WorldWideScience

Sample records for spherical carriers targeted

  1. Acoustic manipulation of active spherical carriers: Generation of negative radiation force

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rajabi, Majid, E-mail: majid_rajabi@iust.ac.ir; Mojahed, Alireza

    2016-09-15

    This paper examines theoretically a novel mechanism of generating negative (pulling) radiation force for acoustic manipulation of spherical carriers equipped with piezoelectric actuators in its inner surface. In this mechanism, the spherical particle is handled by common plane progressive monochromatic acoustic waves instead of zero-/higher- order Bessel beams or standing waves field. The handling strategy is based on applying a spatially uniform harmonic electrical voltage at the piezoelectric actuator with the same frequency of handling acoustic waves, in order to change the radiation force effect from repulsive (away from source) to attractive (toward source). This study may be considered as a start point for development of contact-free precise handling and entrapment technology of active carriers which are essential in many engineering and medicine applications.

  2. Rayleigh-Taylor instability in multi-structured spherical targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gupta, N.K.; Lawande, S.V.

    1986-01-01

    An eigenvalue equation for the exponential growth rate of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability is derived in spherical geometry. The free surface and jump boundary conditions are obtained from the eigenvalue equation. The eigenvalue equation is solved in the cases where the initial fluid density profile has a step function or exponential variation in space and analytical formulae for growth rate of the instability are obtained. The solutions for the step function are generalized for any number N of spherical zones forming an arbitrary fluid density profile. The results of the numerical calculations for N spherical zones are compared with the exact analytical results for exponential fluid density profile with N=10 and a good agreement is observed. The formalism is further used to study the effects of density gradients on Rayleigh-Taylor instability in spherical geometry. Also analytical formulae are presented for a particular case of N=3 and shell targets. The formalism developed here can be used to study the growth of the instability in present day multi-structured shell targets. (author)

  3. Laser driven compression and neutron generation with spherical shell targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Campbell, P.M.; Hammerling, P.; Johnson, R.R.; Kubis, J.J.; Mayer, F.J.

    1977-01-01

    Laser-driven implosion experiments using DT-gas-filled spherical glass-shell targets are described. Neutron yields to 5 x 10 7 are produced from implosions of small ( -- 55 μm-diameter) targets spherically illuminated with an on-target laser power of 0.4 terawatt. Nuclear reaction product diagnostics, X-ray pinhole photographs, fast-ion spectra and X-ray measurements are used in conjunction with hydrodynamic computer code simulations to investigate the implosion phenomenology as well as the target corona evolution. Simulations using completely classical effects are not able to describe the full range of experimental data. Electron or radiation preheating may be required to explain some implosion measurements. (auth.)

  4. Irradiation uniformity of spherical targets by multiple uv beams from OMEGA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beich, W.; Dunn, M.; Hutchison, R.

    1984-01-01

    Direct-drive laser fusion demands extremely high levels of irradiation uniformity to ensure uniform compression of spherical targets. The assessment of illumination uniformity of targets irradiated by multiple beams from the OMEGA facility is made with the aid of multiple beams spherical superposition codes, which take into account ray tracing and absorption and a detailed knowledge of the intensity distribution of each beam in the target plane. In this report, recent estimates of the irradiation uniformity achieved with 6 and 12 uv beams of OMEGA will be compared with previous measurements in the IR, and predictions will be made for the uv illumination uniformity achievable with 24 beams of OMEGA

  5. The ''Dolphin'' power laser installation for spherical thermonuclear target heating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Basov, N.G.; Bykovskij, N.E.; Danilov, A.E.

    1978-01-01

    12-channel laser installation the ''Dolphin'' for thermonuclear target heating in the radiation spheric geometry has been developed to carry out series of physical investigations of laser-thermonuclear plasma system, optimization of target heating conditions and obtaining a comparatively large value of thermonuclear output in ratio to the energy of absorbed light radiation in the target. The description of installation main elements, consisting of the following components, is given: 1)neodymium laser with the maximum permissible radiation energy of 10kJ, with light pulse duration of 10 -10 /10 -9 c and radiation divergence of approximately 5x10 -4 rad; 2)vacuum chamber, where laser radiation interaction with plasma takes place; 3)diagnostic means of laser and plasma parameters and 4)focus system. The focus system provides a high degree of target spherical radiation symmetry at current maximum density on its surface of approximately 10 15 W/cm 2

  6. 3-D MDT with spherical targets by bilinear interpolation for determining blood velocity profiles including the vessel wall effect

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choomphon-anomakhun, Natthaphon; Natenapit, Mayuree

    2018-02-01

    A numerical simulation of three-dimensional (3-D) implant assisted-magnetic drug targeting (IA-MDT) using ferromagnetic spherical targets, including the effect from the vessel wall on the blood flow, is presented. The targets were implanted within arterioles and subjected to an externally uniform applied magnetic field in order to increase the effectiveness of targeting magnetic drug carrier particles (MDCPs). The capture area (As) of the MDCPs was determined by inspection of the particle trajectories simulated from the particle equations of motion. The blood flow velocities at any particle position around the target were obtained by applying bilinear interpolation to the numerical blood velocity data. The effects on As of the type of ferromagnetic materials in the targets and MDCPs, average blood flow rates, mass fraction of the ferromagnetic material in the MDCPs, average radii of MDCPs (Rp) and the externally applied magnetic field strength (μ0H0) were evaluated. Furthermore, the appropriate μ0H0 and Rp for the IA-MDT design is suggested. In the case of the SS409 target and magnetite MDCPs, dimensionless capture areas ranging from 4.1- to 12.4 and corresponding to particle capture efficiencies of 31-94% were obtained with Rp ranging from 100- to 500 nm, weight fraction of 80%, μ0H0 of 0.6 T and an average blood flow rate of 0.01 ms-1. In addition, the more general 3-D modelling of IA-MDT in this work is applicable to IA-MDT using spherical targets implanted within blood vessels for both laminar and potential blood flows including the wall effect.

  7. Measurement of Turbulence Modulation by Non-Spherical Particles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mandø, Matthias; Rosendahl, Lasse

    2010-01-01

    The change in the turbulence intensity of an air jet resulting from the addition of particles to the flow is measured using Laser Doppler Anemometry. Three distinct shapes are considered: the prolate spheroid, the disk and the sphere. Measurements of the carrier phase and particle phase velocities...... at the centerline of the jet are carried out for mass loadings of 0.5, 1, 1.6 and particle sizes 880μm, 1350μm, 1820μm for spherical particles. For each non-spherical shape only a single size and loading are considered. The turbulence modulation of the carrier phase is found to highly dependent on the turbulence......, the particle mass flow and the integral length scale of the flow. The expression developed on basis of spherical particles only is applied on the data for the non-spherical particles. The results suggest that non-spherical particles attenuate the carrier phase turbulence significantly more than spherical...

  8. Spherical neutron generator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leung, Ka-Ngo

    2006-11-21

    A spherical neutron generator is formed with a small spherical target and a spherical shell RF-driven plasma ion source surrounding the target. A deuterium (or deuterium and tritium) ion plasma is produced by RF excitation in the plasma ion source using an RF antenna. The plasma generation region is a spherical shell between an outer chamber and an inner extraction electrode. A spherical neutron generating target is at the center of the chamber and is biased negatively with respect to the extraction electrode which contains many holes. Ions passing through the holes in the extraction electrode are focused onto the target which produces neutrons by D-D or D-T reactions.

  9. Eccentricity in Images of Circular and Spherical Targets and its Impact to 3D Object Reconstruction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. Luhmann

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper discusses a feature of projective geometry which causes eccentricity in the image measurement of circular and spherical targets. While it is commonly known that flat circular targets can have a significant displacement of the elliptical image centre with respect to the true imaged circle centre, it can also be shown that the a similar effect exists for spherical targets. Both types of targets are imaged with an elliptical contour. As a result, if measurement methods based on ellipses are used to detect the target (e.g. best-fit ellipses, the calculated ellipse centre does not correspond to the desired target centre in 3D space. This paper firstly discusses the use and measurement of circular and spherical targets. It then describes the geometrical projection model in order to demonstrate the eccentricity in image space. Based on numerical simulations, the eccentricity in the image is further quantified and investigated. Finally, the resulting effect in 3D space is estimated for stereo and multi-image intersections. It can be stated that the eccentricity is larger than usually assumed, and must be compensated for high-accuracy applications. Spherical targets do not show better results than circular targets. The paper is an updated version of Luhmann (2014 new experimental investigations on the effect of length measurement errors.

  10. Near spherical illumination of ion-beam and laser targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mark, J.W.K.

    1985-01-01

    A procedure is developed for reducing energy-deposition asymmetry in spherical targets driven directly by ion or laser beams. This work is part of a strategy for achieving illumination symmetry in such targets, which is proposed as an alternative to those in the literature. This strategy allows an axially symmetric placement of beamlets, which would be convenient for some driven or reactor scenarios. It also allows the use of beam currents or energy fluxes and beam transverse profiles to help reduce deposition asymmetry with fewer beamlets. In the ideal limit of thin deposition layers and controlled beam profiles, at most six beamlets are needed for target symmetry

  11. Acoustic radiation force control: Pulsating spherical carriers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajabi, Majid; Mojahed, Alireza

    2018-02-01

    The interaction between harmonic plane progressive acoustic beams and a pulsating spherical radiator is studied. The acoustic radiation force function exerted on the spherical body is derived as a function of the incident wave pressure and the monopole vibration characteristics (i.e., amplitude and phase) of the body. Two distinct strategies are presented in order to alter the radiation force effects (i.e., pushing and pulling states) by changing its magnitude and direction. In the first strategy, an incident wave field with known amplitude and phase is considered. It is analytically shown that the zero- radiation force state (i.e., radiation force function cancellation) is achievable for specific pulsation characteristics belong to a frequency-dependent straight line equation in the plane of real-imaginary components (i.e., Nyquist Plane) of prescribed surface displacement. It is illustrated that these characteristic lines divide the mentioned displacement plane into two regions of positive (i.e., pushing) and negative (i.e., pulling) radiation forces. In the second strategy, the zero, negative and positive states of radiation force are obtained through adjusting the incident wave field characteristics (i.e., amplitude and phase) which insonifies the radiator with prescribed pulsation characteristics. It is proved that zero radiation force state occurs for incident wave pressure characteristics belong to specific frequency-dependent circles in Nyquist plane of incident wave pressure. These characteristic circles divide the Nyquist plane into two distinct regions corresponding to positive (out of circles) and negative (in the circles) values of radiation force function. It is analytically shown that the maximum amplitude of negative radiation force is exactly equal to the amplitude of the (positive) radiation force exerted upon the sphere in the passive state, by the same incident field. The developed concepts are much more deepened by considering the required

  12. Spherical and cylindrical cavity expansion models based prediction of penetration depths of concrete targets.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaochao Jin

    Full Text Available The cavity expansion theory is most widely used to predict the depth of penetration of concrete targets. The main purpose of this work is to clarify the differences between the spherical and cylindrical cavity expansion models and their scope of application in predicting the penetration depths of concrete targets. The factors that influence the dynamic cavity expansion process of concrete materials were first examined. Based on numerical results, the relationship between expansion pressure and velocity was established. Then the parameters in the Forrestal's formula were fitted to have a convenient and effective prediction of the penetration depth. Results showed that both the spherical and cylindrical cavity expansion models can accurately predict the depth of penetration when the initial velocity is lower than 800 m/s. However, the prediction accuracy decreases with the increasing of the initial velocity and diameters of the projectiles. Based on our results, it can be concluded that when the initial velocity is higher than the critical velocity, the cylindrical cavity expansion model performs better than the spherical cavity expansion model in predicting the penetration depth, while when the initial velocity is lower than the critical velocity the conclusion is quite the contrary. This work provides a basic principle for selecting the spherical or cylindrical cavity expansion model to predict the penetration depth of concrete targets.

  13. The dependencies for determining the cargo capacity of lng carriers with spherical tanks and membrane tanks at the initial stages of design

    OpenAIRE

    Xinshuo, Dong

    2016-01-01

    The boiling point of liquefied natural gas (LNG) reaches –163 °c, it means that it is necessary to use the special cargo tanks for the LNG carriers to ensure the safety of transport. In this article, the general classification of the cargo system in the LNG carriers at the first time of their operation is demonstrated. And the author summarizes the process of development of the two most common type of cargo tanks: the spherical Moss types and the membrane types. Moreover, the cargo capacity a...

  14. Thermal transport measurements of uv laser irradiated spherical targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jaanimagi, P.A.; Delettrez, J.; Henke, B.L.; Richardson, M.C.

    1985-01-01

    New measurements are presented of thermal transport in spherical geometry using time-resolved x-ray spectroscopy. We determine the time dependence of the mass ablation rate m(dot) by following the progress of the ablation surface through thin layers of material embedded at various depths below the surface of the target. These measurements made with 6 and 12 uv (351 nm) beams from OMEGA are compared to previous thermal transport data and are in qualitative agreement with detailed LILAC hydrodynamic code simulations which predict a sharp decrease in m(dot) after the peak of the laser pulse. Non-uniform laser irradiation of the target results in the anomalously high values of m(dot) measured in these experiments

  15. High-energy, twelve-channel laser facility (DEFIN) for spherical irradiation of thermonuclear targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Basov, N.G.; Danilov, A.E.; Krokhin, O.N.; Kruglov, B.V.; Mikhailov, Yu.A.; Sklizkov, G.V.; Fedotov, S.I.; Fedorov, A.N.

    This paper describes a high-energy, twelve-channel laser facility (DELFIN) intended for high-temperature heating of thermonuclear targets with spherical symmetry. The facility includes a neodymium-glass laser with the ultimate radiation energy of 10 kJ, a pulse length of approximately 10 -10 to 10 -9 s, beam divergence of 5 x 10 -4 radians, a vacuum chamber in which laser radiation interacts with the plasma, and a system of diagnostic instrumentation for the observation of laser beam and plasma parameters. Described are the optical scheme and construction details of the laser facility. Presented is an analysis of focusing schemes for target irradiation and described is the focusing scheme of the DELFIN facility, which is capable of attaining a high degree of spherical symmetry in irradiating targets with maximum beam intensity at the target surface of approximately 10 15 W/cm 2 . This paper examines the most important problems connected with the physical investigations of thermonuclear laser plasma and the basic diagnostic problems involved in their solution

  16. Drug targeting and the carriers. Application to chemoembolization and medical imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Puisieux, F.; Benoit, J.P.; Roblot-Treupel, L.

    1987-01-01

    The last fifteen years have seen an increased interest in drug targeting which can be considered as a new way to control the body distribution of drugs when associated with an appropriate carrier. The systems currently studied possess different structures (macromolecular, vesicular and particular) and can be classified into carriers of first, second and third generation. After a brief review of the three types of carriers, this paper focuses on their respective interest in the different fields of radiology: carriers of first generation (microcapsules, microspheres) in chemoembolization, carriers of second generation (liposomes, nanocapsules, nanospheres) in conventional radiology, in computerized tomography, in scintigraphy, in RMN; carriers of third generation (monoclonal antibodies...) in immunoscintigraphy of tumors [fr

  17. Development of biocompatible and VEGF-targeted paclitaxel nanodrugs on albumin and graphene oxide dual-carrier for photothermal-triggered drug delivery in vitro and in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Wentao; Qiu, Juhui; Wang, Shaoting; Yuan, Zhi; Jia, Yuefeng; Tan, Hailin; Lu, Jiru; Zheng, Ruqiang

    2018-01-01

    In this study, we performed the characterization and synthesis of biocompatible and targeted albumin and graphene oxide (GO) dual-carrier paclitaxel (PTX) nanoparticles for photothermal-triggered tumor therapy. PTX absorbed on GO nanosheets as cores were coated with human serum albumin (HSA), following surface conjugation with monoclonal antibodies (mAb) against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF; denoted as mAbVEGF) via polyethylene glycol linker to form targeted nanoparticles (PTX-GHP-VEGF). The spherical nanoparticles were 191±5 nm in size with good stability and biocompatibility. GO functioned as the first carrier and a near infrared absorber that can generate photothermal effects under 5-minute 808-nm laser irradiation to thermal trigger the release of PTX from the second carrier HSA nanoparticles. The mechanism of thermal-triggered drug release was also investigated preliminarily, in which the heat generated by GO induced swelling of PTX-GHP-VEGF nanoparticles which released the drugs. In vitro studies found that PTX-GHP-VEGF can efficiently target human SW-13 adrenocortical carcinoma cells as evaluated by confocal fluorescence microscopy as well as transmission electron microscopy, and showed an obvious thermal-triggered antitumor effect, mediated by apoptosis. Moreover, PTX-GHP-VEGF combined with near infrared irradiation showed specific tumor suppression effects with high survival rate after 100 days of treatment. PTX-GHP-VEGF also demonstrated high biosafety with no adverse effects on normal tissues and organs. These results highlight the remarkable potential of PTX-GHP-VEGF in photothermal controllable tumor treatment.

  18. Permeability and stress-jump effects on magnetic drug targeting in a permeable microvessel using Darcy model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shaw, S., E-mail: sachinshaw@gmail.com [Department of Mathematics and Statistical Sciences, Botswana International University of Science and Technology, Private Bag 16, Palapye (Botswana); Sutradhar, A.; Murthy, PVSN [Department of Mathematics, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721302, West Bengal (India)

    2017-05-01

    In the present paper, we investigated the influence of permeability of the carrier particle and stress jump condition on the porous spherical surface in magnetic drug targeting through a permeable microvessel. The nature of blood is defined by non-Newtonian Casson fluid in the core region of the microvessel and Newtonian fluid in the peripheral region which is located near the surface of the wall of the microvessel. The magnetic particles are considered as spherical and in nanosize, embedded in the carrier particle along with drug particles. A magnet is placed near the tumor position to generate a magnetic field. The relative motion of the carrier particle is the resultant of the fluidic force, magnetic force and Saffman drag force which are calculated for the spherical carrier particle. Trajectories of the carrier particle along the radial and axial direction are calculated. Effect of different parameters such as stress-jump constant, permeability of the carrier particle, pressure gradient, yield stress, Saffman force, volume fraction of the embedded magnetic nanoparticles, permeability of the microvessel wall, and the radius of the carrier particle on the trajectory of the carrier particle are discussed and displayed graphically. - Highlights: • In the present manuscript, we considered the porous carrier particle which provide a larger surface area contact with the fluid than the solid spherical carrier particle. It shows that the porous carrier particle are captured easily than the solid carrier particle. • Introduce Suffman force on the carrier particle which commences an additional resistance which acts opposite to the surface wall and helps the particles to go away from the tumor position. • Considered stress jump condition at the surface of the porous carrier particle which enhanced the tendency of the carrier particle to be capture near the tumor. • Used Darcy model to define the permeability of the wall of the microvessel.

  19. Pharmacokinetics and atherosclerotic lesions targeting effects of tanshinone IIA discoidal and spherical biomimetic high density lipoproteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Wenli; He, Hongliang; Liu, Jianping; Wang, Ji; Zhang, Suyang; Zhang, Shuangshuang; Wu, Zimei

    2013-01-01

    High density lipoproteins (HDL) have been successfully reconstructed to deliver a large number of lipophilic drugs. Here, discoidal and spherical recombinant HDL loaded with cardiovascular drug tanshinone IIA (TA) were constructed (TA-d-rHDL and TA-s-rHDL), respectively. And next their in vitro physiochemical and biomimetic properties were characterized. Furthermore, pharmacokinetics, atherosclerotic lesions targeting effects and antiatherogenic efficacies were elaborately performed and compared in atherosclerotic New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. In vitro characterizations results showed that both TA-d-rHDL and TA-s-rHDL had nano-size diameter, high entrapment efficiency (EE) and drug-loading capacity (DL). Additionally, similar to their native counterparts, TA-d-rHDL maintained remodeling behaviors induced by lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), and TA leaked during remodeling behaviors. Pharmacokinetic studies manifested that both TA-d-rHDL and TA-s-rHDL markedly improved pharmacokinetic behaviors of TA in vivo. Ex vivo imaging demonstrated that both d-rHDL and s-rHDL bound more avidly to atherosclerotic lesions than to normal vessel walls, and s-rHDL had better targeting effect than d-rHDL. Pharmacodynamic tests illustrated that both TA-d-rHDL and TA-s-rHDL had much stronger antiatherogenic efficacies than conventional TA nanostructured lipid carriers (TA-NLC), TA liposomes (TA-L) and commercially available preparation Sulfotanshinone Sodium Injection (SSI). Moreover, TA-s-rHDL had more potent antiatherogenic efficacies than TA-d-rHDL. Collectively our studies indicated that rHDL could be exploited as potential delivery vehicles of TA targeting atherosclerotic lesions as well as synergistically improving efficacies, especially for s-rHDL. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Biological functionalization of drug delivery carriers to bypass size restrictions of receptor-mediated endocytosis independently from receptor targeting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ansar, Maria; Serrano, Daniel; Papademetriou, Iason; Bhowmick, Tridib Kumar; Muro, Silvia

    2013-12-23

    Targeting of drug carriers to cell-surface receptors involved in endocytosis is commonly used for intracellular drug delivery. However, most endocytic receptors mediate uptake via clathrin or caveolar pathways associated with ≤200-nm vesicles, restricting carrier design. We recently showed that endocytosis mediated by intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), which differs from clathrin- and caveolae-mediated pathways, allows uptake of nano- and microcarriers in cell culture and in vivo due to recruitment of cellular sphingomyelinases to the plasmalemma. This leads to ceramide generation at carrier binding sites and formation of actin stress-fibers, enabling engulfment and uptake of a wide size-range of carriers. Here we adapted this paradigm to enhance uptake of drug carriers targeted to receptors associated with size-restricted pathways. We coated sphingomyelinase onto model (polystyrene) submicro- and microcarriers targeted to clathrin-associated mannose-6-phosphate receptor. In endothelial cells, this provided ceramide enrichment at the cell surface and actin stress-fiber formation, modifying the uptake pathway and enhancing carrier endocytosis without affecting targeting, endosomal transport, cell-associated degradation, or cell viability. This improvement depended on the carrier size and enzyme dose, and similar results were observed for other receptors (transferrin receptor) and cell types (epithelial cells). This phenomenon also enhanced tissue accumulation of carriers after intravenous injection in mice. Hence, it is possible to maintain targeting toward a selected receptor while bypassing natural size restrictions of its associated endocytic route by functionalization of drug carriers with biological elements mimicking the ICAM-1 pathway. This strategy holds considerable promise to enhance flexibility of design of targeted drug delivery systems.

  1. (Glyco)-protein drug carriers with an intrinsic therapeutic activity : The concept of dual targeting

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Meijer, D.K F; Molema, Ingrid; Moolenaar, Frits; de Zeeuw, D; Swart, P.J

    Dual targeting can in principle be achieved by using intrinsically active carriers that not only deliver the conjugated drug but also otherwise influence the pathological process. Potential carriers of this kind are monoclonal antibodies, certain interferons and interleukins, as well as certain

  2. Interacting Multiple Model (IMM Fifth-Degree Spherical Simplex-Radial Cubature Kalman Filter for Maneuvering Target Tracking

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hua Liu

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available For improving the tracking accuracy and model switching speed of maneuvering target tracking in nonlinear systems, a new algorithm named the interacting multiple model fifth-degree spherical simplex-radial cubature Kalman filter (IMM5thSSRCKF is proposed in this paper. The new algorithm is a combination of the interacting multiple model (IMM filter and the fifth-degree spherical simplex-radial cubature Kalman filter (5thSSRCKF. The proposed algorithm makes use of Markov process to describe the switching probability among the models, and uses 5thSSRCKF to deal with the state estimation of each model. The 5thSSRCKF is an improved filter algorithm, which utilizes the fifth-degree spherical simplex-radial rule to improve the filtering accuracy. Finally, the tracking performance of the IMM5thSSRCKF is evaluated by simulation in a typical maneuvering target tracking scenario. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm has better tracking performance and quicker model switching speed when disposing maneuver models compared with the interacting multiple model unscented Kalman filter (IMMUKF, the interacting multiple model cubature Kalman filter (IMMCKF and the interacting multiple model fifth-degree cubature Kalman filter (IMM5thCKF.

  3. Interacting Multiple Model (IMM) Fifth-Degree Spherical Simplex-Radial Cubature Kalman Filter for Maneuvering Target Tracking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Hua; Wu, Wen

    2017-06-13

    For improving the tracking accuracy and model switching speed of maneuvering target tracking in nonlinear systems, a new algorithm named the interacting multiple model fifth-degree spherical simplex-radial cubature Kalman filter (IMM5thSSRCKF) is proposed in this paper. The new algorithm is a combination of the interacting multiple model (IMM) filter and the fifth-degree spherical simplex-radial cubature Kalman filter (5thSSRCKF). The proposed algorithm makes use of Markov process to describe the switching probability among the models, and uses 5thSSRCKF to deal with the state estimation of each model. The 5thSSRCKF is an improved filter algorithm, which utilizes the fifth-degree spherical simplex-radial rule to improve the filtering accuracy. Finally, the tracking performance of the IMM5thSSRCKF is evaluated by simulation in a typical maneuvering target tracking scenario. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm has better tracking performance and quicker model switching speed when disposing maneuver models compared with the interacting multiple model unscented Kalman filter (IMMUKF), the interacting multiple model cubature Kalman filter (IMMCKF) and the interacting multiple model fifth-degree cubature Kalman filter (IMM5thCKF).

  4. Turbulence Modulation by Non-Spherical Particles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mandø, Matthias

    This study deals with the interaction between turbulence and non-spherical particles and represents an extension of the modeling framework for particleladen flows. The effect of turbulence on particles is commonly referred to as turbulent dispersion while the effect of particles on the carrier....... This study encompass an outlook on existing work, an experimental study, development of a numerical model and a case study advancing the modeling techniques for pulverized coal combustion to deal with larger non-spherical biomass particles. Firstly, existing knowledge concerning the motion of non......-spherical particles and turbulence modulation are outlined. A complete description of the motion of non-spherical particles is still lacking. However, evidence suggests that the equation of motion for a sphere only represent an asymptotical value for a more general, but yet unformulated, description of the motion...

  5. Effect of PEGylation on ligand-based targeting of drug carriers to the vascular wall in blood flow.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onyskiw, Peter J; Eniola-Adefeso, Omolola

    2013-09-03

    The blood vessel wall plays a prominent role in the development of many life-threatening diseases and as such is an attractive target for treatment. To target diseased tissue, particulate drug carriers often have their surfaces modified with antibodies or epitopes specific to vascular wall-expressed molecules, along with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to improve carrier blood circulation time. However, little is known about the effect of poly(ethylene glycol) on carrier adhesion dynamics-specifically in blood flow. Here we examine the influence of different molecular weight PEG spacers on particle adhesion in blood flow. Anti-ICAM-1 or Sialyl Lewis(a) were grafted onto polystyrene 2 μm and 500 nm spheres via PEG spacers and perfused in blood over activated endothelial cells at physiological shear conditions. PEG spacers were shown to improve, reduce, or have no effect on the binding density of targeted-carriers depending on the PEG surface conformation, shear rate, and targeting moiety.

  6. Carrier-free, functionalized pure drug nanorods as a novel cancer-targeted drug delivery platform

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Yanan; An Feifei; Zhang Xiaohong; Yang Yinlong; Liu Zhuang; Zhang Xiujuan

    2013-01-01

    A one-dimensional drug delivery system (1D DDS) is highly attractive since it has distinct advantages such as enhanced drug efficiency and better pharmacokinetics. However, drugs in 1D DDSs are all encapsulated in inert carriers, and problems such as low drug loading content and possible undesirable side effects caused by the carriers remain a serious challenge. In this paper, a novel, carrier-free, pure drug nanorod-based, tumor-targeted 1D DDS has been developed. Drugs are first prepared as nanorods and then surface functionalized to achieve excellent water dispersity and stability. The resulting drug nanorods show enhanced internalization rates mainly through energy-dependent endocytosis, with the shape-mediated nanorod (NR) diffusion process as a secondary pathway. The multiple endocytotic mechanisms lead to significantly improved drug efficiency of functionalized NRs with nearly ten times higher cytotoxicity than those of free molecules and unfunctionalized NRs. A targeted drug delivery system can be readily achieved through surface functionalization with targeting group linked amphipathic surfactant, which exhibits significantly enhanced drug efficacy and discriminates between cell lines with high selectivity. These results clearly show that this tumor-targeting DDS demonstrates high potential toward specific cancer cell lines. (paper)

  7. Separation of carrier-free 181Re produced in 16O-irradiated thulium target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lahiri, Susanta; Mukhopadhyay, Krishnendu; Banerjee, Kakoli; Ramaswami, A.; Manohar, S.B.

    2001-01-01

    Heavy ion activation of natural Tm 2 O 3 with 90 MeV 16 O beam results in the formation of carrier-free short-lived 181 Ir and 181 Os which ultimately decay out to 181 Re in the matrix. The liquid cation exchanger, HDEHP, has effectively been utilized as an extractant for quantitative separation of bulk thulium target matrix from carrier-free rhenium radionuclide

  8. Simulations of the Penetration of 6061-T6511 Aluminum Targets by Spherical-Nosed VAR 4340 Steel Projectiles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tabbara, M.R.; Warren, T.L.

    1998-10-21

    In certain penetration events it is proposed that the primary mode of deformation of the target can be approximated by known analytical expressions. In the context of an analysis code, this approximation eliminates the need for discretizing the target as well as the need for a contact algorithm. Thus, this method substantially reduces the computer time and memory requirements. In this paper a forcing function which is derived from a spherical-cavity expansion (SCE) analysis has been implemented in a transient dynamic finite element code. This irnplementation is capable of computing the structural and component responses of a projectile due to a three dimensional penetration event. Simulations are presented for 7.1 l-mm-diameter, 74.7-mm-long, spherical-nose, vacuum- arc-remelted (VAR) 4340 steel projectiles that penetrate 6061-T6511 aluminum targets. Final projectile configurations obtained from the simulations are compared with post-test radiographs obtained from the corresponding experiments. It is shown that the simulations accurately predict the permanent projectile deformation for three dimensional loadings due to incident pitch and yaw over a wide range of striking velocities.

  9. Mesoporous carbon with spherical pores as a carrier for celecoxib with needle-like crystallinity: Improve dissolution rate and bioavailability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu, Wenquan; Zhao, Qinfu; Sun, Changshan; Zhang, Zhiwen; Jiang, Tongying; Sun, Jin; Li, Yaping; Wang, Siling

    2014-01-01

    The purposes of this investigation are to design mesoporous carbon (MC) with spherical pore channels and incorporate CEL to it for changing its needlelike crystal form and improving its dissolution and bioavailability. A series of solid-state characterization methods, such as SEM, TEM, DSC and XRD, were employed to systematically investigate the existing status of celecoxib (CEL) within the pore channels of MC. The pore size, pore volume and surface area of samples were characterized by nitrogen physical absorption. Gastric mucosa irritation test was carried out to evaluate the safety of mesoporous carbon as a drug carrier. Dissolution tests and in vivo pharmacokinetic studies were conducted to confirm the improvement in drug dissolution kinetics and oral bioavailability. Uptake experiments were conducted to investigate the mechanism of the improved oral bioavailability. The results of solid state characterization showed that MC was prepared successfully and CEL was incorporated into the mesoporous channels of the MC. The crystallinity of CEL in MC was affected by different loading methods, which involve evaporation method and melting method. The dissolution rate of CEL from MC was found to be significantly higher than that of pure CEL, which attributed to reduced crystallinity of CEL. The gastric mucosa irritation test indicated that the MC caused no harm to the stomach and produced a protective effect on the gastric mucosa. Uptake experiments indicated that MC enhanced the amount of CEL absorbed by Caco-2 cells. Moreover, oral bioavailability of CEL loaded within the MC was approximately 1.59-fold greater than that of commercial CEL. In conclusion, MC was a safe carrier to load water insoluble drug by controlling the crystallinity or crystal form with improvement in drug dissolution kinetics and oral bioavailability. - Highlights: • Mesoporous carbon with spherical pore structure was prepared according to the needlelike crystalline of celecoxib. • The

  10. Mesoporous carbon with spherical pores as a carrier for celecoxib with needle-like crystallinity: Improve dissolution rate and bioavailability

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhu, Wenquan; Zhao, Qinfu; Sun, Changshan [Department of Pharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang (China); Zhang, Zhiwen [Center of Pharmaceutics, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 501 Haike Road, Shanghai 201203 (China); Jiang, Tongying; Sun, Jin [Department of Pharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang (China); Li, Yaping [Center of Pharmaceutics, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 501 Haike Road, Shanghai 201203 (China); Wang, Siling, E-mail: silingwang@syphu.edu.cn [Department of Pharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang (China)

    2014-06-01

    The purposes of this investigation are to design mesoporous carbon (MC) with spherical pore channels and incorporate CEL to it for changing its needlelike crystal form and improving its dissolution and bioavailability. A series of solid-state characterization methods, such as SEM, TEM, DSC and XRD, were employed to systematically investigate the existing status of celecoxib (CEL) within the pore channels of MC. The pore size, pore volume and surface area of samples were characterized by nitrogen physical absorption. Gastric mucosa irritation test was carried out to evaluate the safety of mesoporous carbon as a drug carrier. Dissolution tests and in vivo pharmacokinetic studies were conducted to confirm the improvement in drug dissolution kinetics and oral bioavailability. Uptake experiments were conducted to investigate the mechanism of the improved oral bioavailability. The results of solid state characterization showed that MC was prepared successfully and CEL was incorporated into the mesoporous channels of the MC. The crystallinity of CEL in MC was affected by different loading methods, which involve evaporation method and melting method. The dissolution rate of CEL from MC was found to be significantly higher than that of pure CEL, which attributed to reduced crystallinity of CEL. The gastric mucosa irritation test indicated that the MC caused no harm to the stomach and produced a protective effect on the gastric mucosa. Uptake experiments indicated that MC enhanced the amount of CEL absorbed by Caco-2 cells. Moreover, oral bioavailability of CEL loaded within the MC was approximately 1.59-fold greater than that of commercial CEL. In conclusion, MC was a safe carrier to load water insoluble drug by controlling the crystallinity or crystal form with improvement in drug dissolution kinetics and oral bioavailability. - Highlights: • Mesoporous carbon with spherical pore structure was prepared according to the needlelike crystalline of celecoxib. • The

  11. Peptide conjugated polymeric nanoparticles as a carrier for targeted delivery of docetaxel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kulhari, Hitesh; Pooja, Deep; Shrivastava, Shweta; V G M, Naidu; Sistla, Ramakrishna

    2014-05-01

    The aim of this research work was to develop Bombesin peptide (BBN) conjugated, docetaxel loaded nanocarrier for the treatment of breast cancer. Docetaxel loaded nanoparticles (DNP) were prepared by solvent evaporation method using sodium cholate as surfactant. BBN was conjugated to DNP surface through covalent bonding. Both DNP and BBN conjugated DNP (BDNP) were characterized by various techniques such as dynamic light scattering, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis. The particle diameter and zeta potential of BDNP were 136±3.95 nm and -10.8±2.7 mV, respectively. The change in surface charge and FTIR studies confirmed the formation of amide linkage between BBN and DNP. AFM analysis showed that nanoparticles were spherical in shapes. In nanoparticles, docetaxel was present in its amorphous form as confirmed by DSC and PXRD analysis and was stable during the thermal studies. The formulations showed the sustained release of DTX over the period of 120 h. During cellular toxicity assay in gastrin releasing peptide receptor positive breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231), BDNP were found to be 12 times more toxic than pure DTX and Taxotere. The IC50 value for DTX, Taxotere, DNP and BDNP was >375, >375, 142.23 and 35.53 ng/ml, respectively. The above studies showed that Bombesin conjugated nanocarrier system could be a promising carrier for active targeting of anticancer drugs in GRP receptor over expressing cancer cells. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Stem Cell-Based Cell Carrier for Targeted Oncolytic Virotherapy: Translational Opportunity and Open Questions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janice Kim

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Oncolytic virotherapy for cancer is an innovative therapeutic option where the ability of a virus to promote cell lysis is harnessed and reprogrammed to selectively destroy cancer cells. Such treatment modalities exhibited antitumor activity in preclinical and clinical settings and appear to be well tolerated when tested in clinical trials. However, the clinical success of oncolytic virotherapy has been significantly hampered due to the inability to target systematic metastasis. This is partly due to the inability of the therapeutic virus to survive in the patient circulation, in order to target tumors at distant sites. An early study from various laboratories demonstrated that cells infected with oncolytic virus can protect the therapeutic payload form the host immune system as well as function as factories for virus production and enhance the therapeutic efficacy of oncolytic virus. While a variety of cell lineages possessed potential as cell carriers, copious investigation has established stem cells as a very attractive cell carrier system in oncolytic virotherapy. The ideal cell carrier desire to be susceptible to viral infection as well as support viral infection, maintain immunosuppressive properties to shield the loaded viruses from the host immune system, and most importantly possess an intrinsic tumor homing ability to deliver loaded viruses directly to the site of the metastasis—all qualities stem cells exhibit. In this review, we summarize the recent work in the development of stem cell-based carrier for oncolytic virotherapy, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a variety of cell carriers, especially focusing on why stem cells have emerged as the leading candidate, and finally propose a future direction for stem cell-based targeted oncolytic virotherapy that involves its establishment as a viable treatment option for cancer patients in the clinical setting.

  13. One-dimensional MHD simulations of MTF systems with compact toroid targets and spherical liners

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khalzov, Ivan; Zindler, Ryan; Barsky, Sandra; Delage, Michael; Laberge, Michel

    2017-10-01

    One-dimensional (1D) MHD code is developed in General Fusion (GF) for coupled plasma-liner simulations in magnetized target fusion (MTF) systems. The main goal of these simulations is to search for optimal parameters of MTF reactor, in which spherical liquid metal liner compresses compact toroid plasma. The code uses Lagrangian description for both liner and plasma. The liner is represented as a set of spherical shells with fixed masses while plasma is discretized as a set of nested tori with circular cross sections and fixed number of particles between them. All physical fields are 1D functions of either spherical (liner) or small toroidal (plasma) radius. Motion of liner and plasma shells is calculated self-consistently based on applied forces and equations of state. Magnetic field is determined by 1D profiles of poloidal and toroidal fluxes - they are advected with shells and diffuse according to local resistivity, this also accounts for flux leakage into the liner. Different plasma transport models are implemented, this allows for comparison with ongoing GF experiments. Fusion power calculation is included into the code. We performed a series of parameter scans in order to establish the underlying dependencies of the MTF system and find the optimal reactor design point.

  14. Carbon Nanotubes: An Emerging Drug Carrier for Targeting Cancer Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhattacharya, Shiv Sankar; Mishra, Arun Kumar; Verma, Navneet; Verma, Anurag; Pandit, Jayanta Kumar

    2014-01-01

    During recent years carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been attracted by many researchers as a drug delivery carrier. CNTs are the third allotropic form of carbon-fullerenes which were rolled into cylindrical tubes. To be integrated into the biological systems, CNTs can be chemically modified or functionalised with therapeutically active molecules by forming stable covalent bonds or supramolecular assemblies based on noncovalent interactions. Owing to their high carrying capacity, biocompatibility, and specificity to cells, various cancer cells have been explored with CNTs for evaluation of pharmacokinetic parameters, cell viability, cytotoxicty, and drug delivery in tumor cells. This review attempts to highlight all aspects of CNTs which render them as an effective anticancer drug carrier and imaging agent. Also the potential application of CNT in targeting metastatic cancer cells by entrapping biomolecules and anticancer drugs has been covered in this review. PMID:24872894

  15. Preparation of spherical particles by vibrating orifice technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shibata, Shuichi; Tomizawa, Atsushi; Yoshikawa, Hidemi; Yano, Tetsuji; Yamane, Masayuki

    2000-05-01

    Preparation of micrometer-sized spherical particles containing Rhodamine 6G (R6G) has been investigated for the spherical cavity micro-laser. Using phenyl triethoxy silane (PTES) as a starting material, R6G-doped monodisperse spherical particles were prepared by the vibrating orifice technique. Processing consists of two major processes: (1) Hydrolysis and polymerization of PTES and (2) Droplet formation from PTES oligomers by vibrating orifice technique. A cylindrical liquid jet passing through the orifice of 10 and 20 micrometers in diameter breaks up into equal- sized droplets by mechanical vibration. Alcohol solvent of these droplets was evaporated during flying with carrier gas and subsequently solidified in ammonium water trap. For making smooth surface and god shaped particles, control of molecular weight of PTES oligomer was essential. R6G-doped hybrid spherical particles of 4 to 10 micrometers size of cavity structure were successfully obtained. The spherical particles were pumped by a second harmonic pulse of Q- switched Nd:YAG laser and laser emission peaks were observed at wavelengths which correspond to the resonance modes.

  16. Experimental reduction of laser imprinting and Rayleigh–Taylor growth in spherically compressed, medium-Z-doped plastic targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fiksel, G.; Hu, S. X.; Goncharov, V. A.; Meyerhofer, D. D.; Sangster, T. C.; Yaakobi, B.; Bonino, M. J.; Jungquist, R.; Smalyuk, V. A.

    2012-01-01

    The effect of medium-Z doping of plastic ablators on laser imprinting and Rayleigh–Taylor (RT) instability growth was studied using spherical direct-drive implosions on the OMEGA Laser System [T. R. Boehly et al., Opt. Commun. 133, 495 (1977)]. The targets were spherical plastic (CH) shells, with an outer diameter of 860 μm and a thickness of 22 μm, volume doped with a varied concentration of Si (4.3% and 7.4%) and Ge (3.9%). The targets were imploded with 48 beams with a low-adiabat, triple-picket laser shape pulse with a peak intensity of 4×10 14 W/cm 2 , and a pulse duration of 2.5 ns. The shells were x-ray radiographed through a 400 -μm opening in the side of the target. The results show that volumetric impurity doping strongly reduces the shell density modulation and the instability growth rate. The amplitude of the initial imprint is reduced by a factor of 2.5 ± 0.5 for CH[4.3% Si] targets and by a factor of 3 ± 0.5 for CH[7.4% Si] and CH[3.9% Ge] targets. At the end of the acceleration phase, the reduction factor becomes 3 ± 0.5 and 5 ± 0.5, correspondingly. The RT instability growth rate in doped targets is reduced by a factor of 1.5 compared to undoped ones. Simulations using the two-dimensional, radiation-hydrodynamics code draco show good agreement with the measurements.

  17. Temporal dependence of the mass ablation rate in uv irradiated spherical targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Delettrez, J.; Jaanimagi, P.A.; Henke, B.L.; Richardson, M.C.

    1985-01-01

    In this talk, measurements of thermal transport in spherical geometry using time-resolved x-ray spectroscopy are presented. The time dependence of the mass ablation rate (m) is determined by following the progress of the ablation surface through thin layers of material embedded at various depths below the surface of the target. These measurements made with 6, 12 and 24 uv (351 nm) beams from OMEGA are compared to previous thermal transport data and are in qualitative agreement with detailed LILAC hydrodynamic code simulations which predict a sharp decrease in m after the peak of the laser pulse. Viewgraphs of the talk comprise the report

  18. Multi-small molecule conjugations as new targeted delivery carriers for tumor therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shan L

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Lingling Shan,1 Ming Liu,2 Chao Wu,1 Liang Zhao,1 Siwen Li,3 Lisheng Xu,1 Wengen Cao,1 Guizhen Gao,1 Yueqing Gu3 1Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Biology and Food Engineering, Suzhou University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, USA; 3Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China Abstract: In response to the challenges of cancer chemotherapeutics, including poor physicochemical properties, low tumor targeting ability, and harmful side effects, we developed a new tumor-targeted multi-small molecule drug delivery platform. Using paclitaxel (PTX as a model therapeutic, we prepared two prodrugs, ie, folic acid-fluorescein-5(6-isothiocyanate-arginine-paclitaxel (FA-FITC-Arg-PTX and folic acid-5-aminofluorescein-glutamic-paclitaxel (FA-5AF-Glu-PTX, composed of folic acid (FA, target, amino acids (Arg or Glu, linker, and fluorescent dye (fluorescein in vitro or near-infrared fluorescent dye in vivo in order to better understand the mechanism of PTX prodrug targeting. In vitro and acute toxicity studies demonstrated the low toxicity of the prodrug formulations compared with the free drug. In vitro and in vivo studies indicated that folate receptor-mediated uptake of PTX-conjugated multi-small molecule carriers induced high antitumor activity. Notably, compared with free PTX and with PTX-loaded macromolecular carriers from our previous study, this multi-small molecule-conjugated strategy improved the water solubility, loading rate, targeting ability, antitumor activity, and toxicity profile of PTX. These results support the use of multi-small molecules as tumor-targeting drug delivery systems. Keywords: multi-small molecules, paclitaxel, prodrugs, targeting, tumor therapy

  19. Acoustic manipulation: Bessel beams and active carriers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajabi, Majid; Mojahed, Alireza

    2017-10-01

    In this paper, we address the interaction of zero-order acoustic Bessel beams as an acoustic manipulation tool, with an active spherical shell, as a carrier in drug, agent, or material delivery systems, in order to investigate the controllability of exerted acoustic radiation force as the driver. The active body is comprised of a spherical elastic shell stimulated in its monopole mode of vibrations with the same frequency as the incident wave field via an internally bonded and spatially uniformly excited piezoelectric actuator. The main aim of this work is to examine the performance of a nondiffracting and self-reconstructing zero-order Bessel beam to obtain the full manipulability condition of active carriers in comparison with the case of a plane wave field. The results unveil some unique potentials of the Bessel beams in the company of active carriers, with emphasis on the consumed power of the actuation system. This paper will widen the path toward the single-beam robust acoustic manipulation techniques and may lead to the prospect of combined tweezers and fields, with applications in delivery systems, microswimmers, and trapper designs.

  20. Protein encapsulated magnetic carriers for micro/nanoscale drug delivery systems.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xie, Y.; Kaminski, M. D.; Mertz, C. J.; Finck, M. R.; Guy, S. G.; Chen, H.; Rosengart, A. J.; Chemical Engineering; Univ. of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine

    2005-01-01

    Novel methods for drug delivery may be based on nanotechnology using non-invasive magnetic guidance of drug loaded magnetic carriers to the targeted site and thereafter released by external ultrasound energy. The key building block of this system is to successfully synthesize biodegradable, magnetic drug carriers. Magnetic carriers using poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) or poly(lactic acid)-poly(ethylene glycol) (PLA-PEG) as matrix materials were loaded with bovine serum albumin (BSA) by a double-emulsion technique. BSA-loaded magnetic microspheres were characterized for size, morphology, surface charge, and magnetization. The BSA encapsulation efficiency was determined by recovering albumin from the microspheres using dimethyl sulfoxide and 0.05N NaOH/0.5% SDS then quantifying with the Micro-BCA protein assay. BSA release profiles were also determined by the Micro-BCA protein assay. The microspheres had drug encapsulation efficiencies up to 90% depending on synthesis parameters. Particles were spherical with a smooth or porous surface having a size range less than 5 {mu}m. The surface charge (expressed as zeta potential) was near neutral, optimal for prolonged intravascular survival. The magnetization of these BSA loaded magnetic carriers was 2 to 6 emu/g, depending on the specific magnetic materials used during synthesis.

  1. Tumor-targeted polymeric nanostructured lipid carriers with precise ratiometric control over dual-drug loading for combination therapy in non-small-cell lung cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liang Y

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Yan Liang,1 Baocheng Tian,1 Jing Zhang,1 Keke Li,1 Lele Wang,1 Jingtian Han,1,* Zimei Wu2,* 1School of Pharmacy, Binzhou Medical University, 2School of Pharmacy, Yantai University, Yantai, China *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Gemcitabine (GEM and paclitaxel (PTX are effective combination anticancer agents against non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC. At the present time, a main challenge of combination treatment is the precision of control that will maximize the combined effects. Here, we report a novel method to load GEM (hydrophilic and PTX (hydrophobic into simplex tumor-targeted nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs for accurate control of the ratio of the two drugs. We covalently preconjugated the dual drugs through a hydrolyzable ester linker to form drug conjugates. N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (NAG is a glucose receptor-targeting ligand. We added NAG to the formation of NAG-NLCs. In general, synthesis of poly(6-O-methacryloyl-d-galactopyranose–GEM/PTX (PMAGP-GEM/PTX conjugates was demonstrated, and NAG-NLCs were prepared using emulsification and solvent evaporation. NAG-NLCs displayed sphericity with an average diameter of 120.3±1.3 nm, a low polydispersity index of 0.233±0.04, and accurate ratiometric control over the two drugs. A cytotoxicity assay showed that the NAG-NLCs had better antitumor activity on NSCLC cells than normal cells. There was an optimal ratio of the two drugs, exhibiting the best cytotoxicity and combinatorial effects among all the formulations we tested. In comparison with both the free-drug combinations and separately nanopackaged drug conjugates, PMAGP-GEM/PTX NAG-NLCs (3:1 exhibited superior synergism. Flow cytometry and confocal laser scanning microscopy showed that NAG-NLCs exhibited higher uptake efficiency in A549 cells via glucose receptor-mediated endocytosis. This combinatorial delivery system settles problems with ratiometric coloading of hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs for tumor-targeted

  2. Glucosylated polyethylenimine as a tumor-targeting gene carrier.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, In-Kyu; Cook, Seung-Eun; Kim, You-Kyoung; Kim, Hyun-Woo; Cho, Myung-Haing; Jeong, Hwan-Jeong; Kim, Eun-Mi; Nah, Jae-Woon; Bom, Hee-Seung; Cho, Chong-Su

    2005-11-01

    Glucosylated polyethylenimine (GPEI) was synthesized as a tumor-targeting gene carrier through facilitative glucose metabolism by tumor glucose transporter. Particle sizes of GPEI/DNA complex increased in proportion to glucose content of GPEI, whereas surface charge of the complex was not dependent on glucosylation, partially due to inefficient shielding of the short hydrophilic group introduced. GPEI with higher glucosylation (36 mol-%) had no cytotoxic effect on cells even at polymer concentrations higher than 200 microg/mL. Compared to unglucosylated PEI, glucosylation induced less than one-order decrease of transfection efficiency. Transfection of GPEI/DNA complex into tumor cells possibly occurred through specific interaction between glucose-related cell receptors and glucose moiety of GPEI. Gamma imaging technique revealed GPEI/DNA complex was distributed in liver, spleen, and tumors.

  3. A review of recent advances in the spherical harmonics expansion method for semiconductor device simulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rupp, K; Jungemann, C; Hong, S-M; Bina, M; Grasser, T; Jüngel, A

    The Boltzmann transport equation is commonly considered to be the best semi-classical description of carrier transport in semiconductors, providing precise information about the distribution of carriers with respect to time (one dimension), location (three dimensions), and momentum (three dimensions). However, numerical solutions for the seven-dimensional carrier distribution functions are very demanding. The most common solution approach is the stochastic Monte Carlo method, because the gigabytes of memory requirements of deterministic direct solution approaches has not been available until recently. As a remedy, the higher accuracy provided by solutions of the Boltzmann transport equation is often exchanged for lower computational expense by using simpler models based on macroscopic quantities such as carrier density and mean carrier velocity. Recent developments for the deterministic spherical harmonics expansion method have reduced the computational cost for solving the Boltzmann transport equation, enabling the computation of carrier distribution functions even for spatially three-dimensional device simulations within minutes to hours. We summarize recent progress for the spherical harmonics expansion method and show that small currents, reasonable execution times, and rare events such as low-frequency noise, which are all hard or even impossible to simulate with the established Monte Carlo method, can be handled in a straight-forward manner. The applicability of the method for important practical applications is demonstrated for noise simulation, small-signal analysis, hot-carrier degradation, and avalanche breakdown.

  4. Optimization of LDL targeted nanostructured lipid carriers of 5-FU by a full factorial design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andalib, Sare; Varshosaz, Jaleh; Hassanzadeh, Farshid; Sadeghi, Hojjat

    2012-01-01

    Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) are a mixture of solid and liquid lipids or oils as colloidal carrier systems that lead to an imperfect matrix structure with high ability for loading water soluble drugs. The aim of this study was to find the best proportion of liquid and solid lipids of different types for optimization of the production of LDL targeted NLCs used in carrying 5-Fu by the emulsification-solvent evaporation method. The influence of the lipid type, cholesterol or cholesteryl stearate for targeting LDL receptors, oil type (oleic acid or octanol), lipid and oil% on particle size, surface charge, drug loading efficiency, and drug released percent from the NLCs were studied by a full factorial design. The NLCs prepared by 54.5% cholesterol and 25% of oleic acid, showed optimum results with particle size of 105.8 nm, relatively high zeta potential of -25 mV, drug loading efficiency of 38% and release efficiency of about 40%. Scanning electron microscopy of nanoparticles confirmed the results of dynamic light scattering method used in measuring the particle size of NLCs. The optimization method by a full factorial statistical design is a useful optimization method for production of nanostructured lipid carriers.

  5. RANK ligand as a potential target for breast cancer prevention in BRCA1-mutation carriers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nolan, Emma; Vaillant, François; Branstetter, Daniel; Pal, Bhupinder; Giner, Göknur; Whitehead, Lachlan; Lok, Sheau W; Mann, Gregory B; Rohrbach, Kathy; Huang, Li-Ya; Soriano, Rosalia; Smyth, Gordon K; Dougall, William C; Visvader, Jane E; Lindeman, Geoffrey J

    2016-08-01

    Individuals who have mutations in the breast-cancer-susceptibility gene BRCA1 (hereafter referred to as BRCA1-mutation carriers) frequently undergo prophylactic mastectomy to minimize their risk of breast cancer. The identification of an effective prevention therapy therefore remains a 'holy grail' for the field. Precancerous BRCA1(mut/+) tissue harbors an aberrant population of luminal progenitor cells, and deregulated progesterone signaling has been implicated in BRCA1-associated oncogenesis. Coupled with the findings that tumor necrosis factor superfamily member 11 (TNFSF11; also known as RANKL) is a key paracrine effector of progesterone signaling and that RANKL and its receptor TNFRSF11A (also known as RANK) contribute to mammary tumorigenesis, we investigated a role for this pathway in the pre-neoplastic phase of BRCA1-mutation carriers. We identified two subsets of luminal progenitors (RANK(+) and RANK(-)) in histologically normal tissue of BRCA1-mutation carriers and showed that RANK(+) cells are highly proliferative, have grossly aberrant DNA repair and bear a molecular signature similar to that of basal-like breast cancer. These data suggest that RANK(+) and not RANK(-) progenitors are a key target population in these women. Inhibition of RANKL signaling by treatment with denosumab in three-dimensional breast organoids derived from pre-neoplastic BRCA1(mut/+) tissue attenuated progesterone-induced proliferation. Notably, proliferation was markedly reduced in breast biopsies from BRCA1-mutation carriers who were treated with denosumab. Furthermore, inhibition of RANKL in a Brca1-deficient mouse model substantially curtailed mammary tumorigenesis. Taken together, these findings identify a targetable pathway in a putative cell-of-origin population in BRCA1-mutation carriers and implicate RANKL blockade as a promising strategy in the prevention of breast cancer.

