicare FlexCare Platinum) in the reduction of gingivitis and plaque over a 12-week test period. This was a single center, randomized, open label, examiner-blind, two-treatment, parallel group study. Subjects who met the entrance criteria were enrolled in the study and randomly assigned to either the O-R or sonic treatment group. Subjects brushed with their assigned toothbrush and a marketed fluoride dentifrice for two minutes twice daily at home for 12 weeks. Gingivitis and plaque were evaluated at Baseline, Week 6, and Week 12. Gingivitis was assessed using the Modified Gingival Index (MGI) and Gingival Bleeding Index (GBI), and plaque was assessed using the Rustogi Modified Navy Plaque Index (RMNPI). Data were analyzed using an Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) with Baseline as the covariate. In total, 130 subjects (65 per group) were randomized to treatment and 127 subjects completed the study. Both brushes produced statistically significant (p gingivitis and plaque measures relative to Baseline. At Week 12, the O-R brush demonstrated significantly greater reductions than the sonic brush in whole mouth gingivitis measures (p = 0.007). Additionally, the O-R brush presented significantly fewer bleeding sites (p gingivitis, 19.8% for number of bleeding sites, and 12.2% for whole mouth plaque. There were no adverse events reported or observed for either brush. The oscillating-rotating toothbrush demonstrated statistically significantly greater reductions in whole mouth plaque at Weeks 6 and 12, as well as significantly greater gingivitis reductions over the long-term (12 weeks), compared to the new sonic toothbrush.

  5. Enhanced inertia from lossy effective fluids using multi-scale sonic crystals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew D. Guild

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available In this work, a recent theoretically predicted phenomenon of enhanced permittivity with electromagnetic waves using lossy materials is investigated for the analogous case of mass density and acoustic waves, which represents inertial enhancement. Starting from fundamental relationships for the homogenized quasi-static effective density of a fluid host with fluid inclusions, theoretical expressions are developed for the conditions on the real and imaginary parts of the constitutive fluids to have inertial enhancement, which are verified with numerical simulations. Realizable structures are designed to demonstrate this phenomenon using multi-scale sonic crystals, which are fabricated using a 3D printer and tested in an acoustic impedance tube, yielding good agreement with the theoretical predictions and demonstrating enhanced inertia.

  6. Acoustic one-way mode conversion and transmission by sonic crystal waveguides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ouyang, Shiliang; He, Hailong; He, Zhaojian; Deng, Ke; Zhao, Heping

    2016-09-01

    We proposed a scheme to achieve one-way acoustic propagation and even-odd mode switching in two mutually perpendicular sonic crystal waveguides connected by a resonant cavity. The even mode in the entrance waveguide is able to switch to the odd mode in the exit waveguide through a symmetry match between the cavity resonant modes and the waveguide modes. Conversely, the odd mode in the exit waveguide is unable to be converted into the even mode in the entrance waveguide as incident waves and eigenmodes are mismatched in their symmetries at the waveguide exit. This one-way mechanism can be applied to design an acoustic diode for acoustic integration devices and can be used as a convertor of the acoustic waveguide modes.

  7. Penetration Characteristics of Air, Carbon Dioxide and Helium Transverse Sonic Jets in Mach 5 Cross Flow

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erinc Erdem

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available An experimental investigation of sonic air, CO2 and Helium transverse jets in Mach 5 cross flow was carried out over a flat plate. The jet to freestream momentum flux ratio, J, was kept the same for all gases. The unsteady flow topology was examined using high speed schlieren visualisation and PIV. Schlieren visualisation provided information regarding oscillating jet shear layer structures and bow shock, Mach disc and barrel shocks. Two-component PIV measurements at the centreline, provided information regarding jet penetration trajectories. Barrel shocks and Mach disc forming the jet boundary were visualised/quantified also jet penetration boundaries were determined. Even though J is kept the same for all gases, the penetration patterns were found to be remarkably different both at the nearfield and the farfield. Air and CO2 jet resulted similar nearfield and farfield penetration pattern whereas Helium jet spread minimal in the nearfield.

  8. Synchrotron accelerator technology for proton beam therapy with high accuracy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hiramoto, Kazuo

    2009-01-01

    Proton beam therapy was applied at the beginning to head and neck cancers, but it is now extended to prostate, lung and liver cancers. Thus the need for a pencil beam scanning method is increasing. With this method radiation dose concentration property of the proton beam will be further intensified. Hitachi group has supplied a pencil beam scanning therapy system as the first one for M. D. Anderson Hospital in United States, and it has been operational since May 2008. Hitachi group has been developing proton therapy system to correspond high-accuracy proton therapy to concentrate the dose in the diseased part which is located with various depths, and which sometimes has complicated shape. The author described here on the synchrotron accelerator technology that is an important element for constituting the proton therapy system. (K.Y.)

  9. Room airflow studies using sonic anemometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wasiolek, P T; Whicker, J J; Gong, H; Rodgers, J C

    1999-06-01

    To ensure prompt response by real-time air monitors to an accidental release of toxic aerosols in a workplace, safety professionals should understand airflow patterns. This understanding can be achieved with validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) computer simulations, or with experimental techniques, such as measurements with smoke, neutrally buoyant markers, trace gases, or trace aerosol particles. As a supplementary technique to quantify airflows, the use of a state-of-the art, three-dimensional sonic anemometer was explored. This instrument allows for the precise measurements of the air-velocity vector components in the range of a few centimeters per second, which is common in many indoor work environments. Measurements of air velocities and directions at selected locations were made for the purpose of providing data for characterizing fundamental aspects of indoor air movement in two ventilated rooms and for comparison to CFD model predictions. One room was a mockup of a plutonium workroom, and the other was an actual functioning plutonium workroom. In the mockup room, air-velocity vector components were measured at 19 locations at three heights (60, 120 and 180 cm) with average velocities varying from 1.4 cm s-1 to 9.7 cm s-1. There were complex flow patterns observed with turbulence intensities from 39% up to 108%. In the plutonium workroom, measurements were made at the breathing-zone height, recording average velocities ranging from 9.9 cm s-1 to 35.5 cm s-1 with turbulence intensities from 33% to 108%.

  10. Open noise barriers based on sonic crystals. Advances in noise control in transport infraestructures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peiro Torres, M.P.; Redondo Pastor, J.; Bravo Plana-Sala, J.M.; Sanchez Perez, J.V.

    2016-07-01

    Noise control is an environmental problem of first magnitude nowadays. In this work, we present a new concept of acoustic screen designed to control the specific noise generated by transport infrastructures, based on new materials called sonic crystals. These materials are formed by arrangements of acoustic scatterers in air, and provide a new and different mechanism in the fight against noise from those of the classical screens. This mechanism is usually called multiple scattering and is due to their structuring in addition to their physical properties. Due to the separation between scatterers, these barriers are transparent to air and water allowing a reduction on their foundations. Tests carried out in a wind tunnel show a reduction of 42% in the overturning momentum compared to classical barriers. The acoustical performance of these barriers is shown in this work, explaining the new characteristics provided in the control of noise. Finally, an example of these barriers is presented and classified according to acoustic standardization tests. The acoustic barrier reported in this work provides a high technological solution in the field of noise control. (Author)

  11. Reprogramming Medulloblastoma-Propagating Cells by a Combined Antagonism of Sonic Hedgehog and CXCR4.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ward, Stacey A; Warrington, Nicole M; Taylor, Sara; Kfoury, Najla; Luo, Jingqin; Rubin, Joshua B

    2017-03-15

    The CXCR4 chemokine and Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) morphogen pathways are well-validated therapeutic targets in cancer, including medulloblastoma. However, single-agent treatments with SHH or CXCR4 antagonists have not proven efficacious in clinical trials to date. Here, we discovered that dual inhibition of the SHH and CXCR4 pathways in a murine model of SHH-subtype medulloblastoma exerts potent antitumor effects. This therapeutic synergy resulted in the suppression of tumor-propagating cell function and correlated with increased histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation within the promoters of stem cell genes, resulting in their decreased expression. These results demonstrate that CXCR4 contributes to the epigenetic regulation of a tumor-propagating cell phenotype. Moreover, they provide a mechanistic rationale to evaluate the combination of SHH and CXCR4 inhibitors in clinical trials for the treatment of medulloblastoma, as well as other cancers driven by SHH that coexpress high levels of CXCR4. Cancer Res; 77(6); 1416-26. ©2016 AACR . ©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.

  12. PACMAN Project: A New Solution for the High-accuracy Alignment of Accelerator Components

    CERN Document Server

    Mainaud Durand, Helene; Buzio, Marco; Caiazza, Domenico; Catalán Lasheras, Nuria; Cherif, Ahmed; Doytchinov, Iordan; Fuchs, Jean-Frederic; Gaddi, Andrea; Galindo Munoz, Natalia; Gayde, Jean-Christophe; Kamugasa, Solomon; Modena, Michele; Novotny, Peter; Russenschuck, Stephan; Sanz, Claude; Severino, Giordana; Tshilumba, David; Vlachakis, Vasileios; Wendt, Manfred; Zorzetti, Silvia

    2016-01-01

    The beam alignment requirements for the next generation of lepton colliders have become increasingly challenging. As an example, the alignment requirements for the three major collider components of the CLIC linear collider are as follows. Before the first beam circulates, the Beam Position Monitors (BPM), Accelerating Structures (AS)and quadrupoles will have to be aligned up to 10 μm w.r.t. a straight line over 200 m long segments, along the 20 km of linacs. PACMAN is a study on Particle Accelerator Components' Metrology and Alignment to the Nanometre scale. It is an Innovative Doctoral Program, funded by the EU and hosted by CERN, providing high quality training to 10 Early Stage Researchers working towards a PhD thesis. The technical aim of the project is to improve the alignment accuracy of the CLIC components by developing new methods and tools addressing several steps of alignment simultaneously, to gain time and accuracy. The tools and methods developed will be validated on a test bench. This paper pr...

  13. Automation, Operation, and Data Analysis in the Cryogenic, High Accuracy, Refraction Measuring System (CHARMS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frey, Bradley J.; Leviton, Douglas B.

    2005-01-01

    The Cryogenic High Accuracy Refraction Measuring System (CHARMS) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center has been enhanced in a number of ways in the last year to allow the system to accurately collect refracted beam deviation readings automatically over a range of temperatures from 15 K to well beyond room temperature with high sampling density in both wavelength and temperature. The engineering details which make this possible are presented. The methods by which the most accurate angular measurements are made and the corresponding data reduction methods used to reduce thousands of observed angles to a handful of refractive index values are also discussed.

  14. Direct and non-destructive proof of authenticity for the 2nd generation of Brazilian real banknotes via easy ambient sonic spray ionization mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmidt, Eduardo Morgado; Franco, Marcos Fernando; Regino, Karen Gomes; Lehmann, Eraldo Luiz; Arruda, Marco Aurélio Zezzi; de Carvalho Rocha, Werickson Fortunato; Borges, Rodrigo; de Souza, Wanderley; Eberlin, Marcos Nogueira; Correa, Deleon Nascimento

    2014-12-01

    Using a desorption/ionization technique, easy ambient sonic-spray ionization coupled to mass spectrometry (EASI-MS), documents related to the 2nd generation of Brazilian Real currency (R$) were screened in the positive ion mode for authenticity based on chemical profiles obtained directly from the banknote surface. Characteristic profiles were observed for authentic, seized suspect counterfeit and counterfeited homemade banknotes from inkjet and laserjet printers. The chemicals in the authentic banknotes' surface were detected via a few minor sets of ions, namely from the plasticizers bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP), most likely related to the official offset printing process, and other common quaternary ammonium cations, presenting a similar chemical profile to 1st-generation R$. The seized suspect counterfeit banknotes, however, displayed abundant diagnostic ions in the m/z 400-800 range due to the presence of oligomers. High-accuracy FT-ICR MS analysis enabled molecular formula assignment for each ion. The ions were separated by 44 m/z, which enabled their characterization as Surfynol® 4XX (S4XX, XX=40, 65, and 85), wherein increasing XX values indicate increasing amounts of ethoxylation on a backbone of 2,4,7,9-tetramethyl-5-decyne-4,7-diol (Surfynol® 104). Sodiated triethylene glycol monobutyl ether (TBG) of m/z 229 (C10H22O4Na) was also identified in the seized counterfeit banknotes via EASI(+) FT-ICR MS. Surfynol® and TBG are constituents of inks used for inkjet printing. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  15. Horizontal Positional Accuracy of Google Earth’s High-Resolution Imagery Archive

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Potere

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Google Earth now hosts high-resolution imagery that spans twenty percent of the Earth’s landmass and more than a third of the human population. This contemporary highresolution archive represents a significant, rapidly expanding, cost-free and largely unexploited resource for scientific inquiry. To increase the scientific utility of this archive, we address horizontal positional accuracy (georegistration by comparing Google Earth with Landsat GeoCover scenes over a global sample of 436 control points located in 109 cities worldwide. Landsat GeoCover is an orthorectified product with known absolute positional accuracy of less than 50 meters root-mean-squared error (RMSE. Relative to Landsat GeoCover, the 436 Google Earth control points have a positional accuracy of 39.7 meters RMSE (error magnitudes range from 0.4 to 171.6 meters. The control points derived from satellite imagery have an accuracy of 22.8 meters RMSE, which is significantly more accurate than the 48 control-points based on aerial photography (41.3 meters RMSE; t-test p-value < 0.01. The accuracy of control points in more-developed countries is 24.1 meters RMSE, which is significantly more accurate than the control points in developing countries (44.4 meters RMSE; t-test p-value < 0.01. These findings indicate that Google Earth highresolution imagery has a horizontal positional accuracy that is sufficient for assessing moderate-resolution remote sensing products across most of the world’s peri-urban areas.

  16. A new device for liver cancer biomarker detection with high accuracy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shuaipeng Wang

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available A novel cantilever array-based bio-sensor was batch-fabricated with IC compatible MEMS technology for precise liver cancer bio-marker detection. A micro-cavity was designed in the free end of the cantilever for local antibody-immobilization, thus adsorption of the cancer biomarker is localized in the micro-cavity, and the adsorption-induced k variation can be dramatically reduced with comparison to that caused by adsorption of the whole lever. The cantilever is pizeoelectrically driven into vibration which is pizeoresistively sensed by Wheatstone bridge. These structural features offer several advantages: high sensitivity, high throughput, high mass detection accuracy, and small volume. In addition, an analytical model has been established to eliminate the effect of adsorption-induced lever stiffness change and has been applied to precise mass detection of cancer biomarker AFP, the detected AFP antigen mass (7.6 pg/ml is quite close to the calculated one (5.5 pg/ml, two orders of magnitude better than the value by the fully antibody-immobilized cantilever sensor. These approaches will promote real application of the cantilever sensors in early diagnosis of cancer.

