High frequency seismic signal generated by landslides on complex topographies: from point source to spatially distributed sources

Science.gov (United States)

Mangeney, A.; Kuehnert, J.; Capdeville, Y.; Durand, V.; Stutzmann, E.; Kone, E. H.; Sethi, S.

2017-12-01

During their flow along the topography, landslides generate seismic waves in a wide frequency range. These so called landquakes can be recorded at very large distances (a few hundreds of km for large landslides). The recorded signals depend on the landslide seismic source and the seismic wave propagation. If the wave propagation is well understood, the seismic signals can be inverted for the seismic source and thus can be used to get information on the landslide properties and dynamics. Analysis and modeling of long period seismic signals (10-150s) have helped in this way to discriminate between different landslide scenarios and to constrain rheological parameters (e.g. Favreau et al., 2010). This was possible as topography poorly affects wave propagation at these long periods and the landslide seismic source can be approximated as a point source. In the near-field and at higher frequencies (> 1 Hz) the spatial extent of the source has to be taken into account and the influence of the topography on the recorded seismic signal should be quantified in order to extract information on the landslide properties and dynamics. The characteristic signature of distributed sources and varying topographies is studied as a function of frequency and recording distance.The time dependent spatial distribution of the forces applied to the ground by the landslide are obtained using granular flow numerical modeling on 3D topography. The generated seismic waves are simulated using the spectral element method. The simulated seismic signal is compared to observed seismic data from rockfalls at the Dolomieu Crater of Piton de la Fournaise (La Réunion).Favreau, P., Mangeney, A., Lucas, A., Crosta, G., and Bouchut, F. (2010). Numerical modeling of landquakes. Geophysical Research Letters, 37(15):1-5.

Reconstruction of sound source signal by analytical passive TR in the environment with airflow

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Long; Li, Min; Yang, Debin; Niu, Feng; Zeng, Wu

2017-03-01

In the acoustic design of air vehicles, the time-domain signals of noise sources on the surface of air vehicles can serve as data support to reveal the noise source generation mechanism, analyze acoustic fatigue, and take measures for noise insulation and reduction. To rapidly reconstruct the time-domain sound source signals in an environment with flow, a method combining the analytical passive time reversal mirror (AP-TR) with a shear flow correction is proposed. In this method, the negative influence of flow on sound wave propagation is suppressed by the shear flow correction, obtaining the corrected acoustic propagation time delay and path. Those corrected time delay and path together with the microphone array signals are then submitted to the AP-TR, reconstructing more accurate sound source signals in the environment with airflow. As an analytical method, AP-TR offers a supplementary way in 3D space to reconstruct the signal of sound source in the environment with airflow instead of the numerical TR. Experiments on the reconstruction of the sound source signals of a pair of loud speakers are conducted in an anechoic wind tunnel with subsonic airflow to validate the effectiveness and priorities of the proposed method. Moreover the comparison by theorem and experiment result between the AP-TR and the time-domain beamforming in reconstructing the sound source signal is also discussed.

Determination of the X, Y coordinates of a pulsed ultrasonic source of signals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sokolov, B.V.; Shemyakin, V.V.

1975-01-01

A range of problems in predicting the emergency state of large-scale vessel housings are determined for subsequent solution involving acoustic emission phenomena. The authors specify the position of a given problem and present substantial grounds for selecting the minimum number of group signal receivers for unambiguous calculation of the location of the source. Relationships are obtained between X, Y - the coordinates of the pulse signal source - and experimentally measured time differences in recording of signals by group receivers. A criterion is given for selecting the true signal group combination when the receivers simultaneously record waves from several sources. Specific suggestions are made regarding the experimental information to be stored in a central computer for subsequent processing [ru

A simple iterative independent component analysis algorithm for vibration source signal identification of complex structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dong-Sup Lee

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Independent Component Analysis (ICA, one of the blind source separation methods, can be applied for extracting unknown source signals only from received signals. This is accomplished by finding statistical independence of signal mixtures and has been successfully applied to myriad fields such as medical science, image processing, and numerous others. Nevertheless, there are inherent problems that have been reported when using this technique: insta- bility and invalid ordering of separated signals, particularly when using a conventional ICA technique in vibratory source signal identification of complex structures. In this study, a simple iterative algorithm of the conventional ICA has been proposed to mitigate these problems. The proposed method to extract more stable source signals having valid order includes an iterative and reordering process of extracted mixing matrix to reconstruct finally converged source signals, referring to the magnitudes of correlation coefficients between the intermediately separated signals and the signals measured on or nearby sources. In order to review the problems of the conventional ICA technique and to vali- date the proposed method, numerical analyses have been carried out for a virtual response model and a 30 m class submarine model. Moreover, in order to investigate applicability of the proposed method to real problem of complex structure, an experiment has been carried out for a scaled submarine mockup. The results show that the proposed method could resolve the inherent problems of a conventional ICA technique.

Skull Defects in Finite Element Head Models for Source Reconstruction from Magnetoencephalography Signals

Science.gov (United States)

Lau, Stephan; Güllmar, Daniel; Flemming, Lars; Grayden, David B.; Cook, Mark J.; Wolters, Carsten H.; Haueisen, Jens

2016-01-01

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) signals are influenced by skull defects. However, there is a lack of evidence of this influence during source reconstruction. Our objectives are to characterize errors in source reconstruction from MEG signals due to ignoring skull defects and to assess the ability of an exact finite element head model to eliminate such errors. A detailed finite element model of the head of a rabbit used in a physical experiment was constructed from magnetic resonance and co-registered computer tomography imaging that differentiated nine tissue types. Sources of the MEG measurements above intact skull and above skull defects respectively were reconstructed using a finite element model with the intact skull and one incorporating the skull defects. The forward simulation of the MEG signals reproduced the experimentally observed characteristic magnitude and topography changes due to skull defects. Sources reconstructed from measured MEG signals above intact skull matched the known physical locations and orientations. Ignoring skull defects in the head model during reconstruction displaced sources under a skull defect away from that defect. Sources next to a defect were reoriented. When skull defects, with their physical conductivity, were incorporated in the head model, the location and orientation errors were mostly eliminated. The conductivity of the skull defect material non-uniformly modulated the influence on MEG signals. We propose concrete guidelines for taking into account conducting skull defects during MEG coil placement and modeling. Exact finite element head models can improve localization of brain function, specifically after surgery. PMID:27092044

SOURCE 1ST 2.0: development and beta testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barber, D.H.; Iglesias, F.C.; Hoang, Y.; Dickson, L.W.; Dickson, R.S.; Richards, M.J.; Gibb, R.A.

1999-01-01

SOURCE 1ST 2.0 is the Industry Standard fission product release code that is being developed by Ontario Power Generation, New Brunswick Power, Hydro-Quebec, and Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. This paper is a report on recent progress on requirement specification, code development, and module verification and validation activities. The theoretical basis for each model in the code is described in a module Software Theory Manual. The development of SOURCE IST 2.0 has required code design decisions about how to implement the software requirements. Development and module testing of the β1 release of SOURCE IST 2.0 (released in July 1999) have led to some interesting insights into fission product release modelling. The beta testing process has allowed code developers and analysts to refine the software requirements for the code. The need to verify physical reference data has guided some decisions on the code and data structure design. Examples of these design decisions are provided. Module testing, and verification and validation activities are discussed. These activities include code-targeted testing, stress testing, code inspection, comparison of code with requirements, and comparison of code results with independent algebraic, numerical, or semi-algebraic calculations. The list of isotopes to be modelled by SOURCE IST 2.0 provides an example of a subset of a reference data set. Isotopes are present on the list for a variety of reasons: personnel or public dose, equipment dose (for environmental qualification), fission rate and actinide modelling, or stable (or long-lived) targets for activation processes. To accommodate controlled changes to the isotope list, the isotope list and associated nuclear data are contained in a reference data file. The questions of multiple computing platforms, and of Year 2000 compliance have been addressed by programming rules for the code. By developing and testing modules on most of the different platforms on which the code is intended

The Emblems of the Album of the Ljubljana Noble Society of St Dismas: Context, Sources, Originality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tine Germ

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The article discusses the sources for the iconography of emblems in the Album of the Ljubljana Noble Society of St Dismas (Archive of the Republic of Slovenia, ref. AS 1073, I/1 that has not yet been systematically addressed. The Album is a kind of memorial book of the Ljubljana Noble Society of St Dismas or Academia Unitorum, displaying the coats of arms, emblems and important data of their members. The book with exquisite full page illuminations is the most important illuminated manuscript of the Baroque era that survives in Slovenia. Recent research shows, that the idea of the academic memorial book and its concept are modelled on the Memorie, imprese, e ritratti de’ signori Accademici Gelati de Bologna published in Bologna in 1672. Due to the specific context of the Album as a memorial book of St Dismas Society and a clearly articulated ambition of the patrons to create original individualized emblems, it is not easy to identify the possible sources let alone detect the direct influence. There are several emblem books to be taken into consideration and Alciati’s Emblematum liber appears to be a valuable source of inspiration. However, the research in Renaissance and Baroque books of emblems shows that it is actually Mundus Symbolicus by Filippo Picinelli (first published as Mondo simbolico, Milan 1653 which seems to be of vital importance for the creators of the Album. Since the proud members desired original and personalized emblems, it was only natural to rely upon a popular encyclopaedic work with a huge collection of systematically arranged descriptions of emblems. Picinelli’s book is actually a treasure-trove of ideas instigating new designs both in the sense of symbolic message and visual solutions, while the almost complete absence of illustrations prevents a simple reproduction of emblems. Due to their commitment to originality and the respect of the principles of St Dismas Society the members obviously found the traditional

Improvement of Source Number Estimation Method for Single Channel Signal.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhi Dong

Full Text Available Source number estimation methods for single channel signal have been investigated and the improvements for each method are suggested in this work. Firstly, the single channel data is converted to multi-channel form by delay process. Then, algorithms used in the array signal processing, such as Gerschgorin's disk estimation (GDE and minimum description length (MDL, are introduced to estimate the source number of the received signal. The previous results have shown that the MDL based on information theoretic criteria (ITC obtains a superior performance than GDE at low SNR. However it has no ability to handle the signals containing colored noise. On the contrary, the GDE method can eliminate the influence of colored noise. Nevertheless, its performance at low SNR is not satisfactory. In order to solve these problems and contradictions, the work makes remarkable improvements on these two methods on account of the above consideration. A diagonal loading technique is employed to ameliorate the MDL method and a jackknife technique is referenced to optimize the data covariance matrix in order to improve the performance of the GDE method. The results of simulation have illustrated that the performance of original methods have been promoted largely.

Fossil fuels in the 21st century.

Science.gov (United States)

Lincoln, Stephen F

2005-12-01

An overview of the importance of fossil fuels in supplying the energy requirements of the 21st century, their future supply, and the impact of their use on global climate is presented. Current and potential alternative energy sources are considered. It is concluded that even with substantial increases in energy derived from other sources, fossil fuels will remain a major energy source for much of the 21st century and the sequestration of CO2 will be an increasingly important requirement.

Orientation Estimation and Signal Reconstruction of a Directional Sound Source

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guarato, Francesco

, one for each call emission, were compared to those calculated through a pre-existing technique based on interpolation of sound-pressure levels at microphone locations. The application of the method to the bat calls could provide knowledge on bat behaviour that may be useful for a bat-inspired sensor......Previous works in the literature about one tone or broadband sound sources mainly deal with algorithms and methods developed in order to localize the source and, occasionally, estimate the source bearing angle (with respect to a global reference frame). The problem setting assumes, in these cases......, omnidirectional receivers collecting the acoustic signal from the source: analysis of arrival times in the recordings together with microphone positions and source directivity cues allows to get information about source position and bearing. Moreover, sound sources have been included into sensor systems together...

Biomechanics of the cornea evaluated by spectral analysis of waveforms from ocular response analyzer and Corvis-ST.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sushma Tejwani

Full Text Available In this study, spectral analysis of the deformation signal from Corvis-ST (CoST and reflected light intensity from ocular response analyzer (ORA was performed to evaluate biomechanical concordance with each other.The study was non-interventional, observational, cross-sectional and involved 188 eyes from 94 normal subjects. Three measurements were made on each eye with ORA and CoST each and then averaged for each device. The deformation signal from CoST and reflected light intensity (applanation signal from ORA was compiled for all the eyes. The ORA signal was inverted about a line joining the two applanation peaks. All the signals were analyzed with Fourier series. The area under the signal curves (AUC, root mean square (RMS of all the harmonics, lower order (LO included 1st and 2nd order harmonic, higher order (HO up to 6th harmonic, CoST deformation amplitude (DA, corneal hysteresis (CH and corneal resistance factor (CRF were analyzed.The device variables and those calculated by Fourier transform were statistically significantly different between CoST and ORA. These variables also differed between the eyes of the same subject. There was also statistically significant influence of eyes (left vs. right on the differences in a sub-set of RMS variables only. CH and CRF differed statistically significantly between the eyes of subject (p<0.001 but not DA (p = 0.65.CoST was statistically significantly different from ORA. CoST may be useful in delineating true biomechanical differences between the eyes of a subject as it reports deformation.

Brain source localization: A new method based on MUltiple SIgnal Classification algorithm and spatial sparsity of the field signal for electroencephalogram measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Vergallo, P.; Lay-Ekuakille, A.

2013-08-01

Brain activity can be recorded by means of EEG (Electroencephalogram) electrodes placed on the scalp of the patient. The EEG reflects the activity of groups of neurons located in the head, and the fundamental problem in neurophysiology is the identification of the sources responsible of brain activity, especially if a seizure occurs and in this case it is important to identify it. The studies conducted in order to formalize the relationship between the electromagnetic activity in the head and the recording of the generated external field allow to know pattern of brain activity. The inverse problem, that is given the sampling field at different electrodes the underlying asset must be determined, is more difficult because the problem may not have a unique solution, or the search for the solution is made difficult by a low spatial resolution which may not allow to distinguish between activities involving sources close to each other. Thus, sources of interest may be obscured or not detected and known method in source localization problem as MUSIC (MUltiple SIgnal Classification) could fail. Many advanced source localization techniques achieve a best resolution by exploiting sparsity: if the number of sources is small as a result, the neural power vs. location is sparse. In this work a solution based on the spatial sparsity of the field signal is presented and analyzed to improve MUSIC method. For this purpose, it is necessary to set a priori information of the sparsity in the signal. The problem is formulated and solved using a regularization method as Tikhonov, which calculates a solution that is the better compromise between two cost functions to minimize, one related to the fitting of the data, and another concerning the maintenance of the sparsity of the signal. At the first, the method is tested on simulated EEG signals obtained by the solution of the forward problem. Relatively to the model considered for the head and brain sources, the result obtained allows to

Hyolaryngeal excursion as the physiological source of swallowing accelerometry signals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zoratto, D C B; Chau, T; Steele, C M

2010-01-01

Swallowing dysfunction, or dysphagia, is a serious condition that can result from any structural or neurological impairment (such as stroke, neurodegenerative disease or brain injury) that affects the swallowing mechanism. The gold-standard method of instrumental swallowing assessment is an x-ray examination known as the videofluoroscopic swallowing study, which involves radiation exposure. Consequently, there is interest in exploring the potential of less invasive methods, with lesser risks of biohazard, to accurately detect swallowing abnormalities. Accelerometry is one such technique, which measures the epidermal vibration signals on a patient's neck during swallowing. Determining the utility of accelerometry signals for detecting dysphagia requires an understanding of the physiological source of the vibrations that are measured on the neck during swallowing. The purpose of the current study was to determine the extent to which movement of the hyoid bone and larynx contributes to the vibration signal that is registered during swallowing accelerometry. This question was explored by mapping the movement trajectories of the hyoid bone and the arytenoid cartilages from lateral videofluoroscopy recordings collected during thin liquid swallowing, and comparing these trajectories to time-linked signals obtained from a dual-axis accelerometer placed on the neck, just anterior to the cricoid cartilage. Participants for this study included 43 adult patients referred for videofluoroscopic swallowing studies to characterize the nature and severity of suspected neurogenic dysphagia. A software program was created to allow frame-by-frame tracking of structural movement on the videofluoroscopy recordings. These movement data were then compared to the integrated acceleration data using multiple linear regressions. The results concur with previous studies, implicating hyolaryngeal excursion as the primary physiological source of swallowing accelerometry signals, with both

[The source and factors that influence tracheal pulse oximetry signal].

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Xiao-hua; Wei, Wei; Wang, Jian; Mu, Ling; Wang, Li

2010-03-01

To investigate the source and factors that influence tracheal pulse oximetry signal. The adult mongrel dog was intubated after anesthesia. The tracheal tube was modified by attaching a disposable pediatric pulse oximeter to the cuff. The chest of the dog was cut open and a red light from the tracheal oximeter was aligned with the deeper artery. The changes in tracheal pulse oxygen saturation (SptO2) signal were observed after the deeper artery was blocked temporarily. The photoplethysmography (PPG) and readings were recorded at different intracuff pressures. The influence of mechanical ventilation on the signal was also tested and compared with pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2). The SptO2 signal disappeared after deeper artery was blocked. The SptO2 signal changed with different intracuff pressures (P signal appeared under 20-60 cm H2O of intracuff pressure than under 0-10 cm H2O of intracuff pressure(P signal under a condition with mechanical ventilation differed from that without mechanical ventilation (P signal is primarily derived from deeper arteries around the trachea, not from the tracheal wall. Both intracuff pressures and mechanical ventilation can influence SptO2 signal. The SptO2 signal under 20-60 cm H2O of intracuff pressure is stronger than that under 0-10 em H2O of intracuff pressure. Mechanical ventilation mainly changes PPG.

BioSig: the free and open source software library for biomedical signal processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Vidaurre, Carmen; Sander, Tilmann H; Schlögl, Alois

2011-01-01

BioSig is an open source software library for biomedical signal processing. The aim of the BioSig project is to foster research in biomedical signal processing by providing free and open source software tools for many different application areas. Some of the areas where BioSig can be employed are neuroinformatics, brain-computer interfaces, neurophysiology, psychology, cardiovascular systems, and sleep research. Moreover, the analysis of biosignals such as the electroencephalogram (EEG), electrocorticogram (ECoG), electrocardiogram (ECG), electrooculogram (EOG), electromyogram (EMG), or respiration signals is a very relevant element of the BioSig project. Specifically, BioSig provides solutions for data acquisition, artifact processing, quality control, feature extraction, classification, modeling, and data visualization, to name a few. In this paper, we highlight several methods to help students and researchers to work more efficiently with biomedical signals.

Compressing Sensing Based Source Localization for Controlled Acoustic Signals Using Distributed Microphone Arrays

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Ke

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In order to enhance the accuracy of sound source localization in noisy and reverberant environments, this paper proposes an adaptive sound source localization method based on distributed microphone arrays. Since sound sources lie at a few points in the discrete spatial domain, our method can exploit this inherent sparsity to convert the localization problem into a sparse recovery problem based on the compressive sensing (CS theory. In this method, a two-step discrete cosine transform- (DCT- based feature extraction approach is utilized to cover both short-time and long-time properties of acoustic signals and reduce the dimensions of the sparse model. In addition, an online dictionary learning (DL method is used to adjust the dictionary for matching the changes of audio signals, and then the sparse solution could better represent location estimations. Moreover, we propose an improved block-sparse reconstruction algorithm using approximate l0 norm minimization to enhance reconstruction performance for sparse signals in low signal-noise ratio (SNR conditions. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme is demonstrated by simulation results and experimental results where substantial improvement for localization performance can be obtained in the noisy and reverberant conditions.

Instantaneous and Frequency-Warped Signal Processing Techniques for Auditory Source Separation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Avery Li-Chun

This thesis summarizes several contributions to the areas of signal processing and auditory source separation. The philosophy of Frequency-Warped Signal Processing is introduced as a means for separating the AM and FM contributions to the bandwidth of a complex-valued, frequency-varying sinusoid p (n), transforming it into a signal with slowly-varying parameters. This transformation facilitates the removal of p (n) from an additive mixture while minimizing the amount of damage done to other signal components. The average winding rate of a complex-valued phasor is explored as an estimate of the instantaneous frequency. Theorems are provided showing the robustness of this measure. To implement frequency tracking, a Frequency-Locked Loop algorithm is introduced which uses the complex winding error to update its frequency estimate. The input signal is dynamically demodulated and filtered to extract the envelope. This envelope may then be remodulated to reconstruct the target partial, which may be subtracted from the original signal mixture to yield a new, quickly-adapting form of notch filtering. Enhancements to the basic tracker are made which, under certain conditions, attain the Cramer -Rao bound for the instantaneous frequency estimate. To improve tracking, the novel idea of Harmonic -Locked Loop tracking, using N harmonically constrained trackers, is introduced for tracking signals, such as voices and certain musical instruments. The estimated fundamental frequency is computed from a maximum-likelihood weighting of the N tracking estimates, making it highly robust. The result is that harmonic signals, such as voices, can be isolated from complex mixtures in the presence of other spectrally overlapping signals. Additionally, since phase information is preserved, the resynthesized harmonic signals may be removed from the original mixtures with relatively little damage to the residual signal. Finally, a new methodology is given for designing linear-phase FIR filters

Full-Scale Turbofan Engine Noise-Source Separation Using a Four-Signal Method

Science.gov (United States)

Hultgren, Lennart S.; Arechiga, Rene O.

2016-01-01

Contributions from the combustor to the overall propulsion noise of civilian transport aircraft are starting to become important due to turbofan design trends and expected advances in mitigation of other noise sources. During on-ground, static-engine acoustic tests, combustor noise is generally sub-dominant to other engine noise sources because of the absence of in-flight effects. Consequently, noise-source separation techniques are needed to extract combustor-noise information from the total noise signature in order to further progress. A novel four-signal source-separation method is applied to data from a static, full-scale engine test and compared to previous methods. The new method is, in a sense, a combination of two- and three-signal techniques and represents an attempt to alleviate some of the weaknesses of each of those approaches. This work is supported by the NASA Advanced Air Vehicles Program, Advanced Air Transport Technology Project, Aircraft Noise Reduction Subproject and the NASA Glenn Faculty Fellowship Program.

Beamspace dual signal space projection (bDSSP): a method for selective detection of deep sources in MEG measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Sekihara, Kensuke; Adachi, Yoshiaki; Kubota, Hiroshi K.; Cai, Chang; Nagarajan, Srikantan S.

2018-06-01

Objective. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) has a well-recognized weakness at detecting deeper brain activities. This paper proposes a novel algorithm for selective detection of deep sources by suppressing interference signals from superficial sources in MEG measurements. Approach. The proposed algorithm combines the beamspace preprocessing method with the dual signal space projection (DSSP) interference suppression method. A prerequisite of the proposed algorithm is prior knowledge of the location of the deep sources. The proposed algorithm first derives the basis vectors that span a local region just covering the locations of the deep sources. It then estimates the time-domain signal subspace of the superficial sources by using the projector composed of these basis vectors. Signals from the deep sources are extracted by projecting the row space of the data matrix onto the direction orthogonal to the signal subspace of the superficial sources. Main results. Compared with the previously proposed beamspace signal space separation (SSS) method, the proposed algorithm is capable of suppressing much stronger interference from superficial sources. This capability is demonstrated in our computer simulation as well as experiments using phantom data. Significance. The proposed bDSSP algorithm can be a powerful tool in studies of physiological functions of midbrain and deep brain structures.

Design of acoustic logging signal source of imitation based on field programmable gate array

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, K.; Ju, X. D.; Lu, J. Q.; Men, B. Y.

2014-08-01

An acoustic logging signal source of imitation is designed and realized, based on the Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), to improve the efficiency of examining and repairing acoustic logging tools during research and field application, and to inspect and verify acoustic receiving circuits and corresponding algorithms. The design of this signal source contains hardware design and software design,and the hardware design uses an FPGA as the control core. Four signals are made first by reading the Random Access Memory (RAM) data which are inside the FPGA, then dealing with the data by digital to analog conversion, amplification, smoothing and so on. Software design uses VHDL, a kind of hardware description language, to program the FPGA. Experiments illustrate that the ratio of signal to noise for the signal source is high, the waveforms are stable, and also its functions of amplitude adjustment, frequency adjustment and delay adjustment are in accord with the characteristics of real acoustic logging waveforms. These adjustments can be used to imitate influences on sonic logging received waveforms caused by many kinds of factors such as spacing and span of acoustic tools, sonic speeds of different layers and fluids, and acoustic attenuations of different cementation planes.

Deciphering acoustic emission signals in drought stressed branches: the missing link between source and sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lidewei L Vergeynst

2015-07-01

Full Text Available When drought occurs in plants, acoustic emission signals can be detected, but the actual causes of these signals are still unknown. By analyzing the waveforms of the measured signals, it should however be possible to trace the characteristics of the acoustic emission source and get information about the underlying physiological processes. A problem encountered during this analysis is that the waveform changes significantly from source to sensor and lack of knowledge on wave propagation impedes research progress made in this field. We used finite element modeling and the well-known pencil lead break source to investigate wave propagation in a branch. A cylindrical rod of polyvinyl chloride was first used to identify the theoretical propagation modes. Two wave propagation modes could be distinguished and we used the finite element model to interpret their behavior in terms of source position for both the PVC rod and a wooden rod. Both wave propagation modes were also identified in drying-induced signals from woody branches, and we used the obtained insights to provide recommendations for further acoustic emission research in plant science.

Different cAMP sources are critically involved in G protein-coupled receptor CRHR1 signaling.

Science.gov (United States)

Inda, Carolina; Dos Santos Claro, Paula A; Bonfiglio, Juan J; Senin, Sergio A; Maccarrone, Giuseppina; Turck, Christoph W; Silberstein, Susana

2016-07-18

Corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1 (CRHR1) activates G protein-dependent and internalization-dependent signaling mechanisms. Here, we report that the cyclic AMP (cAMP) response of CRHR1 in physiologically relevant scenarios engages separate cAMP sources, involving the atypical soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) in addition to transmembrane adenylyl cyclases (tmACs). cAMP produced by tmACs and sAC is required for the acute phase of extracellular signal regulated kinase 1/2 activation triggered by CRH-stimulated CRHR1, but only sAC activity is essential for the sustained internalization-dependent phase. Thus, different cAMP sources are involved in different signaling mechanisms. Examination of the cAMP response revealed that CRH-activated CRHR1 generates cAMP after endocytosis. Characterizing CRHR1 signaling uncovered a specific link between CRH-activated CRHR1, sAC, and endosome-based signaling. We provide evidence of sAC being involved in an endocytosis-dependent cAMP response, strengthening the emerging model of GPCR signaling in which the cAMP response does not occur exclusively at the plasma membrane and introducing the notion of sAC as an alternative source of cAMP. © 2016 Inda et al.

Helium sources to groundwater in active volcanic terrain, and implications for tritium-helium dating at Mount St. Helens

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gates, John B. [Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 217 Bessey Hall, Lincoln NE 68588 (United States)

2013-07-01

Groundwater helium sources and residence times were investigated using groundwater discharging from springs surrounding Mount St. Helens in the Cascades region of the United States. Significant contributions of mantle helium were found in all samples and are attributable to interaction between groundwater and magmatic gases. Bounding calculations for residence times were made on the basis of helium isotope mixing plots and historical tritium data. (authors)

IQM: an extensible and portable open source application for image and signal analysis in Java.

Science.gov (United States)

Kainz, Philipp; Mayrhofer-Reinhartshuber, Michael; Ahammer, Helmut

2015-01-01

Image and signal analysis applications are substantial in scientific research. Both open source and commercial packages provide a wide range of functions for image and signal analysis, which are sometimes supported very well by the communities in the corresponding fields. Commercial software packages have the major drawback of being expensive and having undisclosed source code, which hampers extending the functionality if there is no plugin interface or similar option available. However, both variants cannot cover all possible use cases and sometimes custom developments are unavoidable, requiring open source applications. In this paper we describe IQM, a completely free, portable and open source (GNU GPLv3) image and signal analysis application written in pure Java. IQM does not depend on any natively installed libraries and is therefore runnable out-of-the-box. Currently, a continuously growing repertoire of 50 image and 16 signal analysis algorithms is provided. The modular functional architecture based on the three-tier model is described along the most important functionality. Extensibility is achieved using operator plugins, and the development of more complex workflows is provided by a Groovy script interface to the JVM. We demonstrate IQM's image and signal processing capabilities in a proof-of-principle analysis and provide example implementations to illustrate the plugin framework and the scripting interface. IQM integrates with the popular ImageJ image processing software and is aiming at complementing functionality rather than competing with existing open source software. Machine learning can be integrated into more complex algorithms via the WEKA software package as well, enabling the development of transparent and robust methods for image and signal analysis.

VaST: A variability search toolkit

Science.gov (United States)

Sokolovsky, K. V.; Lebedev, A. A.

2018-01-01

Variability Search Toolkit (VaST) is a software package designed to find variable objects in a series of sky images. It can be run from a script or interactively using its graphical interface. VaST relies on source list matching as opposed to image subtraction. SExtractor is used to generate source lists and perform aperture or PSF-fitting photometry (with PSFEx). Variability indices that characterize scatter and smoothness of a lightcurve are computed for all objects. Candidate variables are identified as objects having high variability index values compared to other objects of similar brightness. The two distinguishing features of VaST are its ability to perform accurate aperture photometry of images obtained with non-linear detectors and handle complex image distortions. The software has been successfully applied to images obtained with telescopes ranging from 0.08 to 2.5 m in diameter equipped with a variety of detectors including CCD, CMOS, MIC and photographic plates. About 1800 variable stars have been discovered with VaST. It is used as a transient detection engine in the New Milky Way (NMW) nova patrol. The code is written in C and can be easily compiled on the majority of UNIX-like systems. VaST is free software available at http://scan.sai.msu.ru/vast/.

Note: The design of thin gap chamber simulation signal source based on field programmable gate array

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Kun; Wang, Xu; Li, Feng; Jin, Ge; Lu, Houbing; Liang, Futian

2015-01-01

The Thin Gap Chamber (TGC) is an important part of ATLAS detector and LHC accelerator. Targeting the feature of the output signal of TGC detector, we have designed a simulation signal source. The core of the design is based on field programmable gate array, randomly outputting 256-channel simulation signals. The signal is generated by true random number generator. The source of randomness originates from the timing jitter in ring oscillators. The experimental results show that the random number is uniform in histogram, and the whole system has high reliability

Design of acoustic logging signal source of imitation based on field programmable gate array

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, K; Ju, X D; Lu, J Q; Men, B Y

2014-01-01

An acoustic logging signal source of imitation is designed and realized, based on the Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), to improve the efficiency of examining and repairing acoustic logging tools during research and field application, and to inspect and verify acoustic receiving circuits and corresponding algorithms. The design of this signal source contains hardware design and software design,and the hardware design uses an FPGA as the control core. Four signals are made first by reading the Random Access Memory (RAM) data which are inside the FPGA, then dealing with the data by digital to analog conversion, amplification, smoothing and so on. Software design uses VHDL, a kind of hardware description language, to program the FPGA. Experiments illustrate that the ratio of signal to noise for the signal source is high, the waveforms are stable, and also its functions of amplitude adjustment, frequency adjustment and delay adjustment are in accord with the characteristics of real acoustic logging waveforms. These adjustments can be used to imitate influences on sonic logging received waveforms caused by many kinds of factors such as spacing and span of acoustic tools, sonic speeds of different layers and fluids, and acoustic attenuations of different cementation planes. (paper)

Near- Source, Seismo-Acoustic Signals Accompanying a NASCAR Race at the Texas Motor Speedway

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Stump, B. W.; Hayward, C.; Underwood, R.; Howard, J. E.; MacPhail, M. D.; Golden, P.; Endress, A.

2014-12-01

Near-source, seismo-acoustic observations provide a unique opportunity to characterize urban sources, remotely sense human activities including vehicular traffic and monitor large engineering structures. Energy separately coupled into the solid earth and atmosphere provides constraints on not only the location of these sources but also the physics of the generating process. Conditions and distances at which these observations can be made are dependent upon not only local geological conditions but also atmospheric conditions at the time of the observations. In order to address this range of topics, an empirical, seismo-acoustic study was undertaken in and around the Texas Motor Speedway in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area during the first week of April 2014 at which time a range of activities associated with a series of NASCAR races occurred. Nine, seismic sensors were deployed around the 1.5-mile track for purposes of documenting the direct-coupled seismic energy from the passage of the cars and other vehicles on the track. Six infrasound sensors were deployed on a rooftop in a rectangular array configuration designed to provide high frequency beam forming for acoustic signals. Finally, a five-element infrasound array was deployed outside the track in order to characterize how the signals propagate away from the sources in the near-source region. Signals recovered from within the track were able to track and characterize the motion of a variety of vehicles during the race weekend including individual racecars. Seismic data sampled at 1000 sps documented strong Doppler effects as the cars approached and moved away from individual sensors. There were faint seismic signals that arrived at seismic velocity but local acoustic to seismic coupling as supported by the acoustic observations generated the majority of seismic signals. Actual seismic ground motions were small as demonstrated by the dominance of regional seismic signals from a magnitude 4.0 earthquake that arrived at

Occurrence and sources of Escherichia coli in metropolitan St. Louis streams, October 2004 through September 2007

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkison, Donald H.; Davis, Jerri V.

2010-01-01

The occurrence and sources of Escherichia coli (E. coli), one of several fecal indicator bacteria, in metropolitan St. Louis streams known to receive nonpoint source runoff, occasional discharges from combined and sanitary sewers, and treated wastewater effluent were investigated from October 2004 through September 2007. Three Missouri River sites, five Mississippi River sites, and six small basin tributary stream sites were sampled during base flow and storm events for the presence of E. coli and their sources. E. coli host-source determinations were conducted using local library based genotypic methods. Human fecal contamination in stream samples was additionally confirmed by the presence of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, an anaerobic, enteric bacterium with a high occurrence in, and specificity to, humans. Missouri River E. coli densities and loads during base flow were approximately 10 times greater than those in the Mississippi River above its confluence with the Missouri River. Although substantial amounts of E. coli originated from within the study area during base flow and storm events, considerable amounts of E. coli in the Missouri River, as well as in the middle Mississippi River sections downstream from its confluence with the Missouri River, originated in Missouri River reaches upstream from the study area. In lower Mississippi River reaches, bacteria contributions from the numerous combined and sanitary sewer overflows within the study area, as well as contributions from nonpoint source runoff, greatly increased instream E. coli densities. Although other urban factors cannot be discounted, average E. coli densities in streams were strongly correlated with the number of upstream combined and sanitary sewer overflow points, and the percentage of upstream impervious cover. Small basin sites with the greatest number of combined and sanitary sewer overflows (Maline Creek and the River des Peres) had larger E. coli densities, larger loads, and a greater

High power pulsed sources based on fiber amplifiers

Science.gov (United States)

Canat, Guillaume; Jaouën, Yves; Mollier, Jean-Claude; Bouzinac, Jean-Pierre; Cariou, Jean-Pierre

2017-11-01

Cladding-pumped rare-earth-doped fiber laser technologies are currently among the best sources for high power applications. Theses extremely compact and robust sources appoint them as good candidate for aeronautical and space applications. The double-clad (DC) fiber converts the poor beamquality of high-power large-area pump diodes from the 1st cladding to laser light at another wavelength guided in an active single-mode core. High-power coherent MOPA (Master Oscillator Power Amplifier) sources (several 10W CW or several 100W in pulsed regime) will soon be achieved. Unfortunately it also brings nonlinear effects which quickly impairs output signal distortions. Stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) and optical parametric amplification (OPA) have been shown to be strong limitations. Based on amplifier modeling and experiments we discuss the performances of these sources.

Realization of rapid debugging for detection circuit of optical fiber gas sensor: Using an analog signal source

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Tian, Changbin; Chang, Jun; Wang, Qiang; Wei, Wei; Zhu, Cunguang

2015-03-01

An optical fiber gas sensor mainly consists of two parts: optical part and detection circuit. In the debugging for the detection circuit, the optical part usually serves as a signal source. However, in the debugging condition, the optical part can be easily influenced by many factors, such as the fluctuation of ambient temperature or driving current resulting in instability of the wavelength and intensity for the laser; for dual-beam sensor, the different bends and stresses of the optical fiber will lead to the fluctuation of the intensity and phase; the intensity noise from the collimator, coupler, and other optical devices in the system will also result in the impurity of the optical part based signal source. In order to dramatically improve the debugging efficiency of the detection circuit and shorten the period of research and development, this paper describes an analog signal source, consisting of a single chip microcomputer (SCM), an amplifier circuit, and a voltage-to-current conversion circuit. It can be used to realize the rapid debugging detection circuit of the optical fiber gas sensor instead of optical part based signal source. This analog signal source performs well with many other advantages, such as the simple operation, small size, and light weight.

Nichtkontinuierliche (zeitdiskrete) Signale

Science.gov (United States)

Plaßmann, Wilfried

Zeitdiskrete Signale werden häufig aus zeitkontinuierlichen Signalen durch Abtastung erzeugt. Dass beide Signale gleichwertig sind, zeigt das Abtasttheorem (Kap. 116) von Shannon, sofern die Bedingung nach (116.2), f_{ab}≈(2{,}2 {\\ldots} 4)\\cdot fg) eingehalten wird. Digitale Signale haben Vorteile: Einfache Speicherung, Weiterverarbeitung in Rechnern, wenig störanfällige Übertragung. Für die Bearbeitung dieser Signale dienen die im Kapitel dargestellten Hilfsmittel: Diskrete Fouriertransformation; Schnelle Fouriertransformation; z-Transformation: Darstellung, Sätze zur z-Transformation, Korrespondenzen zu Zeitfunktionen, Beispiele.

Automated system for ST segment and arrhythmia analysis in exercise radionuclide ventriculography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsia, P.W.; Jenkins, J.M.; Shimoni, Y.; Gage, K.P.; Santinga, J.T.; Pitt, B.

1986-01-01

A computer-based system for interpretation of the electrocardiogram (ECG) in the diagnosis of arrhythmia and ST segment abnormality in an exercise system is presented. The system was designed for inclusion in a gamma camera so the ECG diagnosis could be combined with the diagnostic capability of radionuclide ventriculography. Digitized data are analyzed in a beat-by-beat mode and a contextual diagnosis of underlying rhythm is provided. Each beat is assigned a beat code based on a combination of waveform analysis and RR interval measurement. The waveform analysis employs a new correlation coefficient formula which corrects for baseline wander. Selective signal averaging, in which only normal beats are included, is done for an improved signal-to-noise ratio prior to ST segment analysis. Template generation, R wave detection, QRS window size, baseline correction, and continuous updating of heart rate have all been automated. ST level and slope measurements are computed on signal-averaged data. Arrhythmia analysis of 13 passages of abnormal rhythm by computer was found to be correct in 98.4 percent of all beats. 25 passages of exercise data, 1-5 min in length, were evaluated by the cardiologist and found to be in agreement in 95.8 percent in measurements of ST level and 91.7 percent in measurements of ST slope

Epidemic potential of Escherichia coli ST131 and Klebsiella pneumoniae ST258: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Dautzenberg, M J D; Haverkate, M R; Bonten, M J M; Bootsma, M C J

2016-01-01

Objectives Observational studies have suggested that Escherichia coli sequence type (ST) 131 and Klebsiella pneumoniae ST258 have hyperendemic properties. This would be obvious from continuously high incidence and/or prevalence of carriage or infection with these bacteria in specific patient populations. Hyperendemicity could result from increased transmissibility, longer duration of infectiousness, and/or higher pathogenic potential as compared with other lineages of the same species. The aim of our research is to quantitatively estimate these critical parameters for E. coli ST131 and K. pneumoniae ST258, in order to investigate whether E. coli ST131 and K. pneumoniae ST258 are truly hyperendemic clones. Primary outcome measures A systematic literature search was performed to assess the evidence of transmissibility, duration of infectiousness, and pathogenicity for E. coli ST131 and K. pneumoniae ST258. Meta-regression was performed to quantify these characteristics. Results The systematic literature search yielded 639 articles, of which 19 data sources provided information on transmissibility (E. coli ST131 n=9; K. pneumoniae ST258 n=10)), 2 on duration of infectiousness (E. coli ST131 n=2), and 324 on pathogenicity (E. coli ST131 n=285; K. pneumoniae ST258 n=39). Available data on duration of carriage and on transmissibility were insufficient for quantitative assessment. In multivariable meta-regression E. coli isolates causing infection were associated with ST131, compared to isolates only causing colonisation, suggesting that E. coli ST131 can be considered more pathogenic than non-ST131 isolates. Date of isolation, location and resistance mechanism also influenced the prevalence of ST131. E. coli ST131 was 3.2 (95% CI 2.0 to 5.0) times more pathogenic than non-ST131. For K. pneumoniae ST258 there were not enough data for meta-regression assessing the influence of colonisation versus infection on ST258 prevalence. Conclusions With the currently available data

Sources of extracellular tau and its signaling.

Science.gov (United States)

Avila, Jesús; Simón, Diana; Díaz-Hernández, Miguel; Pintor, Jesús; Hernández, Félix

2014-01-01

The pathology associated with tau protein, tauopathy, has been recently analyzed in different disorders, leading to the suggestion that intracellular and extracellular tau may itself be the principal agent in the transmission and spreading of tauopathies. Tau pathology is based on an increase in the amount of tau, an increase in phosphorylated tau, and/or an increase in aggregated tau. Indeed, phosphorylated tau protein is the main component of tau aggregates, such as the neurofibrillary tangles present in the brain of Alzheimer's disease patients. It has been suggested that intracellular tau could be toxic to neurons in its phosphorylated and/or aggregated form. However, extracellular tau could also damage neurons and since neuronal death is widespread in Alzheimer's disease, mainly among cholinergic neurons, these cells may represent a possible source of extracellular tau. However, other sources of extracellular tau have been proposed that are independent of cell death. In addition, several ways have been proposed for cells to interact with, transmit, and spread extracellular tau, and to transduce signals mediated by this tau. In this work, we will discuss the role of extracellular tau in the spreading of the tau pathology.

Clinically Relevant ESBL-Producing K. pneumoniae ST307 and E. coli ST38 in an Urban West African Rat Population

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Katharina Schaufler

2018-02-01

Full Text Available High-risk ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E have been described in wild birds and rodents worldwide. Rats are of special interest not only due to their indicator role for environmental pollution with multi-resistant bacteria but also as possible infection source. Data on the presence of high-risk ESBL-E in urban wildlife from Africa remain scarce, however. Twenty-nine animals from three different rat (Rattus species were captured in the city of Conakry (Guinea, West Africa in 2015. Rectal swabs were analyzed for ESBL-E using selective media. Species typing and phenotypic antimicrobial resistance analysis to broad-spectrum beta-lactams and other classes of antimicrobials was performed for Enterobacteriaceae-like isolates using the VITEK®2 system (BioMérieux, Germany. Confirmed ESBL-producing E. coli and K. pneumoniae were whole-genome sequenced and resistance genes, phylogenetic background and genes related to bacterial fitness and virulence were analyzed. In total, six of twenty-nine rats (20% carried ESBL-E (K. pneumoniae and E. coli. All ESBL-producers were multi-drug resistant with blaCTX−M−15 as the dominating ESBL-type. Interestingly, ESBL-associated clonal lineages E. coli ST38 and K. pneumoniae ST307 were found. The ESBL-plasmid in K. pneumoniae ST307 revealed high sequence similarities to pKPN3-307_TypeC, a >200 kbp IncFII plasmid originating from a human clinical ST307 isolate. This was in contrast to the core genome: the rat isolate was distantly related to the human clinical ST307 isolate (27 SNPs/Mbp. In addition, we identified π-fimbrial, capsule 2, and glycogen synthesis clusters in the rodent ST307 isolate, whose involvement in the adaptation to survival outside the host and in human urinary tracts has been suggested. Our results demonstrate the presence of clinically relevant, ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae ST307 and E. coli ST38 clonal lineages in an urban West African rat population. The human community is likely

A technique for the deconvolution of the pulse shape of acoustic emission signals back to the generating defect source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Houghton, J.R.; Packman, P.F.; Townsend, M.A.

1976-01-01

Acoustic emission signals recorded after passage through the instrumentation system can be deconvoluted to produce signal traces indicative of those at the generating source, and these traces can be used to identify characteristics of the source

MEG source imaging method using fast L1 minimum-norm and its applications to signals with brain noise and human resting-state source amplitude images.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Ming-Xiong; Huang, Charles W; Robb, Ashley; Angeles, AnneMarie; Nichols, Sharon L; Baker, Dewleen G; Song, Tao; Harrington, Deborah L; Theilmann, Rebecca J; Srinivasan, Ramesh; Heister, David; Diwakar, Mithun; Canive, Jose M; Edgar, J Christopher; Chen, Yu-Han; Ji, Zhengwei; Shen, Max; El-Gabalawy, Fady; Levy, Michael; McLay, Robert; Webb-Murphy, Jennifer; Liu, Thomas T; Drake, Angela; Lee, Roland R

2014-01-01

The present study developed a fast MEG source imaging technique based on Fast Vector-based Spatio-Temporal Analysis using a L1-minimum-norm (Fast-VESTAL) and then used the method to obtain the source amplitude images of resting-state magnetoencephalography (MEG) signals for different frequency bands. The Fast-VESTAL technique consists of two steps. First, L1-minimum-norm MEG source images were obtained for the dominant spatial modes of sensor-waveform covariance matrix. Next, accurate source time-courses with millisecond temporal resolution were obtained using an inverse operator constructed from the spatial source images of Step 1. Using simulations, Fast-VESTAL's performance was assessed for its 1) ability to localize multiple correlated sources; 2) ability to faithfully recover source time-courses; 3) robustness to different SNR conditions including SNR with negative dB levels; 4) capability to handle correlated brain noise; and 5) statistical maps of MEG source images. An objective pre-whitening method was also developed and integrated with Fast-VESTAL to remove correlated brain noise. Fast-VESTAL's performance was then examined in the analysis of human median-nerve MEG responses. The results demonstrated that this method easily distinguished sources in the entire somatosensory network. Next, Fast-VESTAL was applied to obtain the first whole-head MEG source-amplitude images from resting-state signals in 41 healthy control subjects, for all standard frequency bands. Comparisons between resting-state MEG sources images and known neurophysiology were provided. Additionally, in simulations and cases with MEG human responses, the results obtained from using conventional beamformer technique were compared with those from Fast-VESTAL, which highlighted the beamformer's problems of signal leaking and distorted source time-courses. © 2013.

Metabolite transport and associated sugar signalling systems underpinning source/sink interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Griffiths, Cara A; Paul, Matthew J; Foyer, Christine H

2016-10-01

Metabolite transport between organelles, cells and source and sink tissues not only enables pathway co-ordination but it also facilitates whole plant communication, particularly in the transmission of information concerning resource availability. Carbon assimilation is co-ordinated with nitrogen assimilation to ensure that the building blocks of biomass production, amino acids and carbon skeletons, are available at the required amounts and stoichiometry, with associated transport processes making certain that these essential resources are transported from their sites of synthesis to those of utilisation. Of the many possible posttranslational mechanisms that might participate in efficient co-ordination of metabolism and transport only reversible thiol-disulphide exchange mechanisms have been described in detail. Sucrose and trehalose metabolism are intertwined in the signalling hub that ensures appropriate resource allocation to drive growth and development under optimal and stress conditions, with trehalose-6-phosphate acting as an important signal for sucrose availability. The formidable suite of plant metabolite transporters provides enormous flexibility and adaptability in inter-pathway coordination and source-sink interactions. Focussing on the carbon metabolism network, we highlight the functions of different transporter families, and the important of thioredoxins in the metabolic dialogue between source and sink tissues. In addition, we address how these systems can be tailored for crop improvement. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tracking the 10Be-26Al source-area signal in sediment-routing systems of arid central Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Struck, Martin; Jansen, John D.; Fujioka, Toshiyuki; Codilean, Alexandru T.; Fink, David; Fülöp, Réka-Hajnalka; Wilcken, Klaus M.; Price, David M.; Kotevski, Steven; Fifield, L. Keith; Chappell, John

2018-05-01

Sediment-routing systems continuously transfer information and mass from eroding source areas to depositional sinks. Understanding how these systems alter environmental signals is critical when it comes to inferring source-area properties from the sedimentary record. We measure cosmogenic 10Be and 26Al along three large sediment-routing systems ( ˜ 100 000 km2) in central Australia with the aim of tracking downstream variations in 10Be-26Al inventories and identifying the factors responsible for these variations. By comparing 56 new cosmogenic 10Be and 26Al measurements in stream sediments with matching data (n = 55) from source areas, we show that 10Be-26Al inventories in hillslope bedrock and soils set the benchmark for relative downstream modifications. Lithology is the primary determinant of erosion-rate variations in source areas and despite sediment mixing over hundreds of kilometres downstream, a distinct lithological signal is retained. Post-orogenic ranges yield catchment erosion rates of ˜ 6-11 m Myr-1 and silcrete-dominant areas erode as slow as ˜ 0.2 m Myr-1. 10Be-26Al inventories in stream sediments indicate that cumulative-burial terms increase downstream to mostly ˜ 400-800 kyr and up to ˜ 1.1 Myr. The magnitude of the burial signal correlates with increasing sediment cover downstream and reflects assimilation from storages with long exposure histories, such as alluvial fans, desert pavements, alluvial plains, and aeolian dunes. We propose that the tendency for large alluvial rivers to mask their 10Be-26Al source-area signal differs according to geomorphic setting. Signal preservation is favoured by (i) high sediment supply rates, (ii) high mean runoff, and (iii) a thick sedimentary basin pile. Conversely, signal masking prevails in landscapes of (i) low sediment supply and (ii) juxtaposition of sediment storages with notably different exposure histories.

A Novel Partial Discharge Ultra-High Frequency Signal De-Noising Method Based on a Single-Channel Blind Source Separation Algorithm

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Liangliang Wei

2018-02-01

Full Text Available To effectively de-noise the Gaussian white noise and periodic narrow-band interference in the background noise of partial discharge ultra-high frequency (PD UHF signals in field tests, a novel de-noising method, based on a single-channel blind source separation algorithm, is proposed. Compared with traditional methods, the proposed method can effectively de-noise the noise interference, and the distortion of the de-noising PD signal is smaller. Firstly, the PD UHF signal is time-frequency analyzed by S-transform to obtain the number of source signals. Then, the single-channel detected PD signal is converted into multi-channel signals by singular value decomposition (SVD, and background noise is separated from multi-channel PD UHF signals by the joint approximate diagonalization of eigen-matrix method. At last, the source PD signal is estimated and recovered by the l1-norm minimization method. The proposed de-noising method was applied on the simulation test and field test detected signals, and the de-noising performance of the different methods was compared. The simulation and field test results demonstrate the effectiveness and correctness of the proposed method.

IL-1β Upregulates StAR and Progesterone Production Through the ERK1/2- and p38-Mediated CREB Signaling Pathways in Human Granulosa-Lutein Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Dang, Xuan; Zhu, Qinling; He, Yaqiong; Wang, Yuan; Lu, Yao; Li, Xiaoxue; Qi, Jia; Wu, Hasiximuke; Sun, Yun

2017-10-01

The proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1β) may be involved in several ovulation-associated events, such as protease synthesis, prostaglandin production, and steroidogenesis in granulosa cells. However, the exact effect of IL-1β on progesterone synthesis in granulosa cells and the underlying mechanism remain unclear. By using cultured granulosa-lutein cells collected from women undergoing in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection, we found that IL-1β upregulated steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) expression and progesterone synthesis in granulosa-lutein cells, which was comparable with luteinizing hormone effect and could be abolished by an IL-1 receptor antagonist. Moreover, IL-1β activated the phosphorylation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding protein (CREB), and knockdown of CREB attenuated the induction of StAR expression and progesterone synthesis by IL-1β in granulosa-lutein cells. Furthermore, IL-1β activated the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 and p38 pathways and inhibition of the ERK1/2 and p38 pathways attenuated the IL-1β-induced phosphorylation of CREB, StAR expression, and progesterone synthesis in granulosa-lutein cells. In conclusion, IL-1β could upregulate StAR expression and stimulate progesterone biosynthesis through increase in CREB phosphorylation via activating the ERK1/2 and p38 pathways in human granulosa-lutein cells. Copyright © 2017 Endocrine Society.