  6. Optimization of LDL targeted nanostructured lipid carriers of 5-FU by a full factorial design

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sare Andalib

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC are a mixture of solid and liquid lipids or oils as colloidal carrier systems that lead to an imperfect matrix structure with high ability for loading water soluble drugs. The aim of this study was to find the best proportion of liquid and solid lipids of different types for optimization of the production of LDL targeted NLCs used in carrying 5-Fu by the emulsification-solvent evaporation method. Materials and Methods: The influence of the lipid type, cholesterol or cholesteryl stearate for targeting LDL receptors, oil type (oleic acid or octanol, lipid and oil% on particle size, surface charge, drug loading efficiency, and drug released percent from the NLCs were studied by a full factorial design. Results: The NLCs prepared by 54.5% cholesterol and 25% of oleic acid, showed optimum results with particle size of 105.8 nm, relatively high zeta potential of −25 mV, drug loading efficiency of 38% and release efficiency of about 40%. Scanning electron microscopy of nanoparticles confirmed the results of dynamic light scattering method used in measuring the particle size of NLCs. Conclusions: The optimization method by a full factorial statistical design is a useful optimization method for production of nanostructured lipid carriers.

  7. Measurements of the divergence of fast electrons in laser-irradiated spherical targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yaakobi, B.; Solodov, A. A.; Myatt, J. F.; Delettrez, J. A.; Stoeckl, C.; Froula, D. H.

    2013-01-01

    In recent experiments using directly driven spherical targets on the OMEGA laser system, the energy in fast electrons was found to reach ∼1% of the laser energy at an irradiance of ∼1.1 × 10 15 W/cm 2 . The fraction of these fast electrons absorbed in the compressed fuel shell depends on their angular divergence. This paper describes measurements of this divergence deduced from a series of shots where Mo-coated shells of increasing diameter (D) were suspended within an outer CH shell. The intensity of the Mo–Kα line and the hard x-ray radiation were found to increase approximately as ∼D 2 , indicating wide divergence of the fast electrons. Alternative interpretations of these results (electron scattering, radiation excitation of Kα, and an electric field due to return current) are shown to be unimportant

  8. Solvent extraction of no-carrier-added 103Pd from irradiated rhodium target with α-furyldioxime

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahdi Sadeghi; Behrouz Shirazi; Nami Shadanpour

    2006-01-01

    Solvent extraction of no-carrier-added 103 Pd was investigated from irradiated rhodium target with a-furyldioxime in chloroform from diluted hydrochloric acid. Extraction yield was 85.3% for a single extraction from 0.37M HCl and 103 Pd purity was better than 99%. (author)

  9. Penetration Experiments with 6061-T6511 Aluminum Targets and Spherical-Nose Steel Projectiles at Striking Velocities Between 0.5 and 3.0 km/s

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Forrestal, M.J.; Piekutowski, A.J.

    1999-02-04

    We conducted depth of penetration experiments with 7.11-mm-diameter, 74.7-mm-long, spherical-nose, 4340 steel projectiles launched into 250-mm-diameter, 6061-T6511 aluminum targets. To show the effect of projectile strength, we used projectiles that had average Rockwell harnesses of R{sub c} = 36.6, 39.5, and 46.2. A powder gun and two-stage, light-gas guns launched the 0.023 kg projectiles at striking velocities between 0.5 and 3.0 km/s. Post-test radiographs of the targets showed three response regions as striking velocities increased: (1) the projectiles remained visibly undeformed, (2) the projectiles permanently deformed without erosion, and (3) the projectiles eroded and lost mass. To show the effect of projectile strength, we compared depth-of-penetration data as a function of striking velocity for spherical-nose rods with three Rockwell harnesses at striking velocities ranging from 0.5 to 3.0 km/s. To show the effect of nose shape, we compared penetration data for the spherical-nose projectiles with previously published data for ogive-nose projectiles.

  10. Fabrication of Spherical AlSi10Mg Powders by Radio Frequency Plasma Spheroidization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Linzhi; Liu, Ying; Chang, Sen

    2016-05-01

    Spherical AlSi10Mg powders were prepared by radio frequency plasma spheroidization from commercial AlSi10Mg powders. The fabrication process parameters and powder characteristics were investigated. Field emission scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, laser particle size analyzer, powder rheometer, and UV/visible/infrared spectrophotometer were used for analyses and measurements of micrographs, phases, granulometric parameters, flowability, and laser absorption properties of the powders, respectively. The results show that the obtained spherical powders exhibit good sphericity, smooth surfaces, favorable dispersity, and excellent fluidity under appropriate feeding rate and flow rate of carrier gas. Further, acicular microstructures of the spherical AlSi10Mg powders are composed of α-Al, Si, and a small amount of Mg2Si phase. In addition, laser absorption values of the spherical AlSi10Mg powders increase obviously compared with raw material, and different spectra have obvious absorption peaks at a wavelength of about 826 nm.

  11. Interfacial Stability of Spherically Converging Plasma Jets for Magnetized Target Fusion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thio, Y. C. Francis; Cassibry, Jason; Wu, S. T.; Eskridge, Richard; Smith, James; Lee, Michael; Rodgers, Stephen L. (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    A fusion propulsion scheme has been proposed that makes use of the merging of a spherical distribution of plasma jets to dynamically form a gaseous liner to implode a magnetized target to produce the fusion reaction. In this paper, a study is made of the interfacial stability of the interaction of these jets. Specifically, the Orr-Sommerfeld equation is integrated to obtain the growth rate of a perturbation to the primary flow at the interface between the colliding jets. The results lead to an estimate on the tolerances on the relative flow velocities of the merging plasma jets to form a stable, imploding liner. The results show that the maximum temporal growth rate of the perturbed flow at the jet interface is very small in comparison with the time to full compression of the liner. These data suggest that, as far as the stability of the interface between the merging jets is concerned, the formation of the gaseous liner can withstand velocity variation of the order of 10% between the neighboring jets over the density and temperature ranges investigated.

  12. Chondroitin sulfate-functionalized polyamidoamine as a tumor-targeted carrier for miR-34a delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Wenqi; Liu, Yong; Liang, Xiao; Huang, Yu; Li, Quanshun

    2017-07-15

    Chondroitin sulfate (CS) was modified on a polyamidoamine dendrimer (PAMAM) through Michael addition to construct a tumor-targeted carrier CS-PAMAM for miR-34a delivery. The derivative CS-PAMAM was demonstrated to achieve an efficient cellular uptake of miR-34a in a CD44-dependent endocytosis way and further facilitate the endosomal escape of miR-34a after 4h. Through the miR-34a delivery, obvious inhibition of cell proliferation could be detected which was attributed to the enhancement of cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, and meanwhile the cell migration and invasion has been observed to be inhibited. Finally, the intravenous injection of CS-PAMAM/miR-34a formulation into mice bearing human lung adenocarcinoma cell A549 xenografts could efficiently inhibit the tumor growth and induce the tumor apoptosis owing to the enhanced accumulation of miR-34a in tumor tissue. Overall, CS-PAMAM is potential to be used as a tumor-targeted oligonucleotide carrier for achieving tumor gene therapy. The cationic dendrimer PAMAM was modified by chondroitin sulfate (CS) through Michael addition to construct a tumor-targeted carrier CS-PAMAM for miR-34a delivery. The introduction of CS could achieve an efficient cellular uptake and intracellular transfection of miR-34a in a CD44-dependent endocytosis manner. The miR-34a delivery could execute the anti-proliferation activity by simultaneously inducing cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, and also the anti-migration activity. The CS-PAMAM-mediated systemic delivery of miR-34a showed significant inhibition of tumor growth and induction of tumor apoptosis using a mice model of subcutaneously implanted tumors. Copyright © 2017 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. In vivo imaging of passively tumor targeted polymer carrier and the enzymatically cleavable drug model

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Pola, Robert; Heinrich, A. K.; Mueller, T.; Kostka, Libor; Mäder, K.; Pechar, Michal; Etrych, Tomáš

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 6, 4 (Suppl) (2017), s. 90 ISSN 2325-9604. [International Conference and Exhibition on Nanomedicine and Drug Delivery. 29.05.2017-31.05.2017, Osaka] R&D Projects: GA MZd(CZ) NV16-28594A Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : polymer drug carrier * tumor targeting * enzymatic release Subject RIV: FD - Oncology ; Hematology

  14. Separation of no-carrier-added 107,109Cd from proton induced silver target. Classical chemistry still relevant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moumita Maiti; Susanta Lahiri; Tomar, B.S.

    2011-01-01

    The classical chemistry like precipitation technique is relevant even in modern days trans-disciplinary research from the view point of green chemistry. A definite demand of no-carrier-added (nca) cadmium tracers, namely, 107,109 Cd, has been realized for diverse applications. Development of efficient separation technique is therefore important to address the purity of the tracers for various applications. No-carrier-added 107,109 Cd radionuclides were produced by bombarding natural silver target matrix with 13 MeV protons, which gave ∼15 MBq/μA h yield for nca 107 Cd. The nca cadmium radionuclides were separated from the natural silver target matrix by precipitating Ag as AgCl. The developed method is an example wherein green chemistry is used in trans-disciplinary research. The method is also simple, fast, cost effective and environmentally benign. (author)

  15. Hepatic or splenic targeting of carrier erythrocytes: a murine model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zocchi, E.; Guida, L.; Benatti, U.; Canepa, M.; Borgiani, L.; Zanin, T.; De Flora, A.

    1987-01-01

    Carrier mouse erythrocytes, i.e., red cells, subjected to a dialysis technique involving transient hypotonic hemolysis and isotonic resealing were treated in vitro in three different ways: (a) energy depletion by exposure for 90 min at 42 degrees C; (b) desialylation by incubation with neuroaminidase; and (c) oxidative stress by incubation with H 2 O 2 and NaN3. Procedure (c) afforded maximal damage, as shown by analysis of biochemical properties of the treated erythrocytes. Reinfusion in mice of the variously manipulated erythrocytes following their 51 Cr labeling showed extensive fragilization as indicated by rapid clearance of radioactivity from the circulation. Moreover, both the energy-depleted and the neuraminidase-treated erythrocytes showed a preferential liver uptake, reaching 50 and 75%, respectively, within 2 h. On the other hand, exposure of erythrocytes to the oxidant stress triggered a largely splenic removal, accounting for almost 40% of the reinjected cells within 4 h. Transmission electron microscopy of liver from mice receiving energy-depleted erythrocytes demonstrated remarkable erythrocyte congestion within the sinusoids, followed by hyperactivity of Kupffer cells and by subsequent thickening of the perisinusoidal Disse space. Concomitantly, levels of serum transaminase activities were moderately increased. Each of the three procedures of manipulation of carrier erythrocytes may prove applicable under conditions where selective targeting of erythrocyte-encapsulated chemicals and drugs to either the liver or the spleen has to be achieved

  16. Pore-Confined Carriers and Biomolecules in Mesoporous Silica for Biomimetic Separation and Targeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Shanshan

    Selectively permeable biological membranes composed of lipophilic barriers inspire the design of biomimetic carrier-mediated membranes for aqueous solute separation. This work imparts selective permeability to lipid-filled pores of silica thin film composite membranes using carrier molecules that reside in the lipophilic self-assemblies. The lipids confined inside the pores of silica are proven to be a more effective barrier than bilayers formed on the porous surface through vesicle fusion, which is critical for quantifying the function of an immobilized carrier. The ability of a lipophilic carrier embedded in the lipid bilayer to reversibly bind the target solute and transport it through the membrane is demonstrated. Through the functionalization of the silica surface with enzymes, enzymatic catalysis and biomimetic separations can be combined on this nanostructured composite platform. The successful development of biomimetic nanocomposite membrane can provide for efficient dilute aqueous solute upgrading or separations using engineered carrier/catalyst/support systems. While the carrier-mediated biomimetic membranes hold great potential, fully understanding of the transport processes in composite synthetic membranes is essential for improve the membrane performance. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) technique is demonstrated to be a useful tool for characterizing the thin film pore accessibility. Furthermore, the effect of lipid bilayer preparation methods on the silica thin film (in the form of pore enveloping, pore filling) on ion transport is explored, as a lipid bilayer with high electrically insulation is essential for detecting activity of proteins or biomimetic carriers in the bilayer. This study provides insights for making better barriers on mesoporous support for carrier-mediated membrane separation process. Porous silica nanoparticles (pSNPs) with pore sizes appropriate for biomolecule loading are potential for encapsulating dsRNA within the

  17. Structural response of cargo containment systems in LNG carriers under ice loads

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, B.; Yu, H.; Basu, R.; Lee, H.; Kwon, J.C.; Jeon, B.Y.; Kim, J.H.; Daley, C.; Kendrick, A.

    2008-01-01

    Gas exploration has been extended into the Arctic region such as in the Russian Arctic area, because of the increasing demand for energy resources. As a result, shipping in ice-covered seas is also increasing. Many technical issues are involved in ensuring the safety of liquefied natural gas (LNG) ships during the transportation. This paper discussed an investigation of ship-ice interaction scenarios for possible operation routes in Arctic areas. Six scenarios were selected to study the structural response of cargo containment systems (CCS) in both membrane and spherical types of LNG ships. For selected ship-ice interaction scenarios, ice loads and loading areas in the hull structure were determined based on the energy theory. The configurations of LNG carriers were discussed and illustrated. The paper also outlined the assessment criteria and structure analysis procedures. It was concluded that the strength of the CCS of membrane-type LNG carrier and the strength of the skirt structure of spherical-type LNG carrier were strong enough under the design ice loads. 13 refs., 9 tabs., 18 figs

  18. Tumor-targeted polymeric nanostructured lipid carriers with precise ratiometric control over dual-drug loading for combination therapy in non-small-cell lung cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Yan; Tian, Baocheng; Zhang, Jing; Li, Keke; Wang, Lele; Han, Jingtian; Wu, Zimei

    2017-01-01

    Gemcitabine (GEM) and paclitaxel (PTX) are effective combination anticancer agents against non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). At the present time, a main challenge of combination treatment is the precision of control that will maximize the combined effects. Here, we report a novel method to load GEM (hydrophilic) and PTX (hydrophobic) into simplex tumor-targeted nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) for accurate control of the ratio of the two drugs. We covalently preconjugated the dual drugs through a hydrolyzable ester linker to form drug conjugates. N -acetyl-d-glucosamine (NAG) is a glucose receptor-targeting ligand. We added NAG to the formation of NAG-NLCs. In general, synthesis of poly(6- O -methacryloyl-d-galactopyranose)-GEM/PTX (PMAGP-GEM/PTX) conjugates was demonstrated, and NAG-NLCs were prepared using emulsification and solvent evaporation. NAG-NLCs displayed sphericity with an average diameter of 120.3±1.3 nm, a low polydispersity index of 0.233±0.04, and accurate ratiometric control over the two drugs. A cytotoxicity assay showed that the NAG-NLCs had better antitumor activity on NSCLC cells than normal cells. There was an optimal ratio of the two drugs, exhibiting the best cytotoxicity and combinatorial effects among all the formulations we tested. In comparison with both the free-drug combinations and separately nanopackaged drug conjugates, PMAGP-GEM/PTX NAG-NLCs (3:1) exhibited superior synergism. Flow cytometry and confocal laser scanning microscopy showed that NAG-NLCs exhibited higher uptake efficiency in A549 cells via glucose receptor-mediated endocytosis. This combinatorial delivery system settles problems with ratiometric coloading of hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs for tumor-targeted combination therapy to achieve maximal anticancer efficacy in NSCLC.

  19. Cyclodextrin-based nanosponges as drug carriers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesco Trotta

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Cyclodextrin-based nanosponges, which are proposed as a new nanosized delivery system, are innovative cross-linked cyclodextrin polymers nanostructured within a three-dimensional network. This type of cyclodextrin polymer can form porous insoluble nanoparticles with a crystalline or amorphous structure and spherical shape or swelling properties. The polarity and dimension of the polymer mesh can be easily tuned by varying the type of cross-linker and degree of cross-linking. Nanosponge functionalisation for site-specific targeting can be achieved by conjugating various ligands on their surface. They are a safe and biodegradable material with negligible toxicity on cell cultures and are well-tolerated after injection in mice. Cyclodextrin-based nanosponges can form complexes with different types of lipophilic or hydrophilic molecules. The release of the entrapped molecules can be varied by modifying the structure to achieve prolonged release kinetics or a faster release. The nanosponges could be used to improve the aqueous solubility of poorly water-soluble molecules, protect degradable substances, obtain sustained delivery systems or design innovative drug carriers for nanomedicine.

  20. Niclosamide is a proton carrier and targets acidic endosomes with broad antiviral effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jurgeit, Andreas; McDowell, Robert; Moese, Stefan; Meldrum, Eric; Schwendener, Reto; Greber, Urs F

    2012-01-01

    Viruses use a limited set of host pathways for infection. These pathways represent bona fide antiviral targets with low likelihood of viral resistance. We identified the salicylanilide niclosamide as a broad range antiviral agent targeting acidified endosomes. Niclosamide is approved for human use against helminthic infections, and has anti-neoplastic and antiviral effects. Its mode of action is unknown. Here, we show that niclosamide, which is a weak lipophilic acid inhibited infection with pH-dependent human rhinoviruses (HRV) and influenza virus. Structure-activity studies showed that antiviral efficacy and endolysosomal pH neutralization co-tracked, and acidification of the extracellular medium bypassed the virus entry block. Niclosamide did not affect the vacuolar H(+)-ATPase, but neutralized coated vesicles or synthetic liposomes, indicating a proton carrier mode-of-action independent of any protein target. This report demonstrates that physico-chemical interference with host pathways has broad range antiviral effects, and provides a proof of concept for the development of host-directed antivirals.

  1. Niclosamide is a proton carrier and targets acidic endosomes with broad antiviral effects.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andreas Jurgeit

    Full Text Available Viruses use a limited set of host pathways for infection. These pathways represent bona fide antiviral targets with low likelihood of viral resistance. We identified the salicylanilide niclosamide as a broad range antiviral agent targeting acidified endosomes. Niclosamide is approved for human use against helminthic infections, and has anti-neoplastic and antiviral effects. Its mode of action is unknown. Here, we show that niclosamide, which is a weak lipophilic acid inhibited infection with pH-dependent human rhinoviruses (HRV and influenza virus. Structure-activity studies showed that antiviral efficacy and endolysosomal pH neutralization co-tracked, and acidification of the extracellular medium bypassed the virus entry block. Niclosamide did not affect the vacuolar H(+-ATPase, but neutralized coated vesicles or synthetic liposomes, indicating a proton carrier mode-of-action independent of any protein target. This report demonstrates that physico-chemical interference with host pathways has broad range antiviral effects, and provides a proof of concept for the development of host-directed antivirals.

  2. Solute carrier transporters: potential targets for digestive system neoplasms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Jing; Zhu, Xiao Yan; Liu, Lu Ming; Meng, Zhi Qiang

    2018-01-01

    Digestive system neoplasms are the leading causes of cancer-related death all over the world. Solute carrier (SLC) superfamily is composed of a series of transporters that are ubiquitously expressed in organs and tissues of digestive systems and mediate specific uptake of small molecule substrates in facilitative manner. Given the important role of SLC proteins in maintaining normal functions of digestive system, dysregulation of these protein in digestive system neoplasms may deliver biological and clinical significance that deserves systemic studies. In this review, we critically summarized the recent advances in understanding the role of SLC proteins in digestive system neoplasms. We highlighted that several SLC subfamilies, including metal ion transporters, transporters of glucose and other sugars, transporters of urea, neurotransmitters and biogenic amines, ammonium and choline, inorganic cation/anion transporters, transporters of nucleotide, amino acid and oligopeptide organic anion transporters, transporters of vitamins and cofactors and mitochondrial carrier, may play important roles in mediating the initiation, progression, metastasis, and chemoresistance of digestive system neoplasms. Proteins in these SLC subfamilies may also have diagnostic and prognostic values to particular cancer types. Differential expression of SLC proteins in tumors of digestive system was analyzed by extracting data from human cancer database, which revealed that the roles of SLC proteins may either be dependent on the substrates they transport or be tissue specific. In addition, small molecule modulators that pharmacologically regulate the functions of SLC proteins were discussed for their possible application in the treatment of digestive system neoplasms. This review highlighted the potential of SLC family proteins as drug target for the treatment of digestive system neoplasms.

  3. Dendritic cell targeted liposomes–protamine–DNA complexes mediated by synthetic mannosylated cholestrol as a potential carrier for DNA vaccine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Pan; Chen Simu; Jiang Yuhong; Jiang Jiayu; Zhang Zhirong; Sun Xun

    2013-01-01

    To construct mannosylated liposomes/protamine/DNA (LPD) carriers for DNA vaccine targeting to dendritic cells (DCs), a mannosylated cholesterol derivative (Man-C6-Chol) was synthesized via simple ester linkage and amide bonds. Then, the Man-C6-Chol was applied to LPD formulation as a synthetic ligand. The physicochemical properties of mannosylated LPD (Man-LPD) were first evaluated, including the size and zeta potential, morphology and the ability to protect DNA against DNase I degradation. Man-LPD showed a small size with a stable viral-like structure. In comparison to non-mannose liposomes/LPD (Man-free liposomes/LPD), mannosylated liposomes/LPD (Man-liposomes/Man-LPD) exhibited higher efficiency in both intracellular uptake (2.3-fold) and transfection (4.5-fold) in vitro. Subsequent MTT assays indicated that the LPD carriers had low toxicity on the tested cells. Afterwards, the investigation into the maturation activation on primary bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs) showed that both Man-LPD and Man-free LPD induced remarkable up-regulation of CD80, CD86 and CD40 on BMDCs. Inspired by these studies, we can conclude that the synthetic mannosylated LPD targeting to DCs was a potential carrier for DNA vaccine. (paper)

  4. Monochromatic x-ray radiography of laser-driven spherical targets using high-energy, picoseconds LFEX laser

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sawada, Hiroshi; Fujioka, S.; Lee, S.; Arikawa, Y.; Shigemori, K.; Nagatomo, H.; Nishimura, H.; Sunahara, A.; Theobald, W.; Perez, F.; Patel, P. K.; Beg, F. N.

    2015-11-01

    Formation of a high density fusion fuel is essential in both conventional and advanced Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) schemes for the self-sustaining fusion process. In cone-guided Fast Ignition (FI), a metal cone is attached to a spherical target to maintain the path for the injection of an intense short-pulse ignition laser from blow-off plasma created when nanoseconds compression lasers drive the target. We have measured a temporal evolution of a compressed deuterated carbon (CD) sphere using 4.5 keV K-alpha radiography with the Kilo-Joule, picosecond LFEX laser at the Institute of Laser Engineering. A 200 μm CD sphere attached to the tip of a Au cone was directly driven by 9 Gekko XII beams with 300 J/beam in a 1.3 ns Gaussian pulse. The LFEX laser irradiated on a Ti foil to generate 4.51 Ti K-alpha x-ray. By varying the delay between the compression and backlighter lasers, the measured radiograph images show an increase of the areal density of the imploded target. The detail of the quantitative analyses to infer the areal density and comparisons to hydrodynamics simulations will be presented. This work was performed with the support and under the auspices of the NIFS Collaboration Research program (NIFS13KUGK072). H.S. was supported by the UNR's International Activities Grant program.

  5. Green methods for the radiochemical separations of no-carrier-added 61Cu, 62Zn from 7Li irradiated cobalt target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moumita Maiti; Kaustab Ghosh; Susanta Lahiri

    2015-01-01

    A nat Co target was irradiated with 47 MeV 7 Li beam to produce no-carrier-added 61 Cu, 62 Zn in the target matrix. Two new green radiochemical methods were developed for separation of 61 Cu and 62 Zn from the target matrix, (i) liquid-liquid extraction (LLX) technique using room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([C 4 mim][PF 6 ]) and ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (APDC) (ii) adsorption on calcium alginate beads. (author)

  6. Highly immunogenic and fully synthetic peptide-carrier constructs targetting GnRH

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Beekman, N.J.C.M.; Schaaper, W.M.M.; Turkstra, J.A.

    1999-01-01

    To use peptides as synthetic vaccines, they have to be coupled to a carrier protein to make them more immunogenic. Coupling efficiency between a carrier protein and a peptide, however, is difficult to control with respect to loading density of the peptide, This makes these carrier proteins poorly...... for the induction of antibodies against GnRH and immunocastration of pigs....

  7. Solvent extraction of Au(III) for preparation of a carrier-free multitracer and an Au tracer from an Au target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weginwar, R.G.; Kobayashi, Y.; Ambe, S.; Liu, B.; Enomoto, S.; Ambe, F.

    1996-01-01

    Separation of Au(III) and various carrier-free radionuclides by solvent extraction was investigated using an Au target irradiated by an energetic heavy-ion beam. Percentage extraction of Au(III) and coextraction of the radionuclides were determined with varying parameters such as kinds of solvent, molarity of HCl or pH, and Au concentration. Under the conditions where Au(III) was effectively extracted, namely extraction with ethyl acetate or isobutyl methyl ketone from 3 mol*dm -3 HCl, carrier-free radionuclides of many elements were found to be more or less coextracted. Coextraction of radionuclides of some elements was found to increase with an increase in the concentration of Au(III). This finding is ascribed to the formation of strong association of the complex of these elements with chloroauric acid. In order to avoid serious loss of these elements by the extraction, lowering of the Au(III) concentration or the use of a masking agent such as sodium citrate is necessary. Gold(III) was shown to be effectively back extracted with a 0.1 mol*dm -3 aqueous solution of 2-amino-2-hydroxymethyl-1,3-propanediol. Thus, a radiochemical procedure has been established for preparing a carrier-free multitracer and an Au tracer with carrier form from an Au target irradiated with a heavy-ion beam. Both tracers are now used individually for chemical and biological experiments. (author). 22 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs

  8. New separation method of no-carrier-added {sup 47}Sc from titanium targets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bartos, B.; Majkowska, A.; Kasperek, A.; Krajewski, S.; Bilewicz, A. [Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Warszawa (Poland). Nuclear Chemistry and Radiochemistry Center

    2012-07-01

    Radionuclides with medium energy beta emission and a several day half-life are attractive candidates for radioimmunotherapy. Among the most promising in this category is {sup 47}Sc produced by fast neutron irradiation (E{sub n} > 1 MeV) of titanium target with high energy neutrons in {sup 47}Ti(n,p){sup 47}Sc nuclear reaction. In the previously reported production scheme the dissolution of the TiO{sub 2} target in hot concentrated H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} and evaporation of the resulting solution were the most time-consuming steps. The present paper describes new, simple and efficient production method of {sup 47}Sc, where the slow dissolution of the target is avoided. After irradiation in fast neutron flux {sup 47}TiO{sub 2} and Li{sub 2}{sup 47}TiF{sub 6} targets were dissolved in HF solutions. Next {sup 47}Sc was separated from the target using anion exchange resin Dowex 1 with 0.4 M HF + 0.06 M HNO{sub 3} solution as eluent. The eluted {sup 47}Sc was adsorbed on cation exchange resin and eluted with 0.5 M of ammonium acetate. The 47Sc separation yield in the proposed procedure is about 90% with the separation time less than 2 h. The obtained no-carrier-added {sup 47}Sc was used to label DOTATATE conjugate with 96% labeling yield. (orig.)

  9. Targeted DNA delivery to cancer cells using a biotinylated chitosan carrier.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Darvishi, Mohammad H; Nomani, Alireza; Hashemzadeh, Hadi; Amini, Mohsen; Shokrgozar, Mohammad A; Dinarvand, Rassoul

    2017-05-01

    A novel biotinylated chitosan-graft-polyethyleneimine (Bio-Chi-g-PEI) copolymer was synthesized and evaluated as a nonviral gene delivery carrier for improvement of the transfection efficiency, endosomal escape, and targeted gene delivery of a plasmid encoding green fluorescent protein N1 (pEGFP-N1) into two different biotin-overexpressing cell lines including HeLa and OVCAR-3 cells. The structure of the obtained copolymers was confirmed by 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H NMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Physicochemical properties of the Bio-Chi-g-PEI/plasmid DNA (pDNA) complexes such as complex stability, size, zeta potential, and their morphology were investigated at various weight ratios of copolymer to pDNA. Bio-Chi-g-PEI copolymers could effectively condense pDNA into small particles with average diameters less than 164 nm and the zeta potential of +34.8 mV at the N/P ratio of 40/1. As revealed by flow cytometry, Bio-Chi-g-PEI/pDNA complexes had lower cytotoxicity than that of PEI 25 kDa/pDNA complexes in both cell lines. In vitro experiments revealed that the Bio-Chi-gPEI/pDNA complexes not only had much lower cytotoxicity, but also displayed higher transfection efficiency than that of PEI 25kDa/pDNA complexes. High percentage of cancer cells was successfully transfected by Bio-Chi-g-PEI/pDNA and properly expressed GFP protein. This study indicates that this copolymer complex can be a promising gene delivery carrier. © 2016 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  10. Benzothiophen-pyrazine scaffold as a potential membrane targeting drug carrier

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mazuryk, Olga; Niemiec, Elżbieta; Stochel, Grażyna; Gillaizeau, Isabelle; Brindell, Małgorzata

    2013-01-01

    The fluorescent properties of 2,5-di(benzo[b]thiophen-2-yl)pyrazine as a potential membrane targeting drug carrier were characterized and it was shown that its fluorescence intensity was much higher in organic solvent than in water. The embedding of studied compound by liposomes leads to ca. 2 orders of magnitude increase in its fluorescence intensity, suggesting its preferential accumulation in membranes. Preliminary biological studies showed its ability to accumulate in cells, and the concentration of 10 μM was sufficient for homogeneous staining of cells. The treatment of mouse carcinoma CT26 cells with studied compound up to 200 μM resulted in decreasing of viable cells by ca. 30%. Its reactivity towards albumin was found to be moderate with an association constant of 6×10 4 M −1 , while no interaction with DNA was observed. Our findings encourage for further studies on functionalization of this molecule to obtain a new class of anticancer drugs targeting membrane. Highlights: ► The fluorescence of 2,5-di(benzo[b]thiophen-2-yl)pyrazine is solvent dependent. ► Weak fluorescence is found in water while high in organic solvents (DMSO, chloroform). ► Embedding of compound in liposomes remarkably increased its fluorescence. ► No interaction with DNA is observed but moderate reactivity towards albumin is found. ► Homogeneous staining of cells is feasible using nontoxic dose of compound

  11. Mitochondrial-targeted DNA delivery using a DF-MITO-Porter, an innovative nano carrier with cytoplasmic and mitochondrial fusogenic envelopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamada, Yuma; Kawamura, Eriko; Harashima, Hideyoshi

    2012-01-01

    Mitochondrial gene therapy has the potential for curing a variety of diseases that are associated with mitochondrial DNA mutations and/or defects. To achieve this, it will be necessary to deliver therapeutic agents into the mitochondria in diseased cells. A number of mitochondrial drug delivery systems have been reported to date. However, reports of mitochondrial-targeted DNA delivery are limited. To achieve this, the therapeutic agent must be taken up by the cell (1), after which, the multi-processes associated with intracellular trafficking must be sophisticatedly regulated so as to release the agent from the endosome and deliver it to the cytosol (2) and to pass through the mitochondrial membrane (3). We report herein on the mitochondrial delivery of oligo DNA as a model therapeutic using a Dual Function (DF)-MITO-Porter, an innovative nano carrier designed for mitochondrial delivery. The critical structural elements of the DF-MITO-Porter include mitochondria-fusogenic inner envelopes and endosome-fusogenic outer envelopes, modified with octaarginine which greatly assists in cellular uptake. Inside the cell, the carrier passes through the endosomal and mitochondrial membranes via step-wise membrane fusion. When the oligo DNA was packaged in the DF-MITO-Porter, cellular uptake efficiency was strongly enhanced. Intracellular observation using confocal laser scanning microscopy showed that the DF-MITO-Porter was effectively released from endosomes. Moreover, the findings confirmed that the mitochondrial targeting activity of the DF-MITO-Porter was significantly higher than that of a carrier without outer endosome-fusogenic envelopes. These results support the conclusion that mitochondrial-targeted DNA delivery using a DF-MITO-Porter can be achieved when intracellular trafficking is optimally regulated.

  12. Mitochondrial-targeted DNA delivery using a DF-MITO-Porter, an innovative nano carrier with cytoplasmic and mitochondrial fusogenic envelopes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yamada, Yuma; Kawamura, Eriko; Harashima, Hideyoshi, E-mail: harasima@pharm.hokudai.ac.jp [Hokkaido University, Laboratory for Molecular Design of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Japan)

    2012-08-15

    Mitochondrial gene therapy has the potential for curing a variety of diseases that are associated with mitochondrial DNA mutations and/or defects. To achieve this, it will be necessary to deliver therapeutic agents into the mitochondria in diseased cells. A number of mitochondrial drug delivery systems have been reported to date. However, reports of mitochondrial-targeted DNA delivery are limited. To achieve this, the therapeutic agent must be taken up by the cell (1), after which, the multi-processes associated with intracellular trafficking must be sophisticatedly regulated so as to release the agent from the endosome and deliver it to the cytosol (2) and to pass through the mitochondrial membrane (3). We report herein on the mitochondrial delivery of oligo DNA as a model therapeutic using a Dual Function (DF)-MITO-Porter, an innovative nano carrier designed for mitochondrial delivery. The critical structural elements of the DF-MITO-Porter include mitochondria-fusogenic inner envelopes and endosome-fusogenic outer envelopes, modified with octaarginine which greatly assists in cellular uptake. Inside the cell, the carrier passes through the endosomal and mitochondrial membranes via step-wise membrane fusion. When the oligo DNA was packaged in the DF-MITO-Porter, cellular uptake efficiency was strongly enhanced. Intracellular observation using confocal laser scanning microscopy showed that the DF-MITO-Porter was effectively released from endosomes. Moreover, the findings confirmed that the mitochondrial targeting activity of the DF-MITO-Porter was significantly higher than that of a carrier without outer endosome-fusogenic envelopes. These results support the conclusion that mitochondrial-targeted DNA delivery using a DF-MITO-Porter can be achieved when intracellular trafficking is optimally regulated.

  13. Visual Detection and Tracking System for a Spherical Amphibious Robot.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Shuxiang; Pan, Shaowu; Shi, Liwei; Guo, Ping; He, Yanlin; Tang, Kun

    2017-04-15

    With the goal of supporting close-range observation tasks of a spherical amphibious robot, such as ecological observations and intelligent surveillance, a moving target detection and tracking system was designed and implemented in this study. Given the restrictions presented by the amphibious environment and the small-sized spherical amphibious robot, an industrial camera and vision algorithms using adaptive appearance models were adopted to construct the proposed system. To handle the problem of light scattering and absorption in the underwater environment, the multi-scale retinex with color restoration algorithm was used for image enhancement. Given the environmental disturbances in practical amphibious scenarios, the Gaussian mixture model was used to detect moving targets entering the field of view of the robot. A fast compressive tracker with a Kalman prediction mechanism was used to track the specified target. Considering the limited load space and the unique mechanical structure of the robot, the proposed vision system was fabricated with a low power system-on-chip using an asymmetric and heterogeneous computing architecture. Experimental results confirmed the validity and high efficiency of the proposed system. The design presented in this paper is able to meet future demands of spherical amphibious robots in biological monitoring and multi-robot cooperation.

  14. Visual Detection and Tracking System for a Spherical Amphibious Robot

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Shuxiang; Pan, Shaowu; Shi, Liwei; Guo, Ping; He, Yanlin; Tang, Kun

    2017-01-01

    With the goal of supporting close-range observation tasks of a spherical amphibious robot, such as ecological observations and intelligent surveillance, a moving target detection and tracking system was designed and implemented in this study. Given the restrictions presented by the amphibious environment and the small-sized spherical amphibious robot, an industrial camera and vision algorithms using adaptive appearance models were adopted to construct the proposed system. To handle the problem of light scattering and absorption in the underwater environment, the multi-scale retinex with color restoration algorithm was used for image enhancement. Given the environmental disturbances in practical amphibious scenarios, the Gaussian mixture model was used to detect moving targets entering the field of view of the robot. A fast compressive tracker with a Kalman prediction mechanism was used to track the specified target. Considering the limited load space and the unique mechanical structure of the robot, the proposed vision system was fabricated with a low power system-on-chip using an asymmetric and heterogeneous computing architecture. Experimental results confirmed the validity and high efficiency of the proposed system. The design presented in this paper is able to meet future demands of spherical amphibious robots in biological monitoring and multi-robot cooperation. PMID:28420134

  15. [Drug delivery systems using nano-sized drug carriers].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakayama, Masamichi; Okano, Teruo

    2005-07-01

    Nanotechnology has attracted great attention all over the world in recent several years and has led to the establishment of the novel technical field of "nanomedicine" through collaboration with advanced medical technology. Particularly, site-specific drug targeting using particle drug carrier systems has made substantial progress and been actively developed. This review explains the essential factors (size and chemical character) of drug carriers to allow long circulation in the bloodstream avoiding the reticuloendothelial system, and shows the present status and future perspective of several types of nano-carrier systems (water-soluble polymer, liposome and polymeric micelle). We also introduce the novel concept of multi-targeting system (combination of two or more targeting methodologies) for ideal drug therapies.

  16. High resolution monochromatic X-ray imaging system based on spherically bent crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aglitskiy, Y.; Lehecka, T.; Obenschain, S.; Bodner, S.; Pawley, C.; Gerber, K.; Sethian, J.; Brown, C. M.; Seely, J.; Feldman, U.; Holland, G.

    1997-01-01

    We have developed a new X-ray imaging system based on spherically curved crystals. It is designed and used for diagnostics of targets ablatively accelerated by the Nike KrF laser. The imaging system is used for plasma diagnostics of the main target and for characterization of potential backlighters. A spherically curved quartz crystal (2d=6.687 A, R=200 mm) is used to produce monochromatic backlit images with the He-like Si resonance line (1865 eV) as the source of radiation. The spatial resolution of the X-ray optical system is 3-4 μm. Time resolved backlit monochromatic images of CH planar targets driven by the Nike facility have been obtained with 6-7 μm spatial resolution

  17. Novel tumor-targeting, self-assembling peptide nanofiber as a carrier for effective curcumin delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liu J

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Jianfeng Liu, Jinjian Liu, Hongyan Xu, Yumin Zhang, Liping Chu, Qingfen Liu, Naling Song, Cuihong YangTianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, People's Republic of ChinaAbstract: The poor aqueous solubility and low bioavailability of curcumin restrict its clinical application for cancer treatment. In this study, a novel tumor-targeting nanofiber carrier was developed to improve the solubility and tumor-targeting ability of curcumin using a self-assembled Nap-GFFYG-RGD peptide. The morphologies of the peptide nanofiber and the curcumin-encapsulated nanofiber were visualized by transmission electron microscopy. The tumor-targeting activity of the curcumin-encapsulated Nap-GFFYG-RGD peptide nanofiber (f-RGD-Cur was studied in vitro and in vivo, using Nap-GFFYG-RGE peptide nanofiber (f-RGE-Cur as the control. Curcumin was encapsulated into the peptide nanofiber, which had a diameter of approximately 10–20 nm. Curcumin showed sustained-release behavior from the nanofibers in vitro. f-RGD-Cur showed much higher cellular uptake in αvβ3 integrin-positive HepG2 liver carcinoma cells than did non-targeted f-RGE-Cur, thereby leading to significantly higher cytotoxicity. Ex vivo studies further demonstrated that curcumin could accumulate markedly in mouse tumors after administration of f-RGD-Cur via the tail vein. These results indicate that Nap-GFFYG-RGD peptide self-assembled nanofibers are a promising hydrophobic drug delivery system for targeted treatment of cancer.Keywords: nanofiber, tumor-targeting, self-assembling, curcumin, drug delivery

  18. Follicular delivery of spironolactone via nanostructured lipid carriers for management of alopecia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shamma RN

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Rehab Nabil Shamma, Mona Hassan AburahmaDepartment of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, EgyptAbstract: Spironolactone (SL is a US Food and Drug Administration-approved drug for the treatment of hypertension and various edematous conditions. SL has gained a lot of attention for treating androgenic alopecia due to its potent antiandrogenic properties. Recently, there has been growing interest for follicular targeting of drug molecules for treatment of hair and scalp disorders using nanocolloidal lipid-based delivery systems to minimize unnecessary systemic side effects associated with oral drug administration. Accordingly, the objective of this study is to improve SL efficiency and safety in treating alopecia through the preparation of colloidal nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs for follicular drug delivery. SL-loaded NLCs were prepared by an emulsion solvent diffusion and evaporation method using 23 full factorial design. All of the prepared formulations were spherical in shape with nanometric size range (215.6–834.3 nm and entrapment efficiency >74%. Differential scanning calorimetry thermograms and X-ray diffractograms revealed that SL exists in amorphous form within the NLC matrices. The drug release behavior from the NLCs displayed an initial burst release phase followed by sustained release of SL. Confocal laser scanning microscopy confirmed the potential of delivering the fluorolabeled NLCs within the follicles, suggesting the possibility of using SL-loaded NLCs for localized delivery of SL into the scalp hair follicles.Keywords: spironolactone, androgenic alopecia, nanostructured lipid carriers, follicular targeting, confocal laser scanning microscopy

  19. Construction and Biological Evaluation of a Novel Integrin ανβ3-Specific Carrier for Targeted siRNA Delivery In Vitro

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xueqi Chen

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available (1 Background: The great potential of RNA interference (RNAi-based gene therapy is premised on the effective delivery of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs to target tissues and cells. Hence, we aimed at developing and examining a novel integrin αvβ3-specific delivery carrier for targeted transfection of siRNA to malignant tumor cells; (2 Methods: Arginine-glycine-aspartate motif (RGD was adopted as a tissue target for specific recognition of integrin αvβ3. To enable siRNA binding, a chimeric peptide was synthesized by adding nonamer arginine residues (9R at the carboxy terminus of cyclic-RGD dimer, designated as c(RGD2-9R. The efficiency of 9R peptide transferring siRNA was biologically evaluated in vitro by flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, and Western blot; (3 Results: An optimal 10:1 molar ratio of c(RGD2-9R to siRNA was confirmed by the electrophoresis on agarose gels. Both the flow cytometry and confocal microscopy results testified that transfection of c(RGD2-9R as an siRNA delivery carrier was obviously higher than the naked-siRNA group. The results of Western blot demonstrated that these 9R peptides were able to transduce siRNA to HepG2 cells in vitro, resulting in efficient gene silencing; and (4 Conclusion: The chimeric peptide of c(RGD2-9R can be developed as an effective siRNA delivery carrier and shows potential as a new strategy for RNAi-based gene therapy.

  20. High resolution monochromatic X-ray imaging system based on spherically bent crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aglitskiy, Y.; Lehecka, T.; Obenschain, S.; Bodner, S.; Pawley, C.; Gerber, K.; Sethian, J.; Brown, C.M.; Seely, J.; Feldman, U.; Holland, G.

    1997-01-01

    We have developed a new X-ray imaging system based on spherically curved crystals. It is designed and used for diagnostics of targets ablatively accelerated by the Nike KrF laser [1,2]. The imaging system is used for plasma diagnostics of the main target and for characterization of potential backlighters. A spherically curved quartz crystal (2d=6.687 Angstrom, R=200mm) is used to produce monochromatic backlit images with the He-like Si resonance line (1865 eV) as the source of radiation. The spatial resolution of the X-ray optical system is 3 endash 4 μm. Time resolved backlit monochromatic images of CH planar targets driven by the Nike facility have been obtained with 6 endash 7 μm spatial resolution. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

  1. Aptamers as Both Drugs and Drug-Carriers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Md. Ashrafuzzaman

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Aptamers are short nucleic acid oligos. They may serve as both drugs and drug-carriers. Their use as diagnostic tools is also evident. They can be generated using various experimental, theoretical, and computational techniques. The systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment which uses iterative screening of nucleic acid libraries is a popular experimental technique. Theory inspired methodology entropy-based seed-and-grow strategy that designs aptamer templates to bind specifically to targets is another one. Aptamers are predicted to be highly useful in producing general drugs and theranostic drugs occasionally for certain diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and so on. They bind to various targets like lipids, nucleic acids, proteins, small organic compounds, and even entire organisms. Aptamers may also serve as drug-carriers or nanoparticles helping drugs to get released in specific target regions. Due to better target specific physical binding properties aptamers cause less off-target toxicity effects. Therefore, search for aptamer based drugs, drug-carriers, and even diagnostic tools is expanding fast. The biophysical properties in relation to the target specific binding phenomena of aptamers, energetics behind the aptamer transport of drugs, and the consequent biological implications will be discussed. This review will open up avenues leading to novel drug discovery and drug delivery.

  2. Gelatin as a carrier system for delivery of polyphenols compounds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jovanović Aleksandra

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In the present study, the influence of different encapsulation techniques (lyophilization and spray drying on gelatin, as a carrier system for delivery of polyphenols compounds, on wild thyme extracts and on encapsulated extracts was investigated. FTIR analyses has shown the presence of carbohydrates, polysaccharides, polyphenols, flavonoids, monoterpenes and carboxylates in the dried extracts, while FTIR spectrum of the encapsulated extracts has shown almost exclusively gelatin-based stripes, indicating the efficient encapsulation of the active ingredients of the extracts and therefore their protection. Scanning electron microscopy has shown that the lyophilization process produced irregularly shaped particles, while spray drying formed spherical and pseudo-spherical particles with rough surface. Using the method of diffraction of laser light, it has been found that spray dried encapsulate possessed significantly lower particle size and significantly better uniformity in comparison to the lyophilized sample. According to the results obtained in differential scanning calorimetry, endothermic peak of lyophilized gelatin encapsulate appeared at higher temperature, thus it can be concluded that lyophilized sample was more thermostable than spray dried parallel. Additionally, the values of enthalpy of gelatin encapsulates were significantly higher compared to pure extracts, which confirmed the presence of stabilizing interactions between the encapsulated components and a carrier.

  3. Nanostructured Lipid Carriers Loaded with Baicalin: An Efficient Carrier for Enhanced Antidiabetic Effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Feng; Wei, Zheng; Zhao, Yingying; Xu, Ximing

    2016-01-01

    Recent studies have demonstrated that baicalin has antihyperglycemic effects by inhibiting lipid peroxidation. Baicalin is low hydrophilic and poorly absorbed after oral administration. Thus, a suitable formulation is highly desired to overcome the disadvantages of baicalin. The objective of this work was to prepare baicalin-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (B-NLCs) for enhanced antidiabetic effects. B-NLCs were prepared by high-pressure homogenization method using Precirol as the solid lipid and Miglyol as the liquid lipid. The properties of the NLCs, such as particle size, zeta potential (ZP), and drug encapsulation efficiency (EE), were investigated. The morphology of NLCs was observed by transmission electron microscopy. In addition, drug release and antidiabetic activity were also studied. The results revealed that B-NLCs particles were uniformly in the nanosize range and of spherical morphology with a mean size of 92 ± 3.1 nm, a ZP of -31.35 ± 3.08 mV, and an EE of 85.29 ± 3.42%. Baicalin was released from NLCs in a sustained manner. In addition, B-NLCs showed a significantly higher antidiabetic efficacy compared with baicalin. B-NLCs described in this study are well-suited for the delivery of baicalin. Currently, herbal medicines have attracted increasing attention as a complementary approach for type 2 diabetesBaicalin has antihyperglycemic effects by inhibiting lipid peroxidationA suitable formulation is highly desired to overcome the disadvantages (poor solubility and low bioavailability) of baicalinNanostructured lipid carriers could enhance the antidiabetic effects of baicalin. Abbreviations used: B-NLCs: Baicalin-Loaded Nanostructured Lipid Carriers, B-SUS: Baicalin Water Suspension, EE: Encapsulation Efficiency, FBG: Fasting Blood Glucose, HbAlc: Glycosylated Hemoglobin, HPLC: High-performance Liquid Chromatography; NLCs: Nanostructured Lipid Carriers, PI: Polydispersity Index, SD: Sprague-Dawley, SLNs: Solid lipid nanoparticles, STZ

  4. The Peroxisomal Targeting Signal 1 in sterol carrier protein 2 is autonomous and essential for receptor recognition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bond Charles S

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The majority of peroxisomal matrix proteins destined for translocation into the peroxisomal lumen are recognised via a C-terminal Peroxisomal Target Signal type 1 by the cycling receptor Pex5p. The only structure to date of Pex5p in complex with a cargo protein is that of the C-terminal cargo-binding domain of the receptor with sterol carrier protein 2, a small, model peroxisomal protein. In this study, we have tested the contribution of a second, ancillary receptor-cargo binding site, which was found in addition to the characterised Peroxisomal Target Signal type 1. Results To investigate the function of this secondary interface we have mutated two key residues from the ancillary binding site and analyzed the level of binding first by a yeast-two-hybrid assay, followed by quantitative measurement of the binding affinity and kinetics of purified protein components and finally, by in vivo measurements, to determine translocation capability. While a moderate but significant reduction of the interaction was found in binding assays, we were not able to measure any significant defects in vivo. Conclusions Our data therefore suggest that at least in the case of sterol carrier protein 2 the contribution of the second binding site is not essential for peroxisomal import. At this stage, however, we cannot rule out that other cargo proteins may require this ancillary binding site.

  5. Spherical sampling

    CERN Document Server

    Freeden, Willi; Schreiner, Michael

    2018-01-01

    This book presents, in a consistent and unified overview, results and developments in the field of today´s spherical sampling, particularly arising in mathematical geosciences. Although the book often refers to original contributions, the authors made them accessible to (graduate) students and scientists not only from mathematics but also from geosciences and geoengineering. Building a library of topics in spherical sampling theory it shows how advances in this theory lead to new discoveries in mathematical, geodetic, geophysical as well as other scientific branches like neuro-medicine. A must-to-read for everybody working in the area of spherical sampling.

  6. Bioconjugated PLGA-4-arm-PEG branched polymeric nanoparticles as novel tumor targeting carriers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ding Hong; Yong, Ken-Tye; Roy, Indrajit; Hu Rui; Zhao Lingling; Law, Wing-Cheung; Ji Wei; Liu Liwei; Bergey, Earl J; Prasad, Paras N; Wu Fang; Zhao Weiwei

    2011-01-01

    In this study, we have developed a novel carrier, micelle-type bioconjugated PLGA-4-arm-PEG branched polymeric nanoparticles (NPs), for the detection and treatment of pancreatic cancer. These NPs contained 4-arm-PEG as corona, and PLGA as core, the particle surface was conjugated with cyclo(arginine-glycine-aspartate) (cRGD) as ligand for in vivo tumor targeting. The hydrodynamic size of the NPs was determined to be 150-180 nm and the critical micellar concentration (CMC) was estimated to be 10.5 mg l -1 . Our in vitro study shows that these NPs by themselves had negligible cytotoxicity to human pancreatic cancer (Panc-1) and human glioblastoma (U87) cell lines. Near infrared (NIR) microscopy and flow cytometry demonstrated that the cRGD conjugated PLGA-4-arm-PEG polymeric NPs were taken up more efficiently by U87MG glioma cells, over-expressing the α v β 3 integrin, when compared with the non-targeted NPs. Whole body imaging showed that the cRGD conjugated PLGA-4-arm-PEG branched polymeric NPs had the highest accumulation in the pancreatic tumor site of mice at 48 h post-injection. Physical, hematological, and pathological assays indicated low in vivo toxicity of this NP formulation. These studies on the ability of these bioconjugated PLGA-4-arm-PEG polymeric NPs suggest that the prepared polymeric NPs may serve as a promising platform for detection and targeted drug delivery for pancreatic cancer.

  7. Bioconjugated PLGA-4-arm-PEG branched polymeric nanoparticles as novel tumor targeting carriers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ding Hong; Yong, Ken-Tye; Roy, Indrajit; Hu Rui; Zhao Lingling; Law, Wing-Cheung; Ji Wei; Liu Liwei; Bergey, Earl J; Prasad, Paras N [Department of Chemistry, Institute for Lasers, Photonics and Biophotonics, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260 (United States); Wu Fang [Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260 (United States); Zhao Weiwei, E-mail: bergeye@buffalo.edu, E-mail: pnprasad@buffalo.edu [Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14215 (United States)

    2011-04-22

    In this study, we have developed a novel carrier, micelle-type bioconjugated PLGA-4-arm-PEG branched polymeric nanoparticles (NPs), for the detection and treatment of pancreatic cancer. These NPs contained 4-arm-PEG as corona, and PLGA as core, the particle surface was conjugated with cyclo(arginine-glycine-aspartate) (cRGD) as ligand for in vivo tumor targeting. The hydrodynamic size of the NPs was determined to be 150-180 nm and the critical micellar concentration (CMC) was estimated to be 10.5 mg l{sup -1}. Our in vitro study shows that these NPs by themselves had negligible cytotoxicity to human pancreatic cancer (Panc-1) and human glioblastoma (U87) cell lines. Near infrared (NIR) microscopy and flow cytometry demonstrated that the cRGD conjugated PLGA-4-arm-PEG polymeric NPs were taken up more efficiently by U87MG glioma cells, over-expressing the {alpha}{sub v{beta}3} integrin, when compared with the non-targeted NPs. Whole body imaging showed that the cRGD conjugated PLGA-4-arm-PEG branched polymeric NPs had the highest accumulation in the pancreatic tumor site of mice at 48 h post-injection. Physical, hematological, and pathological assays indicated low in vivo toxicity of this NP formulation. These studies on the ability of these bioconjugated PLGA-4-arm-PEG polymeric NPs suggest that the prepared polymeric NPs may serve as a promising platform for detection and targeted drug delivery for pancreatic cancer.

  8. Carrier screening in the era of expanding genetic technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arjunan, Aishwarya; Litwack, Karen; Collins, Nick; Charrow, Joel

    2016-12-01

    The Center for Jewish Genetics provides genetic education and carrier screening to individuals of Jewish descent. Carrier screening has traditionally been performed by targeted mutation analysis for founder mutations with an enzyme assay for Tay-Sachs carrier detection. The development of next-generation sequencing (NGS) allows for higher detection rates regardless of ethnicity. Here, we explore differences in carrier detection rates between genotyping and NGS in a primarily Jewish population. Peripheral blood samples or saliva samples were obtained from 506 individuals. All samples were analyzed by sequencing, targeted genotyping, triplet-repeat detection, and copy-number analysis; the analyses were carried out at Counsyl. Of 506 individuals screened, 288 were identified as carriers of at least 1 condition and 8 couples were carriers for the same disorder. A total of 434 pathogenic variants were identified. Three hundred twelve variants would have been detected via genotyping alone. Although no additional mutations were detected by NGS in diseases routinely screened for in the Ashkenazi Jewish population, 26.5% of carrier results and 2 carrier couples would have been missed without NGS in the larger panel. In a primarily Jewish population, NGS reveals a larger number of pathogenic variants and provides individuals with valuable information for family planning.Genet Med 18 12, 1214-1217.

  9. Numerical simulations of semi-armor-piercing warhead penetrating aircraft carrier target

    OpenAIRE

    Dong Sangqaing; Cai Xinghui; Wang Guoliang; Gao Yunliang; Lu Jiangren

    2015-01-01

    FEM models of semi-armor-piercing warhead penetrating aircraft carrier deck are established, which are validated by related experimental data. Base on the models, the process of semi-armor-piercing warhead penetrating aircraft carrier deck with different incidence angles and attack angles are carried out. The results show that incidence angles have no remarkable influence on penetration capability of the projectile under the circumstance of zero attack angle. Ductility reaming damage mode and...