  17. Broadband EIT borehole measurements with high phase accuracy using numerical corrections of electromagnetic coupling effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao, Y; Zimmermann, E; Wolters, B; Van Waasen, S; Huisman, J A; Treichel, A; Kemna, A

    2013-01-01

    Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is gaining importance in the field of geophysics and there is increasing interest for accurate borehole EIT measurements in a broad frequency range (mHz to kHz) in order to study subsurface properties. To characterize weakly polarizable soils and sediments with EIT, high phase accuracy is required. Typically, long electrode cables are used for borehole measurements. However, this may lead to undesired electromagnetic coupling effects associated with the inductive coupling between the double wire pairs for current injection and potential measurement and the capacitive coupling between the electrically conductive shield of the cable and the electrically conductive environment surrounding the electrode cables. Depending on the electrical properties of the subsurface and the measured transfer impedances, both coupling effects can cause large phase errors that have typically limited the frequency bandwidth of field EIT measurements to the mHz to Hz range. The aim of this paper is to develop numerical corrections for these phase errors. To this end, the inductive coupling effect was modeled using electronic circuit models, and the capacitive coupling effect was modeled by integrating discrete capacitances in the electrical forward model describing the EIT measurement process. The correction methods were successfully verified with measurements under controlled conditions in a water-filled rain barrel, where a high phase accuracy of 0.8 mrad in the frequency range up to 10 kHz was achieved. The corrections were also applied to field EIT measurements made using a 25 m long EIT borehole chain with eight electrodes and an electrode separation of 1 m. The results of a 1D inversion of these measurements showed that the correction methods increased the measurement accuracy considerably. It was concluded that the proposed correction methods enlarge the bandwidth of the field EIT measurement system, and that accurate EIT measurements can now

  18. Cadastral Database Positional Accuracy Improvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hashim, N. M.; Omar, A. H.; Ramli, S. N. M.; Omar, K. M.; Din, N.

    2017-10-01

    Positional Accuracy Improvement (PAI) is the refining process of the geometry feature in a geospatial dataset to improve its actual position. This actual position relates to the absolute position in specific coordinate system and the relation to the neighborhood features. With the growth of spatial based technology especially Geographical Information System (GIS) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), the PAI campaign is inevitable especially to the legacy cadastral database. Integration of legacy dataset and higher accuracy dataset like GNSS observation is a potential solution for improving the legacy dataset. However, by merely integrating both datasets will lead to a distortion of the relative geometry. The improved dataset should be further treated to minimize inherent errors and fitting to the new accurate dataset. The main focus of this study is to describe a method of angular based Least Square Adjustment (LSA) for PAI process of legacy dataset. The existing high accuracy dataset known as National Digital Cadastral Database (NDCDB) is then used as bench mark to validate the results. It was found that the propose technique is highly possible for positional accuracy improvement of legacy spatial datasets.

  19. High-accuracy mass determination of unstable nuclei with a Penning trap mass spectrometer

    CERN Multimedia

    2002-01-01

    The mass of a nucleus is its most fundamental property. A systematic study of nuclear masses as a function of neutron and proton number allows the observation of collective and single-particle effects in nuclear structure. Accurate mass data are the most basic test of nuclear models and are essential for their improvement. This is especially important for the astrophysical study of nuclear synthesis. In order to achieve the required high accuracy, the mass of ions captured in a Penning trap is determined via their cyclotron frequency $ \

  20. Accuracy optimization of high-speed AFM measurements using Design of Experiments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tosello, Guido; Marinello, F.; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard

    2010-01-01

    Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is being increasingly employed in industrial micro/nano manufacturing applications and integrated into production lines. In order to achieve reliable process and product control at high measuring speed, instrument optimization is needed. Quantitative AFM measurement...... results are influenced by a number of scan settings parameters, defining topography sampling and measurement time: resolution (number of profiles and points per profile), scan range and direction, scanning force and speed. Such parameters are influencing lateral and vertical accuracy and, eventually......, the estimated dimensions of measured features. The definition of scan settings is based on a comprehensive optimization that targets maximization of information from collected data and minimization of measurement uncertainty and scan time. The Design of Experiments (DOE) technique is proposed and applied...

  1. Subcellular Localization of Patched and Smoothened, the Receptors for Sonic Hedgehog Signaling, in the Hippocampal Neuron

    OpenAIRE

    Petralia, Ronald S.; Schwartz, Catherine M.; Wang, Ya-Xian; Mattson, Mark P.; Yao, Pamela J.

    2011-01-01

    Cumulative evidence suggests that, aside from patterning the embryonic neural tube, Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling plays important roles in the mature nervous system. In this study, we investigate the expression and localization of the Shh signaling receptors, Patched (Ptch) and Smoothened (Smo), in the hippocampal neurons of young and mature rats. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and immunoblotting analyses show that the expression of Ptch and Smo remains at a moderate level i...

  2. Trial of prestressed concrete cable testing by sonic integrity tester

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugimoto, Masanobu

    1997-01-01

    Highway road network of Japan is in good condition. Those roads were constructed as social infrastructures. But some damages were occurred and propagated in concrete structure which passed more than 20 years after construction. As for the damages load caring capacity of bridge was decreased due to fatigue of increasing traffics and bridge vibration. Recently many troubles happened in PC structure as cut off of the main cables by corrosion and flying the non-grouting PC-bar to roadside. Some case can be checked by hammering testing method and X-ray photo cut or not and condition of cement grouting. But another case has not checking method. Now we are testing for the PC cables by sonic integrity tester which is modified from FPDS(Foundation Pile Diagnosis System). We report in this paper on this result and scope of the future of this method.

  3. Social Power Increases Interoceptive Accuracy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehrad Moeini-Jazani

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Building on recent psychological research showing that power increases self-focused attention, we propose that having power increases accuracy in perception of bodily signals, a phenomenon known as interoceptive accuracy. Consistent with our proposition, participants in a high-power experimental condition outperformed those in the control and low-power conditions in the Schandry heartbeat-detection task. We demonstrate that the effect of power on interoceptive accuracy is not explained by participants’ physiological arousal, affective state, or general intention for accuracy. Rather, consistent with our reasoning that experiencing power shifts attentional resources inward, we show that the effect of power on interoceptive accuracy is dependent on individuals’ chronic tendency to focus on their internal sensations. Moreover, we demonstrate that individuals’ chronic sense of power also predicts interoceptive accuracy similar to, and independent of, how their situationally induced feeling of power does. We therefore provide further support on the relation between power and enhanced perception of bodily signals. Our findings offer a novel perspective–a psychophysiological account–on how power might affect judgments and behavior. We highlight and discuss some of these intriguing possibilities for future research.

  4. The role of the sonic hedgehog signalling pathway in patients with midline defects and congenital hypopituitarism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gregory, L C; Gaston-Massuet, C; Andoniadou, C L; Carreno, G; Webb, E A; Kelberman, D; McCabe, M J; Panagiotakopoulos, L; Saldanha, J W; Spoudeas, H A; Torpiano, J; Rossi, M; Raine, J; Canham, N; Martinez-Barbera, J P; Dattani, M T

    2015-05-01

    The Gli family of zinc finger (GLI) transcription factors mediates the sonic hedgehog signalling pathway (HH) essential for CNS, early pituitary and ventral forebrain development in mice. Human mutations in this pathway have been described in patients with holoprosencephaly (HPE), isolated congenital hypopituitarism (CH) and cranial/midline facial abnormalities. Mutations in Sonic hedgehog (SHH) have been associated with HPE but not CH, despite murine studies indicating involvement in pituitary development. We aimed to establish the role of the HH pathway in the aetiology of hypothalamo-pituitary disorders by screening our cohort of patients with midline defects and/or CH for mutations in SHH, GLI2, Shh brain enhancer 2 (SBE2) and growth-arrest specific 1 (GAS1). Two variants and a deletion of GLI2 were identified in three patients. A novel variant at a highly conserved residue in the zinc finger DNA-binding domain, c.1552G > A [pE518K], was identified in a patient with growth hormone deficiency and low normal free T4. A nonsynonymous variant, c.2159G > A [p.R720H], was identified in a patient with a short neck, cleft palate and hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism. A 26·6 Mb deletion, 2q12·3-q21·3, encompassing GLI2 and 77 other genes, was identified in a patient with short stature and impaired growth. Human embryonic expression studies and molecular characterisation of the GLI2 mutant p.E518K support the potential pathogenicity of GLI2 mutations. No mutations were identified in GAS1 or SBE2. A novel SHH variant, c.1295T>A [p.I432N], was identified in two siblings with variable midline defects but normal pituitary function. Our data suggest that mutations in SHH, GAS1 and SBE2 are not associated with hypopituitarism, although GLI2 is an important candidate for CH. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. TRAIL, Wnt, Sonic Hedgehog, TGFβ, and miRNA Signalings Are Potential Targets for Oral Cancer Therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farooqi, Ammad Ahmad; Shu, Chih-Wen; Huang, Hurng-Wern; Wang, Hui-Ru; Chang, Yung-Ting; Fayyaz, Sundas; Yuan, Shyng-Shiou F; Tang, Jen-Yang; Chang, Hsueh-Wei

    2017-07-14

    Clinical studies and cancer cell models emphasize the importance of targeting therapies for oral cancer. The tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is highly expressed in cancer, and is a selective killing ligand for oral cancer. Signaling proteins in the wingless-type mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) integration site family (Wnt), Sonic hedgehog (SHH), and transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) pathways may regulate cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis. Accordingly, the genes encoding these signaling proteins are potential targets for oral cancer therapy. In this review, we focus on recent advances in targeting therapies for oral cancer and discuss the gene targets within TRAIL, Wnt, SHH, and TGFβ signaling for oral cancer therapies. Oncogenic microRNAs (miRNAs) and tumor suppressor miRNAs targeting the genes encoding these signaling proteins are summarized, and the interactions between Wnt, SHH, TGFβ, and miRNAs are interpreted. With suitable combination treatments, synergistic effects are expected to improve targeting therapies for oral cancer.

  6. TRAIL, Wnt, Sonic Hedgehog, TGFβ, and miRNA Signalings Are Potential Targets for Oral Cancer Therapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farooqi, Ammad Ahmad; Shu, Chih-Wen; Huang, Hurng-Wern; Wang, Hui-Ru; Chang, Yung-Ting; Fayyaz, Sundas; Yuan, Shyng-Shiou F.; Tang, Jen-Yang

    2017-01-01

    Clinical studies and cancer cell models emphasize the importance of targeting therapies for oral cancer. The tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is highly expressed in cancer, and is a selective killing ligand for oral cancer. Signaling proteins in the wingless-type mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) integration site family (Wnt), Sonic hedgehog (SHH), and transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) pathways may regulate cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis. Accordingly, the genes encoding these signaling proteins are potential targets for oral cancer therapy. In this review, we focus on recent advances in targeting therapies for oral cancer and discuss the gene targets within TRAIL, Wnt, SHH, and TGFβ signaling for oral cancer therapies. Oncogenic microRNAs (miRNAs) and tumor suppressor miRNAs targeting the genes encoding these signaling proteins are summarized, and the interactions between Wnt, SHH, TGFβ, and miRNAs are interpreted. With suitable combination treatments, synergistic effects are expected to improve targeting therapies for oral cancer. PMID:28708091

  7. Effects of sonication and advanced chemical oxidants on the unicellular green alga Dunaliella tertiolecta and cysts, larvae and adults of the brine shrimp Artemia salina: a prospective treatment to eradicate invasive organisms from ballast water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gavand, Meghana R; McClintock, James B; Amsler, Charles D; Peters, Robert W; Angus, Robert A

    2007-11-01

    Uptake and release of ship-borne ballast water is a major factor contributing to introductions of aquatic phytoplankton and invasive macroinvertebrates. Some invasive unicellular algae can cause harmful algal blooms and produce toxins that build up in food chains. Moreover, to date, few studies have compared the efficacy of ballast water treatments against different life history phases of aquatic macroinvertebrates. In the present study, the unicellular green alga Dunaliella tertiolecta, and three discrete life history phases of the brine shrimp Artemia salina, were independently used as model organisms to study the efficacy of sonication as well as the advanced oxidants, hydrogen peroxide and ozone, as potential ballast water treatments. Algal cells and brine shrimp cysts, nauplii, and adults were subjected to individual and combined treatments of sonication and advanced oxidants. Combined rather than individual treatments consistently yielded the highest levels of mortality in algal cells (100% over a 2 min exposure) and in brine shrimp (100% and 95% for larvae and adults, respectively, over a 2 min exposure). In contrast, mortality levels in brine shrimp cysts (66% over 2 min; increased to 92% over a 20 min exposure) were moderately high but consistently lower than that detected for larval or adult shrimp. Our results indicate that a combination of sonication and advanced chemical oxidants may be a promising method to eradicate aquatic unicellular algae and macroinvertebrates in ballast water.

  8. Methodology for GPS Synchronization Evaluation with High Accuracy

    OpenAIRE

    Li Zan; Braun Torsten; Dimitrova Desislava

    2015-01-01

    Clock synchronization in the order of nanoseconds is one of the critical factors for time based localization. Currently used time synchronization methods are developed for the more relaxed needs of network operation. Their usability for positioning should be carefully evaluated. In this paper we are particularly interested in GPS based time synchronization. To judge its usability for localization we need a method that can evaluate the achieved time synchronization with nanosecond accuracy. Ou...

  9. Methodology for GPS Synchronization Evaluation with High Accuracy

    OpenAIRE

    Li, Zan; Braun, Torsten; Dimitrova, Desislava Cvetanova

    2015-01-01

    Clock synchronization in the order of nanoseconds is one of the critical factors for time-based localization. Currently used time synchronization methods are developed for the more relaxed needs of network operation. Their usability for positioning should be carefully evaluated. In this paper, we are particularly interested in GPS-based time synchronization. To judge its usability for localization we need a method that can evaluate the achieved time synchronization with nanosecond accuracy. O...

  10. A high-accuracy optical linear algebra processor for finite element applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casasent, D.; Taylor, B. K.

    1984-01-01

    Optical linear processors are computationally efficient computers for solving matrix-matrix and matrix-vector oriented problems. Optical system errors limit their dynamic range to 30-40 dB, which limits their accuray to 9-12 bits. Large problems, such as the finite element problem in structural mechanics (with tens or hundreds of thousands of variables) which can exploit the speed of optical processors, require the 32 bit accuracy obtainable from digital machines. To obtain this required 32 bit accuracy with an optical processor, the data can be digitally encoded, thereby reducing the dynamic range requirements of the optical system (i.e., decreasing the effect of optical errors on the data) while providing increased accuracy. This report describes a new digitally encoded optical linear algebra processor architecture for solving finite element and banded matrix-vector problems. A linear static plate bending case study is described which quantities the processor requirements. Multiplication by digital convolution is explained, and the digitally encoded optical processor architecture is advanced.