Tracking the 10Be–26Al source-area signal in sediment-routing systems of arid central Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Struck

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Sediment-routing systems continuously transfer information and mass from eroding source areas to depositional sinks. Understanding how these systems alter environmental signals is critical when it comes to inferring source-area properties from the sedimentary record. We measure cosmogenic 10Be and 26Al along three large sediment-routing systems ( ∼  100 000 km2 in central Australia with the aim of tracking downstream variations in 10Be–26Al inventories and identifying the factors responsible for these variations. By comparing 56 new cosmogenic 10Be and 26Al measurements in stream sediments with matching data (n =  55 from source areas, we show that 10Be–26Al inventories in hillslope bedrock and soils set the benchmark for relative downstream modifications. Lithology is the primary determinant of erosion-rate variations in source areas and despite sediment mixing over hundreds of kilometres downstream, a distinct lithological signal is retained. Post-orogenic ranges yield catchment erosion rates of  ∼  6–11 m Myr−1 and silcrete-dominant areas erode as slow as  ∼  0.2 m Myr−1. 10Be–26Al inventories in stream sediments indicate that cumulative-burial terms increase downstream to mostly  ∼  400–800 kyr and up to  ∼  1.1 Myr. The magnitude of the burial signal correlates with increasing sediment cover downstream and reflects assimilation from storages with long exposure histories, such as alluvial fans, desert pavements, alluvial plains, and aeolian dunes. We propose that the tendency for large alluvial rivers to mask their 10Be–26Al source-area signal differs according to geomorphic setting. Signal preservation is favoured by (i high sediment supply rates, (ii high mean runoff, and (iii a thick sedimentary basin pile. Conversely, signal masking prevails in landscapes of (i low sediment supply and (ii juxtaposition of sediment storages with notably different exposure

A mathematical model for source separation of MMG signals recorded with a coupled microphone-accelerometer sensor pair.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Jorge; Chau, Tom

2005-09-01

Recent advances in sensor technology for muscle activity monitoring have resulted in the development of a coupled microphone-accelerometer sensor pair for physiological acousti signal recording. This sensor can be used to eliminate interfering sources in practical settings where the contamination of an acoustic signal by ambient noise confounds detection but cannot be easily removed [e.g., mechanomyography (MMG), swallowing sounds, respiration, and heart sounds]. This paper presents a mathematical model for the coupled microphone-accelerometer vibration sensor pair, specifically applied to muscle activity monitoring (i.e., MMG) and noise discrimination in externally powered prostheses for below-elbow amputees. While the model provides a simple and reliable source separation technique for MMG signals, it can also be easily adapted to other aplications where the recording of low-frequency (< 1 kHz) physiological vibration signals is required.

Expression of interleukin-33 and its receptor ST2 in periapical granulomas and radicular cysts.

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Velickovic, Milena; Pejnovic, Nada; Petrovic, Renata; Mitrovic, Slobodanka; Jeftic, Ilija; Kanjevac, Tatjana; Lukic, Aleksandra

2016-01-01

Interleukin-33 (IL-33) is a recently identified cytokine belonging to the IL-1 family and ligand for the IL-1 receptor-related protein ST2. IL-33/ST2 signaling plays a critical role in allergy, autoimmunity, and chronic inflammatory disorders, but its role in the pathogenesis of periapical lesions is unknown. We aimed to investigate the expression patterns of IL-33 and ST2 in human periapical lesions. Periapical lesions (n = 36) and healthy periapical tissues (n = 10) were evaluated by immunohistochemistry using antibodies specific for human IL-33 and ST2. Lesion samples were further analyzed by double immunofluorescence to assess IL-33/ST2 co-expression. The numbers of IL-33- and ST2-positive fibroblasts were significantly higher in periapical lesions compared to healthy periapical tissues (both P 0.05). There were no significant differences in the numbers of IL-33- and ST2-positive fibroblasts and endothelial cells between periapical granulomas and radicular cysts (all P > 0.05). Similarly, numbers of ST2-positive mononuclear cells did not differ between periapical granulomas and radicular cysts (P > 0.05). The majority of epithelial cells in radicular cysts were IL-33 positive, while the small proportion of epithelial cells was ST2 positive. Double immunofluorescence analysis revealed IL-33/ST2 co-expression in fibroblasts and endothelial cells. IL-33 and ST2 are expressed in periapical granulomas and radicular cysts. Increased numbers of IL-33- and ST2-positive fibroblasts in periapical lesions when compared to healthy periapical tissues suggest that IL-33/ST2 signaling may be involved in periapical inflammation and tissue fibrosis. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

St Paul fracture zone intratransform ridge basalts (Equatorial Atlantic): Insight within the mantle source diversity

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Hemond, C.; Brunelli, D.; Maia, M.; Prigent, S.; Sichel, S. E.

2017-12-01

The St Paul Transform System offsets by 630 km the Equatorial Mid Atlantic Ridge at 1° N. It consists of four Major faults separating three intra transform ridge axes. Volcanic glassy samples were collected inside two intratransform ridge (ITR) segments during the COLMEIA cruise (Maia et al ; 2016) and samples from the third ITR available from a previous cruise ST PAUL (Hékinian et al. 2000). Major, trace elements and Hf, Pb, Sr and Nd isotopes were determined on selected hand picked glass chips. Few glassy samples recovered and analysed from abyssal hill samples open a time window of about 4.5 million years in the chemistry of the northern ITR. Results show that all samples are basaltic in composition but trace elements display contrasting images for the three ITR. The northern ITR samples are all light REE and highly incompatible enriched and are E-MORB; the central ITR samples display rather flat REE pattern with a level on enrichment of the HREE higher than the other two ITR and are T-MORB. Southern ITR samples are more heterogeneous N-MORB to T-MORB with a lower level of HREE. Isotopes reveal that the ITRs sample distinct mantle sources. In various isotope plans, the northern ITR samples plot together with published results from the MAR directly north of the St Paul F.Z. Therefore they exhibit some flavor of the Sierra Leone hotspot interacting with the MAR at 1.7°N. Central and southern ITR samples have very distinct composition from the northern ITR but resemble each other. However, for identical 206Pb/204Pb ratios, central ITR has slightly but significantly higher 207Pb/204Pb and 208Pb/204Pb, also higher 143Nd/144Nd for a given 87Sr/86Sr. Southern ITR is in chemical continuity of the MAR southward. So that central ITR samples display a rather specific composition. Off axis samples corresponding to the activity of the northern ITR up to 4.6 m.y. show that the hotspot contribution was even bigger on the spreading axis than today and might be fading with

On the History of the Publication of the Menaion Reader by Demetrius of Rostov (the Text On the Year of Death of St. Mary of Egypt as an Additional Article to the Menaion Reader by St. Demetrius

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marina A. Fedotova

2015-08-01

The author of the present paper makes available a new, unknown, and unpublished work by St. Demetrius of Rostov, On the Year of Death of St. Mary of Egypt, which was written as an additional calendar text referring to the Life of St. Mary of Egypt. The sources of the Life of St. Mary of Egypt were the Acta Sanctorum and De Probatis Sanctorum Historiis by Laurentius Surius. The text On the Year of Death of St. Mary of Egypt was written by Demetrius for the first edition, but it was not included in the printed edition and is preserved only in manuscript sources.

Roegneria alashanica Keng: a species with the StStStYStY genome constitution.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Richard R-C; Jensen, Kevin B

2017-06-01

The genome constitution of tetraploid Roegneria alashanica Keng has been in question for a long time. Most scientific studies have suggested that R. alashanica had two versions of the St genome, St 1 St 2 , similar to that of Pseudoroegneria elytrigioides (C. Yen & J.L. Yang) B.R. Lu. A study, however, concluded that R. alashanica had the StY genome formula typical for tetraploid species of Roegneria. For the present study, R. alashanica, Elymus longearistatus (Bioss.) Tzvelev (StY genomes), Pseudoroegneria strigosa (M. Bieb.) Á. Löve (St), Pseudoroegneria libanoctica (Hackel) D.R. Dewey (St), and Pseudoroegneria spicata (Pursh) Á. Löve (St) were screened for the Y-genome specific marker B14(F+R) 269 . All E. longearistatus plants expressed intense bands specific to the Y genome. Only 6 of 10 R. alashanica plants exhibited relatively faint bands for the STS marker. Previously, the genome in species of Pseudoroegneria exhibiting such faint Y-genome specific marker was designated as St Y . Based on these results, R. alashanica lacks the Y genome in E. longearistatus but likely possess two remotely related St genomes, St and St Y . According to its genome constitution, R. alashanica should be classified in the genus Pseudoroenera and given the new name Pseudoroegneria alashanica (Keng) R.R.-C. Wang and K.B. Jensen.

A Correction Formula for the St Segment of the Ac-coupled Electrocardiogram

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmid, Ramun; Isaksen, Jonas; Leber, Remo

2016-01-01

Background: Many ECG devices apply an analog or an equivalent digital first order high-pass filter as part of the ECG acquisition chain. This type of filter is known to not only reduce baseline wandering but also change the ECG signal itself. Particularly, the ST-segment of ECGs with unipolar QRS...... complexes can be changed considerably. To a certain degree, it is possible to restore the original ECG and therefore the correct ST-segment by inverse filtering. However, this process requires the availability of a digital representation of the filtered ECG signal which is not always the case. We present...... an alternative approach that can estimate the true ST-values based on only three standard ECG parameters and the high-pass filter's time constant. Methods: Based on the high-pass filter's time constant T [s], the QRS integral A [Vs], the QRS width W [s] and the RR-interval RR [s], we derived the following...

Determination of noise sources and space-dependent reactor transfer functions from measured output signals only

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoogenboom, J.E.; van Dam, H.; Kleiss, E.B.J.; van Uitert, G.C.; Veldhuis, D.

1982-01-01

The measured cross power spectral densities of the signals from three neutron detectors and the displacement of the control rod of the 2 MW research reactor HOR at Delft have been used to determine the space-dependent reactor transfer function, the transfer function of the automatic reactor control system and the noise sources influencing the measured signals. From a block diagram of the reactor with control system and noise sources expressions were derived for the measured cross power spectral densities, which were adjusted to satisfy the requirements following from the adopted model. Then for each frequency point the required transfer functions and noise sources could be derived. The results are in agreement with those of autoregressive modelling of the reactor control feed-back loop. A method has been developed to determine the non-linear characteristics of the automatic reactor control system by analysing the non-gaussian probability density function of the power fluctuations.

Determination of noise sources and space-dependent reactor transfer functions from measured output signals only

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoogenboom, J.E.

1982-01-01

The measured cross power spectral densities of the signals from three neutron detectors and the displacement of the control rod of the 2 MW research reactor HOR at Delft have been used to determine the space-dependent reactor transfer function, the transfer function of the automatic reactor control system and the noise sources influencing the measured signals. From a block diagram of the reactor with control system and noise sources expressions were derived for the measured cross power spectral densities, which were adjusted to satisfy the requirements following from the adopted model. Then for each frequency point the required transfer functions and noise sources could be derived. The results are in agreement with those of autoregressive modelling of the reactor control feed-back loop. A method has been developed to determine the non-linear characteristics of the automatic reactor control system by analysing the non-gaussian probability density function of the power fluctuations. (author)

Addendum to foundations of multidimensional wave field signal theory: Gaussian source function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalie Baddour

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Many important physical phenomena are described by wave or diffusion-wave type equations. Recent work has shown that a transform domain signal description from linear system theory can give meaningful insight to multi-dimensional wave fields. In N. Baddour [AIP Adv. 1, 022120 (2011], certain results were derived that are mathematically useful for the inversion of multi-dimensional Fourier transforms, but more importantly provide useful insight into how source functions are related to the resulting wave field. In this short addendum to that work, it is shown that these results can be applied with a Gaussian source function, which is often useful for modelling various physical phenomena.

Addendum to foundations of multidimensional wave field signal theory: Gaussian source function

Science.gov (United States)

Baddour, Natalie

2018-02-01

Many important physical phenomena are described by wave or diffusion-wave type equations. Recent work has shown that a transform domain signal description from linear system theory can give meaningful insight to multi-dimensional wave fields. In N. Baddour [AIP Adv. 1, 022120 (2011)], certain results were derived that are mathematically useful for the inversion of multi-dimensional Fourier transforms, but more importantly provide useful insight into how source functions are related to the resulting wave field. In this short addendum to that work, it is shown that these results can be applied with a Gaussian source function, which is often useful for modelling various physical phenomena.

Kurtosis based blind source extraction of complex noncircular signals with application in EEG artifact removal in real-time

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soroush eJavidi

2011-10-01

Full Text Available A new class of complex domain blind source extraction (BSE algorithms suitable for the extraction of both circular and noncircular complex signals is proposed. This is achieved through sequential extraction based on the degree of kurtosis and in the presence of noncircular measurement noise. The existence and uniqueness analysis of the solution is followed by a study of fast converging variants of the algorithm. The performance is first assessed through simulations on well understood benchmark signals, followed by a case study on real-time artifact removal from EEG signals, verified using both qualitative and quantitative metrics. The results illustrate the power of the proposed approach in real-time blind extraction of general complex-valued sources.

Impact of human-associated Escherichia coli clonal groups in Antarctic pinnipeds: presence of ST73, ST95, ST141 and ST131.

Science.gov (United States)

Mora, Azucena; García-Peña, Francisco Javier; Alonso, María Pilar; Pedraza-Diaz, Susana; Ortega-Mora, Luis Miguel; Garcia-Parraga, Daniel; López, Cecilia; Viso, Susana; Dahbi, Ghizlane; Marzoa, Juan; Sergeant, Martin J; García, Vanesa; Blanco, Jorge

2018-03-16

There is growing concern about the spreading of human microorganisms in relatively untouched ecosystems such as the Antarctic region. For this reason, three pinniped species (Leptonychotes weddellii, Mirounga leonina and Arctocephalus gazella) from the west coast of the Antartic Peninsula were analysed for the presence of Escherichia spp. with the recovery of 158 E. coli and three E. albertii isolates. From those, 23 harboured different eae variants (α1, β1, β2, ε1, θ1, κ, ο), including a bfpA-positive isolate (O49:H10-A-ST206, eae-k) classified as typical enteropathogenic E. coli. Noteworthy, 62 of the 158 E. coli isolates (39.2%) exhibited the ExPEC status and 27 (17.1%) belonged to sequence types (ST) frequently occurring among urinary/bacteremia ExPEC clones: ST12, ST73, ST95, ST131 and ST141. We found similarities >85% within the PFGE-macrorrestriction profiles of pinniped and human clinic O2:H6-B2-ST141 and O16:H5/O25b:H4-B2-ST131 isolates. The in silico analysis of ST131 Cplx genomes from the three pinnipeds (five O25:H4-ST131/PST43-fimH22-virotype D; one O16:H5-ST131/PST506-fimH41; one O25:H4-ST6252/PST9-fimH22-virotype D1) identified IncF and IncI1 plasmids and revealed high core-genome similarities between pinniped and human isolates (H22 and H41 subclones). This is the first study to demonstrate the worrisome presence of human-associated E. coli clonal groups, including ST131, in Antarctic pinnipeds.

A method for measuring power signal background and source strength in a fission reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baers, B.; Kall, L.; Visuri, P.

1977-01-01

Theory and experimental verification of a novel method for measuring power signal bias and source strength in a fission reactor are reported. A minicomputer was applied in the measurements. The method is an extension of the inverse kinetics method presented by Mogilner et al. (Auth.)

Tilt signals at Mount Melbourne, Antarctica: evidence of a shallow volcanic source

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salvatore Gambino

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Mount Melbourne (74°21′ S, 164°43′ E is a quiescent volcano located in northern Victoria Land, Antarctica. Tilt signals have been recorded on Mount Melbourne since early 1989 by a permanent shallow borehole tiltmeter network comprising five stations. An overall picture of tilt, air and permafrost temperatures over 15 years of continuous recording data is reported. We focused our observations on long-term tilt trends that at the end of 1997 showed coherent changes at the three highest altitude stations, suggesting the presence of a ground deformation source whose effects are restricted to the summit area of Mount Melbourne. We inverted these data using a finite spherical body source, thereby obtaining a shallow deflation volume source located under the summit area. The ground deformation observed corroborates the hypothesis that the volcanic edifice of Mount Melbourne is active and should be monitored multidisciplinarily.

IEEE International Workshop on Machine Learning for Signal Processing: Preface

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tao, Jianhua

The 21st IEEE International Workshop on Machine Learning for Signal Processing will be held in Beijing, China, on September 18–21, 2011. The workshop series is the major annual technical event of the IEEE Signal Processing Society's Technical Committee on Machine Learning for Signal Processing...

St. John's Wort constituents modulate P-glycoprotein transport activity at the blood-brain barrier.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ott, M.; Huls, M.; Cornelius, M.G.; Fricker, G.

2010-01-01

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the short-term signaling effects of St. John's Wort (SJW) extract and selected SJW constituents on the blood-brain barrier transporter P-glycoprotein and to describe the role of PKC in the signaling. METHODS: Cultured porcine brain capillary

Characterization of StABF1, a stress-responsive bZIP transcription factor from Solanum tuberosum L. that is phosphorylated by StCDPK2 in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Muñiz García, María Noelia; Giammaria, Verónica; Grandellis, Carolina; Téllez-Iñón, María Teresa; Ulloa, Rita María; Capiati, Daniela Andrea

2012-04-01

ABF/AREB bZIP transcription factors mediate plant abiotic stress responses by regulating the expression of stress-related genes. These proteins bind to the abscisic acid (ABA)-responsive element (ABRE), which is the major cis-acting regulatory sequence in ABA-dependent gene expression. In an effort to understand the molecular mechanisms of abiotic stress resistance in cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), we have cloned and characterized an ABF/AREB-like transcription factor from potato, named StABF1. The predicted protein shares 45-57% identity with A. thaliana ABFs proteins and 96% identity with the S. lycopersicum SlAREB1 and presents all of the distinctive features of ABF/AREB transcription factors. Furthermore, StABF1 is able to bind to the ABRE in vitro. StABF1 gene is induced in response to ABA, drought, salt stress and cold, suggesting that it might be a key regulator of ABA-dependent stress signaling pathways in cultivated potato. StABF1 is phosphorylated in response to ABA and salt stress in a calcium-dependent manner, and we have identified a potato CDPK isoform (StCDPK2) that phosphorylates StABF1 in vitro. Interestingly, StABF1 expression is increased during tuber development and by tuber-inducing conditions (high sucrose/nitrogen ratio) in leaves. We also found that StABF1 calcium-dependent phosphorylation is stimulated by tuber-inducing conditions and inhibited by gibberellic acid, which inhibits tuberization.

Organ accumulation and subcellular location of Cicer arietinum ST1 protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Albornos, Lucía; Cabrera, Javier; Hernández-Nistal, Josefina; Martín, Ignacio; Labrador, Emilia; Dopico, Berta

2014-07-01

The ST (ShooT Specific) proteins are a new family of proteins characterized by a signal peptide, tandem repeats of 25/26 amino acids, and a domain of unknown function (DUF2775), whose presence is limited to a few families of dicotyledonous plants, mainly Fabaceae and Asteraceae. Their function remains unknown, although involvement in plant growth, fruit morphogenesis or in biotic and abiotic interactions have been suggested. This work is focused on ST1, a Cicer arietinum ST protein. We established the protein accumulation in different tissues and organs of chickpea seedlings and plants and its subcellular localization, which could indicate the possible function of ST1. The raising of specific antibodies against ST1 protein revealed that its accumulation in epicotyls and radicles was related to their elongation rate. Its pattern of tissue location in cotyledons during seed formation and early seed germination, as well as its localization in the perivascular fibres of epicotyls and radicles, indicated a possible involvement in seed germination and seedling growth. ST1 protein appears both inside the cell and in the cell wall. This double subcellular localization was found in every organ in which the ST1 protein was detected: seeds, cotyledons and seedling epicotyls and radicles. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Surveys in 1961 on St. Thomas & St. Croix

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dahl, Thorkel; Licht, Kjeld de Fine

Registration of towns and buildings erected during the Danish reign of the Caribbean Isles of St. Thomas, St. Jan and St. Croix 1671-1917 (now belonging to the USA under the name of Virgin Islands)....

Source mechanism of small long-period events at Mount St. Helens in July 2005 using template matching, phase-weighted stacking, and full-waveform inversion

Science.gov (United States)

Matoza, Robin S.; Chouet, Bernard A.; Dawson, Phillip B.; Shearer, Peter M.; Haney, Matthew M.; Waite, Gregory P.; Moran, Seth C.; Mikesell, T. Dylan

2015-01-01

Long-period (LP, 0.5-5 Hz) seismicity, observed at volcanoes worldwide, is a recognized signature of unrest and eruption. Cyclic LP “drumbeating” was the characteristic seismicity accompanying the sustained dome-building phase of the 2004–2008 eruption of Mount St. Helens (MSH), WA. However, together with the LP drumbeating was a near-continuous, randomly occurring series of tiny LP seismic events (LP “subevents”), which may hold important additional information on the mechanism of seismogenesis at restless volcanoes. We employ template matching, phase-weighted stacking, and full-waveform inversion to image the source mechanism of one multiplet of these LP subevents at MSH in July 2005. The signal-to-noise ratios of the individual events are too low to produce reliable waveform-inversion results, but the events are repetitive and can be stacked. We apply network-based template matching to 8 days of continuous velocity waveform data from 29 June to 7 July 2005 using a master event to detect 822 network triggers. We stack waveforms for 359 high-quality triggers at each station and component, using a combination of linear and phase-weighted stacking to produce clean stacks for use in waveform inversion. The derived source mechanism pointsto the volumetric oscillation (~10 m3) of a subhorizontal crack located at shallow depth (~30 m) in an area to the south of Crater Glacier in the southern portion of the breached MSH crater. A possible excitation mechanism is the sudden condensation of metastable steam from a shallow pressurized hydrothermal system as it encounters cool meteoric water in the outer parts of the edifice, perhaps supplied from snow melt.

Batteryless wireless transmission system for electronic drum uses piezoelectric generator for play signal and power source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishikawa, H; Yoshimi, A; Takemura, K; Tanaka, A; Douseki, T

2015-01-01

A batteryless self-powered wireless transmission system has been developed that sends a signal from a drum pad to a synthesizer. The power generated by a piezoelectric generator functions both as the “Play” signal for the synthesizer and as the power source for the transmitter. An FM transmitter, which theoretically operates with zero latency, and a receiver with quick-response squelch of the received signal were developed for wireless transmission with a minimum system delay. Experimental results for an electronic drum without any connecting wires fully demonstrated the feasibility of self-powered wireless transmission with a latency of 900 μs. (paper)

One pair of hands is not like another: caudate BOLD response in dogs depends on signal source and canine temperament

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter F. Cook

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Having previously used functional MRI to map the response to a reward signal in the ventral caudate in awake unrestrained dogs, here we examined the importance of signal source to canine caudate activation. Hand signals representing either incipient reward or no reward were presented by a familiar human (each dog’s respective handler, an unfamiliar human, and via illustrated images of hands on a computer screen to 13 dogs undergoing voluntary fMRI. All dogs had received extensive training with the reward and no-reward signals from their handlers and with the computer images and had minimal exposure to the signals from strangers. All dogs showed differentially higher BOLD response in the ventral caudate to the reward versus no reward signals, and there was a robust effect at the group level. Further, differential response to the signal source had a highly significant interaction with a dog’s general aggressivity as measured by the C-BARQ canine personality assessment. Dogs with greater aggressivity showed a higher differential response to the reward signal versus no-reward signal presented by the unfamiliar human and computer, while dogs with lower aggressivity showed a higher differential response to the reward signal versus no-reward signal from their handler. This suggests that specific facets of canine temperament bear more strongly on the perceived reward value of relevant communication signals than does reinforcement history, as each of the dogs were reinforced similarly for each signal, regardless of the source (familiar human, unfamiliar human, or computer. A group-level psychophysiological interaction (PPI connectivity analysis showed increased functional coupling between the caudate and a region of cortex associated with visual discrimination and learning on reward versus no-reward trials. Our findings emphasize the sensitivity of the domestic dog to human social interaction, and may have other implications and applications

Analysis of the Degradation of MOSFETs in Switching Mode Power Supply by Characterizing Source Oscillator Signals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xueyan Zheng

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Switching Mode Power Supply (SMPS has been widely applied in aeronautics, nuclear power, high-speed railways, and other areas related to national strategy and security. The degradation of MOSFET occupies a dominant position in the key factors affecting the reliability of SMPS. MOSFETs are used as low-voltage switches to regulate the DC voltage in SMPS. The studies have shown that die-attach degradation leads to an increase in on-state resistance due to its dependence on junction temperature. On-state resistance is the key indicator of the health of MOSFETs. In this paper, an online real-time method is presented for predicting the degradation of MOSFETs. First, the relationship between an oscillator signal of source and on-state resistance is introduced. Because oscillator signals change when they age, a feature is proposed to capture these changes and use them as indicators of the state of health of MOSFETs. A platform for testing characterizations is then established to monitor oscillator signals of source. Changes in oscillator signal measurement were observed with aged on-state resistance as a result of die-attach degradation. The experimental results demonstrate that the method is efficient. This study will enable a method to predict the failure of MOSFETs to be developed.

Calibration method of the pulsed X-ray relative sensitivity for ST401 plastic scintillators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie Hongwei; Song Guzhou; Wang Kuilu

2011-01-01

The relative sensitivity calibration method of the pulsed X-ray in ST401 plastic scintillator is presented. Experimental relative sensitivity calibrations of the plastic scintillators of different thicknesses from 1 mm to 50 mm are accomplished on the 'Chenguang' pulsed X-ray source and a Co radioactive source, The uncertainty of the calibration data is evaluated, which can be treated as the experimental evidence for the relative sensitivity conversion of ST401 plastic scintillator. (authors)

Three members of Medicago truncatula ST family are ubiquitous during development and modulated by nutritional status (MtST1) and dehydration (MtST2 and MtST3).

Science.gov (United States)

Albornos, Lucía; Martín, Ignacio; Labrador, Emilia; Dopico, Berta

2017-07-10

ShooT specific/Specific Tissue (ST) belong to a protein family of unknown function characterized by the DUF2775 domain and produced in specific taxonomic plant families, mainly Fabaceae and Asteraceae, with the Medicago truncatula ST family being the largest. The putative roles proposed for this family are cell elongation, biotic interactions, abiotic stress and N reserve. The aim of this work was to go deeper into the role of three M. truncatula ST proteins, namely ST1, ST2 and ST3. Our starting hypothesis was that each member of the family could perform a specific role, and hence, each ST gene would be subjected to a different type of regulation. The search for cis-acting regulatory elements (CREs) in silico in pST1, pST2 and pST3 promoters showed prevalence of tissue/organ specific motifs, especially root- and seed-specific ones. Light, hormone, biotic and abiotic related motifs were also present. None of these pSTs showed the same combination of CREs, or presented the same activity pattern. In general, pST activity was associated with the vascular cylinder, mainly in roots. Promoter activation was highly specific and dissimilar during reproductive development. The ST1, ST2 and ST3 transcripts accumulated in most of the organs and developmental stages analysed - decreasing with age - and expression was higher in the roots than in the aerial parts and more abundant in light-grown plants. The effect of the different treatments on transcript accumulation indicated that ST1 behaved differently from ST2 and ST3, mainly in response to several hormones and dehydration treatments (NaCl or mannitol), upon which ST1 transcript levels decreased and ST2 and ST3 levels increased. Finally, the ST1 protein was located in the cell wall whereas ST2 and ST3 were present both in the cytoplasm and in the cell wall. The ST proteins studied are ubiquitous proteins that could perform distinct/complementary roles in plant biology as they are encoded by differentially regulated genes

Serum soluble ST2 is associated with ER-positive breast cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Da-peng; Zhou, Xiang-yu; Yao, Lu-tian; Liu, Cai-gang; Ma, Wei; Jin, Feng; Wu, Yun-fei

2014-01-01

ST2, a member of the interleukin (IL)-1receptor family, regulates Th1/Th2 immune responses in autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. However, the role of ST2 signaling in tumor growth and metastasis of breast cancers has not been investigated. This study investigated the possible role of soluble ST2 (sST2) in breast cancer. The serum levels of IL-33, sST2, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in 150 breast cancer patients and 90 healthy women were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Estrogen receptor(ER), progesterone receptor, human epithelial receptor (HER)-2, and cell cycle regulated protein Ki-67 were measured. Clinical stage, tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and histological type were also recorded. The serum levels of sST2, IL-33, and VEGF were significantly higher in breast cancer patients than in the control group (P < 0.05, each). Serum sST2 levels in ER-positive breast cancer patients were significantly associated with age, histological type, clinical stage, tumor size, and Ki-67 status (P < 0.05, each). Moreover, the serum levels of IL-33 and sST2 in breast cancers significantly correlated with VEGF levels (IL-33: r = 0.375, P < 0.0001; sST2: r = 0.164, P = 0.045). Serum levels of sST2, IL-33, and VEGF decreased after modified radical mastectomy in ER-positive breast cancers. Serum levels of IL-33, sST2, and VEGF and clinicopathological factors were not significantly correlated with disease-free survival and overall survival of ER-positive breast cancer women during follow-up. Serum sST2 levels in ER-positive breast cancer patients are significantly associated with factors that indicate poor prognosis

Environmental Assessment on the leasing of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, St. James Terminal, St. James Parish, Louisiana

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to lease the Strategic Petroleum Reserve's (SPR) St. James Terminal to private industry. The St. James Terminal consists of six storage tanks, a pumping station, two maine docks and ancillary facilities. DOE believes that the St. James Terminal presents an opportunity to establish a government- industry arrangement that could more effectively use this asset to serve the nations's oil distribution needs, reduce the operational cost of the SPR, and provide a source of revenue for the Government. DOE solicited interest in leasing its distribution facilities in a notice published March 16, 1994. In response, industry has expressed interest in leasing the St. James Terminal, as well as several DOE pipelines, to enhance the operation of its own facilities or to avoid having to construct new ones. Under such a lease, industry use would be subordinate to DOE use in the event of a national energy emergency. This Environmental Assessment describes the proposed leasing operation, its alternatives, and potential environmental impacts. Based on this analyses, DOE has determined that the proposed action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) OF 1969 and has issued the Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)

A targeted glycan-related gene screen reveals heparan sulfate proteoglycan sulfation regulates WNT and BMP trans-synaptic signaling.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neil Dani

Full Text Available A Drosophila transgenic RNAi screen targeting the glycan genome, including all N/O/GAG-glycan biosynthesis/modification enzymes and glycan-binding lectins, was conducted to discover novel glycan functions in synaptogenesis. As proof-of-product, we characterized functionally paired heparan sulfate (HS 6-O-sulfotransferase (hs6st and sulfatase (sulf1, which bidirectionally control HS proteoglycan (HSPG sulfation. RNAi knockdown of hs6st and sulf1 causes opposite effects on functional synapse development, with decreased (hs6st and increased (sulf1 neurotransmission strength confirmed in null mutants. HSPG co-receptors for WNT and BMP intercellular signaling, Dally-like Protein and Syndecan, are differentially misregulated in the synaptomatrix of these mutants. Consistently, hs6st and sulf1 nulls differentially elevate both WNT (Wingless; Wg and BMP (Glass Bottom Boat; Gbb ligand abundance in the synaptomatrix. Anterograde Wg signaling via Wg receptor dFrizzled2 C-terminus nuclear import and retrograde Gbb signaling via synaptic MAD phosphorylation and nuclear import are differentially activated in hs6st and sulf1 mutants. Consequently, transcriptional control of presynaptic glutamate release machinery and postsynaptic glutamate receptors is bidirectionally altered in hs6st and sulf1 mutants, explaining the bidirectional change in synaptic functional strength. Genetic correction of the altered WNT/BMP signaling restores normal synaptic development in both mutant conditions, proving that altered trans-synaptic signaling causes functional differentiation defects.

Mushu, a free- and open source BCI signal acquisition, written in Python.

Science.gov (United States)

Venthur, Bastian; Blankertz, Benjamin

2012-01-01

The following paper describes Mushu, a signal acquisition software for retrieval and online streaming of Electroencephalography (EEG) data. It is written, but not limited, to the needs of Brain Computer Interfacing (BCI). It's main goal is to provide a unified interface to EEG data regardless of the amplifiers used. It runs under all major operating systems, like Windows, Mac OS and Linux, is written in Python and is free- and open source software licensed under the terms of the GNU General Public License.

The Danish St. Croix Project

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

J. Douma, Michael; Rasmussen, Anders Bo

2014-01-01

H. Seward, commonly viewed as an anti-colonizationist, was at least a mild proponent of colonization in its earliest stages. The paper demonstrates further that in the summer of 1862 the St. Croix colonization project was an important stepping stone in the Lincoln administration’s legal......Working from previously unknown sources in Danish archives, this article establishes for the first time the important role that the island of St. Croix played in the Lincoln Administration’s considerations on colonizing African Americans abroad. The paper argues that U.S. Secretary of State William....... The substantial conclusion of the paper is that, contrary to earlier perceptions in the historiography, African American colonization during the Civil War was not led and directed entirely from Washington. Rather, in this case, the Danish minister proposed a colonization plan and then worked with the United...

Extraction of Point Source Gamma Signals from Aerial Survey Data Taken over a Las Vegas Nevada, Residential Area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thane J. Hendricks

2007-01-01

Detection of point-source gamma signals from aerial measurements is complicated by widely varying terrestrial gamma backgrounds, since these variations frequently resemble signals from point-sources. Spectral stripping techniques have been very useful in separating man-made and natural radiation contributions which exist on Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) plant sites and other like facilities. However, these facilities are generally situated in desert areas or otherwise flat terrain with few man-made structures to disturb the natural background. It is of great interest to determine if the stripping technique can be successfully applied in populated areas where numerous man-made disturbances (houses, streets, yards, vehicles, etc.) exist

Assessment of infrasound signals recorded on seismic stations and infrasound arrays in the western United States using ground truth sources

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Junghyun; Hayward, Chris; Stump, Brian W.

2018-06-01

Ground truth sources in Utah during 2003-2013 are used to assess the contribution of temporal atmospheric conditions to infrasound detection and the predictive capabilities of atmospheric models. Ground truth sources consist of 28 long duration static rocket motor burn tests and 28 impulsive rocket body demolitions. Automated infrasound detections from a hybrid of regional seismometers and infrasound arrays use a combination of short-term time average/long-term time average ratios and spectral analyses. These detections are grouped into station triads using a Delaunay triangulation network and then associated to estimate phase velocity and azimuth to filter signals associated with a particular source location. The resulting range and azimuth distribution from sources to detecting stations varies seasonally and is consistent with predictions based on seasonal atmospheric models. Impulsive signals from rocket body detonations are observed at greater distances (>700 km) than the extended duration signals generated by the rocket burn test (up to 600 km). Infrasound energy attenuation associated with the two source types is quantified as a function of range and azimuth from infrasound amplitude measurements. Ray-tracing results using Ground-to-Space atmospheric specifications are compared to these observations and illustrate the degree to which the time variations in characteristics of the observations can be predicted over a multiple year time period.

D-DSC: Decoding Delay-based Distributed Source Coding for Internet of Sensing Things.

Science.gov (United States)

Aktas, Metin; Kuscu, Murat; Dinc, Ergin; Akan, Ozgur B

2018-01-01

Spatial correlation between densely deployed sensor nodes in a wireless sensor network (WSN) can be exploited to reduce the power consumption through a proper source coding mechanism such as distributed source coding (DSC). In this paper, we propose the Decoding Delay-based Distributed Source Coding (D-DSC) to improve the energy efficiency of the classical DSC by employing the decoding delay concept which enables the use of the maximum correlated portion of sensor samples during the event estimation. In D-DSC, network is partitioned into clusters, where the clusterheads communicate their uncompressed samples carrying the side information, and the cluster members send their compressed samples. Sink performs joint decoding of the compressed and uncompressed samples and then reconstructs the event signal using the decoded sensor readings. Based on the observed degree of the correlation among sensor samples, the sink dynamically updates and broadcasts the varying compression rates back to the sensor nodes. Simulation results for the performance evaluation reveal that D-DSC can achieve reliable and energy-efficient event communication and estimation for practical signal detection/estimation applications having massive number of sensors towards the realization of Internet of Sensing Things (IoST).

Globalization of S&T: Key Challenges Facing DOD

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-01

the necessary manufacturing methods. It may include concepts for novel marketing strategies to achieve widespread successful implementation in...Scanning 14. Scenario Workshops 15. Science Fictioning 16. Simulation Gaming 17. Surveys 18. SWOT Analysis 19. Weak Signals...employs the results of a full economic analysis for the period 2005–2050 to estimate the S&T knowledge production for each of the world’s 17 largest

Efficiency and Effectiveness in the Collection and Analysis of S&T Open Source Information

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pericou-Cayere, M.; Lemaire, P.; Pace, J.-M.; Baude, S.; Samson, N.

2015-01-01

While looking for information in scientific database, we are overwhelmed by the amount of information that we encounter. In this big data collection, getting information with added-value could be strategic for nuclear verification. In our study, we have worked about ''best practices'' in collecting, processing and analyzing open source scientific and technical information. First, we were insistent on working with information authenticated by referees such as scientific publications (structured information). Analysis of this structured data is made with bibliometric tools. Several steps are carried out: collecting data related to the paradigm, creating a database to store data generated by bibliographic research, analyzing data with selected tools. With analysis of bibliographic data only, we are able to get: · a panoramic view of countries that publish in the paradigm, · co-publication networks, · organizations that contribute to scientific publications, · countries with which a country collaborates, · areas of interest of a country, . . . So we are able to identify a target. On a second phase, we can focus on a target (countries for example). Working with non-structured data (i.e., press release, social networks, full text analysis of publications) is in progress and needs other tools to be added to the process, as we will discuss in this paper. In information analysis, methodology and expert analysis are important. Software analysis is just a tool to achieve our goal. This presentation deals with concrete measures that improve the efficiency and effectiveness in the use of open source S&T information and in the management of that information over time. Examples are shown. (author)

76 FR 17736 - Notice of Application for Approval of Discontinuance or Modification of a Railroad Signal System

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-30

... within Yard Limits, between MP 81.00 and MP 83.2, with the discontinuance and removal of automatic signal 821, at Scott St. (MP 82.03), and automatic signal 831 (MP 83.1) near Orleans St. Electric locks will...-operation and an electric lock will be installed. An electric lock is to be installed on the hand-operated...

Environmental Assessment on the leasing of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, St. James Terminal, St. James Parish, Louisiana

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-01-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to lease the Strategic Petroleum Reserve`s (SPR) St. James Terminal to private industry. The St. James Terminal consists of six storage tanks, a pumping station, two maine docks and ancillary facilities. DOE believes that the St. James Terminal presents an opportunity to establish a government- industry arrangement that could more effectively use this asset to serve the nations`s oil distribution needs, reduce the operational cost of the SPR, and provide a source of revenue for the Government. DOE solicited interest in leasing its distribution facilities in a notice published March 16, 1994. In response, industry has expressed interest in leasing the St. James Terminal, as well as several DOE pipelines, to enhance the operation of its own facilities or to avoid having to construct new ones. Under such a lease, industry use would be subordinate to DOE use in the event of a national energy emergency. This Environmental Assessment describes the proposed leasing operation, its alternatives, and potential environmental impacts. Based on this analyses, DOE has determined that the proposed action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) OF 1969 and has issued the Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).

A new method for quantifying the performance of EEG blind source separation algorithms by referencing a simultaneously recorded ECoG signal.

Science.gov (United States)

Oosugi, Naoya; Kitajo, Keiichi; Hasegawa, Naomi; Nagasaka, Yasuo; Okanoya, Kazuo; Fujii, Naotaka

2017-09-01

Blind source separation (BSS) algorithms extract neural signals from electroencephalography (EEG) data. However, it is difficult to quantify source separation performance because there is no criterion to dissociate neural signals and noise in EEG signals. This study develops a method for evaluating BSS performance. The idea is neural signals in EEG can be estimated by comparison with simultaneously measured electrocorticography (ECoG). Because the ECoG electrodes cover the majority of the lateral cortical surface and should capture most of the original neural sources in the EEG signals. We measured real EEG and ECoG data and developed an algorithm for evaluating BSS performance. First, EEG signals are separated into EEG components using the BSS algorithm. Second, the EEG components are ranked using the correlation coefficients of the ECoG regression and the components are grouped into subsets based on their ranks. Third, canonical correlation analysis estimates how much information is shared between the subsets of the EEG components and the ECoG signals. We used our algorithm to compare the performance of BSS algorithms (PCA, AMUSE, SOBI, JADE, fastICA) via the EEG and ECoG data of anesthetized nonhuman primates. The results (Best case >JADE = fastICA >AMUSE = SOBI ≥ PCA >random separation) were common to the two subjects. To encourage the further development of better BSS algorithms, our EEG and ECoG data are available on our Web site (http://neurotycho.org/) as a common testing platform. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Bispectral pairwise interacting source analysis for identifying systems of cross-frequency interacting brain sources from electroencephalographic or magnetoencephalographic signals

Science.gov (United States)

Chella, Federico; Pizzella, Vittorio; Zappasodi, Filippo; Nolte, Guido; Marzetti, Laura

2016-05-01

Brain cognitive functions arise through the coordinated activity of several brain regions, which actually form complex dynamical systems operating at multiple frequencies. These systems often consist of interacting subsystems, whose characterization is of importance for a complete understanding of the brain interaction processes. To address this issue, we present a technique, namely the bispectral pairwise interacting source analysis (biPISA), for analyzing systems of cross-frequency interacting brain sources when multichannel electroencephalographic (EEG) or magnetoencephalographic (MEG) data are available. Specifically, the biPISA makes it possible to identify one or many subsystems of cross-frequency interacting sources by decomposing the antisymmetric components of the cross-bispectra between EEG or MEG signals, based on the assumption that interactions are pairwise. Thanks to the properties of the antisymmetric components of the cross-bispectra, biPISA is also robust to spurious interactions arising from mixing artifacts, i.e., volume conduction or field spread, which always affect EEG or MEG functional connectivity estimates. This method is an extension of the pairwise interacting source analysis (PISA), which was originally introduced for investigating interactions at the same frequency, to the study of cross-frequency interactions. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated in simulations for up to three interacting source pairs and for real MEG recordings of spontaneous brain activity. Simulations show that the performances of biPISA in estimating the phase difference between the interacting sources are affected by the increasing level of noise rather than by the number of the interacting subsystems. The analysis of real MEG data reveals an interaction between two pairs of sources of central mu and beta rhythms, localizing in the proximity of the left and right central sulci.

Fusion power core engineering for the ARIES-ST power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tillack, M.S.; Wang, X.R.; Pulsifer, J.; Malang, S.; Sze, D.K.; Billone, M.; Sviatoslavsky, I.

2003-01-01

ARIES-ST is a 1000 MWe fusion power plant based on a low aspect ratio 'spherical torus' (ST) plasma. The ARIES-ST power core was designed to accommodate the unique features of an ST power plant, to meet the top-level requirements of an attractive fusion energy source, and to minimize extrapolation from the fusion technology database under development throughout the world. The result is an advanced helium-cooled ferritic steel blanket with flowing PbLi breeder and tungsten plasma-interactive components. Design improvements, such as the use of SiC inserts in the blanket to extend the outlet coolant temperature range were explored and the results are reported here. In the final design point, the power and particle loads found in ARIES-ST are relatively similar to other advanced tokamak power plants (e.g. ARIES-RS [Fusion Eng. Des. 38 (1997) 3; Fusion Eng. Des. 38 (1997) 87]) such that exotic technologies were not required in order to satisfy all of the design criteria. Najmabadi and the ARIES Team [Fusion Eng. Des. (this issue)] provide an overview of ARIES-ST design. In this article, the details of the power core design are presented together with analysis of the thermal-hydraulic, thermomechanical and materials behavior of in-vessel components. Detailed engineering analysis of ARIES-ST TF and PF systems, nuclear analysis, and safety are given in the companion papers

Peter St. John | NREL

Science.gov (United States)

St. John Photo of Peter St. John Peter St. John Researcher III-Chemical Engineering Peter.StJohn @nrel.gov | 303-384-7969 Orcid ID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7928-3722 Education Peter St. John received his engineering from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2015. During his Ph.D., St. John applied

Investigation of model based beamforming and Bayesian inversion signal processing methods for seismic localization of underground sources

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oh, Geok Lian; Brunskog, Jonas

2014-01-01

Techniques have been studied for the localization of an underground source with seismic interrogation signals. Much of the work has involved defining either a P-wave acoustic model or a dispersive surface wave model to the received signal and applying the time-delay processing technique and frequ...... that for field data, inversion for localization is most advantageous when the forward model completely describe all the elastic wave components as is the case of the FDTD 3D elastic model....

APPLICATION OF COMPENSATION METHOD FOR SEPARATION USEFUL SIGNAL AND INTERFERENCE FROM NEARBY SOURCES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Based on the comparative analysis of the known methods of noise suppression the ratios for the angular measurements are obtained. A mathematical model experiment to estimate the dependence of measurement error on the relative position of interference source and useful signal has been conducted. The modified method of interfer- ence compensation is tested experimentally. The analysis of obtained angular measurements for the considered methods shows that the modified method of compensation allows obtaining more precise estimates. The analyzed methodsallow considerably eliminating the useful signal from the antenna additional channel which reduces errors of angular misalignment.To determine the degree of the radar error analytically is not always possible, and in future comparison of the ef- fectiveness of various methods of interference compensation will be expected to conduct by means of mathematical model-ing of radar closed contour.

Increasing signal-to-noise ratio of swept-source optical coherence tomography by oversampling in k-space

Science.gov (United States)

Nagib, Karim; Mezgebo, Biniyam; Thakur, Rahul; Fernando, Namal; Kordi, Behzad; Sherif, Sherif

2018-03-01

Optical coherence tomography systems suffer from noise that could reduce ability to interpret reconstructed images correctly. We describe a method to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of swept-source optical coherence tomography (SSOCT) using oversampling in k-space. Due to this oversampling, information redundancy would be introduced in the measured interferogram that could be used to reduce white noise in the reconstructed A-scan. We applied our novel scaled nonuniform discrete Fourier transform to oversampled SS-OCT interferograms to reconstruct images of a salamander egg. The peak-signal-to-noise (PSNR) between the reconstructed images using interferograms sampled at 250MS/s andz50MS/s demonstrate that this oversampling increased the signal-to-noise ratio by 25.22 dB.

ST2 suppresses IL-6 production via the inhibition of IκB degradation induced by the LPS signal in THP-1 cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takezako, Naoki; Hayakawa, Morisada; Hayakawa, Hiroko; Aoki, Shinsuke; Yanagisawa, Ken; Endo, Hitoshi; Tominaga, Shin-ichi

2006-01-01

LPS induces the production of inflammatory cytokines via the stimulation of Toll-like receptors. In this study, we demonstrated that a soluble secreted form of the ST2 gene product (ST2), a member of the interleukin-1 receptor family, suppressed the production of IL-6 in an LPS-stimulated human monocytic leukemia cell line, THP-1. Immunofluorescence confocal microscopy revealed the binding of ST2 to the surface of the THP-1 cells, in which ST2 led to decreased binding of nuclear factor-κB to the IL-6 promoter. Furthermore, the degradation of IκB in the cytoplasm after LPS stimulation was reduced by pretreatment with ST2. These results demonstrated that ST2 negatively regulates LPS-induced IL-6 production via the inhibition of IκB degradation in THP-1 cells

Saturation transfer EPR (ST-EPR) for dating biocarbonates containing large amount of Mn2+: separation of SO3- and CO2- lines and geochronology of Brazilian fish fossil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sastry, M.D.; Andrade, M.B.; Watanabe, Shigueo

2003-01-01

A method using saturation transfer EPR (ST-EPR) is shown to be feasible for detecting EPR signal of radiation-induced defects in biocarbonates containing large amount of Mn 2+ . The ST-EPR measurements conducted at room temperature on fish fossil of Brazilian origin, enabled the identification of CO 2 - and SO 3 - radical ions, by partially suppressing the intense signal from Mn 2+ when the signal are detected 90 deg. out of phase with magnetic field modulating signal and at high microwave power (50 mW). Using these signals the age of fish fossil is estimated to be (36±5) Ma

Deposition in St. Mark's Basilica of Venice.

Science.gov (United States)

Morabito, E; Zendri, E; Piazza, R; Ganzerla, R; Montalbani, S; Marcoleoni, E; Bonetto, F; Scandella, A; Barbante, C; Gambaro, A

2013-04-01

Atmospheric pollutants may cause damage to monuments and historical buildings. Besides air contaminants, soluble salts are also responsible for stone deterioration and decay in outdoor and indoor monuments. The problem of how to conserve works of arts thus requires a deep knowledge of contaminants' concentration and distribution inside buildings. In this work, water-soluble ions inside St. Mark's Basilica in Venice were studied, with the aim of understanding their principal source and distribution inside the building. With the aid of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy analysis, the interaction between ions and surface's material was also investigated. Ion chromatographic analysis of depositions highlighted a large amount of "deteriorating agents" such as sulphates and chlorides. A possible source in the innermost area of the basilica has been found for formates and nitrates. On the contrary, a decrease of chloride, from the entrance to the innermost area, has been found, which indicates that the source is outside the building. It is emphasized that different contaminants behave differently on different material, and the effect of pollution inside churches and monuments is not easy to predict. Wood and brick seem to react differently than stone and mortar to the damaging action of salts and pollutants. The present work should be considered a useful tool for the future preservation of St. Mark's Basilica in Venice.

Wavelet transform and ANNs for detection and classification of power signal disturbances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Memon, A.P.; Uqaili, M.A.; Memon, Z.A.

2012-01-01

This article proposes WT (Wavelet Transform) and an ANN (Artificial Neural Network) based approach for detection and classification of EPQDs (Electrical Power Quality Disturbances). A modified WT known as ST (Stockwell Transform) is suggested for feature extraction and PNN (probabilistic Neural Network) for pattern classification. The ST possesses outstanding time-frequency resolution characteristics and its phase correction techniques determine the phase of the WT to the zero time point The feature vectors for the input of PNN are extracted using ST technique and these obtained features are discrete, logical, and unaffected to noisy data of distorted signals. The data of the models required to develop the distorted EPQ (Electrical Power Quality) signals, is obtained within the ranges specified by IEEE 1159-1995 in its literatures. The features vectors including noisy time varying data during steady state or transient condition and extracted using the ST, are trained through PNN for pattern classification. Their simulation results demonstrate that the proposed methodology is successful and can classify EPQDs even under a noisy environment very efficiently with an average classification accuracy of 96%. (author)

1st International Conference on Signal, Networks, Computing, and Systems

CERN Document Server

Mohapatra, Durga; Nagar, Atulya; Sahoo, Manmath

2016-01-01

The book is a collection of high-quality peer-reviewed research papers presented in the first International Conference on Signal, Networks, Computing, and Systems (ICSNCS 2016) held at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India during February 25–27, 2016. The book is organized in to two volumes and primarily focuses on theory and applications in the broad areas of communication technology, computer science and information security. The book aims to bring together the latest scientific research works of academic scientists, professors, research scholars and students in the areas of signal, networks, computing and systems detailing the practical challenges encountered and the solutions adopted.

MEG (Magnetoencephalography) multipolar modeling of distributed sources using RAP-MUSIC (Recursively Applied and Projected Multiple Signal Characterization)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mosher, J. C. (John C.); Baillet, S. (Sylvain); Jerbi, K. (Karim); Leahy, R. M. (Richard M.)