  10. Passive tumor targeting of polymer therapeutics: in vivo imaging of both the polymer carrier and the enzymatically cleavable drug model

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Pola, Robert; Heinrich, A. K.; Mueller, T.; Kostka, Libor; Mäder, K.; Pechar, Michal; Etrych, Tomáš

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 16, č. 11 (2016), s. 1577-1582 ISSN 1616-5187 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA15-02986S; GA ČR(CZ) GA16-17207S; GA MŠk(CZ) LO1507 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : polymer drug carriers * tumor targeting * enzymatic release Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 3.238, year: 2016

  11. Spherical Bessel transform via exponential sum approximation of spherical Bessel function

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ikeno, Hidekazu

    2018-02-01

    A new algorithm for numerical evaluation of spherical Bessel transform is proposed in this paper. In this method, the spherical Bessel function is approximately represented as an exponential sum with complex parameters. This is obtained by expressing an integral representation of spherical Bessel function in complex plane, and discretizing contour integrals along steepest descent paths and a contour path parallel to real axis using numerical quadrature rule with the double-exponential transformation. The number of terms in the expression is reduced using the modified balanced truncation method. The residual part of integrand is also expanded by exponential functions using Prony-like method. The spherical Bessel transform can be evaluated analytically on arbitrary points in half-open interval.

  12. Uniqueness of flat spherically symmetric spacelike hypersurfaces admitted by spherically symmetric static spacetimes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beig, Robert; Siddiqui, Azad A.

    2007-11-01

    It is known that spherically symmetric static spacetimes admit a foliation by flat hypersurfaces. Such foliations have explicitly been constructed for some spacetimes, using different approaches, but none of them have proved or even discussed the uniqueness of these foliations. The issue of uniqueness becomes more important due to suitability of flat foliations for studying black hole physics. Here, flat spherically symmetric spacelike hypersurfaces are obtained by a direct method. It is found that spherically symmetric static spacetimes admit flat spherically symmetric hypersurfaces, and that these hypersurfaces are unique up to translation under the timelike Killing vector. This result guarantees the uniqueness of flat spherically symmetric foliations for such spacetimes.

  13. Bioactive albumin-based carriers for tumour chemotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shahzad, Yasser; Khan, Ikram Ullah; Hussain, Talib; Alamgeer; Serra, Christophe A; Rizvi, Syed A A; Gerber, Minja; du Plessis, Jeanetta

    2014-01-01

    Proteins are posed as the natural counterpart of the synthetic polymers for the development of drug delivery systems and few of them, have been regarded safe for drug delivery purposes by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Serum albumin is the most abundant protein in human blood. Interest in the exploration of pharmaceutical applications of albumin-based drug delivery carriers, especially for the delivery of chemotherapeutic agents, has increased in recent years. Albumin has several advantages over synthetic polymers, as it is biocompatible, biodegradable, has low cytotoxicity and has an excellent binding capacity with various drugs. Micro- and nano-carriers not only protect active pharmaceutical ingredients against degradation, but also offer a prolonged release of drugs in a controlled fashion. Since existing tumour chemotherapeutic agents neither target tumour cells, nor are they specific to tumour cells, a slow release of drugs from carriers would be beneficial in targeting carcinogenic cells intracellularly. This article aims at providing an overview of pharmaceutical applications of albumin as a drug delivery carrier in tumour chemotherapy.

  14. Production of carrier-peptide conjugates using chemically reactive unnatural amino acids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, Travis; Schultz, Peter G

    2013-12-17

    Provided are methods of making carrier polypeptide that include incorporating a first unnatural amino acid into a carrier polypeptide variant, incorporating a second unnatural amino acid into a target polypeptide variant, and reacting the first and second unnatural amino acids to produce the conjugate. Conjugates produced using the provided methods are also provided. In addition, orthogonal translation systems in methylotrophic yeast and methods of using these systems to produce carrier and target polypeptide variants comprising unnatural amino acids are provided.

  15. Spherical cauliflower-like carbon dust formed by interaction between deuterium plasma and graphite target and its internal structure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ohno, N. [Department of Energy Engineering and Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603 (Japan)], E-mail: ohno@ees.nagoya-u.ac.jp; Yoshimi, M. [Department of Energy Engineering and Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603 (Japan); Tokitani, M. [National Institute for Fusion Science, Oroshi 322-6, Toki 509-5292 (Japan); Takamura, S. [Department of Electronics, Aichi Institute of Technology, Yakusa-cho, Toyota 470-0392 (Japan); Tokunaga, K.; Yoshida, N. [Research Institute for Applied Mechanics, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580 (Japan)

    2009-06-15

    Simulated experiments to produce carbon dust particles with cauliflower structure have been performed in a liner plasma device, NAGDIS-II by exposing high density deuterium plasma to a graphite sample (IG-430U). Formation of carbon dust depends on the surface temperature and the incident ion energy. At a surface temperature 600-700 K, a lot of isolated spherical dust particles are observed on the graphite target. The internal structure of an isolated dust particle was observed with Focused Ion Beam (FIB) system and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) in detail. FIB analysis clearly shows there exist honey-combed cell structure with thin carbon walls in the dust particle and the dust particle grows from the graphite surface. TEM image also shows that the dust particle is made of amorphous carbon with crystallized grains with diameters of 10-50 nm.

  16. First results of spherical GEMs

    CERN Document Server

    Pinto, Serge Duarte; Brock, Ian; Croci, Gabriele; David, Eric; de Oliveira, Rui; Ropelewski, Leszek; van Stenis, Miranda; Taureg, Hans; Villa, Marco

    2010-01-01

    We developed a method to make GEM foils with a spherical geometry. Tests of this procedure and with the resulting spherical GEMs are presented. Together with a spherical drift electrode, a spherical conversion gap can be formed. This eliminates the parallax error for detection of x-rays, neutrons or UV photons when a gaseous converter is used. This parallax error limits the spatial resolution at wide scattering angles. Besides spherical GEMs, we have developed curved spacers to maintain accurate spacing, and a conical field cage to prevent edge distortion of the radial drift field up to the limit of the angular acceptance of the detector. With these components first tests are done in a setup with a spherical entrance window but a planar readout structure; results will be presented and discussed. A flat readout structure poses difficulties, however. Therefore we will show advanced plans to make a prototype of an entirely spherical double-GEM detector, including a spherical 2D readout structure. This detector w...

  17. Analysis for extraction and bunching of ion beam from spherical reflex triode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawata, Shigeo; Abe, Takashi; Kasuya, Koichi; Niu, Keishiro.

    1978-11-01

    Since an ion beam is hoped to impinge on a target in a spherically symmetric way for inertial confinement fusion, an analysis is developed here for the intense ion beam which is extracted from a spherical reflex triode. The basic equations are the Poisson equation for the electric potential and the conservation equations of energies for the ion and electron velocities. According to the asymptotic solution, the extracted ion-beam-current density is proportional to the power of 3/2 of the voltage imposed on the triode. This dependence of the current density on the voltage is improved to be the power of 1.6 by the numerical analysis. A special time-dependence of the ion-beam power at the target surface is required for an optimal implosion of the target. Using the bunching theory for the ion beam, we derive numerically an optimal time-dependence of the voltage imposed on the triode. Asymptotic forms are also obtained analytically for the voltage. (author)

  18. An Integrative Analysis of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Carriers in Vietnam Achieved Through Targeted Surveillance and Molecular Epidemiology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Carvalho Ferreira, H C; Pauszek, S J; Ludi, A; Huston, C L; Pacheco, J M; Le, V T; Nguyen, P T; Bui, H H; Nguyen, T D; Nguyen, T; Nguyen, T T; Ngo, L T; Do, D H; Rodriguez, L; Arzt, J

    2017-04-01

    Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a major constraint to transboundary trade in animal products, yet much of its natural ecology and epidemiology in endemic regions is still poorly understood. To address this gap, a multidisciplinary, molecular and conventional epidemiological approach was applied to an investigation of endemic FMD in Vietnam. Within the study space, it was found that 22.3% of sampled ruminants had previously been infected with FMD virus (FMDV), of which 10.8% were persistent, asymptomatic carriers (2.4% of the total population). Descriptive data collected from targeted surveillance and a farm questionnaire showed a significantly lower prevalence of FMDV infection for dairy farms. In contrast, farms of intermediate size and/or history of infection in 2010 were at increased risk of FMD exposure. At the individual animal level, buffalo had the highest exposure risk (over cattle), and there was spatial heterogeneity in exposure risk at the commune level. Conversely, carrier prevalence was higher for beef cattle, suggesting lower susceptibility of buffalo to persistent FMDV infection. To characterize virus strains currently circulating in Vietnam, partial FMDV genomic (VP1) sequences from carrier animals collected between 2012 and 2013 (N = 27) and from FMDV outbreaks between 2009 and 2013 (N = 79) were compared by phylogenetic analysis. Sequence analysis suggested that within the study period, there were two apparent novel introductions of serotype A viruses and that the dominant lineage of serotype O in Vietnam shifted from SEA/Mya-98 to ME-SA/PanAsia. FMDV strains shared close ancestors with FMDV from other South-East Asian countries indicating substantial transboundary movement of the predominant circulating strains. Close genetic relationships were observed between carrier and outbreak viruses, which may suggest that asymptomatic carriers of FMDV contribute to regional disease persistence. Multiple viral sequences obtained from carrier cattle

  19. Evolution of the spherical clusters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Surdin, V.G.

    1978-01-01

    The possible processes of the Galaxy spherical clusters formation and evolution are described on a popular level. The orbits of spherical cluster motion and their spatial velocities are determined. Given are the distrbutions of spherical cluster stars according to their velocities and the observed distribution of spherical clusters in the area of the Galaxy slow evolution. The dissipation and dynamic friction processes destructing clusters with the mass less than 10 4 of solar mass and bringing about the reduction of clusters in the Galaxy are considered. The paradox of forming mainly X-ray sources in spherical clusters is explained. The schematic image of possible ways of forming X-ray sources in spherical clusters is given

  20. Fundamentals of spherical array processing

    CERN Document Server

    Rafaely, Boaz

    2015-01-01

    This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the theory and practice of spherical microphone arrays. It is written for graduate students, researchers and engineers who work with spherical microphone arrays in a wide range of applications.   The first two chapters provide the reader with the necessary mathematical and physical background, including an introduction to the spherical Fourier transform and the formulation of plane-wave sound fields in the spherical harmonic domain. The third chapter covers the theory of spatial sampling, employed when selecting the positions of microphones to sample sound pressure functions in space. Subsequent chapters present various spherical array configurations, including the popular rigid-sphere-based configuration. Beamforming (spatial filtering) in the spherical harmonics domain, including axis-symmetric beamforming, and the performance measures of directivity index and white noise gain are introduced, and a range of optimal beamformers for spherical arrays, includi...

  1. First Octahedral Spherical Hohlraum Energetics Experiment at the SGIII Laser Facility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huo, Wen Yi; Li, Zhichao; Chen, Yao-Hua; Xie, Xufei; Ren, Guoli; Cao, Hui; Li, Shu; Lan, Ke; Liu, Jie; Li, Yongsheng; Li, Sanwei; Guo, Liang; Liu, Yonggang; Yang, Dong; Jiang, Xiaohua; Hou, Lifei; Du, Huabing; Peng, Xiaoshi; Xu, Tao; Li, Chaoguang; Zhan, Xiayu; Wang, Zhebin; Deng, Keli; Wang, Qiangqiang; Deng, Bo; Wang, Feng; Yang, Jiamin; Liu, Shenye; Jiang, Shaoen; Yuan, Guanghui; Zhang, Haijun; Jiang, Baibin; Zhang, Wei; Gu, Qianqian; He, Zhibing; Du, Kai; Deng, Xuewei; Zhou, Wei; Wang, Liquan; Huang, Xiaoxia; Wang, Yuancheng; Hu, Dongxia; Zheng, Kuixing; Zhu, Qihua; Ding, Yongkun

    2018-04-01

    The first octahedral spherical hohlraum energetics experiment is accomplished at the SGIII laser facility. For the first time, the 32 laser beams are injected into the octahedral spherical hohlraum through six laser entrance holes. Two techniques are used to diagnose the radiation field of the octahedral spherical hohlraum in order to obtain comprehensive experimental data. The radiation flux streaming out of laser entrance holes is measured by six flat-response x-ray detectors (FXRDs) and four M -band x-ray detectors, which are placed at different locations of the SGIII target chamber. The radiation temperature is derived from the measured flux of FXRD by using the blackbody assumption. The peak radiation temperature inside hohlraum is determined by the shock wave technique. The experimental results show that the octahedral spherical hohlraum radiation temperature is in the range of 170-182 eV with drive laser energies of 71 kJ to 84 kJ. The radiation temperature inside the hohlraum determined by the shock wave technique is about 175 eV at 71 kJ. For the flat-top laser pulse of 3 ns, the conversion efficiency of gas-filled octahedral spherical hohlraum from laser into soft x rays is about 80% according to the two-dimensional numerical simulation.

  2. Evaluation of RGD-targeted albumin carriers for specific delivery of auristatin E to tumor blood vessels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Temming, Kai; Meyer, Damon L; Zabinski, Roger; Dijkers, Eli C F; Poelstra, Klaas; Molema, Grietje; Kok, Robbert J

    2006-01-01

    Induction of apoptosis in endothelial cells is considered an attractive strategy to therapeutically interfere with a solid tumor's blood supply. In the present paper, we constructed cytotoxic conjugates that specifically target angiogenic endothelial cells, thus preventing typical side effects of apoptosis-inducing drugs. For this purpose, we conjugated the potent antimitotic agent monomethyl-auristatin-E (MMAE) via a lysosomal cleavable linker to human serum albumin (HSA) and further equipped this drug-albumin conjugate with cyclic c(RGDfK) peptides for multivalent interaction with alphavbeta3-integrin. The RGD-peptides were conjugated via either an extended poly(ethylene glycol) linker or a short alkyl linker. The resulting drug-targeting conjugates RGDPEG-MMAE-HSA and RGD-MMAE-HSA demonstrated high binding affinity and specificity for alphavbeta3-integrin expressing human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Both types of conjugates were internalized by endothelial cells and killed the target cells at low nM concentrations. Furthermore, we observed RGD-dependent binding of the conjugates to C26 carcinoma. Upon i.v. administration to C26-tumor bearing mice, both drug-targeting conjugates displayed excellent tumor homing properties. Our results demonstrate that RGD-modified albumins are suitable carriers for cell selective intracellular delivery of cytotoxic compounds, and further studies will be conducted to assess the antivascular and tumor inhibitory potential of RGDPEG-MMAE-HSA and RGD-MMAE-HSA.

  3. Solute carrier transporters: Pharmacogenomics research ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Aghogho

    2010-12-27

    Dec 27, 2010 ... This paper reviews the solute carrier transporters and highlights the fact that there is much to be learnt from .... transporters, drug targets, effect or proteins and meta- ... basolateral or apical plasma membrane of polarized cells,.

  4. Effect of shroud material on the spherical aberration in electromagnetic focusing lens used in electron beam welding machines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saha, Srijit Kumar; Gupta, Sachin; Kandaswamy, E.

    2015-01-01

    Beam Power density on the target (typically 10"5 -10"6 W/cm"2 ) plays a major role in attaining good weld quality in electron beam welding. Spherical aberration in the electromagnetic focusing lenses places a limitation in attaining the required power density on the target. Conventionally, iron or low carbon steel core are being used as a shroud material in the electromagnetic lenses. The practical difficulty faced in the long term performance of these lenses has initiated a systematic study for various shroud materials and the effect on spherical aberration limited spot size. The particle trajectories were simulated with different magnetic materials, using commercial software. The spherical aberration was found to be the lowest in the air core lens. The possibility of using an aircore electromagnetic focusing lens in electron beam machines is discussed in this paper. The beam power density is limited by various factors such as spherical aberration, space charge aberrations, gun alignment and power source parameters. (author)

  5. Spherical CNNs

    OpenAIRE

    Cohen, Taco S.; Geiger, Mario; Koehler, Jonas; Welling, Max

    2018-01-01

    Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) have become the method of choice for learning problems involving 2D planar images. However, a number of problems of recent interest have created a demand for models that can analyze spherical images. Examples include omnidirectional vision for drones, robots, and autonomous cars, molecular regression problems, and global weather and climate modelling. A naive application of convolutional networks to a planar projection of the spherical signal is destined t...

  6. Rapid synthesis of spherical-shaped green-emitting MgGa2O4:Mn2+ phosphor via spray pyrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Sungho; Kim, Kyoungun; Moon, Young-Min; Park, Byung-Yoon; Jung, Ha-Kyun

    2010-01-01

    Simple, one-step synthesis of spherical-shaped powder phosphors with aqueous precursors via a spray pyrolysis method is reported. Green-emitting MgGa 2 O 4 :Mn 2+ phosphor with a controlled shape was successfully obtained by spraying under a reductive atmosphere (N 2 + H 2 carrier gas) without high-temperature post-heat treatment. In addition, the corresponding powder phosphors were well dispersed and showed a clean surface morphology compared to an existing cumbersome process using high-temperature post-annealing. The new method may help to prevent surface residual non-radiative defect sites. The result of highly luminescent and spherical morphology, non-aggregated powder phosphor by this procedure holds promise for a cost-effective and rapid synthesis process for conventional inorganic phosphors.

  7. High-resolution monochromatic x-ray imaging system based on spherically bent crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aglitskiy, Y.; Lehecka, T.; Obenschain, S.; Bodner, S.; Pawley, C.; Gerber, K.; Sethian, J.; Brown, C.M.; Seely, J.; Feldman, U.; Holland, G.

    1998-01-01

    We have developed an improved x-ray imaging system based on spherically curve crystals. It is designed and used for diagnostics of targets ablatively accelerated by the Nike KrF laser. A spherically curved quartz crystal (2d=6.687 Angstrom, R=200 mm) has been used to produce monochromatic backlit images with the He-like Si resonance line (1865 eV) as the source of radiation. The spatial resolution of the x-ray optical system is 1.7 μm in selected places and 2 - 3 μm over a larger area. Time-resolved backlit monochromatic images of polystyrene planar targets driven by the Nike facility have been obtained with a spatial resolution of 2.5 μm in selected places and 5 μm over the focal spot of the Nike laser. copyright 1998 Optical Society of America

  8. Preparation and Optical Properties of Spherical Inverse Opals by Liquid Phase Deposition Using Spherical Colloidal Crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aoi, Y; Tominaga, T

    2013-01-01

    Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) inverse opals in spherical shape were prepared by liquid phase deposition (LPD) using spherical colloidal crystals as templates. Spherical colloidal crystals were produced by ink-jet drying technique. Aqueous emulsion droplets that contain polystyrene latex particles were ejected into air and dried. Closely packed colloidal crystals with spherical shape were obtained. The obtained spherical colloidal crystals were used as templates for the LPD. The templates were dispersed in the deposition solution of the LPD, i.e. a mixed solution of ammonium hexafluorotitanate and boric acid and reacted for 4 h at 30 °C. After the LPD process, the interstitial spaces of the spherical colloidal crystals were completely filled with titanium oxide. Subsequent heat treatment resulted in removal of templates and spherical titanium dioxide inverse opals. The spherical shape of the template was retained. SEM observations indicated that the periodic ordered voids were surrounded by titanium dioxide. The optical reflectance spectra indicated that the optical properties of the spherical titanium dioxide inverse opals were due to Bragg diffractions from the ordered structure. Filling in the voids of the inverse opals with different solvents caused remarkable changes in the reflectance peak.

  9. Friction factor for water flow through packed beds of spherical and non-spherical particles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kaluđerović-Radoičić Tatjana

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this work was the experimental evaluation of different friction factor correlations for water flow through packed beds of spherical and non-spherical particles at ambient temperature. The experiments were performed by measuring the pressure drop across the bed. Packed beds made of monosized glass spherical particles of seven different diameters were used, as well as beds made of 16 fractions of quartz filtration sand obtained by sieving (polydisperse non-spherical particles. The range of bed voidages was 0.359–0.486, while the range of bed particle Reynolds numbers was from 0.3 to 286 for spherical particles and from 0.1 to 50 for non-spherical particles. The obtained results were compared using a number of available literature correlations. In order to improve the correlation results for spherical particles, a new simple equation was proposed in the form of Ergun’s equation, with modified coefficients. The new correlation had a mean absolute deviation between experimental and calculated values of pressure drop of 9.04%. For non-spherical quartz filtration sand particles the best fit was obtained using Ergun’s equation, with a mean absolute deviation of 10.36%. Surface-volume diameter (dSV necessary for correlating the data for filtration sand particles was calculated based on correlations for dV = f(dm and Ψ = f(dm. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. ON172022

  10. Progress in octahedral spherical hohlraum study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ke Lan

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we give a review of our theoretical and experimental progress in octahedral spherical hohlraum study. From our theoretical study, the octahedral spherical hohlraums with 6 Laser Entrance Holes (LEHs of octahedral symmetry have robust high symmetry during the capsule implosion at hohlraum-to-capsule radius ratio larger than 3.7. In addition, the octahedral spherical hohlraums also have potential superiority on low backscattering without supplementary technology. We studied the laser arrangement and constraints of the octahedral spherical hohlraums, and gave a design on the laser arrangement for ignition octahedral hohlraums. As a result, the injection angle of laser beams of 50°–60° was proposed as the optimum candidate range for the octahedral spherical hohlraums. We proposed a novel octahedral spherical hohlraum with cylindrical LEHs and LEH shields, in order to increase the laser coupling efficiency and improve the capsule symmetry and to mitigate the influence of the wall blowoff on laser transport. We studied on the sensitivity of the octahedral spherical hohlraums to random errors and compared the sensitivity among the octahedral spherical hohlraums, the rugby hohlraums and the cylindrical hohlraums, and the results show that the octahedral spherical hohlraums are robust to these random errors while the cylindrical hohlraums are the most sensitive. Up till to now, we have carried out three experiments on the spherical hohlraum with 2 LEHs on Shenguang(SG laser facilities, including demonstration of improving laser transport by using the cylindrical LEHs in the spherical hohlraums, spherical hohlraum energetics on the SGIII prototype laser facility, and comparisons of laser plasma instabilities between the spherical hohlraums and the cylindrical hohlraums on the SGIII laser facility.

  11. Validation of the erosion map for spherical particle impacts on glass

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verspui, M.A.; Slikkerveer, P.J.; Skerka, G.J.E.; Oomen, I.; With, de G.

    1998-01-01

    Hard spherical particles may exhibit a variation in impact damage on a softer target depending on the particle diameter and particle velocity. In this paper quantitative equations will be derived for these transitions in material behaviour. These equations have been presented in an erosion map of

  12. Synthetic Lipoproteins as Carriers for Drug Delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Gangliang; Liu, Yang; Huang, Hualiang

    2016-01-01

    Synthetic lipoprotein is an effective carrier of targeted delivery for drugs. It has the very small size, good biocompatibility, suitable half-life, and specific lipoprotein receptorbinding capacity. Compared with the traditional natural lipoprotein, synthetic lipoprotein not only retains the original biological characteristics and functions, but also exhibits the excellent characteristics in drug delivery. Herein, the advantages, development, applications, and prospect of synthetic lipoproteins as drug carriers were summarized.

  13. Targeted delivery of anti-tuberculosis drugs to macrophages: targeting mannose receptors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Filatova, L. Yu; Klyachko, N. L.; Kudryashova, E. V.

    2018-04-01

    The development of systems for targeted delivery of anti-tuberculosis drugs is a challenge of modern biotechnology. Currently, these drugs are encapsulated in a variety of carriers such as liposomes, polymers, emulsions and so on. Despite successful in vitro testing of these systems, virtually no success was achieved in vivo, because of low accessibility of the foci of infection located in alveolar macrophage cells. A promising strategy for increasing the efficiency of therapeutic action of anti-tuberculosis drugs is to encapsulate the agents into mannosylated carriers targeting the mannose receptors of alveolar macrophages. The review addresses the methods for modification of drug substance carriers, such as liposomes and biodegradable polymers, with mannose residues. The use of mannosylated carriers to deliver anti-tuberculosis agents increases the drug circulation time in the blood stream and increases the drug concentration in alveolar macrophage cells. The bibliography includes 113 references.

  14. Automated laser fusion target production concept

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hendricks, C.D.

    1977-01-01

    A target production concept is described for the production of multilayered cryogenic spherical inertial confinement fusion targets. The facility is to deliver targets to the reactor chamber at rates up to 10 per second and at costs consistent with economic production of power

  15. Dual responsive PNIPAM–chitosan targeted magnetic nanopolymers for targeted drug delivery

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yadavalli, Tejabhiram, E-mail: tejabhiram@gmail.com [Nanotechnology Research Centre, SRM University, Chennai 603203 (India); Ramasamy, Shivaraman [Nanotechnology Research Centre, SRM University, Chennai 603203 (India); School of Physics, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009 (Australia); Chandrasekaran, Gopalakrishnan; Michael, Isaac; Therese, Helen Annal [Nanotechnology Research Centre, SRM University, Chennai 603203 (India); Chennakesavulu, Ramasamy [Department of Pharmacy practice, SRM College of Pharmacy, Chennai 603203 (India)

    2015-04-15

    A dual stimuli sensitive magnetic hyperthermia based drug delivery system has been developed for targeted cancer treatment. Thermosensitive amine terminated poly-N-isopropylacrylamide complexed with pH sensitive chitosan nanoparticles was prepared as the drug carrier. Folic acid and fluorescein were tagged to the nanopolymer complex via N-hydroxysuccinimide and ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide reaction to form a fluorescent and cancer targeting magnetic carrier system. The formation of the polymer complex was confirmed using infrared spectroscopy. Gadolinium doped nickel ferrite nanoparticles prepared by a hydrothermal method were encapsulated in the polymer complex to form a magnetic drug carrier system. The proton relaxation studies on the magnetic carrier system revealed a 200% increase in the T1 proton relaxation rate. These magnetic carriers were loaded with curcumin using solvent evaporation method with a drug loading efficiency of 86%. Drug loaded nanoparticles were tested for their targeting and anticancer properties on four cancer cell lines with the help of MTT assay. The results indicated apoptosis of cancer cell lines within 3 h of incubation. - Highlights: • The use of gadolinium doped nickel ferrite with the suggested doping level. • The use of PNIPMA–chitosan polymer with folic acid and fluorescein as a drug carrier complex. • Magnetic hyperthermia studies of gadolinium doped nickel ferrites are being reported for the first time. • Proton relaxivity studies which indicate the MRI contrasting properties on the reported system are new. • Use of curcumin, a hydrophobic Indian spice as a cancer killing agent inside the reported magnetic polymer complex.

  16. Biomacromolecules as carriers in drug delivery and tissue engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yujie; Sun, Tao; Jiang, Chen

    2018-01-01

    Natural biomacromolecules have attracted increased attention as carriers in biomedicine in recent years because of their inherent biochemical and biophysical properties including renewability, nontoxicity, biocompatibility, biodegradability, long blood circulation time and targeting ability. Recent advances in our understanding of the biological functions of natural-origin biomacromolecules and the progress in the study of biological drug carriers indicate that such carriers may have advantages over synthetic material-based carriers in terms of half-life, stability, safety and ease of manufacture. In this review, we give a brief introduction to the biochemical properties of the widely used biomacromolecule-based carriers such as albumin, lipoproteins and polysaccharides. Then examples from the clinic and in recent laboratory development are summarized. Finally the current challenges and future prospects of present biological carriers are discussed.

  17. Dedicated supernova detection by a network of neutral current spherical TPC detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vergados, J. D.; Giomataris, Y.

    2007-01-01

    Supernova neutrinos can easily be detected by a spherical gaseous TPC detector measuring very low energy nuclear recoils. The expected rates are quite large for a neutron-rich target since the neutrino-nucleus neutral current interaction yields a coherent contribution of all neutrons. As a matter of fact, for a typical supernova at 10 kpc, about 1000 events are expected using a spherical detector of radius 4 m with Xe gas at a pressure of 10 atm. A worldwide network of several such simple, stable, and low-cost supernova detectors with a running time of a few centuries is quite feasible

  18. SECONDARY EMISSION FROM NON-SPHERICAL DUST GRAINS WITH ROUGH SURFACES: APPLICATION TO LUNAR DUST

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Richterová, I.; Němeček, Z.; Beránek, M.; Šafránková, J.; Pavlů, J.

    2012-01-01

    Electrons impinging on a target can release secondary electrons and/or they can be scattered out of the target. It is well established that the number of escaping electrons per primary electron depends on the target composition and dimensions, the energy, and incidence angle of the primary electrons, but there are suggestions that the target's shape and surface roughness also influence the secondary emission. We present a further modification of the model of secondary electron emission from dust grains which is applied to non-spherical grains and grains with defined surface roughness. It is shown that the non-spherical grains give rise to a larger secondary electron yield, whereas the surface roughness leads to a decrease in the yield. Moreover, these effects can be distinguished: the shape effect is prominent for high primary energies, whereas the surface roughness predominantly affects the yield at the low-energy range. The calculations use the Lunar Highlands Type NU-LHT-2M simulant as a grain material and the results are compared with previously published laboratory and in situ measurements.

  19. Mitochondrial carrier protein biogenesis: role of the chaperones Hsc70 and Hsp90.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zara, Vincenzo; Ferramosca, Alessandra; Robitaille-Foucher, Philippe; Palmieri, Ferdinando; Young, Jason C

    2009-04-15

    Metabolite carrier proteins of the mitochondrial inner membrane share homology in their transmembrane domains, which also carries their targeting information. In addition, some carriers have cleavable presequences which are not essential for targeting, but have some other function before import. The cytosolic chaperones Hsc70 (heat-shock cognate 70) and Hsp90 (heat-shock protein 90) complex with carrier precursors and interact specifically with the Tom (translocase of the mitochondrial outer membrane) 70 import receptor to promote import. We analysed how the presequences of the PiC (phosphate carrier) and CIC (citrate carrier) relate to the mechanisms of chaperone-mediated import. Deletion of the PiC presequence reduced the efficiency of import but, notably, not by causing aggregation. Instead, binding of the protein to Hsc70 was reduced, as well as the dependence on Hsc70 for import. Hsp90 binding and function in import was not greatly affected, but it could not entirely compensate for the lack of Hsc70 interaction. Deletion of the presequence from CIC was shown to cause its aggregation, but had little effect on the contribution to import of either Hsc70 or Hsp90. The presequence of PiC, but not that of CIC, conferred Hsc70 binding to dihydrofolate reductase fusion proteins. In comparison, OGC (oxoglutarate carrier) lacks a presequence and was more soluble, though it is still dependent on both Hsc70 and Hsp90. We propose that carrier presequences evolved to improve targeting competence by different mechanisms, depending on physical properties of the precursors in the cytosolic targeting environment.

  20. Are Nanoparticles Spherical or Quasi-Spherical?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sokolov, Stanislav V; Batchelor-McAuley, Christopher; Tschulik, Kristina; Fletcher, Stephen; Compton, Richard G

    2015-07-20

    The geometry of quasi-spherical nanoparticles is investigated. The combination of SEM imaging and electrochemical nano-impact experiments is demonstrated to allow sizing and characterization of the geometry of single silver nanoparticles. © 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. High-throughput bioscreening system utilizing high-performance affinity magnetic carriers exhibiting minimal non-specific protein binding

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hanyu, Naohiro; Nishio, Kosuke; Hatakeyama, Mamoru; Yasuno, Hiroshi; Tanaka, Toshiyuki; Tada, Masaru; Nakagawa, Takashi; Sandhu, Adarsh; Abe, Masanori; Handa, Hiroshi

    2009-01-01

    For affinity purification of drug target protein we have developed magnetic carriers, narrow in size distribution (184±9 nm), which exhibit minimal non-specific binding of unwanted proteins. The carriers were highly dispersed in aqueous solutions and highly resistant to organic solvents, which enabled immobilization of various hydrophobic chemicals as probes on the carrier surfaces. Utilizing the carriers we have automated the process of separation and purification of the target proteins that had been done by manual operation previously.

  2. Identifying lipidic emulsomes for improved oxcarbazepine brain targeting: In vitro and rat in vivo studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Zaafarany, Ghada M; Soliman, Mahmoud E; Mansour, Samar; Awad, Gehanne A S

    2016-04-30

    Lipid-based nanovectors offer effective carriers for brain delivery by improving drug potency and reducing off-target effects. Emulsomes are nano-triglyceride (TG) carriers formed of lipid cores supported by at least one phospholipid (PC) sheath. Due to their surface active properties, PC forms bilayers at the aqueous interface, thereby enabling encapsulated drug to benefit from better bioavailability and stability. Emulsomes of oxcarbazepine (OX) were prepared, aimed to offer nanocarriers for nasal delivery for brain targeting. Different TG cores (Compritol(®), tripalmitin, tristearin and triolein) and soya phosphatidylcholine in different amounts and ratios were used for emulsomal preparation. Particles were modulated to generate nanocarriers with suitable size, charge, encapsulation efficiency and prolonged release. Cytotoxicity and pharmacokinetic studies were also implemented. Nano-spherical OX-emulsomes with maximal encapsulation of 96.75% were generated. Stability studies showed changes within 30.6% and 11.2% in the size and EE% after 3 months. MTT assay proved a decrease in drug toxicity by its encapsulation in emulsomes. Incorporation of OX into emulsomes resulted in stable nanoformulations. Tailoring emulsomes properties by modulating the surface charge and particle size produced a stable system for the lipophilic drug with a prolonged release profile and mean residence time and proved direct nose-to-brain transport in rats. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Liposomes as potential carrier system for targeted delivery of polyene antibiotics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naik, Suresh R; Desai, Sandhya K; Shah, Priyank D; Wala, Santosh M

    2013-09-01

    The development of new therapeutic modalities involves the use of drug carrier, such as liposomes, which can modify pharmacokinetic and bio-distribution of drug profile. Polyene antibiotics incorporation into liposomes improves its availability at the site, bio-distribution and therapeutic index mainly through the engulfment of liposomes by circulating monocytes/macrophages and transportation to the site of infection. Polyene antibiotics (AmB, SJA-95, HA-1-92) and other antibiotics (streptomycin, tobramycin, quinolones, anti-tubercular and anti-cancer drugs), liposomal preparations are described with possible advantages from therapeutic efficacy and toxicity point of view. The polyene macrolide antibiotics liposomal preparations proved to be more effective in the treatment of systemic mycosis. The AmB-cyclodextrin derivatives inclusion complex is a major breakthrough in liposomal preparation which can be converted into aqueous phase of liposome. Liposomal drug incorporated preparation has been one of the important areas of research for developing the existing polyene antibiotics into useful chemotherapeutic agents in clinical medicine. In recent past other antibiotics have also been incorporated into liposomes using wide variety of materials, phosphatidylethanolamine derivatives (pegylated liposomes, enzyme sensitive conjugates, fluidosomes of anti-cancer drugs and poly lactic/glycolic acid microspheres for anti-tuberculosis drugs). In addition, attempts were also made to extend the receptor mediated drug targeting and to review some relevant patents.

  4. Simulations of magnetic capturing of drug carriers in the brain vascular system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kenjeres, S., E-mail: S.Kenjeres@tudelft.nl [Department of Multi-Scale Physics, Faculty of Applied Sciences, J.M. Burgerscentre for Fluid Dynamics, Delft University of Technology, Leeghwaterstraat 39, 2628 CB Delft (Netherlands); Righolt, B.W. [Department of Multi-Scale Physics, Faculty of Applied Sciences, J.M. Burgerscentre for Fluid Dynamics, Delft University of Technology, Leeghwaterstraat 39, 2628 CB Delft (Netherlands)

    2012-06-15

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Blood flow and magnetic particles distributions in the brain vascular system simulated. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Numerical mesh generated from raw MRI images. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Significant increase in local capturing of magnetic particles obtained. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Promising technique for localised non-invasive treatment of brain tumours. - Abstract: The present paper reports on numerical simulations of blood flow and magnetic drug carrier distributions in a complex brain vascular system. The blood is represented as a non-Newtonian fluid by the generalised power law. The Lagrangian tracking of the double-layer spherical particles is performed to estimate particle deposition under influence of imposed magnetic field gradients across arterial walls. Two situations are considered: neutral (magnetic field off) and active control (magnetic field on) case. The double-layer spherical particles that mimic a real medical drug are characterised by two characteristic diameters - the outer one and the inner one of the magnetic core. A numerical mesh of the brain vascular system consisting of multi-branching arteries is generated from raw MRI scan images of a patient. The blood is supplied through four main inlet arteries and the entire vascular system includes more than 30 outlets, which are modelled by Murray's law. The no-slip boundary condition is applied for velocity components along the smooth and rigid arterial walls. Numerical simulations revealed detailed insights into blood flow patterns, wall-shear-stress and local particle deposition efficiency along arterial walls. It is demonstrated that magnetically targeted drug delivery significantly increased the particle capturing efficiency in the pre-defined regions. This feature can be potentially useful for localised, non-invasive treatment of brain tumours.

  5. P-glycoprotein targeted nanoscale drug carriers

    KAUST Repository

    Li, Wengang

    2013-02-01

    Multi-drug resistance (MDR) is a trend whereby tumor cells exposed to one cytotoxic agent develop cross-resistance to a range of structurally and functionally unrelated compounds. P -glycoprotein (P -gp) efflux pump is one of the mostly studied drug carrying processes that shuttle the drugs out of tumor cells. Thus, P -gp inhibitors have attracted a lot of attention as they can stop cancer drugs from being pumped out of target cells with the consumption of ATP. Using quantitive structure activity relationship (QSAR), we have successfully synthesized a series of novel P -gp inhibitors. The obtained dihydropyrroloquinoxalines series were fully characterized and then tested against bacterial and tumor assays with over-expressed P -gps. All compounds were bioactive especially compound 1c that had enhanced antibacterial activity. Furthermore, these compounds were utilized as targeting vectors to direct drug delivery vehicles such as silica nanoparticles (SNPs) to cancerous Hela cells with over expressed P -gps. Cell uptake studies showed a successful accumulation of these decorated SNPs in tumor cells compared to undecorated SNPs. The results obtained show that dihydropyrroloquinoxalines constitute a promising drug candidate for targeting cancers with MDR. Copyright © 2013 American Scientific Publishers All rights reserved.

  6. Beyond Extreme Ultra Violet (BEUV) Radiation from Spherically symmetrical High-Z plasmas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshida, Kensuke; Fujioka, Shinsuke; Higashiguchi, Takeshi; Ugomori, Teruyuki; Tanaka, Nozomi; Kawasaki, Masato; Suzuki, Yuhei; Suzuki, Chihiro; Tomita, Kentaro; Hirose, Ryouichi; Eshima, Takeo; Ohashi, Hayato; Nishikino, Masaharu; Scally, Enda; Nshimura, Hiroaki; Azechi, Hiroshi; O'Sullivan, Gerard

    2016-03-01

    Photo-lithography is a key technology for volume manufacture of high performance and compact semiconductor devices. Smaller and more complex structures can be fabricated by using shorter wavelength light in the photolithography. One of the most critical issues in development of the next generation photo-lithography is to increase energy conversion efficiency (CE) from laser to shorter wavelength light. Experimental database of beyond extreme ultraviolet (BEUV) radiation was obtained by using spherically symmetrical high-Z plasmas generated with spherically allocated laser beams. Absolute energy and spectra of BEUV light emitted from Tb, Gd, and Mo plasmas were measured with a absolutely calibrated BEUV calorimeter and a transmission grating spectrometer. 1.0 x 1012 W/cm2 is the optimal laser intensity to produced efficient BEUV light source plasmas with Tb and Gd targets. Maximum CE is achieved at 0.8% that is two times higher than the published CEs obtained with planar targets.

  7. Cryogenic target formation using cold gas jets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hendricks, C.D.

    1980-01-01

    A method and apparatus using cold gas jets for producing a substantially uniform layer of cryogenic materials on the inner surface of hollow spherical members having one or more layers, such as inertially imploded targets, are described. By vaporizing and quickly refreezing cryogenic materials contained within a hollow spherical member, a uniform layer of the materials is formed on an inner surface of the spherical member. Basically the method involves directing cold gas jets onto a spherical member having one or more layers or shells and containing the cryogenic material, such as a deuterium-tritium (DT) mixture, to freeze the contained material, momentarily heating the spherical member so as to vaporize the contained material, and quickly refreezing the thus vaporized material forming a uniform layer of cryogenic material on an inner surface of the spherical member

  8. Spherical sila- and germa-homoaromaticity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Zhongfang; Hirsch, Andreas; Nagase, Shigeru; Thiel, Walter; Schleyer, Paul von Ragué

    2003-12-17

    Guided by the 2(N + 1)2 electron-counting rule for spherical aromatic molecules, we have designed various spherical sila- and germa-homoaromatic systems rich in group 14 elements. Their aromaticity is revealed by density-functional computations of their structures and the nucleus-independent chemical shifts (NICS). Besides the formerly used endohedral inclusion strategy, spherical homoaromaticity is another way to stabilize silicon and germanium clusters.

  9. Suspended biofilm carrier and activated sludge removal of acidic pharmaceuticals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Falås, Per; Baillon-Dhumez, Aude; Andersen, Henrik Rasmus

    2012-01-01

    Removal of seven active pharmaceutical substances (ibuprofen, ketoprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, clofibric acid, mefenamic acid, and gemfibrozil) was assessed by batch experiments, with suspended biofilm carriers and activated sludge from several full-scale wastewater treatment plants. A distinct...... and attached solids for the carriers) of diclofenac, ketoprofen, gemfibrozil, clofibric acid and mefenamic acid compared to the sludges. Among the target pharmaceuticals, only ibuprofen and naproxen showed similar removal rates per unit biomass for the sludges and biofilm carriers. In contrast...

  10. Solute carrier transporters: potential targets for digestive system neoplasms

    OpenAIRE

    Xie, Jing; Zhu, Xiao Yan; Liu, Lu Ming; Meng, Zhi Qiang

    2018-01-01

    Jing Xie,1,2 Xiao Yan Zhu,1,2 Lu Ming Liu,1,2 Zhi Qiang Meng1,2 1Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 2Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Digestive system neoplasms are the leading causes of cancer-related death all over the world. Solute carrier (SLC) superfamily is composed of a series of transporters that are ubiquitously expressed in organs and tissues o...

  11. Folate-decorated chitosan/doxorubicin poly(butyl)cyanoacrylate nanoparticles for tumor-targeted drug delivery

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Duan Jinghua [Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hepatobiliary and Enteric Surgery Research Center (China); Liu Mujun [Central South University, School of Biological Science and Technology (China); Zhang Yangde; Zhao Jinfeng; Pan Yifeng [Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hepatobiliary and Enteric Surgery Research Center (China); Yang Xiyun, E-mail: bax_2007@126.com [Central South University, School of Metallurgical Science and Engineering (China)

    2012-03-15

    A novel chitosan coated poly(butyl cyanoacrylate) (PBCA) nanoparticles loaded doxorubicin (DOX) were synthesized and then conjugated with folic acid to produce a folate-targeted drug carrier for tumor-specific drug delivery. Prepared nanoparticles were surface modified by folate for targeting cancer cells, which is confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy and characterized for shape, size, and zeta potential measurements. The size and zeta potential of prepared DOX-PBCA nanoparticles (DOX-PBCA NPs) were almost 174 {+-} 8.23 nm and +23.14 {+-} 4.25 mV, respectively with 46.8 {+-} 3.32% encapsulation capacity. The transmission electron microscopy study revealed that preparation allowed the formation of spherical nanometric and homogeneous. Fluorescent microscopy imaging and flow cytometry analysis revealed that DOX-PBCA NPs were endocytosed into MCF-7 cells through the interaction with overexpressed folate receptors on the surface of the cancer cells. The results demonstrate that folate-conjugated DOX-PBCA NPs drug delivery system could provide increased therapeutic benefit by delivering the encapsulated drug to the folate receptor positive cancer cells.

  12. Realization of a Service Robot for Cleaning Spherical Surfaces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Houxiang Zhang

    2005-03-01

    Full Text Available There are more and more buildings with complicated shape emerging all over the world. Their walls require constant cleaning which is difficult to realize. In this paper, based on analyzing the characteristics of the working target, a new kind of auto-climbing robot is proposed, which is used for cleaning the spherical surface of the National GrandTheatre in China. The robots' mechanism and unique aspects are presented in detail. A distributed controller based onCAN bus is designed to meet the requirements of controlling the robot. The control system is divided into 6 parts, fiveCAN bus control nodes and a remote controller, which are designed and established based mainly on the P80C592. Finally, the motion function is described in detail. The experimental results confirm the principle described above andthe robot's ability to work on the spherical surface.

  13. Spherical tokamak development in Brazil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ludwig, Gerson Otto; Bosco, Edson Del; Ferreira, Julio Guimaraes [Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE), Sao Jose dos Campos, SP (Brazil). Lab. Associado de Plasma] (and others)

    2003-07-01

    The general characteristics of spherical tokamaks, or spherical tori, with a brief view of work in this area already performed or in progress at several institutions worldwide are described. The paper presents also the steps in the development of the ETE (Experiment Tokamak spheric) project, its research program, technical characteristics and operating conditions as of December, 2002 a the Associated Plasma Laboratory (LAP) of the National Space Research Institute (INPE) in Brazil. (author)

  14. Spherical tokamak development in Brazil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ludwig, Gerson Otto; Bosco, Edson Del; Ferreira, Julio Guimaraes

    2003-01-01

    The general characteristics of spherical tokamaks, or spherical tori, with a brief view of work in this area already performed or in progress at several institutions worldwide are described. The paper presents also the steps in the development of the ETE (Experiment Tokamak spheric) project, its research program, technical characteristics and operating conditions as of December, 2002 a the Associated Plasma Laboratory (LAP) of the National Space Research Institute (INPE) in Brazil. (author)

  15. Magnetic graphene oxide as a carrier for targeted delivery of chemotherapy drugs in cancer therapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang, Ya-Shu [Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Chang Gung University, Kwei-San, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan, ROC (China); Lu, Yu-Jen [Department of Neurosurgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kwei-San, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan, ROC (China); Chen, Jyh-Ping, E-mail: jpchen@mail.cgu.edu.tw [Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Chang Gung University, Kwei-San, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan, ROC (China); Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Craniofacial Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kwei-San, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan, ROC (China); Graduate Institute of Health Industry and Technology, Research Center for Industry of Human Ecology, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Kwei-San, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan, ROC (China); Department of Materials Engineering, Ming Chi University of Technology, Tai-Shan, New Taipei City 24301, Taiwan, ROC (China)

    2017-04-01

    A magnetic targeted functionalized graphene oxide (GO) complex is constituted as a nanocarrier for targeted delivery and pH-responsive controlled release of chemotherapy drugs to cancer cells. Magnetic graphene oxide (mGO) was prepared by chemical co-precipitation of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} magnetic nanoparticles on GO nano-platelets. The mGO was successively modified by chitosan and mPEG-NHS through covalent bindings to synthesize mGOC-PEG. The polyethylene glycol (PEG) moiety is expected to prolong the circulation time of mGO by reducing the reticuloendothelial system clearance. Irinotecan (CPT-11) or doxorubicin (DOX) was loaded to mGOC-PEG through π-π stacking interactions for magnetic targeted delivery of the cancer chemotherapy drug. The best values of loading efficiency and loading content of CPT-11 were 54% and 2.7% respectively; whereas for DOX, they were 65% and 393% The pH-dependent drug release profile was further experimented at different pHs, in which ~60% of DOX was released at pH 5.4 and ~10% was released at pH 7.4. In contrast, ~90% CPT-11 was released at pH 5.4 and ~70% at pH 7.4. Based on the drug loading and release characteristics, mGOC-PEG/DOX was further chosen for in vitro cytotoxicity tests against U87 human glioblastoma cell line. The IC50 value of mGOC-PEG/DOX was found to be similar to that of free DOX but was reduced dramatically when subject to magnetic targeting. It is concluded that with the high drug loading and pH-dependent drug release properties, mGOC-PEG will be a promising drug carrier for targeted delivery of chemotherapy drugs in cancer therapy. - Highlights: • mGO was prepared by chemical co-precipitation of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} MNP on GO nano-platelets. • mGO was further modified by chitosan and mPEG-NHS to synthesize mGOC-PEG. • mGOC-PEG showed higher drug loading of doxorubicin (DOX) than irinotecan. • mGOC-PEG showed pH-responsive controlled release of chemotherapy drugs. • Magnetic targeting enhanced cytotoxicity of

  16. Magnetic graphene oxide as a carrier for targeted delivery of chemotherapy drugs in cancer therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Ya-Shu; Lu, Yu-Jen; Chen, Jyh-Ping

    2017-01-01

    A magnetic targeted functionalized graphene oxide (GO) complex is constituted as a nanocarrier for targeted delivery and pH-responsive controlled release of chemotherapy drugs to cancer cells. Magnetic graphene oxide (mGO) was prepared by chemical co-precipitation of Fe 3 O 4 magnetic nanoparticles on GO nano-platelets. The mGO was successively modified by chitosan and mPEG-NHS through covalent bindings to synthesize mGOC-PEG. The polyethylene glycol (PEG) moiety is expected to prolong the circulation time of mGO by reducing the reticuloendothelial system clearance. Irinotecan (CPT-11) or doxorubicin (DOX) was loaded to mGOC-PEG through π-π stacking interactions for magnetic targeted delivery of the cancer chemotherapy drug. The best values of loading efficiency and loading content of CPT-11 were 54% and 2.7% respectively; whereas for DOX, they were 65% and 393% The pH-dependent drug release profile was further experimented at different pHs, in which ~60% of DOX was released at pH 5.4 and ~10% was released at pH 7.4. In contrast, ~90% CPT-11 was released at pH 5.4 and ~70% at pH 7.4. Based on the drug loading and release characteristics, mGOC-PEG/DOX was further chosen for in vitro cytotoxicity tests against U87 human glioblastoma cell line. The IC50 value of mGOC-PEG/DOX was found to be similar to that of free DOX but was reduced dramatically when subject to magnetic targeting. It is concluded that with the high drug loading and pH-dependent drug release properties, mGOC-PEG will be a promising drug carrier for targeted delivery of chemotherapy drugs in cancer therapy. - Highlights: • mGO was prepared by chemical co-precipitation of Fe 3 O 4 MNP on GO nano-platelets. • mGO was further modified by chitosan and mPEG-NHS to synthesize mGOC-PEG. • mGOC-PEG showed higher drug loading of doxorubicin (DOX) than irinotecan. • mGOC-PEG showed pH-responsive controlled release of chemotherapy drugs. • Magnetic targeting enhanced cytotoxicity of m

  17. Preparation of carrier-free 67Cu by the 68Zn(γ,p) reaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yagi, M.; Kondo, K.

    1978-01-01

    The preparation of pure, carrier-free 67 Cu using the 68 Zn(γ, p) reaction with an isotopically enriched 68 Zn(98.97%) target is described. The production rates of 67 Cu and contaminants were determined as a function of the maximum bremsstrahlung energies between 30 and 60 MeV. The chemical separation of the carrier-free 67 Cu and the recovery of the 68 Zn target were also studied. (author)

  18. Preparation and characterization of oligochitosan-tragacanth nanoparticles as a novel gene carrier.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fattahi, Ali; Sadrjavadi, Komail; Golozar, Mohammad Ali; Varshosaz, Jaleh; Fathi, Mohammad-Hossein; Mirmohammad-Sadeghi, Hamid

    2013-09-12

    The nanoparticles of oligochitosan-water soluble tragacanth (OCH-WST) as novel gene carriers have been prepared and their transfection efficiency has been investigated on Hela and HepG2 cell lines. Different OCH:WST weight ratios were prepared to obtain particles with low size distribution and high surface charge, and also in range of below 200 nm. Nanoparticles with 132.5 ± 6.77 nm size, polydispersity index 1.92 ± 0.061, surface charge 30.45 ± 1.84 and spherical morphology, have been chosen as gene carrier. Nanoparticle-DNA complexes (nanoplexes) showed better transfection efficiency in both Hela and HepG2 cells than chitosan polyplexes, with 1.26 × 10(6) versus 9.05 × 10(5) and 7.76 × 10(5) versus 2.16 × 10(5), respectively. Higher transfection efficiency of nanoplexes could be attributed to their weaker complexation. Decreasing of transfection in presence of galactose in HepG2 cells, indicated receptor mediated endocytosis of nanoplexes. These properties all together, make OCH-WST nanoparticles as potential gene carrier for active gene delivery into cells containing sugar receptors. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Model for transport and reaction of defects and carriers within displacement cascades in gallium arsenide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wampler, William R.; Myers, Samuel M.

    2015-01-01

    A model is presented for recombination of charge carriers at evolving displacement damage in gallium arsenide, which includes clustering of the defects in atomic displacement cascades produced by neutron or ion irradiation. The carrier recombination model is based on an atomistic description of capture and emission of carriers by the defects with time evolution resulting from the migration and reaction of the defects. The physics and equations on which the model is based are presented, along with the details of the numerical methods used for their solution. The model uses a continuum description of diffusion, field-drift and reaction of carriers, and defects within a representative spherically symmetric cluster of defects. The initial radial defect profiles within the cluster were determined through pair-correlation-function analysis of the spatial distribution of defects obtained from the binary-collision code MARLOWE, using recoil energies for fission neutrons. Properties of the defects are discussed and values for their parameters are given, many of which were obtained from density functional theory. The model provides a basis for predicting the transient response of III-V heterojunction bipolar transistors to displacement damage from energetic particle irradiation

  20. Design of colon targeting drug delivery systems using natural polymeric carriers and their evaluation by gamma scintigraphy technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soni, P.S.; Sawarkar, S.P.; Deshpande, S.G.; Bajaj, A.N.