  11. High-accuracy measurement and compensation of grating line-density error in a tiled-grating compressor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Dan; Wang, Xiao; Mu, Jie; Li, Zhilin; Zuo, Yanlei; Zhou, Song; Zhou, Kainan; Zeng, Xiaoming; Su, Jingqin; Zhu, Qihua

    2017-02-01

    The grating tiling technology is one of the most effective means to increase the aperture of the gratings. The line-density error (LDE) between sub-gratings will degrade the performance of the tiling gratings, high accuracy measurement and compensation of the LDE are of significance to improve the output pulses characteristics of the tiled-grating compressor. In this paper, the influence of LDE on the output pulses of the tiled-grating compressor is quantitatively analyzed by means of numerical simulation, the output beams drift and output pulses broadening resulting from the LDE are presented. Based on the numerical results we propose a compensation method to reduce the degradations of the tiled grating compressor by applying angular tilt error and longitudinal piston error at the same time. Moreover, a monitoring system is setup to measure the LDE between sub-gratings accurately and the dispersion variation due to the LDE is also demonstrated based on spatial-spectral interference. In this way, we can realize high-accuracy measurement and compensation of the LDE, and this would provide an efficient way to guide the adjustment of the tiling gratings.

  12. Room airflow studies using sonic anemometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wasiolek, P.T.; Whicker, J.J.; Gong, H.; Rodgers, J.C.

    1999-01-01

    To ensure prompt response by real-time air monitors to an accidental release of toxic aerosols in a workplace, safety professionals should understand airflow patterns. This understanding can be achieved with validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) computer simulations, or with experimental techniques, such as measurements with smoke, neutrally buoyant markers, trace gases, or trace aerosol particles. As a supplementary technique to quantify airflows, the use of a state-of-the-art, three-dimensional sonic anemometer was explored. This instrument allows for the precise measurements of the air-velocity vector components in the range of a few centimeters per second, which is common in many indoor work environments. Measurements of air velocities and directions at selected locations were made for the purpose of providing data for characterizing fundamental aspects of indoor air movement in two ventilated rooms and for comparison to CFD model predictions. One room was a mockup of a plutonium workroom, and the other was an actual functioning plutonium workroom. In the mockup room, air-velocity vector components were measured at 19 locations at three heights (60, 120 and 180 cm) with average velocities varying from 1.4 cm s -1 to 9.7 cm s -1 . There were complex flow patterns observed with turbulence intensities from 39% up to 108%. In the plutonium workroom, measurements were made at the breathing-zone height, recording average velocities ranging from 9.9 cm s -1 to 35.5 cm s -1 with turbulence intensities from 33% to 108%. (au)

  13. Room airflow studies using sonic anemometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wasiolek, P.T.; Whicker, J.J.; Gong, H.; Rodgers, J.C. [Los Alamos National Lab., Health Physics Measurements Group, Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    1999-10-01

    To ensure prompt response by real-time air monitors to an accidental release of toxic aerosols in a workplace, safety professionals should understand airflow patterns. This understanding can be achieved with validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) computer simulations, or with experimental techniques, such as measurements with smoke, neutrally buoyant markers, trace gases, or trace aerosol particles. As a supplementary technique to quantify airflows, the use of a state-of-the-art, three-dimensional sonic anemometer was explored. This instrument allows for the precise measurements of the air-velocity vector components in the range of a few centimeters per second, which is common in many indoor work environments. Measurements of air velocities and directions at selected locations were made for the purpose of providing data for characterizing fundamental aspects of indoor air movement in two ventilated rooms and for comparison to CFD model predictions. One room was a mockup of a plutonium workroom, and the other was an actual functioning plutonium workroom. In the mockup room, air-velocity vector components were measured at 19 locations at three heights (60, 120 and 180 cm) with average velocities varying from 1.4 cm s{sup -1} to 9.7 cm s{sup -1}. There were complex flow patterns observed with turbulence intensities from 39% up to 108%. In the plutonium workroom, measurements were made at the breathing-zone height, recording average velocities ranging from 9.9 cm s{sup -1} to 35.5 cm s{sup -1} with turbulence intensities from 33% to 108%. (au) 17 refs.

  14. Application of nano technology using molecular sonic arrangers for the improvement of the maintenance, operation and efficiency of equipment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perez-Aranda Lopera, J.; Verdu Rios, M. F.; Sala, A.; Fabre, A.

    2012-01-01

    The sonic molecular arrangers, emitters are of nanofrecuency with some intensity and certain wave lengths that allow you to alter the links existing in the water molecules hydrogen Covalent; What gives these molecules properties more reactive, causing changes in the physical features of water such as viscosity, density, surface tension, capillary action, and thermal permeability.

  15. Epithelial trafficking of Sonic hedgehog by megalin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morales, Carlos R; Zeng, Jibin; El Alfy, Mohamed; Barth, Jeremy L; Chintalapudi, Mastan Rao; McCarthy, Robert A; Incardona, John P; Argraves, W Scott

    2006-10-01

    We present here evidence of in vivo epithelial endocytosis and trafficking of non-lipid-modified Sonic hedgehog (ShhN) when infused into rat efferent ducts via microinjection. Initially, exogenous ShhN is detected in endocytic vesicles and early endosomes located near the apical plasma membrane of non-ciliated cells. Within 30-60 min following infusion, ShhN can be detected in lysosomes and at basolateral regions of non-ciliated cells. Basolaterally, ShhN was observed along the extracellular surfaces of interdigitated plasma membranes of adjacent cells and in the extracellular compartment underlying the efferent duct epithelium. Uptake and subcellular trafficking of infused ShhN by non-ciliated cells could be blocked by either anti-megalin IgG or the megalin antagonist, RAP. Ciliated cells, which do not express megalin, displayed little if any apical internalization of ShhN even though they were found to express Patched-1. However, ShhN was found in coated pits of lateral plasma membranes of ciliated cells as well as in underlying endocytic vesicles. We conclude that megalin-mediated endocytosis of ShhN can occur in megalin-expressing epithelia in vivo, and that the internalized ShhN can be targeted to the lysosome or transcytosed in the plane of the epithelium or across the epithelium. These findings highlight the multiple mechanisms by which megalin may influence Shh morphogen gradients in vivo.

  16. High-accuracy measurement of ship velocities by DGPS; DGPS ni yoru sensoku keisoku no koseidoka ni tsuite

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yamaguchi, S; Koterayama, W [Kyushu Univ., Fukuoka (Japan). Research Inst. for Applied Mechanics

    1996-04-10

    The differential global positioning system (DGPS) can eliminate most of errors in ship velocity measurement by GPS positioning alone. Through two rounds of marine observations by towing an observation robot in summer 1995, the authors attempted high-accuracy measurement of ship velocities by DGPS, and also carried out both positioning by GPS alone and measurement using the bottom track of ADCP (acoustic Doppler current profiler). In this paper, the results obtained by these measurement methods were examined through comparison among them, and the accuracy of the measured ship velocities was considered. In DGPS measurement, both translocation method and interference positioning method were used. ADCP mounted on the observation robot allowed measurement of the velocity of current meter itself by its bottom track in shallow sea areas less than 350m. As the result of these marine observations, it was confirmed that the accuracy equivalent to that of direct measurement by bottom track is possible to be obtained by DGPS. 3 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.

  17. Effect of sonically induced deflocculation on the efficiency of ozone mediated partial sludge disintegration for improved production of biogas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sowmya Packyam, G; Kavitha, S; Adish Kumar, S; Kaliappan, S; Yeom, Ick Tae; Rajesh Banu, J

    2015-09-01

    In this study, ultrasonication was used for sludge deflocculation, followed by cell disintegration using ozone. The effect of this phase separated sono-ozone pretreatment is evaluated based on extra polymeric substances release, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in the medium, solubilization of intra cellular components and suspended solids (SS) reduction. Ultrasonically induced deflocculation was optimized at an energy dosage of 76.4(log 1.88)kJ/kg TS. During cell disintegration (ozone dosage 0.0011 mgO3/mgSS), chemical oxygen demand solubilization (COD) and SS reduction of sonic mediated ozone pretreated sludge were 25.4% and 17.8% comparatively higher than ozone pretreated sludge, respectively. Further, biogas production potential of control (raw), flocculated (ozone pretreated), and deflocculated (sonic mediated ozone pretreated) sludges were observed to be 0.202, 0.535 and 0.637 L/(gVS), respectively. Thus, the phase separated pretreatment at lower ultrasonic specific energy and low dose ozone proved to enhance the anaerobic biodegradability efficiently. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Accuracy of cell calculation methods used for analysis of high conversion light water reactor lattice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeong, Chang-Joon; Okumura, Keisuke; Ishiguro, Yukio; Tanaka, Ken-ichi

    1990-01-01

    Validation tests were made for the accuracy of cell calculation methods used in analyses of tight lattices of a mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel core in a high conversion light water reactor (HCLWR). A series of cell calculations was carried out for the lattices referred from an international HCLWR benchmark comparison, with emphasis placed on the resonance calculation methods; the NR, IR approximations, the collision probability method with ultra-fine energy group. Verification was also performed for the geometrical modelling; a hexagonal/cylindrical cell, and the boundary condition; mirror/white reflection. In the calculations, important reactor physics parameters, such as the neutron multiplication factor, the conversion ratio and the void coefficient, were evaluated using the above methods for various HCLWR lattices with different moderator to fuel volume ratios, fuel materials and fissile plutonium enrichments. The calculated results were compared with each other, and the accuracy and applicability of each method were clarified by comparison with continuous energy Monte Carlo calculations. It was verified that the accuracy of the IR approximation became worse when the neutron spectrum became harder. It was also concluded that the cylindrical cell model with the white boundary condition was not so suitable for MOX fuelled lattices, as for UO 2 fuelled lattices. (author)

  19. A novel method for soil aggregate stability measurement by laser granulometry with sonication

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rawlins, B. G.; Lark, R. M.; Wragg, J.

    2012-04-01

    Regulatory authorities need to establish rapid, cost-effective methods to measure soil physical indicators - such as aggregate stability - which can be applied to large numbers of soil samples to detect changes of soil quality through monitoring. Limitations of sieve-based methods to measure the stability of soil macro-aggregates include: i) the mass of stable aggregates is measured, only for a few, discrete sieve/size fractions, ii) no account is taken of the fundamental particle size distribution of the sub-sampled material, and iii) they are labour intensive. These limitations could be overcome by measurements with a Laser Granulometer (LG) instrument, but this technology has not been widely applied to the quantification of aggregate stability of soils. We present a novel method to quantify macro-aggregate (1-2 mm) stability. We measure the difference between the mean weight diameter (MWD; μm) of aggregates that are stable in circulating water of low ionic strength, and the MWD of the fundamental particles of the soil to which these aggregates are reduced by sonication. The suspension is circulated rapidly through a LG analytical cell from a connected vessel for ten seconds; during this period hydrodynamic forces associated with the circulating water lead to the destruction of unstable aggregates. The MWD of stable aggregates is then measured by LG. In the next step, the aggregates - which are kept in the vessel at a minimal water circulation speed - are subject to sonication (18W for ten minutes) so the vast majority of the sample is broken down into its fundamental particles. The suspension is then recirculated rapidly through the LG and the MWD measured again. We refer to the difference between these two measurements as disaggregation reduction (DR) - the reduction in MWD on disaggregation by sonication. Soil types with more stable aggregates have larger values of DR. The stable aggregates - which are resistant to both slaking and mechanical breakdown by the

  20. Cost-effective improvements of a rotating platform by integration of a high-accuracy inclinometer and encoders for attitude evaluation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wen, Chenyang; He, Shengyang; Hu, Peida; Bu, Changgen

    2017-01-01

    Attitude heading reference systems (AHRSs) based on micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) inertial sensors are widely used because of their low cost, light weight, and low power. However, low-cost AHRSs suffer from large inertial sensor errors. Therefore, experimental performance evaluation of MEMS-based AHRSs after system implementation is necessary. High-accuracy turntables can be used to verify the performance of MEMS-based AHRSs indoors, but they are expensive and unsuitable for outdoor tests. This study developed a low-cost two-axis rotating platform for indoor and outdoor attitude determination. A high-accuracy inclinometer and encoders were integrated into the platform to improve the achievable attitude test accuracy. An attitude error compensation method was proposed to calibrate the initial attitude errors caused by the movements and misalignment angles of the platform. The proposed attitude error determination method was examined through rotating experiments, which showed that the standard deviations of the pitch and roll errors were 0.050° and 0.090°, respectively. The pitch and roll errors both decreased to 0.024° when the proposed attitude error determination method was used. This decrease validates the effectiveness of the compensation method. Experimental results demonstrated that the integration of the inclinometer and encoders improved the performance of the low-cost, two-axis, rotating platform in terms of attitude accuracy. (paper)

  1. Accuracy assessment of high-rate GPS measurements for seismology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elosegui, P.; Davis, J. L.; Ekström, G.

    2007-12-01

    Analysis of GPS measurements with a controlled laboratory system, built to simulate the ground motions caused by tectonic earthquakes and other transient geophysical signals such as glacial earthquakes, enables us to assess the technique of high-rate GPS. The root-mean-square (rms) position error of this system when undergoing realistic simulated seismic motions is 0.05~mm, with maximum position errors of 0.1~mm, thus providing "ground truth" GPS displacements. We have acquired an extensive set of high-rate GPS measurements while inducing seismic motions on a GPS antenna mounted on this system with a temporal spectrum similar to real seismic events. We found that, for a particular 15-min-long test event, the rms error of the 1-Hz GPS position estimates was 2.5~mm, with maximum position errors of 10~mm, and the error spectrum of the GPS estimates was approximately flicker noise. These results may however represent a best-case scenario since they were obtained over a short (~10~m) baseline, thereby greatly mitigating baseline-dependent errors, and when the number and distribution of satellites on the sky was good. For example, we have determined that the rms error can increase by a factor of 2--3 as the GPS constellation changes throughout the day, with an average value of 3.5~mm for eight identical, hourly-spaced, consecutive test events. The rms error also increases with increasing baseline, as one would expect, with an average rms error for a ~1400~km baseline of 9~mm. We will present an assessment of the accuracy of high-rate GPS based on these measurements, discuss the implications of this study for seismology, and describe new applications in glaciology.