2001-01-01

We describe the use of truncated multipolar expansions for producing dynamic images of cortical neural activation from measurements of the magnetoencephalogram. We use a signal-subspace method to find the locations of a set of multipolar sources, each of which represents a region of activity in the cerebral cortex. Our method builds up an estimate of the sources in a recursive manner, i.e. we first search for point current dipoles, then magnetic dipoles, and finally first order multipoles. The dynamic behavior of these sources is then computed using a linear fit to the spatiotemporal data. The final step in the procedure is to map each of the multipolar sources into an equivalent distributed source on the cortical surface. The method is illustrated through an application to epileptic interictal MEG data.

St. Louis encephalitis virus possibly transmitted through blood transfusion-Arizona, 2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Venkat, Heather; Adams, Laura; Sunenshine, Rebecca; Krow-Lucal, Elisabeth; Levy, Craig; Kafenbaum, Tammy; Sylvester, Tammy; Smith, Kirk; Townsend, John; Dosmann, Melissa; Kamel, Hany; Patron, Roberto; Kuehnert, Matthew; Annambhotla, Pallavi; Basavaraju, Sridhar V; Rabe, Ingrid B

2017-12-01

St. Louis encephalitis virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that infrequently causes epidemic central nervous system infections. In the United States, blood donors are not screened for St. Louis encephalitis virus infection, and transmission through blood transfusion has not been reported. During September 2015, St. Louis encephalitis virus infection was confirmed in an Arizona kidney transplant recipient. An investigation was initiated to determine the infection source. The patient was interviewed, and medical records were reviewed. To determine the likelihood of mosquito-borne infection, mosquito surveillance data collected at patient and blood donor residences in timeframes consistent with their possible exposure periods were reviewed. To investigate other routes of exposure, organ and blood donor and recipient specimens were obtained and tested for evidence of St. Louis encephalitis virus infection. The patient presented with symptoms of central nervous system infection. Recent St. Louis encephalitis virus infection was serologically confirmed. The organ donor and three other organ recipients showed no laboratory or clinical evidence of St. Louis encephalitis virus infection. Among four donors of blood products received by the patient via transfusion, one donor had a serologically confirmed, recent St. Louis encephalitis virus infection. Exposure to an infected mosquito was unlikely based on the patient's minimal outdoor exposure. In addition, no St. Louis encephalitis virus-infected mosquito pools were identified around the patient's residence. This investigation provides evidence of the first reported possible case of St. Louis encephalitis virus transmission through blood product transfusion. Health care providers and public health professionals should maintain heightened awareness for St. Louis encephalitis virus transmission through blood transfusion in settings where outbreaks are identified. © 2017 AABB.

Blind source deconvolution for deep Earth seismology

Science.gov (United States)

Stefan, W.; Renaut, R.; Garnero, E. J.; Lay, T.

2007-12-01

We present an approach to automatically estimate an empirical source characterization of deep earthquakes recorded teleseismically and subsequently remove the source from the recordings by applying regularized deconvolution. A principle goal in this work is to effectively deblur the seismograms, resulting in more impulsive and narrower pulses, permitting better constraints in high resolution waveform analyses. Our method consists of two stages: (1) we first estimate the empirical source by automatically registering traces to their 1st principal component with a weighting scheme based on their deviation from this shape, we then use this shape as an estimation of the earthquake source. (2) We compare different deconvolution techniques to remove the source characteristic from the trace. In particular Total Variation (TV) regularized deconvolution is used which utilizes the fact that most natural signals have an underlying spareness in an appropriate basis, in this case, impulsive onsets of seismic arrivals. We show several examples of deep focus Fiji-Tonga region earthquakes for the phases S and ScS, comparing source responses for the separate phases. TV deconvolution is compared to the water level deconvolution, Tikenov deconvolution, and L1 norm deconvolution, for both data and synthetics. This approach significantly improves our ability to study subtle waveform features that are commonly masked by either noise or the earthquake source. Eliminating source complexities improves our ability to resolve deep mantle triplications, waveform complexities associated with possible double crossings of the post-perovskite phase transition, as well as increasing stability in waveform analyses used for deep mantle anisotropy measurements.

21st centuries skill implication on educational system

Science.gov (United States)

Wrahatnolo, T.; Munoto

2018-01-01

The purpose of this article is to identify skill needed in 21st centuries and its implication on Indonesia’s educational system. This research found that the 21st centuries skill application has more measurable benefits in some sections of life, such as critical thinking and problem solving, initiative, creativity, and entrepreneurship, communication, teamwork, metacognition (change of mindset), digital literature. This study applied qualitative data analysis. The data were taken from different sources and literature. The analysis showed that The 21st centuries education concept’s implementation can be applied in the curriculum of the required subject that is addressed to achieve learning and innovation skills competence and also technology and information media skills competence. While supporting subject group directed to achieve life and career skills competence. All subjects are the derivation from core subject 3R, which are reading, writing, and arithmetic. Based on the description above, it can be concluded that 21st centuries skill needs; (1) a life planning; (2) flexibility and adaptability; (3) initiative and self-management (4) entrepreneurship; (5) social and cultural interaction; (6) productivity and accountability; (7) leadership; (8) critical thinking, (9) problem solving; (10) communication; (11) collaboration and teamwork; (12) lifelong learning; and (13) digital literation.

21st Century Community Learning Centers: Providing Afterschool and Summer Learning Support to Communities Nationwide

Science.gov (United States)

Afterschool Alliance, 2014

2014-01-01

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative is the only federal funding source dedicated exclusively to before-school, afterschool, and summer learning programs. Each state education agency receives funds based on its share of Title I funding for low-income students at high-poverty, low performing schools. Funds are also…

Top-Down Control of Visual Alpha Oscillations: Sources of Control Signals and Their Mechanisms of Action

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chao; Rajagovindan, Rajasimhan; Han, Sahng-Min; Ding, Mingzhou

2016-01-01

Alpha oscillations (8–12 Hz) are thought to inversely correlate with cortical excitability. Goal-oriented modulation of alpha has been studied extensively. In visual spatial attention, alpha over the region of visual cortex corresponding to the attended location decreases, signifying increased excitability to facilitate the processing of impending stimuli. In contrast, in retention of verbal working memory, alpha over visual cortex increases, signifying decreased excitability to gate out stimulus input to protect the information held online from sensory interference. According to the prevailing model, this goal-oriented biasing of sensory cortex is effected by top-down control signals from frontal and parietal cortices. The present study tests and substantiates this hypothesis by (a) identifying the signals that mediate the top-down biasing influence, (b) examining whether the cortical areas issuing these signals are task-specific or task-independent, and (c) establishing the possible mechanism of the biasing action. High-density human EEG data were recorded in two experimental paradigms: a trial-by-trial cued visual spatial attention task and a modified Sternberg working memory task. Applying Granger causality to both sensor-level and source-level data we report the following findings. In covert visual spatial attention, the regions exerting top-down control over visual activity are lateralized to the right hemisphere, with the dipoles located at the right frontal eye field (FEF) and the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) being the main sources of top-down influences. During retention of verbal working memory, the regions exerting top-down control over visual activity are lateralized to the left hemisphere, with the dipoles located at the left middle frontal gyrus (MFG) being the main source of top-down influences. In both experiments, top-down influences are mediated by alpha oscillations, and the biasing effect is likely achieved via an inhibition

Molecular evidence for the thriving of Campylobacter jejuni ST-4526 in Japan.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroshi Asakura

Full Text Available Campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of human gastroenteritis worldwide. This study aimed at a better understanding of the genetic diversity of this pathogen disseminated in Japan. We performed multilocus sequence typing (MLST of Campylobacter jejuni isolated from different sources (100 human, 61 poultry, and 51 cattle isolates in Japan between 2005 and 2006. This approach identified 62 sequence types (STs and 19 clonal complexes (CCs, including 11 novel STs. These 62 STs were phylogenetically divided into 6 clusters, partially exhibiting host association. We identified a novel ST (ST-4526 that has never been reported in other countries; a phylogenetic analysis showed that ST-4526 and related STs showed distant lineage from the founder ST, ST-21 within CC-21. Comparative genome analysis was performed to investigate which properties could be responsible for the successful dissemination of ST-4526 in Japan. Results revealed that three representative ST-4526 isolates contained a putative island comprising the region from Cj0737 to Cj0744, which differed between the ST-4526 isolates and the reference strain NCTC11168 (ST-43/CC-21. Amino acid sequence alignment analyses showed that two of three ST-4526 isolates expressed 693aa- filamentous hemagglutination domain protein (FHA, while most of other C. jejuni strains whose genome were sequenced exhibited its truncation. Correspondingly, host cell binding of FHA-positive C. jejuni was greater than that of FHA-truncated strains, and exogenous administration of rFHA protein reduced cell adhesion of FHA-positive bacteria. Biochemical assays showed that this putative protein exhibited a dose-dependent binding affinity to heparan sulfate, indicating its adhesin activity. Moreover, ST-4526 showed increased antibiotic-resistance (nalidixic acid and fluoroquinolones and a reduced ability for DNA uptake. Taken together, our data suggested that these combined features contributed to the clonal thriving of ST

Detection, Source Location, and Analysis of Volcano Infrasound

Science.gov (United States)

McKee, Kathleen F.

in volcanic environments. The fumarolic jet noise was found to have a sustained, low amplitude signal with a spectral peak between 7-10 Hz. From thermal imagery we measure the jet temperature ( 260 °C) and estimate the jet diameter ( 2.5 m). From the estimated jet diameter, an assumed Strouhal number of 0.19, and the jet noise peak frequency, we estimated the jet velocity to be 79 - 132 m/s. We used published gas data to then estimate the volatile flux at 160 - 270 kg/s (14,000 - 23,000 t/d). These estimates are typically difficult to obtain in volcanic environments, but provide valuable information on the eruption. At regional and global length scales we use infrasound arrays to detect signals and determine their source back-azimuths. A ground coupled airwave (GCA) occurs when an incident acoustic pressure wave encounters the Earth's surface and part of the energy of the wave is transferred to the ground. GCAs are commonly observed from sources such as volcanic eruptions, bolides, meteors, and explosions. They have been observed to have retrograde particle motion. When recorded on collocated seismo-acoustic sensors, the phase between the infrasound and seismic signals is 90°. If the sensors are separated wind noise is usually incoherent and an additional phase is added due to the sensor separation. We utilized the additional phase and the characteristic particle motion to determine a unique back-azimuth solution to an acoustic source. The additional phase will be different depending on the direction from which a wave arrives. Our technique was tested using synthetic seismo-acoustic data from a coupled Earth-atmosphere 3D finite difference code and then applied to two well-constrained datasets: Mount St. Helens, USA, and Mount Pagan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Volcanoes. The results from our method are within <1° - 5° of the actual and traditional infrasound array processing determined back-azimuths. Ours is a new method to detect and determine

Nonnegative Tensor Factorization Approach Applied to Fission Chamber’s Output Signals Blind Source Separation

Science.gov (United States)

Laassiri, M.; Hamzaoui, E.-M.; Cherkaoui El Moursli, R.

2018-02-01

Inside nuclear reactors, gamma-rays emitted from nuclei together with the neutrons introduce unwanted backgrounds in neutron spectra. For this reason, powerful extraction methods are needed to extract useful neutron signal from recorded mixture and thus to obtain clearer neutron flux spectrum. Actually, several techniques have been developed to discriminate between neutrons and gamma-rays in a mixed radiation field. Most of these techniques, tackle using analogue discrimination methods. Others propose to use some organic scintillators to achieve the discrimination task. Recently, systems based on digital signal processors are commercially available to replace the analog systems. As alternative to these systems, we aim in this work to verify the feasibility of using a Nonnegative Tensor Factorization (NTF) to blind extract neutron component from mixture signals recorded at the output of fission chamber (WL-7657). This last have been simulated through the Geant4 linked to Garfield++ using a 252Cf neutron source. To achieve our objective of obtaining the best possible neutron-gamma discrimination, we have applied the two different NTF algorithms, which have been found to be the best methods that allow us to analyse this kind of nuclear data.

Stāstu stāstīšanas izmantošana lasīšanas veicināšanas pasākumos

OpenAIRE

Mežjāne, Signe

2014-01-01

Bakalaura darba mērķis ir noskaidrot, vai stāstu stāstīšana ir efektīvs lasīšanas veicināšanas paņēmiens bērniem. Pētījuma problēma ir mūsdienu bērnu nevēlēšanās lasīt, lasīšanu varētu veicināt stāstu stāstīšana bibliotēkās. Darbā tiek analizēts stāstu stāstīšanas process atbilstoši bērnu vecumposmam, izmantojot dažādus runas stilus. Teorētiskā bāze ir balstīta uz Lasītāja reakcijas kritikas teoriju un Runas darbības teoriju. Galvenie pētījuma uzdevumi ir noskaidrot, vai Latvijas bibliotē...

75 FR 51945 - Safety Zone; Potomac River, St. Mary's River, St. Inigoes, MD

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-24

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Potomac River, St. Mary's River, St. Inigoes, MD AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION... of the St. Mary's River, a tributary of the Potomac River. This action is necessary to provide for.... Navy helicopter located near St. Inigoes, Maryland. This safety zone is intended to protect the...

3S2: Behavioral Response Studies of Cetaceans to Navy Sonar Signals in Norwegian Waters

Science.gov (United States)

2015-09-30

Sonar Signals in Norwegian Waters Peter L. Tyack University of St Andrews School of Biology Scottish Oceans Institute East Sands St Andrews...with a tagged minke whale. Data in the top 4 panels were derived from observations from the trackboat (‘ MOB ’). Note the strong change in diving

StAR Enhances Transcription of Genes Encoding the Mitochondrial Proteases Involved in Its Own Degradation

Science.gov (United States)

Bahat, Assaf; Perlberg, Shira; Melamed-Book, Naomi; Lauria, Ines; Langer, Thomas

2014-01-01

Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) is essential for steroid hormone synthesis in the adrenal cortex and the gonads. StAR activity facilitates the supply of cholesterol substrate into the inner mitochondrial membranes where conversion of the sterol to a steroid is catalyzed. Mitochondrial import terminates the cholesterol mobilization activity of StAR and leads to mounting accumulation of StAR in the mitochondrial matrix. Our studies suggest that to prevent mitochondrial impairment, StAR proteolysis is executed by at least 2 mitochondrial proteases, ie, the matrix LON protease and the inner membrane complexes of the metalloproteases AFG3L2 and AFG3L2:SPG7/paraplegin. Gonadotropin administration to prepubertal rats stimulated ovarian follicular development associated with increased expression of the mitochondrial protein quality control system. In addition, enrichment of LON and AFG3L2 is evident in StAR-expressing ovarian cells examined by confocal microscopy. Furthermore, reporter studies of the protease promoters examined in the heterologous cell model suggest that StAR expression stimulates up to a 3.5-fold increase in the protease gene transcription. Such effects are StAR-specific, are independent of StAR activity, and failed to occur upon expression of StAR mutants that do not enter the matrix. Taken together, the results of this study suggest the presence of a novel regulatory loop, whereby acute accumulation of an apparent nuisance protein in the matrix provokes a mitochondria to nucleus signaling that, in turn, activates selected transcription of genes encoding the enrichment of mitochondrial proteases relevant for enhanced clearance of StAR. PMID:24422629

Source locations for impulsive electric signals seen in the night ionosphere of Venus

Science.gov (United States)

Russell, C. T.; Von Dornum, M.; Scarf, F. L.

1989-01-01

A mapping of the rate of occurrence of impulsive VLF noise bursts in Venus' dark low altitude ionosphere, which increases rapidly with decreasing altitude, as a function of latitude and longitude indicates enhanced occurrence rates over Atla. In a 30-sec observing period, there are impulsive signals 70 percent of the time at 160 km in the region of maximum occurrence; the occurrence rates, moreover, increase with decreasing latitude, so that the equatorial rate is of the order of 1.6 times that at 30 deg latitude. These phenomena are in keeping with lightning-generated wave sources.

St. Vicent Ferrer’s Catalán sermon on St. Martin of Tours

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Ferreiro, Alberto

2013-12-01

Full Text Available One of the most widely venerated saints in the Middle Ages was St. Martin of Tours whose cult continues to this day in many parts of the world. In the Middle Ages, he became as popular as other major saints such as Thomas Becket, Santiago de Compostela and the Virgin Mary. St. Martin’s cult became very prominent in the Iberian Peninsula before and after the emergence of the cult of Santiago de Compostela. In St. Vicent Ferrer’s voluminous sermons this one in Catalán is dedicated to this most venerated Gallic saint. The most important late antique and early medieval sources that form the background of this sermon are by Sulpicius Severus- the Gallus and Vita Sancti Martini. In the high Middle Ages, however, his cult was popularized through the Legenda Aurea written by the Dominican Jacobus of Voragine, who synthesized Sulpicius’ two works on St. Martin. Moreover, St. Vicent preached not to make any major doctrinal breakthroughs- his main interest was to evangelize, not to write academic theology- he nevertheless exhibited great creativity. The object of this study is St. Vicent’s Catalán sermon Alius Sermo Sancti Martini, CXXXIV.Uno de los santos más venerados en la edad media fue San Martín de Tours, cuyo culto continúa hasta hoy en muchas partes del mundo. En la edad media, se hizo tan popular como otros grandes Santos: Thomas Becket, Santiago de Compostela y la Virgen María. El culto de San Martín se hizo prominente en la Península Ibérica antes y después de la aparición del culto a Santiago de Compostela. En los sermones voluminosos de San Vicente Ferrer esta uno en Catalán que está dedicado a este santo tan venerado de Galia. Las fuentes más importantes procedentes de la antigu.edad tardía y principios medievales que forma el fondo de este sermón son Gallus y la Vita Sancti Martini de Sulpicio Severo. Sin embargo, en la alta edad media, su culto se popularizó a través de la Legenda Aurea escrita por el dominico

Phenotypic and Genotypic Eligible Methods for Salmonella Typhimurium Source Tracking.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrari, Rafaela G; Panzenhagen, Pedro H N; Conte-Junior, Carlos A

2017-01-01

Salmonellosis is one of the most common causes of foodborne infection and a leading cause of human gastroenteritis. Throughout the last decade, Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium (ST) has shown an increase report with the simultaneous emergence of multidrug-resistant isolates, as phage type DT104. Therefore, to successfully control this microorganism, it is important to attribute salmonellosis to the exact source. Studies of Salmonella source attribution have been performed to determine the main food/food-production animals involved, toward which, control efforts should be correctly directed. Hence, the election of a ST subtyping method depends on the particular problem that efforts must be directed, the resources and the data available. Generally, before choosing a molecular subtyping, phenotyping approaches such as serotyping, phage typing, and antimicrobial resistance profiling are implemented as a screening of an investigation, and the results are computed using frequency-matching models (i.e., Dutch, Hald and Asymmetric Island models). Actually, due to the advancement of molecular tools as PFGE, MLVA, MLST, CRISPR, and WGS more precise results have been obtained, but even with these technologies, there are still gaps to be elucidated. To address this issue, an important question needs to be answered: what are the currently suitable subtyping methods to source attribute ST. This review presents the most frequently applied subtyping methods used to characterize ST, analyses the major available microbial subtyping attribution models and ponders the use of conventional phenotyping methods, as well as, the most applied genotypic tools in the context of their potential applicability to investigates ST source tracking.

Phenotypic and Genotypic Eligible Methods for Salmonella Typhimurium Source Tracking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafaela G. Ferrari

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Salmonellosis is one of the most common causes of foodborne infection and a leading cause of human gastroenteritis. Throughout the last decade, Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium (ST has shown an increase report with the simultaneous emergence of multidrug-resistant isolates, as phage type DT104. Therefore, to successfully control this microorganism, it is important to attribute salmonellosis to the exact source. Studies of Salmonella source attribution have been performed to determine the main food/food-production animals involved, toward which, control efforts should be correctly directed. Hence, the election of a ST subtyping method depends on the particular problem that efforts must be directed, the resources and the data available. Generally, before choosing a molecular subtyping, phenotyping approaches such as serotyping, phage typing, and antimicrobial resistance profiling are implemented as a screening of an investigation, and the results are computed using frequency-matching models (i.e., Dutch, Hald and Asymmetric Island models. Actually, due to the advancement of molecular tools as PFGE, MLVA, MLST, CRISPR, and WGS more precise results have been obtained, but even with these technologies, there are still gaps to be elucidated. To address this issue, an important question needs to be answered: what are the currently suitable subtyping methods to source attribute ST. This review presents the most frequently applied subtyping methods used to characterize ST, analyses the major available microbial subtyping attribution models and ponders the use of conventional phenotyping methods, as well as, the most applied genotypic tools in the context of their potential applicability to investigates ST source tracking.

Magmagenesis at Soufriere volcano St Vincent, Lesser Antilles Arc

Science.gov (United States)

Heath, E.; Macdonald, R.; Belkin, H.; Hawkesworth, C.; Sigurdsson, Haraldur

1998-01-01

Soufriere volcano of St Vincent (3 wt %, whereas various projections onto phase diagrams are more consistent with relatively anhydrous magmas. Primary magmas at Soufriere were generated by around 15% melting of mid-ocean ridge basalt type mantle sources which had been modified by addition of fluids released from the slab containing contributions from subducted sediments and mafic crust.

Expression and potential roles of IL-33/ST2 in the immune regulation during Clonorchis sinensis infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Qian; Li, Xiang-Yang; Cheng, Xiao-Dan; Shen, Li-Ping; Fang, Fan; Zhang, Bo; Hua, Hui; Yan, Chao; Tang, Ren-Xian; Zheng, Kui-Yang

2016-06-01

During clonorchiasis, immune responses of hosts are responsible for the removal of the worms and also are involved in the progress of the pathological damage caused by Clonorchis sinensis. Interleukin-33 (IL-33), a recently described cytokine signaling through the ST2 receptor, has emerged as a potent inducer to bile duct proliferation and fibrosis; however, little is known of this signaling in the pathogen-caused periductal inflammation and fibrosis. In the present study, using immunohistochemistry, real-time PCR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and flow cytometry, we studied the expression of IL-33/ST2 during C. sinensis infection, as well as their potential roles in C. sinensis-induced host immune responses. The results showed that a higher level of IL-33 was detected in the sera of patients of clonorchiasis (n = 45), compared with in those of healthy donors (n = 16). Similarly, in FVB mice experimentally infected with C. sinensis, a higher level of IL-33 was detected at latent stage both in the serum and in the liver, as well as the up-regulated expression of ST2 receptor on the inflammatory cells, especially on CD4(+) T cells in the liver of infected mice. Our results, for the first time, indicated that the increased IL-33/ST2 may be involved in the regulation of immunopathology induced by C. sinensis.

21ST-CENTURY TEACHERS: THE STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES

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Maida Norahmi

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The issues regarding the demands of creative, innovative, and professional teachers are certainly on the concern of stakeholders and practitioners in education. Substantial efforts were conducted by the government to meet the 21st-century teachers having the four competencies required for being a teacher and coping with the needs of modern education. A survey research was conducted to collect respondents’ opinion as the main source of data to describe whether the 21st-century teachers are on the demands and to gain information that the students have a similar perception to teacher’s competencies required by the government. Seventy-five questionnaires related to the competencies were given to students of English Education Study Program of 2013 to 2016. The questionnaires were aimed at collecting written information dealing with what the students perceived towards the activities implemented by teachers in the process of teaching and learning. The result of questionnaire analysis revealed that most students expected the 21st-century teachers to have skills in teaching and in connecting it with the development of today’s technology and today’s student characteristics. The data also showed that the students constructed the same characteristics of teacher’s competencies required by the government regarding pedagogy, personality, sociality, and professionality.

LED deep UV source for charge management of gravitational reference sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Kexun; Allard, Brett; Buchman, Saps; Williams, Scott; Byer, Robert L

2006-01-01

Proof mass electrical charge management is an important functionality for the ST-7-LTP technology demonstration flight and for LISA. Photoemission for charge control is accomplished by using deep ultraviolet (UV) light to excite photoelectron emission from an Au alloy. The conventional UV source is a mercury vapour lamp. We propose and demonstrate charge management using a deep UV light emitting diode (LED) source. We have acquired selected AlGaN UV LEDs, characterized their performance and successfully used them to realize charge management. The UV LEDs emit at a 257 nm central wavelength with a bandwidth of ∼12 nm. The UV power for a free-space LED is ∼120 μW, and after fibre coupling is ∼16 μW, more than sufficient for LISA applications. We have directly observed the LED UV light-induced photocurrent response from an Au photocathode and an Au-coated GRS/ST-7 proof mass. We demonstrated fast switching of UV LEDs and associated fast changes in photocurrent. This allows modulation and continuous discharge to meet stringent LISA disturbance reduction requirements. We propose and demonstrate AC charge management outside the gravitational wave signal band. Further, the megahertz bandwidth for UV LED switching allows for up to six orders of magnitude dynamic power range and a number of novel modes of operations. The UV LED based charge management system offers the advantages of small-size, lightweight, fibre-coupled operation with very low power consumption

Nichtperiodische zeitkontinuierliche Signale

Science.gov (United States)

Plaßmann, Wilfried

Nichtperiodische Signale haben eine große Bedeutung für die Nachrichten- und Datenübertragung, weil Information nur in nichtdeterministischen Signalen enthalten ist (Teil "Nachrichtentechnik", Abschn. 92.4.1). Aber auch für die Energie- und Regelungstechnik sind sie von Interesse, weil sie entweder Ein- und Ausschaltvorgänge erfassen oder den Übergang von einem momentan stationären Zustand in einen neuen darstellen (Kurzschluss im Energieversorgungsnetz, Auftreten einer Störgröße im Regelsystem). Die Fourier- und die Laplacetransformation können bei nichtperiodischen zeitkontinuierlichen Signalen eingesetzt werden.

Mercury bioaccumulation assessment for the St. Louis River Area of Concern (poster)

Science.gov (United States)

Elevated mercury concentrations have been documented in fish and invertebrates within the St. Louis River Area of Concern (AOC). Mercury bioavailability is affected by multiple factors, including mercury sources, sediment and water geochemistry, food web structure, individual fis...

The predictive value of P-wave duration by signal-averaged electrocardiogram in acute ST elevation myocardial infarction.

Science.gov (United States)

Shturman, Alexander; Bickel, Amitai; Atar, Shaul

2012-08-01

The prognostic value of P-wave duration has been previously evaluated by signal-averaged ECG (SAECG) in patients with various arrhythmias not associated with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). To investigate the clinical correlates and prognostic value of P-wave duration in patients with ST elevation AMI (STEMI). The patients (n = 89) were evaluated on the first, second and third day after admission, as well as one week and one month post-AMI. Survival was determined 2 years after the index STEMI. In comparison with the upper normal range of P-wave duration ( 40% (128.79 +/- 28 msec) (P = 0.001). P-wave duration above 120 msec was significantly correlated with increased complication rate; namely, sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmia (36%), congestive heart failure (41%), atrial fibrillation (11%), recurrent angina (14%), and re-infarction (8%) (P = 0.012, odds ratio 4.267, 95% confidence interval 1.37-13.32). P-wave duration of 126 msec on the day of admission was found to have the highest predictive value for in-hospital complications including LVEF 40% (area under the curve 0.741, P < 0.001). However, we did not find a significant correlation between P-wave duration and mortality after multivariate analysis. P-wave duration as evaluated by SAECG correlates negatively with LVEF post-STEMI, and P-wave duration above 126 msec can be utilized as a non-invasive predictor of in-hospital complications and low LVEF following STEMI.

ST2 Deficiency Ameliorates High Fat Diet-Induced Liver Steatosis In BALB/c Mice

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Jovicic Nemanja

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD is strongly associated with obesity, but the molecular mechanisms of liver steatosis and its progression to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and fibrosis are incompletely understood. Immune reactivity plays an important role in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. The IL-33/ST2 axis has a protective role in adiposity and atherosclerosis, but its role in obesity-associated metabolic disorders requires further clarification. To investigate the unresolved role of IL-33/ST2 signalling in NAFLD, we used ST2-deficient (ST2-/- and wild type (WT BALB/c mice maintained on a high-fat diet (HFD for 24 weeks. HFD-fed ST2-/- mice exhibited increased weight gain, visceral adipose tissue weight and triglyceridaemia and decreased liver weight compared with diet-matched WT mice. Compared with WT mice on an HFD, ST2 deletion significantly reduced hepatic steatosis, liver inflammation and fibrosis and downregulated the expression of genes related to lipid metabolism in the liver. The frequency of innate immune cells in the liver, including CD68+ macrophages and CD11c+ dendritic cells, was lower in HFD-fed ST2-/- mice, accompanied by lower TNFα serum levels compared with diet-matched WT mice. Less collagen deposition in the livers of ST2-/- mice on an HFD was associated with lower numbers of profibrotic CD11b+Ly6clow monocytes and CD4+IL-17+ T cells in the liver, lower hepatic gene expression of procollagen, IL-33 and IL-13, and lower serum levels of IL-33 and IL-13 compared with diet-matched WT mice.

Visualizing spikes in source-space

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beniczky, Sándor; Duez, Lene; Scherg, Michael

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Reviewing magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings is time-consuming: signals from the 306 MEG-sensors are typically reviewed divided into six arrays of 51 sensors each, thus browsing each recording six times in order to evaluate all signals. A novel method of reconstructing the MEG...... signals in source-space was developed using a source-montage of 29 brain-regions and two spatial components to remove magnetocardiographic (MKG) artefacts. Our objective was to evaluate the accuracy of reviewing MEG in source-space. METHODS: In 60 consecutive patients with epilepsy, we prospectively...... evaluated the accuracy of reviewing the MEG signals in source-space as compared to the classical method of reviewing them in sensor-space. RESULTS: All 46 spike-clusters identified in sensor-space were also identified in source-space. Two additional spike-clusters were identified in source-space. As 29...

Separating astrophysical sources from indirect dark matter signals

Science.gov (United States)

Siegal-Gaskins, Jennifer M.

2015-01-01

Indirect searches for products of dark matter annihilation and decay face the challenge of identifying an uncertain and subdominant signal in the presence of uncertain backgrounds. Two valuable approaches to this problem are (i) using analysis methods which take advantage of different features in the energy spectrum and angular distribution of the signal and backgrounds and (ii) more accurately characterizing backgrounds, which allows for more robust identification of possible signals. These two approaches are complementary and can be significantly strengthened when used together. I review the status of indirect searches with gamma rays using two promising targets, the Inner Galaxy and the isotropic gamma-ray background. For both targets, uncertainties in the properties of backgrounds are a major limitation to the sensitivity of indirect searches. I then highlight approaches which can enhance the sensitivity of indirect searches using these targets. PMID:25304638

78 FR 19632 - Special Local Regulations; St. Thomas Carnival Watersport Activities, Charlotte Amalie Harbor; St...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-02

...-AA08 Special Local Regulations; St. Thomas Carnival Watersport Activities, Charlotte Amalie Harbor; St... proposes to establish a special local regulation on the waters of Charlotte Amalie Harbor in St Thomas, USVI during the St. Thomas Carnival Watersport Activities, a high speed boat race. The event is...

Identification of the excitation source of the pressure vessel vibration in a Soviet built WWER PWR with signal transmission path analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Antonopoulos-Domis, M.; Mourtzanos, K.; Por, G.

1996-01-01

Signal transmission path analysis via multivariate auto-regressive modelling was applied at signals recorded at a WWER power reactor (Paks reactor, Hungary). The core is equipped with strings of self-powered neutron detectors (SPNDs). Each string has seven SPNDs. The signals were high pass filtered with cut-off at 0.03 Hz and low pass-filtered with cut-off at 25 Hz. The analysis suggests that the source of excitation of all signals at 25 Hz is due to main coolant pump vibration. It was confirmed that there is vibration of main coolant pumps at this frequency due to a bearing problem. Signal transmission path analysis also suggests direct paths from outlet coolant to inlet coolant pressure and in-core neutron detectors at the upper part of the core. (author)

Biodegradation of indole at high concentration by persolvent fermentation with Pseudomonas sp. ST-200.

Science.gov (United States)

Doukyu, N; Aono, R

1997-05-01

Pseudomonas sp. strain ST-200 grew on indole as a sole carbon source. The minimal inhibitory concentration of indole was 0.3 mg/ml for ST-200. However, ST-200 grew in a persolvent fermentation system containing a large amount of indole (a medium containing 20% by vol. diphenylmethane and 4 mg/ml indole), because most of the indole was partitioned in the organic solvent layer. When the organism was grown in the medium containing indole at 1 mg/ml in the presence of diphenylmethane, more than 98% of the indole was consumed after 48h. Isatic acid (0.4 mg/ml) and isatin (0.03 mg/ml) were produced as the metabolites in the aqueous medium layer.

Electron Signal Detection for the Beam-Finder Wire of the Linac Coherent Light Source Undulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Juhao; Emma, P.; Field, R.C.; SLAC

2006-01-01

The Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) is a SASE x-ray Free-Electron Laser (FEL) based on the final kilometer of the Stanford Linear Accelerator. The tight tolerances for positioning the electron beam close to the undulator axis calls for the introduction of Beam Finder Wire (BFW) device. A BFW device close to the upstream end of the undulator segment and a quadrupole close to the down stream end of the undulator segment will allow a beam-based undulator segment alignment. Based on the scattering of the electrons on the BFW, we can detect the electron signal in the main dump bends after the undulator to find the beam position. We propose to use a threshold Cherenkov counter for this purpose. According to the signal strength at such a Cherenkov counter, we then suggest choice of material and size for such a BFW device in the undulator

ACRR fission product release tests: ST-1 and ST-2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, M.D.; Stockman, H.W.; Reil, K.O.; Grimley, A.J.; Camp, W.J.

1988-01-01

Two experiments (ST-1 and ST-2) have been performed in the Annular Core Research Reactor (ACRR) at Sandia National Laboratories (SNLA) to obtain time-resolved data on the release of fission products from irradiated fuels under light water reactor (LWR) severe accident conditions. Both experiments were conducted in a highly reducing environment at maximum fuel temperatures of greater than 2400 K. These experiments were designed specifically to investigate the effect of increased total pressure on fission product release; ST-1 was performed at approximately 0.16 MPa and ST-2 was run at 1.9 MPa, whereas other parameters were matched as closely as possible. Release rate data were measured for Cs, I, Ba, Sr, Eu, Te, and U. The release rates were higher than predicted by existing codes for Ba, Sr, Eu, and U. Te release was very low, but Te did not appear to be sequestered by the zircaloy cladding; it was evenly distributed in the fuel. In addition, in posttest analysis a unique fuel morphology (fuel swelling) was observed which may have enhanced fission product release, especially in the high pressure test (ST-2). These data are compared with analytical results from the CORSOR correlation and the VICTORIA computer model

Evidence for degassing of fresh magma during the 2004-2008 eruption of Mount St. Helens: Subtle signals from the hydrothermal system

Science.gov (United States)

Bergfeld, Deborah; Evans, William C.; Spicer, Kurt R.; Hunt, Andrew G.; Kelly, Peter

2017-01-01

Results from chemical and isotopic analyses of water and gas collected between 2002 and 2016 from sites on and around Mount St. Helens are used to assess magmatic degassing related to the 2004-2008 eruption. During 2005 the chemistry of hot springs in The Breach of Mount St. Helens showed no obvious response to the eruption, and over the next few years, changes were subtle, giving only slight indications of perturbations in the system. By 2010 however, water chemistry, temperatures, and isotope compositions (δD and δ18O) clearly indicated some inputs of volatiles and heat associated with the eruption, but the changes were such that they could be attributed to a pre-existing, gas depleted magma. An increase of ~ 1.5‰ in the δ13C values of dissolved carbon in the springs was noted in 2006 and continued through 2009, a change that was mirrored by a similar shift in δ13C-CO2 in bubble gas emissions. These changes require input of a new source of carbon to the hydrothermal system and provide clear evidence of CO2 from an undegassed body of magma. Rising trends in 3He/4He ratios in gas also accompanied the increases in δ13C. Since 2011 maximum RC/RA values are ≥ 6.4 and are distinctly higher than 5 samples collected between 1986 and 2002, and provide additional evidence for some involvement of new magma as early as 2006, and possibly earlier, given the unknown time needed for CO2 and He to traverse the system and arrive at the springs.

Galleria mellonella infection model demonstrates high lethality of ST69 and ST127 uropathogenic E. coli.

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Majed F Alghoribi

Full Text Available Galleria mellonella larvae are an alternative in vivo model for investigating bacterial pathogenicity. Here, we examined the pathogenicity of 71 isolates from five leading uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC lineages using G. mellonella larvae. Larvae were challenged with a range of inoculum doses to determine the 50% lethal dose (LD50 and for analysis of survival outcome using Kaplan-Meier plots. Virulence was correlated with carriage of a panel of 29 virulence factors (VF. Larvae inoculated with ST69 and ST127 isolates (10(4 colony-forming units/larvae showed significantly higher mortality rates than those infected with ST73, ST95 and ST131 isolates, killing 50% of the larvae within 24 hours. Interestingly, ST131 isolates were the least virulent. We observed that ST127 isolates are significantly associated with a higher VF-score than isolates of all other STs tested (P≤0.0001, including ST69 (P<0.02, but one ST127 isolate (strain EC18 was avirulent. Comparative genomic analyses with virulent ST127 strains revealed an IS1 mediated deletion in the O-antigen cluster in strain EC18, which is likely to explain the lack of virulence in the larvae infection model. Virulence in the larvae was not correlated with serotype or phylogenetic group. This study illustrates that G. mellonella are an excellent tool for investigation of the virulence of UPEC strains. The findings also support our suggestion that the incidence of ST127 strains should be monitored, as these isolates have not yet been widely reported, but they clearly have a pathogenic potential greater than that of more widely recognised clones, including ST73, ST95 or ST131.

ST proteins, a new family of plant tandem repeat proteins with a DUF2775 domain mainly found in Fabaceae and Asteraceae.

Science.gov (United States)

Albornos, Lucía; Martín, Ignacio; Iglesias, Rebeca; Jiménez, Teresa; Labrador, Emilia; Dopico, Berta

2012-11-07

Many proteins with tandem repeats in their sequence have been described and classified according to the length of the repeats: I) Repeats of short oligopeptides (from 2 to 20 amino acids), including structural cell wall proteins and arabinogalactan proteins. II) Repeats that range in length from 20 to 40 residues, including proteins with a well-established three-dimensional structure often involved in mediating protein-protein interactions. (III) Longer repeats in the order of 100 amino acids that constitute structurally and functionally independent units. Here we analyse ShooT specific (ST) proteins, a family of proteins with tandem repeats of unknown function that were first found in Leguminosae, and their possible similarities to other proteins with tandem repeats. ST protein sequences were only found in dicotyledonous plants, limited to several plant families, mainly the Fabaceae and the Asteraceae. ST mRNAs accumulate mainly in the roots and under biotic interactions. Most ST proteins have one or several Domain(s) of Unknown Function 2775 (DUF2775). All deduced ST proteins have a signal peptide, indicating that these proteins enter the secretory pathway, and the mature proteins have tandem repeat oligopeptides that share a hexapeptide (E/D)FEPRP followed by 4 partially conserved amino acids, which could determine a putative N-glycosylation signal, and a fully conserved tyrosine. In a phylogenetic tree, the sequences clade according to taxonomic group. A possible involvement in symbiosis and abiotic stress as well as in plant cell elongation is suggested, although different STs could play different roles in plant development. We describe a new family of proteins called ST whose presence is limited to the plant kingdom, specifically to a few families of dicotyledonous plants. They present 20 to 40 amino acid tandem repeat sequences with different characteristics (signal peptide, DUF2775 domain, conservative repeat regions) from the described group of 20 to 40

Mast cell-dependent IL-33/ST2 signaling is protective against the development of airway hyperresponsiveness in a house dust mite mouse model of asthma.

Science.gov (United States)

Zoltowska Nilsson, A M; Lei, Y; Adner, M; Nilsson, G P

2018-03-01

Interleukin-33 (IL-33) and its receptor ST2 have been influentially associated with the pathophysiology of asthma. Due to the divergent roles of IL-33 in regulating mast cell functions, there is a need to further characterize IL-33/ST2-dependent mast cell responses and their significance in the context of asthma. This study aimed to investigate how IL-33/ST2-dependent mast cell responses contribute to the development of airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and airway inflammation in a mouse model of house dust mite (HDM)-induced asthma. Mast cell-deficient C57BL/6-Kit W-sh (Wsh) mice engrafted with either wild-type (Wsh + MC-WT) or ST2-deficient bone marrow-derived mast cells (Wsh + MC-ST2KO) were exposed to HDM delivered intranasally. An exacerbated development of AHR in response to HDM was seen in Wsh + MC-ST2KO compared with Wsh + MC-WT mice. The contribution of this IL-33/ST2-dependent mast cell response to AHR seems to reside within the smaller airways in the peripheral parts of the lung, as suggested by the isolated yet marked effect on tissue resistance. Considering the absence of a parallel increase in cellular inflammation in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung, the aggravated AHR in Wsh + MC-ST2KO mice seems to be independent of cellular inflammation. We observed an association between the elevated AHR and reduced PGE 2 levels in BALF . Due to the protective properties of PGE 2 in airway responses, it is conceivable that IL-33/ST2-dependent mast cell induction of PGE 2 could be responsible for the dampening effect on AHR. In conclusion, we reveal that IL-33/ST2-dependent mast cell responses can have a protective, rather than causative role, in the development of AHR.

Prevalence of first-pass myocardial perfusion defects detected by contrast-enhanced dual-source CT in patients with non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndromes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schepis, Tiziano; Achenbach, Stephan; Marwan, Mohamed; Muschiol, Gerd; Ropers, Dieter; Daniel, Werner G.; Pflederer, Tobias [University of Erlangen, Department of Internal Medicine 2 (Cardiology), Erlangen (Germany)

2010-07-15

To investigate the prevalence and diagnostic value of first-pass myocardial perfusion defects (PD) visualised by contrast-enhanced multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) in patients admitted for a first acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Thirty-eight patients with non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) or unstable angina (UA) and scheduled for percutaneous coronary intervention underwent dual-source CT immediately before catheterisation. CT images were analysed for the presence of any PD by using a 17-segment model. Results were compared with peak cardiac troponin-I (cTnI) and angiography findings. PD were seen in 21 of the 24 patients with NSTEMI (median peak cTnI level 7.07 ng/mL; range 0.72-37.07 ng/mL) and in 2 of 14 patients with UA. PD corresponded with the territory of the infarct-related artery in 20 out of 22 patients. In a patient-based analysis, sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive values of any PD for predicting NSTEMI were 88%, 86%, 80% and 91%. Per culprit artery, the respective values were 86%, 75%, 80% and 83%. In patients with non-ST segment elevation ACS, first-pass myocardial PD in contrast-enhanced MDCT correlate closely with the presence of myocardial necrosis, as determined by increases in cTnI levels. (orig.)

Signal-dependent independent component analysis by tunable mother wavelets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seo, Kyung Ho

2006-02-01

The objective of this study is to improve the standard independent component analysis when applied to real-world signals. Independent component analysis starts from the assumption that signals from different physical sources are statistically independent. But real-world signals such as EEG, ECG, MEG, and fMRI signals are not statistically independent perfectly. By definition, standard independent component analysis algorithms are not able to estimate statistically dependent sources, that is, when the assumption of independence does not hold. Therefore before independent component analysis, some preprocessing stage is needed. This paper started from simple intuition that wavelet transformed source signals by 'well-tuned' mother wavelet will be simplified sufficiently, and then the source separation will show better results. By the correlation coefficient method, the tuning process between source signal and tunable mother wavelet was executed. Gamma component of raw EEG signal was set to target signal, and wavelet transform was executed by tuned mother wavelet and standard mother wavelets. Simulation results by these wavelets was shown

33 CFR 100.915 - St. Clair River Classic Offshore Race, St. Clair, MI.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false St. Clair River Classic Offshore Race, St. Clair, MI. 100.915 Section 100.915 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY REGATTAS AND MARINE PARADES SAFETY OF LIFE ON NAVIGABLE WATERS § 100.915 St. Clair River...

The 21st Century Writing Program: Collaboration for the Common Good

Science.gov (United States)

Moberg, Eric

2010-01-01

The purpose of this report is to review the literature on theoretical frameworks, best practices, and conceptual models for the 21st century collegiate writing program. Methods include electronic database searches for recent and historical peer-reviewed scholarly literature on collegiate writing programs. The author analyzed over 65 sources from…

Environmental Inventory Report. East St. Louis and Vicinity, Cahokia Canal Drainage Area, Madison and St. Clair Counties, Illinois. Volume 2.

Science.gov (United States)

1981-05-01

81 C A THORNTON OACV378-C-0055 WI-CLASSIFIED NIL all1 3. 11112. liii112.0 IIIJIL251 11111. MICROCOPY RESOLUTION .1TEST CH!ART SAA099708 LVEL EAST ST...achieving the annual arithmetic mean standard. Source: Larsen, Ralph I., Ph.D., "A Mathematical Model for Relating Air Quality Measurements to Air Quality...compari- son of the mathematically simulated isopleth values produced from the Illinois EPA short term model discussed later on. Unless pollu- tant

Asthenospheric percolation of alkaline melts beneath the St. Paul region (Central Atlantic Ocean)

Science.gov (United States)

Brunelli, Daniele; Seyler, Monique

2010-01-01

Two peridotite suites collected by submersible in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean (Hekinian et al., 2000) were studied for textures, modes, and in situ major and trace element compositions in pyroxenes. Dive SP12 runs along the immersed flank of the St. Peter and Paul Rocks islets where amphibole-bearing, ultramafic mylonites enriched in alkalies and incompatible elements are exposed (Roden et al., 1984), whereas dive SP03 sampled a small intra-transform spreading centre situated about 370 km east of the St. Peter and Paul Rocks. Both suites are characterized by undeformed, coarse-grained granular textures typical of abyssal peridotites, derived from residual mantle after ˜ 15% melting of a DMM source, starting in the garnet stability field. Trace element modelling, textures and lack of mineral zoning indicate that the residual peridotites were percolated, reacted and refertilized by ˜ 2.6% partially aggregated melts in the uppermost level of the melting region. This relatively large amount of refertilization is in agreement with the cold and thick lithosphere inferred by previous studies. Freezing of trapped melts occurred as the peridotite entered the conductive layer, resulting in late-stage crystallization of olivine, clinopyroxene, spinel, ± plagioclase. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns in clinopyroxenes from SP03 indicate that they last equilibrated with (ultra-) depleted partial melts. In contrast, REE concentrations in clinopyroxenes from SP12 display U and S shaped LREE-enriched patterns and the calculated compositions of the impregnating melts span the compositional range of the regional basalts, which vary from normal MORB to alkali basalt sometimes modified by chromatographic fractionation with no, or very limited, mineral reaction. Thus the mylonitic band forming the St. Peter and St. Paul Rocks ridge is not a fragment of subcontinental lithospheric mantle left behind during the opening of the Central Atlantic, nor the source of the alkaline basalts

Recognition Memory zROC Slopes for Items with Correct versus Incorrect Source Decisions Discriminate the Dual Process and Unequal Variance Signal Detection Models

Science.gov (United States)

Starns, Jeffrey J.; Rotello, Caren M.; Hautus, Michael J.

2014-01-01

We tested the dual process and unequal variance signal detection models by jointly modeling recognition and source confidence ratings. The 2 approaches make unique predictions for the slope of the recognition memory zROC function for items with correct versus incorrect source decisions. The standard bivariate Gaussian version of the unequal…

76 FR 44531 - Safety Zone; Fourth Annual Chillounge Night St. Petersburg Fireworks Display, Tampa Bay, St...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-26

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Fourth Annual Chillounge Night St. Petersburg Fireworks Display, Tampa Bay, St... proposes to establish a temporary safety zone on the waters of Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, Florida during the Fourth Annual Chillounge Night St. Petersburg Fireworks Display on Saturday, November 19, 2011...

76 FR 68098 - Safety Zone; Fourth Annual Chillounge Night St. Petersburg Fireworks Display, Tampa Bay, St...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-03

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Fourth Annual Chillounge Night St. Petersburg Fireworks Display, Tampa Bay, St... Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the waters of Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, Florida during the Fourth Annual Chillounge Night St. Petersburg Fireworks Display on Saturday, November 19, 2011...

ST peak during percutaneous coronary intervention serves as an early prognostic predictor in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lønborg, Jacob; Kelbæk, Henning; Engstrøm, Thomas

2014-01-01

AIMS: To evaluate the clinical importance of the ST peak phenomenon during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). METHODS AND RESULTS: Continuous ST monitoring was performed in 942 STEMI patients from arrival until 90...... minutes after revascularisation. ST peak was defined as ≥1 mm increase in the ST-segment during PCI compared with the ST elevation before intervention. ST peak was observed in 26.9% of patients. During median follow-up of 4.1 years, 20.7% of patients experienced a major adverse cardiac event (MACE). ST...... and ST peak including ST resolution and epicardial flow, ST peak remained significantly associated with MACE: adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.40 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.95) and 1.41 (95% CI: 1.02-1.96). CONCLUSIONS: In the largest study hitherto evaluating the ST peak phenomenon during primary...

Gravity, Magnetic and Electromagnetic Gradiometry; Strategic technologies in the 21st century

Science.gov (United States)

Veryaskin, Alexey V.

2018-02-01

Gradiometry is a multidisciplinary area that combines theoretical and applied physics, ultra-low noise electronics, precision engineering, and advanced signal processing. Applications include the search for oil, gas, and mineral resources, GPS-free navigation, defence, space missions, and medical research. This book provides readers with a comprehensive introduction, history, potential applications, and current developments in relation to some of the most advanced technologies in the 21st Century.

The differential Howland current source with high signal to noise ratio for bioimpedance measurement system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Jinzhen; Li, Gang; Lin, Ling, E-mail: linling@tju.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement Technology and Instruments, Tianjin University, Tianjin, People' s Republic of China, and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biomedical Detecting Techniques and Instruments, Tianjin University, Tianjin (China); Qiao, Xiaoyan [College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Shanxi University, Shanxi (China); Wang, Mengjun [School of Information Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin (China); Zhang, Weibo [Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing (China)

2014-05-15

The stability and signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the current source circuit are the important factors contributing to enhance the accuracy and sensitivity in bioimpedance measurement system. In this paper we propose a new differential Howland topology current source and evaluate its output characters by simulation and actual measurement. The results include (1) the output current and impedance in high frequencies are stabilized after compensation methods. And the stability of output current in the differential current source circuit (DCSC) is 0.2%. (2) The output impedance of two current circuits below the frequency of 200 KHz is above 1 MΩ, and below 1 MHz the output impedance can arrive to 200 KΩ. Then in total the output impedance of the DCSC is higher than that of the Howland current source circuit (HCSC). (3) The SNR of the DCSC are 85.64 dB and 65 dB in the simulation and actual measurement with 10 KHz, which illustrates that the DCSC effectively eliminates the common mode interference. (4) The maximum load in the DCSC is twice as much as that of the HCSC. Lastly a two-dimensional phantom electrical impedance tomography is well reconstructed with the proposed HCSC. Therefore, the measured performance shows that the DCSC can significantly improve the output impedance, the stability, the maximum load, and the SNR of the measurement system.