    2004-01-01

    Of late, there has been a great awareness in the concept of drug targeting and delivery to a specific site (organ, tissue or cell) in the body to maximize therapeutic effect and reduce toxicity. The various approaches of site-specific drug delivery are implantable pumps, adhesive patches impregnated with drugs, vesicle enclosed drugs and drug carriers. Colonic drug delivery is intended for local and systemic treatment in the diseases of colon like inflammatory bowel conditions. Several approaches using viz. pro-drugs, biodegradable polymers and pH sensitive polymer coatings have been used to achieve colonic delivery. Natural polysaccarides like guar gum and pectin are promising candidates because they are susceptible to degradation by colonic bacteria and thus can release the entrapped drug in the colonic region. These indigenous natural polymers are cheaply and readily available. They comprise of polygalactouronic acid and refractory to host enzymes present in the upper gastrointestinal tract and are degraded by the enzymes produced by the colonic microflora. They were evaluated as a colonic carrier using 5-amino salicylic acid (5-ASA) as a model drug. After successful in vitro testing, gamma scintigraphy technique was used to assess in-vivo behavior of the colon specific drug delivery after a coat of Guar gum and Pectin

  1. Magnetized Target Fusion Driven by Plasma Liners

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thio, Y. C. Francis; Cassibry, Jason; Eskridge, Richard; Kirkpatrick, Ronald C.; Knapp, Charles E.; Lee, Michael; Martin, Adam; Smith, James; Wu, S. T.; Rodgers, Stephen L. (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    For practical applications of magnetized target fusion, standoff drivers to deliver the imploding momentum flux to the target plasma remotely are required. Quasi-spherically converging plasma jets have been proposed as standoff drivers for this purpose. The concept involves the dynamic formation of a quasi-spherical plasma liner by the merging of plasma jets, and the use of the liner so formed to compress a spheromak or a field reversed configuration (FRC). Theoretical analysis and computer modeling of the concept are presented. It is shown that, with the appropriate choice of the flow parameters in the liner and the target, the impact between the liner and the target plasma can be made to be shockless in the liner or to generate at most a very weak shock in the liner. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

  2. Studying effect of carrier fluid viscosity in magnetite based ferrofluids using optical tweezers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savitha, S.; Iyengar, Shruthi S.; Ananthamurthy, Sharath; Bhattacharya, Sarbari

    2018-02-01

    Ferrofluids with varying viscosities of carrier fluids have been prepared with magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were synthesized by chemical co-precipitation and characterized using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). They were found to be nearly spherical in shape with an almost uniform size of 13nm. The superparamagnetic nature of the water based ferrofluids at room temperature was established by SQUID magnetometry. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) was carried out to establish the size of the nanoparticle clusters in the ferrofluids synthesized. The results indicate an increase in cluster size with increase in carrier fluid viscosity. This is supported by results from Raman Spectroscopy. A further attempt to characterise these ferrofluids was made by studying the behaviour of well characterised non-magnetic micron sized probes that are optically trapped while suspended in the ferrofluid. An increase in carrier fluid viscosity results in a decrease in corner frequency when only the carrier fluid is used as the suspending medium. When the magnetic component is also present the corner frequency is higher than with just the carrier fluid. This relative increase happens at all laser powers at the trapping plane. This trend is also found to be independent of the size and material of the probe particle. Comparisons of various parameters that influence optical trapping lead us to believe that the enhancement could be due to a directed motion of the magnetic clusters in the presence of an optical trap.

  3. The spherical harmonics method, II (application to problems with plane and spherical symmetry)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mark, C

    1958-12-15

    The application of the spherical harmonic method to problems with plane or spherical symmetry is discussed in detail. The numerical results of some applications already made are included to indicate the degree of convergence obtained. Formulae for dealing with distributions of isotropic sources are developed. Tables useful in applying the method are given in Section 11. (author)

  4. Density- and wavefunction-normalized Cartesian spherical harmonics for l ≤ 20.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michael, J Robert; Volkov, Anatoliy

    2015-03-01

    The widely used pseudoatom formalism [Stewart (1976). Acta Cryst. A32, 565-574; Hansen & Coppens (1978). Acta Cryst. A34, 909-921] in experimental X-ray charge-density studies makes use of real spherical harmonics when describing the angular component of aspherical deformations of the atomic electron density in molecules and crystals. The analytical form of the density-normalized Cartesian spherical harmonic functions for up to l ≤ 7 and the corresponding normalization coefficients were reported previously by Paturle & Coppens [Acta Cryst. (1988), A44, 6-7]. It was shown that the analytical form for normalization coefficients is available primarily for l ≤ 4 [Hansen & Coppens, 1978; Paturle & Coppens, 1988; Coppens (1992). International Tables for Crystallography, Vol. B, Reciprocal space, 1st ed., edited by U. Shmueli, ch. 1.2. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers; Coppens (1997). X-ray Charge Densities and Chemical Bonding. New York: Oxford University Press]. Only in very special cases it is possible to derive an analytical representation of the normalization coefficients for 4 4 the density normalization coefficients were calculated numerically to within seven significant figures. In this study we review the literature on the density-normalized spherical harmonics, clarify the existing notations, use the Paturle-Coppens (Paturle & Coppens, 1988) method in the Wolfram Mathematica software to derive the Cartesian spherical harmonics for l ≤ 20 and determine the density normalization coefficients to 35 significant figures, and computer-generate a Fortran90 code. The article primarily targets researchers who work in the field of experimental X-ray electron density, but may be of some use to all who are interested in Cartesian spherical harmonics.

  5. Magnetic microgels for drug targeting applications: Physical–chemical properties and cytotoxicity evaluation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Turcu, Rodica, E-mail: rodica.turcu@itim-cj.ro [National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, 65-103 Donath Street, 400293 Cluj-Napoca (Romania); Craciunescu, Izabell [National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, 65-103 Donath Street, 400293 Cluj-Napoca (Romania); Garamus, Vasil M. [Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Zentrum für Material- und Küstenforschung GmbH, 21502 Geesthacht (Germany); Janko, Christina; Lyer, Stefan; Tietze, Rainer; Alexiou, Christoph [ENT-Department, Else Kröner-Fresenius Stiftung-Professorship, Section for Experimental Oncology and Nanomedicine (SEON), University Hospital Erlangen (Germany); Vekas, Ladislau, E-mail: vekas@acad-tim.tm.edu.ro [Romanian Academy-Timisoara Branch, CFATR, Laboratory of Magnetic Fluids, Mihai Viteazul Street 24, 300223 Timisoara (Romania)

    2015-04-15

    Magnetoresponsive microgels with high saturation magnetization values have been obtained by a strategy based on the miniemulsion method using high colloidal stability organic carrier ferrofluid as primary material. Hydrophobic nanoparticles Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}/oleic acid are densely packed into well-defined spherical nanoparticle clusters coated with polymers with sizes in the range 40–350 nm. Physical–chemical characteristics of magnetic microgels were investigated by TEM, SAXS, XPS and VSM measurements with the focus on the structure–properties relationship. The impact of magnetic microgels loaded with anticancer drug mitoxantrone (MTO) on the non-adherent human T cell leukemia line Jurkat was investigated in multiparameter flow cytometry. We showed that both MTO and microgel-loaded MTO penetrate into cells and both induce apoptosis and later secondary necrosis in a time- and dose dependent manner. In contrast, microgels without MTO are not cytotoxic in the corresponding concentrations. Our results show that MTO-loaded microgels are promising structures for application in magnetic drug targeting. - Highlights: • Densely packed spherical clusters of magnetic nanoparticles were obtained. • High magnetization microgels with superparamagnetic behavior are reported. • The facile and reproducible synthesis procedure applied is easy to be up-scaled. • The toxicity tests show that magnetic microgels are not cytotoxic. • We show that mitoxantrone loaded microgels induce death of Jurkat cells.

  6. Interior and exterior resonances in acoustic scattering. pt. 1 - spherical targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gaunaurd, G.C.; Tanglis, E.; Uberall, H.; Brill, D.

    1983-01-01

    In acoustic scattering from elastic objects, resonance features appear in the returned echo at frequencies at which the object's eigenfrequencies are located, which are explained by the excitation of 'interior' creeping waves. Corresponding resonance terms may be split off from the total scattering amplitude, leaving behind an apparently nonresonant background amplitude. This is demonstrated here for scatterers of spherical geometry and in a companion paper also for scatterers of arbitrary geometry, by using the T-matrix approach. For the case of near-impenetrable spheres, it is subsequently shown that the background amplitude can be split further into specularly reflected contributions, plus highly attenuated resonance terms which are explained by the excitation of 'exterior' (Franz-type) creeping waves. The singularity structure of the scattering function is shown mathematically, by using the R-matrix approach of the nuclear-scattering theory, as that of a meromorphic function 'without' any additional 'entire function' (as had been postulated by the singularity expansion method)

  7. Follicular delivery of spironolactone via nanostructured lipid carriers for management of alopecia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shamma, Rehab Nabil; Aburahma, Mona Hassan

    2014-01-01

    Spironolactone (SL) is a US Food and Drug Administration-approved drug for the treatment of hypertension and various edematous conditions. SL has gained a lot of attention for treating androgenic alopecia due to its potent antiandrogenic properties. Recently, there has been growing interest for follicular targeting of drug molecules for treatment of hair and scalp disorders using nanocolloidal lipid-based delivery systems to minimize unnecessary systemic side effects associated with oral drug administration. Accordingly, the objective of this study is to improve SL efficiency and safety in treating alopecia through the preparation of colloidal nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) for follicular drug delivery. SL-loaded NLCs were prepared by an emulsion solvent diffusion and evaporation method using 23 full factorial design. All of the prepared formulations were spherical in shape with nanometric size range (215.6-834.3 nm) and entrapment efficiency >74%. Differential scanning calorimetry thermograms and X-ray diffractograms revealed that SL exists in amorphous form within the NLC matrices. The drug release behavior from the NLCs displayed an initial burst release phase followed by sustained release of SL. Confocal laser scanning microscopy confirmed the potential of delivering the fluorolabeled NLCs within the follicles, suggesting the possibility of using SL-loaded NLCs for localized delivery of SL into the scalp hair follicles.

  8. Computation of higher spherical harmonics moments of the angular flux for neutron transport problems in spherical geometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sahni, D.C.; Sharma, A.

    2000-01-01

    The integral form of one-speed, spherically symmetric neutron transport equation with isotropic scattering is considered. Two standard problems are solved using normal mode expansion technique. The expansion coefficients are obtained by solving their singular integral equations. It is shown that these expansion coefficients provide a representation of all spherical harmonics moments of the angular flux as a superposition of Bessel functions. It is seen that large errors occur in the computation of higher moments unless we take certain precautions. The reasons for this phenomenon are explained. They throw some light on the failure of spherical harmonics method in treating spherical geometry problems as observed by Aronsson

  9. Statistical Mechanics of Thin Spherical Shells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrej Košmrlj

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available We explore how thermal fluctuations affect the mechanics of thin amorphous spherical shells. In flat membranes with a shear modulus, thermal fluctuations increase the bending rigidity and reduce the in-plane elastic moduli in a scale-dependent fashion. This is still true for spherical shells. However, the additional coupling between the shell curvature, the local in-plane stretching modes, and the local out-of-plane undulations leads to novel phenomena. In spherical shells, thermal fluctuations produce a radius-dependent negative effective surface tension, equivalent to applying an inward external pressure. By adapting renormalization group calculations to allow for a spherical background curvature, we show that while small spherical shells are stable, sufficiently large shells are crushed by this thermally generated “pressure.” Such shells can be stabilized by an outward osmotic pressure, but the effective shell size grows nonlinearly with increasing outward pressure, with the same universal power-law exponent that characterizes the response of fluctuating flat membranes to a uniform tension.

  10. Preparation and characterization of biodegradable magnetic carriers by single emulsion-solvent evaporation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu Xianqiao [Departments of Neurology and Surgery (Neurosurgery), University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL (United States); Kaminski, Michael D. [Chemical Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL (United States); Riffle, Judy S. [Department of Chemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA (United States); Chen Haitao [Departments of Neurology and Surgery (Neurosurgery), University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL (United States); Torno, Michael [Departments of Neurology and Surgery (Neurosurgery), University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL (United States); Finck, Martha R. [Chemical Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL (United States); Taylor, LaToyia [Departments of Neurology and Surgery (Neurosurgery), University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL (United States); Rosengart, Axel J. [Departments of Neurology and Surgery (Neurosurgery), University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL (United States)]. E-mail: arosenga@uchicago.edu

    2007-04-15

    This paper describes a single emulsion-solvent evaporation protocol to prepare PEGylated biodegradable/biocompatible magnetic carriers by utilizing hydrophobic magnetite and a mixture of poly(D,L lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) and poly(lactic acid-block-polyethylene glycol) (PLA-PEG) (26:1 by mass) polymers. We characterized the magnetic microspheres in terms of morphology, composite microstructure, size and size distribution, and magnetic properties. Results show that the preparation produces magnetic microspheres with a good spherical morphology, small size (mean diameter of 1.2-1.5 {mu}m) by means of large size distributions, and magnetizations up to 20-30 emu/g of microspheres.

  11. Preparation and characterization of biodegradable magnetic carriers by single emulsion-solvent evaporation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Xianqiao; Kaminski, Michael D.; Riffle, Judy S.; Chen Haitao; Torno, Michael; Finck, Martha R.; Taylor, LaToyia; Rosengart, Axel J.

    2007-01-01

    This paper describes a single emulsion-solvent evaporation protocol to prepare PEGylated biodegradable/biocompatible magnetic carriers by utilizing hydrophobic magnetite and a mixture of poly(D,L lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) and poly(lactic acid-block-polyethylene glycol) (PLA-PEG) (26:1 by mass) polymers. We characterized the magnetic microspheres in terms of morphology, composite microstructure, size and size distribution, and magnetic properties. Results show that the preparation produces magnetic microspheres with a good spherical morphology, small size (mean diameter of 1.2-1.5 μm) by means of large size distributions, and magnetizations up to 20-30 emu/g of microspheres

  12. Spherical Tensor Calculus for Local Adaptive Filtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reisert, Marco; Burkhardt, Hans

    In 3D image processing tensors play an important role. While rank-1 and rank-2 tensors are well understood and commonly used, higher rank tensors are rare. This is probably due to their cumbersome rotation behavior which prevents a computationally efficient use. In this chapter we want to introduce the notion of a spherical tensor which is based on the irreducible representations of the 3D rotation group. In fact, any ordinary cartesian tensor can be decomposed into a sum of spherical tensors, while each spherical tensor has a quite simple rotation behavior. We introduce so called tensorial harmonics that provide an orthogonal basis for spherical tensor fields of any rank. It is just a generalization of the well known spherical harmonics. Additionally we propose a spherical derivative which connects spherical tensor fields of different degree by differentiation. Based on the proposed theory we present two applications. We propose an efficient algorithm for dense tensor voting in 3D, which makes use of tensorial harmonics decomposition of the tensor-valued voting field. In this way it is possible to perform tensor voting by linear-combinations of convolutions in an efficient way. Secondly, we propose an anisotropic smoothing filter that uses a local shape and orientation adaptive filter kernel which can be computed efficiently by the use spherical derivatives.

  13. Modeling mantle convection in the spherical annulus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernlund, John W.; Tackley, Paul J.

    2008-12-01

    Most methods for modeling mantle convection in a two-dimensional (2D) circular annular domain suffer from innate shortcomings in their ability to capture several characteristics of the spherical shell geometry of planetary mantles. While methods such as rescaling the inner and outer radius to reduce anomalous effects in a 2D polar cylindrical coordinate system have been introduced and widely implemented, such fixes may have other drawbacks that adversely affect the outcome of some kinds of mantle convection studies. Here we propose a new approach that we term the "spherical annulus," which is a 2D slice that bisects the spherical shell and is quantitatively formulated at the equator of a spherical polar coordinate system after neglecting terms in the governing equations related to variations in latitude. Spherical scaling is retained in this approximation since the Jacobian function remains proportional to the square of the radius. We present example calculations to show that the behavior of convection in the spherical annulus compares favorably against calculations performed in other 2D annular domains when measured relative to those in a fully three-dimensional (3D) spherical shell.

  14. Polymeric micelles as a drug carrier for tumor targeting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Neha M Dand

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Polymeric micelle can be targeted to tumor site by passive and active mechanism. Some inherent properties of polymeric micelle such as size in nanorange, stability in plasma, longevity in vivo, and pathological characteristics of tumor make polymeric micelles to be targeted at the tumor site by passive mechanism called enhanced permeability and retention effect. Polymeric micelle formed from the amphiphilic block copolymer is suitable for encapsulation of poorly water soluble, hydrophobic anticancer drugs. Other characteristics of polymeric micelles such as separated functionality at the outer shell are useful for targeting the anticancer drug to tumor by active mechanisms. Polymeric micelles can be conjugated with many ligands such as antibodies fragments, epidermal growth factors, α2 -glycoprotein, transferrine, and folate to target micelles to cancer cells. Application of heat and ultrasound are the alternative methods to enhance drug accumulation in tumoral cells. Targeting using micelles can also be done to tumor angiogenesis which is the potentially promising target for anticancer drugs. This review summarizes about recently available information regarding targeting the anticancer drug to the tumor site using polymeric micelles.

  15. Spherical spacelike geometries in static spherically symmetric spacetimes: Generalized Painlevè–Gullstrand coordinates, foliation, and embedding

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Akbar, M.M., E-mail: akbar@utdallas.edu

    2017-06-10

    It is well known that static spherically symmetric spacetimes can admit foliations by flat spacelike hypersurfaces, which are best described in terms of the Painlevè–Gullstrand coordinates. The uniqueness and existence of such foliations were addressed earlier. In this paper, we prove, purely geometrically, that any possible foliation of a static spherically symmetric spacetime by an arbitrary codimension-one spherical spacelike geometry, up to time translation and rotation, is unique, and we find the algebraic condition under which it exists. This leads us to what can be considered as the most natural generalization of the Painlevè–Gullstrand coordinate system for static spherically symmetric metrics, which, in turn, makes it easy to derive generic conclusions on foliation and to study specific cases as well as to easily reproduce previously obtained generalizations as special cases. In particular, we note that the existence of foliation by flat hypersurfaces guarantees the existence of foliation by hypersurfaces whose Ricci curvature tensor is everywhere non-positive (constant negative curvature is a special case). The study of uniqueness and the existence concurrently solves the question of embeddability of a spherical spacelike geometry in one-dimensional higher static spherically symmetric spacetimes, and this produces known and new results geometrically, without having to go through the momentum and Hamiltonian constraints.

  16. Spiral CT manifestations of spherical pneumonia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Xiaohong; Yang Hongwei; Xu Chunmin; Qin Xiu

    2008-01-01

    Objective: To explore the Spiral CT manifestations and differential diagnosis of spherical pneumonia. Methods: 18 cases of spherical pneumonia and 20 cases of peripheral pulmonary carcinoma were selected, both of them were confirmed by clinic and/or pathology. The SCT findings of both groups were compared retrospectively. Results: Main spiral CT findings of spherical pneumonia were showed as followings: square or triangular lesions adjacent to pleura; with irregular shape, blurry, slightly lobulated margin, sometimes with halo sign. Small inflammatory patches and intensified vascular markings around the lesions were seen. Lesions became smaller or vanished after short-term anti-inflammatory treatment. Conclusion: Spherical pneumonia showed some characteristics on Spiral CT scan, which are helpful in diagnosis and differential diagnosis of this disease. (authors)

  17. Non-conformal contact mechanical characteristic analysis on spherical components

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhen-zhi, G.; Bin, H.; Zheng-ming, G.; Feng-mei, Y.; Jin, Q [The 2. Artillery Engineering Univ., Xi' an (China)

    2017-03-15

    Non-conformal spherical-contact mechanical problems is a three-dimensional coordination or similar to the coordination spherical contact. Due to the complexity of the problem of spherical-contact and difficulties of solving higher-order partial differential equations, problems of three-dimensional coordination or similar to the coordination spherical-contact is still no exact analytical method for solving. It is based on three-dimensional taper model is proposed a model based on the contour surface of the spherical contact and concluded of the formula of the contact pressure and constructed of finite element model by contact pressure distribution under the non-conformal spherical. The results shows spherical contact model can reflect non-conformal spherical-contacting mechanical problems more than taper-contacting model, and apply for the actual project.

  18. Differential Impact of Plasma Proteins on the Adhesion Efficiency of Vascular-Targeted Carriers (VTCs) in Blood of Common Laboratory Animals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Namdee, Katawut; Sobczynski, Daniel J; Onyskiw, Peter J; Eniola-Adefeso, Omolola

    2015-12-16

    Vascular-targeted carrier (VTC) interaction with human plasma is known to reduce targeted adhesion efficiency in vitro. However, the role of plasma proteins on the adhesion efficiency of VTCs in laboratory animals remains unknown. Here, in vitro blood flow assays are used to explore the effects of plasma from mouse, rabbit, and porcine on VTC adhesion. Porcine blood exhibited a strong negative plasma effect on VTC adhesion while no significant plasma effect was found with rabbit and mouse blood. A brush density poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) on VTCs was effective at improving adhesion of microsized, but not nanosized, VTCs in porcine blood. Overall, the results suggest that porcine models, as opposed to mouse, can serve as better models in preclinical research for predicting the in vivo functionality of VTCs for use in humans. These considerations hold great importance for the design of various pharmaceutical products and development of reliable drug delivery systems.

  19. Scaling of a fast spherical discharge

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Antsiferov, P. S., E-mail: Ants@isan.troitsk.ru; Dorokhin, L. A. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Spectroscopy (Russian Federation)

    2017-02-15

    The influence of the discharge cavity dimensions on the properties of the spherical plasma formed in a fast discharge was studied experimentally. The passage of a current pulse with an amplitude of 30–40 kA and a rise rate of ~10{sup 12} A/s (a fast discharge) through a spherical ceramic (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) cavity with an inner diameter of 11 mm filled with argon at a pressure of 80 Pa results in the formation of a 1- to 2-mm-diameter spherical plasma with an electron temperature of several tens of electronvolts and a density of 10{sup 18}–10{sup 19} cm{sup –3}. It is shown that an increase in the inner diameter of the discharge cavity from 11 to 21 mm leads to the fourfold increase in the formation time of the spherical plasma and a decrease in the average ion charge. A decrease in the cavity diameter to 7 mm makes the spherical plasma unstable.

  20. Spherical aberrations of human astigmatic corneas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Huawei; Dai, Guang-Ming; Chen, Li; Weeber, Henk A; Piers, Patricia A

    2011-11-01

    To evaluate whether the average spherical aberration of human astigmatic corneas is statistically equivalent to human nonastigmatic corneas. Spherical aberrations of 445 astigmatic corneas prior to laser vision correction were retrospectively investigated to determine Zernike coefficients for central corneal areas 6 mm in diameter using CTView (Sarver and Associates). Data were divided into groups according to cylinder power (0.01 to 0.25 diopters [D], 0.26 to 0.75 D, 0.76 to 1.06 D, 1.07 to 1.53 D, 1.54 to 2.00 D, and >2.00 D) and according to age by decade. Spherical aberrations were correlated with age and astigmatic power among groups and the entire population. Statistical analyses were conducted, and P.05 for all tested groups). Mean spherical aberration of astigmatic corneas was not correlated significantly with cylinder power or age (P>.05). Spherical aberrations are similar to those of nonastigmatic corneas, permitting the use of these additional data in the design of aspheric toric intra-ocular lenses. Copyright 2011, SLACK Incorporated.

  1. Spherical grating based x-ray Talbot interferometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cong, Wenxiang, E-mail: congw@rpi.edu, E-mail: xiy2@rpi.edu, E-mail: wangg6@rpi.edu; Xi, Yan, E-mail: congw@rpi.edu, E-mail: xiy2@rpi.edu, E-mail: wangg6@rpi.edu; Wang, Ge, E-mail: congw@rpi.edu, E-mail: xiy2@rpi.edu, E-mail: wangg6@rpi.edu [Biomedical Imaging Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180 (United States)

    2015-11-15

    Purpose: Grating interferometry is a state-of-the-art x-ray imaging approach, which can acquire information on x-ray attenuation, phase shift, and small-angle scattering simultaneously. Phase-contrast imaging and dark-field imaging are very sensitive to microstructural variation and offers superior contrast resolution for biological soft tissues. However, a common x-ray tube is a point-like source. As a result, the popular planar grating imaging configuration seriously restricts the flux of photons and decreases the visibility of signals, yielding a limited field of view. The purpose of this study is to extend the planar x-ray grating imaging theory and methods to a spherical grating scheme for a wider range of preclinical and clinical applications. Methods: A spherical grating matches the wave front of a point x-ray source very well, allowing the perpendicular incidence of x-rays on the grating to achieve a higher visibility over a larger field of view than the planer grating counterpart. A theoretical analysis of the Talbot effect for spherical grating imaging is proposed to establish a basic foundation for x-ray spherical gratings interferometry. An efficient method of spherical grating imaging is also presented to extract attenuation, differential phase, and dark-field images in the x-ray spherical grating interferometer. Results: Talbot self-imaging with spherical gratings is analyzed based on the Rayleigh–Sommerfeld diffraction formula, featuring a periodic angular distribution in a polar coordinate system. The Talbot distance is derived to reveal the Talbot self-imaging pattern. Numerical simulation results show the self-imaging phenomenon of a spherical grating interferometer, which is in agreement with the theoretical prediction. Conclusions: X-ray Talbot interferometry with spherical gratings has a significant practical promise. Relative to planar grating imaging, spherical grating based x-ray Talbot interferometry has a larger field of view and

  2. Spherical grating based x-ray Talbot interferometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cong, Wenxiang; Xi, Yan; Wang, Ge

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: Grating interferometry is a state-of-the-art x-ray imaging approach, which can acquire information on x-ray attenuation, phase shift, and small-angle scattering simultaneously. Phase-contrast imaging and dark-field imaging are very sensitive to microstructural variation and offers superior contrast resolution for biological soft tissues. However, a common x-ray tube is a point-like source. As a result, the popular planar grating imaging configuration seriously restricts the flux of photons and decreases the visibility of signals, yielding a limited field of view. The purpose of this study is to extend the planar x-ray grating imaging theory and methods to a spherical grating scheme for a wider range of preclinical and clinical applications. Methods: A spherical grating matches the wave front of a point x-ray source very well, allowing the perpendicular incidence of x-rays on the grating to achieve a higher visibility over a larger field of view than the planer grating counterpart. A theoretical analysis of the Talbot effect for spherical grating imaging is proposed to establish a basic foundation for x-ray spherical gratings interferometry. An efficient method of spherical grating imaging is also presented to extract attenuation, differential phase, and dark-field images in the x-ray spherical grating interferometer. Results: Talbot self-imaging with spherical gratings is analyzed based on the Rayleigh–Sommerfeld diffraction formula, featuring a periodic angular distribution in a polar coordinate system. The Talbot distance is derived to reveal the Talbot self-imaging pattern. Numerical simulation results show the self-imaging phenomenon of a spherical grating interferometer, which is in agreement with the theoretical prediction. Conclusions: X-ray Talbot interferometry with spherical gratings has a significant practical promise. Relative to planar grating imaging, spherical grating based x-ray Talbot interferometry has a larger field of view and

  3. Self-Assembled Nanoparticles of Glycyrrhetic Acid-Modified Pullulan as a Novel Carrier of Curcumin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roufen Yuan

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Glycyrrhetic acid (GA-modified pullulan nanoparticles (GAP NPs were synthesized as a novel carrier of curcumin (CUR with a degree of substitution (DS of GA moieties within the range of 1.2–6.2 groups per hundred glucose units. In the present study, we investigated the physicochemical characteristics, release behavior, in vitro cytotoxicity and cellular uptake of the particles. Self-assembled GAP NPs with spherical shapes could readily improve the water solubility and stability of CUR. The CUR release was sustained and pH-dependent. The cellular uptake of CUR-GAP NPs was confirmed by green fluorescence in the cells. An MTT study showed CUR-GAP NPs with higher cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells than free CUR, but GAP NPs had no significant cytotoxicity. GAP is thus an excellent carrier for the solubilization, stabilization, and controlled delivery of CUR.

  4. Sources of carrier F-19 in F-18 fluoride

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Link, J. M.; Shoner, S. C.; Krohn, K. A. [University of Washington, Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Center, 1959 NE Pacific St., Box 356004, Seattle, WA 98195-6004 (United States)

    2012-12-19

    Fluorine-18 is used for many PET radiopharmaceuticals. Theoretically {sup 18}F should be carrier free and a good candidate for nanochemistry. However, {sup 18}F has 10 to 1000 times more stable fluorine atoms than radioactive atoms. In order to understand the source of carrier fluoride and other ions associated with {sup 18}F radiosynthesis, anion concentrations of different components of {sup 18}F target systems as well as solvents and chemicals used in radiosynthesis were measured. Results: The enriched water used for production of {sup 18}F had low levels of anions. In general, the sources of anions, particularly of fluoride, were the chemical reagents used for synthesis and trace contaminants in tubing, valves and fittings. A major component of contamination was nitrate from irradiation of dissolved nitrogen gas in the target water.

  5. Subcutaneous administration of carrier erythrocytes: slow release of entrapped agent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    DeLoach, J.R.; Corrier, D.E.

    1988-01-01

    Carrier erythrocytes administered subcutaneously in mice release encapsulated molecules at the injection site and through cells that escape the injection site. One day postinjection, the efflux of encapsulated [ 14 C]sucrose, [ 3 H]inulin, and 51 Cr-hemoglobin from the injection site was 45, 55, and 65%, respectively. Intact carrier erythrocytes escaped the injection site and entered the blood circulation carrying with them the encapsulated molecules. Most of the encapsulated [ 3 H]inulin that reached whole blood circulated within erythrocytes. Small but measurable numbers of encapsulated molecules were trapped within lymph nodes. Subcutaneous injection of carrier erythrocytes may allow for limited extravascular tissue targeting of drugs

  6. Biogenesis of mitochondrial carrier proteins: molecular mechanisms of import into mitochondria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferramosca, Alessandra; Zara, Vincenzo

    2013-03-01

    Mitochondrial metabolite carriers are hydrophobic proteins which catalyze the flux of several charged or hydrophilic substrates across the inner membrane of mitochondria. These proteins, like most mitochondrial proteins, are nuclear encoded and after their synthesis in the cytosol are transported into the inner mitochondrial membrane. Most metabolite carriers, differently from other nuclear encoded mitochondrial proteins, are synthesized without a cleavable presequence and contain several, poorly characterized, internal targeting signals. However, an interesting aspect is the presence of a positively charged N-terminal presequence in a limited number of mitochondrial metabolite carriers. Over the last few years the molecular mechanisms of import of metabolite carrier proteins into mitochondria have been thoroughly investigated. This review summarizes the present knowledge and discusses recent advances on the import and sorting of mitochondrial metabolite carriers. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Enhanced cytotoxicity of anticancer drug delivered by novel nanoscale polymeric carrier

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stoika, R.; Boiko, N.; Senkiv, Y.; Shlyakhtina, Y.; Panchuk, R.; Finiuk, N.; Filyak, Y.; Bilyy, R.; Kit, Y.; Skorohyd, N.; Klyuchivska, O.; Zaichenko, A.; Mitina, N.; Ryabceva, A.

    2013-04-01

    We compared in vitro action of highly toxic anticancer drug doxorubicin under its delivery to the mammalian tumor cells in free form and after encapsulation in novel bio-functionalized nanoscale polymeric carrier. Such encapsulation was found to enhance significantly drug uptake by the targeted cells, as well as its cytotoxic action. 10 times higher cytotoxicity of the carrier-immobilized doxorubicin comparing to its free form was demonstrated by direct cell counting, and 5 times higher cytotoxicity of encapsulated doxorubicin was shown by FACS analysis. The polymeric carrier itself did not possess significant toxicity in vitro or in vivo (laboratory mice). The carrier protected against negative side effects of doxorubicin in mice with experimental NK/Ly lymphoma. The life duration of tumor-bearing animals treated with doxorubicin-carrier complex was significantly longer than life duration in animals treated with free doxorubicin. Besides, the effective treatment dose of the carrier-delivered doxorubicin in tumor-bearing mice was 10 times lower than such dose of free doxorubicin. Thus, novel nanoscale polymers possess high potential as drug carrier.

  8. Enhanced cytotoxicity of anticancer drug delivered by novel nanoscale polymeric carrier

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stoika, R; Boiko, N; Panchuk, R; Filyak, Y; Senkiv, Y; Finiuk, N; Shlyakhtina, Y; Bilyy, R; Kit, Y; Skorohyd, N; Klyuchivska, O; Zaichenko, A; Mitina, N; Ryabceva, A

    2013-01-01

    We compared in vitro action of highly toxic anticancer drug doxorubicin under its delivery to the mammalian tumor cells in free form and after encapsulation in novel bio-functionalized nanoscale polymeric carrier. Such encapsulation was found to enhance significantly drug uptake by the targeted cells, as well as its cytotoxic action. 10 times higher cytotoxicity of the carrier-immobilized doxorubicin comparing to its free form was demonstrated by direct cell counting, and 5 times higher cytotoxicity of encapsulated doxorubicin was shown by FACS analysis. The polymeric carrier itself did not possess significant toxicity in vitro or in vivo (laboratory mice). The carrier protected against negative side effects of doxorubicin in mice with experimental NK/Ly lymphoma. The life duration of tumor-bearing animals treated with doxorubicin-carrier complex was significantly longer than life duration in animals treated with free doxorubicin. Besides, the effective treatment dose of the carrier-delivered doxorubicin in tumor-bearing mice was 10 times lower than such dose of free doxorubicin. Thus, novel nanoscale polymers possess high potential as drug carrier.

  9. The near-field acoustic levitation for spheres by transducer with concave spherical radiating surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Jian Fang; Sun, Xu Guang; Jiao, Xiao Yang; Chen, Hong Xia; Hua, Shun Ming; Zhang, Hong Chun

    2013-01-01

    To levitate ICF target spheres in the near-field acoustic levitation, a transducer with concave spherical radiating surface and a nearfield acoustic levitation system is established. The concave spherical radiating surface of the transducer is designed by the finite element parametric method. Then the levitation height and levitation perturbation of spheres with different mass and diameters in the near-field acoustic levitation system are tested and discussed in the driving voltage at 400V, 500V and 600V, respectively, when the levitation system is under the resonant frequency. Finally, based on the experimental results, the height formula of the near-field acoustic levitation for spheres is deduced by introducing a coupling coefficient.

  10. The near-field acoustic levitation for spheres by transducer with concave spherical radiating surface

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Jian Fang; Sun, Xu Guang; Jiao, Xiao Yang; Chen, Hong Xia [Jilin University, Changchun (China); Hua, Shun Ming [Zhejiang University, Ningbo (China); Zhang, Hong Chun [Aviation University of AirForce, Changchun (China)

    2013-02-15

    To levitate ICF target spheres in the near-field acoustic levitation, a transducer with concave spherical radiating surface and a nearfield acoustic levitation system is established. The concave spherical radiating surface of the transducer is designed by the finite element parametric method. Then the levitation height and levitation perturbation of spheres with different mass and diameters in the near-field acoustic levitation system are tested and discussed in the driving voltage at 400V, 500V and 600V, respectively, when the levitation system is under the resonant frequency. Finally, based on the experimental results, the height formula of the near-field acoustic levitation for spheres is deduced by introducing a coupling coefficient.

  11. LLE-LLNL progress report on studies in nonlocal heat transport in spherical plasmas using the Fokker-Planck code SPARK

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Epperlein, E.M.

    1992-01-01

    Preliminary 1-D studies of nonlocal heat transport in spherical plasmas based on the Fokker-Planck code SPARK indicate significant levels of electron preheat and radial heat flux across a spherical heat sink surface kept at fixed temperature. However, the diffusive approximation to the Fokker-Planck equation is shown to be particularly sensitive to the nature of the inner surface boundary condition chosen. A suggested remedy is the inclusion of a target capsule in future simulations studies with SPARK

  12. Fabrication of cryogenic inertial-confinement-fusion targets using target free-fall technique. Report No. 2-82

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, K.; Murphy, M.J.

    1982-04-01

    Techniques for fabricating cryogenic inertial confinement fusion targets (i.e., spherical shells containing a uniform layer of DT ice) are investigated using target free-fall concept. Detection and characterization of the moving targets are effected by optoelectronic means, of which the principal is an RF ac-interferometer. This interferometer system demonstrates, for the first time, the speed capabilities of the phase-modulation ac-interferometry. New techiques developed for handling, holding, launching, and transporting targets are also described. Results obtained at both room and cryogenic temperatures are presented

  13. Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) cell penetrating peptide (CPP) conjugates as carriers for cellular delivery of antisense oligomers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shiraishi, Takehiko; Nielsen, Peter E

    2012-01-01

    We have explored the merits of a novel delivery strategy for the antisense oligomers based on cell penetrating peptide (CPP) conjugated to a carrier PNA with sequence complementary to part of the antisense oligomer. The effect of these carrier CPP-PNAs was evaluated by using antisense PNA targeting......-PNA (cPNA1(7)-(D-Arg)8) and hexamer carrier decanoyl-CPP-PNA (Deca-cPNA1(6)-(D-Arg)8), respectively, without showing significant additional cellular toxicity. Most interestingly, the activity reached the same level obtained by enhancement with endosomolytic chloroquine (CQ) treatment, suggesting...... that the carrier might facilitate endosomal escape. Furthermore, 50% downregulation of luciferase expression at 60 nM siRNA was obtained using this carrier CPP-PNA delivery strategy (with CQ co-treatment) for a single stranded antisense RNA targeting normal luciferase mRNA. These results indicated that CPP...

  14. ELSA- The European Levitated Spherical Actruator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruiz, M.; Serin, J.; Telteu-Nedelcu, D.; De La Vallee Poussin, H.; Onillon, E.; Rossini, L.

    2014-08-01

    The reaction sphere is a magnetic bearing spherical actuator consisting of a permanent magnet spherical rotor that can be accelerated in any direction. It consists of an 8-pole permanent magnet spherical rotor that is magnetically levitated and can be accelerated about any axis by a 20-pole stator with electromagnets. The spherical actuator is proposed as a potential alternative to traditional momentum exchange devices such as reaction wheels (RWs) or control moment gyroscopes (CMGs). This new actuator provides several benefits such as reduced mass and power supply allocated to the attitude and navigation unit, performance gain, and improved reliability due to the absence of mechanical bearings. The paper presents the work done on the levitated spherical actuator and more precisely the electrical drive including its control unit and power parts. An elegant breadboard is currently being manufactured within the frame of an FP7 project. This project also comprises a feasibility study to show the feasibility of integrating such a system on a flight platform and to identify all the challenges to be solved in terms of technology or components to be developed.

  15. Enzyme decorated drug carriers: Targeted swords to cleave and overcome the mucus barrier.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menzel, Claudia; Bernkop-Schnürch, Andreas

    2018-01-15

    The use of mucus permeating drug carrier systems being able to overcome the mucus barrier can lead to a remarkable enhancement in bioavailability. One promising approach is the design of mucolytic enzyme decorated carrier systems (MECS). These systems include micro- and nanoparticles as well as self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) decorated with mucin cleaving enzymes such as papain (PAP) or bromelain (BRO). MECS are able to cross the mucus barrier in a comparatively efficient manner by cleaving mucus substructures in front of them on their way to the epithelium. Thereby these enzymes hydrolyze peptide bonds of mucus glycoproteins forming tiny holes or passages through the mucus. In various in vitro and in vivo studies MECS proved to be superior in their mucus permeating properties over nanocarriers without enzyme decoration. PAP decorated nanoparticles, for instance, remained 3h after oral administration to an even 2.5-fold higher extend in rat small intestine than the corresponding undecorated nanoparticles permeating the intestinal mucus gel layer to a much lower degree. As MECS break up the mucus network only locally without destroying its overall protective barrier function, even long term treatments with such systems seem feasible. Within this review article we address different drug carrier systems decorated with various types of enzymes, their particular pros and cons and potential applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Formulation and delivery of itraconazole to the brain using a nanolipid carrier system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lim WM

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Wei Meng Lim,1 Paruvathanahalli Siddalingam Rajinikanth,2 Chitneni Mallikarjun,1 Yew Beng Kang11School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 2School of Pharmacy, Taylor’s University, Selangor, MalaysiaAbstract: The objectives of this study were to develop and characterize itraconazole (ITZ-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs and to study their potential for drug delivery into the brain. Precirol® ATO 5 and Transcutol® HP were selected as the lipid phase, and Tween® 80 and Solutol® HS15 as surfactants. The ITZ-NLCs were prepared by a hot and high-pressure homogenization method. The entrapment efficiency for the best formulation batch was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography and was found to be 70.5%±0.6%. The average size, zeta potential, and polydispersity index for the ITZ-NLCs used for animal studies were found to be 313.7±15.3 nm, –18.7±0.30 mV, and 0.562±0.070, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed that ITZ-NLCs were spherical in shape, with a size of less than 200 nm. Differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffractometry analysis showed that ITZ was encapsulated in the lipid matrix and present in the amorphous form. The in vitro release study showed that ITZ-NLCs achieved a sustained release, with cumulative release of 80.6%±5.3% up to 24 hours. An in vivo study showed that ITZ-NLCs could increase the ITZ concentration in the brain by almost twofold. These results suggest that ITZ-NLCs can be exploited as nanocarriers to achieve sustained release and brain-targeted delivery.Keywords: lipid nanoparticles, brain delivery, nanostructured lipid carrier

  17. Spherical Torus Center Stack Design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    C. Neumeyer; P. Heitzenroeder; C. Kessel; M. Ono; M. Peng; J. Schmidt; R. Woolley; I. Zatz

    2002-01-01

    The low aspect ratio spherical torus (ST) configuration requires that the center stack design be optimized within a limited available space, using materials within their established allowables. This paper presents center stack design methods developed by the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) Project Team during the initial design of NSTX, and more recently for studies of a possible next-step ST (NSST) device

  18. Spherical Demons: Fast Surface Registration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeo, B.T. Thomas; Sabuncu, Mert; Vercauteren, Tom; Ayache, Nicholas; Fischl, Bruce; Golland, Polina

    2009-01-01

    We present the fast Spherical Demons algorithm for registering two spherical images. By exploiting spherical vector spline interpolation theory, we show that a large class of regularizers for the modified demons objective function can be efficiently implemented on the sphere using convolution. Based on the one parameter subgroups of diffeomorphisms, the resulting registration is diffeomorphic and fast – registration of two cortical mesh models with more than 100k nodes takes less than 5 minutes, comparable to the fastest surface registration algorithms. Moreover, the accuracy of our method compares favorably to the popular FreeSurfer registration algorithm. We validate the technique in two different settings: (1) parcellation in a set of in-vivo cortical surfaces and (2) Brodmann area localization in ex-vivo cortical surfaces. PMID:18979813

  19. Research on calibration error of carrier phase against antenna arraying

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Ke; Hou, Xiaomin

    2016-11-01

    It is the technical difficulty of uplink antenna arraying that signals from various quarters can not be automatically aligned at the target in deep space. The size of the far-field power combining gain is directly determined by the accuracy of carrier phase calibration. It is necessary to analyze the entire arraying system in order to improve the accuracy of the phase calibration. This paper analyzes the factors affecting the calibration error of carrier phase of uplink antenna arraying system including the error of phase measurement and equipment, the error of the uplink channel phase shift, the position error of ground antenna, calibration receiver and target spacecraft, the error of the atmospheric turbulence disturbance. Discuss the spatial and temporal autocorrelation model of atmospheric disturbances. Each antenna of the uplink antenna arraying is no common reference signal for continuous calibration. So it must be a system of the periodic calibration. Calibration is refered to communication of one or more spacecrafts in a certain period. Because the deep space targets are not automatically aligned to multiplexing received signal. Therefore the aligned signal should be done in advance on the ground. Data is shown that the error can be controlled within the range of demand by the use of existing technology to meet the accuracy of carrier phase calibration. The total error can be controlled within a reasonable range.

  20. Therapeutic targeting strategies using endogenous cells and proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parayath, Neha N; Amiji, Mansoor M

    2017-07-28

    Targeted drug delivery has become extremely important in enhancing efficacy and reducing the toxicity of therapeutics in the treatment of various disease conditions. Current approaches include passive targeting, which relies on naturally occurring differences between healthy and diseased tissues, and active targeting, which utilizes various ligands that can recognize targets expressed preferentially at the diseased site. Clinical translation of these mechanisms faces many challenges including the immunogenic and toxic effects of these non-natural systems. Thus, use of endogenous targeting systems is increasingly gaining momentum. This review is focused on strategies for employing endogenous moieties, which could serve as safe and efficient carriers for targeted drug delivery. The first part of the review involves cells and cellular components as endogenous carriers for therapeutics in multiple disease states, while the second part discusses the use of endogenous plasma components as endogenous carriers. Further understanding of the biological tropism with cells and proteins and the newer generation of delivery strategies that exploits these endogenous approaches promises to provide better solutions for site-specific delivery and could further facilitate clinical translations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Process for manufacture of inertial confinement fusion targets and resulting product

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Solomon, D.E.; Wise, K.D.; Wuttke, G.H.; Masnari, N.A.; Rensel, W.B.; Robinson, M.G.

    1980-01-01

    A method of manufacturing inertial confinement fusion targets is described which is adaptable for high volume production of low cost targets in a wide variety of sizes. The targets include a spherical pellet of fusion fuel surrounded by a protective concentric shell. (UK)

  2. The prediction of spherical aberration with schematic eyes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liou, H L; Brennan, N A

    1996-07-01

    Many model eyes have been proposed; they differ in optical characteristics and therefore have different aberrations and image quality. In predicting the visual performance of the eye, we are most concerned with the central foveal vision. Spherical aberration is the only on-axis monochromatic aberration and can be used as a criterion to assess the degree of resemblance of eye models to the human eye. We reviewed and compiled experimental values of the spherical aberration of the eye, calculated the spherical aberration of several different categories of model eyes and compared the calculated results to the experimental data. Results show an over-estimation of spherical aberration by all models, the finite schematic eyes predicting values of spherical aberration closest to the experimental data. Current model eyes do not predict the average experimental values of the spherical aberration of the eye. A new model eye satisfying this assessment criterion is required for investigations of the visual performance of the eye.

  3. Recovery of carrier-free gold-195

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iofa, B.Z.; Ivanova, N.A.

    1995-01-01

    It is known that gold(III) is readily extracted from nitric acid solutions with ethers. The authors have studied extraction of trace amounts of gold(III) from nitric acid solutions with diethyl and diisopropyl ethers in the presence of significant excess of Pt(IV). Distribution coefficients of gold(III) were measured radiometrically using carrier-free gold-195 or spectrophotometrically in the presence of platinum(IV). Very high coefficients of gold separation from platinum may be achieved. Preliminary experiments have shown that zinc-65 was not extracted with ethers from nitric acid solutions. As an extraction system, the authors have chosen the system 10 M HNO 3 -diisopropyl ether. After model experiments, the authors have performed recovery of carrier-free gold-195 from a real platinum target irradiated with protons in a cyclotron

  4. The ETE spherical Tokamak project. IAEA report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ludwig, Gerson Otto; Del Bosco, E.; Berni, L.A.; Ferreira, J.G.; Oliveira, R.M.; Andrade, M.C.R.; Shibata, C.S.; Barroso, J.J.; Castro, P.J.; Patire Junior, H. [Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE), Sao Jose dos Campos, SP (Brazil). Lab. Associado de Plasma]. E-mail: ludwig@plasma.inpe.br

    2002-07-01

    This paper describes the general characteristics of spherical tokamaks, or spherical tori, with a brief overview of work in this area already performed or in progress at several institutions worldwide. The paper presents also the historical development of the ETE (Spherical Tokamak Experiment) project, its research program, technical characteristics and operating conditions as of October, 2002 at the Associated Plasma Laboratory (LAP) of the National Space Research Institute (INPE) in Brazil. (author)

  5. Spherical solitons in Earth’S mesosphere plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Annou, K.; Annou, R.

    2016-01-01

    Soliton formation in Earth’s mesosphere plasma is described. Nonlinear acoustic waves in plasmas with two-temperature ions and a variable dust charge where transverse perturbation is dealt with are studied in bounded spherical geometry. Using the perturbation method, a spherical Kadomtsev–Petviashvili equation that describes dust acoustic waves is derived. It is found that the parameters taken into account have significant effects on the properties of nonlinear waves in spherical geometry

  6. Investigation on cryogenic laser fusion targets: fabrication, characterization, and transport. Annual report, December 1, 1978-November 30, 1979

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, K.

    1979-01-01

    The research has been directed toward fabrication, characterization, and positioning of cryogenic shell laser fusion targets, with particular emphasis on the development of a scheme which would allow for continuous fabrication, inspection, and delivery of the targets. Specifically, progress has been made in the following areas: (1) Fabrication of a uniform spherical shell of DT-condensate using a cold-wall target-freezing-cell. (2) Fabrication of a uniform spherical shell of liquid DT using a room-temperature wall target-freezing-cell. (3) Support-free cryogenic target fabrication using cold-gas-levitation. (4) Continuous fabrication of cryogenic targets using free-fall method. (5) Automatic characterization of DT-layer uniformity. (6) Sorting of DT-filled glass microshells using an interference microscope. (7) Development of an a-c interference microscope for accurate characterization of moving targets. (8) Development of a machine which is capable of producing a continuous stream of uniform DT spheres of controllable sizes. (9) Theoretical study on the behavior of liquid hydrogen contained in a spherical shell

  7. PEG-lipid micelles as drug carriers: physiochemical attributes, formulation principles and biological implication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gill, Kanwaldeep K; Kaddoumi, Amal; Nazzal, Sami

    2015-04-01

    PEG-lipid micelles, primarily conjugates of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and distearyl phosphatidylethanolamine (DSPE) or PEG-DSPE, have emerged as promising drug-delivery carriers to address the shortcomings associated with new molecular entities with suboptimal biopharmaceutical attributes. The flexibility in PEG-DSPE design coupled with the simplicity of physical drug entrapment have distinguished PEG-lipid micelles as versatile and effective drug carriers for cancer therapy. They were shown to overcome several limitations of poorly soluble drugs such as non-specific biodistribution and targeting, lack of water solubility and poor oral bioavailability. Therefore, considerable efforts have been made to exploit the full potential of these delivery systems; to entrap poorly soluble drugs and target pathological sites both passively through the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect and actively by linking the terminal PEG groups with targeting ligands, which were shown to increase delivery efficiency and tissue specificity. This article reviews the current state of PEG-lipid micelles as delivery carriers for poorly soluble drugs, their biological implications and recent developments in exploring their active targeting potential. In addition, this review sheds light on the physical properties of PEG-lipid micelles and their relevance to the inherent advantages and applications of PEG-lipid micelles for drug delivery.

  8. Immunological tolerance to lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus in neonatally infected virus carrier mice: evidence supporting a clonal inactivation mechanism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cihak, J.; Lehmann-Grube, F.

    1978-01-01

    Experiments are described aimed at analysing the mechanism responsible for the absence of cell-mediated immunity against LCM virus-infected cells in neonatally established LCM virus carrier mice. Virus-specific cell-mediated immunity was assessed by 51 Cr release and target cell reduction assays. Attempts to demonstrate cells in spleens of CBA/J carrier mice able to suppress in syngeneic recipients the induction or the effector phase of the cytotoxic T-cell response against LCM virus-infected cells were unsuccessful. Also, no factors were detected in CBA/J and C57BL/6J carrier mice, either spleen cell-associated or free in the circulation, which would block the activity of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes against LCM virus-infected syngeneic target cells. The results indicate that inability of LCM virus carrier mice to act immunologically against virus-infected target cells is due to deletion or irreversible inactivation of T lymphocytes carrying receptors for virally altered cell membrane antigens. (author)

  9. Studies on radiation symmetrization in heavy-ion driven hohlraum targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Temporal, M.; Atzeni, S.

    1993-01-01

    Radiation symmetrization within spherical, ellipsoidal and cylindral hohlraum targets for heavy ion inertial confinement fusion (ICF) is studied by means of a 3-D numerical, static model, in which realistic assumptions are made concerning the geometry of the system and, particularly, of the radiation converters. Among the systems so far studied, only spherical hohlraums with six converters achieve the illumination symmetry of the fusion capsule considered necessary for ICF applications. A parametric study of cylindrical hohlraums enlightens the effect of several parameter changes, and suggests directions for further studies, aiming at the design of two-converter targets

  10. Generalized theory of resonance scattering (GTRS) using the translational addition theorem for spherical wave functions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitri, Farid

    2014-11-01

    The generalized theory of resonance scattering (GTRS) by an elastic spherical target in acoustics is extended to describe the arbitrary scattering of a finite beam using the addition theorem for the spherical wave functions of the first kind under a translation of the coordinate origin. The advantage of the proposed method over the standard discrete spherical harmonics transform previously used in the GTRS formalism is the computation of the off-axial beam-shape coefficients (BSCs) stemming from a closed-form partial-wave series expansion representing the axial BSCs in spherical coordinates. With this general method, the arbitrary acoustical scattering can be evaluated for any particle shape and size, whether the particle is partially or completely illuminated by the incident beam. Numerical examples for the axial and off-axial resonance scattering from an elastic sphere placed arbitrarily in the field of a finite circular piston transducer with uniform vibration are provided. Moreover, the 3-D resonance directivity patterns illustrate the theory and reveal some properties of the scattering. Numerous applications involving the scattering phenomenon in imaging, particle manipulation, and the characterization of multiphase flows can benefit from the present analysis because all physically realizable beams radiate acoustical waves from finite transducers as opposed to waves of infinite extent.

  11. Laplacian eigenmodes for spherical spaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lachieze-Rey, M; Caillerie, S

    2005-01-01

    The possibility that our space is multi-rather than singly-connected has gained renewed interest after the discovery of the low power for the first multipoles of the CMB by WMAP. To test the possibility that our space is a multi-connected spherical space, it is necessary to know the eigenmodes of such spaces. Except for lens and prism space, and to some extent for dodecahedral space, this remains an open problem. Here we derive the eigenmodes of all spherical spaces. For dodecahedral space, the demonstration is much shorter, and the calculation method much simpler than before. We also apply our method to tetrahedric, octahedric and icosahedric spaces. This completes the knowledge of eigenmodes for spherical spaces, and opens the door to new observational tests of the cosmic topology. The vector space V k of the eigenfunctions of the Laplacian on the 3-sphere S 3 , corresponding to the same eigenvalue λ k = -k(k + 2), has dimension (k + 1) 2 . We show that the Wigner functions provide a basis for such a space. Using the properties of the latter, we express the behaviour of a general function of V k under an arbitrary rotation G of SO(4). This offers the possibility of selecting those functions of V k which remain invariant under G. Specifying G to be a generator of the holonomy group of a spherical space X, we give the expression of the vector space V x k of the eigenfunctions of X. We provide a method to calculate the eigenmodes up to an arbitrary order. As an illustration, we give the first modes for the spherical spaces mentioned

  12. Low-Q Electrically Small Spherical Magnetic Dipole Antennas

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kim, Oleksiy S.

    2010-01-01

    Three novel electrically small antenna configurations radiating a TE10 spherical mode corresponding to a magnetic dipole are presented and investigated: multiarm spherical helix (MSH) antenna, spherical split ring resonator (S-SRR) antenna, and spherical split ring (SSR) antenna. All three antennas...... are self-resonant, with the input resistance tuned to 50 ohms by an excitation curved dipole/monopole. A prototype of the SSR antenna has been fabricated and measured, yielding results that are consistent with the numerical simulations. Radiation quality factors (Q) of these electrically small antennas (in...

  13. FY 2006 Miniature Spherical Retroreflectors Final Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anheier, Norman C.; Bernacki, Bruce E.; Krishnaswami, Kannan

    2006-12-28

    Research done by the Infrared Photonics team at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is focused on developing miniature spherical retroreflectors using the unique optical and material properties of chalcogenide glass to reduce both performance limiting spherical aberrations. The optimized optical performance will provide efficient signal retroreflection that enables a broad range of remote detection scenarios for mid-wave infrared (MWIR) and long-wave infrared (LWIR) sensing applications. Miniature spherical retroreflectors can be developed to aid in the detection of signatures of nuclear proliferation or other chemical vapor or radiation signatures. Miniature spherical retroreflectors are not only well suited to traditional LIDAR methods for chemical plume detection and identification, but could enable remote detection of difficult semi-volatile chemical materials or low level radiation sources.