  2. 100% classification accuracy considered harmful: the normalized information transfer factor explains the accuracy paradox.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco J Valverde-Albacete

    Full Text Available The most widely spread measure of performance, accuracy, suffers from a paradox: predictive models with a given level of accuracy may have greater predictive power than models with higher accuracy. Despite optimizing classification error rate, high accuracy models may fail to capture crucial information transfer in the classification task. We present evidence of this behavior by means of a combinatorial analysis where every possible contingency matrix of 2, 3 and 4 classes classifiers are depicted on the entropy triangle, a more reliable information-theoretic tool for classification assessment. Motivated by this, we develop from first principles a measure of classification performance that takes into consideration the information learned by classifiers. We are then able to obtain the entropy-modulated accuracy (EMA, a pessimistic estimate of the expected accuracy with the influence of the input distribution factored out, and the normalized information transfer factor (NIT, a measure of how efficient is the transmission of information from the input to the output set of classes. The EMA is a more natural measure of classification performance than accuracy when the heuristic to maximize is the transfer of information through the classifier instead of classification error count. The NIT factor measures the effectiveness of the learning process in classifiers and also makes it harder for them to "cheat" using techniques like specialization, while also promoting the interpretability of results. Their use is demonstrated in a mind reading task competition that aims at decoding the identity of a video stimulus based on magnetoencephalography recordings. We show how the EMA and the NIT factor reject rankings based in accuracy, choosing more meaningful and interpretable classifiers.

  3. Sexual dimorphism of sonic apparatus and extreme intersexual variation of sounds in Ophidion rochei (Ophidiidae: first evidence of a tight relationship between morphology and sound characteristics in Ophidiidae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kéver Loïc

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Many Ophidiidae are active in dark environments and display complex sonic apparatus morphologies. However, sound recordings are scarce and little is known about acoustic communication in this family. This paper focuses on Ophidion rochei which is known to display an important sexual dimorphism in swimbladder and anterior skeleton. The aims of this study were to compare the sound producing morphology, and the resulting sounds in juveniles, females and males of O. rochei. Results Males, females, and juveniles possessed different morphotypes. Females and juveniles contrasted with males because they possessed dramatic differences in morphology of their sonic muscles, swimbladder, supraoccipital crest, and first vertebrae and associated ribs. Further, they lacked the ‘rocker bone’ typically found in males. Sounds from each morphotype were highly divergent. Males generally produced non harmonic, multiple-pulsed sounds that lasted for several seconds (3.5 ± 1.3 s with a pulse period of ca. 100 ms. Juvenile and female sounds were recorded for the first time in ophidiids. Female sounds were harmonic, had shorter pulse period (±3.7 ms, and never exceeded a few dozen milliseconds (18 ± 11 ms. Moreover, unlike male sounds, female sounds did not have alternating long and short pulse periods. Juvenile sounds were weaker but appear to be similar to female sounds. Conclusions Although it is not possible to distinguish externally male from female in O. rochei, they show a sonic apparatus and sounds that are dramatically different. This difference is likely due to their nocturnal habits that may have favored the evolution of internal secondary sexual characters that help to distinguish males from females and that could facilitate mate choice by females. Moreover, the comparison of different morphotypes in this study shows that these morphological differences result from a peramorphosis that takes place during the development of

  4. Boundary layer height estimation by sodar and sonic anemometer measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Contini, D; Cava, D; Martano, P; Donateo, A; Grasso, F M

    2008-01-01

    In this paper an analysis of different methods for the calculation of the boundary layer height (BLH) using sodar and ultrasonic anemometer measurements is presented. All the methods used are based on single point surface measurements. In particular the automatic spectral routine developed for Remtech sodar is compared with the results obtained with the parameterization of the vertical velocity variance, with the calculation of a prognostic model and with a parameterization based on horizontal velocity spectra. Results indicate that in unstable conditions the different methods provide similar pattern, with BLH relatively low, even if the parameterization of the vertical velocity variance is affected by a large scatter that limits its efficiency in evaluating the BLH. In stable nocturnal conditions the performances of the Remtech routine are lower with respect to the ones in unstable conditions. The spectral method, applied to sodar or sonic anemometer data, seems to be the most promising in order to develop an efficient routine for BLH determination

  5. Innovative High-Accuracy Lidar Bathymetric Technique for the Frequent Measurement of River Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gisler, A.; Crowley, G.; Thayer, J. P.; Thompson, G. S.; Barton-Grimley, R. A.

    2015-12-01

    Lidar (light detection and ranging) provides absolute depth and topographic mapping capability compared to other remote sensing methods, which is useful for mapping rapidly changing environments such as riverine systems. Effectiveness of current lidar bathymetric systems is limited by the difficulty in unambiguously identifying backscattered lidar signals from the water surface versus the bottom, limiting their depth resolution to 0.3-0.5 m. Additionally these are large, bulky systems that are constrained to expensive aircraft-mounted platforms and use waveform-processing techniques requiring substantial computation time. These restrictions are prohibitive for many potential users. A novel lidar device has been developed that allows for non-contact measurements of water depth down to 1 cm with an accuracy and precision of shallow to deep water allowing for shoreline charting, measuring water volume, mapping bottom topology, and identifying submerged objects. The scalability of the technique opens up the ability for handheld or UAS-mounted lidar bathymetric systems, which provides for potential applications currently unavailable to the community. The high laser pulse repetition rate allows for very fine horizontal resolution while the photon-counting technique permits real-time depth measurement and object detection. The enhanced measurement capability, portability, scalability, and relatively low-cost creates the opportunity to perform frequent high-accuracy monitoring and measuring of aquatic environments which is crucial for understanding how rivers evolve over many timescales. Results from recent campaigns measuring water depth in flowing creeks and murky ponds will be presented which demonstrate that the method is not limited by rough water surfaces and can map underwater topology through moderately turbid water.

  6. A six-week clinical evaluation of the plaque and gingivitis efficacy of an oscillating-rotating power toothbrush with a novel brush head utilizing angled CrissCross bristles versus a sonic toothbrush.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klukowska, Malgorzata; Grender, Julie M; Conde, Erinn; Goyal, C Ram; Qaqish, J

    2014-01-01

    To compare the efficacy of an oscillating-rotating power toothbrush with a novel brush head incorporating angled CrissCross bristles (Oral-B Triumph with SmartGuide with Oral-B CrossAction brush head) versus a sonic toothbrush (Sonicare DiamondClean) for plaque and gingivitis reduction over a six-week period. This was a single-center, randomized, examiner-blind, two-treatment, parallel group study involving 65 subjects per group. Subjects presenting with mild-to-moderate gingivitis at Baseline were randomly assigned to either the oscillating-rotating brush or the sonic brush. They were instructed to use their assigned toothbrush and a standard fluoride dentifrice for two minutes twice daily at home for six weeks. Gingivitis and plaque were assessed at Baseline and Week 6 using the Modified Gingival Index (MGI), Gingival Bleeding Index (GBI), and Rustogi Modified Navy Plaque Index (RMNPI). Data were analyzed using an Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), with baseline as the covariate. Subjects also completed a consumer perception questionnaire to evaluate their brushing experience. One-hundred and thirty subjects were enrolled in the study and randomized to treatment. Sixty-four subjects per group completed the trial. Both brushes produced statistically significant reductions in gingivitis and plaque measures at Week 6 relative to Baseline (p gingivitis and plaque measures compared to the sonic toothbrush. The benefits for the oscillating-rotating brush over the sonic brush were 32.6% for gingivitis, 35.4% for gingival bleeding, 32% for number of bleeding sites, 22% for whole mouth plaque, 24.2% for gingival margin plaque, and 33.3% for approximal plaque (p gingival margin plaque, where p = 0.018). Analysis of the consumer perception questionnaire results showed subjects using the oscillating-rotating brush rated it higher for overall use experience and key attributes related to cleaning, gentleness, and brush head shape/size versus subjects in the sonic brush group

  7. Accuracy assessment of high frequency 3D ultrasound for digital impression-taking of prepared teeth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heger, Stefan; Vollborn, Thorsten; Tinschert, Joachim; Wolfart, Stefan; Radermacher, Klaus

    2013-03-01

    Silicone based impression-taking of prepared teeth followed by plaster casting is well-established but potentially less reliable, error-prone and inefficient, particularly in combination with emerging techniques like computer aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) of dental prosthesis. Intra-oral optical scanners for digital impression-taking have been introduced but until now some drawbacks still exist. Because optical waves can hardly penetrate liquids or soft-tissues, sub-gingival preparations still need to be uncovered invasively prior to scanning. High frequency ultrasound (HFUS) based micro-scanning has been recently investigated as an alternative to optical intra-oral scanning. Ultrasound is less sensitive against oral fluids and in principal able to penetrate gingiva without invasively exposing of sub-gingival preparations. Nevertheless, spatial resolution as well as digitization accuracy of an ultrasound based micro-scanning system remains a critical parameter because the ultrasound wavelength in water-like media such as gingiva is typically smaller than that of optical waves. In this contribution, the in-vitro accuracy of ultrasound based micro-scanning for tooth geometry reconstruction is being investigated and compared to its extra-oral optical counterpart. In order to increase the spatial resolution of the system, 2nd harmonic frequencies from a mechanically driven focused single element transducer were separated and corresponding 3D surface models were calculated for both fundamentals and 2nd harmonics. Measurements on phantoms, model teeth and human teeth were carried out for evaluation of spatial resolution and surface detection accuracy. Comparison of optical and ultrasound digital impression taking indicate that, in terms of accuracy, ultrasound based tooth digitization can be an alternative for optical impression-taking.

  8. Accuracy of applicator tip reconstruction in MRI-guided interstitial 192Ir-high-dose-rate brachytherapy of liver tumors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wybranski, Christian; Eberhardt, Benjamin; Fischbach, Katharina; Fischbach, Frank; Walke, Mathias; Hass, Peter; Röhl, Friedrich-Wilhelm; Kosiek, Ortrud; Kaiser, Mandy; Pech, Maciej; Lüdemann, Lutz; Ricke, Jens

    2015-01-01

    Background and purpose: To evaluate the reconstruction accuracy of brachytherapy (BT) applicators tips in vitro and in vivo in MRI-guided 192 Ir-high-dose-rate (HDR)-BT of inoperable liver tumors. Materials and methods: Reconstruction accuracy of plastic BT applicators, visualized by nitinol inserts, was assessed in MRI phantom measurements and in MRI 192 Ir-HDR-BT treatment planning datasets of 45 patients employing CT co-registration and vector decomposition. Conspicuity, short-term dislocation, and reconstruction errors were assessed in the clinical data. The clinical effect of applicator reconstruction accuracy was determined in follow-up MRI data. Results: Applicator reconstruction accuracy was 1.6 ± 0.5 mm in the phantom measurements. In the clinical MRI datasets applicator conspicuity was rated good/optimal in ⩾72% of cases. 16/129 applicators showed not time dependent deviation in between MRI/CT acquisition (p > 0.1). Reconstruction accuracy was 5.5 ± 2.8 mm, and the average image co-registration error was 3.1 ± 0.9 mm. Vector decomposition revealed no preferred direction of reconstruction errors. In the follow-up data deviation of planned dose distribution and irradiation effect was 6.9 ± 3.3 mm matching the mean co-registration error (6.5 ± 2.5 mm; p > 0.1). Conclusion: Applicator reconstruction accuracy in vitro conforms to AAPM TG 56 standard. Nitinol-inserts are feasible for applicator visualization and yield good conspicuity in MRI treatment planning data. No preferred direction of reconstruction errors were found in vivo

  9. STTR Phase I: Low-Cost, High-Accuracy, Whole-Building Carbon Dioxide Monitoring for Demand Control Ventilation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hallstrom, Jason; Ni, Zheng Richard

    2018-05-15

    This STTR Phase I project assessed the feasibility of a new CO2 sensing system optimized for low-cost, high-accuracy, whole-building monitoring for use in demand control ventilation. The focus was on the development of a wireless networking platform and associated firmware to provide signal conditioning and conversion, fault- and disruptiontolerant networking, and multi-hop routing at building scales to avoid wiring costs. Early exploration of a bridge (or “gateway”) to direct digital control services was also explored. Results of the project contributed to an improved understanding of a new electrochemical sensor for monitoring indoor CO2 concentrations, as well as the electronics and networking infrastructure required to deploy those sensors at building scales. New knowledge was acquired concerning the sensor’s accuracy, environmental response, and failure modes, and the acquisition electronics required to achieve accuracy over a wide range of CO2 concentrations. The project demonstrated that the new sensor offers repeatable correspondence with commercial optical sensors, with supporting electronics that offer gain accuracy within 0.5%, and acquisition accuracy within 1.5% across three orders of magnitude variation in generated current. Considering production, installation, and maintenance costs, the technology presents a foundation for achieving whole-building CO2 sensing at a price point below $0.066 / sq-ft – meeting economic feasibility criteria established by the Department of Energy. The technology developed under this award addresses obstacles on the critical path to enabling whole-building CO2 sensing and demand control ventilation in commercial retrofits, small commercial buildings, residential complexes, and other highpotential structures that have been slow to adopt these technologies. It presents an opportunity to significantly reduce energy use throughout the United States a

  10. SU-E-J-04: Integration of Interstitial High Intensity Therapeutic Ultrasound Applicators On a Clinical MRI-Guided High Intensity Focused Ultrasound Treatment Planning Software Platform

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ellens, N [Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland (United States); Partanen, A [Philips Healthcare, Andover, Massachusetts (United States); Ghoshal, G; Burdette, E [Acoustic MedSystems Inc., Savoy, IL (United States); Farahani, K [National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD (United States)

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: Interstitial high intensity therapeutic ultrasound (HITU) applicators can be used to ablate tissue percutaneously, allowing for minimally-invasive treatment without ionizing radiation [1,2]. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and usability of combining multielement interstitial HITU applicators with a clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided focused ultrasound software platform. Methods: The Sonalleve software platform (Philips Healthcare, Vantaa, Finland) combines anatomical MRI for target selection and multi-planar MRI thermometry to provide real-time temperature information. The MRI-compatible interstitial US applicators (Acoustic MedSystems, Savoy, IL, USA) had 1–4 cylindrical US elements, each 1 cm long with either 180° or 360° of active surface. Each applicator (4 Fr diameter, enclosed within a 13 Fr flexible catheter) was inserted into a tissue-mimicking agar-silica phantom. Degassed water was circulated around the transducers for cooling and coupling. Based on the location of the applicator, a virtual transducer overlay was added to the software to assist targeting and to allow automatic thermometry slice placement. The phantom was sonicated at 7 MHz for 5 minutes with 6–8 W of acoustic power for each element. MR thermometry data were collected during and after sonication. Results: Preliminary testing indicated that the applicator location could be identified in the planning images and the transducer locations predicted within 1 mm accuracy using the overlay. Ablation zones (thermal dose ≥ 240 CEM43) for 2 active, adjacent US elements ranged from 18 mm × 24 mm (width × length) to 25 mm × 25 mm for the 6 W and 8 W sonications, respectively. Conclusion: The combination of interstitial HITU applicators and this software platform holds promise for novel approaches in minimally-invasive MRI-guided therapy, especially when bony structures or air-filled cavities may preclude extracorporeal HIFU.[1] Diederich et al

  11. A study on low-cost, high-accuracy, and real-time stereo vision algorithms for UAV power line inspection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Hongyu; Zhang, Baomin; Zhao, Xun; Li, Cong; Lu, Cunyue

    2018-04-01

    Conventional stereo vision algorithms suffer from high levels of hardware resource utilization due to algorithm complexity, or poor levels of accuracy caused by inadequacies in the matching algorithm. To address these issues, we have proposed a stereo range-finding technique that produces an excellent balance between cost, matching accuracy and real-time performance, for power line inspection using UAV. This was achieved through the introduction of a special image preprocessing algorithm and a weighted local stereo matching algorithm, as well as the design of a corresponding hardware architecture. Stereo vision systems based on this technique have a lower level of resource usage and also a higher level of matching accuracy following hardware acceleration. To validate the effectiveness of our technique, a stereo vision system based on our improved algorithms were implemented using the Spartan 6 FPGA. In comparative experiments, it was shown that the system using the improved algorithms outperformed the system based on the unimproved algorithms, in terms of resource utilization and matching accuracy. In particular, Block RAM usage was reduced by 19%, and the improved system was also able to output range-finding data in real time.