Intraurban Spatiotemporal Variability of Ambient Air Pollutants across Metropolitan St. Louis

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Li

Ambient air monitoring networks have been established in the United States since the 1970s to comply with the Clean Air Act. The monitoring networks are primarily used to determine compliance but also provide substantive support to air quality management and air quality research including studies on health effects of air pollutants. The Roxana Air Quality Study (RAQS) was conducted at the fenceline of a petroleum refinery in Roxana, Illinois. In addition to providing insights into air pollutant impacts from the refinery, these measurements increased the St. Louis area monitoring network density for gaseous air toxics and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) speciation and thus provided an opportunity to examine intraurban spatiotemporal variability for these air quality parameters. This dissertation focused on exploring and assessing aspects of ambient air pollutant spatiotemporal variability in the St. Louis area from three progressively expanded spatial scales using a suite of methods and metrics. RAQS data were used to characterize air quality conditions in the immediate vicinity of the petroleum refinery. For example, PM2.5 lanthanoids were used to track impacts from refinery fluidized bed catalytic cracker emissions. RAQS air toxics data were interpreted by comparing to network data from the Blair Street station in the City of St. Louis which is a National Air Toxics Trends Station. Species were classified as being spatially homogeneous (similar between sites) or heterogeneous (different between sites) and in the latter case these differences were interpreted using surface winds data. For PM 2.5 species, there were five concurrently operating sites in the St. Louis area - including the site in Roxana - which are either formally part of the national Chemical Speciation Network (CSN) or rigorously follow the CSN sampling and analytical protocols. This unusually large number of speciation sites for a region the size of St. Louis motivated a detailed examination of

The Differences in the Feast Day of St. Onnohprius the Great

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Voitenko Anton

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The article investigates the differences in the feast day of a famous Egyptian hermit St. Onnophrius the Great (the 4th century. In Christian traditions a few dates of St. Onnophrius’ celebration are known, the most common ones are three: 10, 11 and 12 June after the Julian calendar. These dates, which are close to each other, cannot point out some diff erent and independent church traditions in veneration of the saint, more likely they conjecture an error or an intentional slight transference of his feast day in some Christian Churches. Date June 10 corresponds to Paone 16 after the Coptic calendar and it is a day of remembrance of St. Onnophrius in the Coptic Church. The reasons for this discrepancy have not been studied to the present day. The author through his analysis of unpublished manuscripts has established the origin of the date June 11, as well as he has suggested the causes of the rise of the date June 12. All other known days of St. Onnohprius’ commemoration (6, 8, 9, 13 and 17 June can be considered like «marginal» ones and their origins require additional research based on other sources.

Emergence in Taiwan of novel imipenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii ST455 causing bloodstream infection in critical patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hao-Yuan; Huang, Chih-Wei; Chen, Chyi-Liang; Wang, Yi-Hsin; Chang, Chee-Jen; Chiu, Cheng-Hsun

2015-12-01

Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the most important nosocomial pathogens worldwide. This study aimed to use multilocus sequence typing (MLST) for the epidemiological surveillance of A. baumannii isolates in Taiwan and analyze the clinical presentations and patients' outcome. MLST according to both Bartual's PubMLST and Pasteur's MLST schemes was applied to characterize bloodstream imipenem-resistant A. baumannii (IRAB) infection in intensive care units in a medical center. A total of 39 clinical IRAB bloodstream isolates in 2010 were enrolled. We also collected 13 imipenem-susceptible A. baumannii (ISAB) bloodstream isolates and 30 clinical sputum isolates (24 IRAB and 6 ISAB) for comparison. Clinical presentations and outcome of the patients were analyzed. We found that infection by ST455(B)/ST2(P) and inappropriate initial therapy were statistically significant risk factors for mortality. More than one-third of the IRAB isolates belonged to ST455(B)/ST2(P). Most ST455(B)/ST2(P) (80%) carried ISAba1-blaOXA-23, including 10 (66.7%) with Tn2006 (ISAba1-blaOXA-23-ISAba1) in an AbaR4-type resistance island. ST455(B)/ST2(P) appears to evolve from ST208(B)/ST2(P) of clonal complex (CC) 92(B)/CC2(P). In this hospital-based study, A. baumannii ST455 accounted for 38.5% of IRAB bacteremia, with a high mortality of 86.7%. Approximately 85% of ST455(B)/ST2(P)bacteremia had a primary source of ventilation-associated pneumonia. We report the emergence in Taiwan of IRAB ST455(B)/ST2(P), which is the current predominant clone of IRAB in our hospital and has been causing bacteremia with high mortality in critical patients. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Radioactive sources service

CERN Multimedia

2006-01-01

Please note that, as of 1st May, the Radioactive Sources Service will be open full-time, i.e. from 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., on alternate weeks (rather than part-time, from 8.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m., every day, as at present). The weeks in which the Service will be open during the coming month are listed below: week No. 18: from 01/05 to 05/05 week No. 20: from 15/05 to 19/05 week No. 22: from 29/05 to 02/06 http://cern.ch/service-rp-sources

Monitoring a restless volcano: The 2004 eruption of Mount St. Helens

Science.gov (United States)

Gardner, C.

2005-01-01

Although the precise course of volcanic activity is difficult to predict, volcanologists are pretty adept at interpreting volcanic signals from well-monitored volcanoes in order to make short-term forecasts. Various monitoring tools record effects to give us warning before eruptions, changes in eruptive behavior during eruptions, or signals that an eruption is ending. Foremost among these tools is seismic monitoring. The character, size, depth and rate of earthquakes are all important to the interpretation of what is happening belowground. The first inkling of renewed activity at Mount St. Helens began in the early hours of Sept. 23, when a seismic swarm - tens to hundreds of earthquakes over days to a week - began beneath the volcano. This article details the obervations made during the eruptive sequence.

From 21st century skills to 21st century human being

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hjøllund, Niels-Peder Osmundsen; Jørgensen, Tobias Heiberg

2017-01-01

In Denmark, in Scandinavia and in all of Europe there is a lot of talk about the skills of the future. But if we want our students to aim for and gain a different learning outcome, we must set new and different standards for the way we teach – and start to walk the talk. The focus of the presenta...... CLD and we must take the next step, where we stop thinking about skills and competencies and start thinking and acting on the fundamental existential implication of the 21st century. What we need now is not more 21st century skills, but 21st century human beings....

Amphiregulin mediates hCG-induced StAR expression and progesterone production in human granulosa cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Lanlan; Yu, Yiping; Zhang, Ruizhe; He, Jingyan; Sun, Ying-Pu

2016-04-26

Progesterone plays critical roles in maintaining a successful pregnancy at the early embryonic stage. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) rapidly induces amphiregulin (AREG) expression. However, it remains unknown whether AREG mediates hCG-induced progesterone production. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the role of AREG in hCG-induced progesterone production and the underlying molecular mechanism in human granulosa cells; primary cells were used as the experimental model. We demonstrated that the inhibition of EGFR and the knockdown of AREG abolished hCG-induced steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) expression and progesterone production. Importantly, follicular fluid AREG levels were positively correlated with progesterone levels in the follicular fluid and serum. Treatment with AREG increased StAR expression and progesterone production, and these stimulatory effects were abolished by EGFR inhibition. Moreover, activation of ERK1/2, but not PI3K/Akt, signaling was required for the AREG-induced up-regulation of StAR expression and progesterone production. Our results demonstrate that AREG mediates hCG-induced StAR expression and progesterone production in human granulosa cells, providing novel evidence for the role of AREG in the regulation of steroidogenesis.

The role of a new CD44st in increasing the invasion capability of the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang, Xin Jian; Jiang, Hua; Zhao, Xv Peng; Jiang, Wei Mei

2011-01-01

CD44, a hyaluronan (HA) receptor, is a multistructural and multifunctional cell surface molecule involved in cell proliferation, cell differentiation, cell migration, angiogenesis, presentation of cytokines, chemokines and growth factors to the corresponding receptors, and docking of proteases at the cell membrane, as well as in signaling for cell survival. The CD44 gene contains 20 exons that are alternatively spliced, giving rise to many CD44 isoforms, perhaps including tumor-specific sequences. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting were used to detect CD44st mRNA and CD44 protein in sensitive MCF-7, Lovo, K562 and HL-60 cell lines as well as their parental counterparts, respectively. The full length cDNA encoding CD44st was obtained from the total RNA isolated from MCF-7/Adr cells by RT-PCR, and subcloned into the pMD19-T vector. The CD44st gene sequence and open reading frame were confirmed by restriction enzyme analysis and nucleotide sequencing, and then inserted into the eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3.1. The pcDNA3.1-CD44st was transfected into MCF-7 cells using Lipofectamine. After transfection, the positive clones were obtained by G418 screening. The changes of the MMP-2 and MMP-9 genes and protein levels were detected by RT-PCR and gelatin zymography, respectively. The number of the cells penetrating through the artificial matrix membrane in each group (MCF-7, MCF-7+HA, MCF-7/neo, MCF-7/neo+HA, MCF-7/CD44st, MCF-7/CD44st+HA and MCF-7/CD44st+Anti-CD44+HA) was counted to compare the change of the invasion capability regulated by the CD44st. Erk and P-Erk were investigated by Western blotting to approach the molecular mechanisms of MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression regulated by the CD44st. Sensitive MCF-7, Lovo, K562 and HL-60 cells did not contain CD44st mRNA and CD44 protein. In contrast, the multidrug resistance MCF-7/Adr, Lovo/Adr, K562/Adr and HL-60/Adr cells expressed CD44st mRNA and CD44 protein. The CD44st m

76 FR 55158 - Approval of Noise Compatibility Program for Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, St. Louis, MO

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-06

... Program for Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, St. Louis, MO AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration... noise compatibility program submitted by the St. Louis Airport Authority under the provisions of 49 U.S...''). On April 5, 2011, the FAA determined that the noise exposure maps submitted by the St. Louis Airport...

DOE pollution prevention in the 21st century. Proceedings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1996-12-31

This CD-ROM contains the proceedings from the DOE Pollution Prevention in the 21st Century Conference XII held July 9-11, 1996. Topics included model facilities, federal and NEPA stakeholders, microchemistry, source 4 solvents and reduction, education and outreach planning, return on investment, energy management, decontamination and decommissioning, planning and regulations, environmental restoration, solid waste, recycling, affirmative procurement in the executive branch, construction and demolition, international and ISO 14000, and poster sessions.

DOE pollution prevention in the 21st century. Proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

This CD-ROM contains the proceedings from the DOE Pollution Prevention in the 21st Century Conference XII held July 9-11, 1996. Topics included model facilities, federal and NEPA stakeholders, microchemistry, source 4 solvents and reduction, education and outreach planning, return on investment, energy management, decontamination and decommissioning, planning and regulations, environmental restoration, solid waste, recycling, affirmative procurement in the executive branch, construction and demolition, international and ISO 14000, and poster sessions

The spread of KPC-producing Enterobacteriaceae in Spain: WGS analysis of the emerging high-risk clones of Klebsiella pneumoniae ST11/KPC-2, ST101/KPC-2 and ST512/KPC-3.

Science.gov (United States)

Oteo, Jesús; Pérez-Vázquez, María; Bautista, Verónica; Ortega, Adriana; Zamarrón, Pilar; Saez, David; Fernández-Romero, Sara; Lara, Noelia; Ramiro, Raquel; Aracil, Belén; Campos, José

2016-12-01

We analysed the microbiological traits and population structure of KPC-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolates collected in Spain between 2012 and 2014. We also performed a comparative WGS analysis of the three major KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae clones detected. Carbapenemase and ESBL genes were sequenced. The Institut Pasteur MLST scheme was used. WGS data were used to construct phylogenetic trees, to identify the determinants of resistance and to de novo assemble the genome of one representative isolate of each of the three major K. pneumoniae clones. Of the 2443 carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolates identified during the study period, 111 (4.5%) produced KPC. Of these, 81 (73.0%) were K. pneumoniae and 13 (11.7%) were Enterobacter cloacae. Three major epidemic clones of K. pneumoniae were identified: ST11/KPC-2, ST101/KPC-2 and ST512/KPC-3. ST11/KPC-2 differed from ST101/KPC-2 and ST512/KPC-3 by 27 819 and 6924 SNPs, respectively. ST101/KPC-2 differed from ST512/KPC-3 by 28 345 SNPs. Nine acquired resistance genes were found in ST11/KPC-2, 11 in ST512/KPC-3 and 13 in ST101/KPC-2. ST101/KPC-2 had the highest number of virulence genes (20). An 11 bp deletion at the end of the mgrB sequence was the cause of colistin resistance in ST512/KPC-3. KPC-producing Enterobacteriaceae are increasing in Spain. Most KPC-producing K. pneumoniae isolates belonged to only five clones: ST11 and ST512 caused interregional spread, ST101 caused regional spread and ST1961 and ST678 produced independent hospital outbreaks. ST101/KPC-2 had the highest number of resistance and virulence genes. ST101/KPC-2 and ST512/KPC-3 were recently implicated in the spread of KPC in Italy. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Team Danmarks støttekoncept

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Storm, Rasmus K.

Evaluering af Team Danmarks støttekoncept 2005-2008 med omfattende analyser af Team Danmarks virke, dets støttekoncept og de samarbejdsrelationer med specialforbund, udøvere, politisk valgte ledere, trænere mv., som udmøntningen af støttekonceptet forudsætter. Herunder analyse af...

High Resolution of the ECG Signal by Polynomial Approximation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Rozinaj

2006-04-01

Full Text Available Averaging techniques as temporal averaging and space averaging have been successfully used in many applications for attenuating interference [6], [7], [8], [9], [10]. In this paper we introduce interference removing of the ECG signal by polynomial approximation, with smoothing discrete dependencies, to make up for averaging methods. The method is suitable for low-level signals of the electrical activity of the heart often less than 10 m V. Most low-level signals arising from PR, ST and TP segments which can be detected eventually and their physiologic meaning can be appreciated. Of special importance for the diagnostic of the electrical activity of the heart is the activity bundle of His between P and R waveforms. We have established an artificial sine wave to ECG signal between P and R wave. The aim focus is to verify the smoothing method by polynomial approximation if the SNR (signal-to-noise ratio is negative (i.e. a signal is lower than noise.

St. John's Wort (image)

Science.gov (United States)

The herb St. John's Wort is believed to be helpful in relieving mild to moderate depression, but should only be taken under a physician's supervision. St. John's Wort may clash with other medications or ...

ACHP | News | St. Elizabeths Programmatic Agreement Signed

Science.gov (United States)

Search skip specific nav links Home arrow News arrow St. Elizabeths Programmatic Agreement Signed St redevelopment of the St. Elizabeths West Campus, which is part of the St. Elizabeths National Historic Landmark this project, due to the historic significance of the NHL. GSA's client for the St. Elizabeths

First genome report on novel sequence types of Neisseria meningitidis: ST12777 and ST12778.

Science.gov (United States)

Veeraraghavan, Balaji; Lal, Binesh; Devanga Ragupathi, Naveen Kumar; Neeravi, Iyyan Raj; Jeyaraman, Ranjith; Varghese, Rosemol; Paul, Miracle Magdalene; Baskaran, Ashtawarthani; Ranjan, Ranjini

2018-03-01

Neisseria meningitidis is an important causative agent of meningitis and/or sepsis with high morbidity and mortality. Baseline genome data on N. meningitidis, especially from developing countries such as India, are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the whole genome sequences of N. meningitidis isolates from a tertiary care centre in India. Whole-genome sequencing was performed using an Ion Torrent™ Personal Genome Machine™ (PGM) with 400-bp chemistry. Data were assembled de novo using SPAdes Genome Assembler v.5.0.0.0. Sequence annotation was performed through PATRIC, RAST and the NCBI PGAAP server. Downstream analysis of the isolates was performed using the Center for Genomic Epidemiology databases for antimicrobial resistance genes and sequence types. Virulence factors and CRISPR were analysed using the PubMLST database and CRISPRFinder, respectively. This study reports the whole genome shotgun sequences of eight N. meningitidis isolates from bloodstream infections. The genome data revealed two novel sequence types (ST12777 and ST12778), along with ST11, ST437 and ST6928. The virulence profile of the isolates matched their sequence types. All isolates were negative for plasmid-mediated resistance genes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of ST11 and ST437 N. meningitidis isolates in India along with two novel sequence types (ST12777 and ST12778). These results indicate that the sequence types circulating in India are diverse and require continuous monitoring. Further studies strengthening the genome data on N. meningitidis are required to understand the prevalence, spread, exact resistance and virulence mechanisms along with serotypes. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Chemotherapy of Infection and Cancer. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

78 FR 7663 - SLR; 2013 International Rolex Regatta; St. Thomas Harbor; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-04

... 1625-AA08 SLR; 2013 International Rolex Regatta; St. Thomas Harbor; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands... special local regulations on the waters of St. Thomas Harbor in St. Thomas, U. S. Virgin Islands during... 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. The telephone number is 202-366-9329. See...

Isolation and characterization of styrene metabolism genes from styrene-assimilating soil bacteria Rhodococcus sp. ST-5 and ST-10.

Science.gov (United States)

Toda, Hiroshi; Itoh, Nobuya

2012-01-01

Styrene metabolism genes were isolated from styrene-assimilating bacteria Rhodococcus sp. ST-5 and ST-10. Strain ST-5 had a gene cluster containing four open reading frames which encoded styrene degradation enzymes. The genes showed high similarity to styABCD of Pseudomonas sp. Y2. On the other hand, strain ST-10 had only two genes which encoded styrene monooxygenase and flavin oxidoreductase (styAB). Escherichia coli transformants possessing the sty genes of strains ST-5 and ST-10 produced (S)-styrene oxide from styrene, indicating that these genes function as styrene degradation enzymes. Metabolite analysis by resting-cell reaction with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed that strain ST-5 converts styrene to phenylacetaldehyde via styrene oxide by styrene oxide isomerase (styC) reaction. On the other hand, strain ST-10 lacked this enzyme, and thus accumulated styrene oxide as an intermediate. HPLC analysis showed that styrene oxide was spontaneously isomerized to phenylacetaldehyde by chemical reaction. The produced phenylacetaldehyde was converted to phenylacetic acid (PAA) in strain ST-10 as well as in strain ST-5. Furthermore, phenylacetic acid was converted to phenylacetyl-CoA by the catalysis of phenylacetate-CoA ligase in strains ST-5 and ST-10. This study proposes possible styrene metabolism pathways in Rhodococcus sp. strains ST-5 and ST-10. Copyright © 2011 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Detection of Noise in Composite Step Signal Pattern by Visualizing Signal Waveforms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chaman Verma

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The Step Composite Signals is the combination of vital informative signals that are compressed and coded to produce a predefined test image on a display device. It carries the desired sequence of information from source to destination. This information may be transmitted as digital signal, video information or data signal required as an input for the destination module. For testing of display panels, Composite Test Signals are the most important attribute of test signal transmission system. In the current research paper we present an approach for the noise detection in Composite Step Signal by analysing Composite Step Signal waveforms. The analysis of the signal waveforms reveals that the noise affected components of the signal and subsequently noise reduction process is initiated which targets noisy signal component only. Thus the quality of signal is not compromised during noise reduction process.

Identifying 21st Century Capabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, Robert

2012-01-01

What are the capabilities necessary to meet 21st century challenges? Much of the literature on 21st century skills focuses on skills necessary to meet those challenges associated with future work in a globalised world. The result is a limited characterisation of those capabilities necessary to address 21st century social, health and particularly…

MP3 compression of Doppler ultrasound signals.

Science.gov (United States)

Poepping, Tamie L; Gill, Jeremy; Fenster, Aaron; Holdsworth, David W

2003-01-01

The effect of lossy, MP3 compression on spectral parameters derived from Doppler ultrasound (US) signals was investigated. Compression was tested on signals acquired from two sources: 1. phase quadrature and 2. stereo audio directional output. A total of 11, 10-s acquisitions of Doppler US signal were collected from each source at three sites in a flow phantom. Doppler signals were digitized at 44.1 kHz and compressed using four grades of MP3 compression (in kilobits per second, kbps; compression ratios in brackets): 1400 kbps (uncompressed), 128 kbps (11:1), 64 kbps (22:1) and 32 kbps (44:1). Doppler spectra were characterized by peak velocity, mean velocity, spectral width, integrated power and ratio of spectral power between negative and positive velocities. The results suggest that MP3 compression on digital Doppler US signals is feasible at 128 kbps, with a resulting 11:1 compression ratio, without compromising clinically relevant information. Higher compression ratios led to significant differences for both signal sources when compared with the uncompressed signals. Copyright 2003 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology

Real-time monitoring and massive inversion of source parameters of very long period seismic signals: An application to Stromboli Volcano, Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Auger, E.; D'Auria, L.; Martini, M.; Chouet, B.; Dawson, P.

2006-01-01

We present a comprehensive processing tool for the real-time analysis of the source mechanism of very long period (VLP) seismic data based on waveform inversions performed in the frequency domain for a point source. A search for the source providing the best-fitting solution is conducted over a three-dimensional grid of assumed source locations, in which the Green's functions associated with each point source are calculated by finite differences using the reciprocal relation between source and receiver. Tests performed on 62 nodes of a Linux cluster indicate that the waveform inversion and search for the best-fitting signal over 100,000 point sources require roughly 30 s of processing time for a 2-min-long record. The procedure is applied to post-processing of a data archive and to continuous automatic inversion of real-time data at Stromboli, providing insights into different modes of degassing at this volcano. Copyright 2006 by the American Geophysical Union.

A divide-down RF source generation system for the Advanced Photon Source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horan, D.; Lenkszus, F.; Laird, R.

1997-01-01

A divide-down rf source system has been designed and built at Argonne National Laboratory to provide harmonically-related and phase-locked rf source signals between the APS 352-MHz storage ring and booster synchrotron rf systems and the 9.77-MHz and 117-MHz positron accumulator ring rf systems. The design provides rapid switching capability back to individual rf synthesizers for each one. The system also contains a digital bucket phase shifter for injection bucket selection. Input 352-MHz rf from a master synthesizer is supplied to a VXI-based ECL divider board which produces 117-MHz and 9.77-MHz square-wave outputs. These outputs are passed through low-pass filters to produce pure signals at the required fundamental frequencies. These signals, plus signals at the same frequencies from independent synthesizers, are fed to an interface chassis where source selection is made via local/remote control of coaxial relays. This chassis also produces buffered outputs at each frequency for monitoring and synchronization of ancillary equipment

If F(ST) does not measure neutral genetic differentiation, then comparing it with Q(ST) is misleading. Or is it?

Science.gov (United States)

Edelaar, Pim; Björklund, Mats

2011-05-01

The comparison between neutral genetic differentiation (F(ST) ) and quantitative genetic differentiation (Q(ST) ) is commonly used to test for signatures of selection in population divergence. However, there is an ongoing discussion about what F(ST) actually measures, even resulting in some alternative metrics to express neutral genetic differentiation. If there is a problem with F(ST) , this could have repercussions for its comparison with Q(ST) as well. We show that as the mutation rate of the neutral marker increases, F(ST) decreases: a higher within-population heterozygosity (He) yields a lower F(ST) value. However, the same is true for Q(ST) : a higher mutation rate for the underlying QTL also results in a lower Q(ST) estimate. The effect of mutation rate is equivalent in Q(ST) and F(ST) . Hence, the comparison between Q(ST) and F(ST) remains valid, if one uses neutral markers whose mutation rates are not too high compared to those of quantitative traits. Usage of highly variable neutral markers such as hypervariable microsatellites can lead to serious biases and the incorrect inference that divergent selection has acted on populations. Much of the discussion on F(ST) seems to stem from the misunderstanding that it measures the differentiation of populations, whereas it actually measures the fixation of alleles. In their capacity as measures of population differentiation, Hedrick's G'(ST) and Jost's D reach their maximum value of 1 when populations do not share alleles even when there remains variation within populations, which invalidates them for comparisons with Q(ST) . © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Toward multimodal signal detection of adverse drug reactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Harpaz, Rave; DuMouchel, William; Schuemie, Martijn; Bodenreider, Olivier; Friedman, Carol; Horvitz, Eric; Ripple, Anna; Sorbello, Alfred; White, Ryen W; Winnenburg, Rainer; Shah, Nigam H

2017-12-01

Improving mechanisms to detect adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is key to strengthening post-marketing drug safety surveillance. Signal detection is presently unimodal, relying on a single information source. Multimodal signal detection is based on jointly analyzing multiple information sources. Building on, and expanding the work done in prior studies, the aim of the article is to further research on multimodal signal detection, explore its potential benefits, and propose methods for its construction and evaluation. Four data sources are investigated; FDA's adverse event reporting system, insurance claims, the MEDLINE citation database, and the logs of major Web search engines. Published methods are used to generate and combine signals from each data source. Two distinct reference benchmarks corresponding to well-established and recently labeled ADRs respectively are used to evaluate the performance of multimodal signal detection in terms of area under the ROC curve (AUC) and lead-time-to-detection, with the latter relative to labeling revision dates. Limited to our reference benchmarks, multimodal signal detection provides AUC improvements ranging from 0.04 to 0.09 based on a widely used evaluation benchmark, and a comparative added lead-time of 7-22 months relative to labeling revision dates from a time-indexed benchmark. The results support the notion that utilizing and jointly analyzing multiple data sources may lead to improved signal detection. Given certain data and benchmark limitations, the early stage of development, and the complexity of ADRs, it is currently not possible to make definitive statements about the ultimate utility of the concept. Continued development of multimodal signal detection requires a deeper understanding the data sources used, additional benchmarks, and further research on methods to generate and synthesize signals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Short and Long-Term Attentional Firing Rates Can Be Explained by ST-Neuron Dynamics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oscar J. Avella Gonzalez

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Attention modulates neural selectivity and optimizes the allocation of cortical resources during visual tasks. A large number of experimental studies in primates and humans provide ample evidence. As an underlying principle of visual attention, some theoretical models suggested the existence of a gain element that enhances contrast of the attended stimuli. In contrast, the Selective Tuning model of attention (ST proposes an attentional mechanism based on suppression of irrelevant signals. In this paper, we present an updated characterization of the ST-neuron proposed by the Selective Tuning model, and suggest that the inclusion of adaptation currents (Ih to ST-neurons may explain the temporal profiles of the firing rates recorded in single V4 cells during attentional tasks. Furthermore, using the model we show that the interaction between stimulus-selectivity of a neuron and attention shapes the profile of the firing rate, and is enough to explain its fast modulation and other discontinuities observed, when the neuron responds to a sudden switch of stimulus, or when one stimulus is added to another during a visual task.

Preparedness activities regarding the protection of public health in case of a major oil or chemical spill on the St-Lawrence River

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guerrier, P.; Manon, P.

1996-01-01

A project was initiated to protect the health of people living in the St-Lawrence basin from contaminants associated with an oil or chemical spill. Between 1980 and 1990, more than 240 chemical spills and 300 oil spills were recorded in the region which has prompted concerns regarding the possible contamination of drinking water sources. 45% of Quebec's population relies on the St-Lawrence River as a source of drinking water. Thus far, the project has identified the major chemical and oil products transported on the St-Lawrence River, and the main health risks associated with these products. Computerized dispersion models which can determine the migration of the contaminants in water, are available. Simulation exercises have been carried out to train personnel in the event of an actual spill. 1 ref

St. Thomas and St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands Coastal Digital Elevation Model

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The 1/3 arc-second St. Thomas and St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands Coastal Digital Elevation Model will be used to support NOAA's tsunami forecast system and for...

Chloroplasts as source and target of cellular redox regulation: a discussion on chloroplast redox signals in the context of plant physiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Baier, Margarete; Dietz, Karl-Josef

2005-06-01

During the evolution of plants, chloroplasts have lost the exclusive genetic control over redox regulation and antioxidant gene expression. Together with many other genes, all genes encoding antioxidant enzymes and enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of low molecular weight antioxidants were transferred to the nucleus. On the other hand, photosynthesis bears a high risk for photo-oxidative damage. Concomitantly, an intricate network for mutual regulation by anthero- and retrograde signals has emerged to co-ordinate the activities of the different genetic and metabolic compartments. A major focus of recent research in chloroplast regulation addressed the mechanisms of redox sensing and signal transmission, the identification of regulatory targets, and the understanding of adaptation mechanisms. In addition to redox signals communicated through signalling cascades also used in pathogen and wounding responses, specific chloroplast signals control nuclear gene expression. Signalling pathways are triggered by the redox state of the plastoquinone pool, the thioredoxin system, and the acceptor availability at photosystem I, in addition to control by oxolipins, tetrapyrroles, carbohydrates, and abscisic acid. The signalling function is discussed in the context of regulatory circuitries that control the expression of antioxidant enzymes and redox modulators, demonstrating the principal role of chloroplasts as the source and target of redox regulation.

Intelligent classification of electrocardiogram (ECG) signal using extended Kalman Filter (EKF) based neuro fuzzy system.

Science.gov (United States)

Meau, Yeong Pong; Ibrahim, Fatimah; Narainasamy, Selvanathan A L; Omar, Razali

2006-05-01

This study presents the development of a hybrid system consisting of an ensemble of Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) based Multi Layer Perceptron Network (MLPN) and a one-pass learning Fuzzy Inference System using Look-up Table Scheme for the recognition of electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. This system can distinguish various types of abnormal ECG signals such as Ventricular Premature Cycle (VPC), T wave inversion (TINV), ST segment depression (STDP), and Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT) from normal sinus rhythm (NSR) ECG signal.

Radioimmunoimaging of human colon and gastric cancers xenografts by NCC-ST-439 and NCC-ST-433 monoclonal antibodies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, Kayoko; Tsukatani, Yasushi; Nishiguchi, Iku

1987-01-01

Both NCC-ST-439 and NCC-ST-433 are monoclonal antibodies raised against human gastric cancer (St-4) xenografts in nude mice. Imaging and localization experiments were performed by injecting I-125 labeled antibodies into nude mice bearing CO-4 (colon carcinoma) and H-111 (gastric carcinoma). There was uptake of NCC-ST-439 (polymer) into the CO-4, though it was not clearly visualized until 5 days post injection. By injecting NCC-ST-439 (monomer), CO-4 was better seen at day 3, while average accumulation into the tumors decreased compared with NCC-ST-439 (polymer). High radioactivities were observed in the liver and spleen, which was probably due to the immunocomplex with the antigen in the blood. NCC-ST-433 was selectively accumulated into the H-111 with tumor to blood ratio 7.8 at day 7, without significant uptake into the liver and spleen. Significant correlation was also found between the tumor uptake level of NCC-ST-433 and size of tumors. Excellent images of H-111 were obtained 3 days after the injection. NCC-ST-433 holds promise for the radioimmunodetection of gastric cancers. (author)

Primary coolant chemistry of the Peach Bottom and Fort St. Vrain high-temperature gas-cooled reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burnette, R.D.; Baldwin, N.L.

1980-11-01

The chemical impurities in the primary coolants of the Peach Bottom and Fort St. Vrain reactors are discussed. The impurity mixtures in the two plants were quite different because the sources of the impurities were different. In the Peach Bottom reactor, the impurities were dominated by H 2 and CH 4 , which are decomposition products of oil. In the Fort St. Vrain reactor, there were high levels of CO, CO 2 , and H 2 O. Although oil ingress at Peach Bottom created carbon deposits on virtually all surfaces, its effect on reactor operation was negligible. Slow outgassing of water from the thermal insulation at Fort St. Vrain caused delays in reactor startup. The overall graphite oxidation in both plants was negligible

Primary coolant chemistry of the Peach Bottom and Fort St. Vrain high temperature gas-cooled reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burnette, R.D.; Baldwin, N.L.

1981-01-01

The chemical impurities in the primary coolants of the Peach Bottom and Fort St. Vrain reactors are discussed. The impurity mixtures in the two plants were quite different because the sources of the impurities were different. In the Peach Bottom reactor, the impurities were dominated by H 2 and CH 4 , which are decomposition products of oil. In the Fort St. Vrain reactor, there were high levels of CO, CO 2 , and H 2 O. Although oil ingress at Peach Bottom created carbon deposits on virtually all surfaces, its effect on reactor operation was negligible. Slow outgassing of water from the thermal insulation at Fort St. Vrain caused delays in reactor startup. The overall graphite oxidation in both plants was negligible. (author)

N sources affect growth, nutrient content, and net photosynthesis in maté (Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sérgio Gaiad

2006-09-01

Full Text Available The influence of different N sources on the growth of maté (Ilex paragurariensis St.Hil. seedlings grown in greenhouse was studied. All seedlings received a base fertilization of 10 mg N.kg-1 soil as NH4NO3, 60 mg P2O5.and 40 mg K2O.kg-1 soil as KH2PO4 15 days before treatments application. Treatments were as follow: Control, with no extra N added; Urea = 100 mg N.kg-1 soil as Urea; NO3- = 100 mg N.kg-1 soil as Ca(NO32; and NH4+ = 100 mg N.kg-1 soil as (NH42SO4. It was concluded that: 1 increasing N content in leaves alone was not able to promote gain in biomass production of maté seedlings; 2 seedlings receiving N-NH4 showed a higher accumulation of P and Mg on shoot biomass; and 3 an increase in leaf area, leaf number and net photosynthesis observed at the N-NH4 treatment was coincident with an increasing absorption of P and Mg.A influência de diferentes fontes de N sobre o crescimento de mudas de erva-mate (Ilex paraguariensis St.Hil. foi estudada, em casa de vegetação. Todas as mudas receberam uma fertilização base de 10 mg N.kg-1 de solo na forma de NH4NO3, 60 mg P2O5.kg-1 e 40 mg K2O.kg-1 de solo na forma de KH2PO4 quinze dias antes da aplicação dos tratamentos. Os tratamentos foram os seguintes: Controle, sem adição extra de N; Uréia = 100 mg N.kg-1 de solo como Uréia; NO3- = 100 mg N.kg-1 de solo como Ca(NO32; e NH4+ = 100 mg N.kg-1 de solo como (NH42SO4. Concluiu-se que: 1 o aumento do conteúdo de N nas folhas, por si, não é capaz de promover ganhos na produção de biomassa em mudas de erva-mate; 2 mudas que receberam N-NH4 apresentaram maior acumulo de P e Mg na biomassa aérea; e 3 o aumento na absorção de P e Mg coincidiu com um aumento na área foliar, no número de folhas e na fotossíntese liquida na fonte N-NH4.

Draft Genome Sequences of Staphylococcus aureus AMRF1 (ST22) and AMRF2 (ST672), Ocular Methicillin-Resistant Isolates

KAUST Repository

Velusamy, Nithya

2014-03-20

Sequence type 22 (ST22) and ST672 are the two major emerging clones of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in India. ST672 strains were found to cause severe ocular infections. We report the draft genome sequences of two emerging strains of methicillin-resistant S. aureus, AMRF1 (ST22) and AMRF2 (ST672), isolated from patients with ocular infections.

Draft Genome Sequences of Staphylococcus aureus AMRF1 (ST22) and AMRF2 (ST672), Ocular Methicillin-Resistant Isolates

KAUST Repository

Velusamy, Nithya; Prakash, Logambiga; Neelamegam, Sivakumar; Antony, Aju; Prajna, Lalitha; Mohankumar, Vidyarani; Devarajan, Bharanidharan

2014-01-01

Sequence type 22 (ST22) and ST672 are the two major emerging clones of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in India. ST672 strains were found to cause severe ocular infections. We report the draft genome sequences of two emerging strains of methicillin-resistant S. aureus, AMRF1 (ST22) and AMRF2 (ST672), isolated from patients with ocular infections.

Reconstructing the nature of the first cosmic sources from the anisotropic 21-cm signal.

Science.gov (United States)

Fialkov, Anastasia; Barkana, Rennan; Cohen, Aviad

2015-03-13

The redshifted 21-cm background is expected to be a powerful probe of the early Universe, carrying both cosmological and astrophysical information from a wide range of redshifts. In particular, the power spectrum of fluctuations in the 21-cm brightness temperature is anisotropic due to the line-of-sight velocity gradient, which in principle allows for a simple extraction of this information in the limit of linear fluctuations. However, recent numerical studies suggest that the 21-cm signal is actually rather complex, and its analysis likely depends on detailed model fitting. We present the first realistic simulation of the anisotropic 21-cm power spectrum over a wide period of early cosmic history. We show that on observable scales, the anisotropy is large and thus measurable at most redshifts, and its form tracks the evolution of 21-cm fluctuations as they are produced early on by Lyman-α radiation from stars, then switch to x-ray radiation from early heating sources, and finally to ionizing radiation from stars. In particular, we predict a redshift window during cosmic heating (at z∼15), when the anisotropy is small, during which the shape of the 21-cm power spectrum on large scales is determined directly by the average radial distribution of the flux from x-ray sources. This makes possible a model-independent reconstruction of the x-ray spectrum of the earliest sources of cosmic heating.

Removal of power line interference of space bearing vibration signal based on the morphological filter and blind source separation

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Shaojiang; Sun, Dihua; Xu, Xiangyang; Tang, Baoping

2017-06-01

Aiming at the problem that it is difficult to extract the feature information from the space bearing vibration signal because of different noise, for example the running trend information, high-frequency noise and especially the existence of lot of power line interference (50Hz) and its octave ingredients of the running space simulated equipment in the ground. This article proposed a combination method to eliminate them. Firstly, the EMD is used to remove the running trend item information of the signal, the running trend that affect the signal processing accuracy is eliminated. Then the morphological filter is used to eliminate high-frequency noise. Finally, the components and characteristics of the power line interference are researched, based on the characteristics of the interference, the revised blind source separation model is used to remove the power line interferences. Through analysis of simulation and practical application, results suggest that the proposed method can effectively eliminate those noise.

The human clone ST22 SCCmec IV methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from swine herds and wild primates in Nepal: is man the common source?

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Marilyn C; Joshi, Prabhu Raj; Greninger, Alexander L; Melendez, Daira; Paudel, Saroj; Acharya, Mahesh; Bimali, Nabin Kishor; Koju, Narayan P; No, David; Chalise, Mukesh; Kyes, Randall C

2018-05-01

Swine nasal samples [n = 282] were collected from 12 randomly selected farms around Kathmandu, Nepal, from healthy animals. In addition, wild monkey (Macaca mulatta) saliva samples [n = 59] were collected near temples areas in Kathmandu using a non-invasive sampling technique. All samples were processed for MRSA using standardized selective media and conventional biochemical tests. MRSA verification was done and isolates characterized by SCCmec, multilocus sequence typing, whole genome sequencing [WGS] and antibiotic susceptibilities. Six (2.1%) swine MRSA were isolated from five of the different swine herds tested, five were ST22 type IV and one ST88 type V. Four (6.8%) macaques MRSA were isolated, with three ST22 SCCmec type IV and one ST239 type III. WGS sequencing showed that the eight ciprofloxacin resistant ST22 isolates carried gyrA mutation [S84L]. Six isolates carried the erm(C) genes, five isolates carried aacC-aphD genes and four isolates carried blaZ genes. The swine linezolid resistant ST22 did not carry any known acquired linezolid resistance genes but had a mutation in ribosomal protein L22 [A29V] and an insertion in L4 [68KG69], both previously associated with linezolid resistance. Multiple virulence factors were also identified. This is the first time MRSA ST22 SCCmec IV has been isolated from livestock or primates.

Source-based neurofeedback methods using EEG recordings: training altered brain activity in a functional brain source derived from blind source separation

Science.gov (United States)

White, David J.; Congedo, Marco; Ciorciari, Joseph

2014-01-01

A developing literature explores the use of neurofeedback in the treatment of a range of clinical conditions, particularly ADHD and epilepsy, whilst neurofeedback also provides an experimental tool for studying the functional significance of endogenous brain activity. A critical component of any neurofeedback method is the underlying physiological signal which forms the basis for the feedback. While the past decade has seen the emergence of fMRI-based protocols training spatially confined BOLD activity, traditional neurofeedback has utilized a small number of electrode sites on the scalp. As scalp EEG at a given electrode site reflects a linear mixture of activity from multiple brain sources and artifacts, efforts to successfully acquire some level of control over the signal may be confounded by these extraneous sources. Further, in the event of successful training, these traditional neurofeedback methods are likely influencing multiple brain regions and processes. The present work describes the use of source-based signal processing methods in EEG neurofeedback. The feasibility and potential utility of such methods were explored in an experiment training increased theta oscillatory activity in a source derived from Blind Source Separation (BSS) of EEG data obtained during completion of a complex cognitive task (spatial navigation). Learned increases in theta activity were observed in two of the four participants to complete 20 sessions of neurofeedback targeting this individually defined functional brain source. Source-based EEG neurofeedback methods using BSS may offer important advantages over traditional neurofeedback, by targeting the desired physiological signal in a more functionally and spatially specific manner. Having provided preliminary evidence of the feasibility of these methods, future work may study a range of clinically and experimentally relevant brain processes where individual brain sources may be targeted by source-based EEG neurofeedback. PMID

78 FR 16211 - Safety Zone, Corp. Event Finale UHC, St. Thomas Harbor; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-14

... 1625-AA00 Safety Zone, Corp. Event Finale UHC, St. Thomas Harbor; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands... establish a temporary safety zone on the waters of St. Thomas Harbor in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands... through Friday, except federal holidays. The telephone number is 202-366-9329. See the ``Public...

78 FR 23489 - Safety Zone; V.I. Carnival Finale, St. Thomas Harbor; St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-19

... waters of St. Thomas Harbor in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands during the V.I. Carnival Finale, a... through Friday, except Federal holidays. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this... event. The event will be held on the waters of St. Thomas Harbor, St. Thomas, U. S. Virgin Islands...

78 FR 22778 - Safety Zone; Corp. Event Finale UHC, St. Thomas Harbor; St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-17

... waters of St. Thomas Harbor in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands during the Corp. Event Finale UHC, a.... and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you..., St. Thomas, U. S. Virgin Islands. The fireworks will be launched from a barge stationed near the St...

Sources of speciated atmospheric mercury at a residential neighborhood impacted by industrial sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Manolopoulos, Helen; Snyder, David C; Schauer, James J; Hill, Jason S; Turner, Jay R; Olson, Mark L; Krabbenhoft, David P

2007-08-15

Speciated measurements of atmospheric mercury plumes were obtained at an industrially impacted residential area of East St. Louis, IL. These plumes were found to result in extremely high mercury concentrations at ground level that were composed of a wide distribution of mercury species. Ground level concentrations as high as 235 ng m(-3) for elemental mercury (Hg0) and 38 300 pg m(-3) for reactive mercury species (reactive gaseous (RGM) plus particulate (PHg) mercury) were measured. The highest mercury concentrations observed during the study were associated with plumes that contained high concentrations of all mercury species (Hg0, RGM, and PHg) and originated from a source located southwest of the sampling site. Variations in proportions of Hg0/RGM/PHg among plumes, with Hg0 dominating some plumes and RGM and/or PHg dominating others, were attributed to differences in emissions from different sources. Correlations between mercury plumes and elevated NO(x) were not observed; however, a correlation between elevated SO2 and mercury plumes was observed during some but not all plume events. Despite the presence of six coal-fired power plants within 60 km of the study site, wind direction data along with Hg/SO2 and Hg/NO(x) ratios suggest that high-concentration mercury plumes impacting the St. Louis-Midwest Particle Matter Supersite are attributable to local point sources within 5 km of the site.

Gamma ray dosage and mutation breeding in St. Augustinegrass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Busey, P.

1980-01-01

Stolon pieces of St. Augustinegrass [Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntze] were irradiated with gamma rays in an attempt to cause mutations. A practical dosage for most genotypes was 4,500 rads. This dosage caused considerable (50%) growth retardation and a mean survival of about 40% of single-node cuttings. However, Bitterblue and another accession were entirely killed at 4,000 rads. At 4,500 rads, up to 7% recognizable mutants of accession FA-243 were obtained. This proportion resulted when irradiated cuttings were propagated clonally and observed for 1.5 years in replicated microplots. In addition to morphological variants, a chimeral anthocyanin change was noticed. From this chimera arose a stable genotype with green stolons and white stigmas, whereas the source genotype (FA-243) had red stolons and purple stigmas. Associated reduction in fertility from 56 to 0.6% suggested that the mutation arose as a small chromosome deletion. Mutation breeding is effective in improving St. Augustinegrass when easily recognizable variants are needed

The role of SCUBE1 in the development of late stent thrombosis presenting with ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Science.gov (United States)

Bolayır, Hasan Ata; Kıvrak, Tarık; Güneş, Hakan; Akaslan, Dursun; Şahin, Ömer; Bolayır, Aslı

2018-05-01

There is an important link between platelets and inflammation, thrombosis, and vascular and tissue repair mechanisms. SCUBE1 (signal peptide-CUB-EGF domain-containing protein 1) may function as a novel platelet-endothelial adhesion molecule and play pathological roles in cardiovascular biology. Stent thrombosis (ST) following percutaneous coronary intervention is an uncommon and potentially catastrophic event that can manifest as myocardial infarction and sudden death. High platelet reactivity is a risk factor for thrombotic events, including late ST. For this reason, in the current study, we researched the role of SCUBE1 in the development of late coronary ST. We included 40 patients admitted to our hospital with a diagnosis of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and signs of late ST on a coronary angiogram. For the control group, we recruited 50 healthy gender- and age-matched individuals who were seen for health check-ups. We also randomly included 100 patients with a diagnosis of STEMI without ST. There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of baseline and demographic characteristics. The mean SCUBE1 level in patients with STEMI with late ST at admission and the STEMI without ST group was significantly higher than in the control group (pST group was significantly higher than in the STEMI without ST group (p=0.03). In multivariate regression analysis, serum SCUBE1 (odds ratio [OR]: 1.022; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.011-1.033, pST. In addition, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to determine the optimal SCUBE1 cut-off value for predicting late ST. The area under the curve was 0.972 (95% CI 0.95-0.98). The SCUBE1 cut-off value was 59.2 ng/ml, with a sensitivity of 95.4% and specificity of 82.9%. The present work is the first clinical study to demonstrate that serum SCUBE1 levels are significantly higher in patients with late ST and serum SCUBE1 was an independent predictor for the presence of late ST in our

Model-based Bayesian signal extraction algorithm for peripheral nerves

Science.gov (United States)

Eggers, Thomas E.; Dweiri, Yazan M.; McCallum, Grant A.; Durand, Dominique M.

2017-10-01

Objective. Multi-channel cuff electrodes have recently been investigated for extracting fascicular-level motor commands from mixed neural recordings. Such signals could provide volitional, intuitive control over a robotic prosthesis for amputee patients. Recent work has demonstrated success in extracting these signals in acute and chronic preparations using spatial filtering techniques. These extracted signals, however, had low signal-to-noise ratios and thus limited their utility to binary classification. In this work a new algorithm is proposed which combines previous source localization approaches to create a model based method which operates in real time. Approach. To validate this algorithm, a saline benchtop setup was created to allow the precise placement of artificial sources within a cuff and interference sources outside the cuff. The artificial source was taken from five seconds of chronic neural activity to replicate realistic recordings. The proposed algorithm, hybrid Bayesian signal extraction (HBSE), is then compared to previous algorithms, beamforming and a Bayesian spatial filtering method, on this test data. An example chronic neural recording is also analyzed with all three algorithms. Main results. The proposed algorithm improved the signal to noise and signal to interference ratio of extracted test signals two to three fold, as well as increased the correlation coefficient between the original and recovered signals by 10-20%. These improvements translated to the chronic recording example and increased the calculated bit rate between the recovered signals and the recorded motor activity. Significance. HBSE significantly outperforms previous algorithms in extracting realistic neural signals, even in the presence of external noise sources. These results demonstrate the feasibility of extracting dynamic motor signals from a multi-fascicled intact nerve trunk, which in turn could extract motor command signals from an amputee for the end goal of

Different properties of polysialic acids synthesized by the polysialyltransferases ST8SIA2 and ST8SIA4.

Science.gov (United States)

Mori, Airi; Hane, Masaya; Niimi, Yuki; Kitajima, Ken; Sato, Chihiro

2017-09-01

Polysialic acid (polySia) is mainly found as a modification of neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) in whole embryonic brains, as well as restricted areas of adult vertebrate brains, including the hippocampus. PolySia shows not only repulsive effects on NCAM-involved cell-cell interactions due to its bulky and hydrated properties, but also attractive effects on the interaction with neurologically active molecules, which exerts a reservoir function. Two different polysialyltransferases, ST8SIA2 and ST8SIA4, are involved in the synthesis of polySia chains; however, to date, the differences of the properties between polySia chains synthesized by these two enzymes remain unknown. In this study, to clarify this point, we first prepared polySia-NCAMs from HEK293 cells stably expressing ST8SIA4 and ST8SIA2, or ST8SIA2 (SNP-7), a mutant ST8SIA2 derived from a schizophrenia patient. The conventional sensitive chemical and immunological characterizations showed that the quantity and quality (structural features) of polySia are not so much different between ST8SIA4- and ST8SIA2-synthesized ones, apart from those of ST8SIA2 (SNP-7). Then, we assessed the homophilic and heterophilic interactions mediated by polySia-NCAM by adopting a surface plasmon resonance measurement as an in vitro analytical method. Our novel findings are as follows: (i) the ST8SIA2- and ST8SIA4-synthesized polySia-NCAMs exhibited different attractive and repulsive effects than each other; (ii) both polySia- and oligoSia-NCAMs synthesized by ST8SIA2 were able to bind polySia-NCAMs; (iii) the polySia-NCAM synthesized by a ST8SIA2 (SNP-7) showed markedly altered attractive and repulsive properties. Collectively, polySia-NCAM is suggested to simultaneously possess both attractive and repulsive properties that are highly regulated by the two polysialyltransferases. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Response of Blood Perfusion at ST 36 Acupoint after Drinking Cold Glucose or Saline Injection

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Guangjun Wang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Skin blood flux (SkBF changes caused by drinking cold water are generally associated with vagal tone and osmotic factors in digestive system. According to acupuncture theory, change of SkBF at ST 36 might reflect the functional changes of digestive system. The aim of this study is to analyze the changes of SkBF after drinking 3°C 0.9% saline or 5% glucose injection by monitor blood flux at bilateral ST 36. The results indicated that, after drinking different cold water, the change ratio of SkBF at right side ST 36 has been different. Because all solutions have the same temperature (3°C and both saline and glucose solution have the same osmolality, suggesting that the SkBF changes resulting from drinking cold water are not regulated just by the vagal tone and osmolality, there must have been other factors. These results have not been consistent with the frequency domain results of heart rate variability (HRV analysis. Coherence analysis of blood flux signals at bilateral ST 36 indicated that there have been different coherence-frequency curves among different groups in special frequency bands, which suggested that coherence analysis might provide a potential tool to evaluate different status.

75 FR 53705 - Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate; Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission...

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2010-09-01

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77 FR 59035 - Notice of Intent To Rule on Request To Release Airport Property at the St. George Airport, St...

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2012-09-25

... To Release Airport Property at the St. George Airport, St. George, UT AGENCY: Federal Aviation... rule and invite public comment on the release of land at St. George Airport under the provisions of..., City of St. George, Utah, at the following address: Mr. Gary Esplin, City Manager, City of St. George...

Genomic Analysis of Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli from North Carolina Community Hospitals: Ongoing Circulation of CTX-M-Producing ST131-H30Rx and ST131-H30R1 Strains.

Science.gov (United States)

Kanamori, Hajime; Parobek, Christian M; Juliano, Jonathan J; Johnson, James R; Johnston, Brian D; Johnson, Timothy J; Weber, David J; Rutala, William A; Anderson, Deverick J

2017-08-01

Escherichia coli sequence type 131 (ST131) predominates globally among multidrug-resistant (MDR) E. coli strains. We used whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to investigate 63 MDR E. coli isolates from 7 North Carolina community hospitals (2010 to 2015). Of these, 39 (62%) represented ST131, including 37 (95%) from the ST131- H 30R subclone: 10 (27%) from its H 30R1 subset and 27 (69%) from its H 30Rx subset. ST131 core genomes differed by a median of 15 (range, 0 to 490) single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) overall versus only 7 within H 30R1 (range, 3 to 12 SNVs) and 11 within H 30Rx (range, 0 to 21). The four isolates with identical core genomes were all H 30Rx. Epidemiological and clinical characteristics did not vary significantly by strain type, but many patients with MDR E. coli or H 30Rx infection were critically ill and had poor outcomes. H 30Rx isolates characteristically exhibited fluoroquinolone resistance and CTX-M-15 production, had a high prevalence of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole resistance (89%), sul1 (89%), and dfrA17 (85%), and were enriched for specific virulence traits, and all qualified as extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli The high overall prevalence of CTX-M-15 appeared to be possibly attributable to its association with the ST131- H 30Rx subclone and IncF[F2:A1:B-] plasmids. Some phylogenetically clustered non-ST131 MDR E. coli isolates also had distinctive serotypes/ fimH types, fluoroquinolone mutations, CTX-M variants, and IncF types. Thus, WGS analysis of our community hospital source MDR E. coli isolates suggested ongoing circulation and differentiation of E. coli ST131 subclones, with clonal segregation of CTX-M variants, other resistance genes, Inc-type plasmids, and virulence genes. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Indication of a Lombard vocal response in the St. Lawrence River beluga

Science.gov (United States)

Scheifele, P. M.; Andrew, S.; Cooper, R. A.; Darre, M.; Musiek, F. E.; Max, L.