  14. On the efficiency of conical targets for laser thermonuclear fusion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borovskij, A.V.; Korobkin, V.V.

    1981-01-01

    Advantages and drawbacks of conical targets (CT) for laser fusion (LF) are discussed. Possibility of the laser power reduction, laser pulse lengthening and neutron yield increase are analyzed for an ideal conical target with absolutely rigid and heat-proof walls as compared to a spherical target of the same mass. A simple theory is suggested which makes it possible to take into account an effect of walls on the fusion process in the conical target with gaseous fuel and heavy shell. Energy losses due to wall deformations and heat conduction are estimated. An influence of these effects on the neutron yield is estimated. CT used in the LF experiments are found to have serious drawbacks in comparison with spherical ones. These drawbacks are connected with the effect of walls on the processes taking place in CT. Analysis of CT, for which the effect of walls is not significant, points up some definite advantages of CT as compared with spherical one. These advantages are the possibility of laser pulse lengthening and laser power reduction in comparison with the irradiation of a sphere of an equal mass. These two positive qualities are connected with the fact that CT has large linear dimensions [ru

  15. A spherical Taylor-Couette dynamo

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marcotte, Florence; Gissinger, Christophe

    2016-04-01

    We present a new scenario for magnetic field amplification in the planetary interiors where an electrically conducting fluid is confined in a differentially rotating, spherical shell (spherical Couette flow) with thin aspect-ratio. When the angular momentum sufficiently decreases outwards, a primary hydrodynamic instability is widely known to develop in the equatorial region, characterized by pairs of counter-rotating, axisymmetric toroidal vortices (Taylor vortices) similar to those observed in cylindrical Couette flow. We characterize the subcritical dynamo bifurcation due to this spherical Taylor-Couette flow and study its evolution as the flow successively breaks into wavy and turbulent Taylor vortices for increasing Reynolds number. We show that the critical magnetic Reynolds number seems to reach a constant value as the Reynolds number is gradually increased. The role of global rotation on the dynamo threshold and the implications for planetary interiors are finally discussed.

  16. Spherical tokamak development in Brazil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ludwig, G.O.; Del Bosco, E.; Ferreira, J.G.; Berni, L.A.; Oliveira, R.M.; Andrade, M.C.R.; Shibata, C.S.; Ueda, M.; Barroso, J.J.; Castro, P.J.; Barbosa, L.F.W.; Patire Junior, H.; The high-power microwave sources group

    2003-01-01

    This paper describes the general characteristics of spherical tokamaks, or spherical tori, with a brief overview of work in this area already performed or in progress at several institutions worldwide. The paper presents also the steps in the development of the ETE (Experimento Tokamak Esferico) project, its research program, technical characteristics and operating conditions as of December, 2002 at the Associated Plasma Laboratory (LAP) of the National Space Research Institute (INPE) in Brazil. (author)

  17. Miniaturization of Spherical Magnetodielectric Antennas

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Troels Vejle

    ; Arbitrary order of the spherical wave, arbitrary radius of the spherical antenna, as well as arbitrarily large core permeability and/or permittivity, given an inversely proportional frequency variation of the imaginary part(s) and an arbitrary dispersion of the real part(s) - thus describing both lossless...... with a magnetic loss tangent of 1 and relative permeability of 300 yield Q/e equal 65% of the Chu lower bound, with a simultaneous e of 71%....

  18. Spherical tokamak development in Brazil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ludwig, G.O.; Del Bosco, E.; Ferreira, J.G.; Berni, L.A.; Oliveira, R.M.; Andrade, M.C.R.; Shibata, C.S.; Ueda, M.; Barroso, J.J.; Castro, P.J. [Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE), Sao Jose dos Campos, SP (Brazil). Lab. Associado de Plasma; Barbosa, L.F.W. [Universidade do Vale do Paraiba (UNIVAP), Sao Jose dos Campos, SP (Brazil). Faculdade de Engenharia, Arquitetura e Urbanismo; Patire Junior, H. [Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE), Sao Jose dos Campos, SP (Brazil). Div. de Mecanica Espacial e Controle; The high-power microwave sources group

    2003-12-01

    This paper describes the general characteristics of spherical tokamaks, or spherical tori, with a brief overview of work in this area already performed or in progress at several institutions worldwide. The paper presents also the steps in the development of the ETE (Experimento Tokamak Esferico) project, its research program, technical characteristics and operating conditions as of December, 2002 at the Associated Plasma Laboratory (LAP) of the National Space Research Institute (INPE) in Brazil. (author)

  19. Analysis and implementation of a space resolving spherical crystal spectrometer for x-ray Thomson scattering experiments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harding, E C; Ao, T; Bailey, J E; Loisel, G; Sinars, D B; Geissel, M; Rochau, G A; Smith, I C

    2015-04-01

    The application of a space-resolving spectrometer to X-ray Thomson Scattering (XRTS) experiments has the potential to advance the study of warm dense matter. This has motivated the design of a spherical crystal spectrometer, which is a doubly focusing geometry with an overall high sensitivity and the capability of providing high-resolution, space-resolved spectra. A detailed analysis of the image fluence and crystal throughput in this geometry is carried out and analytical estimates of these quantities are presented. This analysis informed the design of a new spectrometer intended for future XRTS experiments on the Z-machine. The new spectrometer collects 6 keV x-rays with a spherically bent Ge (422) crystal and focuses the collected x-rays onto the Rowland circle. The spectrometer was built and then tested with a foam target. The resulting high-quality spectra prove that a spherical spectrometer is a viable diagnostic for XRTS experiments.

  20. Performance indicators for carrier-based DPIs: Carrier surface properties for capsule filling and API properties for in vitro aerosolisation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faulhammer, E; Zellnitz, S; Wutscher, T; Stranzinger, S; Zimmer, A; Paudel, A

    2018-01-30

    This study investigates engineered carrier, as well as engineered API particles, and shows that there are distinct performance indicators of particle engineering for carrier-based dry powder inhalers (DPIs). Spray dried (SDSS) and jet-milled (JMSS) salbutamol sulphate (SS) was blended with untreated α-lactose monohydrate (LAC_R) and α-lactose monohydrate engineered (LAC_E). Subsequent capsule filling was performed with different process settings on a dosator nozzle capsule filling machine in order to reach a target fill weight of 20-25 mg. To evaluate the performance of the different mixtures, in vitro lung deposition experiments were carried out with a next generation impactor, the emitted dose (ED) and fine particle fraction (FPF) were calculated based on the specification of the European pharmacopoeia. The FPF of micronised powder blends is significantly higher (20%) compared to the FPF of spray dried blends (5%). Compared to API engineering, carrier engineering had a positive effect on the capsule filling performance (weight variability and mean fill weight) at lower compression ratios (setting 1). Results further showed that higher compression ratios appear to be beneficial in terms of capsule filling performance (higher fill weight and less fill weight variation). Concluding, it can be stated that the carrier engineering, or generally carrier properties, govern downstream processing, whereas the API engineering and API properties govern the aerosolisation performance and thereby significantly affect the dose delivery to the lungs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Targeted endothelial nanomedicine for common acute pathological conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shuvaev, Vladimir V; Brenner, Jacob S; Muzykantov, Vladimir R

    2015-12-10

    Endothelium, a thin monolayer of specialized cells lining the lumen of blood vessels is the key regulatory interface between blood and tissues. Endothelial abnormalities are implicated in many diseases, including common acute conditions with high morbidity and mortality lacking therapy, in part because drugs and drug carriers have no natural endothelial affinity. Precise endothelial drug delivery may improve management of these conditions. Using ligands of molecules exposed to the bloodstream on the endothelial surface enables design of diverse targeted endothelial nanomedicine agents. Target molecules and binding epitopes must be accessible to drug carriers, carriers must be free of harmful effects, and targeting should provide desirable sub-cellular addressing of the drug cargo. The roster of current candidate target molecules for endothelial nanomedicine includes peptidases and other enzymes, cell adhesion molecules and integrins, localized in different domains of the endothelial plasmalemma and differentially distributed throughout the vasculature. Endowing carriers with an affinity to specific endothelial epitopes enables an unprecedented level of precision of control of drug delivery: binding to selected endothelial cell phenotypes, cellular addressing and duration of therapeutic effects. Features of nanocarrier design such as choice of epitope and ligand control delivery and effect of targeted endothelial nanomedicine agents. Pathological factors modulate endothelial targeting and uptake of nanocarriers. Selection of optimal binding sites and design features of nanocarriers are key controllable factors that can be iteratively engineered based on their performance from in vitro to pre-clinical in vivo experimental models. Targeted endothelial nanomedicine agents provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and other therapeutic effects unattainable by non-targeted counterparts in animal models of common acute severe human disease conditions. The results of animal

  2. Paclitaxel molecularly imprinted polymer-PEG-folate nanoparticles for targeting anticancer delivery: Characterization and cellular cytotoxicity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Esfandyari-Manesh, Mehdi; Darvishi, Behrad; Ishkuh, Fatemeh Azizi; Shahmoradi, Elnaz; Mohammadi, Ali; Javanbakht, Mehran; Dinarvand, Rassoul; Atyabi, Fatemeh

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this work was to synthesize molecularly imprinted polymer-poly ethylene glycol-folic acid (MIP-PEG-FA) nanoparticles for use as a controlled release carrier for targeting delivery of paclitaxel (PTX) to cancer cells. MIP nanoparticles were synthesized by a mini-emulsion polymerization technique and then PEG-FA was conjugated to the surface of nanoparticles. Nanoparticles showed high drug loading and encapsulation efficiency, 15.6 ± 0.8 and 100%, respectively. The imprinting efficiency of MIPs was evaluated by binding experiments in human serum. Good selective binding and recognition were found in MIP nanoparticles. In vitro drug release studies showed that MIP-PEG-FA have a controlled release of PTX, because of the presence of imprinted sites in the polymeric structure, which makes it is suitable for sustained drug delivery. The drug release from polymeric nanoparticles was indeed higher at acidic pH. The molecular structure of MIP-PEG-FA was confirmed by Hydrogen-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (H NMR), Fourier Transform InfraRed (FT-IR), and Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) spectroscopy, and their thermal behaviors by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Photon Correlation Spectroscopy (PCS) results showed that nanoparticles have a smooth surface and spherical shape with an average size of 181 nm. MIP-PEG-FA nanoparticles showed a greater amount of intracellular uptake in folate receptor-positive cancer cells (MDA-MB-231 cells) in comparison with the non-folate nanoparticles and free PTX, with half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC_5_0) of 4.9 ± 0.9, 7.4 ± 0.5 and 32.8 ± 3.8 nM, respectively. These results suggest that MIP-PEG-FA nanoparticles could be a potentially useful drug carrier for targeting drug delivery to cancer cells. - Highlights: • MIP-PEG-FA was synthesized as a controlled release carrier for targeting delivery to cancerous cells. • Nanoparticles

  3. Paclitaxel molecularly imprinted polymer-PEG-folate nanoparticles for targeting anticancer delivery: Characterization and cellular cytotoxicity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Esfandyari-Manesh, Mehdi [Nanotechnology Research Center,Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Department of Chemistry, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Darvishi, Behrad [Nanotechnology Research Center,Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ishkuh, Fatemeh Azizi [Department of Chemistry, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Shahmoradi, Elnaz [Department of Chemical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mohammadi, Ali [Nanotechnology Research Center,Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Department of Drug and Food Control, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Javanbakht, Mehran [Department of Chemistry, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Dinarvand, Rassoul [Nanotechnology Research Center,Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Atyabi, Fatemeh, E-mail: atyabifa@tums.ac.ir [Nanotechnology Research Center,Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2016-05-01

    The aim of this work was to synthesize molecularly imprinted polymer-poly ethylene glycol-folic acid (MIP-PEG-FA) nanoparticles for use as a controlled release carrier for targeting delivery of paclitaxel (PTX) to cancer cells. MIP nanoparticles were synthesized by a mini-emulsion polymerization technique and then PEG-FA was conjugated to the surface of nanoparticles. Nanoparticles showed high drug loading and encapsulation efficiency, 15.6 ± 0.8 and 100%, respectively. The imprinting efficiency of MIPs was evaluated by binding experiments in human serum. Good selective binding and recognition were found in MIP nanoparticles. In vitro drug release studies showed that MIP-PEG-FA have a controlled release of PTX, because of the presence of imprinted sites in the polymeric structure, which makes it is suitable for sustained drug delivery. The drug release from polymeric nanoparticles was indeed higher at acidic pH. The molecular structure of MIP-PEG-FA was confirmed by Hydrogen-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (H NMR), Fourier Transform InfraRed (FT-IR), and Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) spectroscopy, and their thermal behaviors by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Photon Correlation Spectroscopy (PCS) results showed that nanoparticles have a smooth surface and spherical shape with an average size of 181 nm. MIP-PEG-FA nanoparticles showed a greater amount of intracellular uptake in folate receptor-positive cancer cells (MDA-MB-231 cells) in comparison with the non-folate nanoparticles and free PTX, with half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC{sub 50}) of 4.9 ± 0.9, 7.4 ± 0.5 and 32.8 ± 3.8 nM, respectively. These results suggest that MIP-PEG-FA nanoparticles could be a potentially useful drug carrier for targeting drug delivery to cancer cells. - Highlights: • MIP-PEG-FA was synthesized as a controlled release carrier for targeting delivery to cancerous cells. • Nanoparticles

  4. Spatial relationship between Taenia solium tapeworm carriers and necropsy cyst burden in pigs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pray, Ian W; Ayvar, Viterbo; Gamboa, Ricardo; Muro, Claudio; Moyano, Luz M; Benavides, Victor; Flecker, Robert H; Garcia, Hector H; O'Neal, Seth E

    2017-04-01

    Taenia solium, a parasite that affects humans and pigs, is the leading cause of preventable epilepsy in the developing world. Geographic hotspots of pigs testing positive for serologic markers of T. solium exposure have been observed surrounding the locations of human tapeworm carriers. This clustered pattern of seropositivity in endemic areas formed the basis for geographically targeted control interventions, which have been effective at reducing transmission. In this study, we further explore the spatial relationship between human tapeworm carriers and infected pigs using necroscopic examination as a quantitative gold-standard diagnostic to detect viable T. solium cyst infection in pigs. We performed necroscopic examinations on pigs from 7 villages in northern Peru to determine the number of viable T. solium cysts in each pig. Participating humans in the study villages were tested for T. solium tapeworm infection (i.e., taeniasis) with an ELISA coproantigen assay, and the distances from each pig to its nearest human tapeworm carrier were calculated. We assessed the relationship between proximity to a tapeworm carrier and the prevalence of light, moderate, and heavy cyst burden in pigs. The prevalence of pig infection was greatest within 50 meters of a tapeworm carrier and decreased monotonically as distance increased. Pigs living less than 50 meters from a human tapeworm carrier were 4.6 times more likely to be infected with at least one cyst than more distant pigs. Heavier cyst burdens, however, were not more strongly associated with proximity to tapeworm carriers than light cyst burdens. Our study shows that human tapeworm carriers and pigs with viable T. solium cyst infection are geographically correlated in endemic areas. This finding supports control strategies that treat humans and pigs based on their proximity to other infected individuals. We did not, however, find sufficient evidence that heavier cyst burdens in pigs would serve as improved targets for

  5. Improving the Calculation of The Potential Between Spherical and Deformed Nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ismail, M.; Ramadan, Kh.A.

    2000-01-01

    The Heavy Ion (HI) interaction potential between spherical and deformed nuclei is improved by calculating its exchange part using finite range nucleon-nucleon (NN) force. We considered U 238 as a target nucleus and seven projectile nuclei to show the dependence of the HI potential on both the energy and orientation of the deformed target nucleus. The effect of finite range NN force has been found to produce significant changes in the HI potential. The variation of the barrier height V B , its thickness and its position R B due to the use of finite range NN force are significant. Such variation enhance the fusion cross-section at energy values just below the Coulomb barrier by a factor increasing with the mass number of projectile nucleus. (author)

  6. Transformation of Real Spherical Harmonics under Rotations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romanowski, Z.; Krukowski, St.; Jalbout, A. F.

    2008-08-01

    The algorithm rotating the real spherical harmonics is presented. The convenient and ready to use formulae for l = 0, 1, 2, 3 are listed. The rotation in R3 space is determined by the rotation axis and the rotation angle; the Euler angles are not used. The proposed algorithm consists of three steps. (i) Express the real spherical harmonics as the linear combination of canonical polynomials. (ii) Rotate the canonical polynomials. (iii) Express the rotated canonical polynomials as the linear combination of real spherical harmonics. Since the three step procedure can be treated as a superposition of rotations, the searched rotation matrix for real spherical harmonics is a product of three matrices. The explicit formulae of matrix elements are given for l = 0, 1, 2, 3, what corresponds to s, p, d, f atomic orbitals.

  7. Targeting Rapamycin to Podocytes Using a Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 (VCAM-1-Harnessed SAINT-Based Lipid Carrier System.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ganesh Ram R Visweswaran

    Full Text Available Together with mesangial cells, glomerular endothelial cells and the basement membrane, podocytes constitute the glomerular filtration barrier (GFB of the kidney. Podocytes play a pivotal role in the progression of various kidney-related diseases such as glomerular sclerosis and glomerulonephritis that finally lead to chronic end-stage renal disease. During podocytopathies, the slit-diaphragm connecting the adjacent podocytes are detached leading to severe loss of proteins in the urine. The pathophysiology of podocytopathies makes podocytes a potential and challenging target for nanomedicine development, though there is a lack of known molecular targets for cell selective drug delivery. To identify VCAM-1 as a cell-surface receptor that is suitable for binding and internalization of nanomedicine carrier systems by podocytes, we investigated its expression in the immortalized podocyte cell lines AB8/13 and MPC-5, and in primary podocytes. Gene and protein expression analyses revealed that VCAM-1 expression is increased by podocytes upon TNFα-activation for up to 24 h. This was paralleled by anti-VCAM-1 antibody binding to the TNFα-activated cells, which can be employed as a ligand to facilitate the uptake of nanocarriers under inflammatory conditions. Hence, we next explored the possibilities of using VCAM-1 as a cell-surface receptor to deliver the potent immunosuppressant rapamycin to TNFα-activated podocytes using the lipid-based nanocarrier system Saint-O-Somes. Anti-VCAM-1-rapamycin-SAINT-O-Somes more effectively inhibited the cell migration of AB8/13 cells than free rapamycin and non-targeted rapamycin-SAINT-O-Somes indicating the potential of VCAM-1 targeted drug delivery to podocytes.

  8. Identification of a mitochondrial target of thiazolidinedione insulin sensitizers (mTOT--relationship to newly identified mitochondrial pyruvate carrier proteins.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jerry R Colca

    Full Text Available Thiazolidinedione (TZD insulin sensitizers have the potential to effectively treat a number of human diseases, however the currently available agents have dose-limiting side effects that are mediated via activation of the transcription factor PPARγ. We have recently shown PPARγ-independent actions of TZD insulin sensitizers, but the molecular target of these molecules remained to be identified. Here we use a photo-catalyzable drug analog probe and mass spectrometry-based proteomics to identify a previously uncharacterized mitochondrial complex that specifically recognizes TZDs. These studies identify two well-conserved proteins previously known as brain protein 44 (BRP44 and BRP44 Like (BRP44L, which recently have been renamed Mpc2 and Mpc1 to signify their function as a mitochondrial pyruvate carrier complex. Knockdown of Mpc1 or Mpc2 in Drosophila melanogaster or pre-incubation with UK5099, an inhibitor of pyruvate transport, blocks the crosslinking of mitochondrial membranes by the TZD probe. Knockdown of these proteins in Drosophila also led to increased hemolymph glucose and blocked drug action. In isolated brown adipose tissue (BAT cells, MSDC-0602, a PPARγ-sparing TZD, altered the incorporation of (13C-labeled carbon from glucose into acetyl CoA. These results identify Mpc1 and Mpc2 as components of the mitochondrial target of TZDs (mTOT and suggest that understanding the modulation of this complex, which appears to regulate pyruvate entry into the mitochondria, may provide a viable target for insulin sensitizing pharmacology.

  9. Dynamics of a spherical minority game

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Galla, T; Coolen, A C C; Sherrington, D

    2003-01-01

    We present an exact dynamical solution of a spherical version of the batch minority game (MG) with random external information. The control parameters in this model are the ratio of the number of possible values for the public information over the number of agents, and the radius of the spherical constraint on the microscopic degrees of freedom. We find a phase diagram with three phases: two without anomalous response (an oscillating versus a frozen state) and a further frozen phase with divergent integrated response. In contrast to standard MG versions, we can also calculate the volatility exactly. Our study reveals similarities between the spherical and the conventional MG, but also intriguing differences. Numerical simulations confirm our analytical results

  10. Investigation of spherical and concentric mechanism of compound droplets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meifang Liu

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Polymer shells with high sphericity and uniform wall thickness are always needed in the inertial confined fusion (ICF experiments. Driven by the need to control the shape of water-in-oil (W1/O compound droplets, the effects of the density matching level, the interfacial tension and the rotation speed of the continuing fluid field on the sphericity and wall thickness uniformity of the resulting polymer shells were investigated and the spherical and concentric mechanisms were also discussed. The centering of W1/O compound droplets, the location and movement of W1/O compound droplets in the external phase (W2 were significantly affected by the density matching level of the key stage and the rotation speed of the continuing fluid field. Therefore, by optimizing the density matching level and rotation speed, the batch yield of polystyrene (PS shells with high sphericity and uniform wall thickness increased. Moreover, the sphericity also increased by raising the oil/water (O/W2 interfacial tension, which drove a droplet to be spherical. The experimental results show that the spherical driving force is from the interfacial tension affected by the two relative phases, while the concentric driving force, as a resultant force, is not only affected by the three phases, but also by the continuing fluid field. The understanding of spherical and concentric mechanism can provide some guidance for preparing polymer shells with high sphericity and uniform wall thickness.

  11. Electro-optic spatial decoding on the spherical-wavefront Coulomb fields of plasma electron sources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, K; Esirkepov, T; Koga, J K; Kotaki, H; Mori, M; Hayashi, Y; Nakanii, N; Bulanov, S V; Kando, M

    2018-02-13

    Detections of the pulse durations and arrival timings of relativistic electron beams are important issues in accelerator physics. Electro-optic diagnostics on the Coulomb fields of electron beams have the advantages of single shot and non-destructive characteristics. We present a study of introducing the electro-optic spatial decoding technique to laser wakefield acceleration. By placing an electro-optic crystal very close to a gas target, we discovered that the Coulomb field of the electron beam possessed a spherical wavefront and was inconsistent with the previously widely used model. The field structure was demonstrated by experimental measurement, analytic calculations and simulations. A temporal mapping relationship with generality was derived in a geometry where the signals had spherical wavefronts. This study could be helpful for the applications of electro-optic diagnostics in laser plasma acceleration experiments.

  12. How Spherical Is a Cube (Gravitationally)?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanny, Jeff; Smith, David

    2015-01-01

    An important concept that is presented in the discussion of Newton's law of universal gravitation is that the gravitational effect external to a spherically symmetric mass distribution is the same as if all of the mass of the distribution were concentrated at the center. By integrating over ring elements of a spherical shell, we show that the…

  13. Spherical cows in dark matter indirect detection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bernal, Nicolás [Centro de Investigaciones, Universidad Antonio Nariño, Cra 3 Este # 47A-15, Bogotá (Colombia); Necib, Lina; Slatyer, Tracy R., E-mail: nicolas.bernal@uan.edu.co, E-mail: lnecib@mit.edu, E-mail: tslatyer@mit.edu [Center for Theoretical Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States)

    2016-12-01

    Dark matter (DM) halos have long been known to be triaxial, but in studies of possible annihilation and decay signals they are often treated as approximately spherical. In this work, we examine the asymmetry of potential indirect detection signals of DM annihilation and decay, exploiting the large statistics of the hydrodynamic simulation Illustris. We carefully investigate the effects of the baryons on the sphericity of annihilation and decay signals for both the case where the observer is at 8.5 kpc from the center of the halo (exemplified in the case of Milky Way-like halos), and for an observer situated well outside the halo. In the case of Galactic signals, we find that both annihilation and decay signals are expected to be quite symmetric, with axis ratios very different from 1 occurring rarely. In the case of extragalactic signals, while decay signals are still preferentially spherical, the axis ratio for annihilation signals has a much flatter distribution, with elongated profiles appearing frequently. Many of these elongated profiles are due to large subhalos and/or recent mergers. Comparing to gamma-ray emission from the Milky Way and X-ray maps of clusters, we find that the gamma-ray background appears less spherical/more elongated than the expected DM signal from the large majority of halos, and the Galactic gamma ray excess appears very spherical, while the X-ray data would be difficult to distinguish from a DM signal by elongation/sphericity measurements alone.

  14. Progress In Magnetized Target Fusion Driven by Plasma Liners

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thio, Francis Y. C.; Kirkpatrick, Ronald C.; Knapp, Charles E.; Cassibry, Jason; Eskridge, Richard; Lee, Michael; Smith, James; Martin, Adam; Wu, S. T.; Schmidt, George; hide

    2001-01-01

    Magnetized target fusion (MTF) attempts to combine the favorable attributes of magnetic confinement fusion (MCF) for energy confinement with the attributes of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) for efficient compression heating and wall-free containment of the fusing plasma. It uses a material liner to compress and contain a magnetized plasma. For practical applications, standoff drivers to deliver the imploding momentum flux to the target plasma remotely are required. Spherically converging plasma jets have been proposed as standoff drivers for this purpose. The concept involves the dynamic formation of a spherical plasma liner by the merging of plasma jets, and the use of the liner so formed to compress a spheromak or a field reversed configuration (FRC).

  15. Spherical cavity-expansion forcing function in PRONTO 3D for application to penetration problems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Warren, T.L.; Tabbara, M.R.

    1997-05-01

    In certain penetration events the primary mode of deformation of the target can be approximated by known analytical expressions. In the context of an analysis code, this approximation eliminates the need for modeling the target as well as the need for a contact algorithm. This technique substantially reduces execution time. In this spirit, a forcing function which is derived from a spherical-cavity expansion analysis has been implemented in PRONTO 3D. This implementation is capable of computing the structural and component responses of a projectile due to three dimensional penetration events. Sample problems demonstrate good agreement with experimental and analytical results.

  16. Renal targeting potential of a polymeric drug carrier, poly-L-glutamic acid, in normal and diabetic rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chai HJ

    2017-01-01

    tissues at 2 and 6 h after an intravenous administration. In the diabetic (oxidative stress-induced kidneys, 41 kDa PG-Tr showed the greatest renal accumulation of 8-fold higher than the free compound 24 h post dose. Meanwhile, the synthesized PG-AEBSF was found to inhibit intracellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (a reactive oxygen species generator at an efficiency that is comparable to that of free AEBSF. This indicates the preservation of the anti-oxidative stress properties of AEBSF in the conjugated state.Conclusion/Implications: The favorable accumulation property of 41 kDa PG in normal and oxidative stress-induced kidneys, along with its capabilities in conserving the pharmacological properties of the conjugated renal protective drugs, supports its role as a potential renal targeting drug carrier. Keywords: carboxylated polymers, carboxylated polypeptides, carrier, diabetes, renal drug delivery, acute kidney injury, chronic renal failure, end-stage renal failure

  17. Theory and applications of spherical microphone array processing

    CERN Document Server

    Jarrett, Daniel P; Naylor, Patrick A

    2017-01-01

    This book presents the signal processing algorithms that have been developed to process the signals acquired by a spherical microphone array. Spherical microphone arrays can be used to capture the sound field in three dimensions and have received significant interest from researchers and audio engineers. Algorithms for spherical array processing are different to corresponding algorithms already known in the literature of linear and planar arrays because the spherical geometry can be exploited to great beneficial effect. The authors aim to advance the field of spherical array processing by helping those new to the field to study it efficiently and from a single source, as well as by offering a way for more experienced researchers and engineers to consolidate their understanding, adding either or both of breadth and depth. The level of the presentation corresponds to graduate studies at MSc and PhD level. This book begins with a presentation of some of the essential mathematical and physical theory relevant to ...

  18. Progress on a spherical TPC for low energy neutrino detection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aune, S; Colas, P; Deschamps, H; Dolbeau, J; Fanourakis, G; Ribas, E Ferrer; Enqvist, T; Geralis, T; Giomataris, Y; Gorodetzky, P; Gounaris, G J; Gros, M; Irastorza, I G; Kousouris, K; Lepeltier, V; Morales, J; Patzak, T; Paschos, E A; Salin, P; Savvidis, I; Vergados, J D

    2006-01-01

    The new concept of the spherical TPC aims at relatively large target masses with low threshold and background, keeping an extremely simple and robust operation. Such a device would open the way to detect the neutrino-nucleus interaction, which, although a standard process, remains undetected due to the low energy of the neutrino-induced nuclear recoils. The progress in the development of the first 1 m 3 prototype at Saclay is presented. Other physics goals of such a device could include supernova detection, low energy neutrino oscillations and study of non-standard properties of the neutrino, among others

  19. Non-Spherical Gravitational Collapse of Strange Quark Matter

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Zade S S; Patil K D; Mulkalwar P N

    2008-01-01

    We study the non-spherical gravitational collapse of the strange quark null fluid.The interesting feature which emerges is that the non-spherical collapse of charged strange quark matter leads to a naked singularity whereas the gravitational collapse of neutral quark matter proceeds to form a black hole.We extend the earlier work of Harko and Cheng[Phys.Lett.A 266 (2000) 249]to the non-spherical case.

  20. On the phase diagram of non-spherical nanoparticles

    CERN Document Server

    Wautelet, M; Hecq, M

    2003-01-01

    The phase diagram of nanoparticles is known to be a function of their size. In the literature, this is generally demonstrated for cases where their shape is spherical. Here, it is shown theoretically that the phase diagram of non-spherical particles may be calculated from the spherical case, at the same surface area/volume ratio, both with and without surface segregation, provided the surface tension is considered to be isotropic.

  1. Spherical proton emitters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berg, S.; Semmes, P.B.; Nazarewicz, W.

    1997-01-01

    Various theoretical approaches to proton emission from spherical nuclei are investigated, and it is found that all the methods employed give very similar results. The calculated decay widths are found to be qualitatively insensitive to the parameters of the proton-nucleus potential, i.e., changing the potential parameters over a fairly large range typically changes the decay width by no more than a factor of ∼3. Proton half-lives of observed heavy proton emitters are, in general, well reproduced by spherical calculations with the spectroscopic factors calculated in the independent quasiparticle approximation. The quantitative agreement with experimental data obtained in our study requires that the parameters of the proton-nucleus potential be chosen carefully. It also suggests that deformed proton emitters will provide invaluable spectroscopic information on the angular momentum decomposition of single-proton orbitals in deformed nuclei. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

  2. Amphiphilic chitosan derivatives as carrier agents for rotenone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamari, Azlan; Aljafree, Nurul Farhana Ahmad

    2017-08-01

    In the present study, the feasibility of amphiphilic chitosan derivatives, namely oleoyl carboxymethyl chitosan (OCMCs), N,N-dimethylhexadecyl carboxymethyl chitosan (DCMCs) and deoxycholic acid carboxymethyl chitosan (DACMCs) as carrier agents for rotenone in water-insoluble pesticide formulations was investigated. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectrometer, CHN-O Elemental Analyser (CHN-O) and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) were used to characterise amphiphilic chitosan derivatives. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of amphiphilic chitosan derivatives was determined using a Fluorescence Spectrometer. A High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was used to determine the ability of OCMCs, DCMCs and DACMCs to load and release rotenone in an in vitro system. Based on TEM analysis, results have shown that amphiphilic chitosan derivatives formed self-assembly and exhibited spherical shape. The CMC values determined for OCMCs, DCMCs and DACMCs were 0.093, 0.098 and 0.468 mg/mL, respectively. The encapsulation efficiency (EE) values for the materials were more than 97.0%, meanwhile the loading capacity (LC) values were greater than 0.90%. OCMCs, DCMCs and DACMCs micelles exhibited an excellent ability to control the release of rotenone, of which 90.0% of rotenone was released within 40 to 52 h. In conclusion, OCMCs, DCMCs and DACMCs possess several key features to act as effective carrier agents for rotenone. Overall, amphiphilic chitosan derivatives produced in this study were successfully increased the solubility of rotenone by 49.0 times higher than free rotenone.

  3. Efficient Terahertz Wide-Angle NUFFT-Based Inverse Synthetic Aperture Imaging Considering Spherical Wavefront

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jingkun Gao

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available An efficient wide-angle inverse synthetic aperture imaging method considering the spherical wavefront effects and suitable for the terahertz band is presented. Firstly, the echo signal model under spherical wave assumption is established, and the detailed wavefront curvature compensation method accelerated by 1D fast Fourier transform (FFT is discussed. Then, to speed up the reconstruction procedure, the fast Gaussian gridding (FGG-based nonuniform FFT (NUFFT is employed to focus the image. Finally, proof-of-principle experiments are carried out and the results are compared with the ones obtained by the convolution back-projection (CBP algorithm. The results demonstrate the effectiveness and the efficiency of the presented method. This imaging method can be directly used in the field of nondestructive detection and can also be used to provide a solution for the calculation of the far-field RCSs (Radar Cross Section of targets in the terahertz regime.

  4. Recent Progress on Spherical Torus Research

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ono, Masayuki [PPPL; Kaita, Robert [PPPL

    2014-01-01

    The spherical torus or spherical tokamak (ST) is a member of the tokamak family with its aspect ratio (A = R0/a) reduced to A ~ 1.5, well below the normal tokamak operating range of A ≥ 2.5. As the aspect ratio is reduced, the ideal tokamak beta β (radio of plasma to magnetic pressure) stability limit increases rapidly, approximately as β ~ 1/A. The plasma current it can sustain for a given edge safety factor q-95 also increases rapidly. Because of the above, as well as the natural elongation κ, which makes its plasma shape appear spherical, the ST configuration can yield exceptionally high tokamak performance in a compact geometry. Due to its compactness and high performance, the ST configuration has various near term applications, including a compact fusion neutron source with low tritium consumption, in addition to its longer term goal of attractive fusion energy power source. Since the start of the two megaampere class ST facilities in 2000, National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) in the US and Mega Ampere Spherical Tokamak (MAST) in UK, active ST research has been conducted worldwide. More than sixteen ST research facilities operating during this period have achieved remarkable advances in all of fusion science areas, involving fundamental fusion energy science as well as innovation. These results suggest exciting future prospects for ST research both near term and longer term. The present paper reviews the scientific progress made by the worldwide ST research community during this new mega-ampere-ST era.

  5. Elastic interaction between surface and spherical pore

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ganeev, G.Z.; Kadyrzhanov, K.K.; Kislitsyn, S.B.; Turkebaev, T.Eh.

    2000-01-01

    The energy of elastic interaction of a gas-filled spherical cavity with a boundary of an elastic isotropic half-space is determined. The elastic field of a system of a spherical cavity - boundary is represented as an expansion in series of potential functions. The factors of expansions are determined by boundary conditions on a free surface of an elastic half-space and on a spherical surface of a cavity with pressure of gas P. Function of a Tresca-Miesesa on a surface of elastic surface is defined additionally with purpose creep condition determination caused by gas pressure in the cavity. (author)

  6. Studies of spherical inertial-electrostatic confinement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miley, G.H.

    1992-01-01

    Theoretical and experimental results from studies of Spherical Inertial-Electrostatic Confinement (SIEC) are presented. This principle of IEC involves the confinement by multiple potential wells created by ion injection into a spherical device containing biased grids. A semitransparent cathode accelerates ions, generating a spherical ion-beam flow which converges at the center of the spherical volume, creating a space charge (potential well) region. An electron flow is created by the core (virtual anode) region, forming in turn a virtual cathode. Ions trapped inside this well oscillate back and forth until they fuse or degrade in energy. Such multiple wells with virtual anodes and cathodes, have been called ''Poissors'' following the original work by Farnsworth and by Hirsch. Fusion within the core occurs by reactions between non-Maxwellian beam-beam type ions. This has the potential for achieving a high power density and also for burning both D-T and advanced fuels. If successful, such a device would be attractive for a variety of high power density applications, e.g., space power or as a neutron source based on D-D or D-T operation. Simulations of recent SIEC experiments have been carried out using the XL-code, to solve Poisson's equation, self-consistently with the collisionless Vlasov equation in spherical geometry for several current species and grid parameters. The potential profile predictions are reasonably consistent with experimental results. Potential well measurements used a collimated proton detector. Results indicate that an ∼ 15-kV virtual anode, at least one centimeter in radius, was formed in a spherical device with a cathode potential of 30 kV using an ion current of ∼ 30 mA. Analysis indicates D + densities on the order of 10 9 cm -3 , and D 2 + densities on the order of 10 10 cm -3 . Steady-state D-D neutron emission of about 10 6 n/sec is observed

  7. Systematic Calibration for a Backpacked Spherical Photogrammetry Imaging System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rau, J. Y.; Su, B. W.; Hsiao, K. W.; Jhan, J. P.

    2016-06-01

    A spherical camera can observe the environment for almost 720 degrees' field of view in one shoot, which is useful for augmented reality, environment documentation, or mobile mapping applications. This paper aims to develop a spherical photogrammetry imaging system for the purpose of 3D measurement through a backpacked mobile mapping system (MMS). The used equipment contains a Ladybug-5 spherical camera, a tactical grade positioning and orientation system (POS), i.e. SPAN-CPT, and an odometer, etc. This research aims to directly apply photogrammetric space intersection technique for 3D mapping from a spherical image stereo-pair. For this purpose, several systematic calibration procedures are required, including lens distortion calibration, relative orientation calibration, boresight calibration for direct georeferencing, and spherical image calibration. The lens distortion is serious on the ladybug-5 camera's original 6 images. Meanwhile, for spherical image mosaicking from these original 6 images, we propose the use of their relative orientation and correct their lens distortion at the same time. However, the constructed spherical image still contains systematic error, which will reduce the 3D measurement accuracy. Later for direct georeferencing purpose, we need to establish a ground control field for boresight/lever-arm calibration. Then, we can apply the calibrated parameters to obtain the exterior orientation parameters (EOPs) of all spherical images. In the end, the 3D positioning accuracy after space intersection will be evaluated, including EOPs obtained by structure from motion method.

  8. Detection tube with composite carrier for detection of phosgene and diphosgene in air

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pitschmann Vladimír

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available A new highly sensitive detection tube for measurement of concentration of phosgene and diphosgene in air has been developed. The detection is based on chemical reaction of 4-(p-nitrobenzylpyridine and N-phenylbenzylamine which with phosgene (diphosgene give characteristic red methine dye. As a carrier serves spherical granules (pellets of composite material prepared by granulation of microcrystalline cellulose with MgO. This new indication filling is stable, resistant to interferences and climatic influences. The detection limit (0.05 mg.m-3 meets the requirements for conducting hygienic checks of air quality in the workplace environment. In addition, the tube allows a prolonged and continuous monitoring of phosgene and diphosgene in air for at least 240 minutes.

  9. Tumor targeting using liposomal antineoplastic drugs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jörg Huwyler

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available Jörg Huwyler1, Jürgen Drewe2, Stephan Krähenbühl21University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland, Institute of Pharma Technology, Muttenz, Switzerland; 2Department of Research and Division of Clinical Pharmacology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandAbstract: During the last years, liposomes (microparticulate phospholipid vesicles have beenused with growing success as pharmaceutical carriers for antineoplastic drugs. Fields of application include lipid-based formulations to enhance the solubility of poorly soluble antitumordrugs, the use of pegylated liposomes for passive targeting of solid tumors as well as vector-conjugated liposomal carriers for active targeting of tumor tissue. Such formulation and drug targeting strategies enhance the effectiveness of anticancer chemotherapy and reduce at the same time the risk of toxic side-effects. The present article reviews the principles of different liposomal technologies and discusses current trends in this field of research.Keywords: tumor targeting, antineoplastic drugs, liposomes, pegylation, steric stabilization, immunoliposomes

  10. Dual effect of F-actin targeted carrier combined with antimitotic drug on aggressive colorectal cancer cytoskeleton: Allying dissimilar cell cytoskeleton disrupting mechanisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taranejoo, Shahrouz; Janmaleki, Mohsen; Pachenari, Mohammad; Seyedpour, Seyed Morteza; Chandrasekaran, Ramya; Cheng, Wenlong; Hourigan, Kerry

    2016-11-20

    A recent approach to colon cancer therapy is to employ selective drugs with specific extra/intracellular sites of action. Alteration of cytoskeletal protein reorganization and, subsequently, to cellular biomechanical behaviour during cancer progression highly affects the cancer cell progress. Hence, cytoskeleton targeted drugs are an important class of cancer therapy agents. We have studied viscoelastic alteration of the human colon adenocarcinoma cell line, SW48, after treatment with a drug delivery system comprising chitosan as the carrier and albendazole as the microtubule-targeting agent (MTA). For the first time, we have evaluated the biomechanical characteristics of the cell line, using the micropipette aspiration (MA) method after treatment with drug delivery systems. Surprisingly, employing a chitosan-albendazole pair, in comparison with both neat materials, resulted in more significant change in the viscoelastic parameters of cells, including the elastic constants (K 1 and K 2 ) and the coefficient of viscosity (μ). This difference was more pronounced for cancer cells after 48h of the treatment. Microtubule and actin microfilament (F-actin) contents in the cell line were studied by immunofluorescent staining. Good agreement was observed between the mechanical characteristics results and microtubule/F-actin contents of the treated SW48 cell line, which declined after treatment. The results showed that chitosan affected F-actin more, while MTA was more effective for microtubules. Toxicity studies were performed against two cancer cell lines (SW48 and MCF10CA1h) and compared to normal cells, MCF10A. The results showed cancer selectiveness, safety of formulation, and enhanced anticancer efficacy of the CS/ABZ conjugate. This study suggests that employing such a suitable pair of drug-carriers with dissimilar sites of action, thus allying the different cell cytoskeleton disrupting mechanisms, may provide a more efficient cancer therapy approach. Copyright

  11. Spherical Dunkl-monogenics and a factorization of the Dunkl-Laplacian

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fei Minggang; Cerejeiras, Paula; Kaehler, Uwe

    2010-01-01

    In this paper, we consider and study a factorization of the Dunkl-Laplacian in terms of spherical coordinates. This allows for the construction of a direct sum decomposition of spherical Dunkl-harmonics. By explicit representation in spherical coordinates of Dunkl-harmonics, one obtains explicit projection operators from Dunkl-harmonics to inner (resp. outer) Dunkl-monogenics. Concrete examples of spherical Dunkl-monogenics will be given at the end.

  12. Spatial relationship between Taenia solium tapeworm carriers and necropsy cyst burden in pigs.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ian W Pray

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Taenia solium, a parasite that affects humans and pigs, is the leading cause of preventable epilepsy in the developing world. Geographic hotspots of pigs testing positive for serologic markers of T. solium exposure have been observed surrounding the locations of human tapeworm carriers. This clustered pattern of seropositivity in endemic areas formed the basis for geographically targeted control interventions, which have been effective at reducing transmission. In this study, we further explore the spatial relationship between human tapeworm carriers and infected pigs using necroscopic examination as a quantitative gold-standard diagnostic to detect viable T. solium cyst infection in pigs.We performed necroscopic examinations on pigs from 7 villages in northern Peru to determine the number of viable T. solium cysts in each pig. Participating humans in the study villages were tested for T. solium tapeworm infection (i.e., taeniasis with an ELISA coproantigen assay, and the distances from each pig to its nearest human tapeworm carrier were calculated. We assessed the relationship between proximity to a tapeworm carrier and the prevalence of light, moderate, and heavy cyst burden in pigs. The prevalence of pig infection was greatest within 50 meters of a tapeworm carrier and decreased monotonically as distance increased. Pigs living less than 50 meters from a human tapeworm carrier were 4.6 times more likely to be infected with at least one cyst than more distant pigs. Heavier cyst burdens, however, were not more strongly associated with proximity to tapeworm carriers than light cyst burdens.Our study shows that human tapeworm carriers and pigs with viable T. solium cyst infection are geographically correlated in endemic areas. This finding supports control strategies that treat humans and pigs based on their proximity to other infected individuals. We did not, however, find sufficient evidence that heavier cyst burdens in pigs would serve as

  13. Spherical rhenium metal powder

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leonhardt, T.; Moore, N.; Hamister, M.

    2001-01-01

    The development of a high-density, spherical rhenium powder (SReP) possessing excellent flow characteristics has enabled the use of advanced processing techniques for the manufacture of rhenium components. The techniques that were investigated were vacuum plasma spraying (VPS), direct-hot isostatic pressing (D-HIP), and various other traditional powder metallurgy processing methods of forming rhenium powder into near-net shaped components. The principal disadvantages of standard rhenium metal powder (RMP) for advanced consolidation applications include: poor flow characteristics; high oxygen content; and low and varying packing densities. SReP will lower costs, reduce processing times, and improve yields when manufacturing powder metallurgy rhenium components. The results of the powder characterization of spherical rhenium powder and the consolidation of the SReP are further discussed. (author)

  14. Physicochemical characterization and in vivo bioluminescence imaging of nanostructured lipid carriers for targeting the brain: apomorphine as a model drug

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hsu, Shu-Hui [Department of Pharmacy, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan 717, Taiwan (China); Wen, Chih-Jen; Yen, Tzu-Chen [Animal Molecular Imaging Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kweishan, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan (China); Al-Suwayeh, S A; Fang, Jia-You [Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia); Chang, Hui-Wen, E-mail: fajy@mail.cgu.edu.tw [Pharmaceutics Laboratory, Graduate Institute of Natural Products, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan (China)

    2010-10-08

    Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) were prepared to investigate whether the duration of brain targeting and accumulation of drugs in the brain can be improved by intravenous delivery. NLCs were developed using cetyl palmitate as the lipid matrix, squalene as the cationic surfactant, and Pluronic F68, polysorbate 80 and polyethylene glycol as the interfacial additives. Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) and lipid emulsions (LEs) were also prepared for comparison. An anti-Parkinson's drug, apomorphine, was used as the model drug. Nuclear magnetic resonance and differential scanning calorimetry showed possible interactions between the solid and liquid lipids in the inner core. The lipid nanoparticles with different compositions were characterized by mean size, zeta potential, apomorphine encapsulation and in vitro drug release. NLCs were 370-430 nm in size, which was between the sizes of the SLNs and LEs. A cationic surfactant was used to produce a positive surface charge of 42-50 mV. The base form of apomorphine was successfully entrapped by NLCs with an entrapment percentage of > 60%. The loading of apomorphine in nanoparticles resulted in a slower release behavior compared to the aqueous solution, with LEs showing the lowest release. In vivo real-time bioluminescence imaging of the rat brain revealed that NLCs could be targeted, through certain vessels, to selected brain regions. This effect was further confirmed by imaging the entire brain and brain slices. The results indicated that NLCs with moderate additives are a promising controlled-release and drug-targeting system.

  15. Physicochemical characterization and in vivo bioluminescence imaging of nanostructured lipid carriers for targeting the brain: apomorphine as a model drug

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsu, Shu-Hui; Wen, Chih-Jen; Yen, Tzu-Chen; Al-Suwayeh, S A; Fang, Jia-You; Chang, Hui-Wen

    2010-01-01

    Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) were prepared to investigate whether the duration of brain targeting and accumulation of drugs in the brain can be improved by intravenous delivery. NLCs were developed using cetyl palmitate as the lipid matrix, squalene as the cationic surfactant, and Pluronic F68, polysorbate 80 and polyethylene glycol as the interfacial additives. Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) and lipid emulsions (LEs) were also prepared for comparison. An anti-Parkinson's drug, apomorphine, was used as the model drug. Nuclear magnetic resonance and differential scanning calorimetry showed possible interactions between the solid and liquid lipids in the inner core. The lipid nanoparticles with different compositions were characterized by mean size, zeta potential, apomorphine encapsulation and in vitro drug release. NLCs were 370-430 nm in size, which was between the sizes of the SLNs and LEs. A cationic surfactant was used to produce a positive surface charge of 42-50 mV. The base form of apomorphine was successfully entrapped by NLCs with an entrapment percentage of > 60%. The loading of apomorphine in nanoparticles resulted in a slower release behavior compared to the aqueous solution, with LEs showing the lowest release. In vivo real-time bioluminescence imaging of the rat brain revealed that NLCs could be targeted, through certain vessels, to selected brain regions. This effect was further confirmed by imaging the entire brain and brain slices. The results indicated that NLCs with moderate additives are a promising controlled-release and drug-targeting system.

  16. Aft-body loading function for penetrators based on the spherical cavity-expansion approximation.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Longcope, Donald B., Jr.; Warren, Thomas Lynn; Duong, Henry

    2009-12-01

    In this paper we develop an aft-body loading function for penetration simulations that is based on the spherical cavity-expansion approximation. This loading function assumes that there is a preexisting cavity of radius a{sub o} before the expansion occurs. This causes the radial stress on the cavity surface to be less than what is obtained if the cavity is opened from a zero initial radius. This in turn causes less resistance on the aft body as it penetrates the target which allows for greater rotation of the penetrator. Results from simulations are compared with experimental results for oblique penetration into a concrete target with an unconfined compressive strength of 23 MPa.

  17. Riboflavin carrier protein-targeted fluorescent USPIO for the assessment of vascular metabolism in tumors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jayapaul, J.; Arns, S.; Lederle, W.; Lammers, Twan Gerardus Gertudis Maria; Comba, P.; Gätjens, J.; Kiessling, F.

    2012-01-01

    Abstract Riboflavin (Rf) and its metabolic analogs flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) are essential for normal cellular growth and function. Their intracellular transport is regulated by the riboflavin carrier protein (RCP), which has been shown to be over-expressed by

  18. Effects of target shape and impact speed on the outcome of catastrophic disruptions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campo~Bagatin, A.; Durda, D.; Alemañ, R.; Flynn, G.; Strait, M.; Clayton, A.; Patmore, E.

    2014-07-01

    Because of the propensity of previous laboratory investigations to focus on idealized spherical targets, there is a bit of ambiguity in decoupling the relative importance/influence of low speed or spherical shape in producing the 'onion shell' fragment shape outcomes found in impacts into spherical targets [1,2]. If due primarily to impact speed/energy density as suggested by [3], this could play an important role in main-belt impacts due to the presence of non-spherical targets and non-negligible probability of low-speed (i.e., below about 3-4 km/s, subsonic in rock) impacts [4]. Also, [5] and [6] suggested that the shape of targets may affect the outcome of shattering processes, both in terms of fragment shape and mass distribution. To examine explicitly the effects of target shape in impact outcomes, we chose to conduct impact experiments on both spherical and naturally-occurring irregularly-shaped basalt targets. We impacted a total of six targets (two spheres and four irregular targets). We focused on shots with impact speeds in the ˜4 to 6 km/s range by 3/16th-inch diameter Al-sphere projectiles fired at the NASA AVGR. Following each shot, the debris were recovered (>95 %) and large fragments (>0.20 g) were individually weighed, allowing us to carefully measure the mass-frequency distribution from each impact experiment. The 36 largest fragments of each shot were photographed and their largest axes accurately measured by the program ''ImageJ''. Their shortest axes were measured by means of a digital caliber. High-speed video of each impact was obtained to aid interpretation of the fragmentation mode of the targets. Images clearly show that shell-like fragments can be produced in shattering events not in the target's surface. Instead, those fragments may form around the core, well inside the target structure, independently on the target shape itself. This is a feature not reported to date. In order to understand what the bulk macro-porosity of a non

  19. Effects of x-ray and neutron irradiation on spherical colonies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aramaki, Ryoji

    1980-01-01

    Responses of in vitro cultured mammalian cells in spherical colonies to 200 kVp x-rays and D-T neutrons were studied using reproductive capacity as a criterion for survival. Cell lines used were FM3A, L5 and Chinese hamster V79. The spherical colonies exposed to x-rays exhibited two-component survival curves. All cells used were more radio-resistant in spherical colonies than in single cell suspensions. It was suggested that this difference in response was attributable to the presence of hypoxic cells in spherical colonies. Dose-modifying Factor (DMF), the ratios of D 0 of the second slopes of the curves for spherical colonies to those for single cells, were 1.6 for FM3A, 1.8 for L5, and 1.7 for Chinese hamster V79. The hypoxic cell fractions in spherical colonies for FM3A, L5, and Chinese hamster V79, were 0.1, 0.6 and 0.4, respectively, resulting in variations in cell survival in spherical colonies following x-radiation. No significant difference was observed between responses of spherical colonies and single cell suspensions to D-T neutrons. FM3A and Chinese hamster V79 showed two-component survival curves when irradiated with neutrons at 37 0 C, but not at 25 0 C. The repair of potentially lethal and sub-lethal damage was also investigated using FM3A in spherical colonies. No detectable repair of potentially lethal damage was observed for x-rays and D-T neutrons. The effect of neutron fractionation was considerably smaller for spherical colonies as compared to single cells. (author)

  20. Target-specific binding of immunoliposomes in vivo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holmberg, E.; Maruyama, K.; Kennel, S.; Klibanov, A.; Torchilin, V.; Ryan, U.; Huang, L.; Oak Ridge National Lab., TN; Akademiya Meditsinskikh Nauk SSSR, Moscow; Miami Univ., FL; Tennessee Univ., Knoxville, TN

    1989-01-01

    Our group at the University of Tennessee has been concentrating on using monoclonal antibody for targeting of a liposomal drug carrier system. This paper discusses our initial effort to target these liposomes using an organ-specific monoclonal antibody. 9 refs., 9 figs

  1. Spherical convolutions and their application in molecular modelling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boomsma, Wouter; Frellsen, Jes

    2017-01-01

    Convolutional neural networks are increasingly used outside the domain of image analysis, in particular in various areas of the natural sciences concerned with spatial data. Such networks often work out-of-the box, and in some cases entire model architectures from image analysis can be carried over...... to other problem domains almost unaltered. Unfortunately, this convenience does not trivially extend to data in non-euclidean spaces, such as spherical data. In this paper, we introduce two strategies for conducting convolutions on the sphere, using either a spherical-polar grid or a grid based...... of spherical convolutions in the context of molecular modelling, by considering structural environments within proteins. We show that the models are capable of learning non-trivial functions in these molecular environments, and that our spherical convolutions generally outperform standard 3D convolutions...

  2. Watermarking on 3D mesh based on spherical wavelet transform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Jian-Qiu; Dai, Min-Ya; Bao, Hu-Jun; Peng, Qun-Sheng

    2004-03-01

    In this paper we propose a robust watermarking algorithm for 3D mesh. The algorithm is based on spherical wavelet transform. Our basic idea is to decompose the original mesh into a series of details at different scales by using spherical wavelet transform; the watermark is then embedded into the different levels of details. The embedding process includes: global sphere parameterization, spherical uniform sampling, spherical wavelet forward transform, embedding watermark, spherical wavelet inverse transform, and at last resampling the mesh watermarked to recover the topological connectivity of the original model. Experiments showed that our algorithm can improve the capacity of the watermark and the robustness of watermarking against attacks.

  3. Photoionization cross-section of donor impurities in spherical GaAs quantum dots: hydrostatic pressure effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Correa, J.D.; Duque, C.A.; Porras-Montenegro, N.