  12. Interobserver variability and accuracy of high-definition endoscopic diagnosis for gastric intestinal metaplasia among experienced and inexperienced endoscopists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hyun, Yil Sik; Han, Dong Soo; Bae, Joong Ho; Park, Hye Sun; Eun, Chang Soo

    2013-05-01

    Accurate diagnosis of gastric intestinal metaplasia is important; however, conventional endoscopy is known to be an unreliable modality for diagnosing gastric intestinal metaplasia (IM). The aims of the study were to evaluate the interobserver variation in diagnosing IM by high-definition (HD) endoscopy and the diagnostic accuracy of this modality for IM among experienced and inexperienced endoscopists. Selected 50 cases, taken with HD endoscopy, were sent for a diagnostic inquiry of gastric IM through visual inspection to five experienced and five inexperienced endoscopists. The interobserver agreement between endoscopists was evaluated to verify the diagnostic reliability of HD endoscopy in diagnosing IM, and the diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were evaluated for validity of HD endoscopy in diagnosing IM. Interobserver agreement among the experienced endoscopists was "poor" (κ = 0.38) and it was also "poor" (κ = 0.33) among the inexperienced endoscopists. The diagnostic accuracy of the experienced endoscopists was superior to that of the inexperienced endoscopists (P = 0.003). Since diagnosis through visual inspection is unreliable in the diagnosis of IM, all suspicious areas for gastric IM should be considered to be biopsied. Furthermore, endoscopic experience and education are needed to raise the diagnostic accuracy of gastric IM.

  13. Modified sine bar device measures small angles with high accuracy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thekaekara, M.

    1968-01-01

    Modified sine bar device measures small angles with enough accuracy to calibrate precision optical autocollimators. The sine bar is a massive bar of steel supported by two cylindrical rods at one end and one at the other.

  14. NutriSonic web expert system for meal management and nutrition counseling with nutrient time-series analysis, e-food exchange and easy data transition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Soon-Myung; Cho, Jee-Ye; Lee, Jin-Hee; Kim, Gon; Kim, Min-Chan

    2008-01-01

    This study was conducted to develop the NutriSonic Web Expert System for Meal Management and Nutrition Counseling with Analysis of User's Nutritive Changes of selected days and food exchange information with easy data transition. This program manipulates a food, menu and meal and search database that has been developed. Also, the system provides a function to check the user's nutritive change of selected days. Users can select a recommended general and therapeutic menu using this system. NutriSonic can analyze nutrients and e-food exchange ("e" means the food exchange data base calculated by a computer program) in menus and meals. The expert can insert and store a meal database and generate the synthetic information of age, sex and therapeutic purpose of disease. With investigation and analysis of the user's needs, the meal planning program on the internet has been continuously developed. Users are able to follow up their nutritive changes with nutrient information and ratio of 3 major energy nutrients. Also, users can download another data format like Excel files (.xls) for analysis and verify their nutrient time-series analysis. The results of analysis are presented quickly and accurately. Therefore it can be used by not only usual people, but also by dietitians and nutritionists who take charge of making a menu and experts in the field of food and nutrition. It is expected that the NutriSonic Web Expert System can be useful for nutrition education, nutrition counseling and expert meal management.

  15. Systematic review of discharge coding accuracy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burns, E.M.; Rigby, E.; Mamidanna, R.; Bottle, A.; Aylin, P.; Ziprin, P.; Faiz, O.D.

    2012-01-01

    Introduction Routinely collected data sets are increasingly used for research, financial reimbursement and health service planning. High quality data are necessary for reliable analysis. This study aims to assess the published accuracy of routinely collected data sets in Great Britain. Methods Systematic searches of the EMBASE, PUBMED, OVID and Cochrane databases were performed from 1989 to present using defined search terms. Included studies were those that compared routinely collected data sets with case or operative note review and those that compared routinely collected data with clinical registries. Results Thirty-two studies were included. Twenty-five studies compared routinely collected data with case or operation notes. Seven studies compared routinely collected data with clinical registries. The overall median accuracy (routinely collected data sets versus case notes) was 83.2% (IQR: 67.3–92.1%). The median diagnostic accuracy was 80.3% (IQR: 63.3–94.1%) with a median procedure accuracy of 84.2% (IQR: 68.7–88.7%). There was considerable variation in accuracy rates between studies (50.5–97.8%). Since the 2002 introduction of Payment by Results, accuracy has improved in some respects, for example primary diagnoses accuracy has improved from 73.8% (IQR: 59.3–92.1%) to 96.0% (IQR: 89.3–96.3), P= 0.020. Conclusion Accuracy rates are improving. Current levels of reported accuracy suggest that routinely collected data are sufficiently robust to support their use for research and managerial decision-making. PMID:21795302

  16. Accuracy Assessment and Analysis for GPT2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    YAO Yibin

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available GPT(global pressure and temperature is a global empirical model usually used to provide temperature and pressure for the determination of tropospheric delay, there are some weakness to GPT, these have been improved with a new empirical model named GPT2, which not only improves the accuracy of temperature and pressure, but also provides specific humidity, water vapor pressure, mapping function coefficients and other tropospheric parameters, and no accuracy analysis of GPT2 has been made until now. In this paper high-precision meteorological data from ECWMF and NOAA were used to test and analyze the accuracy of temperature, pressure and water vapor pressure expressed by GPT2, testing results show that the mean Bias of temperature is -0.59℃, average RMS is 3.82℃; absolute value of average Bias of pressure and water vapor pressure are less than 1 mb, GPT2 pressure has average RMS of 7 mb, and water vapor pressure no more than 3 mb, accuracy is different in different latitudes, all of them have obvious seasonality. In conclusion, GPT2 model has high accuracy and stability on global scale.

  17. High Accuracy Nonlinear Control and Estimation for Machine Tool Systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Papageorgiou, Dimitrios

    Component mass production has been the backbone of industry since the second industrial revolution, and machine tools are producing parts of widely varying size and design complexity. The ever-increasing level of automation in modern manufacturing processes necessitates the use of more...... sophisticated machine tool systems that are adaptable to different workspace conditions, while at the same time being able to maintain very narrow workpiece tolerances. The main topic of this thesis is to suggest control methods that can maintain required manufacturing tolerances, despite moderate wear and tear....... The purpose is to ensure that full accuracy is maintained between service intervals and to advice when overhaul is needed. The thesis argues that quality of manufactured components is directly related to the positioning accuracy of the machine tool axes, and it shows which low level control architectures...

  18. Prediction of novel pre-microRNAs with high accuracy through boosting and SVM.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yuanwei; Yang, Yifan; Zhang, Huan; Jiang, Xiaohua; Xu, Bo; Xue, Yu; Cao, Yunxia; Zhai, Qian; Zhai, Yong; Xu, Mingqing; Cooke, Howard J; Shi, Qinghua

    2011-05-15

    High-throughput deep-sequencing technology has generated an unprecedented number of expressed short sequence reads, presenting not only an opportunity but also a challenge for prediction of novel microRNAs. To verify the existence of candidate microRNAs, we have to show that these short sequences can be processed from candidate pre-microRNAs. However, it is laborious and time consuming to verify these using existing experimental techniques. Therefore, here, we describe a new method, miRD, which is constructed using two feature selection strategies based on support vector machines (SVMs) and boosting method. It is a high-efficiency tool for novel pre-microRNA prediction with accuracy up to 94.0% among different species. miRD is implemented in PHP/PERL+MySQL+R and can be freely accessed at http://mcg.ustc.edu.cn/rpg/mird/mird.php.

  19. High Accuracy mass Measurement of the very Short-Lived Halo Nuclide $^{11}$Li

    CERN Multimedia

    Le scornet, G

    2002-01-01

    The archetypal halo nuclide $^{11}$Li has now attracted a wealth of experimental and theoretical attention. The most outstanding property of this nuclide, its extended radius that makes it as big as $^{48}$Ca, is highly dependent on the binding energy of the two neutrons forming the halo. New generation experiments using radioactive beams with elastic proton scattering, knock-out and transfer reactions, together with $\\textit{ab initio}$ calculations require the tightening of the constraint on the binding energy. Good metrology also requires confirmation of the sole existing precision result to guard against a possible systematic deviation (or mistake). We propose a high accuracy mass determintation of $^{11}$Li, a particularly challenging task due to its very short half-life of 8.6 ms, but one perfectly suiting the MISTRAL spectrometer, now commissioned at ISOLDE. We request 15 shifts of beam time.

  20. Functionalisation of Detonation Nanodiamond for Monodispersed, Soluble DNA-Nanodiamond Conjugates Using Mixed Silane Bead-Assisted Sonication Disintegration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edgington, Robert; Spillane, Katelyn M; Papageorgiou, George; Wray, William; Ishiwata, Hitoshi; Labarca, Mariana; Leal-Ortiz, Sergio; Reid, Gordon; Webb, Martin; Foord, John; Melosh, Nicholas; Schaefer, Andreas T

    2018-01-15

    Nanodiamonds have many attractive properties that make them suitable for a range of biological applications, but their practical use has been limited because nanodiamond conjugates tend to aggregate in solution during or after functionalisation. Here we demonstrate the production of DNA-detonation nanodiamond (DNA-DND) conjugates with high dispersion and solubility using an ultrasonic, mixed-silanization chemistry protocol based on the in situ Bead-Assisted Sonication Disintegration (BASD) silanization method. We use two silanes to achieve these properties: (1) 3-(trihydroxysilyl)propyl methylphosphonate (THPMP); a negatively charged silane that imparts high zeta potential and solubility in solution; and (2) (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES); a commonly used functional silane that contributes an amino group for subsequent bioconjugation. We target these amino groups for covalent conjugation to thiolated, single-stranded DNA oligomers using the heterobifunctional crosslinker sulfosuccinimidyl 4-(N-maleimidomethyl)cyclohexane-1-carboxylate (Sulfo-SMCC). The resulting DNA-DND conjugates are the smallest reported to date, as determined by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The functionalisation method we describe is versatile and can be used to produce a wide variety of soluble DND-biomolecule conjugates.

  1. Thyroid Hormone Regulates the Expression of the Sonic Hedgehog Signaling Pathway in the Embryonic and Adult Mammalian Brain

    OpenAIRE

    Desouza, Lynette A.; Sathanoori, Malini; Kapoor, Richa; Rajadhyaksha, Neha; Gonzalez, Luis E.; Kottmann, Andreas H.; Tole, Shubha; Vaidya, Vidita A.

    2011-01-01

    Thyroid hormone is important for development and plasticity in the immature and adult mammalian brain. Several thyroid hormone-responsive genes are regulated during specific developmental time windows, with relatively few influenced across the lifespan. We provide novel evidence that thyroid hormone regulates expression of the key developmental morphogen sonic hedgehog (Shh), and its coreceptors patched (Ptc) and smoothened (Smo), in the early embryonic and adult forebrain. Maternal hypo- and...

  2. The De-Noising of Sonic Echo Test Data through Wavelet Transform Reconstruction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J.N. Watson

    1999-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the results of feasibility study into the application of the wavelet transform signal processing method to sonic based non-destructive testing techniques. Finite element generated data from cast in situ foundation piles were collated and processed using both continuous and discrete wavelet transform techniques. Results were compared with conventional Fourier based methods. The discrete Daubechies wavelets and the continuous Mexican hat wavelet were used and their relative merits investigated. It was found that both the continuous Mexican hat and discrete Daubechies D8 wavelets were significantly better at locating the pile toe compared than the Fourier filtered case. The wavelet transform method was then applied to field test data and found to be successful in facilitating the detection of the pile toe.

  3. Randomized comparison of deliverability and in-hospital complications in implantation of BxSonic(R), Express(R), and Flexmaster(R) coronary stents

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thuesen, Leif; Galløe, Anders; Thayssen, Per

    2005-01-01

    in a native coronary artery were included in the study. There were 494 (664) patients (treated lesions) in the BxSonic(R), 499 (657) in the Express(R) and 500 (658) in the Flexmaster(R) groups. The groups were well matched with regard to age, sex, diabetes, smoking, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension...

  4. Accuracy assessment of cadastral maps using high resolution aerial photos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alwan Imzahim

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available A cadastral map is a map that shows the boundaries and ownership of land parcels. Some cadastral maps show additional details, such as survey district names, unique identifying numbers for parcels, certificate of title numbers, positions of existing structures, section or lot numbers and their respective areas, adjoining and adjacent street names, selected boundary dimensions and references to prior maps. In Iraq / Baghdad Governorate, the main problem is that the cadastral maps are georeferenced to a local geodetic datum known as Clark 1880 while the widely used reference system for navigation purpose (GPS and GNSS and uses Word Geodetic System 1984 (WGS84 as a base reference datum. The objective of this paper is to produce a cadastral map with scale 1:500 (metric scale by using aerial photographs 2009 with high ground spatial resolution 10 cm reference WGS84 system. The accuracy assessment for the cadastral maps updating approach to urban large scale cadastral maps (1:500-1:1000 was ± 0.115 meters; which complies with the American Social for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing Standards (ASPRS.