2005-03-01

Noise pollution is recognized as a potential danger to marine mammals in general, and to the St. Lawrence beluga in particular. One method of determining the impacts of noise on an animal's communication is to observe a natural and repeatable response of the vocal system to variations in noise level. This is accomplished by observing intensity changes in animal vocalizations in response to environmental noise. One such response observed in humans, songbirds, and some primates is the Lombard vocal response. This response represents a vocal system reaction manifested by changes in vocalization level in direct response to changes in the noise field. In this research, a population of belugas in the St. Lawrence River Estuary was tested to determine whether a Lombard response existed by using hidden Markhov-classified vocalizations as targets for acoustical analyses. Correlation and regression analyses of signals and noise indicated that the phenomenon does exist. Further, results of human subjects experiments [Egan, J. J. (1966), Ph.D. dissertation; Scheifele, P. M. (2003), Ph.D. dissertation], along with previously reported data from other animal species, are similar to those exhibited by the belugas. Overall, findings suggest that typical noise levels in the St. Lawrence River Estuary have a detectable effect on the communication of the beluga. .

Medieval Churches in Shushica Valley (South Albania and the Slavonic Bishopric of St. Clement of Ohrid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Skënder Muçaj

2014-08-01

In St. Clement’s bishopric Church Slavonic was used as a liturgical language. For that purpose, a set of Byzantine liturgical books was translated from Greek into Church Slavonic, and Clement took an active part in this process. Liturgical pecularities of these books partially observed in Greek manuscripts of South Italian provenance testify to the hypothesis that Greek sources of the earliest Church Slavonic translations belonged to liturgical tradition of Epirus, similar to those of South Italy. This also proves the location of St. Clement’s bishopric in the valley of the Shushica River.

On the time delay of the ultrahigh-energy radiation signal from the source Cygnus X-3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arbuzov, B.A.; Razuvaev, E.A.

1986-01-01

The time delay of the signal from the source Gygnus X-3 detected by EAS observation with E ≥ 3x10 14 eV and counted off the maximum of radioburst in October, 1985 is considered. The effect is shown to get the explanation in the framework of the earlier proposed interpretation of the ulrahigh-energy radiation as free gluons. The agreement of this interpretation with the totality of experimental data is emphasized. A possibility of relict gluons to give a significant contribution to the density of a hidden mass in the Universe is discussed

78 FR 16208 - Safety Zone; V. I. Carnival Finale; St. Thomas Harbor; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

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2013-03-14

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St. Lucia.

Science.gov (United States)

1987-06-01

The population of St Lucia was 123,000 in 1986, with an annual growth rate of 2%. The infant mortality rate stands at 22.2/1000 live births, and life expectancy is 70.3 years for males and 74.9 years for females. The literacy rate is 78%. St Lucia's labor force is allocated as follows: agriculture, 36.6%; industry and commerce, 20.1%; and services, 18.1%. The gross national product (GNP) was US$146 million in 1985, with an annual growth rate of 3% and a per capita GNP of $1071. St Lucia is a parliamentary democracy modeled on the British Westminster system. The island is divided into 16 parishes and 1 urban area (the capital, Castries). St Lucia is currently a politically stable country, although the high level of youth unemployment is a cause for concern. Ongoing stability may depend on the government's ability to provide services such as jobs and housing. The economy has evolved from a monocrop sugar plantation type to a diversified economy based on agriculture, industry, and tourism. Agriculture, dominated by the banana industry, is characterized by the participation of a large number of small and medium-sized enterprises. Industry is being encouraged through the provision of incentives such as tax rebates. The government is attempting to maintain a sound investment climate through a tripartite dialogue with the private sector and trade unions. Overall economic policy is predicated on the attraction of sound investments, by both local and foreign entities, to accelerate the rate of economic growth, solve the unemployment problem, and generate a solid balance-of-payments position.

MCF-10A-NeoST: A New Cell System for Studying Cell-ECM and Cell-Cell Interactions in Breast Cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zantek, Nicole Dodge; Walker-Daniels, Jennifer; Stewart, Jane; Hansen, Rhonda K.; Robinson, Daniel; Miao, Hui; Wang, Bingcheng; Kung, Hsing-Jien; Bissell, Mina J.; Kinch, Michael S.

2001-08-22

There is a continuing need for genetically matched cell systems to model cellular behaviors that are frequently observed in aggressive breast cancers. We report here the isolation and initial characterization of a spontaneously arising variant of MCF-10A cells, NeoST, which provides a new model to study cell adhesion and signal transduction in breast cancer. NeoST cells recapitulate important biological and biochemical features of metastatic breast cancer, including anchorage-independent growth, invasiveness in threedimensional reconstituted membranes, loss of E-cadherin expression, and increased tyrosine kinase activity. A comprehensive analysis of tyrosine kinase expression revealed overexpression or functional activation of the Axl, FAK, and EphA2 tyrosine kinases in transformed MCF-10A cells. MCF-10A and these new derivatives provide a genetically matched model to study defects in cell adhesion and signaling that are relevant to cellular behaviors that often typify aggressive breast cancer cells.

Development of HANARO ST3 shield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, K. N.; Lee, J. S.; Shim, H. S.

2004-12-01

This report contains the design, fabrication and accurate installation of ST3 shield, which would be installed at ST3 beam port of HANARO. At first, we designed and fabricated ST3 shield casemate composed of 14 blocks. We filled it with heavy concrete, lead ingot and polyethylene that mixed B 4 C powder and epoxy. The average filling density of total shield casemate was 4.7g/cm 3 . The developed ST3 shield was installed at the ST3 beam port and the accuracy of installation for each beam path and channel was evaluated. We found that the extraction of neutron beam to meet the requirement of neutron spectrometer is possible. Also, we developed ancillary equipment such as BGU, quick shutter and exterior shield door for the effective opening and closing of neutron beam. As a result of this study, it was found that neutron spectrometer such as neutron reflectometer and high intensity powder diffractomater can be installed at the ST3 beam port

Evaluation of dual-source parallel RF excitation for diffusion-weighted whole-body MR imaging with background body signal suppression at 3.0 T.

Science.gov (United States)

Mürtz, Petra; Kaschner, Marius; Träber, Frank; Kukuk, Guido M; Büdenbender, Sarah M; Skowasch, Dirk; Gieseke, Jürgen; Schild, Hans H; Willinek, Winfried A

2012-11-01

To evaluate the use of dual-source parallel RF excitation (TX) for diffusion-weighted whole-body MRI with background body signal suppression (DWIBS) at 3.0 T. Forty consecutive patients were examined on a clinical 3.0-T MRI system using a diffusion-weighted (DW) spin-echo echo-planar imaging sequence with a combination of short TI inversion recovery and slice-selective gradient reversal fat suppression. DWIBS of the neck (n=5), thorax (n=8), abdomen (n=6) and pelvis (n=21) was performed both with TX (2:56 min) and with standard single-source RF excitation (4:37 min). The quality of DW images and reconstructed inverted maximum intensity projections was visually judged by two readers (blinded to acquisition technique). Signal homogeneity and fat suppression were scored as "improved", "equal", "worse" or "ambiguous". Moreover, the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were measured in muscles, urinary bladder, lymph nodes and lesions. By the use of TX, signal homogeneity was "improved" in 25/40 and "equal" in 15/40 cases. Fat suppression was "improved" in 17/40 and "equal" in 23/40 cases. These improvements were statistically significant (p3.0 T with respect to signal homogeneity and fat suppression, reduced scan time by approximately one-third, and did not influence the measured ADC values. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

ST Spot Detector: a web-based application for automatic spot and tissue detection for Spatial Transcriptomics image data sets.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Kim; Fernández Navarro, José; Bergenstråhle, Ludvig; Ståhl, Patrik L; Lundeberg, Joakim

2018-01-17

Spatial transcriptomics (ST) is a method which combines high resolution tissue imaging with high throughput transcriptome sequencing data. This data must be aligned with the images for correct visualisation, a process that involves several manual steps. Here we present ST Spot Detector, a web tool that automates and facilitates this alignment through a user friendly interface. Open source under the MIT license, available from https://github.com/SpatialTranscriptomicsResearch/st_spot_detector. jose.fernandez.navarro@scilifelab.se. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Degree of polarization and source counts of faint radio sources from Stacking Polarized intensity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stil, J. M.; George, S. J.; Keller, B. W.; Taylor, A. R.

2014-01-01

We present stacking polarized intensity as a means to study the polarization of sources that are too faint to be detected individually in surveys of polarized radio sources. Stacking offers not only high sensitivity to the median signal of a class of radio sources, but also avoids a detection threshold in polarized intensity, and therefore an arbitrary exclusion of sources with a low percentage of polarization. Correction for polarization bias is done through a Monte Carlo analysis and tested on a simulated survey. We show that the nonlinear relation between the real polarized signal and the detected signal requires knowledge of the shape of the distribution of fractional polarization, which we constrain using the ratio of the upper quartile to the lower quartile of the distribution of stacked polarized intensities. Stacking polarized intensity for NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) sources down to the detection limit in Stokes I, we find a gradual increase in median fractional polarization that is consistent with a trend that was noticed before for bright NVSS sources, but is much more gradual than found by previous deep surveys of radio polarization. Consequently, the polarized radio source counts derived from our stacking experiment predict fewer polarized radio sources for future surveys with the Square Kilometre Array and its pathfinders.

A repeatable seismic source for tomography at volcanoes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Ratdomopurbo

1999-06-01

Full Text Available One major problem associated with the interpretation of seismic signals on active volcanoes is the lack of knowledge about the internal structure of the volcano. Assuming a 1D or a homogeneous instead of a 3D velocity structure leads to an erroneous localization of seismic events. In order to derive a high resolution 3D velocity model ofMt. Merapi (Java a seismic tomography experiment using active sources is planned as a part of the MERAPI (Mechanism Evaluation, Risk Assessment and Prediction Improvement project. During a pre-site survey in August 1996 we tested a seismic source consisting of a 2.5 l airgun shot in water basins that were constructed in different flanks of the volcano. This special source, which in our case can be fired every two minutes, produces a repeatable, identical source signal. Using this source the number of receiver locations is not limited by the number of seismometers. The seismometers can be moved to various receiver locations while the source reproduces the same source signal. Additionally, at each receiver location we are able to record the identical source signal several times so that the disadvantage of the lower energy compared to an explosion source can be reduced by skipping disturbed signals and stacking several recordings.

Evaluation of dual-source parallel RF excitation for diffusion-weighted whole-body MR imaging with background body signal suppression at 3.0 T

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muertz, Petra, E-mail: petra.muertz@ukb.uni-bonn.de [Department of Radiology, University of Bonn (Germany); Kaschner, Marius, E-mail: marius.kaschner@ukb.uni-bonn.de [Department of Radiology, University of Bonn (Germany); Traeber, Frank, E-mail: frank.traeber@ukb.uni-bonn.de [Department of Radiology, University of Bonn (Germany); Kukuk, Guido M., E-mail: guido.kukuk@ukb.uni-bonn.de [Department of Radiology, University of Bonn (Germany); Buedenbender, Sarah M., E-mail: sarah_m_buedenbender@yahoo.de [Department of Radiology, University of Bonn (Germany); Skowasch, Dirk, E-mail: dirk.skowasch@ukb.uni-bonn.de [Department of Medicine, University of Bonn (Germany); Gieseke, Juergen, E-mail: juergen.gieseke@philips.com [Philips Healthcare, Best (Netherlands); Department of Radiology, University of Bonn (Germany); Schild, Hans H., E-mail: hans.schild@ukb.uni-bonn.de [Department of Radiology, University of Bonn (Germany); Willinek, Winfried A., E-mail: winfried.willinek@ukb.uni-bonn.de [Department of Radiology, University of Bonn (Germany)

2012-11-15

Purpose: To evaluate the use of dual-source parallel RF excitation (TX) for diffusion-weighted whole-body MRI with background body signal suppression (DWIBS) at 3.0 T. Materials and methods: Forty consecutive patients were examined on a clinical 3.0-T MRI system using a diffusion-weighted (DW) spin-echo echo-planar imaging sequence with a combination of short TI inversion recovery and slice-selective gradient reversal fat suppression. DWIBS of the neck (n = 5), thorax (n = 8), abdomen (n = 6) and pelvis (n = 21) was performed both with TX (2:56 min) and with standard single-source RF excitation (4:37 min). The quality of DW images and reconstructed inverted maximum intensity projections was visually judged by two readers (blinded to acquisition technique). Signal homogeneity and fat suppression were scored as 'improved', 'equal', 'worse' or 'ambiguous'. Moreover, the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were measured in muscles, urinary bladder, lymph nodes and lesions. Results: By the use of TX, signal homogeneity was 'improved' in 25/40 and 'equal' in 15/40 cases. Fat suppression was 'improved' in 17/40 and 'equal' in 23/40 cases. These improvements were statistically significant (p < 0.001, Wilcoxon signed-rank test). In five patients, fluid-related dielectric shading was present, which improved remarkably. The ADC values did not significantly differ for the two RF excitation methods (p = 0.630 over all data, pairwise Student's t-test). Conclusion: Dual-source parallel RF excitation improved image quality of DWIBS at 3.0 T with respect to signal homogeneity and fat suppression, reduced scan time by approximately one-third, and did not influence the measured ADC values.

Ambient noise tomography across Mount St. Helens using a dense seismic array

KAUST Repository

Wang, Yadong

2017-05-08

We investigated upper crustal structure with data from a dense seismic array deployed around Mount St. Helens for 2 weeks in the summer of 2014. Interstation cross correlations of ambient seismic noise data from the array were obtained, and clear fundamental mode Rayleigh waves were observed between 2.5 and 5 s periods. In addition, higher-mode signals were observed around 2 s period. Frequency-time analysis was applied to measure fundamental mode Rayleigh wave phase velocities, which were used to invert for 2-D phase velocity maps. An azimuth-dependent traveltime correction was implemented to mitigate potential biases introduced due to an inhomogeneous noise source distribution. Reliable phase velocity maps were only obtained between 3 and 4 s periods due to limitations imposed by the array aperture and higher-mode contamination. The phase velocity tomography results, which are sensitive to structure shallower than 6 km depth, reveal an ~10–15% low-velocity anomaly centered beneath the volcanic edifice and peripheral high-velocity anomalies that likely correspond to cooled igneous intrusions. We suggest that the low-velocity anomaly reflects the high-porosity mixture of lava and ash deposits near the surface of the edifice, a highly fractured magmatic conduit and hydrothermal system beneath the volcano, and possibly a small contribution from silicate melt.

Soluble ST2 protein in the short-term prognosis after hospitalisation in chronic systolic heart failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Wojtczak-Soska, Karolina; Sakowicz, Agata; Pietrucha, Tadeusz; Lelonek, Małgorzata

2014-01-01

The prognosis in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) is poor. ST2 protein is a promising prognostic biomarker for CHF. ST2 belongs to the cardioprotective signalling pathway involving interleukin-33 and its concentration in the serum depends on the biomechanical stress of cardiomyocytes (biomechanical strain). To determine the prognostic value of ST2 in short term follow-up after hospitalisation among patients with CHF. The study included 167 patients (mean age 62 years, 83% men) in stable NYHA class I-III with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of ≤ 45% (average 29.65%, ranges 13-45%). We analysed 58 variables including: demographics, co-morbidities, resting ECG, echocardiographic and coronary arteriography data, basic laboratory tests including N-terminal prohormone B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), serum concentration of soluble form of ST2 (sST2) using quantitative ELISA test ST2 Kit (Medical and Biological Laboratories; Japan) and adverse cardiovascular events during a one year observation. In the study, the primary endpoint (death) and the composite endpoint (hospitalisation for HF worsening, worsening in NYHA functional class, the need to increase the dose of diuretics, and/or death in a one year observation) were determined. Patients who died (n = 24; 14.55%) were in more advanced NYHA class, had prolonged QRS duration, higher levels of sST2, NT-proBNP, and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate. From multivariate analysis, the independent variable for the primary endpoint was NT-proBNP (OR = 1.00012; 95% CI 1.00002-1.00022; p = 0.018). 93 (56%) patients reached the composite endpoint. Multivariate analysis revealed that fasting glucose (OR = 1.343; 95% CI 1.041-1.732; p = 0.023) and sST2 (OR = 3.593; 95% CI 1.427-9.05; p = 0.007) independently enhanced the risk of composite endpoint occurrence in a one year observation. In patients with CHF with LVEF ≤ 45%, the prognostic value of sST2 protein in a short-term observation of one

Eco-physiolgoical role of root-sourced signal in three genotypes of spring wheat cultivars: a cue of evolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, X.; Kong, H.Y.; Sun, G.J.; Cheng, Z.G.; Batool, A.; Jiang, H.M.

2014-01-01

Non-hydraulic root-sourced signal (nHRS) is so far affirmed to be a unique and positive early-warning response of plant to drying soil, but its functional role and potential evolutionary implication is little known in dryland wheat. Three spring wheat cultivars, Monkhead (1940-1960s), Dingxi 24 (1970-1980s) and Longchun 8139 (1990-present) with different drought sensitivity were chosen as materials for the research. Physiological and agronomic parameters were measured and analyzed in two relatively separated but closely related trials under environment-controlled conditions. The results showed that characteristics of nHRS and its eco-physiological effects varied from cultivars. Threshold ranges (TR) of soil moisture at which nHRS was switched on and off were 60.1-51.4% (% of FWC) in Monkhead, 63.8-47.3% in Dingxi 24 and 66.5-44.8% in Longchun 8139 respectively, suggesting that earlier onset of nHRS took place in modern cultivars. Leaf abscisic acid (ABA) concentration was significantly greater and increased more rapidly in old cultivars, Monkhead and Dingxi 24 than that of Longchun 8139 during the operation of nHRS. As a result of nHRS regulation, maintenance rate of grain yield was 43.4%, 60.8% and 79.3%, and water use efficiency was 1.47, 1.65 and 2.25 g/L in Monkhead, Dingxi 24 and Longchun 8139 respectively. In addition, drought susceptibility indices were 0.8858, 0.6037 and 0.3182 for the three cultivars, respectively. This suggests that earlier trigger of nHRS led to lower ABA-led signal intensity and better drought adaptability. It can be argued that the advances in yield performance and drought tolerance might be made by targeted selection for an earlier onset of nHRS. Finally, we attempted developing a conceptual model regarding root-sourced signal weakening and its evolutionary cue in dryland wheat. (author)

1st International Conference on Computational Advancement in Communication Circuits and Systems

CERN Document Server

Dalapati, Goutam; Banerjee, P; Mallick, Amiya; Mukherjee, Moumita

2015-01-01

This book comprises the proceedings of 1st International Conference on Computational Advancement in Communication Circuits and Systems (ICCACCS 2014) organized by Narula Institute of Technology under the patronage of JIS group, affiliated to West Bengal University of Technology. The conference was supported by Technical Education Quality Improvement Program (TEQIP), New Delhi, India and had technical collaboration with IEEE Kolkata Section, along with publication partner by Springer. The book contains 62 refereed papers that aim to highlight new theoretical and experimental findings in the field of Electronics and communication engineering including interdisciplinary fields like Advanced Computing, Pattern Recognition and Analysis, Signal and Image Processing. The proceedings cover the principles, techniques and applications in microwave & devices, communication & networking, signal & image processing, and computations & mathematics & control. The proceedings reflect the conference’s emp...

Drought Signaling in Plants

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

depending upon the source and nature of signaling: (i) hormone signal, (ii) .... plants to regulate the rate of transpiration through minor structural .... cell has to keep spending energy (in the form of A TP) to maintain a .... enzymes and proteins in the regulation of cellular metabolism can be determined by either inactivating.

Seismic signal and noise on Europa and how to use it

Science.gov (United States)

Panning, M. P.; Stähler, S. C.; Bills, B. G.; Castillo, J.; Huang, H. H.; Husker, A. L.; Kedar, S.; Lorenz, R. D.; Pike, W. T.; Schmerr, N. C.; Tsai, V. C.; Vance, S.

2017-12-01

Seismology is one of our best tools for detailing interior structure of planetary bodies, and a seismometer is included in the baseline and threshold mission design for a potential Europa lander mission. Guiding mission design and planning for adequate science return, though, requires modeling of both the anticipated signal and noise. Assuming ice seismicity on Europa behaves according to statistical properties observed in Earth catalogs and scaling cumulative seismic moment release to the moon, we simulate long seismic records and estimate background noise and peak signal amplitudes (Panning et al., 2017). This suggests a sensitive instrument comparable to many broadband terrestrial instruments or the SP instrument from the InSight mission to Mars will be able to record signals, while high frequency geophones are likely inadequate. We extend this analysis to also begin incorporation of spatial and temporal variation due to the tidal cycle, which can help inform landing site selection. We also begin exploration of how chaotic terrane at the bottom of the ice shell and inter-ice heterogeneities (i.e. internal melt structures) may affect predicted seismic observations using 2D numerical seismic simulations. We also show some of the key seismic observations to determine interior properties of Europa (Stähler et al., 2017). M. P. Panning, S. C. Stähler, H.-H. Huang, S. D. Vance, S. Kedar, V. C. Tsai, W. T. Pike, R. D. Lorenz, "Expected seismicity and the seismic noise environment of Europa," J. Geophys. Res., in revision, 2017. S. C. Stähler, M. P. Panning, S. D. Vance, R. D. Lorenz, M. van Driel, T. Nissen-Meyer, S. Kedar, "Seismic wave propagation in icy ocean worlds," J. Geophys. Res., in revision, 2017.

Magnetoencephalography signals are influenced by skull defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Lau, S; Flemming, L; Haueisen, J

2014-08-01

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) signals had previously been hypothesized to have negligible sensitivity to skull defects. The objective is to experimentally investigate the influence of conducting skull defects on MEG and EEG signals. A miniaturized electric dipole was implanted in vivo into rabbit brains. Simultaneous recording using 64-channel EEG and 16-channel MEG was conducted, first above the intact skull and then above a skull defect. Skull defects were filled with agar gels, which had been formulated to have tissue-like homogeneous conductivities. The dipole was moved beneath the skull defects, and measurements were taken at regularly spaced points. The EEG signal amplitude increased 2-10 times, whereas the MEG signal amplitude reduced by as much as 20%. The EEG signal amplitude deviated more when the source was under the edge of the defect, whereas the MEG signal amplitude deviated more when the source was central under the defect. The change in MEG field-map topography (relative difference measure, RDM(∗)=0.15) was geometrically related to the skull defect edge. MEG and EEG signals can be substantially affected by skull defects. MEG source modeling requires realistic volume conductor head models that incorporate skull defects. Copyright © 2013 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

An overview of data acquisition, signal coding and data analysis techniques for MST radars

Science.gov (United States)

Rastogi, P. K.

1986-01-01

An overview is given of the data acquisition, signal processing, and data analysis techniques that are currently in use with high power MST/ST (mesosphere stratosphere troposphere/stratosphere troposphere) radars. This review supplements the works of Rastogi (1983) and Farley (1984) presented at previous MAP workshops. A general description is given of data acquisition and signal processing operations and they are characterized on the basis of their disparate time scales. Then signal coding, a brief description of frequently used codes, and their limitations are discussed, and finally, several aspects of statistical data processing such as signal statistics, power spectrum and autocovariance analysis, outlier removal techniques are discussed.

Teknisk Ståbi

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Teknisk Ståbi er de bygningsprojekterendes og entreprenørers håndbog. Den dækker matematik, fysik, statestik, laster og sikkerhed samt beggematerialerne: beton, stål, træ, murværk, letbeton, glas og endelig fundering. Denne udgave er en næsten totalrevision, baseret på de nye Eurocodes, der afløs...

A novel feature ranking algorithm for biometric recognition with PPG signals.

Science.gov (United States)

Reşit Kavsaoğlu, A; Polat, Kemal; Recep Bozkurt, M

2014-06-01

This study is intended for describing the application of the Photoplethysmography (PPG) signal and the time domain features acquired from its first and second derivatives for biometric identification. For this purpose, a sum of 40 features has been extracted and a feature-ranking algorithm is proposed. This proposed algorithm calculates the contribution of each feature to biometric recognition and collocates the features, the contribution of which is from great to small. While identifying the contribution of the features, the Euclidean distance and absolute distance formulas are used. The efficiency of the proposed algorithms is demonstrated by the results of the k-NN (k-nearest neighbor) classifier applications of the features. During application, each 15-period-PPG signal belonging to two different durations from each of the thirty healthy subjects were used with a PPG data acquisition card. The first PPG signals recorded from the subjects were evaluated as the 1st configuration; the PPG signals recorded later at a different time as the 2nd configuration and the combination of both were evaluated as the 3rd configuration. When the results were evaluated for the k-NN classifier model created along with the proposed algorithm, an identification of 90.44% for the 1st configuration, 94.44% for the 2nd configuration, and 87.22% for the 3rd configuration has successfully been attained. The obtained results showed that both the proposed algorithm and the biometric identification model based on this developed PPG signal are very promising for contactless recognizing the people with the proposed method. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sources of speciated atmospheric mercury at a residential neighborhood impacted by industrial sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Helen Manolopoulos; David C. Snyder; James J. Schauer; Jason S. Hill; Jay R. Turner; Mark L. Olson; David P. Krabbenhoft [University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI (United States). Environmental Chemistry and Technology Program

2007-08-15

Speciated measurements of atmospheric mercury plumes were obtained at an industrially impacted residential area of East St. Louis, IL. These plumes were found to result in extremely high mercury concentrations at ground level that were composed of a wide distribution of mercury species. Ground level concentrations as high as 235 ng m{sup -3} for elemental mercury (Hg{sup 0}) and 38,300 pg m{sup -3} for reactive mercury species (reactive gaseous (RGM) plus particulate (PHg) mercury) were measured. The highest mercury concentrations observed during the study were associated with plumes that contained high concentrations of all mercury species (Hg{sup 0}, RGM, and PHg) and originated from a source located southwest of the sampling site. Variations in proportions of Hg{sup 0}/RGM/PHg among plumes, with Hg{sup 0} dominating some plumes and RGM and/or PHg dominating others, were attributed to differences in emissions from different sources. Correlations between mercury plumes and elevated NOx were not observed; however, a correlation between elevated SO{sub 2} and mercury plumes was observed during some but not all plume events. Despite the presence of six coal-fired power plants within 60 km of the study site, wind direction data along with Hg/SO{sub 2} and Hg/NOx ratios suggest that high-concentration mercury plumes impacting the St. Louis-Midwest Particle Matter Supersite are attributable to local point sources within 5 km of the site. 35 refs., 5 figs.

Localization from near-source quasi-static electromagnetic fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mosher, John Compton [Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

1993-09-01

A wide range of research has been published on the problem of estimating the parameters of electromagnetic and acoustical sources from measurements of signals measured at an array of sensors. In the quasi-static electromagnetic cases examined here, the signal variation from a point source is relatively slow with respect to the signal propagation and the spacing of the array of sensors. As such, the location of the point sources can only be determined from the spatial diversity of the received signal across the array. The inverse source localization problem is complicated by unknown model order and strong local minima. The nonlinear optimization problem is posed for solving for the parameters of the quasi-static source model. The transient nature of the sources can be exploited to allow subspace approaches to separate out the signal portion of the spatial correlation matrix. Decomposition techniques are examined for improved processing, and an adaptation of MUtiple SIgnal Characterization (MUSIC) is presented for solving the source localization problem. Recent results on calculating the Cramer-Rao error lower bounds are extended to the multidimensional problem here. This thesis focuses on the problem of source localization in magnetoencephalography (MEG), with a secondary application to thunderstorm source localization. Comparisons are also made between MEG and its electrical equivalent, electroencephalography (EEG). The error lower bounds are examined in detail for several MEG and EEG configurations, as well as localizing thunderstorm cells over Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center. Time-eigenspectrum is introduced as a parsing technique for improving the performance of the optimization problem.

Quorum Quenching Revisited—From Signal Decays to Signalling Confusion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kok-Gan Chan

2012-04-01

Full Text Available In a polymicrobial community, while some bacteria are communicating with neighboring cells (quorum sensing, others are interrupting the communication (quorum quenching, thus creating a constant arms race between intercellular communication. In the past decade, numerous quorum quenching enzymes have been found and initially thought to inactivate the signalling molecules. Though this is widely accepted, the actual roles of these quorum quenching enzymes are now being uncovered. Recent evidence extends the role of quorum quenching to detoxification or metabolism of signalling molecules as food and energy source; this includes “signalling confusion”, a term coined in this paper to refer to the phenomenon of non-destructive modification of signalling molecules. While quorum quenching has been explored as a novel anti-infective therapy targeting, quorum sensing evidence begins to show the development of resistance against quorum quenching.

The marine Algal Vegetation of St. Martin, St. Eustatius and Saba (Netherlands Antilles)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vroman, M.

1968-01-01

Along the coast of St. Martin, St. Eustatius and Saba the rocks above sea-level often show a number of differently coloured zones. This is clearly visible when the coast over a larger distance is formed by one type of rock, as for instance on Saba. In many places a light-coloured belt is seen above

The isotopic and chemical evolution of Mount St. Helens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halliday, A.N.; Fallick, A.E.; Dickin, A.P.; Mackenzie, A.B.; Stephens, W.E.

1983-01-01

Isotopic and major and trace element analysis of nine samples of eruptive products spanning the history of the Mt. St. Helens volcano suggest three different episodes; (1) 40,000-2500 years ago: eruptions of dacite with epsilonsub(Nd) = +5, epsilonsub(Sr) = -10, variable delta 18 O, 206 Pb/ 204 Pb approx.= 18.76, Ca/Sr approx.= 60, Rb/Ba- approx.= 0.1, La/Yb approx.= 18, (2) 2500-1000 years ago: eruptions of basalt, andesite and dacite with epsilonsub(Nd) = +4 to + 8, epsilonsub(Sr) = -7 to -22, variable delta 18 O (thought to represent melting of differing mantle-crust reservoirs), 206 Pb/ 204 Pb = 18.81-18.87, variable Ca/Sr, Rb/Ba, La/Yb and high Zr, (3) 1000 years ago to present day: eruptions of andesite and dacite with epsilonsub(Nd) = + 6, epsilonsub(Sr) = -13, delta 18 O approx.= 6per mille, variable 206 Pb/ 204 Pb, Ca/Sr approx.= 77, Rb/Ba = 0.1, La/Yb approx.= 11. None of the products exhibit Eu anomalies and all are LREE enriched. There is a strong correlation between 87 Sr/ 86 Sr and differentiation indices. These data are interpreted in terms of a mantle heat source melting young crust bearing zircon and garnet, but not feldspar, followed by intrusion of this crustal reservoir by mantle-derived magma which caused further crustal melting and contaminated the crustal magma system with mafic components. Since 1000 years ago all the eruptions have been from the same reservoir which has displayed a much more gradual re-equilibration of Pb isotopic compositions than other components suggesting that Pb is being transported via a fluid phase. The Nd and Sr isotopic compositions lie along the mantle array and suggest that the mantle underneath Mt. St. Helens is not as depleted as MORB sources. There is no indication of seawater involvement in the source region. (orig.)

The isotopic and chemical evolution of Mount St. Helens

Science.gov (United States)

Halliday, A.N.; Fallick, A.E.; Dickin, A.P.; Mackenzie, A.B.; Stephens, W.E.; Hildreth, W.

1983-01-01

Isotopic and major and trace element analysis of nine samples of eruptive products spanning the history of the Mt. St. Helens volcano suggest three different episodes; (1) 40,000-2500 years ago: eruptions of dacite with ??{lunate}Nd = +5, ??{lunate}Sr = -10, variable ??18O, 206Pb/204Pb ??? 18.76, Ca/Sr ??? 60, Rb/Ba ??? 0.1, La/Yb ??? 18, (2) 2500-1000 years ago: eruptions of basalt, andesite and dacite with ??{lunate}Nd = +4 to +8, ??{lunate}Sr = -7 to -22, variable ??18O (thought to represent melting of differing mantle-crust reservoirs), 206Pb/204Pb = 18.81-18.87, variable Ca/Sr, Rb/Ba, La/Yb and high Zr, (3) 1000 years ago to present day: eruptions of andesite and dacite with ??{lunate}Nd = +6, ??{lunate}Sr = -13, ??18O ???6???, variable 206Pb/204Pb, Ca/Sr ??? 77, Rb/Ba = 0.1, La/Yb ??? 11. None of the products exhibit Eu anomalies and all are LREE enriched. There is a strong correlation between 87Sr/86Sr and differentiation indices. These data are interpreted in terms of a mantle heat source melting young crust bearing zircon and garnet, but not feldspar, followed by intrusion of this crustal reservoir by mantle-derived magma which caused further crustal melting and contaminated the crustal magma system with mafic components. Since 1000 years ago all the eruptions have been from the same reservoir which has displayed a much more gradual re-equilibration of Pb isotopic compositions than other components suggesting that Pb is being transported via a fluid phase. The Nd and Sr isotopic compositions lie along the mantle array and suggest that the mantle underneath Mt. St. Helens is not as depleted as MORB sources. There is no indication of seawater involvement in the source region. ?? 1983.

Acoustic Localization with Infrasonic Signals

Science.gov (United States)

Threatt, Arnesha; Elbing, Brian

2015-11-01

Numerous geophysical and anthropogenic events emit infrasonic frequencies (<20 Hz), including volcanoes, hurricanes, wind turbines and tornadoes. These sounds, which cannot be heard by the human ear, can be detected from large distances (in excess of 100 miles) due to low frequency acoustic signals having a very low decay rate in the atmosphere. Thus infrasound could be used for long-range, passive monitoring and detection of these events. An array of microphones separated by known distances can be used to locate a given source, which is known as acoustic localization. However, acoustic localization with infrasound is particularly challenging due to contamination from other signals, sensitivity to wind noise and producing a trusted source for system development. The objective of the current work is to create an infrasonic source using a propane torch wand or a subwoofer and locate the source using multiple infrasonic microphones. This presentation will present preliminary results from various microphone configurations used to locate the source.

The mathematical theory of signal processing and compression-designs

Science.gov (United States)

Feria, Erlan H.

2006-05-01

The mathematical theory of signal processing, named processor coding, will be shown to inherently arise as the computational time dual of Shannon's mathematical theory of communication which is also known as source coding. Source coding is concerned with signal source memory space compression while processor coding deals with signal processor computational time compression. Their combination is named compression-designs and referred as Conde in short. A compelling and pedagogically appealing diagram will be discussed highlighting Conde's remarkable successful application to real-world knowledge-aided (KA) airborne moving target indicator (AMTI) radar.

Custom chipset and compact module design for a 75–110 GHz laboratory signal source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morgan, Matthew A; Boyd, Tod A; Castro, Jason J

2016-01-01

We report on the development and characterization of a compact, full-waveguide bandwidth (WR-10) signal source for general-purpose testing of mm-wave components. The monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) based multichip module is designed for compactness and ease-of-use, especially in size-constrained test sets such as a wafer probe station. It takes as input a cm-wave continuous-wave (CW) reference and provides a factor of three frequency multiplication as well as amplification, output power adjustment, and in situ output power monitoring. It utilizes a number of custom MMIC chips such as a Schottky-diode limiter and a broadband mm-wave detector, both designed explicitly for this module, as well as custom millimeter-wave multipliers and amplifiers reported in previous papers. (paper)

Advanced LIGO: sources and astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Creighton, Teviet

2003-01-01

Second-generation detectors in LIGO will take us from the discovery phase of gravitational-wave observations to the phase of true gravitational-wave astrophysics, with hundreds or thousands of potential sources. This paper surveys the most likely and interesting potential sources for Advanced LIGO, and the astrophysical processes that each one will probe. I conclude that binary inspiral signals are expected, while continuous signals from pulsars are plausible but not guaranteed. Other sources, such as core-collapse bursts, cosmic strings and primordial stochastic backgrounds, are speculative sources for Advanced LIGO, but also potentially the most interesting, since they push the limits of our theoretical knowledge

Creating a 21st-century intelligent health system.

Science.gov (United States)

Newt, Gingrich; Nancy, Desmond

2008-02-01

In most areas of life, Americans enjoy the ease and convenience offered by advances in technology, communications, and transportation. Every day we experience the 21st-century model of America, which is one of effectiveness, accuracy, speed, flexibility, efficiency, lower cost, more choices, and greater achievement. We can shop online, compare prices for goods and services, and when decisions need to be made, we have access to a wide array of information sources to assist in making those decisions. In short, Americans enjoy great latitude in our power to determine what is best for us. This is not, however, the case when it comes to health and healthcare. In our current healthcare system, individuals are dependent on a structure that has resisted the natural progress and modernization achieved by market-oriented, 21st-century industries. The information age has been leaving health behind. Although it is the nature of a science- and technology-based entrepreneurial free market to provide more choices of higher quality at lower cost, in the healthcare sector, prices continue to rise, quality is inconsistent, and individuals lack the information, incentives, and power to make choices.

75 FR 38723 - Safety Zone; St. Ignace 4th of July Fireworks, East Moran Bay, Lake Huron, St. Ignace, MI

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-06

...-AA00 Safety Zone; St. Ignace 4th of July Fireworks, East Moran Bay, Lake Huron, St. Ignace, MI AGENCY... safety zone on East Moran Bay, Lake Huron, St. Ignace, Michigan. This zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of East Moran Bay during the St. Ignace 4th of July Fireworks display, July 4, 2010...

StUbEx PLUS-A Modified Stable Tagged Ubiquitin Exchange System for Peptide Level Purification and In-Depth Mapping of Ubiquitination Sites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Akimov, Vyacheslav; Olsen, Louise C B; Hansen, Sten V F

2018-01-01

repair, and signal transduction. Because of its importance for numerous cellular functions, ubiquitination has become an intense topic of research in recent years, and proteomics tools have greatly facilitated the identification of many ubiquitination targets. Taking advantage of the StUbEx strategy...

Digital Humanities in the 21st Century

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brügger, Niels

2016-01-01

In this article it is argued that one of the major transformative factors of the humanities at the beginning of the 21st century is the shift from analogue to digital source material, and that this shift will affect the humanities in a variety of ways. But various kinds of digital material...... are not digital in the same way, which a distinction between digitized, born-digital, and reborn-digital may help us acknowledge, thereby helping us to understand how each of these types of digital material affects different phases of scholarly work in its own way. This is illustrated by a detailed comparison...... of the nature of digitized collections and web archives....

The Role of the st313-td Gene in Virulence of Salmonella Typhimurium ST313

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Herrero-Fresno, Ana; Wallrodt, Inke; Leekitcharoenphon, Pimlapas

2014-01-01

Multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium ST313 has emerged in sub-Saharan Africa causing severe infections in humans. Therefore, it has been speculated that this specific sequence type, ST313, carries factors associated with increased pathogenicity. We assessed the role in viru...

On Alternate Relaying with Improper Gaussian Signaling

KAUST Repository

Gaafar, Mohamed; Amin, Osama; Ikhlef, Aissa; Chaaban, Anas; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2016-01-01

In this letter, we investigate the potential benefits of adopting improper Gaussian signaling (IGS) in a two-hop alternate relaying (AR) system. Given the known benefits of using IGS in interference-limited networks, we propose to use IGS to relieve the inter-relay interference (IRI) impact on the AR system assuming no channel state information is available at the source. In this regard, we assume that the two relays use IGS and the source uses proper Gaussian signaling (PGS). Then, we optimize the degree of impropriety of the relays signal, measured by the circularity coefficient, to maximize the total achievable rate. Simulation results show that using IGS yields a significant performance improvement over PGS, especially when the first hop is a bottleneck due to weak source-relay channel gains and/or strong IRI.

On Alternate Relaying with Improper Gaussian Signaling

KAUST Repository

Gaafar, Mohamed

2016-06-06

In this letter, we investigate the potential benefits of adopting improper Gaussian signaling (IGS) in a two-hop alternate relaying (AR) system. Given the known benefits of using IGS in interference-limited networks, we propose to use IGS to relieve the inter-relay interference (IRI) impact on the AR system assuming no channel state information is available at the source. In this regard, we assume that the two relays use IGS and the source uses proper Gaussian signaling (PGS). Then, we optimize the degree of impropriety of the relays signal, measured by the circularity coefficient, to maximize the total achievable rate. Simulation results show that using IGS yields a significant performance improvement over PGS, especially when the first hop is a bottleneck due to weak source-relay channel gains and/or strong IRI.

ST-intuitionistic fuzzy metric space with properties

Science.gov (United States)

Arora, Sahil; Kumar, Tanuj

2017-07-01

In this paper, we define ST-intuitionistic fuzzy metric space and the notion of convergence and completeness properties of cauchy sequences is studied. Further, we prove some properties of ST-intuitionistic fuzzy metric space. Finally, we introduce the concept of symmetric ST Intuitionistic Fuzzy metric space.

pyAudioAnalysis: An Open-Source Python Library for Audio Signal Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Giannakopoulos, Theodoros

2015-01-01

Audio information plays a rather important role in the increasing digital content that is available today, resulting in a need for methodologies that automatically analyze such content: audio event recognition for home automations and surveillance systems, speech recognition, music information retrieval, multimodal analysis (e.g. audio-visual analysis of online videos for content-based recommendation), etc. This paper presents pyAudioAnalysis, an open-source Python library that provides a wide range of audio analysis procedures including: feature extraction, classification of audio signals, supervised and unsupervised segmentation and content visualization. pyAudioAnalysis is licensed under the Apache License and is available at GitHub (https://github.com/tyiannak/pyAudioAnalysis/). Here we present the theoretical background behind the wide range of the implemented methodologies, along with evaluation metrics for some of the methods. pyAudioAnalysis has been already used in several audio analysis research applications: smart-home functionalities through audio event detection, speech emotion recognition, depression classification based on audio-visual features, music segmentation, multimodal content-based movie recommendation and health applications (e.g. monitoring eating habits). The feedback provided from all these particular audio applications has led to practical enhancement of the library.

Underwater object classification using scattering transform of sonar signals

Science.gov (United States)

Saito, Naoki; Weber, David S.

2017-08-01

In this paper, we apply the scattering transform (ST)-a nonlinear map based off of a convolutional neural network (CNN)-to classification of underwater objects using sonar signals. The ST formalizes the observation that the filters learned by a CNN have wavelet-like structure. We achieve effective binary classification both on a real dataset of Unexploded Ordinance (UXOs), as well as synthetically generated examples. We also explore the effects on the waveforms with respect to changes in the object domain (e.g., translation, rotation, and acoustic impedance, etc.), and examine the consequences coming from theoretical results for the scattering transform. We show that the scattering transform is capable of excellent classification on both the synthetic and real problems, thanks to having more quasi-invariance properties that are well-suited to translation and rotation of the object.

Niche Differentiation and Prey Selectivity among Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus Sighted in St. George Sound, Gulf of Mexico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rachel M. Wilson

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Two groups of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus have been identified within St. George Sound, Florida, USA: high site-fidelity individuals (HSF which are individuals sighted multiple times in the region (i.e., ≥2 months, ≥2 seasons, and ≥2 years, and low site-fidelity individuals (LSF, which are individuals sighted fewer than 2 months, in 2 different seasons among 2 different years. Our goal was to determine whether differences in foraging behaviors were correlated with differences in sighting frequency and overall usage of St. George Sound by the two groups. We used carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur stable isotopes and niche hypervolume metrics to model the foodweb of St. George Sound. Mixing model results indicated that croaker, mojarra, pigfish, pinfish, and silverperch were the most important prey items for dolphins. The hypervolume metrics demonstrate niche partitioning between HSFs and LSFs, with the HSFs relying more heavily on pinfish, pigfish, and mojarra, while the LSFs relied more on silverperch. Plankton, benthic diatoms, seagrass, and epiphytes all contributed to secondary production within St. George Sound. This diversity of source utilization by seagrass-associated consumers supported by a high rate of total production likely sustains high secondary productivity despite the potential for competition in this system. Zooplankton was the most important basal source to the system, followed by seagrass and benthic primary production (as indicated by a sanddollar proxy. The reliance of dolphins on seagrass-dependent prey indicates that alteration of seagrass habitat would significantly impact the dolphin community foraging in St. George Sound and suggests that preservation of seagrass habitat is an important component of an effective management strategy for dolphin populations in the region.

Henkilöstövoimavarojen johtamista megamarketissa

OpenAIRE

Setälä, Minna

2016-01-01

Henkilöstö on lähes kaikkien organisaatioiden tärkein voimavara ja menestyksen perusta. Ilman henkilöstön olemassaoloa ja osaamista, ei mikään organisaatio pystyisi toimimaan. Henkilöstövoimavarojen johtamisen tulisikin olla keskeinen osa yrityksen strategista toimintaa. Osaava ja hyvinvoiva henkilöstö tuottaa luonnollisesti vastinetta siihen sijoitetulle pääomalle. Tämä opinnäytetyö tehtiin Vantaalla sijaitsevalle elintarvike- ja päivittäistavaraketjun myymälälle, supermarketille. Tavo...

Quench tank in-leakage diagnosis at St. Lucie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Price, J.E.; Au-Yang, M.K.; Beckner, D.A.; Vickery, A.N.

1996-12-01

In February 1995, leakage into the quench tank of the St. Lucie Nuclear Station Unit 1 was becoming an operational concern. This internal leak resulted in measurable increases in both the temperature and level of the quench tank water, and was so severe that, if the trend continued, plant shut down would be necessary. Preliminary diagnosis based on in-plant instrumentation indicated that any one of 11 valves might be leaking into the quench tank. This paper describes the joint effort by two teams of engineers--one from Florida Power & Light, the other from Framatome Technologies--to identify the sources of the leak, using the latest technology developed for valve diagnosis.

A method for estimating the orientation of a directional sound source from source directivity and multi-microphone recordings: principles and application

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guarato, Francesco; Jakobsen, Lasse; Vanderelst, Dieter

2011-01-01

Taking into account directivity of real sound sources makes it possible to try solving an interesting and biologically relevant problem: estimating the orientation in three-dimensional space of a directional sound source. The source, of known directivity, produces a broadband signal (in the ultra......Taking into account directivity of real sound sources makes it possible to try solving an interesting and biologically relevant problem: estimating the orientation in three-dimensional space of a directional sound source. The source, of known directivity, produces a broadband signal (in...

Baseline risk assessment for exposure to contaminants at the St. Louis Site, St. Louis, Missouri

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-11-01

The St. Louis Site comprises three noncontiguous areas in and near St. Louis, Missouri: the St. Louis Downtown Site (SLDS), the St. Louis Airport Storage Site (SLAPS), and the Latty Avenue Properties. The main site of the Latty Avenue Properties includes the Hazelwood Interim Storage Site (HISS) and the Futura Coatings property, which are located at 9200 Latty Avenue. Contamination at the St. Louis Site is the result of uranium processing and disposal activities that took place from the 1940s through the 1970s. Uranium processing took place at the SLDS from 1942 through 1957. From the 1940s through the 1960s, SLAPS was used as a storage area for residues from the manufacturing operations at SLDS. The materials stored at SLAPS were bought by Continental Mining and Milling Company of Chicago, Illinois, in 1966, and moved to the HISS/Futura Coatings property at 9200 Latty Avenue. Vicinity properties became contaminated as a result of transport and movement of the contaminated material among SLDS, SLAPS, and the 9200 Latty Avenue property. This contamination led to the SLAPS, HISS, and Futura Coatings properties being placed on the National Priorities List (NPL) of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The US Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for cleanup activities at the St. Louis Site under its Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP). The primary goal of FUSRAP is the elimination of potential hazards to human health and the environment at former Manhattan Engineer District/Atomic Energy Commission (MED/AEC) sites so that, to the extent possible, these properties can be released for use without restrictions. To determine and establish cleanup goals for the St. Louis Site, DOE is currently preparing a remedial investigation/feasibility study-environmental impact statement (RI/FS-EIS). This baseline risk assessment (BRA) is a component of the process; it addresses potential risk to human health and the environment associated wi

Herrens röst

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rösing, Lilian Munk

2015-01-01

Om språket är gränsen mellan djur och människor, vad innebär det när hundar talar? I filmen Upp pratar de animerade hundarna, men med sin husses röst. Lilian Munk Rösing ser filmen i sällskap av bland andra Jacques Lacan, Slavoj Žižek och Renata Salecl och finner en röst utan kropp, en kropp besj...

Differences in symptoms, first medical contact and pre-hospital delay times between patients with ST- and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Science.gov (United States)

Ängerud, Karin H; Sederholm Lawesson, Sofia; Isaksson, Rose-Marie; Thylén, Ingela; Swahn, Eva

2017-11-01

In ST-elevation myocardial infarction, time to reperfusion is crucial for the prognosis. Symptom presentation in myocardial infarction influences pre-hospital delay times but studies about differences in symptoms between patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction are sparse and inconclusive. The aim was to compare symptoms, first medical contact and pre-hospital delay times in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction. This multicentre, observational study included 694 myocardial infarction patients from five hospitals. The patients filled in a questionnaire about their pre-hospital experiences within 24 h of hospital admittance. Chest pain was the most common symptom in ST-elevation myocardial infarction and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (88.7 vs 87.0%, p=0.56). Patients with cold sweat (odds ratio 3.61, 95% confidence interval 2.29-5.70), jaw pain (odds ratio 2.41, 95% confidence interval 1.04-5.58), and nausea (odds ratio 1.70, 95% confidence interval 1.01-2.87) were more likely to present with ST-elevation myocardial infarction, whereas the opposite was true for symptoms that come and go (odds ratio 0.58, 95% confidence interval 0.38-0.90) or anxiety (odds ratio 0.52, 95% confidence interval 0.29-0.92). Use of emergency medical services was higher among patients admitted with ST-elevation myocardial infarction. The pre-hospital delay time from symptom onset to first medical contact was significantly longer in non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (2:05 h vs 1:10 h, p=0.001). Patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction differed from those with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction regarding symptom presentation, ambulance utilisation and pre-hospital delay times. This knowledge is important to be aware of for all healthcare personnel and the general public especially in order to recognise symptoms suggestive of ST-elevation myocardial infarction and

A New Way of Thinking About Strategic Sourcing

Science.gov (United States)

2016-05-17

Battalion–Kandahar, 401st Army Field Support Brigade, organizes laundry at one of the battalion’s drop-off sites. (Photo by Sharonda Pearson )  By Penny...integrated process for de- termining preferred providers, and create a centralized market research database. A centralized strategic sourcing hub also

BMP4 and BMP7 Suppress StAR and Progesterone Production via ALK3 and SMAD1/5/8-SMAD4 in Human Granulosa-Lutein Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Han; Klausen, Christian; Zhu, Hua; Chang, Hsun-Ming; Leung, Peter C K

2015-11-01

Adequate production of progesterone by the corpus luteum is critical to the successful establishment of pregnancy. In animal models, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) 4 and BMP7 have been shown to suppress either basal or gonadotropin-induced progesterone production, depending on the species examined. However, the effects of BMP4 and BMP7 on progesterone production in human granulosa cells are unknown. In the present study, we used immortalized (SVOG) and primary human granulosa-lutein cells to investigate the effects of BMP4 and BMP7 on steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) expression and progesterone production and to examine the underlying molecular mechanism. Treatment of primary and immortalized human granulosa cells with recombinant BMP4 or BMP7 decreased StAR expression and progesterone accumulation. In SVOG cells, the suppressive effects of BMP4 and BMP7 on StAR expression were blocked by pretreatment with inhibitors of activin receptor-like kinase (ALK)2/3/6 (dorsomorphin) or ALK2/3 (DMH1) but not ALK4/5/7 (SB-431542). Moreover, small interfering RNA-mediated depletion of ALK3, but not ALK2 or ALK6, reversed the effects of BMP4 and BMP7 on StAR expression. Likewise, BMP4- and BMP7-induced phosphorylation of SMAD 1/5/8 was reversed by treatment with DMH1 or small interfering RNA targeting ALK3. Knockdown of SMAD4, the essential common SMAD for BMP/TGF-β signaling, abolished the effects of BMP4 and BMP7 on StAR expression. Our results suggest that BMP4 and BMP7 down-regulate StAR and progesterone production via ALK3 and SMAD1/5/8-SMAD4 signaling in human granulosa-lutein cells.