    2004-01-01

    Full text: Using a variational procedure for a hydrogenic donor-impurity we have calculated the photoionization cross-section in spherical GaAs quantum dots. We discuss the dependence on the photoionization cross-section for hydrogenic donor impurity in in nite and nite barrier quantum dots as a function of the size of the dot, impurity position, polarization of the photon, applied hydrostatic pressure, and normalized photon energy. For the nite case, calculations for the pressure effects are both in direct and indirect GaAsAl gap regime. We have considered the different transition rules that depend of the impurity position and photon polarization. Calculations are presented for impurity on-center, and o -center in the spherical quantum dots. We found that the photoionization cross-section increases with the applied hydrostatic pressure both for on-center and o - center impurities. The photoionization cross-section increases or decreases depending of the impurity position, photon polarization, and radius of dots. Also we have showed that the photoionization cross-section decreases as the normalized photon energy increases. The results we have obtained show that the photoionization cross- section is strongly a effected by the quantum dot size, and the position of the impurity. The measurement of photoionization in such systems would be of great interest in understanding the optical properties of carriers in quantum dots. (author)

  4. Agglomerated novel spray-dried lactose-leucine tailored as a carrier to enhance the aerosolization performance of salbutamol sulfate from DPI formulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molina, Carlos; Kaialy, Waseem; Chen, Qiao; Commandeur, Daniel; Nokhodchi, Ali

    2017-12-19

    Spray-drying allows to modify the physicochemical/mechanical properties of particles along with their morphology. In the present study, L -leucine with varying concentrations (0.1, 0.5, 1, 5, and 10% w/v) were incorporated into lactose monohydrate solution for spray-drying to enhance the aerosolization performance of dry powder inhalers containing spray-dried lactose-leucine and salbutamol sulfate. The prepared spray-dried lactose-leucine carriers were analyzed using laser diffraction (particle size), differential scanning calorimetry (thermal behavior), scanning electron microscopy (morphology), powder X-ray diffraction (crystallinity), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (interaction at molecular level), and in vitro aerosolization performance (deposition). The results showed that the efficacy of salbutamol sulfate's aerosolization performance was, in part, due to the introduction of L -leucine in the carrier, prior to being spray-dried, accounting for an increase in the fine particle fraction (FPF) of salbutamol sulfate from spray-dried lactose-leucine (0.5% leucine) in comparison to all other carriers. It was shown that all of the spray-dried carriers were spherical in their morphology with some agglomerates and contained a mixture of amorphous, α-lactose, and β-lactose. It was also interesting to note that spray-dried lactose-leucine particles were agglomerated during the spray-drying process to make coarse particles (volume mean diameter of 79 to 87 μm) suitable as a carrier in DPI formulations.

  5. An Atypical Mitochondrial Carrier That Mediates Drug Action in Trypanosoma brucei.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan P de Macêdo

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Elucidating the mechanism of action of trypanocidal compounds is an important step in the development of more efficient drugs against Trypanosoma brucei. In a screening approach using an RNAi library in T. brucei bloodstream forms, we identified a member of the mitochondrial carrier family, TbMCP14, as a prime candidate mediating the action of a group of anti-parasitic choline analogs. Depletion of TbMCP14 by inducible RNAi in both bloodstream and procyclic forms increased resistance of parasites towards the compounds by 7-fold and 3-fold, respectively, compared to uninduced cells. In addition, down-regulation of TbMCP14 protected bloodstream form mitochondria from a drug-induced decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential. Conversely, over-expression of the carrier in procyclic forms increased parasite susceptibility more than 13-fold. Metabolomic analyses of parasites over-expressing TbMCP14 showed increased levels of the proline metabolite, pyrroline-5-carboxylate, suggesting a possible involvement of TbMCP14 in energy production. The generation of TbMCP14 knock-out parasites showed that the carrier is not essential for survival of T. brucei bloodstream forms, but reduced parasite proliferation under standard culture conditions. In contrast, depletion of TbMCP14 in procyclic forms resulted in growth arrest, followed by parasite death. The time point at which parasite proliferation stopped was dependent on the major energy source, i.e. glucose versus proline, in the culture medium. Together with our findings that proline-dependent ATP production in crude mitochondria from TbMCP14-depleted trypanosomes was reduced compared to control mitochondria, the study demonstrates that TbMCP14 is involved in energy production in T. brucei. Since TbMCP14 belongs to a trypanosomatid-specific clade of mitochondrial carrier family proteins showing very poor similarity to mitochondrial carriers of mammals, it may represent an interesting target for drug

  6. Electromagnetic cloaking in higher order spherical cloaks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sidhwa, H. H.; Aiyar, R. P. R. C.; Kulkarni, S. V.

    2017-06-01

    The inception of transformation optics has led to the realisation of the invisibility devices for various applications, one of which is spherical cloaking. In this paper, a formulation for a higher-order spherical cloak has been proposed to reduce its physical thickness significantly by introducing a nonlinear relation between the original and transformed coordinate systems and it has been verified using the ray tracing approach. Analysis has been carried out to observe the anomalies in the variation of refractive index for higher order cloaks indicating the presence of poles in the relevant equations. Furthermore, a higher-order spherical cloak with predefined values of the material characteristics on its inner and outer surfaces has been designed for practical application.

  7. Self-Assembled Smart Nanocarriers for Targeted Drug Delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Wei; Li, Junbai; Decher, Gero

    2016-02-10

    Nanostructured drug-carrier systems promise numerous benefits for drug delivery. They can be engineered to precisely control drug-release rates or to target specific sites within the body with a specific amount of therapeutic agent. However, to achieve the best therapeutic effects, the systems should be designed for carrying the optimum amount of a drug to the desired target where it should be released at the optimum rate for a specified time. Despite numerous attempts, fulfilling all of these requirements in a synergistic way remains a huge challenge. The trend in drug delivery is consequently directed toward integrated multifunctional carrier systems, providing selective recognition in combination with sustained or triggered release. Capsules as vesicular systems enable drugs to be confined for controlled release. Furthermore, carriers modified with recognition groups can enhance the capability of encapsulated drug efficacy. Here, recent advances are reviewed regarding designing and preparing assembled capsules with targeting ligands or size controllable for selective recognition in drug delivery. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. Spherical Nb single crystals containerlessly grown by electrostatic levitation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sung, Y.S.; Takeya, H.; Hirata, K.; Togano, K.

    2003-01-01

    Spherical Nb (T m =2750 K) single crystals were grown via containerless electrostatic levitation (ESL). Samples became spherical at melting in levitation and undercooled typically 300-450 K prior to nucleation. As-processed samples were still spherical without any macroscopic shape change by solidification showing a uniform dendritic surface morphology. Crystallographic {111} planes exposed in equilateral triangular shapes on the surface by preferential macroetching and spotty back-reflection Laue patterns confirm the single crystal nature of the ESL-processed Nb samples. No hysteresis in magnetization between zero field and field cooling also implies a clean defect-free condition of the spherical Nb single crystals

  9. Effect of spherical aberration on scintillations of Gaussian beams in atmospheric turbulence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ji, Xiaoling; Deng, Jinping

    2014-01-01

    The effect of spherical aberration on scintillations of Gaussian beams in weak, moderate and strong turbulence is studied using numerical simulation method. It is found that the effect of the negative spherical aberration on the on-axis scintillation index is quite different from that of the positive spherical aberration. In weak turbulence, the positive spherical aberration results in a decrease of the on-axis scintillation index on propagation, but the negative spherical aberration results in an increase of the on-axis scintillation index when the propagation distance is not large. In particular, in weak turbulence the negative spherical aberration may cause peaks of the on-axis scintillation index, and the peaks disappear in moderate and strong turbulence, which is explained in physics. The strong turbulence leads to less discrepancy among scintillations of Gaussian beams with and without spherical aberration. - Highlights: • In weak turbulence scintillations can be suppressed using positive spherical aberration. • In weak turbulence scintillations may be very large due to negative spherical aberration. • The effect of spherical aberration on scintillations is less with increasing of turbulence

  10. Effect of spherical aberration on scintillations of Gaussian beams in atmospheric turbulence

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ji, Xiaoling, E-mail: jiXL100@163.com; Deng, Jinping

    2014-07-18

    The effect of spherical aberration on scintillations of Gaussian beams in weak, moderate and strong turbulence is studied using numerical simulation method. It is found that the effect of the negative spherical aberration on the on-axis scintillation index is quite different from that of the positive spherical aberration. In weak turbulence, the positive spherical aberration results in a decrease of the on-axis scintillation index on propagation, but the negative spherical aberration results in an increase of the on-axis scintillation index when the propagation distance is not large. In particular, in weak turbulence the negative spherical aberration may cause peaks of the on-axis scintillation index, and the peaks disappear in moderate and strong turbulence, which is explained in physics. The strong turbulence leads to less discrepancy among scintillations of Gaussian beams with and without spherical aberration. - Highlights: • In weak turbulence scintillations can be suppressed using positive spherical aberration. • In weak turbulence scintillations may be very large due to negative spherical aberration. • The effect of spherical aberration on scintillations is less with increasing of turbulence.

  11. MHD peristaltic transport of spherical and cylindrical magneto-nanoparticles suspended in water

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F. M. Abbasi

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Advancements in the biomedical engineering have enhanced the usage of magnto-nanoparticles in improving the precision and efficiency of the magneto-drug delivery systems. Such systems make use of the externally applied magnetic fields to direct the drug towards a specific target in the human body. Peristalsis of magneto-nanofluids is of significant importance in such considerations. Hence peristaltic transport of Fe3O4-water nanofluid through a two-dimensional symmetric channel is analyzed in the presence of an externally applied constant magnetic field. Hamilton-Crosser’s model of the thermal conductivity is utilized in the problem development. The nanofluid saturates a non-uniform porous medium in which the porosity of the porous medium varies with the distance from the channel walls. Analysis is performed for the spherical and the cylindrical nanoparticles. Resulting system of equations is numerically solved. Impacts of sundry parameters on the axial velocity, temperature, pressure gradient and heat transfer rate at the boundary are examined. Comparison between the results for spherical and cylindrical nanoparticles is also presented. Results show that the nanoparticles volume fraction and the Hartman number have increasing effect on the pressure gradient throughout the peristaltic tract. Effective heat transfer rate at the boundary tends to enhance with an increase in the nanoparticles volume fraction. Use of spherical nanoparticles results in a higher value of axial velocity and the temperature at the center of channel when compared with the case of cylindrical nanoparticles.

  12. FeNi nanotubes: perspective tool for targeted delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaniukov, Egor; Shumskaya, Alena; Yakimchuk, Dzmitry; Kozlovskiy, Artem; Korolkov, Ilya; Ibragimova, Milana; Zdorovets, Maxim; Kadyrzhanov, Kairat; Rusakov, Vyacheslav; Fadeev, Maxim; Lobko, Eugenia; Saunina, Kristina; Nikolaevich, Larisa

    2018-05-01

    Targeted delivery of drugs and proteins by magnetic field is a promising method to treat cancer that reduces undesired systemic toxicity of drugs. In this method, the therapeutic agent is attached through links to functional groups with magnetic nanostructure and injected into the blood to be transported to the problem area. To provide a local effect of drug treatment, nanostructures are concentrated and fixed in the selected area by the external magnetic field (magnet). After the exposure, carriers are removed from the circulatory system by magnetic field. In this study, Fe20Ni80 nanotubes are considered as carriers for targeted delivery of drugs and proteins. A simple synthesis method is proposed to form these structures by electrodeposition in PET template pores, and structural and magnetic properties are studied in detail. Nanotubes have polycrystalline walls providing mechanical strength of carriers and magnetic anisotropy that allow controlling the nanostructure movement under the exposure of by magnetic field. Moreover, potential advantages of magnetic nanotubes are discussed in comparison with other carrier types. Most sufficient of them is predictable behavior in magnetic field due to the absence of magnetic core, low specific density that allows floating in biological media, and large specific surface area providing the attachment of a larger number of payloads for the targeted delivery. A method of coating nanotube surfaces with PMMA is proposed to exclude possible negative impact of the carrier material and to form functional bonds for the payload connection. Cytotoxicity studies of coated and uncoated nanotubes are carried out to understand their influence on the biological media.

  13. Low-complexity Joint Sub-carrier Phase Noise Compensation for Digital Multi-carrier Systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yankov, Metodi Plamenov; Barletta, Luca; Zibar, Darko

    2017-01-01

    Joint sub-carrier phase noise processing is proposed which recovers the SNR penalty related to decreased sub-carrier baudrate w.r.t. single carrier systems. The method enables digital sub-banding to be safely employed for nonlinear mitigation for modulation formats of up to 256-QAM.......Joint sub-carrier phase noise processing is proposed which recovers the SNR penalty related to decreased sub-carrier baudrate w.r.t. single carrier systems. The method enables digital sub-banding to be safely employed for nonlinear mitigation for modulation formats of up to 256-QAM....

  14. Spherical near-field scanning at the Technical University of Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, J. E.; Jensen, F.

    1988-01-01

    The early work (1969-79) on spherical near-field antenna measurements at the Technical University of Denmark (TUD) is outlined. A spherical near-field transmission formula is described and the first probe-corrected spherical near-field measurements are discussed. The TUD-ESA (European Space Agency...

  15. Carrier-interleaved orthogonal multi-electrode multi-carrier resistivity-measurement tool

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cai, Yu; Sha, Shuang

    2016-01-01

    This paper proposes a new carrier-interleaved orthogonal multi-electrode multi-carrier resistivity-measurement tool used in a cylindrical borehole environment during oil-based mud drilling processes. The new tool is an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing access-based contactless multi-measurand detection tool. The tool can measure formation resistivity in different azimuthal angles and elevational depths. It can measure many more measurands simultaneously in a specified bandwidth than the legacy frequency division multiplexing multi-measurand tool without a channel-select filter while avoiding inter-carrier interference. The paper also shows that formation resistivity is not sensitive to frequency in certain frequency bands. The average resistivity collected from N subcarriers can increase the measurement of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by N times given no amplitude clipping in the current-injection electrode. If the clipping limit is taken into account, with the phase rotation of each single carrier, the amplitude peak-to-average ratio can be reduced by 3 times, and the SNR can achieve a 9/ N times gain over the single-carrier system. The carrier-interleaving technique is also introduced to counter the carrier frequency offset (CFO) effect, where the CFO will cause inter-pad interference. A qualitative analysis and simulations demonstrate that block-interleaving performs better than tone-interleaving when coping with a large CFO. The theoretical analysis also suggests that increasing the subcarrier number can increase the measurement speed or enhance elevational resolution without sacrificing receiver performance. The complex orthogonal multi-pad multi-carrier resistivity logging tool, in which all subcarriers are complex signals, can provide a larger available subcarrier pool than other types of transceivers. (paper)

  16. Spherical subsystem of galactic radiosources

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gorshkov, A G; Popov, M V [Moskovskij Gosudarstvennyj Univ. (USSR). Gosudarstvennyj Astronomicheskij Inst. ' ' GAISh' '

    1975-05-01

    The concentration of statistically complete sampling radiosources of the Ohiof scanning with plane spectra towards the Galaxy centre has been discovered. Quantitative calculations have showed that the sources form a spheric subsystem, which is close in parameters to such old formations in the Galaxy as globular clusters and the RRLsub(YR) type stars. The luminosity of the galaxy spheric subsystem object equals 10/sup 33/ erg/sec, the total number of objects being 7000. The existence of such a subsystem explains s the anomalously by low incline of statistics lgN-lgS in HF scanning PKS (..gamma..-2700Mgz) and the Michigan University scanning (..gamma..=8000Mgz) because the sources of galaxy spheric subsystem make up a considerable share in the total number of sources, especially at high frequencies (50% of sources with a flux greater than a unit of flux per 8000Mgz). It is very probable that the given subsystem consists of the representatives of one of the following class of objects: a) heat sources - the H2H regions with T=10/sup 40/K, Nsub(e)=10/sup 3/, l=1 ps b) supermass black holes with mass M/Mo approximately 10/sup 5/.

  17. Production and separation of no-carrier-added 73As and 75Se from 7Li irradiated germanium oxide target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mandal, A.; Lahiri, S.

    2012-01-01

    This work reports for the first time 7 Li-induced accelerator based production of 71,72,73,74 As, 75,76,77 Br and 73,75 Se radionuclides in their no-carrier-added (nca) state. After the decay of all short-lived radionuclides 75 Se and 73 As were only existing radionuclides in germanium oxide target, which were subsequently separated by liquid-liquid extraction (LLX) using trioctylamine (TOA) dissolved in cyclohexane as liquid ion exchanger. The presence of stable germanium in various fractions was examined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Spectrometry (ICP-OES). At 0.1 M TOA and 10 M HCl concentration, 75 Se and stable Ge were extracted into the organic phase leaving 73 As in the aqueous phase. The bulk Ge was stripped back to the aqueous phase by 1 M NaOH, keeping 75 Se in the organic phase. Therefore complete separation between 73 As, 75 Se and bulk Ge was achieved. (orig.)

  18. Neutron time-of-flight signals from expanding or contracting spherical sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murphy, T.J.; Chrien, R.E.; Klare, K.A.

    1996-01-01

    The width of the energy distribution of fusion-produced neutrons is often used as an indication of the temperature of the reacting ions. The Doppler broadening of the neutron energy is due to the center-of-mass velocity of reacting ion pairs and is characterized by the ion temperature for a Maxwellian distribution of ions with zero collective velocity. If there is bulk fluid motion or turbulence characterized by a velocity on the order of the ion thermal speed, a significant additional broadening may introduced. Suggestions of this phenomenon have been observed for two classes of laser targets. The first is a ''gas bag'' target, in which a deuterated hydrocarbon gas is contained in a thin spherical membrane and illuminated uniformly. The second target is an ICF capsule with a deuterated plastic inner layer. In both cases, measured neutron energy distributions were wider than expected from theoretical ion temperatures alone would predict, and if interpreted as indicative of the ion temperature, are inconsistent with the neutron yields observed

  19. Formulation and delivery of itraconazole to the brain using a nanolipid carrier system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Wei Meng; Rajinikanth, Paruvathanahalli Siddalingam; Mallikarjun, Chitneni; Kang, Yew Beng

    2014-01-01

    The objectives of this study were to develop and characterize itraconazole (ITZ)-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) and to study their potential for drug delivery into the brain. Precirol(®) ATO 5 and Transcutol(®) HP were selected as the lipid phase, and Tween(®) 80 and Solutol(®) HS15 as surfactants. The ITZ-NLCs were prepared by a hot and high-pressure homogenization method. The entrapment efficiency for the best formulation batch was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography and was found to be 70.5%±0.6%. The average size, zeta potential, and polydispersity index for the ITZ-NLCs used for animal studies were found to be 313.7±15.3 nm, -18.7±0.30 mV, and 0.562±0.070, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed that ITZ-NLCs were spherical in shape, with a size of less than 200 nm. Differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffractometry analysis showed that ITZ was encapsulated in the lipid matrix and present in the amorphous form. The in vitro release study showed that ITZ-NLCs achieved a sustained release, with cumulative release of 80.6%±5.3% up to 24 hours. An in vivo study showed that ITZ-NLCs could increase the ITZ concentration in the brain by almost twofold. These results suggest that ITZ-NLCs can be exploited as nanocarriers to achieve sustained release and brain-targeted delivery.

  20. Rapid Prototyping of Electrically Small Spherical Wire Antennas

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kim, Oleksiy S.

    2014-01-01

    It is shown how modern rapid prototyping technologies can be applied for quick and inexpensive, but still accurate, fabrication of electrically small wire antennas. A well known folded spherical helix antenna and a novel spherical zigzag antenna have been fabricated and tested, exhibiting...

  1. Equilibrium spherically curved two-dimensional Lennard-Jones systems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Voogd, J.M.; Sloot, P.M.A.; van Dantzig, R.

    2005-01-01

    To learn about basic aspects of nano-scale spherical molecular shells during their formation, spherically curved two-dimensional N-particle Lennard-Jones systems are simulated, studying curvature evolution paths at zero-temperature. For many N-values (N < 800) equilibrium configu- rations are traced

  2. Stability of the spherical form of nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sabry, A.A.

    1976-08-01

    An extension of the mass formula for a spherical nucleus in the drop model to include a largely deformed nucleus of different forms is investigated. It is found that although the spherical form is stable under small deformations from equilibrium, there exists for heavier nuclei another more favourable stable form, which can be approximated by two, or three touching prolate ellipsoids of revolution

  3. Elastic properties of spherically anisotropic piezoelectric composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    En-Bo, Wei; Guo-Qing, Gu; Ying-Ming, Poon

    2010-01-01

    Effective elastic properties of spherically anisotropic piezoelectric composites, whose spherically anisotropic piezoelectric inclusions are embedded in an infinite non-piezoelectric matrix, are theoretically investigated. Analytical solutions for the elastic displacements and the electric potentials under a uniform external strain are derived exactly. Taking into account of the coupling effects of elasticity, permittivity and piezoelectricity, the formula is derived for estimating the effective elastic properties based on the average field theory in the dilute limit. An elastic response mechanism is revealed, in which the effective elastic properties increase as inclusion piezoelectric properties increase and inclusion dielectric properties decrease. Moreover, a piezoelectric response mechanism, of which the effective piezoelectric response vanishes due to the symmetry of spherically anisotropic composite, is also disclosed. (condensed matter: structure, thermal and mechanical properties)

  4. Do methicillin resistant staphylococcus (MRSA) carrier patients influence MRSA infection more than MRSA-carrier medical officers and MRSA-carrier family?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dilogo, Ismail H; Arya, Abikara; Phedy; Loho, Tony

    2013-07-01

    to determine the rate of MRSA-carrier among patients, family members and health care providers, and the association between MRSA-carrier family members and health care providers on MRSA infection patient after orthopaedic surgery. this is a cross-sectional analytical study. Samples were taken consecutively during December 2010 to December 2011, consisting of postoperative patients infected with MRSA, attending family members, and the medical officers with history of contact with the patient. Swab culture were taken from nasal and axilla of all subjects. The incidence of MRSA infection, and MRSA-carrier on the patient, family members and medical officers were presented descriptively, while their association with MRSA infection was statistically tested using Fischer exact test. during the study period, there were 759 surgeries, with 4 (0.5%) patients were identified to have MRSA infection. Of these four cases, 48 subjects were enrolled. The rate of MRSA-carrier among patients, family and health care providers were 50%, 25% and 0% respectively. There were no significant association between MRSA and the rates of MRSA-carrier on the family member or health care providers. the incidence of MRSA infection, MRSA-carrier patient, MRSA-carrier health care providers, and family member carrier were 0.5%, 50%, 0%, and 25% respectively. No significant association found between MRSA-carrier on the family member or health care providers and MRSA infection patient. There were no MRSA infection found on the health care provider.

  5. Flow and scour around spherical bodies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Truelsen, Christoffer

    2003-01-01

    Spherical bodies placed in the marine environment may bury themselves due to the action of the waves and the current on the sediment in their immediate neighborhood. The present study addresses this topic by a numerical and an experimental investigation of the flow and scour around a spherical body...... results except in the critical flow regime. For flow around a near-wall sphere, a weak horseshoe vortex emerges as the gap ratio becomes less than or equal to 0.3. In Chapter 3, a RANS flow solver has been used to compute the bed shear stress for a near-wall sphere. The model results compare well...... 4, an experimental study on the scour around spherical bodies and self-burial in sand for steady current and waves has been carried out. The effect of the contraction of streamlines is found to be the key element in the scour process both for steady current and waves. Furthermore, it is demonstrated...

  6. Spherical tokamak power plant design issues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hender, T.C.; Bond, A.; Edwards, J.; Karditsas, P.J.; McClements, K.G.; Mustoe, J.; Sherwood, D.V.; Voss, G.M.; Wilson, H.R.

    2000-01-01

    The very high β potential of the spherical tokamak has been demonstrated in the START experiment. Systems code studies show the cost of electricity from spherical tokamak power plants, operating at high β in second ballooning mode stable regime, is comparable with fossil fuels and fission. Outline engineering designs are presented based on two concepts for the central rod of the toroidal field (TF) circuit - a room temperature water cooled copper rod or a helium cooled cryogenic aluminium rod. For the copper rod case the TF return limbs are supported by the vacuum vessel, while for the aluminium rod the TF coils form an independent structure. In both cases thermohydraulic and stress calculations indicate the viability of the design. Two-dimensional neutronics calculations show the feasibility of tritium self-sufficiency without an inboard blanket. The spherical tokamak has unique maintenance possibilities based on lowering major component structures into a hot cell beneath the device and these are discussed

  7. Integrals of products of spherical functions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Veverka, O.

    1975-01-01

    Various branches of mathematical physics use integral formulas of the products of spherical functions. In quantum mechanics and in transport theory the integrals ∫sub((4π))dΩ vectorYsub(s)sup(t)(Ω vector)Ysub(l)sup(k)(Ω vector)Ysub(n)sup(m)(Ω vector), ∫sub(-1)sup(1)dμPsub(s)sup(t)(μ)Psub(l)sup(k)(μ)Psub(n)sup(m)(μ), ∫sub(-1)sup(1)dμPsub(s)(μ)Psub(l)(μ)Psub(n)(μ) are generally applied, where Ysub(α)sup(β)(Ω vector) are spherical harmonics, Psub(α)sup(β)(μ) are associated Legendre functions, and Psub(α)(μ) are Legendre polynomials. In the paper, the general procedure of calculating the integrals of the products of any combination of spherical functions is given. The procedure is referred to in a report on the boundary conditions for the cylindrical geometry in neutron transport theory for both the outer and inner cylindrical boundaries. (author)

  8. Preparation of ultra-fine powders from polysaccharide-coated solid lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers by innovative nano spray drying technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Taoran; Hu, Qiaobin; Zhou, Mingyong; Xue, Jingyi; Luo, Yangchao

    2016-09-10

    In this study, five polysaccharides were applied as natural polymeric coating materials to prepare solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) and nanostructure lipid carriers (NLC), and then the obtained lipid colloidal particles were transformed to solid powders by the innovative nano spray drying technology. The feasibility and suitability of this new technology to generate ultra-fine lipid powder particles were evaluated and the formulation was optimized. The spray dried SLN powder exhibited the aggregated and irregular shape and dimension, but small, uniform, well-separated spherical powder particles of was obtained from NLC. The optimal formulation of NLC was prepared by a 20-30% oleic acid content with carrageenan or pectin as coating material. Therefore, nano spray drying technology has a potential application to produce uniform, spherical, and sub-microscale lipid powder particles when the formulation of lipid delivery system is appropriately designed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Synthesis and characterization of spherical 2-diazo-4,6-dinitrophenol (DDNP)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Zongwei; Liu Yucun; Liu Dengcheng; Yan Liwei; Chen Ji

    2010-01-01

    Spherical 2-diazo-4,6-dinitrophenol (DDNP) with good flowability and controlled bulk density (0.65-0.95 g/cm 3 ) has been prepared at factory scale by the modified method using 4-methylphenol as crystal control ingredient. Results showed that the yield of product was increased by 5-10%, and the waste water was significantly decreased due to circulation use of waste water compared with traditional method. Synthesized spherical DDNP was characterized by IR, laser granularity measurement, SEM, HPLC and XRD. IR spectrum confirmed the structural features of spherical DDNP. The particle analysis revealed that the modified method could offer spherical DDNP with average particle size of 350 μm and high purity (>98.52%). The XRD peaks of spherical DDNP have similar diffraction angles as those of traditional DDNP. The DSC profile of spherical DDNP showed the exothermic decomposition in the temperature range of 161.2-188.5 deg. C. The product can be pressed at over 40 MPa without dead pressed phenomenon, and the minimum detonating charge of spherical DDNP was measured to be about 0.15 g. Furthermore, impact sensitivity test suggested that spherical DDNP is less sensitive than traditional DDNP.

  10. Periphony-Lattice Mixed-Order Ambisonic Scheme for Spherical Microphone Arrays

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chang, Jiho; Marschall, Marton

    2018-01-01

    to performance that is independent of the incident direction of the sound waves. On the other hand, mixed-order ambisonic (MOA) schemes that select an appropriate subset of spherical harmonics can improve the performance for horizontal directions at the expense of other directions. This paper proposes an MOA......Most methods for sound field reconstruction and spherical beamforming with spherical microphone arrays are mathematically based on the spherical harmonics expansion. In many cases, this expansion is truncated at a certain order as in higher order ambisonics (HOA). This truncation leads...

  11. Spherical torus, compact fusion at low field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peng, Y.K.M.

    1985-02-01

    A spherical torus is obtained by retaining only the indispensable components on the inboard side of a tokamak plasma, such as a cooled, normal conductor that carries current to produce a toroidal magnetic field. The resulting device features an exceptionally small aspect ratio (ranging from below 2 to about 1.3), a naturally elongated D-shaped plasma cross section, and ramp-up of the plasma current primarily by noninductive means. As a result of the favorable dependence of the tokamak plasma behavior to decreasing aspect ratio, a spherical torus is projected to have small size, high beta, and modest field. Assuming Mirnov confinement scaling, an ignition spherical torus at a field of 2 T features a major radius of 1.5 m, a minor radius of 1.0 m, a plasma current of 14 MA, comparable toroidal and poloidal field coil currents, an average beta of 24%, and a fusion power of 50 MW. At 2 T, a Q = 1 spherical torus will have a major radius of 0.8 m, a minor radius of 0.5 m, and a fusion power of a few megawatts

  12. Study on the adsorption of H2O and CO2 from the carrier gas of high-temperature gas-cooled reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liao Cuiping; Zheng Zhenhong; Shi Fuen; Zhou Dasen

    1998-01-01

    The author is focused on the experimental studies of the adsorption of moisture and carbon dioxide from the carrier gas of high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR). A suitable adsorbent--5A type molecular sieve spherical particles with an average diameter of 3 mm is chosen to purify the carrier gas with impurities of moisture and carbon dioxide. Experimental data at different concentration, flow rate, adsorptive temperature, pressure and bed depth are obtained from isothermal adsorption tests in order to examine the effects of these parameters on adsorption dynamic and for the optimal parameters selection of adsorption process. Experimental breakthrough curves, dynamic single component and multicomponent adsorption curves are obtained. The outlet concentration of H 2 O and CO 2 can reach below 1.0 x 10 -5 , so this purification system can meet the demands of HTGR

  13. The spherical limit of the n-vector model and correlation inequaljties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Angelescu, N.; Bundaru, M.; Costache, G.

    1978-08-01

    The asymptotics of the state of the n-vector model with a finite number of spins in the spherical limit is studied. Besides rederiving the limit free energy, corresponding to a generalized spherical model (with ''spherical constraint'' at every site), we obtain also the limit of the correlation functions, which allow a precise definition of the state of the latter model. Correlation inequalities are proved for ferromagnetic interactions in the asymptotic regime. In particular, it is shown that the generalized spherical model fulfills the expected Griffiths' type inequalities, differing in this respect from the spherical model with overall constraint. (author)

  14. Time-resolved x-ray line emission studies of thermal transport in multiple beam uv-irradiated targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jaanimagi, P.A.; Henke, B.L.; Delettrez, J.; Richardson, M.C.

    1984-01-01

    Thermal transport in spherical targets irradiated with multiple, nanosecond duration laser beams, has been a topic of much discussion recently. Different inferences on the level of thermal flux inhibition have been drawn from plasma velocity and x-ray spectroscopic diagnostics. We present new measurements of thermal transport on spherical targets made through time-resolved x-ray spectroscopic measurements of the progress of the ablation surface through thin layers of material on the surface of the target. These measurements, made with 6 and 12 uv (351 nm) nanosecond beams from OMEGA, will be compared to previous thermal transport measurements. Transparencies of the conference presentation are given

  15. Detection of Babesia bovis carrier cattle by using polymerase chain reaction amplification of parasite DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fahrimal, Y; Goff, W L; Jasmer, D P

    1992-01-01

    Carrier cattle infected with Babesia bovis are difficult to detect because of the low numbers of parasites that occur in peripheral blood. However, diagnosis of low-level infections with the parasite is important for evaluating the efficacies of vaccines and in transmission and epidemiological studies. We used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify a portion of the apocytochrome b gene from the parasite and tested the ability of this method to detect carrier cattle. The target sequence is associated with a 7.4-kb DNA element in undigested B. bovis genomic DNA (as shown previously), and the amplified product was detected by Southern and dot blot hybridization. The assay was specific for B. bovis, since no amplification was detected with Babesia bigemina, Trypanosoma brucei, Anaplasma marginale, or leukocyte DNA. The target sequence was amplified in DNA from B. bovis Mexico, Texas, and Australia S and L strains, demonstrating the applicability of the method to strains from different geographic regions. The sensitivity of the method ranged from 1 to 10 infected erythrocytes extracted from 0.5 ml of blood. This sensitivity was about 1,000 times greater than that from the use of unamplified parasite DNA. By the PCR method, six B. bovis carrier cattle were detected 86% of the time (range, 66 to 100%) when they were tested 11 times, while with microscopic examination of thick blood smears, the same carrier cattle were detected only 36% of the time (range, 17 to 66%). The method provides a useful diagnostic tool for detecting B. bovis carrier cattle, and the sensitivity is significantly improved over that of current methods. The results also suggest that characteristics of the apocytchrome b gene may make this a valuable target DNA for PCR-based detection of other hemoparasites. Images PMID:1624551

  16. Self Absorbed Fraction for Electrons and Beta Particles in Small Spherical Volumes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grosev, D.

    2003-01-01

    Absorbed fraction and target organ mass are important parameters of internal dosimetry calculations that define the geometry of the system. Standard MIRD (Medical Internal Radiation Dosimetry) formalism assumes that the absorbed fraction for non-penetrating radiations (e.g., electrons, beta particles) is 1. This may not be correct in cases where dimensions of organs/tissues are comparable with the ranges of electrons/beta particles. Such is the case for example in radiodine ablation of thyroid remnant tissue. In this work the self-absorbed fraction (source and target volumes are the same) for monoenergetic electrons and beta particles is calculated for small spherical volumes of various sizes and unit density. Absorbed fraction can be expressed as an integral of the product of two quantities: (a) Scaled beta dose point kernel (mean absorbed dose rate per activity of the point source in infinite homogenous medium), F β ; (b) special geometrical reduction factor (GRF). F β is calculated using EGS4 Monte Carlo (MC) code for transport of electrons and photons. MC source code calculates the deposition of energy inside concentric spherical shells around the isotropic point source of electrons/beta particles in infinite medium (water). Shell thickness was δr=0.02·X 90 , where X 90 represents the radius of the sphere inside which 90% of the source energy is absorbed. Number of concentric spherical shells was 100, 10000 electron histories were started in each program run, and 10 runs were repeated for statistical reason. Numerical integration of the product of F β , calculated by MC program, and GRF for sphere was done using Simpson method. Absorbed fractions were calculated for spheres with mass from 0.01-20 g (r = 0.13 - 1.68 cm). Results are given for monoenergetic electrons with kinetic energy T=0.2, 0.4, 1.0 MeV, and for three beta emitters 1 31I , 3 2P , 9 0Y . For quantitative dosimetric protocols in radioiodine ablation therapy, results for 1 31I are of

  17. 14 CFR 399.82 - Passing off of carrier identity by affiliation between carriers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... forth in paragraph (c) of this section. In such cases the Board may determine in an adjudicatory... carrier shall not engage in joint public relations activities at points served by both carriers which tend... either carrier are performed in common with the other carrier or as part of a single system. In cases...

  18. A modular spherical harmonics approach to the neutron transport equation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inanc, F.; Rohach, A.F.

    1989-01-01

    A modular nodal method was developed for solving the neutron transport equation in 2-D xy coordinates. The spherical harmonic expansion was used for approximating the second-order even-parity form of the neutron transport equation. The boundary conditions of the spherical harmonics approximation were derived in a form to have forms analogous to the partial currents in the neutron diffusion equation. Relations were developed for generating both the second-order spherical harmonic equations and the boundary conditions in an automated computational algorithm. Nodes using different orders of the spherical harmonics approximation to the transport equation were interfaced through mixed-type boundary conditions. The determination of spherical harmonic orders implemented in the nodes were determined by the scheme in an automated manner. Results of the method compared favorably to benchmark problems. (author)

  19. A longitudinal study of visual function in carriers of X-linked recessive retinitis pigmentosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grover, S; Fishman, G A; Anderson, R J; Lindeman, M

    2000-02-01

    This study was carried out to evaluate the progression of visual function impairment in carriers of X-linked recessive retinitis pigmentosa. We also assessed the relationship between the retinal findings at presentation and the extent of deterioration. Observational, retrospective, case series. Twenty-seven carriers of X-linked recessive retinitis pigmentosa. Each carrier was clinically categorized into one of four grades (grades 0 through 3) depending on the presence or absence of a tapetal-like retinal reflex and the extent of peripheral pigmentary degeneration. A complete ophthalmologic examination was performed and data for visual acuity, visual field area, and electroretinographic measurements were collected on the most recent visit in both eyes. These were then compared with similar data obtained on their initial visits. A comparison of visual function was carried out between the initial visit and the most recent visit on each carrier. The visual acuity was measured with Snellen's acuity charts. The visual fields to targets V-4-e and II-4-e were planimeterized and used for the analysis. The electroretinographic (ERG) measures used were light-adapted single-flash b-wave amplitudes and 30-Hz red flicker for cone function, dark-adapted maximal b-wave amplitudes, and response to a low intensity blue-flash for rod function. None of the 11 carriers with a tapetal-like reflex only (grade 1) showed any significant change in visual acuity or fields as compared with 3 of 7 (43%) carriers with diffuse peripheral pigmentary findings (grade 3) who showed significant deterioration in visual acuity in at least one eye, and 6 of 7 (86%) who showed a significant decrease in visual field area with at least one target size in at least one eye. By comparison, only 1 of 10 carriers with a grade 1 fundus finding demonstrated a significant decrease in maximal dark-adapted ERG function as compared with 5 of 6 (83%) carriers with grade 3 in response to a single-flash stimulus and

  20. Effective pair potentials for spherical nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van Zon, Ramses

    2009-01-01

    An effective description for rigid spherical nanoparticles in a fluid of point particles is presented. The points inside the nanoparticles and the point particles are assumed to interact via spherically symmetric additive pair potentials, while the distribution of points inside the nanoparticles is taken to be spherically symmetric and smooth. The resulting effective pair interactions between a nanoparticle and a point particle, as well as between two nanoparticles, are then given by spherically symmetric potentials. If overlap between particles is allowed, as can occur for some forms of the pair potentials, the effective potential generally has non-analytic points. It is shown that for each effective potential the expressions for different overlapping cases can be written in terms of one analytic auxiliary potential. Even when only non-overlapping situations are possible, the auxiliary potentials facilitate the formulation of the effective potentials. Effective potentials for hollow nanoparticles (appropriate e.g. for buckyballs) are also considered and shown to be related to those for solid nanoparticles. For hollow nanoparticles overlap is more physical, since this covers the case of a smaller particle embedded in a larger, hollow nanoparticle. Finally, explicit expressions are given for the effective potentials derived from basic pair potentials of power law and exponential form, as well as from the commonly used London–van der Waals, Morse, Buckingham, and Lennard-Jones potentials. The applicability of the latter is demonstrated by comparison with an atomic description of nanoparticles with an internal face centered cubic structure

  1. Production of carrier-free phosphorus-33 at MURR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jia, W.; Ketring, A.R.; Schuh, J.; Lanigan, J.; Ma, D.; Manson, L.; Chanley, D.

    1996-01-01

    Phosphorus-33, a new radionuclide used in medical and biochemical research, is produced at the University of Missouri research reactor (MURR) in production quantities. Phosphorus-33 has a longer shelf life and lower dose rates than phosphorus-32. Recently, the MURR and New England Nuclear (NEN) jointly developed a method to recover carrier-free phosphorus-33 as well as the enriched sulfur target using a sublimation technique at reduced pressure

  2. Binding of Lysozyme to Spherical Poly(styrenesulfonate Gels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martin Andersson

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Polyelectrolyte gels are useful as carriers of proteins and other biomacromolecules in, e.g., drug delivery. The rational design of such systems requires knowledge about how the binding and release are affected by electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions between the components. To this end we have investigated the uptake of lysozyme by weakly crosslinked spherical poly(styrenesulfonate (PSS microgels and macrogels by means of micromanipulator assisted light microscopy and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS in an aqueous environment. The results show that the binding process is an order of magnitude slower than for cytochrome c and for lysozyme binding to sodium polyacrylate gels under the same conditions. This is attributed to the formation of very dense protein-rich shells in the outer layers of the microgels with low permeability to the protein. The shells in macrogels contain 60 wt % water and nearly charge stoichiometric amounts of lysozyme and PSS in the form of dense complexes of radius 8 nm comprising 30–60 lysozyme molecules. With support from kinetic modelling results we propose that the rate of protein binding and the relaxation rate of the microgel are controlled by the protein mass transport through the shell, which is strongly affected by hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. The mechanism explains, in turn, an observed dependence of the diffusion rate on the apparent degree of crosslinking of the networks.

  3. The Research Progress of Targeted Drug Delivery Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhan, Jiayin; Ting, Xizi Liang; Zhu, Junjie

    2017-06-01

    Targeted drug delivery system (DDS) means to selectively transport drugs to targeted tissues, organs, and cells through a variety of drugs carrier. It is usually designed to improve the pharmacological and therapeutic properties of conventional drugs and to overcome problems such as limited solubility, drug aggregation, poor bio distribution and lack of selectivity, controlling drug release carrier and to reduce normal tissue damage. With the characteristics of nontoxic and biodegradable, it can increase the retention of drug in lesion site and the permeability, improve the concentration of the drug in lesion site. at present, there are some kinds of DDS using at test phase, such as slow controlled release drug delivery system, targeted drug delivery systems, transdermal drug delivery system, adhesion dosing system and so on. This paper makes a review for DDS.

  4. Method of producing spherical lithium aluminate particles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, L.; Medico, R.R.; Baugh, W.A.

    1983-01-01

    Spherical particles of lithium aluminate are formed by initially producing aluminium hydroxide spheroids, and immersing the spheroids in a lithium ion-containing solution to infuse lithium ions into the spheroids. The lithium-infused spheroids are rinsed to remove excess lithium ion from the surface, and the rinsed spheroids are soaked for a period of time in a liquid medium, dried and sintered to form lithium aluminate spherical particles. (author)

  5. Both Hemophilia Health Care Providers and Hemophilia A Carriers Report that Carriers have Excessive Bleeding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paroskie, Allison; Oso, Olatunde; DeBaun, Michael R.; Sidonio, Robert F

    2014-01-01

    Introduction Hemophilia A, the result of reduced factor VIII (FVIII) activity, is an X-linked recessive bleeding disorder. Previous reports of Hemophilia A carriers suggest an increased bleeding tendency. Our objective was to determine the attitudes and understanding of the Hemophilia A carrier bleeding phenotype, and opinions regarding timing of carrier testing from the perspective of both medical providers and affected patients. Data from this survey was used as preliminary data for an ongoing prospective study. Material and Methods An electronic survey was distributed to physicians and nurses employed at Hemophilia Treatment Centers (HTC), and Hemophilia A carriers who were members of Hemophilia Federation of America. Questions focused on the clinical understanding of bleeding symptoms and management of Hemophilia A carriers, and the timing and intensity of carrier testing. Results Our survey indicates that 51% (36/51) of providers compared to 78% (36/46) of carriers believe that Hemophilia A carriers with normal FVIII activity have an increased bleeding tendency (pHemophilia A carriers report a high frequency of bleeding symptoms. Regarding carrier testing, 72% (50/69) of medical providers recommend testing after 14 years of age, conversely 65% (29/45) of Hemophilia A carriers prefer testing to be done prior to this age (pHemophilia A carriers self-report a higher frequency of bleeding than previously acknowledged, and have a preference for earlier testing to confirm carrier status. PMID:24309601

  6. Background simulation for the Spherical Proportional Counter and its use for the detection of optical photons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bougamont, E; Colas, P; Dastgheibi-Fard, A; Derre, J; Giomataris, I; Gerbier, G; Gros, M; Magnier, P; Navick, X F; Tsiledakis, G; Salin, P; Savvidis, I; Vergados, J D

    2013-01-01

    The recently developed Spherical Proportional Counter [1] allows to instrument large target masses with good energy resolution and sub-keV energy threshold. The moderate cost of this detector, its simplicity and robustness, makes this technology a promising approach for many domains of physics and applications, like dark matter detection and low energy neutrino searches. Detailed Monte Carlo simulations are essential to evaluate the background level expected at the sub-keV energy regime. The simulated background here, it refers to the contribution of the construction material of the detector and the effect of the environmental gamma radiation. This detector due to its spherical shape could be also served as an optical photon detector provided it is equipped with PMTs, for Double Beta decay and Dark Matter searches. All calculations shown here are obtained using the FLUKA Monte Carlo code

  7. Combination of biological treatment of waste air and liquid effluents in small and medium-sized businesses by using spherical carrier media in exchange with each other. Final report; Kombination der biologischen Behandlung von Abluft- und Abwasserreinigung in kleinen und mittleren Unternehmen durch die Verwendung von kugeligen Traegermaterialien im gegenseitigen Austausch. Abschlussbericht

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kunz, P.M.; Brunk, M.; Bentz, P.; Bach, K.; Marcos del Rio, O.; Stahl, B.; Wolf, C.

    2002-05-08

    A combined system for biological treatment of solvent-contaminated liquid and gaseous effluents was to be constructed. The system was to be mobile for demonstration purposes in industrial processes and was to serve for dimensioning of full-scale systems. The system works by a combined process via exchange of spherical carriers with a growth of micro-organisms. Two pilot systems of the Institut fuer Biologische Verfahrenstechnik, one for liquid and one for gaseous effluents, were combined for this purpose, ensuring exchange of carrier materials between the two units. (orig.) [German] Aufgabe im Rahmen dieses F+E-Vorhabens war es gewesen, eine kombinierte biologische Abluft- und Abwasserreinigungsanlage - speziell fuer loesungsmittelhaltige Abluft und Abwaesser - zu untersuchen. Dazu sollte eine Anlage aufgebaut werden, die auch als Demonstrations- und Versuchsanlage zu Industriebetrieben gebracht und dort zur Dimensionierung von full-scale-Anlage eingesetzt werden kann. Idee fuer dieses Vorhaben war gewesen, die Kombination beider Behandlungssysteme ueber den Austausch von mit Mikroorganismen bewachsenem Traegermaterial herzustellen. Am Institut fuer Biologische Verfahrenstechnik existierte bereits eine Pilotanlage fuer die biologische Abwasserreinigung mit kugeligem Traegermaterial (Vario-Bio-Reaktor) und eine Pilotanlage fuer die biologische Behandlung von Abluft nach dem Trickling-Filter-Prinzip mit ebenfalls kugeligem Traegermaterial. Diese beiden Anlagen sollten miteinander kombiniert und der Austausch des Traegermaterials hergestellt werden. (orig.)

  8. Recent developments in laser-fusion target coatings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fries, R.J.; Catlett, D.S.; Fossey, D.; Mayer, A.; McCreary, W.J.; Powell, B.W.; Simonsic, G.A.

    1976-01-01

    Techniques to fabricate hollow, spherical, multilayered laser-fusion targets are described. The first is a glow discharge polymerization process for plastic coating. A chemical vapor deposition process for depositing Mo/Re alloys is also discussed along with some new techniques for electrodeless plating and for electroplating a wide variety of metals

  9. Chemical processing for production of no-carrier-added selenium-73 from germanium and arsenic targets and synthesis of L-2-amino-4-([73Se]methylseleno) butyric acid (L-[73Se]selenomethionine)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Plenevaux, A.; Guillaume, M.; Brihaye, C.; Lemaire, C.; Cantineau, R.

    1990-01-01

    The Ge( 4 He,xn) and 75 As(p,3n) reactions were compared as the best potential routes for routine production of selenium-73 ( 73 Se) for medical applications. With 26 MeV α particles, available with compact cyclotrons, the first reaction required an enriched 70 Ge target of sodium metagermanate to give a production yield of 1 mCi/μAh (0.037 GBq/μAh) in a 105 mg/cm 2 target. With 55 MeV protons the As(p,3n) reaction on natural arsenic yielded 20 mCi/μAh (0.74 GBq/μAh) in a 685 mg/cm 2 target. A simple method was developed and optimized for both targets in order to isolate and purify the no-carrier-added selenium in the elemental form with a radiochemical yield greater than 75% in less than 90 min. An automated radiochemical processing unit has been designed for the routine production of 100-150 mCi(3.7-5.5 GBq) batches of carrier-free 73 Se ready for radiopharmaceutical labeling. 30 mCi (1.11 GBq) (EOS) of L-2-amino-4-([ 73 Se]methylseleno) butyric acid (L-[ 73 Se]selenomethionine) ready for injection with a specific activity of 5 Ci/mmol (185 GBq/mmol) (EOS) were obtained through a fast chemical synthesis. Radiation absorbed dose estimates for L-[ 73 Se ]selenomethionine have been determined. A value of 0.70 rem/mCi (0.19 mSv/MBq) administered was calculated for the risk from irradiation in man. The first human PET investigation with [ 73 Se]selenomethionine showed a very good delineation between liver and pancreas. (author)

  10. Optimal Scheduling and Operating Target (OPTAR) Cost Model for Aircraft Carriers in the Fleet Response Plan

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    York, Michael A

    2008-01-01

    .... This capability is developed through the Fleet Readiness Training Plan (FRTP) where the Navy's carriers are scheduled in staggered 32-month cycles consisting of four phases of progressive readiness levels...

  11. Collisions of droplets on spherical particles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charalampous, Georgios; Hardalupas, Yannis

    2017-10-01

    Head-on collisions between droplets and spherical particles are examined for water droplets in the diameter range between 170 μm and 280 μm and spherical particles in the diameter range between 500 μm and 2000 μm. The droplet velocities range between 6 m/s and 11 m/s, while the spherical particles are fixed in space. The Weber and Ohnesorge numbers and ratio of droplet to particle diameter were between 92 deposition and splashing regimes, a regime is observed in the intermediate region, where the droplet forms a stable crown, which does not breakup but propagates along the particle surface and passes around the particle. This regime is prevalent when the droplets collide on small particles. The characteristics of the collision at the onset of rim instability are also described in terms of the location of the film on the particle surface and the orientation and length of the ejected crown. Proper orthogonal decomposition identified that the first 2 modes are enough to capture the overall morphology of the crown at the splashing threshold.

  12. Enhancement of anticancer activity in antineovascular therapy is based on the intratumoral distribution of the active targeting carrier for anticancer drugs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maeda, Noriyuki; Miyazawa, Souichiro; Shimizu, Kosuke; Asai, Tomohiro; Yonezawa, Sei; Oku, Naoto; Kitazawa, Sadaya; Namba, Yukihiro; Tsukada, Hideo

    2006-01-01

    We previously observed the enhanced anticancer efficacy of anticancer drugs encapsulated in Ala-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-polyethyleneglycol-modified liposome (APRPG-PEG-Lip) in tumor-bearing mice, since APRPG peptide was used as an active targeting tool to angiogenic endothelium. This modality, antineovascular therapy (ANET), aims to eradicate tumor cells indirectly through damaging angiogenic vessels. In the present study, we examined the in vivo trafficking of APRPG-PEG-Lip labeled with [2- 18 F]2-fluoro-2-deoxy- D -glucose ([2- 18 F]FDG) by use of positron emission tomography (PET), and observed that the trafficking of this liposome was quite similar to that of non-targeted long-circulating liposome (PEG-Lip). Then, histochemical analysis of intratumoral distribution of both liposomes was performed by use of fluorescence-labeled liposomes. In contrast to in vivo trafficking, intratumoral distribution of both types of liposomes was quite different: APRPG-PEG-Lip was colocalized with angiogenic endothelial cells that were immunohistochemically stained for CD31, although PEG-Lip was localized around the angiogenic vessels. These results strongly suggest that intratumoral distribution of drug carrier is much more important for therapeutic efficacy than the total accumulation of the anticancer drug in the tumor, and that active delivery of anticancer drugs to angiogenic vessels is useful for cancer treatment. (author)

  13. High-power heating experiment of spherical tokamaks by use of plasma merging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ueda, Yoshinobu; Ono, Yasushi

    1999-01-01

    High-power heating of spherical tokamaks (STs) has been investigated experimentally by use of plasma merging effect. When two STs were coaxially collided, thermal energy of a colliding ST was injected into a target ST during short reconnection time (Alfven time). Though the thermal energy increment increased with decreasing plasma q value, thermal energy loss during the following relaxation, tended to be smaller with increasing q. The produced high-β STs had hallower current profiles and weaker paramagnetic toroidal field than those of single STs. Those heating properties indicate the plasma merging to be a promising initial heating method of ST plasmas. (author)

  14. Non-Spherical Microcapsules for Increased Core Content Volume Delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliva-Buisson, Yvette J.

    2014-01-01

    The goal of this project was to advance microencapsulation from the standard spherical microcapsule to a non-spherical, high-aspect ratio (HAR), elongated microcapsule. This was to be accomplished by developing reproducible methods of synthesizing or fabricating robust, non-spherical, HAR microcapsules. An additional goal of this project was to develop the techniques to the point where scale-up of these methods could be examined. Additionally, this project investigated ways to apply the microencapsulation techniques developed as part of this project to self-healing formulations.

  15. Emulating Spherical Wave Channel Models in Multi-probe Anechoic Chamber Setups

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fan, Wei; Carreño, Xavier; Nielsen, Jesper Ødum

    2015-01-01

    to emulate spherical wave channel models in multi-probe anechoic chamber setups. In this paper, a technique based on the field synthesis principle is proposed to approximate spherical waves emitted from arbitrarily located point sources with arbitrary polarizations. Simulation results show that static......Spherical wave channel modeling has attracted huge research attention for massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and short-distance MIMO systems. Current research work in multi-probe anechoic chamber systems is limited to reproduce radio channels assuming planar wavefronts. There is a need...... spherical waves can be reproduced with a limited number of probes, and the field synthesis accuracy of spherical wave depends on the location of the source point....