  5. Interethnic differences in the accuracy of anthropometric indicators of obesity in screening for high risk of coronary heart disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herrera, VM; Casas, JP; Miranda, JJ; Perel, P; Pichardo, R; González, A; Sanchez, JR; Ferreccio, C; Aguilera, X; Silva, E; Oróstegui, M; Gómez, LF; Chirinos, JA; Medina-Lezama, J; Pérez, CM; Suárez, E; Ortiz, AP; Rosero, L; Schapochnik, N; Ortiz, Z; Ferrante, D; Diaz, M; Bautista, LE

    2009-01-01

    Background Cut points for defining obesity have been derived from mortality data among Whites from Europe and the United States and their accuracy to screen for high risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in other ethnic groups has been questioned. Objective To compare the accuracy and to define ethnic and gender-specific optimal cut points for body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) when they are used in screening for high risk of CHD in the Latin-American and the US populations. Methods We estimated the accuracy and optimal cut points for BMI, WC and WHR to screen for CHD risk in Latin Americans (n=18 976), non-Hispanic Whites (Whites; n=8956), non-Hispanic Blacks (Blacks; n=5205) and Hispanics (n=5803). High risk of CHD was defined as a 10-year risk ≥20% (Framingham equation). The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) and the misclassification-cost term were used to assess accuracy and to identify optimal cut points. Results WHR had the highest AUC in all ethnic groups (from 0.75 to 0.82) and BMI had the lowest (from 0.50 to 0.59). Optimal cut point for BMI was similar across ethnic/gender groups (27 kg/m2). In women, cut points for WC (94 cm) and WHR (0.91) were consistent by ethnicity. In men, cut points for WC and WHR varied significantly with ethnicity: from 91 cm in Latin Americans to 102 cm in Whites, and from 0.94 in Latin Americans to 0.99 in Hispanics, respectively. Conclusion WHR is the most accurate anthropometric indicator to screen for high risk of CHD, whereas BMI is almost uninformative. The same BMI cut point should be used in all men and women. Unique cut points for WC and WHR should be used in all women, but ethnic-specific cut points seem warranted among men. PMID:19238159

  6. Effects of accuracy motivation and anchoring on metacomprehension judgment and accuracy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Qin

    2012-01-01

    The current research investigates how accuracy motivation impacts anchoring and adjustment in metacomprehension judgment and how accuracy motivation and anchoring affect metacomprehension accuracy. Participants were randomly assigned to one of six conditions produced by the between-subjects factorial design involving accuracy motivation (incentive or no) and peer performance anchor (95%, 55%, or no). Two studies showed that accuracy motivation did not impact anchoring bias, but the adjustment-from-anchor process occurred. Accuracy incentive increased anchor-judgment gap for the 95% anchor but not for the 55% anchor, which induced less certainty about the direction of adjustment. The findings offer support to the integrative theory of anchoring. Additionally, the two studies revealed a "power struggle" between accuracy motivation and anchoring in influencing metacomprehension accuracy. Accuracy motivation could improve metacomprehension accuracy in spite of anchoring effect, but if anchoring effect is too strong, it could overpower the motivation effect. The implications of the findings were discussed.

  7. High-accuracy CFD prediction methods for fluid and structure temperature fluctuations at T-junction for thermal fatigue evaluation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qian, Shaoxiang, E-mail: qian.shaoxiang@jgc.com [EN Technology Center, Process Technology Division, JGC Corporation, 2-3-1 Minato Mirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama 220-6001 (Japan); Kanamaru, Shinichiro [EN Technology Center, Process Technology Division, JGC Corporation, 2-3-1 Minato Mirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama 220-6001 (Japan); Kasahara, Naoto [Nuclear Engineering and Management, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan)

    2015-07-15

    Highlights: • Numerical methods for accurate prediction of thermal loading were proposed. • Predicted fluid temperature fluctuation (FTF) intensity is close to the experiment. • Predicted structure temperature fluctuation (STF) range is close to the experiment. • Predicted peak frequencies of FTF and STF also agree well with the experiment. • CFD results show the proposed numerical methods are of sufficiently high accuracy. - Abstract: Temperature fluctuations generated by the mixing of hot and cold fluids at a T-junction, which is widely used in nuclear power and process plants, can cause thermal fatigue failure. The conventional methods for evaluating thermal fatigue tend to provide insufficient accuracy, because they were developed based on limited experimental data and a simplified one-dimensional finite element analysis (FEA). CFD/FEA coupling analysis is expected as a useful tool for the more accurate evaluation of thermal fatigue. The present paper aims to verify the accuracy of proposed numerical methods of simulating fluid and structure temperature fluctuations at a T-junction for thermal fatigue evaluation. The dynamic Smagorinsky model (DSM) is used for large eddy simulation (LES) sub-grid scale (SGS) turbulence model, and a hybrid scheme (HS) is adopted for the calculation of convective terms in the governing equations. Also, heat transfer between fluid and structure is calculated directly through thermal conduction by creating a mesh with near wall resolution (NWR) by allocating grid points within the thermal boundary sub-layer. The simulation results show that the distribution of fluid temperature fluctuation intensity and the range of structure temperature fluctuation are remarkably close to the experimental results. Moreover, the peak frequencies of power spectrum density (PSD) of both fluid and structure temperature fluctuations also agree well with the experimental results. Therefore, the numerical methods used in the present paper are

  8. Evaluation of Probe-Induced Flow Distortion of Campbell CSAT3 Sonic Anemometers by Numerical Simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huq, Sadiq; De Roo, Frederik; Foken, Thomas; Mauder, Matthias

    2017-10-01

    The Campbell CSAT3 sonic anemometer is one of the most popular instruments for turbulence measurements in basic micrometeorological research and ecological applications. While measurement uncertainty has been characterized by field experiments and wind-tunnel studies in the past, there are conflicting estimates, which motivated us to conduct a numerical experiment using large-eddy simulation to evaluate the probe-induced flow distortion of the CSAT3 anemometer under controlled conditions, and with exact knowledge of the undisturbed flow. As opposed to wind-tunnel studies, we imposed oscillations in both the vertical and horizontal velocity components at the distinct frequencies and amplitudes found in typical turbulence spectra in the surface layer. The resulting flow-distortion errors for the standard deviations of the vertical velocity component range from 3 to 7%, and from 1 to 3% for the horizontal velocity component, depending on the azimuth angle. The magnitude of these errors is almost independent of the frequency of wind speed fluctuations, provided the amplitude is typical for surface-layer turbulence. A comparison of the corrections for transducer shadowing proposed by both Kaimal et al. (Proc Dyn Flow Conf, 551-565, 1978) and Horst et al. (Boundary-Layer Meteorol 155:371-395, 2015) show that both methods compensate for a larger part of the observed error, but do not sufficiently account for the azimuth dependency. Further numerical simulations could be conducted in the future to characterize the flow distortion induced by other existing types of sonic anemometers for the purposes of optimizing their geometry.

  9. The Untidy Playground: An Irish Congolese Case Study in Sonic Encounters with the Sacred Stranger

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Helen Phelan

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available This paper explores the proposal that music, and particularly singing, has unique properties that render it amenable to encounters with “the other” or the sacred stranger. Drawing on the deconstructionist works of Kristeva and Derrida, as well as the postmodern hermeneutics of Kearney and Caputo, it explores current debate concerning the nature of “the sacred” in contemporary life and the erosion of the theistic/atheistic divide, while proposing a deepening of the debate through the inclusion of the performative. As philosophical and theological discourses embrace this aporia, it does so against the backdrop of unprecedented human migration. The concomitant cultural and social disruption throws up new questions around the nature and experience of religion, spirituality and the sacred. This paper explores these questions in the context of a Congolese choir called Elikya, which was established by a group of asylum seekers in Limerick city, Ireland, in 2001. In tracking the musical life of this choir over the last decade and a half, including two musical recordings and numerous liturgical, religious and secular performances, it suggests that the sonic world of the choir both performs and transcends these descriptors. Using a three-fold model of context, content and intent, the paper concludes that musical experiences such as those created by Elikya erode any easy divisions between the religious and the secular or the liturgical and the non-liturgical and provide sonic opportunities to encounter the sacred stranger in the untidy playground of creative chaos.

  10. High acidity unilamellar zeolite MCM-56 and its pillared and delaminated derivatives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gil, Barbara; Makowski, Wacław; Marszalek, Bartosz; Roth, Wieslaw J; Kubu, Martin; Čejka, Jiři; Olejniczak, Zbigniew

    2014-07-21

    The unilamellar form of zeolite MWW, MCM-56, which is obtained by direct hydrothermal synthesis has been studied with regard to acidity and porosity in its original and post-synthesis modified pillared and delaminated forms. The acidity measured by FTIR was found to be only slightly lower than the highly active 3-D MWW forms, MCM-22 and MCM-49. Pivalonitrile adsorption, which is a measure of spatial openness, showed 50% accessibility vs. MCM-22/49. It highlights the potential of MCM-56 as a layered material with increased access to acid sites because it does not entail laborious post-synthesis modification. Swelling, pillaring and delamination of MCM-56 are facile but result in a reduction in the number of Brønsted acid sites (BAS) while increasing accessibility to pivalonitrile. The delamination procedure involving sonication and acidification of the highly basic mother liquor produces the most visible increase in surface area and access to all BAS. The accompanying doubling of the solid yield and the decrease in absolute number of BAS suggest significant precipitation of dissolved silica generated during swelling and sonication in high pH medium. The viability of separating surfactant covered layers upon sonication with the consequence of exposing hydrophobic hydrocarbon tails to aqueous environment is addressed.

  11. Assessment of high precision, high accuracy Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy to obtain concentration uncertainties less than 0.2% with variable matrix concentrations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rabb, Savelas A.; Olesik, John W.

    2008-01-01

    The ability to obtain high precision, high accuracy measurements in samples with complex matrices using High Performance Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy (HP-ICP-OES) was investigated. The Common Analyte Internal Standard (CAIS) procedure was incorporated into the High Performance Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy method to correct for matrix-induced changes in emission intensity ratios. Matrix matching and standard addition approaches to minimize matrix-induced errors when using High Performance Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy were also assessed. The High Performance Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy method was tested with synthetic solutions in a variety of matrices, alloy standard reference materials and geological reference materials

  12. The accuracy of {sup 68}Ga-PSMA PET/CT in primary lymph node staging in high-risk prostate cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oebek, Can; Doganca, Tuenkut [Acibadem Taksim Hospital, Department of Urology, Istanbul (Turkey); Demirci, Emre [Sisli Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Istanbul (Turkey); Ocak, Meltem [Istanbul University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Istanbul (Turkey); Kural, Ali Riza [Acibadem University, Department of Urology, Istanbul (Turkey); Yildirim, Asif [Istanbul Medeniyet University, Department of Urology, Istanbul (Turkey); Yuecetas, Ugur [Istanbul Training and Research Hospital, Department of Urology, Istanbul (Turkey); Demirdag, Cetin [Istanbul University, Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Department of Urology, Istanbul (Turkey); Erdogan, Sarper M. [Istanbul University, Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Department of Public Health, Istanbul (Turkey); Kabasakal, Levent [Istanbul University, Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Istanbul (Turkey); Collaboration: Members of Urooncology Association, Turkey

    2017-10-15

    To assess the diagnostic accuracy of {sup 68}Ga-PSMA PET in predicting lymph node (LN) metastases in primary N staging in high-risk and very high-risk nonmetastatic prostate cancer in comparison with morphological imaging. This was a multicentre trial of the Society of Urologic Oncology in Turkey in conjunction with the Nuclear Medicine Department of Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Istanbul University. Patients were accrued from eight centres. Patients with high-risk and very high-risk disease scheduled to undergo surgical treatment with extended LN dissection between July 2014 and October 2015 were included. Either MRI or CT was used for morphological imaging. PSMA PET/CT was performed and evaluated at a single centre. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were calculated for the detection of lymphatic metastases by PSMA PET/CT and morphological imaging. Kappa values were calculated to evaluate the correlation between the numbers of LN metastases detected by PSMA PET/CT and by histopathology. Data on 51 eligible patients are presented. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of PSMA PET in detecting LN metastases in the primary setting were 53%, 86% and 76%, and increased to 67%, 88% and 81% in the subgroup with of patients with ≥15 LN removed. Kappa values for the correlation between imaging and pathology were 0.41 for PSMA PET and 0.18 for morphological imaging. PSMA PET/CT is superior to morphological imaging for the detection of metastatic LNs in patients with primary prostate cancer. Surgical dissection remains the gold standard for precise lymphatic staging. (orig.)

  13. The effect of viscosity, friction, and sonication on the morphology and metabolite production from Aspergillus terreus ATCC 20542.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahim, Muhamad Hafiz Abd; Hasan, Hanan; Harith, Hanis H; Abbas, Ali

    2017-12-01

    This study investigates the effects of viscosity, friction, and sonication on the morphology and the production of lovastatin, (+)-geodin, and sulochrin by Aspergillus terreus ATCC 20542. Sodium alginate and gelatine were used to protect the fungal pellet from mechanical force by increasing the media viscosity. Sodium alginate stimulated the production of lovastatin by up to 329.0% and sulochrin by 128.7%, with inhibitory effect on (+)-geodin production at all concentrations used. However, the use of gelatine to increase viscosity significantly suppressed lovastatin, (+)-geodin, and sulochrin's production (maximum reduction at day 9 of 42.7, 60.8, and 68.3%, respectively), which indicated that the types of chemical play a major role in metabolite production. Higher viscosity increased both pellet biomass and size in all conditions. Friction significantly increased (+)-geodin's titre by 1527.5%, lovastatin by 511.1%, and sulochrin by 784.4% while reducing pellet biomass and size. Conversely, sonication produced disperse filamentous morphology with significantly lower metabolites. Sodium alginate-induced lovastatin and sulochrin production suggest that these metabolites are not affected by viscosity; rather, their production is affected by the specific action of certain chemicals. In contrast, low viscosity adversely affected (+)-geodin's production, while pellet disintegration can cause a significant production of (+)-geodin.