Identification and molecular characterization of Chryseobacterium vrystaatense ST1 isolated from oligomineral water of southeast Serbia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kojić M.

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The isolation and molecular characterization of bacterial strains isolated from water sources in the Vlasina Mountain in southeast Serbia, confirmed the presence of a new species Chryseobacterium vrystaatense ST1. This Gram- negative species showed an extremely low level of biochemical reactivity in biochemical tests. The gene for 16S rRNA was amplified by PCR using universal primers and sequenced. Comparison of 16S rRNA gene sequence and phenotypic features indicated that the isolate ST belonged to Chryseobacterium vrystaatense. A BLAST search of sequenced 1088 nucleotides of the 16S rRNA gene with all sequences deposited in the NCBI collection showed the highest similarity (98% with the strain Chryseobacterium vrystaatense sp. nov., designated as strain R-23533. The very high homology of these two strains allowed classification of our strain at the species level, but some differences indicate, and indirectly confirm, that the isolate ST is an authentic representative. On the basis of these results, we could conclude that Chryseobacterium vrystaatense ST was for first time isolated in Serbia, which is particularly important when one bears in mind that there are only three sequences of this species deposited in the NCBI collection.

Elucidating the Wavelength Dependence of Phonon Scattering in Nanoparticle-Matrix Composites using Phonon Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

2016-07-11

and a Stanford Research Systems SR830 lock -in amplifier was used to measure the 1st and 3rd harmonics of the voltage signal. The temperature...current source and a Stanford Research Systems SR830 lock -in amplifier was used to measure the 1st and 3rd harmonic voltage signals. 2.2.2...Taras, M. Martin, U. Chaitanya and T. Edwin , Physics World, 2005, 18, 24. 67. N. W. Ashcroft and N. D. Mermin, Appendix N, 2010. DISTRIBUTION A

Identification and characterization of two novel cytosolic sulfotransferases, SULT1 ST7 and SULT1 ST8, from zebrafish

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, T.-A. [Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606 (United States); Department of Biological Science and Technology, College of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (China); Bhuiyan, Shakhawat [Division of Arts and Sciences, Jarvis Christian College, Hawkins, TX 75765 (United States); Snow, Rhodora [School of Mathematics and Science, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, Richmond, VA 23285 (United States); Yasuda, Shin; Yasuda, Tomoko [Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606 (United States); Yang, Y.-S. [Department of Biological Science and Technology, College of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (China); Williams, Frederick E.; Liu, M.-Y.; Suiko, Masahito [Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606 (United States); Carter, Glendora [School of Mathematics and Science, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, Richmond, VA 23285 (United States); Liu, M.-C. [Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606 (United States)], E-mail: ming.liu@utoledo.edu

2008-08-29

Cytosolic sulfotransferases (SULTs) constitute a family of Phase II detoxification enzymes that are involved in the protection against potentially harmful xenobiotics as well as the regulation and homeostasis of endogenous compounds. Compared with humans and rodents, the zebrafish serves as an excellent model for studying the role of SULTs in the detoxification of environmental pollutants including environmental estrogens. By searching the expressed sequence tag database, two zebrafish cDNAs encoding putative SULTs were identified. Sequence analysis indicated that these two putative zebrafish SULTs belong to the SULT1 gene family. The recombinant form of these two novel zebrafish SULTs, designated SULT1 ST7 and SULT1 ST8, were expressed using the pGEX-2TK glutathione S-transferase (GST) gene fusion system and purified from transformed BL21 (DE3) cells. Purified GST-fusion protein form of SULT1 ST7 and SULT1 ST8 exhibited strong sulfating activities toward environmental estrogens, particularly hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), among various endogenous and xenobiotic compounds tested as substrates. pH-dependence experiments showed that SULT1 ST7 and SULT1 ST8 displayed pH optima at 6.5 and 8.0, respectively. Kinetic parameters of the two enzymes in catalyzing the sulfation of catechin and chlorogenic acid as well as 3-chloro-4-biphenylol were determined. Developmental expression experiments revealed distinct patterns of expression of SULT1 ST7 and SULT1 ST8 during embryonic development and throughout the larval stage onto maturity.

Distribution of some radionuclides in the St. Lawrence estuary, Quebec, Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serodes, J.B.; Roy, J.C.

1983-01-01

The distribution of γ-emitting radionuclides in the St. Lawrence estuary was studied in 1978 and 1979, by means of double sampling and the flocculation and centrifugation of very large volumes of water. Eleven radionuclides were detected, originating from a variety of sources, including soil erosion and nuclear weapons testing. The concentrations measured in 1979 were higher than those of 1978; the 21st Chinese nuclear test could be responsible for the increase of some radionuclides. Concentrations decrease markedly from the freshwater part to the marine region of the estuary. Dilution by oceanic waters, relative affinity with suspended matter and radioactive decay are the principal mechanisms involved in the distribution patterns. Cesium-137, 144 Ce, 226 Ra, 228 Ra and 228 Th are strongly associated with suspended matter, while about two thirds of 7 Be, 106 Ru and 235 U are present in the liquid phase. Results suggest that 235 U is released from sediments in the maximum turbidity zone

Study of the carbonaceous fraction of the atmospheric aerosol in Chamonix and St Jean de Maurienne: seasonal evolutions, source and chemical characteristics; Etude de la fraction carbonee de l'aerosol atmospherique a Chamonix et St Jean de Maurienne: evolutions saisonnieres, sources et caracteristiques chimiques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aymoz, G.

2005-03-15

The atmospheric aerosols play an important role in the earth climatic system. They are also at the origin of air pollution problems in urban areas. However, their influence on the global climactic change, as well as their chemical properties in urban zone, is still very poorly known. One of the main reasons to that is the lack of information on one of the major components of aerosol, the carbonaceous matter. This work focuses on a better knowledge of this particulate carbonaceous matter. This study presents measurements of carbonaceous matter (OC and EC) in aerosol (PM10) performed within the framework of the program POVA, between February 2001 and June 2003 in Chamonix and St Jean de Maurienne (French Alps). This series represents one of the first of this type for basic sites of alpine valleys, characterized by emissions located in the bottom of the valleys and strong temperature inversions in winter, limiting the dispersion of pollutants. The POVA program, centred on the study of air pollution in these valleys, was proposed following the closing of the 'Tunnel du Mont Blanc', in 1999. One of the main objectives was to evaluate the sources of pollution by particles, in particular the share due to the international heavy duty traffic. We could establish that, on the two sites and while the international heavy duty traffic was not restored in the Chamonix Valley, this source represented approximately a third of the observed mass of particles, and was at the origin of a weaker fraction of the carbonaceous matter mass. The extremely primary character of the carbonaceous matter is a remarkable specificity of our sites. The source of carbonaceous matter represented by light vehicles emissions could not be studied. Then, it appears that combustion of biomass (probably from fireplaces) plays an important role, increased in the case of low temperatures, on the levels of pollution by particles. Lastly, the potential impact of the semi-volatile matter condensation

Study of the carbonaceous fraction of the atmospheric aerosol in Chamonix and St Jean de Maurienne: seasonal evolutions, source and chemical characteristics; Etude de la fraction carbonee de l'aerosol atmospherique a Chamonix et St Jean de Maurienne: evolutions saisonnieres, sources et caracteristiques chimiques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aymoz, G

2005-03-15

The atmospheric aerosols play an important role in the earth climatic system. They are also at the origin of air pollution problems in urban areas. However, their influence on the global climactic change, as well as their chemical properties in urban zone, is still very poorly known. One of the main reasons to that is the lack of information on one of the major components of aerosol, the carbonaceous matter. This work focuses on a better knowledge of this particulate carbonaceous matter. This study presents measurements of carbonaceous matter (OC and EC) in aerosol (PM10) performed within the framework of the program POVA, between February 2001 and June 2003 in Chamonix and St Jean de Maurienne (French Alps). This series represents one of the first of this type for basic sites of alpine valleys, characterized by emissions located in the bottom of the valleys and strong temperature inversions in winter, limiting the dispersion of pollutants. The POVA program, centred on the study of air pollution in these valleys, was proposed following the closing of the 'Tunnel du Mont Blanc', in 1999. One of the main objectives was to evaluate the sources of pollution by particles, in particular the share due to the international heavy duty traffic. We could establish that, on the two sites and while the international heavy duty traffic was not restored in the Chamonix Valley, this source represented approximately a third of the observed mass of particles, and was at the origin of a weaker fraction of the carbonaceous matter mass. The extremely primary character of the carbonaceous matter is a remarkable specificity of our sites. The source of carbonaceous matter represented by light vehicles emissions could not be studied. Then, it appears that combustion of biomass (probably from fireplaces) plays an important role, increased in the case of low temperatures, on the levels of pollution by particles. Lastly, the potential impact of the semi-volatile matter condensation at the low

St. James marine terminal facility description

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1993-10-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) currently owns and operates a marine terminal on the west bank of the Mississippi River at St. James, Louisiana. The St. James facility was constructed by the Department to provide marine services associated with the fill and drawdown of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) crude oil storage facilities located at Bayou Choctaw and Weeks Island, Louisiana. Although strategic to the mission of the SPR in the event of a national emergency, the St. James terminal is situated such that it has a high potential to also serve the commercial industry`s needs for crude oil terminalling and storage. The St. James terminal is located approximately 45 miles west of New Orleans and 30 miles southeast of Baton Rouge, and approximately 160 miles upstream from the mouth of the Mississippi River. Construction of the St. James terminal was initiated in 1978 and was completed in 1980. Since then, the terminal has received and transferred over 125 million barrels of crude oil to the SPR sites for storage. For crude oil distribution, the St. James terminal was connected to the neighboring LOCAP terminal by a 0.1 mile 36-inch pipeline in 1981 and to the Capline terminal by a 0.5 mile 30-inch pipeline in 1988. The terminal also has a 30-inch pipeline connection to the Koch oil terminal which was used for initial fill purposes; however, this pipeline has been disconnected and is currently inactive. A complete description of the St. James terminal facilities, operational capabilities, operational certifications, and future Government requirements are presented in Sections 2, 3, 4, and 5 respectively.

Convoluted ν-Signals on 114Cd Isotope from Astrophysical and Laboratory Neutrino Sources

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Vaitsa Tsakstara

2015-01-01

Full Text Available At first, we evaluate scattering cross sections of low, and intermediate-energy neutrinos scattered off the 114 Cd isotope, the most abundant Cd isotope present also in the COBRA detector (CdTe and CdZnTe materials which aims to search for double beta decay events and neutrino observations at Gran Sasso laboratory (LNGS. The coherent ν-nucleus channel addressed here is the dominant reaction channel of the neutral current ν-nucleus scattering. Our ν-nucleus cross sections (calculated with a refinement of the quasiparticle random-phase approximation, QRPA refer to the gs→gs transitions for ν-energies εν≤100 MeV. Subsequently, simulated ν-signals on 114 Cd isotope are derived. Towards this purpose, the required folded cross section comes out of simulation techniques by employing several low, and intermediate-energy neutrino distributions of the astrophysical ν-sources, like the solar, supernova, and Earth neutrinos, as well as the laboratory neutrinos, the reactor neutrinos, the pion-muon stopped neutrinos, and the β-beam neutrinos.

Convolutive Blind Source Separation Methods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Michael Syskind; Larsen, Jan; Kjems, Ulrik

2008-01-01

During the past decades, much attention has been given to the separation of mixed sources, in particular for the blind case where both the sources and the mixing process are unknown and only recordings of the mixtures are available. In several situations it is desirable to recover all sources from...... the recorded mixtures, or at least to segregate a particular source. Furthermore, it may be useful to identify the mixing process itself to reveal information about the physical mixing system. In some simple mixing models each recording consists of a sum of differently weighted source signals. However, in many...... real-world applications, such as in acoustics, the mixing process is more complex. In such systems, the mixtures are weighted and delayed, and each source contributes to the sum with multiple delays corresponding to the multiple paths by which an acoustic signal propagates to a microphone...

Signal information available for plume source tracking with and without surface waves and learning by undergraduates assisting with the research

Science.gov (United States)

Wiley, Megan Beth

Autonomous vehicles have had limited success in locating point sources of pollutants, chemicals, and other passive scalars. However, animals such as stomatopods, a mantis shrimp, track odor plumes easily for food, mates, and habitat. Laboratory experiments using Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence measured odor concentration downstream of a diffusive source with and without live stomatopods to investigate their source-tracking strategies in unidirectional and "wave-affected" (surface waves with a mean current) flows. Despite the dearth of signal, extreme temporal variation, and meandering plume centerline, the stomatopods were able to locate the source, especially in the wave-affected flow. Differences in the two plumes far from the source (>160 cm) appeared to help the animals in the wave-affected flow position themselves closer to the source (fluid mechanics, and there was little evidence of learning by participation in the RAship. One RA's conceptions of turbulence did change, but a group workshop seemed to support this learning more than the RAship. The documented conceptions could aid in curriculum design, since situating new information within current knowledge seems to deepen learning outcomes. The RAs' conceptions varied widely with some overlap of ideas. The interviews also showed that most RAs did not discuss molecular diffusion as part of the mixing process and some remembered information from course demonstrations, but applied them inappropriately to the interview questions.

Meteor detection on ST (MST) radars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Avery, S.K.

1987-01-01

The ability to detect radar echoes from backscatter due to turbulent irregularities of the radio refractive index in the clear atmosphere has lead to an increasing number of established mesosphere - stratosphere - troposphere (MST or ST) radars. Humidity and temperature variations are responsible for the echo in the troposphere and stratosphere and turbulence acting on electron density gradients provides the echo in the mesosphere. The MST radar and its smaller version, the ST radar, are pulsed Doppler radars operating in the VHF - UHF frequency range. These echoes can be used to determine upper atmosphere winds at little extra cost to the ST radar configuration. In addition, the meteor echoes can supplement mesospheric data from an MST radar. The detection techniques required on the ST radar for delineating meteor echo returns are described

Comparative Prevalence of Immune Evasion Complex Genes Associated with β-Hemolysin Converting Bacteriophages in MRSA ST5 Isolates from Swine, Swine Facilities, Humans with Swine Contact, and Humans with No Swine Contact.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samantha J Hau

Full Text Available Livestock associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA draws concern from the public health community because in some countries these organisms may represent the largest reservoir of MRSA outside hospital settings. Recent studies indicate LA-MRSA strains from swine are more genetically diverse than the first reported sequence type ST398. In the US, a diverse population of LA-MRSA is found including organisms of the ST398, ST9, and ST5 lineages. Occurrence of ST5 MRSA in swine is of particular concern since ST5 is among the most prevalent lineages causing clinical infections in humans. The prominence of ST5 in clinical disease is believed to result from acquisition of bacteriophages containing virulence or host-adapted genes including the immune-evasion cluster (IEC genes carried by β-hemolysin converting bacteriophages, whose absence in LA-MRSA ST398 is thought to contribute to reduced rates of human infection and transmission associated with this lineage. The goal of this study was to investigate the prevalence of IEC genes associated with β-hemolysin converting bacteriophages in MRSA ST5 isolates obtained from agricultural sources, including swine, swine facilities, and humans with short- or long-term swine exposure. To gain a broader perspective, the prevalence of these genes in LA-MRSA ST5 strains was compared to the prevalence in clinical MRSA ST5 strains from humans with no known exposure to swine. IEC genes were not present in any of the tested MRSA ST5 strains from agricultural sources and the β-hemolysin gene was intact in these strains, indicating the bacteriophage's absence. In contrast, the prevalence of the β-hemolysin converting bacteriophage in MRSA ST5 strains from humans with no exposure to swine was 90.4%. The absence of β-hemolysin converting bacteriophage in LA-MRSA ST5 isolates is consistent with previous reports evaluating ST398 strains and provides genetic evidence indicating LA-MRSA ST5 isolates

Comparative Prevalence of Immune Evasion Complex Genes Associated with β-Hemolysin Converting Bacteriophages in MRSA ST5 Isolates from Swine, Swine Facilities, Humans with Swine Contact, and Humans with No Swine Contact

Science.gov (United States)

Hau, Samantha J.; Sun, Jisun; Davies, Peter R.; Frana, Timothy S.; Nicholson, Tracy L.

2015-01-01

Livestock associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) draws concern from the public health community because in some countries these organisms may represent the largest reservoir of MRSA outside hospital settings. Recent studies indicate LA-MRSA strains from swine are more genetically diverse than the first reported sequence type ST398. In the US, a diverse population of LA-MRSA is found including organisms of the ST398, ST9, and ST5 lineages. Occurrence of ST5 MRSA in swine is of particular concern since ST5 is among the most prevalent lineages causing clinical infections in humans. The prominence of ST5 in clinical disease is believed to result from acquisition of bacteriophages containing virulence or host-adapted genes including the immune-evasion cluster (IEC) genes carried by β-hemolysin converting bacteriophages, whose absence in LA-MRSA ST398 is thought to contribute to reduced rates of human infection and transmission associated with this lineage. The goal of this study was to investigate the prevalence of IEC genes associated with β-hemolysin converting bacteriophages in MRSA ST5 isolates obtained from agricultural sources, including swine, swine facilities, and humans with short- or long-term swine exposure. To gain a broader perspective, the prevalence of these genes in LA-MRSA ST5 strains was compared to the prevalence in clinical MRSA ST5 strains from humans with no known exposure to swine. IEC genes were not present in any of the tested MRSA ST5 strains from agricultural sources and the β-hemolysin gene was intact in these strains, indicating the bacteriophage’s absence. In contrast, the prevalence of the β-hemolysin converting bacteriophage in MRSA ST5 strains from humans with no exposure to swine was 90.4%. The absence of β-hemolysin converting bacteriophage in LA-MRSA ST5 isolates is consistent with previous reports evaluating ST398 strains and provides genetic evidence indicating LA-MRSA ST5 isolates may harbor a

Photoperiodic regulation of the sucrose transporter StSUT4 affects the expression of circadian-regulated genes and ethylene production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Izabela eChincinska

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Several recent publications report different subcellular localisation of members of the SUT4 subfamily of sucrose transporters. The physiological function of SUT4 sucrose transporters is still not entirely clarified as down-regulation of members of the SUT4 clade had very different effects in rice, poplar and potato. Here, we provide new data on the localization and function of the Solanaceous StSUT4 protein, further elucidating involvement in the onset of flowering, tuberization and in the shade avoidance syndrome of potato plants.Induction of early flowering and tuberization in SUT4-inhibited potato plants correlates with increased sucrose export from leaves and increased sucrose and starch accumulation in terminal sink organs such as developing tubers. SUT4 does not only affect the expression of gibberellin and ethylene biosynthetic enzymes, but also the rate of ethylene synthesis in potato. In SUT4-inhibited plants, the ethylene production no longer follows a diurnal rhythm, leading to the assumption that StSUT4 controls circadian gene expression, potentially by regulating sucrose export from leaves. Furthermore, SUT4 expression affects clock-regulated genes such as StFT, StSOC1 and StCO, which might also be involved in a photoperiod-dependently controlled tuberization. A model is proposed in which StSUT4 controls a phloem-mobile signalling molecule generated in leaves which together with enhanced sucrose export affects developmental switches in apical meristems. SUT4 seems to link photoreceptor-perceived information about the light quality and day length, with phytohormone biosynthesis and the expression of circadian genes.

Stereospecificity (ST) of the microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (MEOS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alderman, J.; Kato, S.; Lasker, J.; Lieber, C.S.

1987-01-01

The ST of MEOS for the ethanol 1R hydrogen has been variously reported as absolute, partial or absent, with free radical involvement postulated in the latter case. To determine both the ST of MEOS and the participation of free radicals in the reaction, they investigated MEOS ST using 1R[1- 3 H] ethanol as substrate. ST is expressed as the fraction of 3 H labeling in acetaldehyde formed, relative to that in ethanol, and ranges from 0.5 to 0. Partial ST was observed using liver microsomes from both rats and hamsters; it significantly decreased after ethanol feeding. 0.1 mM desferrioxamine (dfx) did not increase ST in any of these microsomal preparations while ferric EDTA decreased it, suggesting that ethanol treatment induces a cytochrome P-450 with lower ST rather than increasing free radical involvement. This is supported by a virtual absence of ST observed in a reconstituted system containing purified hamster P-450/sub ALC/, a liver cytochrome P-450 isozyme induced in hamsters by ethanol treatment. Their results indicate that, unlike other enzymes that oxidize ethanol, MEOS has only partial ST. Thus, ST alone cannot be used as an index of free radical involvement but, when evaluated with the response of ST to dfx, it indicated that MEOS is unlikely to involve free radical attack on ethanol in solution

Overexpression of StNF-YB3.1 reduces photosynthetic capacity and tuber production, and promotes ABA-mediated stomatal closure in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Xuanyuan, Guochao; Lu, Congming; Zhang, Ruofang; Jiang, Jiming

2017-08-01

Nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) is one of the most ubiquitous transcription factors (TFs), comprising NF-YA, NF-YB and NF-YC subunits, and has been identified and reported in various aspects of development for plants and animals. In this work, StNF-YB3.1, a putative potato NF-YB subunit encoding gene, was isolated from Solanum tuberosum by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). Overexpression of StNF-YB3.1 in potato (cv. Atlantic) resulted in accelerated onset of flowering, and significant increase in leaf chlorophyll content in field trials. However, transgenic potato plants overexpressing StNF-YB3.1 (OEYB3.1) showed significant decreases in photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance both at tuber initiation and bulking stages. OEYB3.1 lines were associated with significantly fewer tuber numbers and yield reduction. Guard cell size and stomatal density were not changed in OEYB3.1 plants, whereas ABA-mediated stomatal closure was accelerated compared to that of wild type plants because of the up-regulation of genes for ABA signaling, such as StCPK10-like, StSnRK2.6/OST1-like, StSnRK2.7-like and StSLAC1-like. We speculate that the acceleration of stomatal closure was a possible reason for the significantly decreased stomatal conductance and photosynthetic rate. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The application of Signalling Theory to health-related trust problems: The example of herbal clinics in Ghana and Tanzania.

Science.gov (United States)

Hampshire, Kate; Hamill, Heather; Mariwah, Simon; Mwanga, Joseph; Amoako-Sakyi, Daniel

2017-09-01

In contexts where healthcare regulation is weak and levels of uncertainty high, how do patients decide whom and what to trust? In this paper, we explore the potential for using Signalling Theory (ST, a form of Behavioural Game Theory) to investigate health-related trust problems under conditions of uncertainty, using the empirical example of 'herbal clinics' in Ghana and Tanzania. Qualitative, ethnographic fieldwork was conducted over an eight-month period (2015-2016) in eight herbal clinics in Ghana and ten in Tanzania, including semi-structured interviews with herbalists (N = 18) and patients (N = 68), plus detailed ethnographic observations and twenty additional key informant interviews. The data were used to explore four ST-derived predictions, relating to herbalists' strategic communication ('signalling') of their trustworthiness to patients, and patients' interpretation of those signals. Signalling Theory is shown to provide a useful analytical framework, allowing us to go beyond the primary trust problem addressed by other researchers - cataloguing observable indicators of trustworthiness - and providing tools for tackling the trickier secondary trust problem, where the trustworthiness of those indicators must be ascertained. Signalling Theory also enables a basis for comparative work between different empirical contexts that share the underlying condition of uncertainty. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

ORNL's NRC-sponsored HTGR safety and licensing analysis activities for Fort St. Vrain and advanced reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ball, S.J.; Cleveland, J.C.; Harrington, R.M.

1985-01-01

The ORNL safety analysis program for the HTGR was established in 1974 to provide technical assistance to the USNRC on licensing questions for both Fort St. Vrain and advanced plant concepts. The emphasis has been on development of major component and system dynamic simulation codes, and use of these codes to analyze specific licensing-related scenarios. The program has also emphasized code verification, using Fort St. Vrain data where applicable, and comparing results with industry-generated codes. By the use of model and parameter adjustment routines, safety-significant uncertainties have been identified. A major part of the analysis work has been done for the Fort St. Vrain HTGR, and has included analyses of FSAR accident scenario re-evaluations, the core block oscillation problem, core support thermal stress questions, technical specification upgrade review, and TMI action plan applicability studies. The large, 2240-MW(t) cogeneration lead plant design was analyzed in a multi-laboratory cooperative effort to estimate fission product source terms from postulated severe accidents

Bystander signaling via oxidative metabolism.

Science.gov (United States)

Sawal, Humaira Aziz; Asghar, Kashif; Bureik, Matthias; Jalal, Nasir

2017-01-01

The radiation-induced bystander effect (RIBE) is the initiation of biological end points in cells (bystander cells) that are not directly traversed by an incident-radiation track, but are in close proximity to cells that are receiving the radiation. RIBE has been indicted of causing DNA damage via oxidative stress, besides causing direct damage, inducing tumorigenesis, producing micronuclei, and causing apoptosis. RIBE is regulated by signaling proteins that are either endogenous or secreted by cells as a means of communication between cells, and can activate intracellular or intercellular oxidative metabolism that can further trigger signaling pathways of inflammation. Bystander signals can pass through gap junctions in attached cell lines, while the suspended cell lines transmit these signals via hormones and soluble proteins. This review provides the background information on how reactive oxygen species (ROS) act as bystander signals. Although ROS have a very short half-life and have a nanometer-scale sphere of influence, the wide variety of ROS produced via various sources can exert a cumulative effect, not only in forming DNA adducts but also setting up signaling pathways of inflammation, apoptosis, cell-cycle arrest, aging, and even tumorigenesis. This review outlines the sources of the bystander effect linked to ROS in a cell, and provides methods of investigation for researchers who would like to pursue this field of science.

Underdetermined Blind Audio Source Separation Using Modal Decomposition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdeldjalil Aïssa-El-Bey

2007-03-01

Full Text Available This paper introduces new algorithms for the blind separation of audio sources using modal decomposition. Indeed, audio signals and, in particular, musical signals can be well approximated by a sum of damped sinusoidal (modal components. Based on this representation, we propose a two-step approach consisting of a signal analysis (extraction of the modal components followed by a signal synthesis (grouping of the components belonging to the same source using vector clustering. For the signal analysis, two existing algorithms are considered and compared: namely the EMD (empirical mode decomposition algorithm and a parametric estimation algorithm using ESPRIT technique. A major advantage of the proposed method resides in its validity for both instantaneous and convolutive mixtures and its ability to separate more sources than sensors. Simulation results are given to compare and assess the performance of the proposed algorithms.

Underdetermined Blind Audio Source Separation Using Modal Decomposition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aïssa-El-Bey Abdeldjalil

2007-01-01

Full Text Available This paper introduces new algorithms for the blind separation of audio sources using modal decomposition. Indeed, audio signals and, in particular, musical signals can be well approximated by a sum of damped sinusoidal (modal components. Based on this representation, we propose a two-step approach consisting of a signal analysis (extraction of the modal components followed by a signal synthesis (grouping of the components belonging to the same source using vector clustering. For the signal analysis, two existing algorithms are considered and compared: namely the EMD (empirical mode decomposition algorithm and a parametric estimation algorithm using ESPRIT technique. A major advantage of the proposed method resides in its validity for both instantaneous and convolutive mixtures and its ability to separate more sources than sensors. Simulation results are given to compare and assess the performance of the proposed algorithms.

Reciprocal ST-Segment Changes in Myocardial Infarction: Ischemia at Distance Versus Mirror Reflection of ST-Elevation.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaidya, Gaurang Nandkishor; Antoine, Steve; Imam, Syed Haider; Kozman, Hani; Smulyan, Harold; Villarreal, Daniel

2018-02-01

Reciprocal ST-depression in the electrocardiograms (ECGs) of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) results from either true ischemia at a distance via collateral circulation diverting blood to the infarcted region or an electrical phenomenon that results from a mirror reflection of ST-elevation. We aimed to identify the role of reciprocal ECG changes in predicting collateral circulation to the infarcted area determined angiographically. In a retrospective study, ECG and angiography of 53 STEMI patients admitted to SUNY Upstate Medical University in 2014 were reviewed independently by experts blinded to the results of ECG and coronary angiography. Reciprocal changes (RC) in ECG were present in 41 patients (77%) and on angiography, 14 patients (26%) exhibited collateral vessels to the ischemic areas. No correlation was found between the presence of RC and collateral circulation (P = 0.384), or between the depth of reciprocal ST-depression and the degree of the collateral circulation (P = 0.195). However, 84% of patients without collaterals exhibited resolution of RC after successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (P = 0.036), suggesting that the ST depressions that resolved after reperfusion were directly caused by the culprit vessel. Patients without RC presented late after symptom onset (9.25 versus 3.83 hours, P = 0.004), also suggesting time related resolution. RC had no relation to or predictive value for collaterals on angiography. Among late presenting patients, RC were less frequent. Thus, reciprocal ST-depression may represent subendocardial ischemia from the primary coronary event or simply an electrical phenomenon, rather than ischemia at distance from impaired collateral circulation. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Firmaets Største Bedrift

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Peer Henrik

fortæller, hvordan de tidligere modstandsfolk Arne Sejr og Niels Frommelt få år efter befrielsen etablerede deres såkaldte Firma for med støtte fra ledende danske politikere, Forsvarets Efterretningstjeneste og CIA at organisere en hemmelig krig mod Sovjetunionens danske støtter. Meget tyder på, at både...

Evaluation Plan on In-vessel Source Term in PGSFR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Seung Won; Ha, Kwi-Seok; Ahn, Sang June; Lee, Kwi Lim; Jeong, Taekyeong [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

This strategy requires nuclear plants to have features that prevent radionuclide release and multiple barriers to the escape from the plants of any radionuclides that are released despite preventive measures. Considerations of the ability to prevent and mitigate release of radionuclides arise at numerous places in the safety regulations of nuclear plants. The effectiveness of mitigative capabilities in nuclear plants is subject to quantitative analysis. The radionuclide input to these quantitative analyses of effectiveness is the Source Term (ST). All features of the composition, magnitude, timing, chemical form and physical form of accidental radionuclide release constitute the ST. Also, ST is defined as the release of radionuclides from the fuel and coolant into the containment, and subsequently to the environment. The in-vessel STs of PGSFR will be estimated using the methodology of ANL-ART-38 report in additional to 4S methodology. The in-vessel STs are calculated through several phases: The inventory of each radionuclide is calculated by ORIGEN-2 code using the realistic burnup conditions. ST in the release from the core to primary sodium is calculated by using the assumption of ANL methodology. Lastly, ST in the release from the primary sodium to cover gas space is calculated by using equation and experimental materials.

Evaluation Plan on In-vessel Source Term in PGSFR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Seung Won; Ha, Kwi-Seok; Ahn, Sang June; Lee, Kwi Lim; Jeong, Taekyeong

2016-01-01

This strategy requires nuclear plants to have features that prevent radionuclide release and multiple barriers to the escape from the plants of any radionuclides that are released despite preventive measures. Considerations of the ability to prevent and mitigate release of radionuclides arise at numerous places in the safety regulations of nuclear plants. The effectiveness of mitigative capabilities in nuclear plants is subject to quantitative analysis. The radionuclide input to these quantitative analyses of effectiveness is the Source Term (ST). All features of the composition, magnitude, timing, chemical form and physical form of accidental radionuclide release constitute the ST. Also, ST is defined as the release of radionuclides from the fuel and coolant into the containment, and subsequently to the environment. The in-vessel STs of PGSFR will be estimated using the methodology of ANL-ART-38 report in additional to 4S methodology. The in-vessel STs are calculated through several phases: The inventory of each radionuclide is calculated by ORIGEN-2 code using the realistic burnup conditions. ST in the release from the core to primary sodium is calculated by using the assumption of ANL methodology. Lastly, ST in the release from the primary sodium to cover gas space is calculated by using equation and experimental materials

Multiple Signal Classification Algorithm Based Electric Dipole Source Localization Method in an Underwater Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yidong Xu

2017-10-01

Full Text Available A novel localization method based on multiple signal classification (MUSIC algorithm is proposed for positioning an electric dipole source in a confined underwater environment by using electric dipole-receiving antenna array. In this method, the boundary element method (BEM is introduced to analyze the boundary of the confined region by use of a matrix equation. The voltage of each dipole pair is used as spatial-temporal localization data, and it does not need to obtain the field component in each direction compared with the conventional fields based localization method, which can be easily implemented in practical engineering applications. Then, a global-multiple region-conjugate gradient (CG hybrid search method is used to reduce the computation burden and to improve the operation speed. Two localization simulation models and a physical experiment are conducted. Both the simulation results and physical experiment result provide accurate positioning performance, with the help to verify the effectiveness of the proposed localization method in underwater environments.

Underdetermined Blind Source Separation in Echoic Environments Using DESPRIT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melia Thomas

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The DUET blind source separation algorithm can demix an arbitrary number of speech signals using anechoic mixtures of the signals. DUET however is limited in that it relies upon source signals which are mixed in an anechoic environment and which are sufficiently sparse such that it is assumed that only one source is active at a given time frequency point. The DUET-ESPRIT (DESPRIT blind source separation algorithm extends DUET to situations where sparsely echoic mixtures of an arbitrary number of sources overlap in time frequency. This paper outlines the development of the DESPRIT method and demonstrates its properties through various experiments conducted on synthetic and real world mixtures.

Escherichia coli ST131, an Intriguing Clonal Group

Science.gov (United States)

Bertrand, Xavier; Madec, Jean-Yves

2014-01-01

SUMMARY In 2008, a previously unknown Escherichia coli clonal group, sequence type 131 (ST131), was identified on three continents. Today, ST131 is the predominant E. coli lineage among extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) isolates worldwide. Retrospective studies have suggested that it may originally have risen to prominence as early as 2003. Unlike other classical group B2 ExPEC isolates, ST131 isolates are commonly reported to produce extended-spectrum β-lactamases, such as CTX-M-15, and almost all are resistant to fluoroquinolones. Moreover, ST131 E. coli isolates are considered to be truly pathogenic, due to the spectrum of infections they cause in both community and hospital settings and the large number of virulence-associated genes they contain. ST131 isolates therefore seem to contradict the widely held view that high levels of antimicrobial resistance are necessarily associated with a fitness cost leading to a decrease in pathogenesis. Six years after the first description of E. coli ST131, this review outlines the principal traits of ST131 clonal group isolates, based on the growing body of published data, and highlights what is currently known and what we need to find out to provide public health authorities with better information to help combat ST131. PMID:24982321

Role of myocardial ischemia on exercise-induced ST elevation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saito, Muneyasu; Sumiyoshi, Tetsuya; Nishimura, Tsunehiko; Uehara, Toshiisa; Hayashida, Kouhei; Haze, Kazuo; Fukami, Ken-ichi; Hiramori, Katsuhiko

1986-01-01

Exercise-induced ST elevation in patients with previous myocardial infarction (MI) has been recognized to be related to left ventricular (LV) asynergy, however it is also recognized that myocardial ischemia can induce ST elevation. In this study, factors which determine the extent of ST elevation, with special reference to myocardial ischemia, was re-evaluated using quantitative analysis of stress myocardial scintigraphy (S-SG). Among 65 patients with previous anterior myocardial infarction and documented single vessel disease of left anterior descending artery (LAD), 19 patients who had exercise-induced ST elevation (ΔST ≥ 2.0 mm) had more abnormal Q waves (p < 0.01), lower LV ejection fraction (EF) (p < 0.01), more severe LV asynergy (p < 0.05) and less incidence of post-MI angina pectoris (AP) (p < 0.01), compared to those with ΔST < 2.0 mm, indicating that ST elevation is primarily related to LV asynergy. Correlation studies among clinical, angiographic and scintigraphic parameters show that ΔST was significantly related to a size of MI represented by Tl score or relative defect Tl activity and number of abnormal Q waves (No.Q), the magnitude of work load expressed by changes in double product (ΔDP) and intervals between the onset and exercise test, as well as myocardial ischemia expressed by the extent of redistribution (%RD) in S-SG. Among 23 patients with post-MI AP, ΔST significantly correlated with %RD (r = 0.47), indicating that myocardial ischemia can be a mechanism of exercise-induced ST elevation in patients with previous MI. Furtheremore, among those with ST elevation, concave-type ST elevation was more related to myocardial ischemia compared to convex-type ST elevation as expressed by the incidence of post-MI AP and/or significant redistribution. (J.P.N.)

The role of purinergic signalling in exocrine pancreas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haanes, Kristian Agmund

ATP is a fundamentally important molecule in intracellular processes, especially recognised as the molecular source of energy. ATP is however also released as a signal from most cell types, and extracellular signalling by ATP goes under the common name purinergic signalling and it includes releas...

Visualization of Broadband Sound Sources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sukhanov Dmitry

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper the method of imaging of wideband audio sources based on the 2D microphone array measurements of the sound field at the same time in all the microphones is proposed. Designed microphone array consists of 160 microphones allowing to digitize signals with a frequency of 7200 Hz. Measured signals are processed using the special algorithm that makes it possible to obtain a flat image of wideband sound sources. It is shown experimentally that the visualization is not dependent on the waveform, but determined by the bandwidth. Developed system allows to visualize sources with a resolution of up to 10 cm.

Ubiquitin Signaling: Extreme Conservation as a Source of Diversity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alice Zuin

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Around 2 × 103–2.5 × 103 million years ago, a unicellular organism with radically novel features, ancestor of all eukaryotes, dwelt the earth. This organism, commonly referred as the last eukaryotic common ancestor, contained in its proteome the same functionally capable ubiquitin molecule that all eukaryotic species contain today. The fact that ubiquitin protein has virtually not changed during all eukaryotic evolution contrasts with the high expansion of the ubiquitin system, constituted by hundreds of enzymes, ubiquitin-interacting proteins, protein complexes, and cofactors. Interestingly, the simplest genetic arrangement encoding a fully-equipped ubiquitin signaling system is constituted by five genes organized in an operon-like cluster, and is found in archaea. How did ubiquitin achieve the status of central element in eukaryotic physiology? We analyze here the features of the ubiquitin molecule and the network that it conforms, and propose notions to explain the complexity of the ubiquitin signaling system in eukaryotic cells.

Probabilistic blind deconvolution of non-stationary sources

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsson, Rasmus Kongsgaard; Hansen, Lars Kai

2004-01-01

We solve a class of blind signal separation problems using a constrained linear Gaussian model. The observed signal is modelled by a convolutive mixture of colored noise signals with additive white noise. We derive a time-domain EM algorithm `KaBSS' which estimates the source signals...

Enabling instrumentation and technology for 21st century light sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Byrd, J.M.; Shea, T.J.; Denes, P.; Siddons, P.; Attwood, D.; Kaertner, F.; Moog, L.; Li, Y.; Sakdinawat, A.; Schlueter, R.

2010-06-01

We present the summary from the Accelerator Instrumentation and Technology working group, one of the five working groups that participated in the BES-sponsored Workshop on Accelerator Physics of Future Light Sources held in Gaithersburg, MD September 15-17, 2009. We describe progress and potential in three areas: attosecond instrumentation, photon detectors for user experiments, and insertion devices.

When Religion Becomes a Source of Conflict: Inter-faith Relations in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

When Religion Becomes a Source of Conflict: Inter-faith Relations in the 21st Century Tanzania. ... Tanzania Journal of Development Studies. Journal Home · ABOUT THIS JOURNAL ... Open Access DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT Subscription or ...

Visualization of Broadband Sound Sources

OpenAIRE

Sukhanov Dmitry; Erzakova Nadezhda

2016-01-01

In this paper the method of imaging of wideband audio sources based on the 2D microphone array measurements of the sound field at the same time in all the microphones is proposed. Designed microphone array consists of 160 microphones allowing to digitize signals with a frequency of 7200 Hz. Measured signals are processed using the special algorithm that makes it possible to obtain a flat image of wideband sound sources. It is shown experimentally that the visualization is not dependent on the...

Overcurrent protection for the TFTR neutral beam sources during spark down

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Praeg, W.F.

1979-01-01

The accelerating grid of a neutral beam source (NBS) of the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) operates at 120 kV and 65 A. The capacitance to ground between the switch tube (ST) and the NBS is C 1 approx. 5 nF (approx. 36 J). The arc and filament power supplies for the NBS float at 120 kV and have a capacitance to ground of C 2 approx. 2 nF (approx. 14 J). When the NBS sparks to ground, C 2 begins to discharge immediately. The ST impedance limits the fault current from the high voltage (HV) power supply to approx. 100 A until it disconnects the power source 1 begins to discharge. During spark down, fault currents are limited with a saturated time-delay transformer (STDT) connected between the ST and the NBS and with a snubber, which is in the arc and filament power leads, in connection with a spark gap. Alternatively, STDT's can be used for the HV and for the arc and filament power leads. This paper presents design details and experimental results of the overcurrent protection circuits

Focal adhesion kinase-mediated activation of glycogen synthase kinase 3β regulates IL-33 receptor internalization and IL-33 signaling.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Jing; Wei, Jianxin; Bowser, Rachel K; Traister, Russell S; Fan, Ming-Hui; Zhao, Yutong

2015-01-15

IL-33, a relatively new member of the IL-1 cytokine family, plays a crucial role in allergic inflammation and acute lung injury. Long form ST2 (ST2L), the receptor for IL-33, is expressed on immune effector cells and lung epithelia and plays a critical role in triggering inflammation. We have previously shown that ST2L stability is regulated by the ubiquitin-proteasome system; however, its upstream internalization has not been studied. In this study, we demonstrate that glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) regulates ST2L internalization and IL-33 signaling. IL-33 treatment induced ST2L internalization, and an effect was attenuated by inhibition or downregulation of GSK3β. GSK3β was found to interact with ST2L on serine residue 446 in response to IL-33 treatment. GSK3β binding site mutant (ST2L(S446A)) and phosphorylation site mutant (ST2L(S442A)) are resistant to IL-33-induced ST2L internalization. We also found that IL-33 activated focal adhesion kinase (FAK). Inhibition of FAK impaired IL-33-induced GSK3β activation and ST2L internalization. Furthermore, inhibition of ST2L internalization enhanced IL-33-induced cytokine release in lung epithelial cells. These results suggest that modulation of the ST2L internalization by FAK/GSK3β might serve as a unique strategy to lessen pulmonary inflammation. Copyright © 2015 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

Quench tank in-leakage diagnosis at St. Lucie

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Price, J.E.; Au-Yang, M.K.; Beckner, D.A.; Vickery, A.N.

1996-01-01

In February 1995, leakage into the quench tank of the St. Lucie Nuclear Station Unit 1 was becoming an operational concern. This internal leak resulted in measurable increases in both the temperature and level of the quench tank water, and was so severe that, if the trend continued, plant shut down would be necessary. Preliminary diagnosis based on in-plant instrumentation indicated that any one of 11 valves might be leaking into the quench tank. This paper describes the joint effort by two teams of engineers--one from Florida Power ampersand Light, the other from Framatome Technologies--to identify the sources of the leak, using the latest technology developed for valve diagnosis

21st Century Skills Map: Geography

Science.gov (United States)

Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2009

2009-01-01

This 21st Century Skills Map is the result of hundreds of hours of research, development and feedback from educators and business leaders across the nation. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has issued this map for the core subject of Geography.

Source index A: Federal law, without agreements under international law. As of December 31, 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

The Federal Law Catalogue and relevant sources - BGBl. III - is the basis of the source index A, which from 1st January 1966 onwards publishes the sources of laws and statutes announced in the Federal Law Gazette, part I and part II, as well as in the Federal Gazette. The source index A covers the sources of all statutes and amendments since 1st January 1964. Official directives, however, are not always announced in the Federal Law Gazette, or in the promulgation section of the Federal Gazette, but rather in the official journals of the Federal Ministries, and in the announcement section of the Federal Gazette. This also applies to amendments or cancellations of directives first published in the Federal Law Gazette or in the promulgation section of the Federal Gazette. As the latter and the official journals on the ministries are not scanned for the source index A, there is no guarantee as to complete coverage of directives. Subject scope 75 covers acts and directives relating to mining, nuclear energy, electricity, gas and power supply. (orig.) [de

ST Elevation in aVR with Coexistent Multilead ST Depression

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benjamin Cooper

2017-01-01

Full Text Available History of present illness: An 80-year-old female with a history of Crohn’s disease presented to the emergency department with chest pain. She had two weeks of exertional chest pain that preceded an episode of chest pain immediately prior to arrival associated with diaphoresis. Her pain nearly completely resolved with sublingual nitroglycerin provided by pre-hospital personnel. She was hemodynamically stable with normal vital signs on arrival. An ECG was immediately obtained. Significant findings: The ECG shows ST-segment depressions in precordial leads V3 through V6, and limb leads I, II, and aVL, and 1 mm of ST-segment elevation in aVR. The initial troponin I was elevated at 1.37 ng/mL (upper limit of normal 0.40. Cardiology decided to delay catheterization until the next day when diffuse coronary disease was discovered (including 90% of the left circumflex stenosis, 60% proximal and 75% mid-left anterior descending stenosis, 75% third diagonal branch stenosis, and 90% posterior descending artery stenosis. The following day, the patient went to the operating room for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG. Discussion: Traditionally, lead aVR has not received attention when interpreting acutely ischemic changes on ECG, leading some to refer to it as “the forgotten lead.”1 Current guidelines acknowledge the significance of multilead ST depression with coexistent ST elevation in aVR, and this pattern has been identified as the strongest predictor of severe left main coronary artery and/or 3-vessel disease (LM/3VD.2-3 When this ECG pattern is recognized in patients with ischemic symptoms, the emergency physician should involve cardiology early. When managing patients with suspected LM/3VD, it is important to withhold dual anti-platelet therapy as CABG is likely to be indicated,1,3 and guidelines recommend discontinuing P2Y12 inhibitors like clopidogrel or ticagrelor at least 24 hours prior to urgent CABG.2

Processing of seismic signals from a seismometer network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Key, F.A.; Warburton, P.J.

1983-08-01

A description is given of the Seismometer Network Analysis Computer (SNAC) which processes short period data from a network of seismometers (UKNET). The nine stations of the network are distributed throughout the UK and their outputs are transmitted to a control laboratory (Blacknest) where SNAC monitors the data for seismic signals. The computer gives an estimate of the source location of the detected signals and stores the waveforms. The detection logic is designed to maintain high sensitivity without excessive ''false alarms''. It is demonstrated that the system is able to detect seismic signals at an amplitude level consistent with a network of single stations and, within the limitations of signal onset time measurements made by machine, can locate the source of the seismic disturbance. (author)

West Texas array experiment: Noise and source characterization of short-range infrasound and acoustic signals, along with lab and field evaluation of Intermountain Laboratories infrasound microphones

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, Aileen

The term infrasound describes atmospheric sound waves with frequencies below 20 Hz, while acoustics are classified within the audible range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Infrasound and acoustic monitoring in the scientific community is hampered by low signal-to-noise ratios and a limited number of studies on regional and short-range noise and source characterization. The JASON Report (2005) suggests the infrasound community focus on more broad-frequency, observational studies within a tactical distance of 10 km. In keeping with that recommendation, this paper presents a study of regional and short-range atmospheric acoustic and infrasonic noise characterization, at a desert site in West Texas, covering a broad frequency range of 0.2 to 100 Hz. To spatially sample the band, a large number of infrasound gauges was needed. A laboratory instrument analysis is presented of the set of low-cost infrasound sensors used in this study, manufactured by Inter-Mountain Laboratories (IML). Analysis includes spectra, transfer functions and coherences to assess the stability and range of the gauges, and complements additional instrument testing by Sandia National Laboratories. The IMLs documented here have been found reliably coherent from 0.1 to 7 Hz without instrument correction. Corrections were built using corresponding time series from the commercially available and more expensive Chaparral infrasound gauge, so that the corrected IML outputs were able to closely mimic the Chaparral output. Arrays of gauges are needed for atmospheric sound signal processing. Our West Texas experiment consisted of a 1.5 km aperture, 23-gauge infrasound/acoustic array of IMLs, with a compact, 12 m diameter grid-array of rented IMLs at the center. To optimize signal recording, signal-to-noise ratio needs to be quantified with respect to both frequency band and coherence length. The higher-frequency grid array consisted of 25 microphones arranged in a five by five pattern with 3 meter spacing, without

Neuronal Activity Stimulated by Liquid Substrates Injection at Zusanli (ST36 Acupoint: The Possible Mechanism of Aquapuncture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chun-Yen Chen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Aquapuncture is a modified acupuncture technique and it is generally accepted that it has a greater therapeutic effect than acupuncture because of the combination of the acupoint stimulation and the pharmacological effect of the drugs. However, to date, the mechanisms underlying the effects of aquapuncture remain unclear. We hypothesized that both the change in the local spatial configuration and the substrate stimulation of aquapuncture would activate neuronal signaling. Thus, bee venom, normal saline, and vitamins B1 and B12 were injected into a Zusanli (ST36 acupoint as substrate of aquapuncture, whereas a dry needle was inserted into ST36 as a control. After aquapuncture, activated neurons expressing Fos protein were mainly observed in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord in lumbar segments L3–5, with the distribution nearly identical among all groups. However, the bee venom injection induced significantly more Fos-expressing neurons than the other substrates. Based on these data, we suggest that changes in the spatial configuration of the acupoint activate neuronal signaling and that bee venom may further strengthen this neuronal activity. In conclusion, the mechanisms for the effects of aquapuncture appear to be the spatial configuration changes occurring within the acupoint and the ability of injected substrates to stimulate neuronal activity.

The cognitive status of stød

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clausen, Sara Juul; Kristensen, Line Burholt

2015-01-01

marked. Keeping in mind the cross-distribution between phonetic/phonological markedness and distributional patterns, we investigate here whether stød is also related to accent 1 when it comes to cognitive markedness. We present the results of a psycholinguistic study in which participants attended...... for words with non-stød stems, indicating that the cognitive markedness status of stød corresponds to that of accent 2....

Acoustic Source Localization and Beamforming: Theory and Practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen Joe C

2003-01-01

Full Text Available We consider the theoretical and practical aspects of locating acoustic sources using an array of microphones. A maximum-likelihood (ML direct localization is obtained when the sound source is near the array, while in the far-field case, we demonstrate the localization via the cross bearing from several widely separated arrays. In the case of multiple sources, an alternating projection procedure is applied to determine the ML estimate of the DOAs from the observed data. The ML estimator is shown to be effective in locating sound sources of various types, for example, vehicle, music, and even white noise. From the theoretical Cramér-Rao bound analysis, we find that better source location estimates can be obtained for high-frequency signals than low-frequency signals. In addition, large range estimation error results when the source signal is unknown, but such unknown parameter does not have much impact on angle estimation. Much experimentally measured acoustic data was used to verify the proposed algorithms.

Spot Støjbergs støj

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kock, Christian Erik J

2015-01-01

Inger Støjberg er placeret på en af de mest profilerede poster i Løkkes regering. Spørger du hende om fortiden, taler hun om fremtiden. Spørger du hende om fremtiden, taler hun om fortiden. Ergo: Hun taler udenom, og hun er god til det. Hun er så god, at det skader demokratiet. Lær at spotte hend...