  16. Gold surface supported spherical liposome-gold nano-particle nano-composite for label free DNA sensing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhuvana, M; Narayanan, J Shankara; Dharuman, V; Teng, W; Hahn, J H; Jayakumar, K

    2013-03-15

    Immobilization of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DOPE) liposome-gold nano-particle (DOPE-AuNP) nano-composite covalently on 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) on gold surface is demonstrated for the first time for electrochemical label free DNA sensing. Spherical nature of the DOPE on the MPA monolayer is confirmed by the appearance of sigmoidal voltammetric profile, characteristic behavior of linear diffusion, for the MPA-DOPE in presence of [Fe(CN)(6)](3-/4-) and [Ru(NH(3))(6)](3+) redox probes. The DOPE liposome vesicle fusion is prevented by electroless deposition of AuNP on the hydrophilic amine head groups of the DOPE. Immobilization of single stranded DNA (ssDNA) is made via simple gold-thiol linkage for DNA hybridization sensing in the presence of [Fe(CN)(6)](3-/4-). The sensor discriminates the hybridized (complementary target hybridized), un-hybridized (non-complementary target hybridized) and single base mismatch target hybridized surfaces sensitively and selectively without signal amplification. The lowest target DNA concentration detected is 0.1×10(-12)M. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance (EIS), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) techniques are used for DNA sensing on DOPE-AuNP nano-composite. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Ultraviolet-Visible (UV) spectroscopic techniques are used to understand the interactions between the DOPE, AuNP and ssDNA. The results indicate the presence of an intact and well defined spherical DOPE-AuNP nano-composite on the gold surface. The method could be applied for fabrication of the surface based liposome-AuNP-DNA composite for cell transfection studies at reduced reagents and costs. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Preparation of Polysaccharide-Based Microspheres by a Water-in-Oil Emulsion Solvent Diffusion Method for Drug Carriers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yodthong Baimark

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Polysaccharide-based microspheres of chitosan, starch, and alginate were prepared by the water-in-oil emulsion solvent diffusion method for use as drug carriers. Blue dextran was used as a water-soluble biomacromolecular drug model. Scanning electron microscopy showed sizes of the resultant microspheres that were approximately 100 μm or less. They were spherical in shape with a rough surface and good dispersibility. Microsphere matrices were shown as a sponge. Drug loading efficiencies of all the microspheres were higher than 80%, which suggested that this method has potential to prepare polysaccharide-based microspheres containing a biomacromolecular drug model for drug delivery applications.

  18. Target injection and engagement for neutron generation at 1 Hz

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Komeda, Osamu; Mori, Yoshitaka; Nishimura, Yasuhiko

    2013-01-01

    Target injection is a key technology to realizing inertial fusion energy. Here we present the first demonstration of target injection and neutron generation. We injected more than 600 spherical deuterated polystyrene (C 8 D 8 ) bead targets during 10 minutes at 1 Hz. After the targets fell for a distance of 18 cm, we applied the synchronized laser-diode-pumped ultra-intense laser HAMA and successfully generated neutrons repeatedly. The result is a step toward fusion power and also suggests possible industrial neutron sources. (author)

  19. MISR Dark Water aerosol retrievals: operational algorithm sensitivity to particle non-sphericity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O. V. Kalashnikova

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study is to theoretically investigate the sensitivity of the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR operational (version 22 Dark Water retrieval algorithm to aerosol non-sphericity over the global oceans under actual observing conditions, accounting for current algorithm assumptions. Non-spherical (dust aerosol models, which were introduced in version 16 of the MISR aerosol product, improved the quality and coverage of retrievals in dusty regions. Due to the sensitivity of the retrieval to the presence of non-spherical aerosols, the MISR aerosol product has been successfully used to track the location and evolution of mineral dust plumes from the Sahara across the Atlantic, for example. However, the MISR global non-spherical aerosol optical depth (AOD fraction product has been found to have several climatological artifacts superimposed on valid detections of mineral dust, including high non-spherical fraction in the Southern Ocean and seasonally variable bands of high non-sphericity. In this paper we introduce a formal approach to examine the ability of the operational MISR Dark Water algorithm to distinguish among various spherical and non-spherical particles as a function of the variable MISR viewing geometry. We demonstrate the following under the criteria currently implemented: (1 Dark Water retrieval sensitivity to particle non-sphericity decreases for AOD below about 0.1 primarily due to an unnecessarily large lower bound imposed on the uncertainty in MISR observations at low light levels, and improves when this lower bound is removed; (2 Dark Water retrievals are able to distinguish between the spherical and non-spherical particles currently used for all MISR viewing geometries when the AOD exceeds 0.1; (3 the sensitivity of the MISR retrievals to aerosol non-sphericity varies in a complex way that depends on the sampling of the scattering phase function and the contribution from multiple scattering; and (4 non-sphericity

  20. Developement of Spherical Polyurethane Beads

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    K. Maeda; H. Ohmori; H. Gyotoku

    2005-01-01

    @@ 1Results and Discussion We established a new method to produce the spherical polyurethane beads which have narrower distribution of particle size. This narrower distribution was achieved by the polyurethane prepolymer which contains ketimine as a blocked chain-extending agent. Firstly, the prepolymer is dispersed into the aqueous solution containing surfactant. Secondaly, water comes into the inside of prepolymer as oil phase. Thirdly, ketimine is hydrolyzed to amine, and amine reacts with prepolymer immediately to be polyurethane.Our spherical polyurethane beads are very suitable for automotive interior parts especially for instrument panel cover sheet producing under the slush molding method, because of good process ability, excellent durability to the sunlight and mechanical properties at low temperature. See Fig. 1 ,Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 (Page 820).

  1. Spherical null geodesics of rotating Kerr black holes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hod, Shahar

    2013-01-01

    The non-equatorial spherical null geodesics of rotating Kerr black holes are studied analytically. Unlike the extensively studied equatorial circular orbits whose radii are known analytically, no closed-form formula exists in the literature for the radii of generic (non-equatorial) spherical geodesics. We provide here an approximate formula for the radii r ph (a/M;cosi) of these spherical null geodesics, where a/M is the dimensionless angular momentum of the black hole and cos i is an effective inclination angle (with respect to the black-hole equatorial plane) of the orbit. It is well-known that the equatorial circular geodesics of the Kerr spacetime (the prograde and the retrograde orbits with cosi=±1) are characterized by a monotonic dependence of their radii r ph (a/M;cosi=±1) on the dimensionless spin-parameter a/M of the black hole. We use here our novel analytical formula to reveal that this well-known property of the equatorial circular geodesics is actually not a generic property of the Kerr spacetime. In particular, we find that counter-rotating spherical null orbits in the range (3√(3)−√(59))/4≲cosi ph (a/M;cosi=const) on the dimensionless rotation-parameter a/M of the black hole. Furthermore, it is shown that spherical photon orbits of rapidly-rotating black holes are characterized by a critical inclination angle, cosi=√(4/7), above which the coordinate radii of the orbits approach the black-hole radius in the extremal limit. We prove that this critical inclination angle signals a transition in the physical properties of the spherical null geodesics: in particular, it separates orbits which are characterized by finite proper distances to the black-hole horizon from orbits which are characterized by infinite proper distances to the horizon.

  2. Sextupole system for the correction of spherical aberration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crewe, A.V.; Kopf, D.A.

    In an electron beam device in which an electron beam is developed and then focused by a lens to a particular spot, there is provided a means for eliminating spherical aberration. A sextupole electromagnetic lens is positioned between two focusing lenses. The interaction of the sextupole with the beam compensates for spherical aberration. (GHT)

  3. Models for randomly distributed nanoscopic domains on spherical vesicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anghel, Vinicius N. P.; Bolmatov, Dima; Katsaras, John

    2018-06-01

    The existence of lipid domains in the plasma membrane of biological systems has proven controversial, primarily due to their nanoscopic size—a length scale difficult to interrogate with most commonly used experimental techniques. Scattering techniques have recently proven capable of studying nanoscopic lipid domains populating spherical vesicles. However, the development of analytical methods able of predicting and analyzing domain pair correlations from such experiments has not kept pace. Here, we developed models for the random distribution of monodisperse, circular nanoscopic domains averaged on the surface of a spherical vesicle. Specifically, the models take into account (i) intradomain correlations corresponding to form factors and interdomain correlations corresponding to pair distribution functions, and (ii) the analytical computation of interdomain correlations for cases of two and three domains on a spherical vesicle. In the case of more than three domains, these correlations are treated either by Monte Carlo simulations or by spherical analogs of the Ornstein-Zernike and Percus-Yevick (PY) equations. Importantly, the spherical analog of the PY equation works best in the case of nanoscopic size domains, a length scale that is mostly inaccessible by experimental approaches such as, for example, fluorescent techniques and optical microscopies. The analytical form factors and structure factors of nanoscopic domains populating a spherical vesicle provide a new and important framework for the quantitative analysis of experimental data from commonly studied phase-separated vesicles used in a wide range of biophysical studies.

  4. JUST: Joint Upgraded Spherical Tokamak

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Azizov, E.A.; Dvorkin, N.Ya.; Filatov, O.G.

    1997-01-01

    The main goals, ideas and the programme of JUST, spherical tokamak (ST) for the plasma burn investigation, are presented. The place and prospects of JUST in thermonuclear investigations are discussed. (author)

  5. Spherical loudspeaker array for local active control of sound.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rafaely, Boaz

    2009-05-01

    Active control of sound has been employed to reduce noise levels around listeners' head using destructive interference from noise-canceling sound sources. Recently, spherical loudspeaker arrays have been studied as multiple-channel sound sources, capable of generating sound fields with high complexity. In this paper, the potential use of a spherical loudspeaker array for local active control of sound is investigated. A theoretical analysis of the primary and secondary sound fields around a spherical sound source reveals that the natural quiet zones for the spherical source have a shell-shape. Using numerical optimization, quiet zones with other shapes are designed, showing potential for quiet zones with extents that are significantly larger than the well-known limit of a tenth of a wavelength for monopole sources. The paper presents several simulation examples showing quiet zones in various configurations.

  6. The application of carbon nanotubes in target drug delivery systems for cancer therapies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Wuxu; Zhang, Zhenzhong; Zhang, Yingge

    2011-10-01

    Among all cancer treatment options, chemotherapy continues to play a major role in killing free cancer cells and removing undetectable tumor micro-focuses. Although chemotherapies are successful in some cases, systemic toxicity may develop at the same time due to lack of selectivity of the drugs for cancer tissues and cells, which often leads to the failure of chemotherapies. Obviously, the therapeutic effects will be revolutionarily improved if human can deliver the anticancer drugs with high selectivity to cancer cells or cancer tissues. This selective delivery of the drugs has been called target treatment. To realize target treatment, the first step of the strategies is to build up effective target drug delivery systems. Generally speaking, such a system is often made up of the carriers and drugs, of which the carriers play the roles of target delivery. An ideal carrier for target drug delivery systems should have three pre-requisites for their functions: (1) they themselves have target effects; (2) they have sufficiently strong adsorptive effects for anticancer drugs to ensure they can transport the drugs to the effect-relevant sites; and (3) they can release the drugs from them in the effect-relevant sites, and only in this way can the treatment effects develop. The transporting capabilities of carbon nanotubes combined with appropriate surface modifications and their unique physicochemical properties show great promise to meet the three pre-requisites. Here, we review the progress in the study on the application of carbon nanotubes as target carriers in drug delivery systems for cancer therapies.

  7. Electrically small circularly polarized spherical antenna with air core

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kim, O. S.

    2013-01-01

    An electrically small circularly polarized self-resonant spherical antenna with air core is presented. The antenna is a modified multiarm spherical helix exciting TM10 and TE10 spherical modes with equal radiated power, and thus yielding perfect circular polarization over the entire far......-field sphere (except the polar regions, where the radiation is low). The self-resonance is achieved by exciting higher-order TM modes, which provide the necessary electric stored energy in the near-field, while contributing negligibly to the far-field radiation of the antenna. The antenna has electrical size...

  8. Virial theorem and hypervirial theorem in a spherical geometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Yan; Chen Jingling; Zhang Fulin

    2011-01-01

    The virial theorem in the one- and two-dimensional spherical geometry are presented in both classical and quantum mechanics. Choosing a special class of hypervirial operators, the quantum hypervirial relations in the spherical spaces are obtained. With the aid of the Hellmann-Feynman theorem, these relations can be used to formulate a perturbation theorem without wavefunctions, corresponding to the hypervirial-Hellmann-Feynman theorem perturbation theorem of Euclidean geometry. The one-dimensional harmonic oscillator and two-dimensional Coulomb system in the spherical spaces are given as two sample examples to illustrate the perturbation method. (paper)

  9. Solute Carrier NTCP Regulates Innate Antiviral Immune Responses Targeting Hepatitis C Virus Infection of Hepatocytes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eloi R. Verrier

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Chronic hepatitis B, C, and D virus (HBV, HCV, and HDV infections are the leading causes of liver disease and cancer worldwide. Recently, the solute carrier and sodium taurocholate co-transporter NTCP has been identified as a receptor for HBV and HDV. Here, we uncover NTCP as a host factor regulating HCV infection. Using gain- and loss-of-function studies, we show that NTCP mediates HCV infection of hepatocytes and is relevant for cell-to-cell transmission. NTCP regulates HCV infection by augmenting the bile-acid-mediated repression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs, including IFITM3. In conclusion, our results uncover NTCP as a mediator of innate antiviral immune responses in the liver, and they establish a role for NTCP in the infection process of multiple viruses via distinct mechanisms. Collectively, our findings suggest a role for solute carriers in the regulation of innate antiviral responses, and they have potential implications for virus-host interactions and antiviral therapies.

  10. Spherical strong-shock generation for shock-ignition inertial fusion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Theobald, W.; Seka, W.; Lafon, M.; Anderson, K. S.; Hohenberger, M.; Marshall, F. J.; Michel, D. T.; Solodov, A. A.; Stoeckl, C.; Edgell, D. H.; Yaakobi, B.; Shvydky, A. [Laboratory for Laser Energetics and Fusion Science Center, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623 (United States); Nora, R.; Betti, R. [Laboratory for Laser Energetics and Fusion Science Center, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623 (United States); Department of Mechanical Engineering and Department of Physics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623 (United States); Casner, A.; Reverdin, C. [CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon (France); Ribeyre, X.; Vallet, A. [Université de Bordeaux-CNRS-CEA, CELIA (Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications) UMR 5107 F-33400 Talence (France); Peebles, J.; Beg, F. N. [University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093 (United States); and others

    2015-05-15

    Recent experiments on the Laboratory for Laser Energetics' OMEGA laser have been carried out to produce strong shocks in solid spherical targets with direct laser illumination. The shocks are launched at pressures of several hundred Mbars and reach Gbar upon convergence. The results are relevant to the validation of the shock-ignition scheme and to the development of an OMEGA experimental platform to study material properties at Gbar pressures. The experiments investigate the strength of the ablation pressure and the hot-electron production at incident laser intensities of ∼2 to 6 × 10{sup 15 }W/cm{sup 2} and demonstrate ablation pressures exceeding 300 Mbar, which is crucial to developing a shock-ignition target design for the National Ignition Facility. The timing of the x-ray flash from shock convergence in the center of the solid plastic target is used to infer the ablation and shock pressures. Laser–plasma instabilities produce hot-electrons with a moderate temperature (<100 keV). The instantaneous conversion efficiencies of laser power into hot-electron power reached up to ∼15% in the intensity spike. The large amount of hot electrons is correlated with an earlier x-ray flash and a strong increase in its magnitude. This suggests that hot electrons contribute to the augmentation of the shock strength.

  11. Scaling laws for simple heavy ion targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gula, W.P.; Magelssen, G.R.

    1981-01-01

    We have examined the behavior of single shell DT gas filled spherical targets irradiated by a constant power heavy ion beam pulse. For targets in which the ion range is less than the shell thickness, our computational results suggest that the target can be divided into three regions: (1) the absorber (100 to 400 eV for the energies we have considered), (2) the cold pusher (a few eV), and (3) the DT gas fuel. We have examined the pusher collapse time, velocity, and maximum kinetic energy variations as functions of the various target parameters and ion beam energy. The results are expressed in analytic terms and verified by computer simulation

  12. DNA minor groove targeted alkylating agents based on bisbenzimidazole carriers: synthesis, cytotoxicity and sequence-specificity of DNA alkylation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smaill, J B; Fan, J Y; Denny, W A

    1998-12-01

    respect to the bisbenzimidazole carrier. The 'targeted' bisbenzimidazole bis(hydroxymethyl)pyrrole- and imidazole analogues showed very similar patterns of alkylation to the corresponding 'untargeted' compounds, with little evidence of additional selectivity imposed by this AT-preferring carrier.

  13. The Spherical Deformation Model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hobolth, Asgar

    2003-01-01

    Miller et al. (1994) describe a model for representing spatial objects with no obvious landmarks. Each object is represented by a global translation and a normal deformation of a sphere. The normal deformation is defined via the orthonormal spherical-harmonic basis. In this paper we analyse the s...

  14. 3D Printing Electrically Small Spherical Antennas

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kim, Oleksiy S.

    2013-01-01

    3D printing is applied for rapid prototyping of an electrically small spherical wire antenna. The model is first printed in plastic and subsequently covered with several layers of conductive paint. Measured results are in good agreement with simulations.......3D printing is applied for rapid prototyping of an electrically small spherical wire antenna. The model is first printed in plastic and subsequently covered with several layers of conductive paint. Measured results are in good agreement with simulations....

  15. START: the creation of a spherical tokamak

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sykes, Alan

    1992-01-01

    The START (Small Tight Aspect Ratio Tokamak) plasma fusion experiment is now operational at AEA Fusion's Culham Laboratory. It is the world's first experiment to explore an extreme limit of the tokamak - the Spherical Tokamak - which theoretical studies predict may have substantial advantages in the search for economic fusion power. The Head of the START project, describes the concept, some of the initial experimental results and the possibility of developing a spherical tokamak power reactor. (author)

  16. Buckling strength of spherical shells under combined loads

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagashima, H.; Kokubo, K.; Takayanagi, M.; Hayasaka, Y.; Kume, T.; Nagata, T.

    1995-01-01

    Many studies on buckling of cylindrical shells have been conducted, and many buckling evaluation equations have been proposed for actual plant designs; however, buckling of spherical shells under combined horizontal and vertical loads cannot be evaluated due to insufficient data. There is a particular lack of buckling data for spherical shells under lateral loads. To establish a method for estimating the buckling strength of spherical shells, we investigate the interactions between horizontal and vertical (compressive tensile) loads by conducting buckling tests. Applying several combinations of these loads in tests and using computer linear analysis, we obtain interaction curves. This study reports on the buckling tests conducted using spherical shell 1120 mm in dia., 0.7 mm thick and 696 mm high, which are shaped individually by press-forming and finally joined together by four meridional welds, using a specially made jig. Initial imperfections before testing and local deformations after each loading increment during testing are measured with special measuring equipment, and the interaction curve of horizontal and vertical loads and effect of imperfection on the buckling strength of spherical shells are obtained. Nonlinear FEM programs are developed using an 8-node isoparametric shell element and a four-node quadrilateral element of C 0 type with reduced integration based upon a Mindlin-Reissner theory which includes transverse shear. Actual initial imperfections are generally in irregular patterns. Thus, there may be several definitions of the equivalent magnitudes of initial imperfections related to buckling loads. Equivalent magnitudes have no practical meaning unless they can be obtained easily not only for small structures such as test shells but also for large actual structures. In the present study, we define the equivalent magnitude of initial imperfections as the maximum local ruggedness measured radially from a circular temperature having a radius equal

  17. Sealed substrate carrier for electroplating

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganti, Kalyana Bhargava [Fremont, CA

    2012-07-17

    One embodiment relates to a substrate carrier for use in electroplating a plurality of substrates. The substrate carrier includes a non-conductive carrier body on which the substrates are held, and conductive lines are embedded within the carrier body. A conductive bus bar is embedded into a top side of the carrier body and is conductively coupled to the conductive lines. A thermoplastic overmold covers a portion of the bus bar, and there is a plastic-to-plastic bond between the thermoplastic overmold and the non-conductive carrier body. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed.

  18. Short wavelength laser-plasma interaction experiments in a spherical geometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keck, R.L.

    1984-01-01

    Short wavelength (250 to 500 nm) lasers should provide reduced fast electron preheat and increased laser-pellet coupling efficiency when used as laser fusion drivers. As part of an ongoing effort to study short wavelength laser plasm interaction, six beams of the 24 beam OMEGA Nd-glass laser system have been converted to operation at the third harmonic. This system is capable of providing in excess of 250 Joules of 351 nm light on spherical targets at intensities up to 2 x 10/sup 15/ W/cm/sup 2/. To date, experiments have been performed to study the uniformity of irradiation, laser absorption, fast electron production and preheat, energy transport within the target and underdense plasma instabilities. Both x-ray continuum measurements and Kα line measurements indicate that the absorption is dominated by inverse bremsstrahlung. Electron energy transport has been studied using x-ray burn-through and charge collector measurements. The results show that with 351 nm irradiation ablation pressures of order 100 Mbars are generated at intensities of 10/sup 15/ W/cm/sup 2/

  19. NEOGLYCOPROTEINS AS CARRIERS FOR ANTIVIRAL DRUGS - SYNTHESIS AND ANALYSIS OF PROTEIN DRUG CONJUGATES

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Molema, Grietje; Jansen, Robert W.; Visser, Jan; Herdewijn, Piet; Moolenaar, Frits; Meijer, Dirk K.F.

    In order to investigate whether neoglycoproteins can potentially act as carriers for targeting of antiviral drugs to certain cell types in the body, various neoglycoproteins were synthesized using thiophosgene-activated p-aminophenyl sugar derivatives. These neoglycoproteins were conjugated with the

  20. A novel vesicular carrier, transethosome, for enhanced skin delivery of voriconazole: characterization and in vitro/in vivo evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Chung Kil; Balakrishnan, Prabagar; Shim, Chang-Koo; Chung, Suk-Jae; Chong, Saeho; Kim, Dae-Duk

    2012-04-01

    This study describes a novel carrier, transethosome, for enhanced skin delivery of voriconazole. Transethosomes (TELs) are composed of phospholipid, ethanol, water and edge activator (surfactants) or permeation enhancer (oleic acid). Characterization of the TELs was based on results from recovery, particle size, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), zeta potential and elasticity studies. In addition, skin permeation profile was obtained using static vertical diffusion Franz cells and hairless mouse skin treated with TELs containing 0.3% (w/w) voriconazole, and compared with those of ethosomes (ELs), deformable liposomes (DLs), conventional liposomes (CLs) and control (polyethylene glycol, PG) solutions. The recovery of the studied vesicles was above 90% in all vesicles, as all of them contained ethanol (7-30%). There was no significant difference in the particles size of all vesicles. The TEM study revealed that the TELs were in irregular spherical shape, implying higher fluidity due to perturbed lipid bilayer compared to that of other vesicles which were of spherical shape. The zeta potential of vesicles containing sodium taurocholate or oleic acid showed higher negative value compared to other vesicles. The elasticities of ELs and TELs were much higher than that of CLs and DLs. Moreover, TELs dramatically enhanced the skin permeation of voriconazole compared to the control and other vesicles (p<0.05). Moreover, the TELs enhanced both in vitro and in vivo skin deposition of voriconazole in the dermis/epidermis region compared to DLs, CLs and control. Therefore, based on the current study, the novel carrier TELs could serve as an effective dermal delivery for voriconazole. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. DOE FES FY2017 Joint Research Target Fourth Quarter Milestone Report for theNational Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Soukhanovskii, V. A. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

    2017-09-13

    A successful high-performance plasma operation with a radiative divertor has been demonstrated on many tokamak devices, however, significant uncertainty remains in accurately modeling detachment thresholds, and in how detachment depends on divertor geometry. Whereas it was originally planned to perform dedicated divertor experiments on the National Spherical Tokamak Upgrade to address critical detachment and divertor geometry questions for this milestone, the experiments were deferred due to technical difficulties. Instead, existing NSTX divertor data was summarized and re-analyzed where applicable, and additional simulations were performed.

  2. Unravelling ``off-target'' effects of redox-active polymers and polymer multilayered capsules in prostate cancer cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beretta, Giovanni L.; Folini, Marco; Cavalieri, Francesca; Yan, Yan; Fresch, Enrico; Kaliappan, Subramanian; Hasenöhrl, Christoph; Richardson, Joseph J.; Tinelli, Stella; Fery, Andreas; Caruso, Frank; Zaffaroni, Nadia

    2015-03-01

    Redox-active polymers and carriers are oxidizing nanoagents that can potentially trigger intracellular off-target effects. In the present study, we investigated the occurrence of off-target effects in prostate cancer cells following exposure to redox-active polymer and thin multilayer capsules with different chemical properties. We show that, depending on the intracellular antioxidant capacity, thiol-functionalized poly(methacrylic acid), PMASH triggers cell defense responses/perturbations that result in off-target effects (i.e., induction of autophagy and down-regulation of survivin). Importantly, the conversion of the carboxyl groups of PMASH into the neutral amides of poly(hydroxypropylmetacrylamide) (pHPMASH) nullified the off-target effects and cytotoxicity in tested cell lines. This suggests that the simultaneous action of carboxyl and disulfide groups in PMASH polymer or capsules may play a role in mediating the intracellular off-target effects. Our work provides evidence that the rational design of redox-active carriers for therapeutic-related application should be guided by a careful investigation on potential disturbance of the cellular machineries related to the carrier association.Redox-active polymers and carriers are oxidizing nanoagents that can potentially trigger intracellular off-target effects. In the present study, we investigated the occurrence of off-target effects in prostate cancer cells following exposure to redox-active polymer and thin multilayer capsules with different chemical properties. We show that, depending on the intracellular antioxidant capacity, thiol-functionalized poly(methacrylic acid), PMASH triggers cell defense responses/perturbations that result in off-target effects (i.e., induction of autophagy and down-regulation of survivin). Importantly, the conversion of the carboxyl groups of PMASH into the neutral amides of poly(hydroxypropylmetacrylamide) (pHPMASH) nullified the off-target effects and cytotoxicity in tested cell

  3. Quasi-spherical compression of a spark-channel plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Panarella, E.

    1980-01-01

    An axial spark channel in deuterium has been used as a target for implosive shock waves created with a conventional cylindrical theta-pinch device. The compression of the channel by the implosive waves raised the plasma electron temperature to approximately 120 eV for approximately 6 kJ of condenser bank energy and 1 Torr initial gas pressure. In order to improve the efficiency of compression of the channel plasma and to reduce the end losses inherent in the cylindrical configuration, the theta-pinch geometry was then converted from cylindrical into spherical. Under identical conditions of gas pressure and condenser bank energy, the electron temperature now peaked at approximately 400 eV. When the bank energy was increased to approximately 10 kJ, neutron production was observed. The total neutron output per shot ranged from 10 5 to 10 6 and increased inversely with the pinch discharge volume

  4. Investigation of fusion gain in fast ignition with conical targets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MJ Tabatabaei

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Fast ignition is a new scheme for inertial confinement fusion (ICF. In this scheme, at first the interaction of ultraintense laser beam with the hohlraum wall surrounding a capsule containing deuterium-tritium (D-T fuel causes implosion and compression of fuel to high density and then laser produced protons penetrate in the compressed fuel and deposit their energy in it as the ignition hot spot is created. In this paper, following the energy gain of spherical target and considering relationship of the burn fraction to burn duration, we have obtained the energy gain of conical targets characterized by the angle β, and found a hemispherical capsule (β=π/2 has a gain as high as 96% of that of the whole spherical capsule. The results obtained in this study are qualitatively consistent with Atzeni et al.'s studies of simulations.

  5. Accuracy of position measurement method using Arago spot for inertial fusion energy target tracking system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saruta, Koichi; Tsuji, Ryusuke

    2007-01-01

    The accuracy of a position measurement method using the Arago spot is reported for an inertial fusion energy (IFE) target tracking system, where the position of the target is determined by the position of the Arago spot, which is a bright spot appearing in the central portion of the diffraction pattern of a spherical obstacle. We use a He-Ne laser as the light source and a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera with a microscope objective lens to magnify and record the diffraction pattern of a spherical target. We examine two different algorithms to determine the center of the Arago spot in order to compare the measurement performances. The experimental results show that the position of a 5-mm-diameter target can be obtained with a measurement resolution of 1 μm and an rms measurement error of less than 0.2μm for both algorithms when the distance between the target and the microscope objective lens is 5 cm. (author)

  6. Carrier-carrier relaxation kinetics in quantum well semiconductor structures with nonparabolic energy bands

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dery, H.; Tromborg, Bjarne; Eisenstein, G.

    2003-01-01

    We describe carrier-carrier scattering dynamics in an inverted quantum well structure including the nonparabolic nature of the valance band. A solution of the semiconductor Bloch equations yields strong evidence to a large change in the temporal evolution of the carrier distributions compared to ...

  7. Invariants of the spherical sector in conformal mechanics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hakobyan, Tigran; Nersessian, Armen; Saghatelian, Armen; Lechtenfeld, Olaf

    2011-01-01

    A direct relation is established between the constants of motion for conformal mechanics and those for its spherical part. In this way, we find the complete set of functionally independent constants of motion for the so-called cuboctahedric Higgs oscillator, which is just the spherical part of the rational A 3 Calogero model (describing four Calogero particles after decoupling their center of mass).

  8. Carbohydrate plasma expanders for passive tumor targeting

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hoffmann, Stefan; Caysa, Henrike; Kuntsche, Judith

    2013-01-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate the suitability of carbohydrate plasma volume expanders as a novel polymer platform for tumor targeting. Many synthetic polymers have already been synthesized for targeted tumor therapy, but potential advantages of these carbohydrates include inexpen...... was characterized in human colon carcinoma xenograft bearing nude mice. A tumor specific accumulation of HES 450 was observed, which proves it’s potential as carrier for passive tumor targeting....

  9. Numerical simulation of direct-drive ICF ignition in spherical geometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu Xiaojin

    2006-01-01

    The basic condition required for achieving central ignition is producing a hot spot with 10 keV temperature and 0.3 g/cm 2 surface density. Growth of hydrodynamic instability during deceleration phase will destroy the symmetric-drive, reduce the volume of central hot spot and make a harmful effect on ignition. Based on the LARED-S code, considering the thermonuclear reaction and α-particle heating, a numerical study of direct-drive ICF in spherical geometry is made. One-dimensional results agree well with the NIF ignition target designs, and show that the α-particle heating plays an important role in marginal ignition. Two-dimensional results show that the growth of hydrodynamic instability during deceleration phase makes a harmful effect on ignition. (authors)

  10. Babcock and Wilcox plate fabrication experience with uranium silicide spherical fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Todd, Lawrence E.; Pace, Brett W.

    1996-01-01

    This report is written to present the fuel fabrication experience of Babcock and Wilcox using atomized spherical uranium silicide powder. The intent is to demonstrate the ability to fabricate fuel plates using spherical powder and to provide useful information proceeding into the next phase of work using this type of fuel. The limited quantity of resources- spherical powder and time, did not allow for much process optimizing in this work scope. However, the information contained within provides optimism for the future of spherical uranium silicide fuel plate fabrication at Babcock and Wilcox.The success of assembling fuel elements with spherical powder will enable Babcock and Wilcox to reduce overall costs to its customers while still maintaining our reputation for providing high quality research and test reactor products. (author)

  11. Development of Liposomal Bubbles with Perfluoropropane Gas as Gene Delivery Carriers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maruyama, Kazuo; Suzuki, Ryo; Sawamura, Kaori; Takizawa, Tomoko; Utoguchi, Naoki; Negishi, Yoichi

    2007-05-01

    Liposomes have some advantages as drug, antigen and gene delivery carriers. Their size can be easily controlled and they can be modified to add a targeting function. Based on liposome technology, we developed novel liposomal bubbles (Bubble liposomes) containing the ultrasound imaging gas, perfluoropropane. We assessed the feasibility of Bubble liposomes as carriers for gene delivery after cavitation induced by ultrasound. At first, we investigated their ability to deliver genes with Bubble liposomes and ultrasound to various types of cells such as mouse sarcoma cells, mouse melanoma cells, human T cell line and human umbilical vein endothelial cells. The results showed that the Bubble liposomes could deliver plasmid DNA to many cell types without cytotoxicity. In addition, we found that Bubble liposomes could effectively deliver plasmid DNA into mouse femoral artery in vivo. The gene transduction with Bubble liposomes was more effectively than conventional lipofection. We conclude that Bubble liposomes are unique and efficient gene delivery carriers in vitro and in vivo.

  12. 29 CFR 1201.1 - Carrier.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Carrier. 1201.1 Section 1201.1 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) NATIONAL MEDIATION BOARD DEFINITIONS § 1201.1 Carrier. The term carrier includes any express company, sleeping car company, carrier by railroad, subject to the Interstate Commerce Act...

  13. Spherical Cancer Models in Tumor Biology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Louis-Bastien Weiswald

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Three-dimensional (3D in vitro models have been used in cancer research as an intermediate model between in vitro cancer cell line cultures and in vivo tumor. Spherical cancer models represent major 3D in vitro models that have been described over the past 4 decades. These models have gained popularity in cancer stem cell research using tumorospheres. Thus, it is crucial to define and clarify the different spherical cancer models thus far described. Here, we focus on in vitro multicellular spheres used in cancer research. All these spherelike structures are characterized by their well-rounded shape, the presence of cancer cells, and their capacity to be maintained as free-floating cultures. We propose a rational classification of the four most commonly used spherical cancer models in cancer research based on culture methods for obtaining them and on subsequent differences in sphere biology: the multicellular tumor spheroid model, first described in the early 70s and obtained by culture of cancer cell lines under nonadherent conditions; tumorospheres, a model of cancer stem cell expansion established in a serum-free medium supplemented with growth factors; tissue-derived tumor spheres and organotypic multicellular spheroids, obtained by tumor tissue mechanical dissociation and cutting. In addition, we describe their applications to and interest in cancer research; in particular, we describe their contribution to chemoresistance, radioresistance, tumorigenicity, and invasion and migration studies. Although these models share a common 3D conformation, each displays its own intrinsic properties. Therefore, the most relevant spherical cancer model must be carefully selected, as a function of the study aim and cancer type.

  14. Erosion and damage by hard spherical particles on glass

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Slikkerveer, P.J.; Verspui, M.A.; Skerka, G.J.E.

    1999-01-01

    Solid particle impact of hard spherical particles on glass is of fundamental interest because of the presence of a number of different impact regimes. Understanding the impact of spherical particles is also a step toward modeling the behavior of rounded particles. This paper verifies theoretical

  15. Spherical reconciliation for a continuous-variable quantum key distribution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu Zhao; Shi Jian-Hong; Li Feng-Guang

    2017-01-01

    Information reconciliation is a significant step for a continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CV-QKD) system. We propose a reconciliation method that allows two authorized parties to extract a consistent and secure binary key in a CV-QKD protocol, which is based on Gaussian-modulated coherent states and homodyne detection. This method named spherical reconciliation is based on spherical quantization and non-binary low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes. With the suitable signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and code rate of non-binary LDPC codes, spherical reconciliation algorithm has a high efficiency and can extend the transmission distance of CV-QKD. (paper)

  16. Electrostatic axisymmetric mirror with removable spherical aberration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Birmuzaev, S.B.; Serikbaeva, G.S.; Hizirova, M.A.

    1999-01-01

    The electrostatic axisymmetric mirror, assembled from three coaxial cylinders with an equal diameter d and under the potential v1, v2 and v3, was computed. The proportions of geometrical and electric parameters of the mirror, with which the spherical 3-order aberration may be eliminated, were determined. The computation outcomes of the case, when the focal power of the mirror is enough large and the object plane in the focus is out of its field, are presented (Fig. 1 - potentials proportion that makes elimination of the spherical aberration possible; Fig. 2 - the focus coordinates when the spherical aberration is eliminated). The geometrical values are presented by d, and the electric ones are presented by v1. The figures on the curves present a length of the second (middle) electrode. The zero point is located in the middle of the gap between the first and second electrodes The investigated mirror may be used as a lens for the transmission electron microscope

  17. A study on heat transfer characteristics of spherical and fibrous alumina nanofluids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Chang Kyu; Lee, Gyoung-Ja; Rhee, Chang Kyu

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Spherical and fibrous alumina nanoparticles were prepared by pulsed wire evaporation and hydrolysis methods. ► Fibrous alumina nanofluid exhibited higher thermal conductivity enhancement than spherical one due to entangled structure of nanofibers with high aspect-ratio. ► Decreasing rate of viscosity with temperature for fibrous alumina nanofluid was much larger than that for spherical one. - Abstract: Ethylene glycol based nanofluids containing spherical/fibrous alumina nanoparticles were synthesized by pulsed wire evaporation and hydrolysis methods. The crystallographic and morphological properties of the prepared nanoparticles were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, nitrogen gas adsorption and transmission electron microscopy. The average diameter of spherical alumina nanoparticles was about 80 nm and the alumina nanofibers exhibited a high aspect ratio (length/width). The viscosity and thermal conductivity of the spherical/fibrous alumina nanofluids were experimentally measured in the temperature range from 25 to 80 °C. For the fibrous alumina nanofluid, the increase of temperature raised thermal conductivity but lowered viscosity. On the other hand, for the spherical alumina nanofluid, both thermal conductivity and viscosity were decreased with increasing temperature. In particular, the fibrous alumina nanofluid exhibited a higher enhancement of thermal conductivity than the spherical one due to the well-connected structure between entangled nanofibers with high aspect ratio.

  18. Cylindrical and spherical dust-acoustic wave modulations in dusty ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Abstract. The nonlinear wave modulation of planar and non-planar (cylindrical and spherical) dust-acoustic waves (DAW) propagating in dusty plasmas, in the presence of non-extensive distribu- tions for ions and electrons is investigated. By employing multiple scales technique, a cylindrically and spherically modified ...

  19. Development and Targeting Efficiency of Irinotecan Engineered ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Erah

    Conclusion: Proniosomes offer a suitable alternative colloidal carrier approach to achieving drug ... for the treatment of localized disease in the body ... analogue of the natural alkaloid, campto- ..... vasculature targeted tumor necrosis factor-α.

  20. Determining spherical lens correction for astronaut training underwater.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Porter, Jason; Gibson, C Robert; Strauss, Samuel

    2011-09-01

    To develop a model that will accurately predict the distance spherical lens correction needed to be worn by National Aeronautics and Space Administration astronauts while training underwater. The replica space suit's helmet contains curved visors that induce refractive power when submersed in water. Anterior surface powers and thicknesses were measured for the helmet's protective and inside visors. The impact of each visor on the helmet's refractive power in water was analyzed using thick lens calculations and Zemax optical design software. Using geometrical optics approximations, a model was developed to determine the optimal distance spherical power needed to be worn underwater based on the helmet's total induced spherical power underwater and the astronaut's manifest spectacle plane correction in air. The validity of the model was tested using data from both eyes of 10 astronauts who trained underwater. The helmet's visors induced a total power of -2.737 D when placed underwater. The required underwater spherical correction (FW) was linearly related to the spectacle plane spherical correction in air (FAir): FW = FAir + 2.356 D. The mean magnitude of the difference between the actual correction worn underwater and the calculated underwater correction was 0.20 ± 0.11 D. The actual and calculated values were highly correlated (r = 0.971) with 70% of eyes having a difference in magnitude of astronauts. The model accurately predicts the actual values worn underwater and can be applied (more generally) to determine a suitable spectacle lens correction to be worn behind other types of masks when submerged underwater.

  1. Advances in nanotechnology-based carrier systems for targeted delivery of bioactive drug molecules with special emphasis on immunotherapy in drug resistant tuberculosis - a critical review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Jagdeep; Garg, Tarun; Rath, Goutam; Goyal, Amit K

    2016-06-01

    From the early sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to the present day of life, tuberculosis (TB) still is a global health threat with some new emergence of resistance. This type of emergence poses a vital challenge to control TB cases across the world. Mortality and morbidity rates are high due to this new face of TB. The newer nanotechnology-based drug-delivery approaches involving micro-metric and nano-metric carriers are much needed at this stage. These delivery systems would provide more advantages over conventional systems of treatment by producing enhanced therapeutic efficacy, uniform distribution of drug molecule to the target site, sustained and controlled release of drug molecules and lesser side effects. The main aim to develop these novel drug-delivery systems is to improve the patient compliance and reduce therapy time. This article reviews and elaborates the new concepts and drug-delivery approaches for the treatment of TB involving solid-lipid particulate drug-delivery systems (solid-lipid micro- and nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers), vesicular drug-delivery systems (liposomes, niosomes and liposphere), emulsion-based drug-delivery systems (micro and nanoemulsion) and some other novel drug-delivery systems for the effective treatment of tuberculosis and role of immunomodulators as an adjuvant therapy for management of MDR-TB and XDR-TB.

  2. Nanodiamonds as Carriers for Address Delivery of Biologically Active Substances

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Petunin AI

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Surface of detonation nanodiamonds was functionalized for the covalent attachment of immunoglobulin, and simultaneously bovine serum albumin and Rabbit Anti-Mouse Antibody. The nanodiamond-IgGI125 and RAM-nanodiamond-BSAI125 complexes are stable in blood serum and the immobilized proteins retain their biological activity. It was shown that the RAM-nanodiamond-BSAI125 complex is able to bind to the target antigen immobilized on the Sepharose 6B matrix through antibody–antigen interaction. The idea can be extended to use nanodiamonds as carriers for delivery of bioactive substances (i.e., drugs to various targets in vivo.

  3. Effectiveness of screening hospital admissions to detect asymptomatic carriers of Clostridium difficile: a modeling evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lanzas, Cristina; Dubberke, Erik R

    2014-08-01

    Both asymptomatic and symptomatic Clostridium difficile carriers contribute to new colonizations and infections within a hospital, but current control strategies focus only on preventing transmission from symptomatic carriers. Our objective was to evaluate the potential effectiveness of methods targeting asymptomatic carriers to control C. difficile colonization and infection (CDI) rates in a hospital ward: screening patients at admission to detect asymptomatic C. difficile carriers and placing positive patients into contact precautions. We developed an agent-based transmission model for C. difficile that incorporates screening and contact precautions for asymptomatic carriers in a hospital ward. We simulated scenarios that vary according to screening test characteristics, colonization prevalence, and type of strain present at admission. In our baseline scenario, on average, 42% of CDI cases were community-onset cases. Within the hospital-onset (HO) cases, approximately half were patients admitted as asymptomatic carriers who became symptomatic in the ward. On average, testing for asymptomatic carriers reduced the number of new colonizations and HO-CDI cases by 40%-50% and 10%-25%, respectively, compared with the baseline scenario. Test sensitivity, turnaround time, colonization prevalence at admission, and strain type had significant effects on testing efficacy. Testing for asymptomatic carriers at admission may reduce both the number of new colonizations and HO-CDI cases. Additional reductions could be achieved by preventing disease in patients who are admitted as asymptomatic carriers and developed CDI during the hospital stay.

  4. Differential Analysis of the Nasal Microbiome of Pig Carriers or Non-Carriers of Staphylococcus aureus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Espinosa-Gongora, Carmen; Larsen, Niels; Schonning, Kristian

    2016-01-01

    pathogen in animal carriers. The aim of this study was to determine whether the nasal microbiome of pig S. aureus carriers differs from that of non-carriers. The V3-V5 region of the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced from nasal swabs of 44 S. aureus carriers and 56 non-carriers using the 454 GS FLX titanium...... microbiome of pigs that are not colonized with S. aureus harbours several species/taxa that are significantly less abundant in pig carriers, suggesting that the nasal microbiota may play a role in the individual predisposition to S. aureus nasal carriage in pigs. Further research is warranted to isolate...

  5. Skin permeation of D-limonene-based nanoemulsions as a transdermal carrier prepared by ultrasonic emulsification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Wen-Chien; Chiang, Been-Huang; Huang, Da-Wei; Li, Po-Hsien

    2014-03-01

    Nanoemulsions can be used for transporting pharmaceutical phytochemicals in skin-care products because of their stability and rapid permeation properties. However, droplet size may be a critical factor aiding permeation through skin and transdermal delivery efficiency. We prepared D-limonene nanoemulsions with various droplet sizes by ultrasonic emulsification using mixed surfactants of sorbitane trioleate and polyoxyethylene (20) oleyl ether under different hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) values. Droplet size decreased with increasing HLB value. With HLB 12, the droplet size was 23 nm, and the encapsulated ratio peaked at 92.3%. Transmission electron microscopy revealed spherical droplets and the gray parts were D-limonene precipitation incorporated in spherical droplets of the emulsion system. Franz diffusion cell was used to evaluate the permeation of D-limonene nanoemulsion through rat abdominal skin; the permeation rate depended on droplet size. The emulsion with the lowest droplet size (54 nm) achieved the maximum permeation rate. The concentration of D-limonene in the skin was 40.11 μL/cm(2) at the end of 360 min. Histopathology revealed no distinct voids or empty spaces in the epidermal region of permeated rat skin, so the D-limonene nanoemulsion may be a safe carrier for transdermal drug delivery. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Technological aspects of cryogenic laser-fusion targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Musinski, D.L.; Henderson, T.M.; Simms, R.J.; Pattinson, T.R.; Jacobs, R.B.

    1980-01-01

    Most current laser-fusion targets consist of hollow spherical glass shells which have been filled with a mixture of gaseous deuterium-tritium fuel. Theoretical considerations suggest that optimum yields can be obtained from these targets if the fuel is condensed as a uniform liquid or solid layer on the inner surface of the glass shell at the time it is irradiated. In principle, this can be accomplished in a straightforward way by cooling the target below the condensation or freezing point of the fuel. In practice, cryogenic targets can appear in routine laser experiments only when the necessary cryogenic technology is reliably integrated into experimental target chambers. Significant progress has been made recently in this field. The authors will discuss the scientific basis and the various technological features of a system which has allowed the successful irradiation of uniform solid-fuel-layer targets

  7. Personality traits in Huntington's disease: An exploratory study of gene expansion carriers and non-carriers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larsen, Ida Unmack; Mortensen, Erik Lykke; Vinther-Jensen, Tua; Nielsen, Jørgen Erik; Knudsen, Gitte Moos; Vogel, Asmus

    2016-12-01

    Huntington's disease (HD) is associated with risk for developing psychiatric symptoms. Vulnerability or resilience to psychiatric symptoms may be associated with personality traits. This exploratory study, aimed to investigate personality traits in a large cohort of HD carriers and at risk gene-expansion negative individuals (HD non-carriers), exploring whether carrying the HD gene or growing up in an HD family influences personality traits. Forty-seven HD carriers, Thirty-nine HD non-carriers, and 121 healthy controls answered the Danish version of the revised NEO personality inventory. Comparisons between HD carriers and HD non-carriers were mostly non-significant but the combined group of HD carriers and non-carriers showed significantly higher scores on the facets: "hostility," "assertiveness," and "activity" and on the trait "Conscientiousness" relative to controls, "Conscientiousness" have been associated with resilience to psychiatric symptoms. Twelve HD carriers and non-carriers were classified as depressed and showed significantly lower scores on "Extraversion" and "Conscientiousness" and significantly higher scores on "Neuroticism," which are associated with vulnerability to psychiatric symptoms. Our findings suggest that, there is no direct effect of the HD gene on personality traits, but that personality assessment may be relevant to use when identifying individuals from HD families who are vulnerable to develop psychiatric symptoms. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. The Flinders University inductively driven spherical Tokamak project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McCarthy, L.

    1998-01-01

    Full text: The Flinders University inductive start up Spherical Tokamak (ST) program is designed with two major functions: first a target plasma for a definitive test of rotating magnetic field (RMF) current drive, and secondly as a target plasma to be used in development of diagnostics for the collaboration between Flinders University and the Australian National Fusion Facility. A third goal is to maintain an Australian link to the international ST community at a time when this ST approach to plasma fusion is entering a ''second generation'' phase of larger machines, following the demonstration of resilience to major disruptions on START and MEDUSA, and excellent confinement properties, and β. Modelling of the optimum operating regime consistent with power supplies available at Flinders University, and comparisons of plasmas prepared by RMF alone with ohmically heated plasmas such as START, are presented to support the need for the design of this OH hot confined target plasma approach to RMF current drive as an alternative to that of pure RMF current drive at higher powers being attempted elsewhere, should that approach not prove successful. Progress on the experiments, which now includes successful tests of the toroidal field system and the OH coil system, is reported. The RMF facility will not be available till late in 1998. The case is made for retaining the valuable equipment resources of the Flinders University plasma research group and negotiating for the transfer of these to the Australian National Fusion Facility at the completion of this project at the end of 1999

  9. Peptide-Carrier Conjugation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Paul Robert

    2015-01-01

    To produce antibodies against synthetic peptides it is necessary to couple them to a protein carrier. This chapter provides a nonspecialist overview of peptide-carrier conjugation. Furthermore, a protocol for coupling cysteine-containing peptides to bovine serum albumin is outlined....

  10. [Depth of focus in spherical and aspheric intraocular lenses].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nan, Li; Tang, Xin; Liu, Yong-ji

    2012-02-01

    To investigate depth of focus (DOF) in spherical and aspheric IOL eye models. Computer numerical simulation experiment was used. IOL eye model based on Liou-Brennan eye model was constructed by using ZEMAX optical design software. Different IOL were implanted in this eye model. Monochromatic through focus modulation transfer function (MTF) curves were computed. Pupil and aspheric designs' effect on DOF were analyzed. DOF of eye model increased with pupil shrinkage in 550 nm monochromatic light (FY60AD 1.20 D at 6 mm pupil, 1.35 D at 5 mm pupil, 1.70 D at 4 mm pupil, 2.46 D at 3 mm pupil; YA60BBR 1.24 D at 6 mm pupil, 1.48 D at 5 mm pupil, 1.80 D at 4 mm pupil, 2.50 D at 3 mm pupil). MTF in spherical IOL eye model was higher with minus defocus, this trend was obvious at larger pupil. MTF of aspheric IOL eyes were higher than spherical IOL eyes when well focused at 5 mm pupil, while the DOF was lower in aspheric IOL with negative spherical aberration (Tecnis Z9000 1.31 D, FY60AD 1.35 D, CeeOn911 1.55 D, YA60BBR 1.48 D). DOF decreased less in aspheric IOL with zero spherical aberration (LI61AO 1.42 D). DOF in IOL eye model was higher at smaller pupil. When the pupil was large, well focused aspheric IOL improved optical quality compared with spherical IOL, while DOF and the tolerance to defocus in aspheric IOL were partially lost; this phenomenon was obvious with minus defocus.

  11. Solute Carrier NTCP Regulates Innate Antiviral Immune Responses Targeting Hepatitis C Virus Infection of Hepatocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verrier, Eloi R; Colpitts, Che C; Bach, Charlotte; Heydmann, Laura; Zona, Laetitia; Xiao, Fei; Thumann, Christine; Crouchet, Emilie; Gaudin, Raphaël; Sureau, Camille; Cosset, François-Loïc; McKeating, Jane A; Pessaux, Patrick; Hoshida, Yujin; Schuster, Catherine; Zeisel, Mirjam B; Baumert, Thomas F

    2016-10-25

    Chronic hepatitis B, C, and D virus (HBV, HCV, and HDV) infections are the leading causes of liver disease and cancer worldwide. Recently, the solute carrier and sodium taurocholate co-transporter NTCP has been identified as a receptor for HBV and HDV. Here, we uncover NTCP as a host factor regulating HCV infection. Using gain- and loss-of-function studies, we show that NTCP mediates HCV infection of hepatocytes and is relevant for cell-to-cell transmission. NTCP regulates HCV infection by augmenting the bile-acid-mediated repression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs), including IFITM3. In conclusion, our results uncover NTCP as a mediator of innate antiviral immune responses in the liver, and they establish a role for NTCP in the infection process of multiple viruses via distinct mechanisms. Collectively, our findings suggest a role for solute carriers in the regulation of innate antiviral responses, and they have potential implications for virus-host interactions and antiviral therapies. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) versus solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) for topical delivery of meloxicam.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khalil, Rawia M; Abd-Elbary, A; Kassem, Mahfoz A; Ghorab, Mamdouh M; Basha, Mona

    2014-05-01

    The aim of this study was to develop nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) as well as solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) and evaluate their potential in the topical delivery of meloxicam (MLX). The effect of various compositional variations on their physicochemical properties was investigated. Furthermore, MLX-loaded lipid nanoparticles-based hydrogels were formulated and the gels were evaluated as vehicles for topical application. The results showed that NLC and SLN dispersions had spherical shapes with an average size between 215 and 430 nm. High entrapment efficiency was obtained ranging from 61.94 to 90.38% with negatively charged zeta potential in the range of -19.1 to -25.7 mV. The release profiles of all formulations exhibited sustained release characteristics over 48 h and the release rates increased as the amount of liquid lipid in lipid core increased. Finally, Precirol NLC with 50% Miglyol® 812 and its corresponding SLN were incorporated in hydrogels. The gels showed adequate pH, non-Newtonian flow with shear-thinning behavior and controlled release profiles. The biological evaluation revealed that MLX-loaded NLC gel showed more pronounced effect compared to MLX-loaded SLN gel. It can be concluded that lipid nanoparticles represent promising particulate carriers for topical application.

  13. Generation of fast multiply charged ions in conical targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Demchenko, V.V.; Chukbar, K.V.

    1990-01-01

    So-called conical targets, when the thermonuclear fuel is compressed and heated in a conical cavity in a heavy material (lead, gold, etc.) with the help of a spherical segment that is accelerated by a laser pulse or a beam of charged particles, are often employed in experimental studies of inertial-confinement fusion. In spite of the obvious advantages of such a scheme, one of which is a significant reduction of the required energy input compared with the complete spherical target, it also introduces additional effects into the process of cumulation of energy. In this paper the authors call attention to an effect observed in numerical calculations: the hydrodynamic heating of a small group of multiply charged heavy ions of the walls of the conical cavity up to high energies (T i approx-gt 100 keV). This effect ultimately occurs as a result of the high radiation losses of a multiply charged plasma

  14. Investigation of Gas Solid Fluidized Bed Dynamics with Non-Spherical Particles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choudhuri, Ahsan [Univ. of Texas, El Paso, TX (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

    2013-06-30

    One of the largest challenges for 21st century is to fulfill global energy demand while also reducing detrimental impacts of energy generation and use on the environment. Gasification is a promising technology to meet the requirement of reduced emissions without compromising performance. Coal gasification is not an incinerating process; rather than burning coal completely a partial combustion takes place in the presence of steam and limited amounts of oxygen. In this controlled environment, a chemical reaction takes place to produce a mixture of clean synthetic gas. Gas-solid fluidized bed is one such type of gasification technology. During gasification, the mixing behavior of solid (coal) and gas and their flow patterns can be very complicated to understand. Many attempts have taken place in laboratory scale to understand bed hydrodynamics with spherical particles though in actual applications with coal, the particles are non-spherical. This issue drove the documented attempt presented here to investigate fluidized bed behavior using different ranges of non-spherical particles, as well as spherical. For this investigation, various parameters are controlled that included particle size, bed height, bed diameter and particle shape. Particles ranged from 355 µm to 1180 µm, bed diameter varied from 2 cm to 7 cm, two fluidized beds with diameters of 3.4 cm and 12.4 cm, for the spherical and non-spherical shaped particles that were taken into consideration. Pressure drop was measured with increasing superficial gas velocity. The velocity required in order to start to fluidize the particle is called the minimum fluidization velocity, which is one of the most important parameters to design and optimize within a gas-solid fluidized bed. This minimum fluidization velocity was monitored during investigation while observing variables factors and their effect on this velocity. From our investigation, it has been found that minimum fluidization velocity is independent of bed

  15. Normal modes and quality factors of spherical dielectric resonators: I ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Eigenmodes; spherical resonators; spherical dielectric resonators; quality factors. PACS No. 42.50. .... Alternatively, introducing the angular momentum operator L defined as, L = (1/j)( r × ∇) ...... referee of the article for some helpful comments.

  16. 7 CFR 35.4 - Carrier.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... AND PLUMS Definitions § 35.4 Carrier. Carrier means any common or private carrier, including, but not being limited to, trucks, rail, airplanes, vessels, tramp or chartered steamers, whether carrying for...