  14. Interobserver Variability and Accuracy of High-Definition Endoscopic Diagnosis for Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia among Experienced and Inexperienced Endoscopists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hyun, Yil Sik; Bae, Joong Ho; Park, Hye Sun; Eun, Chang Soo

    2013-01-01

    Accurate diagnosis of gastric intestinal metaplasia is important; however, conventional endoscopy is known to be an unreliable modality for diagnosing gastric intestinal metaplasia (IM). The aims of the study were to evaluate the interobserver variation in diagnosing IM by high-definition (HD) endoscopy and the diagnostic accuracy of this modality for IM among experienced and inexperienced endoscopists. Selected 50 cases, taken with HD endoscopy, were sent for a diagnostic inquiry of gastric IM through visual inspection to five experienced and five inexperienced endoscopists. The interobserver agreement between endoscopists was evaluated to verify the diagnostic reliability of HD endoscopy in diagnosing IM, and the diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were evaluated for validity of HD endoscopy in diagnosing IM. Interobserver agreement among the experienced endoscopists was "poor" (κ = 0.38) and it was also "poor" (κ = 0.33) among the inexperienced endoscopists. The diagnostic accuracy of the experienced endoscopists was superior to that of the inexperienced endoscopists (P = 0.003). Since diagnosis through visual inspection is unreliable in the diagnosis of IM, all suspicious areas for gastric IM should be considered to be biopsied. Furthermore, endoscopic experience and education are needed to raise the diagnostic accuracy of gastric IM. PMID:23678267

  15. Experimental observation of both negative and positive phase velocities in a two-dimensional sonic crystal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu, Ming-Hui; Feng, Liang; Liu, Xiao-Ping; Liu, Xiao-Kang; Chen, Yan-Feng; Zhu, Yong-Yuan; Mao, Yi-Wei; Zi, Jian

    2007-01-01

    Both negative and positive phase velocities for acoustic waves have been experimentally established in a two-dimensional triangular sonic crystal (SC) consisting of steel cylinders embedded in air at first. With the increase of the SCs thickness layer by layer in the experiments, phase shifts decrease in the second band but increase in the first band, showing the negative and the positive phase velocities, respectively. Moreover, the dispersion relation of the SC is constructed by the phase information, which is consistent well with the theoretical results. These abundant characteristics of acoustic wave propagation in the SC might be useful for the device applications

  16. Determination of Pore Pressure from Sonic Log: a Case Study on One of Iran Carbonate Reservoir Rocks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Morteza Azadpour

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Pore pressureis defined as the pressure of the fluid inside the pore space of the formation, which is also known as the formation pressure. When the pore pressure is higher than hydrostatic pressure, it is referred to as overpressure. Knowledge of this pressure is essential for cost-effective drilling, safe well planning, and efficient reservoir modeling. The main objective of this study is to estimate the formation pore pressure as a reliable mud weight pressure using well log data at one of oil fields in the south of Iran. To obtain this goal, the formation pore pressure is estimated from well logging data by applying Eaton’s prediction method with some modifications. In this way, sonic transient time trend line is separated by lithology changes and recalibrated by Weakley’s approach. The created sonic transient time is used to create an overlay pore pressure based on Eaton’s method and is led to pore pressure determination. The results are compared with the pore pressure estimated from commonly used methods such as Eaton’s and Bowers’s methods. The determined pore pressure from Weakley’s approach shows some improvements in comparison with Eaton’s method. However, the results of Bowers’s method, in comparison with the other two methods, show relatively better agreement with the mud weight pressure values.

  17. A Bayesian model to correct underestimated 3-D wind speeds from sonic anemometers increases turbulent components of the surface energy balance

    Science.gov (United States)

    John M. Frank; William J. Massman; Brent E. Ewers

    2016-01-01

    Sonic anemometers are the principal instruments in micrometeorological studies of turbulence and ecosystem fluxes. Common designs underestimate vertical wind measurements because they lack a correction for transducer shadowing, with no consensus on a suitable correction. We reanalyze a subset of data collected during field experiments in 2011 and 2013 featuring two or...

  18. High Hydrogen Thoraeus Rubber Gossamer Radiation Shielding for Human Protection, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — NanoSonic has recently developed ultra-lightweight, durable, high hydrogen containing Thoraeus Rubber™ nanocomposites that may serve as radiation protection for...

  19. A three axis turntable's online initial state measurement method based on the high-accuracy laser gyro SINS

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2016-10-01

    As an indispensable equipment in inertial technology tests, the three-axis turntable is widely used in the calibration of various types inertial navigation systems (INS). In order to ensure the calibration accuracy of INS, we need to accurately measure the initial state of the turntable. However, the traditional measuring method needs a lot of exterior equipment (such as level instrument, north seeker, autocollimator, etc.), and the test processing is complex, low efficiency. Therefore, it is relatively difficult for the inertial measurement equipment manufacturers to realize the self-inspection of the turntable. Owing to the high precision attitude information provided by the laser gyro strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS) after fine alignment, we can use it as the attitude reference of initial state measurement of three-axis turntable. For the principle that the fixed rotation vector increment is not affected by measuring point, we use the laser gyro INS and the encoder of the turntable to provide the attitudes of turntable mounting plat. Through this way, the high accuracy measurement of perpendicularity error and initial attitude of the three-axis turntable has been achieved.

  20. Development of a crosshole sonic logging system for the integrity test of cast-in-situ piles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Tai-Sup; Sung, Nak-Hoon; Hwang, Hak-Soo [Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Taejeon(Korea)

    2001-09-01

    To evaluate the integrity of cast-in-situ concrete piles, a notebook PC-based crosshole sonic logging system which can be handled by one operator was developed using PCMCIA-type analog to digital converter card. User-interactive software for operation of the system were also developed using Labview. The system was tested with the field model pile to confirm the performance of the developed system. The test result shows that the system is very stable and efficient for detecting defects of the pile. (author). 3 refs., 9 figs.

  1. High Accuracy Human Activity Recognition Based on Sparse Locality Preserving Projections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Xiangbin; Qiu, Huiling

    2016-01-01

    Human activity recognition(HAR) from the temporal streams of sensory data has been applied to many fields, such as healthcare services, intelligent environments and cyber security. However, the classification accuracy of most existed methods is not enough in some applications, especially for healthcare services. In order to improving accuracy, it is necessary to develop a novel method which will take full account of the intrinsic sequential characteristics for time-series sensory data. Moreover, each human activity may has correlated feature relationship at different levels. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a three-stage continuous hidden Markov model (TSCHMM) approach to recognize human activities. The proposed method contains coarse, fine and accurate classification. The feature reduction is an important step in classification processing. In this paper, sparse locality preserving projections (SpLPP) is exploited to determine the optimal feature subsets for accurate classification of the stationary-activity data. It can extract more discriminative activities features from the sensor data compared with locality preserving projections. Furthermore, all of the gyro-based features are used for accurate classification of the moving data. Compared with other methods, our method uses significantly less number of features, and the over-all accuracy has been obviously improved.

  2. High Accuracy Human Activity Recognition Based on Sparse Locality Preserving Projections.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiangbin Zhu

    Full Text Available Human activity recognition(HAR from the temporal streams of sensory data has been applied to many fields, such as healthcare services, intelligent environments and cyber security. However, the classification accuracy of most existed methods is not enough in some applications, especially for healthcare services. In order to improving accuracy, it is necessary to develop a novel method which will take full account of the intrinsic sequential characteristics for time-series sensory data. Moreover, each human activity may has correlated feature relationship at different levels. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a three-stage continuous hidden Markov model (TSCHMM approach to recognize human activities. The proposed method contains coarse, fine and accurate classification. The feature reduction is an important step in classification processing. In this paper, sparse locality preserving projections (SpLPP is exploited to determine the optimal feature subsets for accurate classification of the stationary-activity data. It can extract more discriminative activities features from the sensor data compared with locality preserving projections. Furthermore, all of the gyro-based features are used for accurate classification of the moving data. Compared with other methods, our method uses significantly less number of features, and the over-all accuracy has been obviously improved.

  3. Acoustic band gaps of the woodpile sonic crystal with the simple cubic lattice

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, Liang-Yu; Chen, Lien-Wen, E-mail: chenlw@mail.ncku.edu.t [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China)

    2011-02-02

    This study theoretically and experimentally investigates the acoustic band gap of a three-dimensional woodpile sonic crystal. Such crystals are built by blocks or rods that are orthogonally stacked together. The adjacent layers are perpendicular to each other. The woodpile structure is embedded in air background. Their band structures and transmission spectra are calculated using the finite element method with a periodic boundary condition. The dependence of the band gap on the width of the stacked rods is discussed. The deaf bands in the band structure are observed by comparing with the calculated transmission spectra. The experimental transmission spectra for the {Gamma}-X and {Gamma}-X' directions are also presented. The calculated results are compared with the experimental results.

  4. High-accuracy contouring using projection moiré

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sciammarella, Cesar A.; Lamberti, Luciano; Sciammarella, Federico M.

    2005-09-01

    Shadow and projection moiré are the oldest forms of moiré to be used in actual technical applications. In spite of this fact and the extensive number of papers that have been published on this topic, the use of shadow moiré as an accurate tool that can compete with alternative devices poses very many problems that go to the very essence of the mathematical models used to obtain contour information from fringe pattern data. In this paper some recent developments on the projection moiré method are presented. Comparisons between the results obtained with the projection method and the results obtained by mechanical devices that operate with contact probes are presented. These results show that the use of projection moiré makes it possible to achieve the same accuracy that current mechanical touch probe devices can provide.

  5. Sonic hedgehog signaling in the development of the mouse hypothalamus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sandra eBlaess

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The expression pattern of Sonic Hedgehog (Shh in the developing hypothalamus changes over time. Shh is initially expressed in the prechordal mesoderm and later in the hypothalamic neuroepithelium-- first medially, and then in two off-medial domains. This dynamic expression suggests that Shh might regulate several aspects of hypothalamic development. To gain insight into them, lineage tracing, (conditional gene inactivation in mouse, in ovo loss- and gain-of-function approaches in chick and analysis of Shh expression regulation have been employed. We will focus on mouse studies and refer to chick and fish when appropriate to clarify. These studies show that Shh-expressing neuroepithelial cells serve as a signaling center for neighboring precursors, and give rise to most of the basal hypothalamus (tuberal and mammillary regions. Shh signaling is initially essential for hypothalamic induction. Later, Shh signaling from the neuroepithelium controls specification of the lateral hypothalamic area and growth-patterning coordination in the basal hypothalamus. To further elucidate the role of Shh in hypothalamic development, it will be essential to understand how Shh regulates the downstream Gli transcription factors.

  6. High accuracy amplitude and phase measurements based on a double heterodyne architecture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Danyang; Wang Guangwei; Pan Weimin

    2015-01-01

    In the digital low level RF (LLRF) system of a circular (particle) accelerator, the RF field signal is usually down converted to a fixed intermediate frequency (IF). The ratio of IF and sampling frequency determines the processing required, and differs in various LLRF systems. It is generally desirable to design a universally compatible architecture for different IFs with no change to the sampling frequency and algorithm. A new RF detection method based on a double heterodyne architecture for wide IF range has been developed, which achieves the high accuracy requirement of modern LLRF. In this paper, the relation of IF and phase error is systematically analyzed for the first time and verified by experiments. The effects of temperature drift for 16 h IF detection are inhibited by the amplitude and phase calibrations. (authors)

  7. Improvement of soybean transformation via Agrobacterium tumefaciens methods involving α-aminooxyacetic acid and sonication treatments enlightened by gene expression profile analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yan-Min; Liu, Zi-Hui; Yang, Rui-Juan; Li, Guo-Liang; Guo, Xiu-Lin; Zhang, Hua-Ning; Zhang, Hong-Mei; Di, Rui; Zhao, Qing-Song; Zhang, Meng-Chen

    2016-06-01

    Antagonists and sonication treatment relieved the structural barriers of Agrobacterium entering into cells; hindered signal perception and transmission; alleviated defense responses and increased cell susceptibility to Agrobacterium infection. Soybean gene expression analysis was performed to elucidate the general response of soybean plant to Agrobacterium at an early stage of infection. Agrobacterium infection stimulated the PAMPs-triggered immunity (BRI1, BAK1, BZR1, FLS2 and EFR) and effector-triggered immunity (RPM1, RPS2, RPS5, RIN4, and PBS1); up-regulated the transcript factors (WRKY25, WRKY29, MEKK1P, MKK4/5P and MYC2) in MAPK pathway; strengthened the biosynthesis of flavonoid and isoflavonoid in the second metabolism; finally led to a fierce defense response of soybean to Agrobacterium infection and thereby lower transformation efficiency. To overcome it, antagonist α-aminooxyacetic acid (AOA) and sonication treatment along with Agrobacterium infection were applied. This novel method dramatically decreased the expression of genes coding for F3'H, HCT, β-glucosidase and IF7GT, etc., which are important for isoflavone biosynthesis or the interconversion of aglycones and glycon; genes coding for peroxidase, FLS2, PBS1 and transcription factor MYC2, etc., which are important components in plant-pathogen interaction; and genes coding for GPAT and α-L-fucosidase, which are important in polyesters formation in cell membrane and the degradation of fucose-containing glycoproteins and glycolipids on the external surface of cell membrane, respectively. This analysis implied that AOA and sonication treatment not only relieved the structural membrane barriers of Agrobacterium entering into cells, but also hindered the perception of 'invasion' signal on cell membrane and intercellular signal transmission, thus effectively alleviated the defense responses and increased the cell susceptibility to Agrobacterium infection. All these factors benefit the transformation

  8. A Whitham-Theory Sonic-Boom Analysis of the TU-144 Aircraft at a Mach Number of 2.2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mack, Robert J.