Human Campylobacteriosis in Luxembourg, 2010-2013: A Case-Control Study Combined with Multilocus Sequence Typing for Source Attribution and Risk Factor Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Mossong, Joël; Mughini-Gras, Lapo; Penny, Christian; Devaux, Anthony; Olinger, Christophe; Losch, Serge; Cauchie, Henry-Michel; van Pelt, Wilfrid; Ragimbeau, Catherine

2016-02-10

Campylobacteriosis has increased markedly in Luxembourg during recent years. We sought to determine which Campylobacter genotypes infect humans, where they may originate from, and how they may infect humans. Multilocus sequence typing was performed on 1153 Campylobacter jejuni and 136 C. coli human strains to be attributed to three putative animal reservoirs (poultry, ruminants, pigs) and to environmental water using the asymmetric island model. A nationwide case-control study (2010-2013) for domestic campylobacteriosis was also conducted, including 367 C. jejuni and 48 C. coli cases, and 624 controls. Risk factors were investigated by Campylobacter species, and for strains attributed to different sources using a combined case-control and source attribution analysis. 282 sequence types (STs) were identified: ST-21, ST-48, ST-572, ST-50 and ST-257 were prevailing. Most cases were attributed to poultry (61.2%) and ruminants (33.3%). Consuming chicken outside the home was the dominant risk factor for both Campylobacter species. Newly identified risk factors included contact with garden soil for either species, and consuming beef specifically for C. coli. Poultry-associated campylobacteriosis was linked to poultry consumption in wintertime, and ruminant-associated campylobacteriosis to tap-water provider type. Besides confirming chicken as campylobacteriosis primary source, additional evidence was found for other reservoirs and transmission routes.

The analysis of transesophageal oxygen saturation photoplethysmography from different signal sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Mou, Ling; Gong, Quan; Wei, Wei; Gao, Bo

2013-06-01

The photoplethysmography (PPG) signals detected by transesophageal oximetry sensor toward aorta arch (AA), descending aorta (DA), and left ventricle (LV) under the guidance of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) were investigated, and the effects of filter application on PPG signals were evaluated. Eleven cardiac surgical patients were involved. After anesthesia was induced, the TEE probe with a modified pulse oximetry sensor was inserted. Under the guidance of TEE, the AA PPG, DA PPG and LV PPG were detected respectively when ventilator was on and off. The mean alternating current (AC) amplitudes and direct current (DC) values of original and filtered PPG signals were measured. The ratio of AC and DC value (AC/DC) and ventilation-induced AC variations were calculated. Satisfactory PPG waveforms were obtained in all patients under the guidance of TEE. The AC amplitude in LV PPG was significant larger than in AA and DA PPG, and both AC/DC and ventilation-induced AC variation in LV PPG were significantly higher than in AA PPG or DA PPG either. There were no significant differences of AC amplitude between filtered and ventilation off PPG signals. The AC amplitudes and AC/DC toward LV are significantly higher than transesophageal oximeter toward AA or DA, and the effect of mechanical ventilation on transesophageal PPG can be obviously reduced by filtering techniques.

Orbiter CCTV video signal noise analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Lawton, R. M.; Blanke, L. R.; Pannett, R. F.

1977-01-01

The amount of steady state and transient noise which will couple to orbiter CCTV video signal wiring is predicted. The primary emphasis is on the interim system, however, some predictions are made concerning the operational system wiring in the cabin area. Noise sources considered are RF fields from on board transmitters, precipitation static, induced lightning currents, and induced noise from adjacent wiring. The most significant source is noise coupled to video circuits from associated circuits in common connectors. Video signal crosstalk is the primary cause of steady state interference, and mechanically switched control functions cause the largest induced transients.

Chicago-St. Louis high speed rail plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stead, M.E.

1994-01-01

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), in cooperation with Amtrak, undertook the Chicago-St. Louis High Speed Rail Financial and Implementation Plan study in order to develop a realistic and achievable blueprint for implementation of high speed rail in the Chicago-St. Louis corridor. This report presents a summary of the Price Waterhouse Project Team's analysis and the Financial and Implementation Plan for implementing high speed rail service in the Chicago-St. Louis corridor

Chicago-St. Louis high speed rail plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stead, M.E.

1994-12-31

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), in cooperation with Amtrak, undertook the Chicago-St. Louis High Speed Rail Financial and Implementation Plan study in order to develop a realistic and achievable blueprint for implementation of high speed rail in the Chicago-St. Louis corridor. This report presents a summary of the Price Waterhouse Project Team`s analysis and the Financial and Implementation Plan for implementing high speed rail service in the Chicago-St. Louis corridor.

Data Abstraction Mechanisms in Sina/st

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meyrowitz, N.K.; Aksit, Mehmet; Tripathi, Anand

1988-01-01

This paper describes a new data abstraction mechanism in an object-oriented model of computing. The data abstraction mechanism described here has been devised in the context of the design of Sina/st language. In Sina/st no language constructs have been adopted for specifying inheritance or

Algorithm for removing scalp signals from functional near-infrared spectroscopy signals in real time using multidistance optodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiguchi, Masashi; Funane, Tsukasa

2014-11-01

A real-time algorithm for removing scalp-blood signals from functional near-infrared spectroscopy signals is proposed. Scalp and deep signals have different dependencies on the source-detector distance. These signals were separated using this characteristic. The algorithm was validated through an experiment using a dynamic phantom in which shallow and deep absorptions were independently changed. The algorithm for measurement of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobins using two wavelengths was explicitly obtained. This algorithm is potentially useful for real-time systems, e.g., brain-computer interfaces and neuro-feedback systems.

A Low-cost Multi-channel Analogue Signal Generator

CERN Document Server

Muller, F; Shen, W; Stamen, R

2009-01-01

A scalable multi-channel analogue signal generator is presented. It uses a commercial low-cost graphics card with multiple outputs in a standard PC as signal source. Each color signal serves as independent channel to generate an analogue signal. A custom-built external PCB was developed to adjust the graphics card output voltage levels for a specific task, which needed differential signals. The system furthermore comprises a software package to program the signal shape. The implementation of the signal generator is presented as well as an application where it was successfully utilized.

The LISA zero-signal solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tinto, Massimo; Larson, Shane L

2005-01-01

We derive a time-delay interferometric (TDI) combination that has zero-response to a gravitational wave signal. This combination, which we have called the zero-signal solution, is a two-parameter family of linear combinations of the generators of the TDI space that has null gravitational wave response when its two parameters coincide with the values of the angles of the source location in the sky. Remarkably, the zero-signal solution does not rely on any assumptions about the gravitational waveform, and in fact it works for waveforms of any kind

Single channel blind source separation based on ICA feature extraction

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2007-01-01

A new technique is proposed to solve the blind source separation (BSS) given only a single channel observation. The basis functions and the density of the coefficients of source signals learned by ICA are used as the prior knowledge. Based on the learned prior information the learning rules of single channel BSS are presented by maximizing the joint log likelihood of the mixed sources to obtain source signals from single observation,in which the posterior density of the given measurements is maximized. The experimental results exhibit a successful separation performance for mixtures of speech and music signals.

Pretreatment with soluble ST2 reduces warm hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin Hui; Huang Baojun; Yang Heng; Huang Yafei; Xiong Ping; Zheng Fang; Chen Xiaoping; Chen Yifa; Gong Feili

2006-01-01

The interleukin-1 receptor-like protein ST2 exists in both membrane-bound (ST2L) and soluble form (sST2). ST2L has been found to play an important regulatory role in Th2-type immune response, but the function of soluble form of ST2 remains to be elucidated. In this study, we report the protective effect of soluble ST2 on warm hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury. We constructed a eukaryotic expression plasmid, psST2-Fc, which expresses functional murine soluble ST2-human IgG1 Fc (sST2-Fc) fusion protein. The liver damage after ischemia/reperfusion was significantly attenuated by the expression of this plasmid in vivo. sST2-Fc remarkably inhibited the activation of Kupffer cells and the production of proinflammatory mediators TNF-α and IL-6. Furthermore, the levels of TLR4 mRNA and the nuclear translocation of NF-κB were also suppressed by pretreatment with sST2-Fc. These results thus identified soluble ST2 as a negative regulator in hepatic I/R injury, possibly via ST2-TLR4 pathway

In between St. Augustine and Luther: Grace and justification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael M. Ramos

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The view presented in this study emphasized grace as a cause of spiritual strength and justification of man. In understanding the deep meaning and nature of grace, this paper analyzes the formations given on the subject by two great minds, St. Augustine and Martin Luther. Because of the great influence of their work on the theology of grace and justification, this paper attempts to seek whether man’s understanding and belief of prudence would mean nothing at all, that any good that he will perform on his behalf would do nothing for his own justification. Thus it raises the question on the purpose of man’s freedom if his proprium is nothing and that divine prudence is the source of everything good. This led to the idea that grace is the primary energy source of man to make good, not by his own, but by divine prudence to obtain justification. Therefore, in this sense there is nothing good in man.

Proceedings of the fifteenth meeting of the international collaboration on advanced neutron sources (ICANS-XV). Advanced neutron sources towards the next century

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suzuki, Jun-ichi [Center for Neutron Science, Tokai Research Establishment, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan); Itoh, Shinichi [Neutron Science Laboratory, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki (JP)

2001-03-01

The fifteenth meeting of the International Collaboration on Advanced Neutron Sources (ICANS-XV) was held at Epocal Tsukuba, International Congress Center on 6-9 November 2000. It was hosted by Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) and High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK). This meeting focused on 'Neutron Sources toward the 21st Century' and research activities related to targets and moderators, neutron scattering instruments and accelerators were presented. The 151 of the presented papers are indexed individually. (J.P.N.)

Proceedings of the fifteenth meeting of the international collaboration on advanced neutron sources (ICANS-XV). Advanced neutron sources towards the next century

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suzuki, Jun-ichi [Center for Neutron Science, Tokai Research Establishment, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan); Itoh, Shinichi [Neutron Science Laboratory, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki (JP)] (eds.)

2001-03-01

The fifteenth meeting of the International Collaboration on Advanced Neutron Sources (ICANS-XV) was held at Epocal Tsukuba, International Congress Center on 6-9 November 2000. It was hosted by Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) and High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK). This meeting focused on 'Neutron Sources toward the 21st Century' and research activities related to targets and moderators, neutron scattering instruments and accelerators were presented. The 151 of the presented papers are indexed individually. (J.P.N.)

ST segment/heart rate slope as a predictor of coronary artery disease: comparison with quantitative thallium imaging and conventional ST segment criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finkelhor, R.S.; Newhouse, K.E.; Vrobel, T.R.; Miron, S.D.; Bahler, R.C.

1986-01-01

The ST segment shift relative to exercise-induced increments in heart rate, the ST/heart rate slope (ST/HR slope), has been proposed as a more accurate ECG criterion for diagnosing significant coronary artery disease (CAD). Its clinical utility, with the use of a standard treadmill protocol, was compared with quantitative stress thallium (TI) and standard treadmill criteria in 64 unselected patients who underwent coronary angiography. The overall diagnostic accuracy of the ST/HR slope was an improvement over TI and conventional ST criteria (81%, 67%, and 69%). For patients failing to reach 85% of their age-predicted maximal heart rate, its diagnostic accuracy was comparable with TI (77% and 74%). Its sensitivity in patients without prior myocardial infarctions was equivalent to that of thallium (91% and 95%). The ST/HR slope was directly related to the angiographic severity (Gensini score) of CAD in patients without a prior infarction (r = 0.61, p less than 0.001). The ST/HR slope was an improved ECG criterion for diagnosing CAD and compared favorably with TI imaging

E-st@r-I experience: Valuable knowledge for improving the e-st@r-II design

Science.gov (United States)

Corpino, S.; Obiols-Rabasa, G.; Mozzillo, R.; Nichele, F.

2016-04-01

Many universities all over the world have now established hands-on education programs based on CubeSats. These small and cheap platforms are becoming more and more attractive also for other-than-educational missions, such as technology demonstration, science applications, and Earth observation. This new paradigm requires the development of adequate technology to increase CubeSat performance and mission reliability, because educationally-driven missions have often failed. In 2013 the ESA Education Office launched the Fly Your Satellite! Programme which aims at increasing CubeSat mission reliability through several actions: to improve design implementation, to define best practices for conducting the verification process, and to make the CubeSat community aware of the importance of verification. Within this framework, the CubeSat team at Politecnico di Torino developed the e-st@r-II CubeSat as follow-on of the e-st@r-I satellite, launched in 2012 on the VEGA Maiden Flight. E-st@r-I and e-st@r-II are both 1U satellites with educational and technology demonstration objectives: to give hands-on experience to university students and to test an active attitude determination and control system based on inertial and magnetic measurements with magnetic actuation. This paper describes the know-how gained thanks to the e-st@r-I mission, and how this heritage has been translated into the improvement of the new CubeSat in several areas and lifecycle phases. The CubeSat design has been reviewed to reduce the complexity of the assembly procedure and to deal with possible failures of the on-board computer, for example re-coding the software in the communications subsystem. New procedures have been designed and assessed for the verification campaign accordingly to ECSS rules and with the support of ESA specialists. Different operative modes have been implemented to handle some anomalies observed during the operations of the first satellite. A new version of the on-board software is

Measuring Radiofrequency and Microwave Radiation from Varying Signal Strengths

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Bette; Gaul, W. C.

2007-01-01

This viewgraph presentation discusses the process of measuring radiofrequency and microwave radiation from various signal strengths. The topics include: 1) Limits and Guidelines; 2) Typical Variable Standard (IEEE) Frequency Dependent; 3) FCC Standard 47 CFR 1.1310; 4) Compliance Follows Unity Rule; 5) Multiple Sources Contribute; 6) Types of RF Signals; 7) Interfering Radiations; 8) Different Frequencies Different Powers; 9) Power Summing - Peak Power; 10) Contribution from Various Single Sources; 11) Total Power from Multiple Sources; 12) Are You Out of Compliance?; and 13) In Compliance.

Method and apparatus for stabilizing signals in radioactive well logging tools

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kampfer, J.G.; Ingram, L.A.

1977-01-01

A method and apparatus are presented for stabilizing signals in radioactive well logging tools. In the tool a main scintillating crystal and photomultiplier tube for detecting radiation induced in the borehole by a source of radiation are provided and a reference crystal, including a source of mono-energetic radiation, for producing continuous reference signals of a predetermined energy level. The signals are monitored and the spectrum is stabilized to correct for drift of the data signals introduced by the photomultiplier tube and the data transmission system. The preferred mono-energetic reference signals are selected to appear in the energy spectrum at a level which minimizes error. An electronic circuit at the surface provides a correction signal for adjusting the gain of a data signal amplifier responsive to changes in the reference signal, thereby correcting for drift in the data signal

A Low-cost Multi-channel Analogue Signal Generator

CERN Document Server

Müller, F; The ATLAS collaboration; Shen, W; Stamen, R

2009-01-01

A scalable multi-channel analogue signal generator is presented. It uses a commercial low-cost graphics card with multiple outputs in a standard PC as signal source. Each color signal serves as independent channel to generate an analogue signal. A custom-built external PCB was developed to adjust the graphics card output voltage levels for a specific task, which needed differential signals. The system furthermore comprises a software package to program the signal shape. The signal generator was successfully used as independent test bed for the ATLAS Level-1 Trigger Pre-Processor, providing up to 16 analogue signals.

Information content in reflected global navigation satellite system signals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Høeg, Per; Carlstrom, Anders

2011-01-01

The direct signals from satellites in global satellite navigation satellites systems (GNSS) as, GPS, GLONASS and GALILEO, constitute the primary source for positioning, navigation and timing from space. But also the reflected GNSS signals contain an important information content of signal travel...

A posteriori error estimates in voice source recovery

Science.gov (United States)

Leonov, A. S.; Sorokin, V. N.

2017-12-01

The inverse problem of voice source pulse recovery from a segment of a speech signal is under consideration. A special mathematical model is used for the solution that relates these quantities. A variational method of solving inverse problem of voice source recovery for a new parametric class of sources, that is for piecewise-linear sources (PWL-sources), is proposed. Also, a technique for a posteriori numerical error estimation for obtained solutions is presented. A computer study of the adequacy of adopted speech production model with PWL-sources is performed in solving the inverse problems for various types of voice signals, as well as corresponding study of a posteriori error estimates. Numerical experiments for speech signals show satisfactory properties of proposed a posteriori error estimates, which represent the upper bounds of possible errors in solving the inverse problem. The estimate of the most probable error in determining the source-pulse shapes is about 7-8% for the investigated speech material. It is noted that a posteriori error estimates can be used as a criterion of the quality for obtained voice source pulses in application to speaker recognition.

Acupuncture Alters Expression of Insulin Signaling Related Molecules and Improves Insulin Resistance in OLETF Rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xin-Yu Huang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available To determine effect of acupuncture on insulin resistance in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF rats and to evaluate expression of insulin signaling components. Rats were divided into three groups: Sprague-Dawley (SD rats, OLETF rats, and acupuncture+OLETF rats. Acupuncture was subcutaneously applied to Neiguan (PC6, Zusanli (ST36, and Sanyinjiao (SP6; in contrast, acupuncture to Shenshu (BL23 was administered perpendicularly. For Neiguan (PC6 and Zusanli (ST36, needles were connected to an electroacupuncture (EA apparatus. Fasting blood glucose (FPG was measured by glucose oxidase method. Plasma fasting insulin (FINS and serum C peptide (C-P were determined by ELISA. Protein and mRNA expressions of insulin signaling molecules were determined by Western blot and real-time RT-PCR, respectively. OLETF rats exhibit increased levels of FPG, FINS, C-P, and homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR, which were effectively decreased by acupuncture treatment. mRNA expressions of several insulin signaling related molecules IRS1, IRS2, Akt2, aPKCζ, and GLUT4 were decreased in OLETF rats compared to SD controls. Expression of these molecules was restored back to normal levels upon acupuncture administration. PI3K-p85α was increased in OLETF rats; this increase was also reversed by acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture improves insulin resistance in OLETF rats, possibly via regulating expression of key insulin signaling related molecules.

Electrocardiogram ST-Segment Morphology Delineation Method Using Orthogonal Transformations.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miha Amon

Full Text Available Differentiation between ischaemic and non-ischaemic transient ST segment events of long term ambulatory electrocardiograms is a persisting weakness in present ischaemia detection systems. Traditional ST segment level measuring is not a sufficiently precise technique due to the single point of measurement and severe noise which is often present. We developed a robust noise resistant orthogonal-transformation based delineation method, which allows tracing the shape of transient ST segment morphology changes from the entire ST segment in terms of diagnostic and morphologic feature-vector time series, and also allows further analysis. For these purposes, we developed a new Legendre Polynomials based Transformation (LPT of ST segment. Its basis functions have similar shapes to typical transient changes of ST segment morphology categories during myocardial ischaemia (level, slope and scooping, thus providing direct insight into the types of time domain morphology changes through the LPT feature-vector space. We also generated new Karhunen and Lo ève Transformation (KLT ST segment basis functions using a robust covariance matrix constructed from the ST segment pattern vectors derived from the Long Term ST Database (LTST DB. As for the delineation of significant transient ischaemic and non-ischaemic ST segment episodes, we present a study on the representation of transient ST segment morphology categories, and an evaluation study on the classification power of the KLT- and LPT-based feature vectors to classify between ischaemic and non-ischaemic ST segment episodes of the LTST DB. Classification accuracy using the KLT and LPT feature vectors was 90% and 82%, respectively, when using the k-Nearest Neighbors (k = 3 classifier and 10-fold cross-validation. New sets of feature-vector time series for both transformations were derived for the records of the LTST DB which is freely available on the PhysioNet website and were contributed to the LTST DB. The

Home of the 151st Air Refueling Wing

Science.gov (United States)

History HRA Alley Public Affairs SAPR Units Contact Us Search 151st ARW: 151st ARW The Roland R. Wright woman in the profession of arms President Trump visits Roland R. Wright Air National Guard Base 151st Commentaries Women's History Month: looking around as important as looking back Veterans Day: Pay tribute with

Redox signaling during hypoxia in mammalian cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kimberly A. Smith

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Hypoxia triggers a wide range of protective responses in mammalian cells, which are mediated through transcriptional and post-translational mechanisms. Redox signaling in cells by reactive oxygen species (ROS such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 occurs through the reversible oxidation of cysteine thiol groups, resulting in structural modifications that can change protein function profoundly. Mitochondria are an important source of ROS generation, and studies reveal that superoxide generation by the electron transport chain increases during hypoxia. Other sources of ROS, such as the NAD(PH oxidases, may also generate oxidant signals in hypoxia. This review considers the growing body of work indicating that increased ROS signals during hypoxia are responsible for regulating the activation of protective mechanisms in diverse cell types.

SPV: a JavaScript Signaling Pathway Visualizer.

Science.gov (United States)

Calderone, Alberto; Cesareni, Gianni

2018-03-24

The visualization of molecular interactions annotated in web resources is useful to offer to users such information in a clear intuitive layout. These interactions are frequently represented as binary interactions that are laid out in free space where, different entities, cellular compartments and interaction types are hardly distinguishable. SPV (Signaling Pathway Visualizer) is a free open source JavaScript library which offers a series of pre-defined elements, compartments and interaction types meant to facilitate the representation of signaling pathways consisting of causal interactions without neglecting simple protein-protein interaction networks. freely available under Apache version 2 license; Source code: https://github.com/Sinnefa/SPV_Signaling_Pathway_Visualizer_v1.0. Language: JavaScript; Web technology: Scalable Vector Graphics; Libraries: D3.js. sinnefa@gmail.com.

An application of time-frequency signal analysis technique to estimate the location of an impact source on a plate type structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jin Ho; Lee, Jeong Han; Choi, Young Chul; Kim, Chan Joong; Seong, Poong Hyun

2005-01-01

It has been reviewed whether it would be suitable that the application of the time-frequency signal analysis techniques to estimate the location of the impact source in plate structure. The STFT(Short Time Fourier Transform), WVD(Wigner-Ville distribution) and CWT(Continuous Wavelet Transform) methods are introduced and the advantages and disadvantages of those methods are described by using a simulated signal component. The essential of the above proposed techniques is to separate the traveling waves in both time and frequency domains using the dispersion characteristics of the structural waves. These time-frequency methods are expected to be more useful than the conventional time domain analyses for the impact localization problem on a plate type structure. Also it has been concluded that the smoothed WVD can give more reliable means than the other methodologies for the location estimation in a noisy environment

St. Louis Airport site environmental report for calendar year 1989, St. Louis, Missouri

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

1990-05-01

The environmental monitoring program, which began in 1984, continued during 1989 at the St. Louis Airport Site (SLAPS) in St. Louis County, Missouri. SLAPS and its vicinity properties, including ditches north and south of the site, were designated for cleanup as part of the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP), a United States Department of Energy (DOE) program to identify and decontaminate or otherwise control sites where residual radioactive material remains from the early years of the nation's atomic energy program. The monitoring program at SLAPS measures radon concentrations in air; external gamma dose rates; and uranium, thorium, and radium concentrations in surface water, groundwater, and sediment. Additionally, several nonradiological parameters are measured in groundwater. To assess the potential effect of SLAPS on public health, the potential radiation dose was estimated for a hypothetical maximally exposed individual. This report presents the findings of the environmental monitoring program conducted at the St. Louis Airport Site (SLAPS) during calendar year 1989. 19 refs., 13 figs., 14 tabs.

Virulence of invasive Salmonella Typhimurium ST313 in animal models of infection.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Girish Ramachandran

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Salmonella Typhimurium sequence type (ST 313 produces septicemia in infants in sub-Saharan Africa. Although there are known genetic and phenotypic differences between ST313 strains and gastroenteritis-associated ST19 strains, conflicting data about the in vivo virulence of ST313 strains have been reported. To resolve these differences, we tested clinical Salmonella Typhimurium ST313 and ST19 strains in murine and rhesus macaque infection models. The 50% lethal dose (LD50 was determined for three Salmonella Typhimurium ST19 and ST313 strains in mice. For dissemination studies, bacterial burden in organs was determined at various time-points post-challenge. Indian rhesus macaques were infected with one ST19 and one ST313 strain. Animals were monitored for clinical signs and bacterial burden and pathology were determined. The LD50 values for ST19 and ST313 infected mice were not significantly different. However, ST313-infected BALB/c mice had significantly higher bacterial numbers in blood at 24 h than ST19-infected mice. ST19-infected rhesus macaques exhibited moderate-to-severe diarrhea while ST313-infected monkeys showed no-to-mild diarrhea. ST19-infected monkeys had higher bacterial burden and increased inflammation in tissues. Our data suggest that Salmonella Typhimurium ST313 invasiveness may be investigated using mice. The non-human primate results are consistent with clinical data, suggesting that ST313 strains do not cause diarrhea.

Virulence of invasive Salmonella Typhimurium ST313 in animal models of infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramachandran, Girish; Panda, Aruna; Higginson, Ellen E; Ateh, Eugene; Lipsky, Michael M; Sen, Sunil; Matson, Courtney A; Permala-Booth, Jasnehta; DeTolla, Louis J; Tennant, Sharon M

2017-08-01

Salmonella Typhimurium sequence type (ST) 313 produces septicemia in infants in sub-Saharan Africa. Although there are known genetic and phenotypic differences between ST313 strains and gastroenteritis-associated ST19 strains, conflicting data about the in vivo virulence of ST313 strains have been reported. To resolve these differences, we tested clinical Salmonella Typhimurium ST313 and ST19 strains in murine and rhesus macaque infection models. The 50% lethal dose (LD50) was determined for three Salmonella Typhimurium ST19 and ST313 strains in mice. For dissemination studies, bacterial burden in organs was determined at various time-points post-challenge. Indian rhesus macaques were infected with one ST19 and one ST313 strain. Animals were monitored for clinical signs and bacterial burden and pathology were determined. The LD50 values for ST19 and ST313 infected mice were not significantly different. However, ST313-infected BALB/c mice had significantly higher bacterial numbers in blood at 24 h than ST19-infected mice. ST19-infected rhesus macaques exhibited moderate-to-severe diarrhea while ST313-infected monkeys showed no-to-mild diarrhea. ST19-infected monkeys had higher bacterial burden and increased inflammation in tissues. Our data suggest that Salmonella Typhimurium ST313 invasiveness may be investigated using mice. The non-human primate results are consistent with clinical data, suggesting that ST313 strains do not cause diarrhea.

Self-transcendence (ST) among very old people--its associations to social and medical factors and development over five years.

Science.gov (United States)

Norberg, Astrid; Lundman, Berit; Gustafson, Yngve; Norberg, Catharina; Fischer, Regina Santamäki; Lövheim, Hugo

2015-01-01

The aims of this study were to describe the associations between ST and psychological and physical wellbeing among oldest old people and to test the influence of negative life events on ST, and the predictive value of the self-transcendence scale (STS) for mortality. ST has been identified as a valuable resource for transcending psychological and physical suffering and has been related to psychological wellbeing and higher quality of life. The study design was correlational, prospective, and longitudinal. The participants were recruited from a medium-sized town and from an adjacent rural area in northern Sweden. The sample consisted of 190 participants (123 women and 67 men) who completed the STS. At a 5-year follow-up, 55 people (29.5%) were alive and able to complete the assessments again. ST was positively associated with psychological wellbeing, self-rated health, having someone to talk with and being able to go outdoors independently. Diagnoses of depression, dementia disease, and osteoporosis were associated with lower STS scores as were living in a residential care facility, and feeling lonely. There was a significant relationship between the index of negative life events and ST between baseline and follow-up. More negative life events were associated with a larger decline in STS scores over five years. ST is an important source for wellbeing among the oldest old, and the accumulation of negative life events might threaten the ability to transcend setbacks. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fast digitizing and digital signal processing of detector signals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hannaske, Roland

2008-01-01

A fast-digitizer data acquisition system recently installed at the neutron time-of-flight experiment nELBE, which is located at the superconducting electron accelerator ELBE of Forschungszentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, is tested with two different detector types. Preamplifier signals from a high-purity germanium detector are digitized, stored and finally processed. For a precise determination of the energy of the detected radiation, the moving-window deconvolution algorithm is used to compensate the ballistic deficit and different shaping algorithms are applied. The energy resolution is determined in an experiment with γ-rays from a 22 Na source and is compared to the energy resolution achieved with analogously processed signals. On the other hand, signals from the photomultipliers of barium fluoride and plastic scintillation detectors are digitized. These signals have risetimes of a few nanoseconds only. The moment of interaction of the radiation with the detector is determined by methods of digital signal processing. Therefore, different timing algorithms are implemented and tested with data from an experiment at nELBE. The time resolutions achieved with these algorithms are compared to each other as well as to reference values coming from analog signal processing. In addition to these experiments, some properties of the digitizing hardware are measured and a program for the analysis of stored, digitized data is developed. The analysis of the signals shows that the energy resolution achieved with the 10-bit digitizer system used here is not competitive to a 14-bit peak-sensing ADC, although the ballistic deficit can be fully corrected. However, digital methods give better result in sub-ns timing than analog signal processing. (orig.)

Time courses of MRI BOLD signals in prolonged visual stimulation. Comparison between colors and orders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kashikura, Kenichi; Fujita, Hideaki; Kershaw, J.B.; Matsuura, Tetsuya; Seki, Chie; Kashikura, Akemi; Ardekani, B.A.; Kanno, Iwao

1998-01-01

We investigated: the BOLD signal response during 270 second photic stimulation using an EPI pulse sequence; the BOLD signal response for two different color checkerboards; and the BOLD signal response during six consecutive stimulation series. Ten healthy human subjects (age 25±5.5 years) were studied with a 1.5 T MRI system (Siemens Vision, Erlangen, Germany). Black and white (BW) and red and white (RW) checkerboards alternating at 8 Hz were applied in turns for a total series of six. Stimulation timing was: 30 sec. off, 15 sec. on, 15 sec. off, 270 sec. on, 15 sec. off, 15 sec. on, 15 sec. off. Acquired data were analyzed according to color and/or order: color (without considering the order); color and order (1st BW vs. 1st RW, 2nd BW vs. 2nd RW, 3rd BW vs. 3rd RW); and order (without considering the color). A t-test (p<0.001) was used for obtaining the activated areas, and simple regression and two-way repeated-measures ANOVA were used for testing the statistical significance of the BOLD response. Results were: the BOLD signal responses during sustained photic stimulation maintained a constant level for the full duration and all series, suggesting stable levels of oxygen extraction and metabolism during cortical activation; the BOLD signal responses in two colors showed no significant difference in time response, suggesting that the neuronal populations perceiving black and red give a similar time response; and the effect of habituation or fatigue as observed by a signal decrease was not obtained, although the S.D. for each subject greatly increased with time and might be an indicator for evaluation fatigue or attention. (author)

Henkilöstötilinpäätös konsultointiyritykselle

OpenAIRE

Halmesvaara, Riikka

2010-01-01

Tämän toiminnallisen opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli antaa Konsultointiyritykselle kokonaiskuvaa henkilöstöstä tekemällä ilmapiirikartoitustutkimus sekä kirjallinen henkilöstötilinpäätös, joka koostui henkilöstötuloslaskelmasta ja henkilöstökertomuksesta. Työ suoritettiin tutkimuksellisena kehittämishankkeena konsultointiyritykselle. Tutkimusongelmana oli kuvata Konsultointiyrityksen osaamispääomaa ja henkilöstön rakennetta sekä luoda työkalu strategiassa määriteltyjen henkilöstöä koskevien o...

Fractal Complexity-Based Feature Extraction Algorithm of Communication Signals

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hui; Li, Jingchao; Guo, Lili; Dou, Zheng; Lin, Yun; Zhou, Ruolin

How to analyze and identify the characteristics of radiation sources and estimate the threat level by means of detecting, intercepting and locating has been the central issue of electronic support in the electronic warfare, and communication signal recognition is one of the key points to solve this issue. Aiming at accurately extracting the individual characteristics of the radiation source for the increasingly complex communication electromagnetic environment, a novel feature extraction algorithm for individual characteristics of the communication radiation source based on the fractal complexity of the signal is proposed. According to the complexity of the received signal and the situation of environmental noise, use the fractal dimension characteristics of different complexity to depict the subtle characteristics of the signal to establish the characteristic database, and then identify different broadcasting station by gray relation theory system. The simulation results demonstrate that the algorithm can achieve recognition rate of 94% even in the environment with SNR of -10dB, and this provides an important theoretical basis for the accurate identification of the subtle features of the signal at low SNR in the field of information confrontation.

St. John's Wort (Hypericum Perforatum) and Pregnancy

Science.gov (United States)

... best live chat Live Help Fact Sheets Share St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) Tuesday, 01 May 2018 ... risk. This sheet talks about whether exposure to St. John’s Wort may increase the risk for birth ...

Doppler shift simulation of scattered HF signals during the Tromsø HF pumping experiment on 16 February 1996

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. D. Borisova

2002-09-01

Full Text Available Comparisons between bistatic scatter measurements and simulation results during the Tromsø HF pumping experiment on 16 February 1996 are made. Doppler measurements of an HF diagnostic signal scattered from the field-aligned irregularities (FAIs in the auroral E-region were carried out on the London – Tromsø – St. Petersburg path at 9410 kHz from 21:00 to 22:00 UT. The scattered signals were observed both from natural and artificial ionospheric irregularities located in the vicinity of Tromsø. To simulate the Doppler frequency shifts, fd , of scattered signals, a radio channel model, named CONE, was developed. The model allows for ray tracing, group and phase paths, and Doppler frequency shift calculations. The calculated Doppler shifts were analyzed for dependence on the magnitude and direction of plasma velocities in the scattering volume. It was found that the velocity components in the north-south direction are crucial for explaining the Doppler frequency shifts of the scattered diagnostic signals. To simulate fd , real velocities obtained from the EISCAT UHF radar at an altitude of 278 km and from the digital all-sky imager during the experiment were employed. The simulation results of Doppler frequency shift variations with time are in reasonable agreement with the experimental Doppler shifts of scattered signals on the London – Tromsø – St. Petersburg path.Key words. Ionosphere (active experiments; ionospheric irregularities Radio science (ionospheric propagation

Seismoacoustic Coupled Signals From Earthquakes in Central Italy: Epicentral and Secondary Sources of Infrasound

Science.gov (United States)

Shani-Kadmiel, Shahar; Assink, Jelle D.; Smets, Pieter S. M.; Evers, Läslo G.

2018-01-01

In this study we analyze infrasound signals from three earthquakes in central Italy. The Mw 6.0 Amatrice, Mw 5.9 Visso, and Mw 6.5 Norcia earthquakes generated significant epicentral ground motions that couple to the atmosphere and produce infrasonic waves. Epicentral seismic and infrasonic signals are detected at I26DE; however, a third type of signal, which arrives after the seismic wave train and before the epicentral infrasound signal, is also detected. This peculiar signal propagates across the array at acoustic wave speeds, but the celerity associated with it is 3 times the speed of sound. Atmosphere-independent backprojections and full 3-D ray tracing using atmospheric conditions of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts are used to demonstrate that this apparently fast-arriving infrasound signal originates from ground motions more than 400 km away from the epicenter. The location of the secondary infrasound patch coincides with the closest bounce point to I26DE as depicted by ray tracing backprojections.

ECG-Based Detection of Early Myocardial Ischemia in a Computational Model: Impact of Additional Electrodes, Optimal Placement, and a New Feature for ST Deviation.

Science.gov (United States)

Loewe, Axel; Schulze, Walther H W; Jiang, Yuan; Wilhelms, Mathias; Luik, Armin; Dössel, Olaf; Seemann, Gunnar

2015-01-01

In case of chest pain, immediate diagnosis of myocardial ischemia is required to respond with an appropriate treatment. The diagnostic capability of the electrocardiogram (ECG), however, is strongly limited for ischemic events that do not lead to ST elevation. This computational study investigates the potential of different electrode setups in detecting early ischemia at 10 minutes after onset: standard 3-channel and 12-lead ECG as well as body surface potential maps (BSPMs). Further, it was assessed if an additional ECG electrode with optimized position or the right-sided Wilson leads can improve sensitivity of the standard 12-lead ECG. To this end, a simulation study was performed for 765 different locations and sizes of ischemia in the left ventricle. Improvements by adding a single, subject specifically optimized electrode were similar to those of the BSPM: 2-11% increased detection rate depending on the desired specificity. Adding right-sided Wilson leads had negligible effect. Absence of ST deviation could not be related to specific locations of the ischemic region or its transmurality. As alternative to the ST time integral as a feature of ST deviation, the K point deviation was introduced: the baseline deviation at the minimum of the ST-segment envelope signal, which increased 12-lead detection rate by 7% for a reasonable threshold.

Accelerating SystemVerilog UVM Based VIP to Improve Methodology for Verification of Image Signal Processing Designs Using HW Emulator

OpenAIRE

Jain, Abhishek; Gupta, Piyush Kumar; Gupta, Dr. Hima; Dhar, Sachish

2014-01-01

In this paper we present the development of Acceleratable UVCs from standard UVCs in SystemVerilog and their usage in UVM based Verification Environment of Image Signal Processing designs to increase run time performance. This paper covers development of Acceleratable UVCs from standard UVCs for internal control and data buses of ST imaging group by partitioning of transaction-level components and cycle-accurate signal-level components between the software simulator and hardware accelerator r...

ST2 IN REJECTION OF THE TRANSPLANTED HEART

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. P. Shevchenko

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This review summarizes the current literature devoted to the analysis of prognostic role of ST2 biomarker in rejection of the transplanted heart. ST2 is one of the most promising diagnostic markers of the development and severity of heart failure as well as the mortality risk in patients with cardiovascular diseases. ST2 is expressed in cardiomyocytes in response to a variety of pathological processes and mechanical damage to the heart, which allows diagnosing cardiovascular diseases before clinical manifestations. Presumably, measuring the level of ST2 in heart transplant may have diagnostic and prognostic value in the assessment of graft and risk of rejection. Currently, accumulated clinical data on the role of given biomarker in heart transplantation are not enough, and further research on the relation of ST2 levels with different clinical and laboratory parameters in heart recipients is necessary. 

Evaluation on In-vessel Source Term in PGSFR (2015 Results)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Seung Won; Chang, Won-Pyo; Ha, Kwi-Seok; Ahn, Sang June; Kang, Seok Hun; Choi, Chi-Woong; Lee, Kwi Lim; Jeong, Jae-Ho; Kim, Jin Su; Jeong, Taekyeong [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

This strategy requires nuclear plants to have features that prevent radionuclide release and multiple barriers to the escape from the plants of any radionuclides that are released despite preventive measures. Considerations of the ability to prevent and mitigate release of radionuclides arise at numerous places in the safety regulations of nuclear plants. The effectiveness of mitigative capabilities in nuclear plants is subject to quantitative analysis. The radionuclide input to these quantitative analyses of effectiveness is the Source Term (ST). All features of the composition, magnitude, timing, chemical form and physical form of accidental radionuclide release constitute the ST. Also, ST is defined as the release of radionuclides from the fuel and coolant into the containment, and subsequently to the environment. Since the TMI accident in 1979, extensive experimental and analytical information has been accumulated on the accident ST for LWRs. Such mechanistic models and computer codes as the MELCOR and MAAP have been developed. The results of extensive calculations and experiments have been used to formulate an alternative to the simple TID-14844 ST for regulatory purpose. The in-vessel STs are calculated through several phases: The inventory of each radionuclide is calculated by ORIGEN-2 code using the peak burnup conditions. The nominal value of the radiological inventory is multiplied by a factor of 1.1 as an uncertainty margin to give the radiological inventory. ST in the release from the core to primary sodium is calculated by using the assumption of 4S methodology. Lastly, ST in the release from the primary sodium to cover gas space is calculated by using the assumption of 4S methodology.

Dimensionering af stålrammebygninger mod kipning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borchersen, E.; Frederiksen, J.O.; Skov, K.

Rapporten beskriver en metode til dimensionering af stålrammebygninger mod kipning. Metoden er baseret dels på elasticitetsteoretiske overvejelser, dels på forsøg udført med 3-charniers stålrammmer i fuld skala....

Water in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Science.gov (United States)

Cosner, O.J.

1972-01-01

Water for domestic and municipal supply on St. John, in the past, has been obtained from rain catchments, dug wells, and barge shipments from St. Thomas and Puerto Rico. As a result of this study, small ground-water supplies have been developed for the Virgin Islands National Park. Ground water occurs in significant but limited quantities in the fractured volcanic rock throughout most of the Island. Yield of wells in this aquifer ranges from less than 100 to about 2,000 gpd (gallons per day). The average long-term yield of the three drilled wells in use by the National Park Service in 1967 was about 1,000 gpd. Yield ofl,000 to 5,000 gpd may be expected in the Coral Bay and the Reef Bay areas. Estimated total recharge of the fractured volcanic rock on St. John, based on a recharge of 1 to 3 inches per year, is 1,000,000 to 3,000,000 gpd. Perhaps as much as a quarter to a third of this water could be developed practically, depending on the rainfall in a given year. The chemical quality of the ground water in the fractured-rock aquifer in areas uncontaminated by sea water ranges from 600 to 2,000 mg/l (milligrams per liter) or more dissolved solids. Water from-formations in the higher altitudes is of better quality than that in the lower formations. Small quantities of ground water are available from beach sand, alluvium, and fractured rock near the sea. However, these sources tend to be brackish and are subject to salt-water encroachment. There are no perennial streams on St. John. There are a few spring-fed pools in stream channels, however, that are sustained, except in severe drought. Storm runoff is estimated to average 1 inch over the island annually, and evaporation from open water surfaces is about 70 inches per year. Ponds can be developed, but because of the high .evaporation they may be unreliable during droughts. Rain water collected in cisterns from roofs and catchments yield about 50 gpd per 1,000 square feet of catch area during an average year of

GeoTIFF of 3x3 m Bathymetry for St. Thomas & St. John, 2011, UTM 20N NAD83

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This image represents a LiDAR (Light Detection & Ranging) 3x3 meter resolution bathymetric surface for an area of shallow seabed surrounding St. Thomas and St....

Plutonium-induced osteosarcomas in the St. Bernard

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, G.N.; Thurman, G.B.; Mays, C.W.; Shabestari, L.; Angus, W.; Eaton, J.; Hitchman, J.

1978-01-01

Thirteen osteosarcomas have been observed among the 7 St. Bernards that have died following the injection of 239 Pu. Preliminary data indicate that the St. Bernard is about 6 times more sensitive than the Beagle, and about 150 times more sensitive than the average person is to 239 Pu-induced bone sarcomas. Thus, the St. Bernard may be an excellent model to study the pathogenesis of bone cancer induction, to evaluate the relationship between spontaneous susceptibility and radiosensitivity, and to determine whether or not radiosensitivity significantly affects the toxicity ratio

Regional improvement of signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratios in dual-screen CR chest imaging - a phantom study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Xinming; Shaw, Chris C.

2001-01-01

The improvement of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) in dual-screen computed radiography (CR) has been investigated for various regions in images of an anthropomorphic chest phantom. With the dual-screen CR technique, two image plates are placed in a cassette and exposed together during imaging. The exposed plates are separately scanned to form a front image and a back image, which are then registered and superimposed to form a composite image with improved SNRs and CNRs. The improvement can be optimized by applying specifically selected weighting factors during superimposition. In this study, dual-screen CR images of an anthropomorphic chest phantom were acquired and formed with four different combinations of standard resolution (ST) and high-resolution (HR) screens: ST-ST, ST-HR, HR-ST, and HR-HR. SNRs and their improvements were measured and compared over twelve representative regions-of-interest (ROIs) in these images. A 19.1%-45.7% increase of the SNR was observed, depending on the ROI and screen combination used. The optimal weighting factors were found to vary by only 4.5%-12.4%. Largest improvement was found in the lung field for all screen combinations. Improvement of CNRs was investigated over two ROIs in the lung field using the rib bones as the contrast objects and a 29.2%-43.9% improvement of the CNR was observed. Among the four screen combinations, ST-ST resulted in the most SNR and CNR improvement, followed in order by HR-ST, HR-HR, and ST-HR. The HR-ST combination yielded the lowest spatial variation of the optimal weighting factors with improved SNRs and CNRs close to those of the ST-ST combination

MEG source localization using invariance of noise space.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junpeng Zhang

Full Text Available We propose INvariance of Noise (INN space as a novel method for source localization of magnetoencephalography (MEG data. The method is based on the fact that modulations of source strengths across time change the energy in signal subspace but leave the noise subspace invariant. We compare INN with classical MUSIC, RAP-MUSIC, and beamformer approaches using simulated data while varying signal-to-noise ratios as well as distance and temporal correlation between two sources. We also demonstrate the utility of INN with actual auditory evoked MEG responses in eight subjects. In all cases, INN performed well, especially when the sources were closely spaced, highly correlated, or one source was considerably stronger than the other.

Study of time-domain digital pulse shaping algorithms for nuclear signals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Jianbin; Tuo Xianguo; Zhu Xing; Liu Yi; Zhou Wei; Lei Jiarong

2012-01-01

With the development on high-speed integrated circuit, fast high resolution sampling ADC and digital signal processors are replacing analog shaping amplifier circuit. This paper firstly presents the numerical analysis and simulation on R-C shaping circuit model and C-R shaping circuit model. Mathematic models are established based on 1 st order digital differential method and Kirchhoff Current Law in time domain, and a simulation and error evaluation experiment on an ideal digital signal are carried out with Excel VBA. A digital shaping test for a semiconductor X-ray detector in real time is also presented. Then a numerical analysis for Sallen-Key(S-K) low-pass filter circuit model is implemented based on the analysis of digital R-C and digital C-R shaping methods. By applying the 2 nd order non-homogeneous differential equation,the authors implement a digital Gaussian filter model for a standard exponential-decaying signal and a nuclear pulse signal. Finally, computer simulations and experimental tests are carried out and the results show the possibility of the digital pulse processing algorithms. (authors)

In situ calibration of a light source in a sensor device

Science.gov (United States)

Okandan, Murat; Serkland, Darwin k.; Merchant, Bion J.

2015-12-29

A sensor device is described herein, wherein the sensor device includes an optical measurement system, such as an interferometer. The sensor device further includes a low-power light source that is configured to emit an optical signal having a constant wavelength, wherein accuracy of a measurement output by the sensor device is dependent upon the optical signal having the constant wavelength. At least a portion of the optical signal is directed to a vapor cell, the vapor cell including an atomic species that absorbs light having the constant wavelength. A photodetector captures light that exits the vapor cell, and generates an electrical signal that is indicative of intensity of the light that exits the vapor cell. A control circuit controls operation of the light source based upon the electrical signal, such that the light source emits the optical signal with the constant wavelength.

Serum Levels of Interleukin 33 and Soluble ST2 Are Associated with the Extent of Disease Activity and Cutaneous Manifestations in Patients with Active Adult-onset Still's Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Jae Ho; Suh, Chang-Hee; Jung, Ju-Yang; Ahn, Mi-Hyun; Kwon, Ji Eun; Yim, Hyunee; Kim, Hyoun-Ah

2017-06-01

Interleukin 33 (IL-33), a member of the IL-1 family and a ligand of the orphan receptor ST2, plays key roles in innate and adaptive immunity. We examined the associations between IL-33/ST2 levels and clinical manifestations of patients with active adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD). Blood samples were collected from 40 patients with active AOSD, 28 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and 27 healthy controls (HC). The serum levels of IL-33 and soluble ST2 were determined using ELISA. Expression levels of IL-33 and ST2 in biopsy specimens obtained from 34 AOSD patients with rash were immunohistochemically investigated. IL-33 levels of patients with AOSD were higher than those of patients with RA and HC. Soluble ST2 levels of patients with AOSD were higher than those of HC, but not of patients with RA. Serum IL-33 levels correlated with systemic score, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, ferritin levels, and aspartate transaminase levels. However, serum soluble ST2 levels correlated only with ferritin levels. The numbers of inflammatory cells expressing IL-33 and ST2 were elevated in skin lesions of patients with AOSD compared to HC, but did not differ from those of the skin lesions of eczema or psoriasis. We found significantly higher serum IL-33 and soluble ST2 levels in patients with active AOSD. Results indicate that the IL-33/ST2 signaling pathway may play a role in the pathogenesis of the acute inflammation and skin manifestations associated with AOSD.

Interpretation of the MEG-MUSIC scan in biomagnetic source localization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mosher, J.C.; Lewis, P.S. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States); Leahy, R.M. [University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA (United States). Signal and Image Processing Inst.

1993-09-01

MEG-Music is a new approach to MEG source localization. MEG-Music is based on a spatio-temporal source model in which the observed biomagnetic fields are generated by a small number of current dipole sources with fixed positions/orientations and varying strengths. From the spatial covariance matrix of the observed fields, a signal subspace can be identified. The rank of this subspace is equal to the number of elemental sources present. This signal sub-space is used in a projection metric that scans the three dimensional head volume. Given a perfect signal subspace estimate and a perfect forward model, the metric will peak at unity at each dipole location. In practice, the signal subspace estimate is contaminated by noise, which in turn yields MUSIC peaks which are less than unity. Previously we examined the lower bounds on localization error, independent of the choice of localization procedure. In this paper, we analyzed the effects of noise and temporal coherence on the signal subspace estimate and the resulting effects on the MEG-MUSIC peaks.

Acoustic Holography With Incoherent Sources

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Druyvesteyn, W.F.; Raangs, R.

2005-01-01

In near field acoustic holography the sound field is scanned near the surface of the vibrating object; from these measurements the vibration of the structure can be calculated. In the case of correlated sources one reference signal is sufficient. When incoherent sources are present the separation of

Generation and coherent detection of QPSK signal using a novel method of digital signal processing

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yuan; Hu, Bingliang; He, Zhen-An; Xie, Wenjia; Gao, Xiaohui

2018-02-01

We demonstrate an optical quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) signal transmitter and an optical receiver for demodulating optical QPSK signal with homodyne detection and digital signal processing (DSP). DSP on the homodyne detection scheme is employed without locking the phase of the local oscillator (LO). In this paper, we present an extracting one-dimensional array of down-sampling method for reducing unwanted samples of constellation diagram measurement. Such a novel scheme embodies the following major advantages over the other conventional optical QPSK signal detection methods. First, this homodyne detection scheme does not need strict requirement on LO in comparison with linear optical sampling, such as having a flat spectral density and phase over the spectral support of the source under test. Second, the LabVIEW software is directly used for recovering the QPSK signal constellation without employing complex DSP circuit. Third, this scheme is applicable to multilevel modulation formats such as M-ary PSK and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) or higher speed signals by making minor changes.

Indoor air quality in the 21st century: search for excellence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fanger, Povl Ole

2000-01-01

as elements behind a new philosophy of excellence: 1) better indoor air quality increases productivity and decreases SBS symptoms; 2) unnecessary indoor pollution sources should be avoided; 3) the air should be served cool and dry to the occupants; 4) "personalized air", i.e. a small amount of clean air...... are rather low, allowing a substantial group of people to become dissatisfied and to be adversely affected. A paradigm shift from rather mediocre to excellent indoor environments is foreseen in the 21st century. Based on existing information and on new research results, five principles are suggested...

Open Source-Marketing im Unternehmenseinsatz

OpenAIRE

Sarstedt, Marko; Hieke, Marie-Sophie

2007-01-01

Die steigende Anzahl an Reaktanzen der Konsumenten gegenüber jeglicher Form von Werbung, insbesondere aber der klassischen, zwingt Unternehmen heute mehr denn je dazu, neue Möglichkeiten zu suchen, um die Wünsche der Kunden erforschen und besser erfüllen zu können. Gerade den latenten, dem Verbraucher also noch nicht bewussten, Bedürfnissen gilt es Rechnung zu tragen. Der aus der Software Branche aufgegriffene Open-Source-Gedanke kann hier ansetzen, um den Konsumenten nicht nur stärker in den...

St. Louis FUSRAP Lessons Learned

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eberlin, J.; Williams, D.; Mueller, D.