    1999-01-01

    Officially, the Tu-144 was the first supersonic-cruise, passenger-carrying aircraft to enter commercial service. Design, construction, and testing were carried out by the Soviet Union, flight certification was by the Soviet Union, and the only regular passenger flights were scheduled and flown across the territory of the Soviet Union. Although it was not introduced to international passenger service, there were many significant engineering accomplishments achieved in the design, production, and flight of this aircraft. Development of the aircraft began with a prototype stage. Systematic testing and redesign led to a production aircraft in discrete stages that measurably improved the performance of the aircraft from the starting concept to final aircraft certification. It flew in competition with the English-French Concorde for a short time, but was withdrawn from national commercial service due to a lack of interest by airlines outside the Soviet Union. NASA became interested in the Tu- 144 aircraft when it was offered for use as a flying "testbed" in the study of operating characteristics of a supersonic-cruise commercial airplane. Since it had been in supersonic-cruise service, the Tu- 144 had operational characteris'tics similar to those anticipated in the conceptual aircraft designs being studied by the United States aircraft companies. In addition to the other operational tests being conducted on the Tu-144 aircraft, it was proposed that two sets of sonic-boom pressure signature measurements be made. The first set would be made on the ground, using techniques and devices similar to those in reference I and many other subsequent studies. A second set would be made in the air with an instrumented aircraft flying close under the Tu-144 in supersonic flight. Such in-flight measurements would require pressure gages that were capable of accurately recording the flow-field overpressures generated by the Tu- 144 at relatively close distances under the vehicle

  9. Curcumin inhibits bladder cancer stem cells by suppressing Sonic Hedgehog pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Dengdian; Kong, Xiaochuan; Li, Yuan; Qian, Weiwei; Ma, Jiaxing; Wang, Daming; Yu, Dexin; Zhong, Caiyun

    2017-11-04

    Cancer stem cells (CSCs) is responsible for the recurrence of human cancers. Thus, targeting CSCs is considered to be a valid way for human cancer treatment. Curcumin is a major component of phytochemicals that exerts potent anticancer activities. However, the effect of curcumin on bladder cancer stem cells (BCSCs) remains to be elucidated. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of curcumin suppressing bladder cancer stem cells. In this study, UM-UC-3 and EJ cells were cultured in serum-free medium (SFM) to form cell spheres that was characterized as BCSCs. Then cell spheres were separately treated with different concentrations of curcumin and purmorphamine. Cell cycle analysis were used to determine the percentage of cells in different phases. Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR analysis were used to detect the expression of relative molecules. Immunofluorescence staining analysis were also utilized to measure the protein level of CD44. We found that CSC markers, including CD44, CD133, ALDH1-A1, OCT-4 and Nanog, were obviously highly expressed in cell spheres. Moreover, we observed that curcumin reduced the cell spheres formation, decreased the expression of CSC markers, suppressed cell proliferation and induced cell apoptosis. We also found that curcumin inhibited the activation of Shh pathway, while the inhibitory effects of curcumin on BCSCs could be weakened by upregulation of Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) pathway. Altogether, these data suggested that curcumin inhibited the activities of BCSCs through suppressing Shh pathway, which might be an effective chemopreventive agent for bladder cancer intervention. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  10. Effects of sonication and ultraviolet-C treatment as a hurdle concept on quality attributes of Chokanan mango (Mangifera indica L.) juice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santhirasegaram, Vicknesha; Razali, Zuliana; Somasundram, Chandran

    2015-04-01

    The growing demand for fresh-like food products has encouraged the development of hurdle technology of non-thermal processing. In this study, freshly squeezed Chokanan mango juice was treated by paired combinations of sonication (for 15 and 30 min at 25 ℃, 40 kHz frequency) and UV-C treatment (for 15 and 30 min at 25 ℃). Selected physicochemical properties, antioxidant activities, microbial inactivation and other quality parameters of combined treated juice were compared to conventional thermal treatment (at 90 ℃ for 60 s). After thermal and combined treatment, no significant changes occurred in physicochemical properties. A significant increase in extractability of carotenoids (15%), polyphenols (37%), flavonoids (35%) and enhancement in antioxidant capacity was observed after combined treatment. Thermal and combined treatment exhibited significant reduction in microbial load. Results obtained support the use of sonication and UV-C in a hurdle technology to improve the quality of Chokanan mango juice along with safety standards. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

  11. Accuracy assessment of NOAA gridded daily reference evapotranspiration for the Texas High Plains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moorhead, Jerry; Gowda, Prasanna H.; Hobbins, Michael; Senay, Gabriel; Paul, George; Marek, Thomas; Porter, Dana

    2015-01-01

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides daily reference evapotranspiration (ETref) maps for the contiguous United States using climatic data from North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS). This data provides large-scale spatial representation of ETref, which is essential for regional scale water resources management. Data used in the development of NOAA daily ETref maps are derived from observations over surfaces that are different from short (grass — ETos) or tall (alfalfa — ETrs) reference crops, often in nonagricultural settings, which carries an unknown discrepancy between assumed and actual conditions. In this study, NOAA daily ETos and ETrs maps were evaluated for accuracy, using observed data from the Texas High Plains Evapotranspiration (TXHPET) network. Daily ETos, ETrs and the climatic data (air temperature, wind speed, and solar radiation) used for calculating ETref were extracted from the NOAA maps for TXHPET locations and compared against ground measurements on reference grass surfaces. NOAA ETrefmaps generally overestimated the TXHPET observations (1.4 and 2.2 mm/day ETos and ETrs, respectively), which may be attributed to errors in the NLDAS modeled air temperature and wind speed, to which reference ETref is most sensitive. Therefore, a bias correction to NLDAS modeled air temperature and wind speed data, or adjustment to the resulting NOAA ETref, may be needed to improve the accuracy of NOAA ETref maps.

  12. Accuracy of thick-walled hollows during piercing on three-high mill

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Potapov, I.N.; Romantsev, B.A.; Shamanaev, V.I.; Popov, V.A.; Kharitonov, E.A.

    1975-01-01

    The results of investigations are presented concerning the accuracy of geometrical dimensions of thick-walled sleeves produced by piercing on a 100-ton trio screw rolling mill MISiS with three schemes of fixing and centering the rod. The use of a spherical thrust journal for the rod and of a long centering bushing makes it possible to diminish the non-uniformity of the wall thickness of the sleeves by 30-50%. It is established that thick-walled sleeves with accurate geometrical dimensions (nonuniformity of the wall thickness being less than 10%) can be produced if the system sleeve - mandrel - rod is highly rigid and the rod has a two- or three-fold stability margin over the length equal to that of the sleeve being pierced. The process of piercing is expedient to be carried out with increased angles of feed (14-16 deg). Blanks have been made from steel 12Kh1MF

  13. Model Accuracy Comparison for High Resolution Insar Coherence Statistics Over Urban Areas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yue; Fu, Kun; Sun, Xian; Xu, Guangluan; Wang, Hongqi

    2016-06-01

    The interferometric coherence map derived from the cross-correlation of two complex registered synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images is the reflection of imaged targets. In many applications, it can act as an independent information source, or give additional information complementary to the intensity image. Specially, the statistical properties of the coherence are of great importance in land cover classification, segmentation and change detection. However, compared to the amount of work on the statistical characters of SAR intensity, there are quite fewer researches on interferometric SAR (InSAR) coherence statistics. And to our knowledge, all of the existing work that focuses on InSAR coherence statistics, models the coherence with Gaussian distribution with no discrimination on data resolutions or scene types. But the properties of coherence may be different for different data resolutions and scene types. In this paper, we investigate on the coherence statistics for high resolution data over urban areas, by making a comparison of the accuracy of several typical statistical models. Four typical land classes including buildings, trees, shadow and roads are selected as the representatives of urban areas. Firstly, several regions are selected from the coherence map manually and labelled with their corresponding classes respectively. Then we try to model the statistics of the pixel coherence for each type of region, with different models including Gaussian, Rayleigh, Weibull, Beta and Nakagami. Finally, we evaluate the model accuracy for each type of region. The experiments on TanDEM-X data show that the Beta model has a better performance than other distributions.

  14. MODEL ACCURACY COMPARISON FOR HIGH RESOLUTION INSAR COHERENCE STATISTICS OVER URBAN AREAS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. Zhang

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The interferometric coherence map derived from the cross-correlation of two complex registered synthetic aperture radar (SAR images is the reflection of imaged targets. In many applications, it can act as an independent information source, or give additional information complementary to the intensity image. Specially, the statistical properties of the coherence are of great importance in land cover classification, segmentation and change detection. However, compared to the amount of work on the statistical characters of SAR intensity, there are quite fewer researches on interferometric SAR (InSAR coherence statistics. And to our knowledge, all of the existing work that focuses on InSAR coherence statistics, models the coherence with Gaussian distribution with no discrimination on data resolutions or scene types. But the properties of coherence may be different for different data resolutions and scene types. In this paper, we investigate on the coherence statistics for high resolution data over urban areas, by making a comparison of the accuracy of several typical statistical models. Four typical land classes including buildings, trees, shadow and roads are selected as the representatives of urban areas. Firstly, several regions are selected from the coherence map manually and labelled with their corresponding classes respectively. Then we try to model the statistics of the pixel coherence for each type of region, with different models including Gaussian, Rayleigh, Weibull, Beta and Nakagami. Finally, we evaluate the model accuracy for each type of region. The experiments on TanDEM-X data show that the Beta model has a better performance than other distributions.

  15. Novel Sonic Hedgehog Mutation in a Couple with Variable Expression of Holoprosencephaly

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Aguinaga

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Holoprosencephaly (HPE is the most common developmental defect of the forebrain and midface in humans. sporadic and inherited mutations in the human sonic hedgehog (SHH gene cause 37% of familial HPE. A couple was referred to our unit with a family history of two spontaneous first trimester miscarriages and a daughter with HPE who presented early neonatal death. The father had a repaired median cleft lip, absence of central incisors, facial medial hypoplasia, and cleft palate. Intelligence and a brain CT scan were normal. Direct paternal sequencing analysis showed a novel nonsense mutation (W127X. Facial characteristics are considered as HPE microforms, and the pedigree suggested autosomal dominant inheritance with a variable expression of the phenotype. This study reinforces the importance of an exhaustive evaluation of couples with a history of miscarriages and neonatal deaths with structural defects.

  16. Effect of sonic driving on maximal aerobic performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brilla, L.R.; Hatcher, Stefanie

    2000-07-01

    The study purpose was to evaluate antecedent binaural stimulation (ABS) on maximal aerobic physical performance. Twenty-two healthy, physically active subjects, 21-34 years, randomly received one of two preparations for each session: 15 min of quiet (BLANK) or percussive sonic driving at 200+ beats per minute (bpm) using a recorded compact disc (FSS, Mill Valley, CA) with headphones (ABS). Baseline HR, blood pressure (BP), and breathing frequency (f(br)) were obtained. During each condition, HR and f(br) were recorded at 3-min intervals. The graded maximal treadmill testing was administered immediately postpreparation session on separate days, with at least 48 h rest between sessions. There were significant differences in the antecedent period means between the two conditions, ABS (HR: 70.2 +/- 10.7 bpm; f(br): 18.5 +/- 3.3 br min(-1); BP: 134.5/87.9 +/- 13.6/9.2 mm Hg) and BLANK (HR: 64.6 +/- 7.9; f(br): 14.3 +/- 2.9; BP: 126.7/80.3 +/- 12.1/8.6). Differences were noted for each 3-min interval and pre- postantecedent period. The maximal graded exercise test (GXT) results showed that there was a small but significant (P 0.05). There may be a latency to ABS related to entrainment or imagery-enhanced warm-up. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 12:558-565, 2000. Copyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  17. Ultra-sonic testing for brittle-ductile transition temperature of ferritic steels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nomakuchi, Michiyoshi

    1979-01-01

    The ultra-sonic testing for the brittle-ductile transition temperature, the USTB test for short, of ferritic steels is proposed in the present paper. And also the application of the USTB test into the nuclear pressure vessel surveillance is discussed. The USTB test is based upon the experimental results in the present work that the ultrasonic pressure attenuation coefficient of a ferritic steel has the evident transition property with its temperature due to the nature from which the brittle-ductile fracture transition property of the steel come and for four ferritic steels the upper boundary temperatute of the region in which the transition of the attenuation coefficient of a steel takes place is 4 to 5 0 C higher than the sub(D)T sub(E), i.e. the transition temperature of the fracture absorption energy of the steel by the DWTT test. The USTB test estimates the crack arrest temperature which is defined to be the fracture transition elastic temperature by the upper boundary temperature. (author)

  18. High construal level can help negotiators to reach integrative agreements: The role of information exchange and judgement accuracy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wening, Stefanie; Keith, Nina; Abele, Andrea E

    2016-06-01

    In negotiations, a focus on interests (why negotiators want something) is key to integrative agreements. Yet, many negotiators spontaneously focus on positions (what they want), with suboptimal outcomes. Our research applies construal-level theory to negotiations and proposes that a high construal level instigates a focus on interests during negotiations which, in turn, positively affects outcomes. In particular, we tested the notion that the effect of construal level on outcomes was mediated by information exchange and judgement accuracy. Finally, we expected the mere mode of presentation of task material to affect construal levels and manipulated construal levels using concrete versus abstract negotiation tasks. In two experiments, participants negotiated in dyads in either a high- or low-construal-level condition. In Study 1, high-construal-level dyads outperformed dyads in the low-construal-level condition; this main effect was mediated by information exchange. Study 2 replicated both the main and mediation effects using judgement accuracy as mediator and additionally yielded a positive effect of a high construal level on a second, more complex negotiation task. These results not only provide empirical evidence for the theoretically proposed link between construal levels and negotiation outcomes but also shed light on the processes underlying this effect. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

  19. High-accuracy alignment based on atmospherical dispersion - technological approaches and solutions for the dual-wavelength transmitter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burkhard, Boeckem

    1999-01-01

    In the course of the progressive developments of sophisticated geodetic systems utilizing electromagnetic waves in the visible or near IR-range a more detailed knowledge of the propagation medium and coevally solutions of atmospherically induced limitations will become important. An alignment system based on atmospherical dispersion, called a dispersometer, is a metrological solution to the atmospherically induced limitations, in optical alignment and direction observations of high accuracy. In the dispersometer we are using the dual-wavelength method for dispersive air to obtain refraction compensated angle measurements, the detrimental impact of atmospheric turbulence notwithstanding. The principle of the dual-wavelength method utilizes atmospherical dispersion, i.e. the wavelength dependence of the refractive index. The difference angle between two light beams of different wavelengths, which is called the dispersion angle Δβ, is to first approximation proportional to the refraction angle: β IR ν(β blue - β IR ) = ν Δβ, this equation implies that the dispersion angle has to be measured at least 42 times more accurate than the desired accuracy of the refraction angle for the wavelengths used in the present dispersometer. This required accuracy constitutes one major difficulty for the instrumental performance in applying the dispersion effect. However, the dual-wavelength method can only be successfully used in an optimized transmitter-receiver combination. Beyond the above mentioned resolution requirement for the detector, major difficulties in instrumental realization arise in the availability of a suitable dual-wavelength laser light source, laser light modulation with a very high extinction ratio and coaxial emittance of mono-mode radiation at both wavelengths. Therefore, this paper focuses on the solutions of the dual-wavelength transmitter introducing a new hardware approach and a complete re-design of the in [1] proposed conception of the dual

  20. What do we mean by accuracy in geomagnetic measurements?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, A.W.

    1990-01-01

    High accuracy is what distinguishes measurements made at the world's magnetic observatories from other types of geomagnetic measurements. High accuracy in determining the absolute values of the components of the Earth's magnetic field is essential to studying geomagnetic secular variation and processes at the core mantle boundary, as well as some magnetospheric processes. In some applications of geomagnetic data, precision (or resolution) of measurements may also be important. In addition to accuracy and resolution in the amplitude domain, it is necessary to consider these same quantities in the frequency and space domains. New developments in geomagnetic instruments and communications make real-time, high accuracy, global geomagnetic observatory data sets a real possibility. There is a growing realization in the scientific community of the unique relevance of geomagnetic observatory data to the principal contemporary problems in solid Earth and space physics. Together, these factors provide the promise of a 'renaissance' of the world's geomagnetic observatory system. ?? 1990.