2003-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to present lessons learned from fours years' experience conducting Remedial Investigation and Remedial Action activities at the St. Louis Downtown Site (SLDS) under the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP). Many FUSRAP sites are experiencing challenges conducting Remedial Actions within forecasted volume and budget estimates. The St. Louis FUSRAP lessons learned provide insight to options for cost effective remediation at FUSRAP sites. The lessons learned are focused on project planning (budget and schedule), investigation, design, and construction

Signalling in IF-games : a tricky business

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Janssen, T.M.V.; Dechesne, F.; Benthem, van J.F.A.K.; Heinzmann, G.; Rebuschi, M.; Visser, H.

2006-01-01

The paper studies the phenomenon of signalling in logics for imperfect information, such as Hintikka’s IF logic. It is shown that signalling is a phenomenon that at the one hand is essential for the semantics, but at the other hand is a source of tricky phenomena. Several properties which in the

21st Century Skills Map: The Arts

Science.gov (United States)

Dean, Colleen; Ebert, Christie M. Lynch; McGreevy-Nichols, Susan; Quinn, Betsy; Sabol, F. Robert; Schmid, Dale; Shauck, R. Barry; Shuler, Scott C.

2010-01-01

This 21st Century Skills Map is the result of hundreds of hours of research, development and feedback from educators and business leaders across the nation. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has issued this map for the core subject of the Arts.

Characterisation of Australian MRSA strains ST75- and ST883-MRSA-IV and analysis of their accessory gene regulator locus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan Monecke

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus have become a major problem in Australia. These strains have now been isolated throughout Australia including remote Indigenous communities that have had minimal exposure to healthcare facilities. Some of these strains, belonging to sequence types ST75 and ST883, have previously been reported to harbour highly divergent alleles of the housekeeping genes used in multilocus sequence typing. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: ST75-MRSA-IV and ST883-MRSA-IV isolates were characterised in detail. Morphological features as well as 16S sequences were identical to other S. aureus strains. Although a partial rnpB gene sequence was not identical to previously known S. aureus sequences, it was found to be more closely related to S. aureus than to other staphylococci. Isolates also were screened using diagnostic DNA microarrays. These isolates yielded hybridisation results atypical for S. aureus. Primer directed amplification assays failed to detect species markers (femA, katA, sbi, spa. However, arbitrarily primed amplification indicated the presence of unknown alleles of these genes. Isolates could not be assigned to capsule types 1, 5 or 8. The allelic group of the accessory gene regulator (agr locus was not determinable. Sequencing of a region of agrB, agrC and agrD (approximately 2,100 bp revealed a divergent sequence. However, this sequence is more related to S. aureus agr alleles I and IV than to agr sequences from other Staphylococcus species. The predicted auto-inducing peptide (AIP sequence of ST75 was identical to that of agr group I, while the predicted AIP sequence of ST883 was identical to agr group IV. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The genetic properties of ST75/ST883-MRSA may be due to a series of evolutionary events in ancient insulated S. aureus strains including a convergent evolution leading to agr group I- or IV-like AIP sequences and a recent acquisition of SCCmec IV

Plutonium-induced osteosarcomas in the St. Bernard

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, G.N.; Thurman, G.B.; Mays, C.W.; Shabestari, L.; Angus, W.; Atherton, D.R.

1981-01-01

Fourteen osteosarcomas were observed among the eight St. Bernards that died following the injection of 239 Pu. Early data tentatively indicate that the St. Bernard is about 5 times more sensitive than the beagle and about 130 times more sensitive than the average person is estimated to be to 239 Pu-induced bone sarcomas. Thus the St. Bernard may be an excellent model in which to study the pathogenesis of bone cancer induction, to evaluate the relationship between spontaneous susceptibility and radiosensitivity, and to determine whether radiosensitivity significantly affects the toxicity ration of 239 Pu/ 226 Ra

Metal contamination in zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) along the St. Lawrence River.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwan, K H Michael; Chan, Hing Man; de Lafontaine, Yves

2003-01-01

In order to evaluate the use of zebra mussels as biomonitors for metal bioavailability in the St. Lawrence River, we tested the hypothesis that the concentrations of 11 metals in zebra mussels vary significantly between sites along the river and that the season of collection and body size affect metal bioaccumulation. Mussels were collected at 14 sites during June 1996 and at monthly intervals at one site. Specimens were grouped in three size classes and their soft tissue was analyzed for As, Ca, Cd, Cr, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn. Significant size effects were found for Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn. Spatial and seasonal variations in bioconcentration were significant for all metals. Spatial patterns in contamination that corresponded to known point sources of pollution or hydrology of the river were identified by principal component analysis. Seasonal variations can be attributed to the reproductive cycle of mussels and hydrological variability of the river. In comparison with values reported for zebra mussels in other contaminated sites in North America and Europe, levels of metal in the St. Lawrence River are low or intermediate. Our results show that when controlled for size and seasonal effects, zebra mussels represent a useful biomonitor for metal availability in the river and may offer an interesting alternative to native mussels and fish for such a role. Local contamination by some toxic metals is still a cause for concern in the St. Lawrence River.

Frauen mit Eßstörungen im Ausdauersport

OpenAIRE

Bös, Annette

2003-01-01

Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht das Phänomen Eßstörungen bei Ausdauersportlerinnen. Auf dem Hintergrund des identitätstheoretischen Ansatzes von Stahr et al. (1995) geht es um die Frage nach den Hauptverursachungsmomenten der Eßstörungen von sieben jungen Sportlerinnen. Im Rahmen einer qualitativen Sozialforschungsarbeit wurden sieben Athletinnen in einem problemzentrierten Interview zur Phase ihrer Eßstörungserkrankung befragt. Die Arbeit setzt sich zum Ziel, einen Beitrag zur systematisch...

Digital signal processing with kernel methods

CERN Document Server

Rojo-Alvarez, José Luis; Muñoz-Marí, Jordi; Camps-Valls, Gustavo

2018-01-01

A realistic and comprehensive review of joint approaches to machine learning and signal processing algorithms, with application to communications, multimedia, and biomedical engineering systems Digital Signal Processing with Kernel Methods reviews the milestones in the mixing of classical digital signal processing models and advanced kernel machines statistical learning tools. It explains the fundamental concepts from both fields of machine learning and signal processing so that readers can quickly get up to speed in order to begin developing the concepts and application software in their own research. Digital Signal Processing with Kernel Methods provides a comprehensive overview of kernel methods in signal processing, without restriction to any application field. It also offers example applications and detailed benchmarking experiments with real and synthetic datasets throughout. Readers can find further worked examples with Matlab source code on a website developed by the authors. * Presents the necess...

[Influence of acupuncture of Zusanli (ST 36) on connectivity of brain functional network in healthy subjects].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Nuo; Wang, Pang; Deng, Bin; Wei, Xi-le; Che, Yan-qiu; Jia, Chen-hui; Guo, Yi; Chao, Wang

2011-08-01

To observe the effect of acupuncture of Zusanli (ST 36) on electroencephalogram (EEG) so as to probe into its law in regulating the interconnectivity of brain functional network. A total of 9 healthy young volunteer students (6 male, 3 female) participated in the present study. They were asked to take a dorsal position on a test-bed. EEG signals were acquired from 22 surface scalp electrodes (Fp1, Fp2, F7, F3, F2, F4, F8, A1, T3, C3, C2, C4, T4, A2, T5, P3, P2, P4, T6, O2, O1 and O2) fixed on the subject's head. Acupuncture stimulation was applied to the right Zusanli (ST 36) by manipulating the filiform needle with uniform reducing-reinforcing method and at a frequency of about 50 cycles/min for 2 min. Then the stimulation was stopped for 10 min, and repeated once again (needle-twirling frequency: 150 and 200 cycles/min), 3 times altogether. The acquired EEG data were analyzed by using coherence estimation method, average path length, average clustering coefficient, and the average degree of the articulation points (nodes) for analyzing the synchronization of EEG signals before, during and after acupuncture. In comparison with pre-acupuncture, the coherence amplitude values of EEG-delta (1-4 Hz) and y (31-47 Hz) waves were increased significantly after acupuncture of ST 36. No significant changes were found in the amplitude values of EEG-theta (5-8 Hz), -alpha (9-13 Hz) and-beta (14-30 Hz) waves after acupuncture stimulation. During and after acupuncture, the synchronism values of EEG-delta waves of different leads and numbers of interconnectivity between every two brain functional regions in majority of the 9 volunteers were increased clearly. In all volunteers, the degree values of all nodes except A1 and A2, the average clustering coefficients along with the increase of the threshold (r), and the average path lengths of the brain functional network of EEG-delta waves during and after acupuncture were also increased evidently (the latter two items, P < 0

Policy Enabling Environment for Corporate Renewable Energy Sourcing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2017-05-09

Interest in renewable energy (RE) procurement in new markets is on the rise. Corporations are increasing their commitments to procuring RE, motivated by an interest in using clean energy sources and reducing their energy expenses. Many large companies have facilities and supply chains in multiple countries, and are interested in procuring renewable energy in the grids where they use energy. The policy environment around the world plays a key role in shaping where and how corporations will invest in renewables. This fact sheet details findings from a recent 21st Century Power Partnership report, Policies to Enable Corporate Renewable Energy Sourcing Internationally.

Seismic signal and noise on Europa

Science.gov (United States)

Panning, Mark; Stähler, Simon; Bills, Bruce; Castillo Castellanos, Jorge; Huang, Hsin-Hua; Husker, Allen; Kedar, Sharon; Lorenz, Ralph; Pike, William T.; Schmerr, Nicholas; Tsai, Victor; Vance, Steven

2017-10-01

Seismology is one of our best tools for detailing interior structure of planetary bodies, and a seismometer is included in the baseline and threshold mission design for the upcoming Europa Lander mission. Guiding mission design and planning for adequate science return, though, requires modeling of both the anticipated signal and noise. Assuming ice seismicity on Europa behaves according to statistical properties observed in Earth catalogs and scaling cumulative seismic moment release to the moon, we can simulate long seismic records and estimate background noise and peak signal amplitudes (Panning et al., 2017). This suggests a sensitive instrument comparable to many broadband terrestrial instruments or the SP instrument from the InSight mission to Mars will be able to record signals, while high frequency geophones are likely inadequate. We extend this analysis to also begin incorporation of spatial and temporal variation due to the tidal cycle, which can help inform landing site selection. We also begin exploration of how chaotic terrane at the bottom of the ice shell and inter-ice heterogeneities (i.e. internal melt structures) may affect anticipated seismic observations using 2D numerical seismic simulations.M. P. Panning, S. C. Stähler, H.-H. Huang, S. D. Vance, S. Kedar, V. C. Tsai, W. T. Pike, R. D. Lorenz, “Expected seismicity and the seismic noise environment of Europa,” J. Geophys. Res., in revision, 2017.

Kirjallisuuskatsaus tiimityöstä

OpenAIRE

Uimi, Jutta

2012-01-01

Laurea-ammattikorkeakoulu Tiivistelmä Laurea Lohja Hoitotyön koulutusohjelma Uimi Jutta Kirjallisuuskatsaus tiimityöstä Vuosi 2012 Sivumäärä 43 Tämän opinnäytetyön tavoitteena oli kuvata kirjallisuuskatsauksen muodossa, miten tiimityö määritellään terveydenhuollon organisaatiossa ja tiimityön käytettävyyttä sekä millaisissa yhteyksissä tiimityötä käytetään. Tarkoituksena oli tuottaa tutkittua tietoa tiimityöstä Helsingin ja Uudenmaan sairaanhoitopiiriin (HUS) kuulu...

Blind Source Separation Based on Covariance Ratio and Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lei Chen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The computation amount in blind source separation based on bioinspired intelligence optimization is high. In order to solve this problem, we propose an effective blind source separation algorithm based on the artificial bee colony algorithm. In the proposed algorithm, the covariance ratio of the signals is utilized as the objective function and the artificial bee colony algorithm is used to solve it. The source signal component which is separated out, is then wiped off from mixtures using the deflation method. All the source signals can be recovered successfully by repeating the separation process. Simulation experiments demonstrate that significant improvement of the computation amount and the quality of signal separation is achieved by the proposed algorithm when compared to previous algorithms.

Signal transforms in dynamic measurements

CERN Document Server

Layer, Edward

2015-01-01

This book is devoted to the analysis of measurement signals which requires specific mathematical operations like Convolution, Deconvolution, Laplace, Fourier, Hilbert, Wavelet or Z transform which are all presented in the present book. The different problems refer to the modulation of signals, filtration of disturbance as well as to the orthogonal signals and their use in digital form for the measurement of current, voltage, power and frequency are also widely discussed. All the topics covered in this book are presented in detail and illustrated by means of examples in MathCad and LabVIEW. This book provides a useful source for researchers, scientists and engineers who in their daily work are required to deal with problems of measurement and signal processing and can also be helpful to undergraduate students of electrical engineering.    

The regulation of ER export and Golgi retention of ST3Gal5 (GM3/GM4 synthase) and B4GalNAcT1 (GM2/GD2/GA2 synthase) by arginine/lysine-based motif adjacent to the transmembrane domain.

Science.gov (United States)

Uemura, Satoshi; Shishido, Fumi; Kashimura, Madoka; Inokuchi, Jin-ichi

2015-12-01

In the Golgi maturation model, the Golgi cisternae dynamically mature along a secretory pathway. In this dynamic process, glycosyltransferases are transported from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the Golgi apparatus where they remain and function. The precise mechanism behind this maturation process remains unclear. We investigated two glycosyltransferases, ST3Gal5 (ST3G5) and B4GalNAcT1 (B4GN1), involved in ganglioside synthesis and examined their signal sequences for ER export and Golgi retention. Reports have suggested that the [R/K](X)[R/K] motif functions as an ER exporting signal; however, this signal sequence is insufficient in stably expressed, full-length ST3G5. Through further analysis, we have clarified that the (2)R(3)R(X)(5) (9)K(X)(3) (13)K sequence in ST3G5 is essential for ER export. We have named the sequence the R/K-based motif. On the other hand, for ER export of B4GN1, the homodimer formation in addition to the R/K-based motif is required for ER export suggesting the importance of unidentified lumenal side interaction. We found that ST3G5 R2A/R3A and K9A/K13A mutants localized not only in Golgi apparatus but also in endosomes. Furthermore, the amounts of mature type asparagine-linked (N)-glycans in ST3G5 R2A/R3A and K9A/K13A mutants were decreased compared with those in wild-type proteins, and the stability of the mutants was lower. These results suggest that the R/K-based motif is necessary for the Golgi retention of ST3G5 and that the retention is involved in the maturation of N-glycans and in stability. Thus, several basic amino acids located on the cytoplasmic tail of ST3G5 play important roles in both ER export and Golgi retention. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

ST-segment resolution with bivalirudin versus heparin and routine glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors started in the ambulance in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients transported for primary percutaneous coronary intervention: The EUROMAX ST-segment resolution substudy.

Science.gov (United States)

Van't Hof, Arnoud; Giannini, Francesco; Ten Berg, Jurrien; Tolsma, Rudolf; Clemmensen, Peter; Bernstein, Debra; Coste, Pierre; Goldstein, Patrick; Zeymer, Uwe; Hamm, Christian; Deliargyris, Efthymios; Steg, Philippe G

2017-08-01

Myocardial reperfusion after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) can be assessed by the extent of post-procedural ST-segment resolution. The European Ambulance Acute Coronary Syndrome Angiography (EUROMAX) trial compared pre-hospital bivalirudin and pre-hospital heparin or enoxaparin with or without GPIIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPIs) in primary PCI. This nested substudy was performed in centres routinely using pre-hospital GPI in order to compare the impact of randomized treatments on ST-resolution after primary PCI. Residual cumulative ST-segment deviation on the single one hour post-procedure electrocardiogram (ECG) was assessed by an independent core laboratory and was the primary endpoint. It was calculated that 762 evaluable patients were needed to show non-inferiority (85% power, alpha 2.5%) between randomized treatments. A total of 871 participated with electrocardiographic data available in 824 patients (95%). Residual ST-segment deviation one hour after PCI was 3.8±4.9 mm versus 3.9±5.2 mm for bivalirudin and heparin+GPI, respectively ( p=0.0019 for non-inferiority). Overall, there were no differences between randomized treatments in any measures of ST-segment resolution either before or after the index procedure. Pre-hospital treatment with bivalirudin is non-inferior to pre-hospital heparin + GPI with regard to residual ST-segment deviation or ST-segment resolution, reflecting comparable myocardial reperfusion with the two strategies.

A retrospective diagnosis of epilepsy in three historical figures: St Paul, Joan of Arc and Socrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Muhammed, Louwai

2013-11-01

It has been suggested that undiagnosed epilepsy profoundly influenced the lives of several key figures in history. Historical sources recounting strange voices and visions may in fact have been describing manifestations of epileptic seizures rather than more supernatural phenomena. Well-documented accounts of such experiences exist for three individuals in particular: Socrates, St Paul and Joan of Arc. The great philosopher Socrates described a 'daimonion' that would visit him throughout his life. This daimonion may have represented recurrent simple partial seizures, while the peculiar periods of motionlessness for which Socrates was well known may have been the result of co-existing complex partial seizures. St Paul's religious conversion on the Road to Damascus may have followed a temporal lobe seizure which would account for the lights, voices, blindness and even the religious ecstasy he described. Finally, Joan of Arc gave a detailed narrative on the voices she heard from childhood during her Trial of Condemnation. Her auditory hallucinations appear to follow sudden acoustic stimuli in a way reminiscent of idiopathic partial epilepsy with auditory features. By analysing passages from historical texts, it is possible to argue that Socrates, St Paul and Joan of Arc each had epilepsy.

The 21st Century as Whose Century?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Scott

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Macro-analysis and East-West encounter are shown through consideration of objective yet subjective constructed concepts for the international system and international economy in the 21st century. Three paradigms are considered, namely the 21st century as the ‘Pacific Century’, as ‘China’s Century’ and as the ‘Asian Century’. Overlaps are shown between these three paradigms, as also developments in time, and gradually shift in geographical location. The ‘Pacific Century’, and its associated Rimspeak, was the paradigm emerging in the late 1970s, knitting together America’s West Coast and the Japanese economy. By the late 1980s this was already shifting to talk of the 21st century likely to be an ‘Asian Century’ model, mark-1, based on the Pacific Asia dynamism shown by the ‘Asian Tigers’ and Japan. However, the Asian financial crash of 1997-8, and the economic downturn in Japan, meant that such an ‘Asian Century’ seemed premature as the 21st century arrived. Instead, it was China’s economic growth that seemed most evident, and with it the concept of the 21st century as ‘China’s Century’. However, in turn that has already been modified during the first decade of the century by India’s arrival as a rapidly growing economy. Consequently the 21st century as ‘China’s Century’ and as ‘India’s Century’ has been combined into talk of an ‘Asian Century’, mark-2.

St Sava and the cloud-chasers

OpenAIRE

Loma Aleksandar

2013-01-01

A gloss in the Nomocanon of St Sava condemns folk superstitions related to magically provoking hailstorms and eclipses. St Sava’s miracle with the king of Hungary as described in his Vitae seems to go back to the same complex of popular beliefs. Its acceptance by the hagiography was probably due to the influence of the figure of prince magician as common to the Serbian and the Russian oral epics.

St. Augustine in Twentieth-Century Music

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Nils Holger

2012-01-01

A discussion - in a cultural historical perspective - of primarily two important twentieth-century musical works setting texts by St Augustine: Klaus Huber's Soliloquia Sancti Aurelii Augustini and Michael Tippett's The Vision of Saint Augustine.......A discussion - in a cultural historical perspective - of primarily two important twentieth-century musical works setting texts by St Augustine: Klaus Huber's Soliloquia Sancti Aurelii Augustini and Michael Tippett's The Vision of Saint Augustine....

Doppler shift simulation of scattered HF signals during the Tromsø HF pumping experiment on 16 February 1996

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. D. Borisova

Full Text Available Comparisons between bistatic scatter measurements and simulation results during the Tromsø HF pumping experiment on 16 February 1996 are made. Doppler measurements of an HF diagnostic signal scattered from the field-aligned irregularities (FAIs in the auroral E-region were carried out on the London – Tromsø – St. Petersburg path at 9410 kHz from 21:00 to 22:00 UT. The scattered signals were observed both from natural and artificial ionospheric irregularities located in the vicinity of Tromsø. To simulate the Doppler frequency shifts, f_d , of scattered signals, a radio channel model, named CONE, was developed. The model allows for ray tracing, group and phase paths, and Doppler frequency shift calculations. The calculated Doppler shifts were analyzed for dependence on the magnitude and direction of plasma velocities in the scattering volume. It was found that the velocity components in the north-south direction are crucial for explaining the Doppler frequency shifts of the scattered diagnostic signals. To simulate f_d , real velocities obtained from the EISCAT UHF radar at an altitude of 278 km and from the digital all-sky imager during the experiment were employed. The simulation results of Doppler frequency shift variations with time are in reasonable agreement with the experimental Doppler shifts of scattered signals on the London – Tromsø – St. Petersburg path.

Key words. Ionosphere (active experiments; ionospheric irregularities Radio science (ionospheric propagation

Henkilöstötilinpäätös Yritys Oy

OpenAIRE

Turunen, Tytti

2011-01-01

Tämän opinnäytetyön aiheena oli Yritys Oy:n henkilöstötilinpäätös vuodelta 2009. Henkilöstötilinpäätös jaetaan kahteen osaan, henkilöstötuloslaskelmaan ja henkilöstökertomukseen. Tavoitteena oli laatia Yritys Oy:lle henkilöstötilinpäätöksestä malli, jota yritys voi käyttää ja hyödyntää tulevaisuudessa henkilöstötilinpäätöstä laatiessa. Tavoitteena oli myös antaa kehittämisehdotuksia, minkälaista tietoa kannattaa kerätä seuraavia henkilöstötilinpäätöksiä varten. Henkilöstötilinpäätöksen tavoit...

Application of blind deconvolution with crest factor for recovery of original rolling element bearing defect signals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Son, J. D.; Yang, B. S.; Tan, A. C. C.; Mathew, J.

2004-01-01

Many machine failures are not detected well in advance due to the masking of background noise and attenuation of the source signal through the transmission mediums. Advanced signal processing techniques using adaptive filters and higher order statistics have been attempted to extract the source signal from the measured data at the machine surface. In this paper, blind deconvolution using the Eigenvector Algorithm (EVA) technique is used to recover a damaged bearing signal using only the measured signal at the machine surface. A damaged bearing signal corrupted by noise with varying signal-to-noise (s/n) was used to determine the effectiveness of the technique in detecting an incipient signal and the optimum choice of filter length. The results show that the technique is effective in detecting the source signal with an s/n ratio as low as 0.21, but requires a relatively large filter length

Characteristics of Helicopter-Generated and Volcano-Related Seismic Tremor Signals

Science.gov (United States)

Eibl, Eva P. S.; Lokmer, Ivan; Bean, Christopher J.; Akerlie, Eggert; Vogfjörd, Kristin S.

2017-04-01

In volcanic environments it is crucial to distinguish between man-made seismic signals and signals created by the volcano. We compare volcanic, seismic signals with helicopter generated, seismic signals recorded in the last 2.5 years in Iceland. In both cases a long-lasting, emergent seismic signal, that can be referred to as seismic tremor, was generated. In the case of a helicopter, the rotating blades generate pressure pulses that travel through the air and excite Rayleigh waves at up to 40 km distance depending on wind speed, wind direction and topographic features. The longest helicopter related seismic signal we recorded was at the order of 40 minutes long. The tremor usually has a fundamental frequency of more than 10 Hz and overtones at integers of the fundamental frequency. Changes in distance lead to either increases or decreases of the frequency due to the Doppler Effect and are strongest for small source-receiver distances. The volcanic tremor signal was recorded during the Bardarbunga eruption at Holuhraun in 2014/15. For volcano-related seismic signals it is usually more difficult to determine the source process that generated the tremor. The pre-eruptive tremor persists for 2 weeks, while the co-eruptive tremor lasted for 6 months. We observed no frequency changes, most energy between 1 and 2 Hz and no or very little energy above 5 Hz. We compare the different characteristics of helicopter-related and volcano-related seismic signals and discuss how they can be distinguished. In addition we discuss how we can determine if a frequency change is related to a moving source or change in repeat time or a change in the geometry of the resonating body.

Foreground Subtraction and Signal reconstruction in redshifted 21cm Global Signal Experiments using Artificial Neural Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Choudhury, Madhurima; Datta, Abhirup

2018-05-01

Observations of HI 21cm transition line is a promising probe into the Dark Ages and Epoch-of-Reionization. Detection of this redshifted 21cm signal is one of the key science goal for several upcoming low-frequency radio telescopes like HERA, SKA and DARE. Other global signal experiments include EDGES, LEDA, BIGHORNS, SCI-HI, SARAS. One of the major challenges for the detection of this signal is the accuracy of the foreground source removal. Several novel techniques have been explored already to remove bright foregrounds from both interferometric as well as total power experiments. Here, we present preliminary results from our investigation on application of ANN to detect 21cm global signal amidst bright galactic foreground. Following the formalism of representing the global 21cm signal by 'tanh' model, this study finds that the global 21cm signal parameters can be accurately determined even in the presence of bright foregrounds represented by 3rd order log-polynomial or higher.

Multichannel signal enhancement using a remote wireless microphone

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bloemendal, Brian; Van De Laar, Jakob; Sommen, Piet

2012-01-01

A novel approach to multichannel signal enhancement is presented that exploits data from a remote wireless microphone (RWM). This RWM is placed near an interfering source and transmits only autocorrelation data of its observations to a host, i.e., not the entire signal. The host has access to the

Classifying LISA gravitational wave burst signals using Bayesian evidence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feroz, Farhan; Graff, Philip; Hobson, Michael P; Lasenby, Anthony; Gair, Jonathan R

2010-01-01

We consider the problem of characterization of burst sources detected by the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) using the multi-modal nested sampling algorithm, MultiNest. We use MultiNest as a tool to search for modelled bursts from cosmic string cusps, and compute the Bayesian evidence associated with the cosmic string model. As an alternative burst model, we consider sine-Gaussian burst signals, and show how the evidence ratio can be used to choose between these two alternatives. We present results from an application of MultiNest to the last round of the Mock LISA Data Challenge, in which we were able to successfully detect and characterize all three of the cosmic string burst sources present in the release data set. We also present results of independent trials and show that MultiNest can detect cosmic string signals with signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as low as ∼7 and sine-Gaussian signals with SNR as low as ∼8. In both cases, we show that the threshold at which the sources become detectable coincides with the SNR at which the evidence ratio begins to favour the correct model over the alternative.

21st Century Skills Map: World Languages

Science.gov (United States)

Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2011

2011-01-01

This 21st Century Skills Map is the result of hundreds of hours of research, development and feedback from educators and business leaders across the nation. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has issued this map for the core subject of World Languages. [Funding for this paper was provided by EF Education.

Source localization of rhythmic ictal EEG activity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beniczky, Sándor; Lantz, Göran; Rosenzweig, Ivana

2013-01-01

Although precise identification of the seizure-onset zone is an essential element of presurgical evaluation, source localization of ictal electroencephalography (EEG) signals has received little attention. The aim of our study was to estimate the accuracy of source localization of rhythmic ictal...... EEG activity using a distributed source model....

St Sava and the cloud-chasers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Loma Aleksandar

2013-01-01

Full Text Available A gloss in the Nomocanon of St Sava condemns folk superstitions related to magically provoking hailstorms and eclipses. St Sava’s miracle with the king of Hungary as described in his Vitae seems to go back to the same complex of popular beliefs. Its acceptance by the hagiography was probably due to the influence of the figure of prince magician as common to the Serbian and the Russian oral epics.

Manufacturing and Design Engineering Students St. Mary's Hospital, Phoenix Park.

OpenAIRE

Mitchell, Leah

2012-01-01

Poster with details of project to improve ease of movement for Kirton Stirling chairs in St. Mary's Hospital, Phoenix Park, Dublin. Third year students in the B Eng (Honours) Manufacturing and Design Engineering course at Bolton St. completed a project in conjunction with St. Mary‟s Hospital, Phoenix Park. The staff in St Mary‟s were experiencing difficulty in moving the Kirton Stirling chairs (pictured above). These chairs are used to transport elderly patients from one location to another. ...

Variability of signal-to-noise ratio and the network analysis of gravitational wave burst signals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohanty, S D; Rakhmanov, M; Klimenko, S; Mitselmakher, G

2006-01-01

The detection and estimation of gravitational wave burst signals, with a priori unknown polarization waveforms, requires the use of data from a network of detectors. Maximizing the network likelihood functional over all waveforms and sky positions yields point estimates for them as well as a detection statistic. However, the transformation from the data to estimates can become ill-conditioned over parts of the sky, resulting in significant errors in estimation. We modify the likelihood procedure by introducing a penalty functional which suppresses candidate solutions that display large signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) variability as the source is displaced on the sky. Simulations show that the resulting network analysis method performs significantly better in estimating the sky position of a source. Further, this method can be applied to any network, irrespective of the number or mutual alignment of detectors

Multidimensional Space-Time Methodology for Development of Planetary and Space Sciences, S-T Data Management and S-T Computational Tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Andonov, Zdravko

This R&D represent innovative multidimensional 6D-N(6n)D Space-Time (S-T) Methodology, 6D-6nD Coordinate Systems, 6D Equations, new 6D strategy and technology for development of Planetary Space Sciences, S-T Data Management and S-T Computational To-mography. . . The Methodology is actual for brain new RS Microwaves' Satellites and Compu-tational Tomography Systems development, aimed to defense sustainable Earth, Moon, & Sun System evolution. Especially, extremely important are innovations for monitoring and protec-tion of strategic threelateral system H-OH-H2O Hydrogen, Hydroxyl and Water), correspond-ing to RS VHRS (Very High Resolution Systems) of 1.420-1.657-22.089GHz microwaves. . . One of the Greatest Paradox and Challenge of World Science is the "transformation" of J. L. Lagrange 4D Space-Time (S-T) System to H. Minkovski 4D S-T System (O-X,Y,Z,icT) for Einstein's "Theory of Relativity". As a global result: -In contemporary Advanced Space Sciences there is not real adequate 4D-6D Space-Time Coordinate System and 6D Advanced Cosmos Strategy & Methodology for Multidimensional and Multitemporal Space-Time Data Management and Tomography. . . That's one of the top actual S-T Problems. Simple and optimal nD S-T Methodology discovery is extremely important for all Universities' Space Sci-ences' Education Programs, for advances in space research and especially -for all young Space Scientists R&D!... The top ten 21-Century Challenges ahead of Planetary and Space Sciences, Space Data Management and Computational Space Tomography, important for successfully de-velopment of Young Scientist Generations, are following: 1. R&D of W. R. Hamilton General Idea for transformation all Space Sciences to Time Sciences, beginning with 6D Eukonal for 6D anisotropic mediums & velocities. Development of IERS Earth & Space Systems (VLBI; LLR; GPS; SLR; DORIS Etc.) for Planetary-Space Data Management & Computational Planetary & Space Tomography. 2. R&D of S. W. Hawking Paradigm for 2D

The significance of early post-exercise ST segment normalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Chow, Rudy; Fordyce, Christopher B; Gao, Min; Chan, Sammy; Gin, Kenneth; Bennett, Matthew

2015-01-01

The persistence of ST segment depression in recovery signifies a strongly positive exercise treadmill test (ETT). However, it is unclear if early recovery of ST segments portends a similar prognosis. We sought to determine if persistence of ST depression into recovery correlates with ischemic burden based on myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). This was a retrospective analysis of 853 consecutive patients referred for exercise MPI at a tertiary academic center over a 24-month period. Patients were stratified into three groups based on the results of the ETT: normal (negative ETT), persistence (positive ETT with >1mm ST segment depression at 1minute in recovery) and early normalization (positive ETT with normalization, while 105 patients met criteria for persistence. The persistence group had a significantly greater SSS (8.48±7.77) than both the early normalization (4.34±4.98, pnormal (4.47±5.31, pnormalization and normal groups were not statistically different and met the prespecified non-inferiority margin (mean difference 0.12, -0.66=lower 95% CI, pnormal and 7.4% of early normalization groups. Among patients with an electrically positive ETT, recovery of ST segment depression within 1minute was associated with a lower SSS than patients with persistence of ST depression beyond 1minute. Furthermore, early ST segment recovery conferred a similar SSS to patients with a negative ETT. These results suggest that among patients evaluated for chest pain with a positive ETT, early recovery of the ST segment during recovery is associated with a significantly less ischemic burden on subsequent MPI and thus may represent a false positive finding in exercise treadmill testing. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

78 FR 22416 - Amendment of Class E Airspace; St. Helena, CA

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-16

... more above the surface of the earth. * * * * * AWP CA E5 St. Helena, CA [Amended] Napa County Fire... the name of the heliport listed in the Class E airspace for St. Helena, CA. St. Helena Fire Department Heliport has been changed to Napa County Fire Department Heliport, St. Helena, CA. This action does not...

Source localization using recursively applied and projected (RAP) MUSIC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mosher, J.C. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States); Leahy, R.M. [Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA (United States). Signal and Image Processing Inst.

1998-03-01

A new method for source localization is described that is based on a modification of the well known multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm. In classical MUSIC, the array manifold vector is projected onto an estimate of the signal subspace, but errors in the estimate can make location of multiple sources difficult. Recursively applied and projected (RAP) MUSIC uses each successively located source to form an intermediate array gain matrix, and projects both the array manifold and the signal subspace estimate into its orthogonal complement. The MUSIC projection is then performed in this reduced subspace. Using the metric of principal angles, the authors describe a general form of the RAP-MUSIC algorithm for the case of diversely polarized sources. Through a uniform linear array simulation, the authors demonstrate the improved Monte Carlo performance of RAP-MUSIC relative to MUSIC and two other sequential subspace methods, S and IES-MUSIC.

Danmarks Største Fossiler

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindow, Bent Erik Kramer; Cuny, Gilles Guy Roger

2008-01-01

For 8 millioner år siden myldrede Nordsøen af en mangfoldighed af hajer, hvaler, havskildpadder og sæler, mange flere end i dag. Blandt dem finder man Danmarks største fossiler som er udstillet på Museum Sønderjylland - Naturhistorie og Palæontologi i Gram.......For 8 millioner år siden myldrede Nordsøen af en mangfoldighed af hajer, hvaler, havskildpadder og sæler, mange flere end i dag. Blandt dem finder man Danmarks største fossiler som er udstillet på Museum Sønderjylland - Naturhistorie og Palæontologi i Gram....

Source-system windowing for speech analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yegnanarayana, B.; Satyanarayana Murthy, P.; Eggen, J.H.

1993-01-01

In this paper we propose a speech-analysis method to bring out characteristics of the vocal tract system in short segments which are much less than a pitch period. The method performs windowing in the source and system components of the speech signal and recombines them to obtain a signal reflecting

TRPC6 channel-mediated neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells and hippocampal neurons involves activation of RAS/MEK/ERK, PI3K, and CAMKIV signaling.

Science.gov (United States)

Heiser, Jeanine H; Schuwald, Anita M; Sillani, Giacomo; Ye, Lian; Müller, Walter E; Leuner, Kristina

2013-11-01

The non-selective cationic transient receptor canonical 6 (TRPC6) channels are involved in synaptic plasticity changes ranging from dendritic growth, spine morphology changes and increase in excitatory synapses. We previously showed that the TRPC6 activator hyperforin, the active antidepressant component of St. John's wort, induces neuritic outgrowth and spine morphology changes in PC12 cells and hippocampal CA1 neurons. However, the signaling cascade that transmits the hyperforin-induced transient rise in intracellular calcium into neuritic outgrowth is not yet fully understood. Several signaling pathways are involved in calcium transient-mediated changes in synaptic plasticity, ranging from calmodulin-mediated Ras-induced signaling cascades comprising the mitogen-activated protein kinase, PI3K signal transduction pathways as well as Ca(2+) /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CAMKII) and CAMKIV. We show that several mechanisms are involved in TRPC6-mediated synaptic plasticity changes in PC12 cells and primary hippocampal neurons. Influx of calcium via TRPC6 channels activates different pathways including Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinases, phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B, and CAMKIV in both cell types, leading to cAMP-response element binding protein phosphorylation. These findings are interesting not only in terms of the downstream targets of TRPC6 channels but also because of their potential to facilitate further understanding of St. John's wort extract-mediated antidepressant activity. Alterations in synaptic plasticity are considered to play an important role in the pathogenesis of depression. Beside several other proteins, TRPC6 channels regulate synaptic plasticity. This study demonstrates that different pathways including Ras/MEK/ERK, PI3K/Akt, and CAMKIV are involved in the improvement of synaptic plasticity by the TRPC6 activator hyperforin, the antidepressant active constituent of St. John

Diagnostics of ST Plasmas in NSTX: Challenges and Opportunities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, D.; Efthimion, P.; Foley, J.; Jones, B.; Mazzucato, E.; Park, H.; Taylor, G.; Levinton, F.; Luhmann, N.

2001-01-01

This paper will highlight some of the challenges and opportunities present in the diagnosis of spherical torus (ST) plasmas on the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) and discuss the corresponding diagnostic development that is presently underway. After a brief description of diagnostic systems currently installed, examples of ST-specific diagnostic challenges will be highlighted, as will another case, where the ST configuration offers opportunities for new measurements

Detection of ST772 Panton-Valentine leukocidin-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (Bengal Bay clone and ST22 S. aureus isolates with a genetic variant of elastin binding protein in Nepal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R.H. Pokhrel

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Genetic characteristics were analysed for recent clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant and -susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA and MSSA respectively in Kathmandu, Nepal. MRSA isolates harbouring Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL genes were classified into ST1, ST22 and ST88 with SCCmec-IV and ST772 with SCCmec-V (Bengal Bay clone, while PVL-positive MSSA into ST22, ST30 and ST772. ST22 isolates (PVL-positive MRSA and MSSA, PVL-negative MRSA possessed a variant of elastin binding protein gene (ebpS with an internal deletion of 180 bp, which was similar to that reported for ST121 S. aureus previously outside Nepal. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the ebpS variant in ST22 might have occurred independently of ST121 strains. This is the first report of ST772 PVL-positive MRSA in Nepal and detection of the deletion variant of ebpS in ST22 S. aureus.

ST Safety What's on?

CERN Document Server

Jacot, C

2001-01-01

Du premier coup de pioche jusqu'à la mise en place de la tente abritant le buffet offert lors de la cérémonie d'achèvement d'un projet, la division ST est sur les rangs et apporte son savoir faire. Ces projets nombreux et pluridisciplinaires sont étudiés, se réalisent, s'exploitent et font l'objet de maintenance jusqu'à leur démantèlement. Durant leurs cycles de vie, la division ST avance les compétences professionnelles spécifiques à chaque corps de métiers incluant le recours à de nombreux contrats avec des entreprises extérieures pour réaliser les travaux sur les sites du CERN. Pour en conserver la maîtrise, la division ST applique une gestion de projet, une assurance de la qualité et s'attache tout particulièrement à la sécurité, à la réglementation, à la prévention des risques et la gestion de ceux-ci. Sous la supervision du DSO, un ensemble de procédures et de démarches a été développé afin de faciliter les tâches du maître d'ouvrage et des entreprises contractantes, c...

Simulation of ground-water flow in the St. Peter aquifer in an area contaminated by coal-tar derivatives, St. Louis Park, Minnesota. Water Resources Investigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lorenz, D.L.; Stark, J.R.

1990-01-01

A model constructed to simulate ground-water flow in part of the Prairie du Chien-Jordan and St. Peter aquifers, St. Louis Park, Minnesota, was used to test hypotheses about the movement of ground water contaminated with coal-tar derivatives and to simulate alternatives for reducing the downgradient movement of contamination in the St. Peter aquifer. The model, constructed for a previous study, was applied to simulate the effects of current ground-water withdrawals on the potentiometric surface of the St. Peter aquifer. Model simulations predict that the multiaquifer wells have the potential to limit downgradient migration of contaminants in the St. Peter aquifer caused by cones of depression created around the multiaquifer wells. Differences in vertical leakage to the St. Peter aquifer may exist in areas of bedrock valleys. Model simulations indicate that these differences are not likely to affect significantly the general patterns of ground-water flow

Source mechanisms of persistent shallow earthquakes during eruptive and non-eruptive periods between 1981 and 2011 at Mount St. Helens, Washington

Science.gov (United States)

Lehto, Heather L.; Roman, Diana C.; Moran, Seth C.

2013-01-01

Shallow seismicity between 0 and 3-km depth has persisted at Mount St. Helens, Washington (MSH) during both eruptive and non-eruptive periods for at least the past thirty years. In this study we investigate the source mechanisms of shallow volcano-tectonic (VT) earthquakes at MSH by calculating high-quality hypocenter locations and fault plane solutions (FPS) for all VT events recorded during two eruptive periods (1981–1986 and 2004–2008) and two non-eruptive periods (1987–2004 and 2008–2011). FPS show a mixture of normal, reverse, and strike-slip faulting during all periods, with a sharp increase in strike-slip faulting observed in 1987–1997 and an increase in normal faulting in 1998–2004. FPS P-axis orientations show a ~ 90° rotation with respect to regional σ1 (N23°E) during 1981–1986 and 2004–2008, bimodal orientations (~ N-S and ~ E-W) during 1987–2004, and bimodal orientations at ~ N-E and ~ S-W from 2008–2011. We interpret these orientations to likely be due to pressurization accompanying the shallow intrusion and subsequent eruption of magma as domes during 1981–1986 and 2004–2008 and the buildup of pore pressure beneath a seismogenic volume (located at 0–1 km) with a smaller component due to the buildup of tectonic forces during 1987–2004 and 2008–2011.

Analysis of acoustic sound signal for ONB measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, S. J.; Kim, H. I.; Han, K. Y.; Chai, H. T.; Park, C.

2003-01-01

The onset of nucleate boiling (ONB) was measured in a test fuel bundle composed of several fuel element simulators (FES) by analysing the aquatic sound signals. In order measure ONBs, a hydrophone, a pre-amplifier, and a data acquisition system to acquire/process the aquatic signal was prepared. The acoustic signal generated in the coolant is converted to the current signal through the microphone. When the signal is analyzed in the frequency domain, each sound signal can be identified according to its origin of sound source. As the power is increased to a certain degree, a nucleate boiling is started. The frequent formation and collapse of the void bubbles produce sound signal. By measuring this sound signal one can pinpoint the ONB. Since the signal characteristics is identical for different mass flow rates, this method can be applicable for ascertaining ONB

Bystander signaling via oxidative metabolism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sawal HA

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Humaira Aziz Sawal,1 Kashif Asghar,2 Matthias Bureik,3 Nasir Jalal4 1Healthcare Biotechnology Department, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, 2Basic Sciences Research, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan; 3Health Science Platform, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China; 4Health Science Platform, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China Abstract: The radiation-induced bystander effect (RIBE is the initiation of biological end points in cells (bystander cells that are not directly traversed by an incident-radiation track, but are in close proximity to cells that are receiving the radiation. RIBE has been indicted of causing DNA damage via oxidative stress, besides causing direct damage, inducing tumorigenesis, producing micronuclei, and causing apoptosis. RIBE is regulated by signaling proteins that are either endogenous or secreted by cells as a means of communication between cells, and can activate intracellular or intercellular oxidative metabolism that can further trigger signaling pathways of inflammation. Bystander signals can pass through gap junctions in attached cell lines, while the suspended cell lines transmit these signals via hormones and soluble proteins. This review provides the background information on how reactive oxygen species (ROS act as bystander signals. Although ROS have a very short half-life and have a nanometer-scale sphere of influence, the wide variety of ROS produced via various sources can exert a cumulative effect, not only in forming DNA adducts but also setting up signaling pathways of inflammation, apoptosis, cell-cycle arrest, aging, and even tumorigenesis. This review outlines the sources of the bystander effect linked to ROS in a cell, and provides methods of investigation for researchers who would like to

Eruption prediction aided by electronic tiltmeter data at mount st. Helens.

Science.gov (United States)

Dzurisin, D; Westphal, J A; Johnson, D J

1983-09-30

Telemetry from electronic tiltmeters in the crater at Mount St. Helens contributed to accurate predictions of all six effusive eruptions from June 1981 to August 1982. Tilting of the crater floor began several weeks before each eruption, accelerated sharply for several days, and then abruptly changed direction a few minutes to days before extrusion began. Each episode of uplift was caused by the intrusion of magma into the lava dome from a shallow source, causing the dome to inflate and eventually rupture. Release of magma pressure and increased surface loading by magma added to the dome combined to cause subsidence just prior to extrusion.

Molecular Detection of Leptospiral DNA in Environmental Water on St. Kitts

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Julienne Rawlins

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Leptospirosis is an important waterborne zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic Leptospira. The pathogen is maintained in a population due to chronic colonization and shedding from renal tubules of domestic and wild animals. Humans and other animals become infected when they come in contact with urine from infected animals, either directly or through urine-contaminated surface water. In this study, we screened environmental water on the island of St. Kitts by using a TaqMan based real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR targeting a pathogen specific leptospiral gene, lipl32. Our results indicate that around one-fifth of tested water sources have detectable leptospiral DNA.

Failure of Fort St. Vrain 347SS control rod drive cables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hellner, R.L.; Thurgood, B.E.

1990-01-01

This paper reports on Fort St. Vrain (FSV) which is a high temperature gas cooled reactor. During a scheduled surveillance exercise, one of the control rod drives failed to operate properly. It was found that one of the 347 austenitic stainless cables had failed at several locations and the other had a broken strand. Metallurgical examination determined that the cables failed due to chloride stress corrosion cracking. An investigation into the source of chlorides determined that materials within the core could release chlorides either by water leaching or heat up. To prevent future failures, all the stainless control cables were replaced with cables fabricated from inconel 625

Moving towards first science with the St. George recoil separator

Science.gov (United States)

Meisel, Zachary; Berg, G. P. A.; Gilardy, G.; Moran, M.; Schmitt, J.; Seymour, C.; Stech, E.; Couder, M.

2015-10-01

The St. George recoil mass separator has recently been coupled to the 5MV St. Ana accelerator at the University of Notre Dame's Nuclear Science Lab. St. George is a unique tool designed to measure radiative alpha-capture reactions for nuclei up to A = 40 in inverse kinematics in order to directly obtain cross sections required for astrophysical models of stellar and explosive helium burning. Commissioning of St. George is presently taking place with primary beams of hydrogen, helium, and oxygen. In this presentation, results will be shown for the measured energy acceptance of St. George, which compare favorably to COSY results when employing the calculated optimal ion-optical settings. Additionally, future plans will be discussed, such as assessing the angular acceptance of St. George and the re-integration of HiPPO at the separator target position to provide a dense, windowless helium gas-jet target. The material presented in this work is partially supported by the National Science Foundation Grant No. 1419765.

St. Bernard Parish : la crise d’un territoire suburbain St. Bernard Parish, the crisis of a suburban territory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jean-Marc Zaninetti

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Situé à l’est de La Nouvelle-Orléans, St. Bernard Parish est l’un des territoires les plus vulnérables au risque d’ondes de tempêtes de toute la région métropolitaine. Après avoir été ravagée par le cyclone Katrina en 2005, St. Bernard peine à se redresser et montre le plus faible niveau de reprise de toute la région du Golfe du Mexique frappée par Katrina. De plus, la reconstruction est freinée par des polémiques virulentes qui nous rappellent les pires années des tensions raciales des années 1960. Cet article s’intéresse aux relations supposées entre les fragmentations urbaines et la faculté d’adaptation aux risques naturels. L’étude du cas de St. Bernard illustre la force d’inertie des territoires et comment de vieilles querelles ville-banlieue affaiblissent la résilience urbaine.Located east of New Orleans, St. Bernard Parish is one of the most vulnerable parts of the greater New Orleans metropolitan area to storm surges. After having been devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, St. Bernard still struggles to recover from the storm, and displays the lowest recovery level of the entire Katrina-hit Gulf Coast area so far. Moreover, reconstruction is hampered by loud polemics that remind us of the worst years of racial polarization during the 1960’s. This paper explores the possible linkage between urban fragmentations and adaptive capacity to natural hazard. The St. Bernard case-study illustrates the strength of path dependency, and how long-entrenched suburb-central city mistrust hampers urban resilience.

Materials for the 21st century

CERN Document Server

Segal, David

2017-01-01

The book is a general text that shows how materials can contribute to solving problems facing nations in the 21st century. It is illustrated with diverse applications and highlights the potential of existing materials for everyday life, healthcare and the economies of nations. There are 13 chapters and a glossary of 500 materials with their descriptions, historical development, their use or potential use and a range of references. Specific areas include synthetic polymers (e.g. nylon), natural polymers (e.g. proteins, cellulose) and the role of materials in the development of digital computers and in healthcare. Solid-state lighting, energy supplies in the 21st century, disruptive technologies and intellectual property, in particular patents, are discussed. The book concludes by asking how the 21st century will be characterised. Will it be the Silicon Age, Genomic Age or New Polymer Age, as examples?

Analyse of Maintenance Cost in ST

CERN Document Server

Jenssen, B W

2001-01-01

An analyse has been carried out in ST concerning the total costs for the division. Even though the target was the maintenance costs in ST, the global budget over has been analysed. This has been done since there is close relation between investments & consolidation and the required level for maintenance. The purpose of the analyse was to focus on maintenance cost in ST as a ratio of total maintenance costs over the replacement value of the equipment, and to make some comparisons with other industries and laboratories. Families of equipment have been defined and their corresponding ratios calculated. This first approach gives us some "quantitative" measurements. This analyse should be combined with performance indicators (more "qualitative" measurements) that are telling us how well we are performing. This will help us in defending our budget, make better priorities, and we will satisfy the requirements from our external auditors.

Domestic Water Sourcing and the Risk of Diarrhoea: a Cross ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study aims to examine the association between domestic water sourcing practice and the risk of developing diarrhea. A total of 200 households were studied over an eight week period from 4 June to 31st July 2005 using an interviewer administered questionnaire. Data was analyzed using Epi Info version 3.5.1. Most of ...

St. Croix trap study

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The data set contains detailed information about the catch from 600 trap stations around St. Croix. Data fields include species caught, size data, trap location...

Church of St. Peter and Paul in the village under Kopaonik

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raičević Slobodan

2009-01-01

Full Text Available In the border of the municipality towards Kosovo, Kuršumlija preserved the St. Cemetery's church of Peter and Paul in village Lukovo near the famous rehabilitation center Lukovo's spa. Church is one nave with a semicircular apse at the east vaults with semicircular arch reinforced with cross sec­tion curve, which relies on a few strong pilasters placed inside long walls. According to folk tradition the church was built in the middle ages and served to diggers and foundries of lead ores of King Milutin. Upon termination of exploitation ore the church neglected and in the 19th century it suffered its first renewal 1871st and another 1895th year. Saved epigraphic inscription with carved year of renewal (1895th, icons and wall decor of the church provide information about reliably judging its recent history and artistic value. Soon after the bricklaying work 1895th Church has received from the altar wall of icons, and after that, and mural painting small artistic value. The crown of the vault is painted Pantocrator, about whose performances are painted scenes of the Transfiguration, Ascension of Christ, Vavedenje and Entry into Jerusalem. On the western wall are shown the Dormition of the Mother of God and in the first zone are shown standing figures of Sts. Constantine and Helena, St. Simon Mir refills and St. Prince Lazar - kefaloforos. On the triumphal arch are Old. Testament scenes of hospitality and sacrifice of Abraham and in the apse bust of God Savaot. In the zone of standing figures are shown Sts. Druid, St. Czar Uroš and St. King Stephen, St. Sunday, St. Petka, St. Procopius, and St. George. From the figures standing at the altar of bishops are shown St. John Chrysostom, St. Sava Serbian, St. Basil the Great and St. Athanasius. There was saved the altar compartments with icons. At the czar's gate are shown Blagovesti and in the order of main icons: Christ Almighty, Mother of God with Christ, St. John the Forerunner, icons of patron St

Acoustic signal recovery by thermal demodulation

Science.gov (United States)

Boullosa, R. R.; Santillán, Arturo O.

2006-10-01