  17. Evaluation of the in vitro differential protein adsorption patterns of didanosine-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) for potential targeting to the brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kasongo, Kasongo Wa; Jansch, Mirko; Müller, Rainer H; Walker, Roderick B

    2011-09-01

    The preferential in vitro adsorption of apolipoprotein E (Apo E) onto the surface of colloidal drug carriers may be used as a strategy to evaluate the in vivo potential for such systems to transport drugs to the brain. The aim of this research was to investigate the in vitro protein adsorption patterns of didanosine-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (DDI-NLCs), using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-D PAGE), in order to establish the potential for NLCs to deliver DDI to the brain. NLC formulations were manufactured using high-pressure homogenization using a lipid matrix consisting of a mixture of Precirol(®) ATO 5 and Transcutol(®) HP. The 2-D PAGE analysis revealed that NLCs in formulations stabilized using Solutol(®) HS 15 alone or with a ternary surfactant system consisting of Solutol(®) HS 15, Tween(®) 80, and Lutrol(®) F68, preferentially adsorbed proteins, such as Apo E. Particles stabilized with Tween(®) 80 and Lutrol(®) F68 did not adsorb Apo E in these studies, which could be related to the relatively large particle size and hence small surface area observed for these NLCs. These findings have revealed that DDI-loaded NLCs may have the potential to deliver DDI to the brain in vivo and, in addition, to Tween(®) 80, which has already been shown to have the ability to facilitate the targeting of colloidal drug delivery systems to the brain. Solutol(®) HS 15-stabilized nanoparticles may also achieve a similar purpose.

  18. Numerical relativity in spherical coordinates with the Einstein Toolkit

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mewes, Vassilios; Zlochower, Yosef; Campanelli, Manuela; Ruchlin, Ian; Etienne, Zachariah B.; Baumgarte, Thomas W.

    2018-04-01

    Numerical relativity codes that do not make assumptions on spatial symmetries most commonly adopt Cartesian coordinates. While these coordinates have many attractive features, spherical coordinates are much better suited to take advantage of approximate symmetries in a number of astrophysical objects, including single stars, black holes, and accretion disks. While the appearance of coordinate singularities often spoils numerical relativity simulations in spherical coordinates, especially in the absence of any symmetry assumptions, it has recently been demonstrated that these problems can be avoided if the coordinate singularities are handled analytically. This is possible with the help of a reference-metric version of the Baumgarte-Shapiro-Shibata-Nakamura formulation together with a proper rescaling of tensorial quantities. In this paper we report on an implementation of this formalism in the Einstein Toolkit. We adapt the Einstein Toolkit infrastructure, originally designed for Cartesian coordinates, to handle spherical coordinates, by providing appropriate boundary conditions at both inner and outer boundaries. We perform numerical simulations for a disturbed Kerr black hole, extract the gravitational wave signal, and demonstrate that the noise in these signals is orders of magnitude smaller when computed on spherical grids rather than Cartesian grids. With the public release of our new Einstein Toolkit thorns, our methods for numerical relativity in spherical coordinates will become available to the entire numerical relativity community.

  19. Gravitational settling of a highly concentrated system of solid spherical particles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arkhipov, V. A.; Usanina, A. S.

    2017-09-01

    In the present paper, we report on the results of an experimental study of the process of gravity sedimentation of a cloud of monodispersed solid spherical particles with initial volume concentration C > 0.03, which was performed in a wide range of Reynolds numbers. An analytical estimate of the settling regimes of spherical particle clouds is presented. A new method for creating a spherical particle cloud with a high concentration of particles is proposed. A qualitative picture of the settling process of a highly concentrated particle cloud under gravity is revealed. A criterial dependence for the drag coefficient of a sedimenting spherical particle cloud as an entity is obtained.

  20. Ultrafast carrier dynamics in a p-type GaN wafer under different carrier distributions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Yu; Yang, Junyi; Yang, Yong; Wu, Xingzhi; Xiao, Zhengguo; Zhou, Feng; Song, Yinglin

    2016-02-01

    The dependence of the carrier distribution on photoexcited carrier dynamics in a p-type Mg-doped GaN (GaN:Mg) wafer were systematically measured by femtosecond transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy. The homogeneity of the carrier distribution was modified by tuning the wavelength of the UV pulse excitation around the band gap of GaN:Mg. The TA kinetics appeared to be biexponential for all carrier distributions, and only the slower component decayed faster as the inhomogeneity of the carrier distribution increased. It was concluded that the faster component (50-70 ps) corresponded to the trap process of holes by the Mg acceptors, and the slower component (150-600 ps) corresponded to the combination of non-radiative surface recombination and intrinsic carrier recombination via dislocations. Moreover, the slower component increased gradually with the incident fluence due to the saturation of surface states.

  1. Design innovations of the next-step spherical torus experiment and spherical torus development path

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ono, M.; Kessel, C.; Peng, M.

    2003-01-01

    The spherical torus (ST) fusion energy development path is complementary to the tokamak burning plasma experiment such as ITER as it focuses toward the compact Component Test Facility (CTF) and higher toroidal beta regimes to improve the design of DEMO and a Power Plant. To support the ST development path, one option of a Next Step Spherical Torus (NSST) device is examined. NSST is a 'performance extension' (PE) stage ST with a plasma current of 5 - 10 MA, R = 1.5, B T ≤ 2.7 T with flexible physics capability to 1) Provide a sufficient physics basis for the design of the CTF, 2) Explore advanced operating scenarios with high bootstrap current fraction/high performance regimes, which can then be utilized by CTF, DEMO, and Power Plants, 3) Contribute to the general plasma/fusion science of high β toroidal plasmas. The NSST facility is designed to utilize the TFTR site to minimize the cost and time required for the construction. (author)

  2. Hot carrier degradation in semiconductor devices

    CERN Document Server

    2015-01-01

    This book provides readers with a variety of tools to address the challenges posed by hot carrier degradation, one of today’s most complicated reliability issues in semiconductor devices.  Coverage includes an explanation of carrier transport within devices and book-keeping of how they acquire energy (“become hot”), interaction of an ensemble of colder and hotter carriers with defect precursors, which eventually leads to the creation of a defect, and a description of how these defects interact with the device, degrading its performance. • Describes the intricacies of hot carrier degradation in modern semiconductor technologies; • Covers the entire hot carrier degradation phenomenon, including topics such as characterization, carrier transport, carrier-defect interaction, technological impact, circuit impact, etc.; • Enables detailed understanding of carrier transport, interaction of the carrier ensemble with the defect precursors, and an accurate assessment of how the newly created defects imp...

  3. Relativistic fluids in spherically symmetric space

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dipankar, R.

    1977-12-01

    Some of McVittie and Wiltshire's (1977) solutions of Walker's (1935) isotropy conditions for relativistic perfect fluid spheres are generalized. Solutions are spherically symmetric and conformally flat

  4. A review on target drug delivery: magnetic microspheres

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amit Chandna

    2013-01-01

    Magnetic microsphere is newer approach in pharmaceutical field. Magnetic microspheres as an alternative to traditional radiation methods which use highly penetrating radiation that is absorbed throughout the body. Its use is limited by toxicity and side effects. The aim of the specific targeting is to enhance the efficiency of drug delivery & at the same time to reduce the toxicity & side effects. This kind of delivery system is very much important which localises the drug to the disease site. In this larger amount of freely circulating drug can be replaced by smaller amount of magnetically targeted drug. Magnetic carriers receive magnetic responses to a magnetic field from incorporated materials that are used for magnetic microspheres are chitosan, dextran etc. magnetic microspheres can be prepared from a variety of carrier material. One of the most utilized is serum albumin from human or other appropriate species. Drug release from albumin microspheres can be sustained or controlled by various stabilization procedures generally involving heat or chemical cross-linking of the protein carrier matrix.

  5. Next Step Spherical Torus Design Studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Neumeyer, C.; Heitzenroeder, P.; Kessel, C.; Ono, M.; Peng, M.; Schmidt, J.; Woolley, R.; Zatz, I.

    2002-01-01

    Studies are underway to identify and characterize a design point for a Next Step Spherical Torus (NSST) experiment. This would be a ''Proof of Performance'' device which would follow and build upon the successes of the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) a ''Proof of Principle'' device which has operated at PPPL since 1999. With the Decontamination and Decommissioning (DandD) of the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) nearly completed, the TFTR test cell and facility will soon be available for a device such as NSST. By utilizing the TFTR test cell, NSST can be constructed for a relatively low cost on a short time scale. In addition, while furthering spherical torus (ST) research, this device could achieve modest fusion power gain for short-pulse lengths, a significant step toward future large burning plasma devices now under discussion in the fusion community. The selected design point is Q=2 at HH=1.4, P subscript ''fusion''=60 MW, 5 second pulse, with R subscript ''0''=1.5 m, A=1.6, I subscript ''p''=10vMA, B subscript ''t''=2.6 T, CS flux=16 weber. Most of the research would be conducted in D-D, with a limited D-T campaign during the last years of the program

  6. Maintainable substrate carrier for electroplating

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Chen-An [Milpitas, CA; Abas, Emmanuel Chua [Laguna, PH; Divino, Edmundo Anida [Cavite, PH; Ermita, Jake Randal G [Laguna, PH; Capulong, Jose Francisco S [Laguna, PH; Castillo, Arnold Villamor [Batangas, PH; Ma,; Xiaobing, Diana [Saratoga, CA

    2012-07-17

    One embodiment relates to a substrate carrier for use in electroplating a plurality of substrates. The carrier includes a non-conductive carrier body on which the substrates are placed and conductive lines embedded within the carrier body. A plurality of conductive clip attachment parts are attached in a permanent manner to the conductive lines embedded within the carrier body. A plurality of contact clips are attached in a removable manner to the clip attachment parts. The contact clips hold the substrates in place and conductively connecting the substrates with the conductive lines. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed.

  7. Normalization of hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier-201 induced vasoconstriction: targeting nitric oxide and endothelin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taverne, Yannick J; de Wijs-Meijler, Daphne; Te Lintel Hekkert, Maaike; Moon-Massat, Paula F; Dubé, Gregory P; Duncker, Dirk J; Merkus, Daphne

    2017-05-01

    Hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier (HBOC)-201 is a cell-free modified hemoglobin solution potentially facilitating oxygen uptake and delivery in cardiovascular disorders and hemorrhagic shock. Clinical use has been hampered by vasoconstriction in the systemic and pulmonary beds. Therefore, we aimed to 1 ) determine the possibility of counteracting HBOC-201-induced pressor effects with either adenosine (ADO) or nitroglycerin (NTG); 2 ) assess the potential roles of nitric oxide (NO) scavenging, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and endothelin (ET) in mediating the observed vasoconstriction; and 3 ) compare these effects in resting and exercising swine. Chronically instrumented swine were studied at rest and during exercise after administration of HBOC-201 alone or in combination with ADO. The role of NO was assessed by supplementation with NTG or administration of the eNOS inhibitor N ω -nitro-l-arginine. Alternative vasoactive pathways were investigated via intravenous administration of the ET A /ET B receptor blocker tezosentan or a mixture of ROS scavengers. The systemic and to a lesser extent the pulmonary pressor effects of HBOC-201 could be counteracted by ADO; however, dosage titration was very important to avoid systemic hypotension. Similarly, supplementation of NO with NTG negated the pressor effects but also required titration of the dose. The pressor response to HBOC-201 was reduced after eNOS inhibition and abolished by simultaneous ET A /ET B receptor blockade, while ROS scavenging had no effect. In conclusion, the pressor response to HBOC-201 is mediated by vasoconstriction due to NO scavenging and production of ET. Further research should explore the effect of longer-acting ET receptor blockers to counteract the side effect of hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier (HBOC)-201 can disrupt hemodynamic homeostasis, mimicking some aspects of endothelial dysfunction, resulting in elevated systemic and pulmonary blood

  8. Non-permeable substrate carrier for electroplating

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abas, Emmanuel Chua; Chen, Chen-An; Ma, Diana Xiaobing; Ganti, Kalyana Bhargava

    2012-11-27

    One embodiment relates to a substrate carrier for use in electroplating a plurality of substrates. The substrate carrier comprises a non-conductive carrier body on which the substrates are to be held. Electrically-conductive lines are embedded within the carrier body, and a plurality of contact clips are coupled to the electrically-conductive lines embedded within the carrier body. The contact clips hold the substrates in place and electrically couple the substrates to the electrically-conductive lines. The non-conductive carrier body is continuous so as to be impermeable to flow of electroplating solution through the non-conductive carrier body. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed.

  9. Stability of transparent spherically symmetric thin shells and wormholes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishak, Mustapha; Lake, Kayll

    2002-01-01

    The stability of transparent spherically symmetric thin shells (and wormholes) to linearized spherically symmetric perturbations about static equilibrium is examined. This work generalizes and systematizes previous studies and explores the consequences of including the cosmological constant. The approach shows how the existence (or not) of a domain wall dominates the landscape of possible equilibrium configurations

  10. Kinetic theory of a spherical probe in a stationary collision-dominated isothermal plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brailsford, A.D.

    1977-01-01

    Constitutive equations for the charge carrier fluxes in a stationary collision-dominated isothermal plasma surrounding a spherical electrode are derived, from the Boltzmann equation, by a moment method using a two-stream Maxwellian distribution of the type introduced by Lees. In contrast to previous treatments, the constraint of uniform temperature is imposed and its importance emphasized. This condition, together with particle conservation, is shown to necessitate the use of a four-parameter Lees distribution and leads to generalized hydrodynamic equations. These are shown to reduce to conventional flux equations in terms of diffusion and mobility components only when the fields are spatially slowly varying. In addition, boundary conditions are derived by the same formalism. They are formulated for typical physical processes which may be operative at a real probe surface. As an example, the effect of the nonlinearity on the pure diffusion problem is analyzed in detail in the Appendix. A semiquantitative discussion of the current-voltage characteristics for negative probe potentials is also presented. It is shown that the charge carrier distribution around the probe conforms to the ''free-fall'' model only at low probe voltages. Otherwise, the model proposed by Su and Lam holds. The domain covered by the present analysis is determined by the following conditions on the probe radius r/sub p/, mean free path l, and Debye length lambda: (i) l 3 very-much-less-thanlambda 2 r/sub p/, (ii) (e vertical-barphi/sub p/ vertical-barl/kTr/sub p/) 2 /l 2 for l>lambda, where phi/sub p/ is the probe voltage. Analytic approximations to the current-voltage characteristics in both these regimes are presented

  11. Rayleigh-Taylor instability in the deceleration phase of spherical implosion experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smalyuk, V.A.; Delettrez, J.A.; Goncharov, V.N.; Marshall, F.J.; Meyerhofer, D.D.; Regan, S.P.; Sangster, T.C.; Town, R.P.J.; Yaakobi, B.

    2002-01-01

    The temporal evolution of inner-shell modulations, unstable during the deceleration phase of a laser-driven spherical implosion, has been measured through K-edge imaging [B. Yaakobi et al., Phys. Plasmas 7, 3727 (2000)] of shells with titanium-doped layers. The main study was based on the implosions of 1 mm diam, 20 μm thick shells filled with either 18 atm or 4 atm of D 3 He gas driven with 23 kJ, 1 ns square laser pulses on OMEGA [T. R. Boehly et al., Opt. Commun. 133, 495 (1997)]. These targets have similar modulation levels at the beginning of the deceleration phase due to similar modulation growths in the acceleration phase, but different modulation growths throughout the deceleration phase due to different fill pressures (convergence ratios). At peak compression, the measured inner surface, areal-density nonuniformity σ rms levels were 23±5 % for more-stable 18 atm fill targets and 53±11 % for less-stable 4 atm fill targets. The inner-surface modulations grow throughout the deceleration phase due to Rayleigh-Taylor instability and Bell-Plesset convergence effects. The nonuniformity at peak compression is sensitive to the initial perturbation level as measured in implosions with different laser-smoothing conditions

  12. Immune cells: more than simple carriers for systemic delivery of oncolytic viruses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eisenstein S

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Samuel Eisenstein,1 Shu-Hsia Chen,2 Ping-Ying Pan21Department of Surgery, 2Department of Oncological Sciences and Tisch Cancer Institute, The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USAAbstract: Oncolytic virotherapy on its own has numerous drawbacks, including an inability of the virus to actively target tumor cells and systemic toxicities at the high doses necessary to effectively treat tumors. Addition of immune cell-based carriers of oncolytic viruses holds promise as a technique in which oncolytic virus can be delivered directly to tumors in smaller and less toxic doses. Interestingly, the cell carriers themselves have also demonstrated antitumor effects, which can be augmented further by tailoring the appropriate oncolytic virus to the appropriate cell type. This review discusses the multiple factors that go into devising an effective, cell-based delivery system for oncolytic viruses.Keywords: oncolytic virus, cell carrier, immune cells, cancer therapy, myeloid-derived suppressor cells

  13. Modelling of UWB Antenna Perturbed by Human Phantom in Spherical Harmonics Space

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mhedhbi, Meriem; Avrillon, Stephane; Pedersen, Troels

    2014-01-01

    is attractive for simulation purposes. We propose a simple model for the spherical harmonics coefficients allowing to predict the antenna behavior perturbed by a human phantom. The model is based on knowledge of the spherical harmonic coefficients of antenna in free space and the antenna-phantom distance.......In this paper we study how the antenna radiation pattern is perturbed in the presence of a human phantom in terms of changes in the coefficients of the spherical harmonic antenna representation. The spherical harmonic basis allows for a compact representation of the antenna pattern which...

  14. A Spherical Aerial Terrestrial Robot

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dudley, Christopher J.

    This thesis focuses on the design of a novel, ultra-lightweight spherical aerial terrestrial robot (ATR). The ATR has the ability to fly through the air or roll on the ground, for applications that include search and rescue, mapping, surveillance, environmental sensing, and entertainment. The design centers around a micro-quadcopter encased in a lightweight spherical exoskeleton that can rotate about the quadcopter. The spherical exoskeleton offers agile ground locomotion while maintaining characteristics of a basic aerial robot in flying mode. A model of the system dynamics for both modes of locomotion is presented and utilized in simulations to generate potential trajectories for aerial and terrestrial locomotion. Details of the quadcopter and exoskeleton design and fabrication are discussed, including the robot's turning characteristic over ground and the spring-steel exoskeleton with carbon fiber axle. The capabilities of the ATR are experimentally tested and are in good agreement with model-simulated performance. An energy analysis is presented to validate the overall efficiency of the robot in both modes of locomotion. Experimentally-supported estimates show that the ATR can roll along the ground for over 12 minutes and cover the distance of 1.7 km, or it can fly for 4.82 minutes and travel 469 m, on a single 350 mAh battery. Compared to a traditional flying-only robot, the ATR traveling over the same distance in rolling mode is 2.63-times more efficient, and in flying mode the system is only 39 percent less efficient. Experimental results also demonstrate the ATR's transition from rolling to flying mode.

  15. Initial value formulation for the spherically symmetric dust solution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, H.

    1990-01-01

    An initial value formulation for the dust solution with spherical symmetry is given explicitly in which the initial distributions of dust and its velocity on an initial surface are chosen to be the initial data. As special cases, the Friedmann universe, the Schwarzschild solution in comoving coordinates, and a spherically symmetric and radially inhomogeneous cosmological model are derived

  16. Effect of the spherical Earth on a simple pendulum

    OpenAIRE

    Burko, Lior M.

    2003-01-01

    We consider the period of a simple pendulum in the gravitational field of the spherical Earth. Effectively, gravity is enhanced compared with the often used flat Earth approximation, such that the period of the pendulum is shortened. We discuss the flat Earth approximation, and show when the corrections due to the spherical Earth may be of interest.

  17. Influences of target geometry on the microdosimetry of alpha particles in water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huston, T.E.

    1992-01-01

    Application of microdosimetric concepts to radiation exposure situations requires knowledge of the single-event density function, f 1 (z) , where z denotes specific energy imparted to target matter. Multiple-event density functions are calculated by taking convolutions of f 1 (z) with itself with the overall specific energy density function is then found by employing a compound Poisson process involving single and multiple-event spectra. The f l (z), depends strongly on the geometric details of a the source, target, and all intermediate matter. While most past applications of microdosimetry have been represented targets as spheres, may be better modeled as prolate or oblate spheroids. Using a ray-tracing technique coupled with a continuous-slowing-down approximation, methods are developed and presented for calculating single-event density functions for spheroidal targets irradiated by alpha-emitting point sources. Computational methods are incorporated into a fortran computer code entitled SEROID (single-event density functions for spheroids), which is listed in this paper. This was used to generate several single-event density functions, along with related means and standard deviations in specific energy, for spheroidal targets irradiated by alpha particles. Targets of varying shapes and orientations are examined. Results for non-spherical targets are compared to spherical targets of equal volume in order to assess influences which target geometry has on single-event quantities. From these comparisons it is found that both target shape and orientation are important in adequately characterizing the quantities examined in this study; over-simplifying the target geometry can lead to substantial error

  18. Jet target intense neutron source

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meier, K.L.

    1977-01-01

    A jet target Intense Neutron Source (INS) is being built by the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory with DOE/MFE funding in order to perform radiation damage experiments on materials to be used in fusion power reactors. The jet target can be either a supersonic or a subsonic jet. Each type has its particular advantages and disadvantages, and either of the jets can be placed inside the spherical blanket converter which will be used to simulate a fusion reactor neutron environment. Preliminary mock-up experiments with a 16-mA, 115 keV, H + ion beam on a nitrogen gas supersonic jet show no serious problems in the beam formation, transport, or jet interaction

  19. Performance of Multi-Carrier Access Schemes with Receiver Impairments in Down Link Indoor Environment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Das, Suvra Sekhar; Rao, Raieshwar Kurapati; Prasad, Ramjee

    2006-01-01

    impairments, such as synchronization error and channel estimation errors. This work is targeted towards unified verification of performance of the schemes for different spreading gains, load conditions and sub carrier grouping schemes in quasi static realistic indoor channel environment in the presence...

  20. A targeted drug delivery system based on dopamine functionalized nano graphene oxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masoudipour, Elham; Kashanian, Soheila; Maleki, Nasim

    2017-01-01

    The cellular targeting property of a biocompatible drug delivery system can widely increase the therapeutic effect against various diseases. Here, we report a dopamine conjugated nano graphene oxide (DA-nGO) carrier for cellular delivery of the anticancer drug, Methotrexate (MTX) into DA receptor positive human breast adenocarcinoma cell line. The material was characterized using scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and UV-vis spectroscopy. Furthermore, the antineoplastic action of MTX loaded DA-nGO against DA receptor positive and negative cell lines were explored. The results presented in this article demonstrated that the application of DA functionalized GO as a targeting drug carrier can improve the drug delivery efficacy for DA receptor positive cancer cell lines and promise future designing of carrier conjugates based on it.

  1. Development of a spherical neutron rem monitor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Panchal, C.G.; Madhavi, V.; Bansode, P.Y.; Jakati, R.K.; Ghodgaonkar, M.D.; Desai, S.S.; Shaikh, A.M.; Sathian, V.

    2007-01-01

    A new neutron rem monitor based on spherical LINUS with the state of art electronic circuits has been designed in Electronics Division. This prototype instrument encompasses a spherical double polythene moderator to improve an isotropic response and a lead layer to extend its energy response compared to the conventional neutron rem monitors. A systematic testing and calibration of the energy and directional response of the prototype monitor have been carried out. Although the monitor is expected to perform satisfactorily upto an energy ∼ 55 MeV, at present its response has been tested upto 5 MeV. (author)

  2. Spherical harmonics and integration in superspace

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bie, H de; Sommen, F

    2007-01-01

    In this paper, the classical theory of spherical harmonics in R m is extended to superspace using techniques from Clifford analysis. After defining a super-Laplace operator and studying some basic properties of polynomial null-solutions of this operator, a new type of integration over the supersphere is introduced by exploiting the formal equivalence with an old result of Pizzetti. This integral is then used to prove orthogonality of spherical harmonics of different degree, Green-like theorems and also an extension of the important Funk-Hecke theorem to superspace. Finally, this integration over the supersphere is used to define an integral over the whole superspace, and it is proven that this is equivalent with the Berezin integral, thus providing a more sound definition of the Berezin integral

  3. Compression dynamics of quasi-spherical wire arrays with different linear mass profiles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mitrofanov, K. N.; Aleksandrov, V. V.; Gritsuk, A. N.; Grabovski, E. V.; Frolov, I. N.; Laukhin, Ya. N.; Oleinik, G. M.; Ol’khovskaya, O. G.

    2016-01-01

    Results of experimental studies of the implosion of quasi-spherical wire (or metalized fiber) arrays are presented. The goal of the experiments was to achieve synchronous three-dimensional compression of the plasma produced in different regions of a quasi-spherical array into its geometrical center. To search for optimal synchronization conditions, quasi-spherical arrays with different initial profiles of the linear mass were used. The following dependences of the linear mass on the poloidal angle were used: m_l(θ) ∝ sin"–"1θ and m_l(θ) ∝ sin"–"2θ. The compression dynamics of such arrays was compared with that of quasi-spherical arrays without linear mass profiling, m_l(θ) = const. To verify the experimental data, the spatiotemporal dynamics of plasma compression in quasi-spherical arrays was studied using various diagnostics. The experiments on three-dimensional implosion of quasi-spherical arrays made it possible to study how the frozen-in magnetic field of the discharge current penetrates into the array. By measuring the magnetic field in the plasma of a quasi-spherical array, information is obtained on the processes of plasma production and formation of plasma flows from the wire/fiber regions with and without an additionally deposited mass. It is found that penetration of the magnetic flux depends on the initial linear mass profile m_l(θ) of the quasi-spherical array. From space-resolved spectral measurements and frame imaging of plasma X-ray emission, information is obtained on the dimensions and shape of the X-ray source formed during the implosion of a quasi-spherical array. The intensity of this source is estimated and compared with that of the Z-pinch formed during the implosion of a cylindrical array.

  4. Red blood cells and polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules: natural carriers versus polymer-based drug delivery vehicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kolesnikova, Tatiana A; Skirtach, Andre G; Möhwald, Helmuth

    2013-01-01

    Red blood cells (RBCs) and lipid-based carriers on the one hand and polymeric capsules on the other hand represent two of the most widely used carriers in drug delivery. Each class of these carriers has its own set of properties, specificity and advantages. Thorough comparative studies of such systems are reported here for the first time. In this review, RBCs are described in comparison with synthetic polymeric drug delivery vehicles using polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules as an example. Lipid-based composition of the shell in the former case is particularly attractive due to their inherent biocompatibility and flexibility of the carriers. On the other hand, synthetic approaches to fabrication of polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules permit manipulation of the permeability of their shell as well as tuning their composition, mechanical properties, release methods and targeting. In conclusion, properties of RBCs and polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules are reported here highlighting similarities and differences in their preparation and applications. In addition, their advantages and disadvantages are discussed.

  5. Mixed-Degree Spherical Simplex-Radial Cubature Kalman Filter

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shiyuan Wang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Conventional low degree spherical simplex-radial cubature Kalman filters often generate low filtering accuracy or even diverge for handling highly nonlinear systems. The high-degree Kalman filters can improve filtering accuracy at the cost of increasing computational complexity; nevertheless their stability will be influenced by the negative weights existing in the high-dimensional systems. To efficiently improve filtering accuracy and stability, a novel mixed-degree spherical simplex-radial cubature Kalman filter (MSSRCKF is proposed in this paper. The accuracy analysis shows that the true posterior mean and covariance calculated by the proposed MSSRCKF can agree accurately with the third-order moment and the second-order moment, respectively. Simulation results show that, in comparison with the conventional spherical simplex-radial cubature Kalman filters that are based on the same degrees, the proposed MSSRCKF can perform superior results from the aspects of filtering accuracy and computational complexity.

  6. Detecting topology in a nearly flat spherical universe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weeks, Jeffrey; Lehoucq, Roland; Uzan, Jean-Philippe

    2003-01-01

    When the density parameter is close to unity, the universe has a large curvature radius independent of its being hyperbolic or spherical, or in the limiting case of an infinite curvature radius, flat. Whatever the curvature, the universe may have either a simply connected or a multiply connected topology. In the flat case, the topology scale is arbitrary, and there is no a priori reason for this scale to be of the same order as the size of the observable universe. In the hyperbolic case, any nontrivial topology would almost surely be on a length scale too large to detect. In the spherical case, in contrast, the topology could easily occur on a detectable scale. The present paper shows how, in the spherical case, the assumption of a nearly flat universe simplifies the algorithms for detecting a multiply connected topology, but also reduces the amount of topology that can be seen. This is of primary importance for the upcoming cosmic microwave background data analysis. This paper shows that for spherical spaces one may restrict the search to diametrically opposite pairs of circles in the circles-in-the-sky method and still detect the cyclic factor in the standard factorization of the holonomy group. This vastly decreases the algorithm's run time. If the search is widened to include pairs of candidate circles whose centres are almost opposite and whose relative twist varies slightly, then the cyclic factor along with a cyclic subgroup of the general factor may also be detected. Unfortunately, the full holonomy group is, in general, unobservable in a nearly flat spherical universe, and so a full six-parameter search is unnecessary. Crystallographic methods could also potentially detect the cyclic factor and a cyclic subgroup of the general factor, but nothing else

  7. Detecting topology in a nearly flat spherical universe

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weeks, Jeffrey [15 Farmer St, Canton NY 13617-1120 (United States); Lehoucq, Roland [CE-Saclay, DSM/DAPNIA/Service d' Astrophysique, F-91191 Gif sur Yvette Cedex (France); Uzan, Jean-Philippe [Institut d' Astrophysique de Paris, GReCO, CNRS-FRE 2435, 98 bis, Bd Arago, 75014 Paris (France)

    2003-04-21

    When the density parameter is close to unity, the universe has a large curvature radius independent of its being hyperbolic or spherical, or in the limiting case of an infinite curvature radius, flat. Whatever the curvature, the universe may have either a simply connected or a multiply connected topology. In the flat case, the topology scale is arbitrary, and there is no a priori reason for this scale to be of the same order as the size of the observable universe. In the hyperbolic case, any nontrivial topology would almost surely be on a length scale too large to detect. In the spherical case, in contrast, the topology could easily occur on a detectable scale. The present paper shows how, in the spherical case, the assumption of a nearly flat universe simplifies the algorithms for detecting a multiply connected topology, but also reduces the amount of topology that can be seen. This is of primary importance for the upcoming cosmic microwave background data analysis. This paper shows that for spherical spaces one may restrict the search to diametrically opposite pairs of circles in the circles-in-the-sky method and still detect the cyclic factor in the standard factorization of the holonomy group. This vastly decreases the algorithm's run time. If the search is widened to include pairs of candidate circles whose centres are almost opposite and whose relative twist varies slightly, then the cyclic factor along with a cyclic subgroup of the general factor may also be detected. Unfortunately, the full holonomy group is, in general, unobservable in a nearly flat spherical universe, and so a full six-parameter search is unnecessary. Crystallographic methods could also potentially detect the cyclic factor and a cyclic subgroup of the general factor, but nothing else.

  8. Enhancement of solubility and bioavailability of ambrisentan by solid dispersion using Daucus carota as a drug carrier: formulation, characterization, in vitro, and in vivo study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deshmane, Subhash; Deshmane, Snehal; Shelke, Santosh; Biyani, Kailash

    2018-06-01

    Ambrisentan is an US FDA approved drug, it is the second oral endothelin A receptor antagonist known for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension, but its oral administration is limited due to its poor water solubility. Hence, the objective of the investigation was focused on enhancement of solubility and bioavailability of ambrisentan by solid dispersion technique using natural Daucus carota extract as drug carrier. Drug carrier was evaluated for solubility, swelling index, viscosity, angle of repose, hydration capacity, and acute toxicity test (LD 50 ). Ambrisentan was studied for the saturation solubility, phase solubility, and Gibbs free energy change. Compatibility of drug and the natural carrier was confirmed by DSC, FTIR, and XRD. Solid dispersions were evaluated for drug content, solubility, morphology, in vitro, and in vivo study. Screening of the natural carrier showed the desirable properties like water solubility, less swelling index, less viscosity, and acute toxicity study revealed no any clinical symptoms of toxicity. Drug and carrier interaction study confirmed the compatibility to consider its use in the formulation. Formed particles were found to be spherical with smooth surface. In vitro studies revealed higher drug release from the solid dispersion than that of the physical mixture. Bioavailability study confirms the increased absorption and bioavailability by oral administration of solid dispersion. Hence, it can be concluded that the natural Daucus carota extract can be the better alternative source for the preparation of solid dispersion and/or other dosage forms for improving solubility and bioavailability.

  9. Ionic Liquid-salt based aqueous biphasic system for quick separation of no-carrier-added 203Pb from proton irradiated natTl2CO3 target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choudhury, Dibyasree; Ghosh, Kaustab; Lahiri, Susanta; Sarkar, Kangkana; Naskar, Nabanita

    2016-01-01

    In the present study, no-carrier-added (NCA) 203 Pb was radiochemically separated from bulk Tl target applying the ABS composing of 4 M K 2 HPO 4 and 0.1 mL of different strengths of IL (bmim)Cl ranging from 40% to 80% (w/v). Bulk Tl was spiked with 200Tl (T 1/2 = 26.1 h). A separation condition was achieved with 70% IL concentration and with 10 min shaking and 10 min settling time, where ∼84% of NCA 203 Pb was extracted into the IL rich phase with ∼10% contamination from bulk Tl. Therefore, further studies, i.e. variation in shaking and settling time were carried out keeping the concentration of IL fixed at 70%

  10. Influence of Inter Carrier Interference on Link Adaptation Algorithms in OFDM Systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Das, Suvra S.; Rahman, Muhammad Imadur; Wang, Yuanye

    2007-01-01

    The performance of Link Adaptation (LA) under the influence of inter carrier interference (ICI), which is cause by carrier frequency offset (CFO) and Doppler frequency spread due to mobility, in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) based wireless systems is analyzed in this work. LA...... maximizes throughput while maintaining a target bit error rate (BER)or Block Error Rate (BLER) at the receiver using the signal to noise ratio (SNR) fed back from the receiver to the transmitter. Since ICI power is proportional to the signal strength, the implications of such an impairment on LA OFDM...... can over the problem. It is also noted that ICI severely reduces the spectral efficiency of OFDM systems even when LA is used....

  11. Spherical Pendulum, Actions, and Spin

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Richter, Peter H.; Dullin, Holger R.; Waalkens, Holger; Wiersig, Jan

    1996-01-01

    The classical and quantum mechanics of a spherical pendulum are worked out, including the dynamics of a suspending frame with moment of inertia θ. The presence of two separatrices in the bifurcation diagram of the energy-momentum mapping has its mathematical expression in the hyperelliptic nature of

  12. Ferritin glycosylated by chitosan as a novel EGCG nano-carrier: Structure, stability, and absorption analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Rui; Liu, Yuqian; Gao, Yunjing; Wang, Yongjin; Blanchard, Chris; Zhou, Zhongkai

    2017-12-01

    Ferritin is a shell-like carrier protein with an 8nm diameter cavity which endows a natural space to encapsulate food and drug components. In this work, phytoferritin was unprecedentedly glycosylated by chitosan to fabricate ferritin-chitosan Maillard reaction products (FCMPs) (grafting degree of 26.17%, 24h, 55°C). Results indicated that the amide I and II bands of ferritin were altered due to the chitosan grafting, whereas the ferritin spherical structure were retained. Simulated digestion analysis showed that the FCMPs were more resistant to pepsin and trypsin digestion as compared with ferritin alone. Furthermore, FCMPs were employed as carrier to encapsulate epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) molecules with an encapsulation ratio of 12.87% (w/w), and the resulting FCMPs-EGCG complexes showed a slow release of EGCG in simulated gastrointestinal tract. Interestingly, different types of food components displayed different effects in EGCG release behavior from the FCMPs, wherein proanthocyanidin, milk and soy protein inhibited the EGCG release. In addition, the absorption of EGCG encapsulated in FCMPs in Caco-2 monolayer model was significantly improved as compared with free EGCG. This work provides a novel nano-vehicle for fabricating core-shell systems in food and drug delivery domain. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Determination of stamp deformation during imprinting on semi-spherical surfaces

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kafka, Jan; Matschuk, Maria; Pranov, Henrik

    of sol-gel was applied onto spherical injection mold inserts and subsequently imprinted using a flexible stamp. A hard curing step transformed the sol-gel into a quartz-like and durable material. As an example, we present theory and results regarding the imprint of pillar nanostructures on semi......-spherical mold surfaces. Imprints were realized on three different radii of circumferenceof the spherical mold: R = 0.5 mm, R = 1.0 mm, and R = 2 mm. After hard-curing of theimprinted sol-gel, the inserts were used for cold-mold as well as vario-therm injection molding.The polymer replicas and the inserts were...

  14. Fabrication and Characterization of Nanoenergetic Hollow Spherical Hexanitrostibene (HNS Derivatives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiong Cao

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available The spherization of nanoenergetic materials is the best way to improve the sensitivity and increase loading densities and detonation properties for weapons and ammunition, but the preparation of spherical nanoenergetic materials with high regularization, uniform size and monodispersity is still a challenge. In this paper, nanoenergetic hollow spherical hexanitrostibene (HNS derivatives were fabricated via a one-pot copolymerization strategy, which is based on the reaction of HNS and piperazine in acetonitrile solution. Characterization results indicated the as-prepared reaction nanoenergetic products were HNS-derived oligomers, where a free radical copolymerization reaction process was inferred. The hollow sphere structure of the HNS derivatives was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM, transmission electron microscope (TEM, and synchrotron radiation X-ray imaging technology. The properties of the nanoenergetic hollow spherical derivatives, including thermal decomposition and sensitivity are discussed in detail. Sensitivity studies showed that the nanoenergetic derivatives exhibited lower impact, friction and spark sensitivity than raw HNS. Thermogravimetric-differential scanning calorimeter (TG-DSC results showed that continuous exothermic decomposition occurred in the whole temperature range, which indicated that nanoenergetic derivatives have a unique role in thermal applications. Therefore, nanoenergetic hollow spherical HNS derivatives could provide a new way to modify the properties of certain energetic compounds and fabricate spherical nanomaterials to improve the charge configuration.

  15. Towards linearization of atmospheric radiative transfer in spherical geometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walter, Holger H.; Landgraf, Jochen

    2005-01-01

    We present a general approach for the linearization of radiative transfer in a spherical planetary atmosphere. The approach is based on the forward-adjoint perturbation theory. In the first part we develop the theoretical background for a linearization of radiative transfer in spherical geometry. Using an operator formulation of radiative transfer allows one to derive the linearization principles in a universally valid notation. The application of the derived principles is demonstrated for a radiative transfer problem in simplified spherical geometry in the second part of this paper. Here, we calculate the derivatives of the radiance at the top of the atmosphere with respect to the absorption properties of a trace gas species in the case of a nadir-viewing satellite instrument

  16. Detection based on rainbow refractometry of droplet sphericity in liquid-liquid systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lohner, H; Lehmann, P; Bauckhage, K

    1999-03-01

    The shape of droplets in liquid-liquid systems influences their mass and momentum transfer processes. The deviation from sphericity of rising droplets in liquid-liquid systems was investigated for different droplet sizes. Rainbow refractometry permits one to test, in this case, whether the use of laser-optical particle sizing will be correct or faulty. Since the assumption of spherical particle geometry is a general basis of laser-optical particle-sizing techniques such as rainbow refractometry or phase Doppler anemometry, deviation from the spherical shape results in a measuring error. A sphericity check based on rainbow refractometry is introduced.

  17. Production of no-carrier-added {sup 123}I via heavy-ion activation of natural antimony oxide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maji, S. [The Univ. of Burdwan (India). Dept. of Chemistry; Lahiri, S. [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata (India). Chemical Sciences Div.

    2007-07-01

    Activation of natural Sb{sub 2}O{sub 3} with 48 MeV {sup 7}Li{sup 3+} beam results in the formation of no-carrier-added {sup 123}I in the matrix along with the radionuclides {sup 123,125}Xe and {sup 122}Sb. The {sup 123}I yield amounts to about 400 kBq/{mu}Ah and the radionuclidic impurity of {sup 124}I to {proportional_to}1.2% of {sup 123}I. Attempts to separate no-carrier-added iodine from bulk antimony target involved liquid-liquid extraction with TOA and HDEHP as well as precipitation of Sb{sub 2}S{sub 3} with thioacetamide. The precipitation technique was found to be the most effective for quantitative separation of {sup 123}I from the bulk antimony oxide target. (orig.)

  18. Compensating for the impact of non-stationary spherical air cavities on IMRT dose delivery in transverse magnetic fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bol, G H; Lagendijk, J J W; Raaymakers, B W

    2015-01-01

    With the development of the 1.5 T MRI linear accelerator and the clinical introduction of the 0.35 T ViewRay™ system, delivering intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in a transverse magnetic field becomes increasingly important. When delivering dose in the presence of a transverse magnetic field, one of the most prominent phenomena occurs around air cavities: the electron return effect (ERE). For stationary, spherical air cavities which are centrally located in the phantom, the ERE can be compensated by using opposing beams configurations in combination with IMRT. In this paper we investigate the effects of non-stationary spherical air cavities, centrally located within the target in a phantom containing no organs at risk, on IMRT dose delivery in 0.35 T and 1.5 T transverse magnetic fields by using Monte Carlo simulations. We show that IMRT can be used for compensating ERE around those air cavities, except for intrafraction appearing or disappearing air cavities. For these cases, gating or plan re-optimization should be used. We also analyzed the option of using IMRT plans optimized at 0 T to be delivered in the presence of 0.35 T and 1.5 T magnetic field. When delivering dose at 0.35 T, IMRT plans optimized at 0 T and 0.35 T perform equally well regarding ERE compensation. Within a 1.5 T environment, the 1.5 T optimized plans perform slightly better for the static and random intra- and interfraction air cavity movement cases than the 0 T optimized plans. For non-stationary spherical air cavities with a baseline shift (intra- and interfraction) the 0 T optimized plans perform better. These observations show the intrinsic ERE compensation by equidistant and opposing beam configurations for spherical air cavities within the target area. IMRT gives some additional compensation, but only in case of correct positioning of the air cavity according to the IMRT compensation. For intrafraction appearing or disappearing air cavities this correct

  19. Segmented gamma scanning method for measuring holdup in the spherical container

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deng Jingshan; Li Ze; Gan Lin; Lu Wenguang; Dong Mingli

    2007-01-01

    Some special nuclear material (SNM) is inevitably deposited in the facilities (mixer, reactor) of nuclear material process line. Exactly knowing the quantity of nuclear material holdup is very important for nuclear material accountability and critical safety. This paper presents segmented gamma scanning method for SNM holdup measurement of spherical container, at the left, right and back of which other equipments exist so that the detectors can be put at the only front of container for measurement. The nuclear material deposited in the spherical container can be looked as spherical shell source, which is divided into many layers. The detectors scanning spherical shell source are moved layer by layer from the top to the bottom to obtain projection data, with which deposited material distribution can be reconstructed by using Least Square (LS) method or Maximum Likelihood (ML) method. With these methods accurate total holdup can be obtained by summing up all the segmental values reconstructed. In this paper this measurement method for holdup in the spherical container was verified with Monte-Carlo simulation calculation and experiment. (authors)

  20. Thermo-mechanical screening tests to qualify beryllium pebble beds with non-spherical pebbles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reimann, Joerg, E-mail: joerg.reimann@partner.kit.edu [IKET, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe (Germany); Fretz, Benjamin [KBHF GmbH, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Pupeschi, Simone [IAM, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe (Germany)

    2015-10-15

    Highlights: • In present ceramic breeder blankets, pebble-shaped beryllium is used as a neutron multiplier. • Spherical pebbles are considered as the candidate material, however, non-spherical particles are of economic interest. • Thermo-mechanical pebble bed data do merely exist for non-spherical beryllium grades. • Uniaxial compression tests (UCTs), combined with the Hot Wire Technique (HWT) were used to measure the stress–strain relations and the thermal conductivity. • A small experimental set-up had to be used and a detailed 3D modelling was of prime importance. • Compared to spherical pebble beds, non-spherical pebble beds are generally softer and mainly the thermal conductivity is lower. - Abstract: In present ceramic breeder blankets, pebble-shaped beryllium is used as a neutron multiplier. Fairly spherical pebbles are considered as a candidate material, however, non-spherical particles are of economic interest because production costs are much lower. Yet, thermo-mechanical pebble bed data do merely exist for these beryllium grades, and the blanket relevant potential of these grades cannot be judged. Screening experiments were performed with three different grades of non-spherical beryllium pebbles, produced by different companies, accompanied by experiments with the reference beryllium pebble beds. Uniaxial compression tests (UCTs), combined with the Hot Wire Technique (HWT), were performed to measure both the stress–strain relation and the thermal conductivity, k, at different stress levels. Because of the limited amounts of the non-spherical materials, the experimental set-ups were small and a detailed 3D modelling was of prime importance in order to prove that the used design was appropriate. Compared to the pebble beds consisting of spherical pebbles, non-spherical pebble beds are generally softer (smaller stress for a given strain), and, mainly as a consequence of this, for a given strain value, the thermal conductivity is lower. This

  1. 7 CFR 33.4 - Carrier.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Carrier. 33.4 Section 33.4 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing... ISSUED UNDER AUTHORITY OF THE EXPORT APPLE ACT Definitions § 33.4 Carrier. Carrier means any common or...

  2. Photodetachment of H− near a Hard Spherical Surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haneef, M.; Rahman, A.; Ahmad, Iftikhar; Afaq, A.

    2012-01-01

    The photodetachment of a hydrogen negative ion (H − ) near a hard spherical surface is investigated by using the theoretical imaging method. The surface is oriented in such a fashion that the laser polarization direction is perpendicular to the principal axis of the spherical surface. Analytical expressions are derived for the detached-electron flux and photodetachment cross section. Strong interference patterns are observed in the detached-electron flux, while no visible oscillations are found in the photodetachment cross section. (atomic and molecular physics)

  3. Low-cost carriers fare competition effect

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Carmona Benitez, R.B.; Lodewijks, G.

    2010-01-01

    This paper examines the effects that low-cost carriers (LCC’s) produce when entering new routes operated only by full-service carriers (FSC’s) and routes operated by low-cost carriers in competition with full-service carriers. A mathematical model has been developed to determine what routes should

  4. WAVEMOTH-FAST SPHERICAL HARMONIC TRANSFORMS BY BUTTERFLY MATRIX COMPRESSION

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seljebotn, D. S.

    2012-01-01

    We present Wavemoth, an experimental open source code for computing scalar spherical harmonic transforms (SHTs). Such transforms are ubiquitous in astronomical data analysis. Our code performs substantially better than existing publicly available codes owing to improvements on two fronts. First, the computational core is made more efficient by using small amounts of pre-computed data, as well as paying attention to CPU instruction pipelining and cache usage. Second, Wavemoth makes use of a fast and numerically stable algorithm based on compressing a set of linear operators in a pre-computation step. The resulting SHT scales as O(L 2 log 2 L) for the resolution range of practical interest, where L denotes the spherical harmonic truncation degree. For low- and medium-range resolutions, Wavemoth tends to be twice as fast as libpsht, which is the current state-of-the-art implementation for the HEALPix grid. At the resolution of the Planck experiment, L ∼ 4000, Wavemoth is between three and six times faster than libpsht, depending on the computer architecture and the required precision. Because of the experimental nature of the project, only spherical harmonic synthesis is currently supported, although adding support for spherical harmonic analysis should be trivial.

  5. Automatic X-ray inspection for the HTR-PM spherical fuel elements

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yi, DU, E-mail: duyi11@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn [Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology (INET), Tsinghua University, Energy Science Building A309, Haidian District, Beijing 100084 (China); Xiangang, WANG, E-mail: wangxiangang@tsinghua.edu.cn [Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology (INET), Tsinghua University, Energy Science Building A309, Haidian District, Beijing 100084 (China); Xincheng, XIANG, E-mail: inetxxc@tsinghua.edu.cn [Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology (INET), Tsinghua University, Energy Science Building, Haidian District, Beijing 100084 (China); Bing, LIU, E-mail: bingliu@tsinghua.edu.cn [Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology (INET), Tsinghua University, Energy Science Building, Haidian District, Beijing 100084 (China)

    2014-12-15

    Highlights: • An automatic X-ray inspection method is established to characterize HTR pebbles. • The method provides physical characterization and the inner structure of pebbles. • The method can be conducted non-destructively, quickly and automatically. • Sample pebbles were measured with this AXI method for validation. • The method shows the potential to be applied in situ. - Abstract: Inefficient quality assessment and control (QA and C) of spherical fuel elements for high temperature reactor-pebblebed modules (HTR-PM) has been a long-term problem, since conventional methods are labor intensive and cannot reveal the inside information nondestructively. Herein, we proposed a nondestructive, automated X-ray inspection (AXI) method to characterize spherical fuel elements including their inner structures based on X-ray digital radiography (DR). Briefly, DR images at different angles are first obtained and then the chosen important parameters such as spherical diameters, geometric and mass centers, can be automatically extracted and calculated via image processing techniques. Via evaluating sample spherical fuel elements, we proved that this AXI method can be conducted non-destructively, quickly and automatically. This method not only provides accurate physical characterization of spherical fuel elements but also reveals their inner structure with good resolution, showing great potentials to facilitate fast QA and C in HTM-PM spherical fuel element development and production.

  6. Automatic X-ray inspection for the HTR-PM spherical fuel elements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yi, DU; Xiangang, WANG; Xincheng, XIANG; Bing, LIU

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • An automatic X-ray inspection method is established to characterize HTR pebbles. • The method provides physical characterization and the inner structure of pebbles. • The method can be conducted non-destructively, quickly and automatically. • Sample pebbles were measured with this AXI method for validation. • The method shows the potential to be applied in situ. - Abstract: Inefficient quality assessment and control (QA and C) of spherical fuel elements for high temperature reactor-pebblebed modules (HTR-PM) has been a long-term problem, since conventional methods are labor intensive and cannot reveal the inside information nondestructively. Herein, we proposed a nondestructive, automated X-ray inspection (AXI) method to characterize spherical fuel elements including their inner structures based on X-ray digital radiography (DR). Briefly, DR images at different angles are first obtained and then the chosen important parameters such as spherical diameters, geometric and mass centers, can be automatically extracted and calculated via image processing techniques. Via evaluating sample spherical fuel elements, we proved that this AXI method can be conducted non-destructively, quickly and automatically. This method not only provides accurate physical characterization of spherical fuel elements but also reveals their inner structure with good resolution, showing great potentials to facilitate fast QA and C in HTM-PM spherical fuel element development and production

  7. Modeling the Interaction of Mineral Dust with Solar Radiation: Spherical versus Non-spherical Particles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoshyaripour, A.; Vogel, B.; Vogel, H.

    2017-12-01

    Mineral dust, emitted from arid and semi-arid regions, is the most dominant atmospheric aerosol by mass. Beside detrimental effect on air quality, airborne dust also influences the atmospheric radiation by absorbing and scattering solar and terrestrial radiation. As a result, while the long-term radiative impacts of dust are important for climate, the short-term effects are significant for the photovoltaic energy production. Therefore, it is a vital requirement to accurately forecast the effects of dust on energy budget of the atmosphere and surface. To this end, a major issue is the fact that dust particles are non-spherical. Thus, the optical properties of such particles cannot be calculated precisely using the conventional methods like Mie theory that are often used in climate and numerical weather forecast models. In this study, T-Matrix method is employed, which is able to treat the non-sphericity of particles. Dust particles are assumed to be prolate spheroids with aspect ratio of 1.5 distributed in three lognormal modes. The wavelength-dependent refractive indices of dust are used in T-Matrix algorithm to calculate the extinction coefficient, single scattering albedo, asymmetry parameter and backscattering ratio at different wavelengths. These parameters are then implemented in ICON-ART model (ICOsahedral Nonhydrostatic model with Aerosols and Reactive Trace gases) to conduct a global simulation with 80 km horizontal resolution and 90 vertical levels. April 2014 is selected as the simulation period during which North African dust plumes reached central Europe and Germany. Results show that treatment of non-sphericity reduces the dust AOD in the range of 10 to 30%/. The impacts on diffuse and direct radiation at global, regional and local scales show strong dependency on the size distribution of the airborne dust. The implications for modeling and remote sensing the dust impacts on solar energy are also discussed.

  8. Estimating Motor Carrier Management Information System Crash File Underreporting from Carrier Records.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-08-01

    This FMCSA-sponsored research investigated the claim that motor carriers have a substantial number of crashes in their own records that are not contained in the Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) crash file. Based on the results of t...

  9. Spherical model for superfluidity in a restricted geometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fishman, S.; Ziman, T.A.L.

    1982-01-01

    The spherical model is solved on a hypercubic lattice in d dimensions, each bond of which is decorated with l spins. The thermodynamic functions and the helicity modulus, analogous to a superfluid density, are calculated. We find that at least two spherical fields are required for the model to exhibit low-temperature properties that can approximate reasonably those of O(n) models. The heuristic prediction that the critical temperature behaves as T/sub c/(l)approx.(l+1) -1 is checked for the model and found to hold quite accurately even for small l(> or approx. =2). The helicity modulus and magnetization of the two-constraint spherical model are found to scale approximately with the critical temperature, but the relation between them is more complex than in the undecorated model. This relation is used to check heuristic arguments concerning the helicity modulus at low temperatures. We comment on the relevance to physical systems, in particular, the problem of boson condensation in a restricted geometry

  10. An electromagnetic spherical phased array thermonuclear fusion reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okress, E.C.

    1983-01-01

    Discussed are salient physics aspects of a microwave singly reentrant spherical periodic phased array of uniformally distributed identical coaxial radiation elements in an essentially simulated infinite array environment. The array is capable of maintaining coherence or phase control (to the limit of the order of 300 GHz) of its spherically converging electromagnetic transverse magnetic mode radiation field, for confinement (and heating) of thermonuclear plasma in steady-state or inertial thermonuclear fusion. The array also incorporates capability for coaxial directional coupler extraction of fusionpower. The radiation elements of the array are shielded against DT Thermonuclear plasma emissions (i.e., neutrons and bremsstrahlung) by either sufficiently (available) low less tangent and cooled, spherically concentric shield (e.g., Titanium oxide); or alternately by identical material dome windows mounted on each radiation element's aperture of the array. The pump microwave power required for thermonuclear fusion feasibility comprises an array of phase-locked available klystron amplifiers (comparable gyratron amplifiers remain to be developed)

  11. Plane-wave decomposition by spherical-convolution microphone array

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rafaely, Boaz; Park, Munhum

    2004-05-01

    Reverberant sound fields are widely studied, as they have a significant influence on the acoustic performance of enclosures in a variety of applications. For example, the intelligibility of speech in lecture rooms, the quality of music in auditoria, the noise level in offices, and the production of 3D sound in living rooms are all affected by the enclosed sound field. These sound fields are typically studied through frequency response measurements or statistical measures such as reverberation time, which do not provide detailed spatial information. The aim of the work presented in this seminar is the detailed analysis of reverberant sound fields. A measurement and analysis system based on acoustic theory and signal processing, designed around a spherical microphone array, is presented. Detailed analysis is achieved by decomposition of the sound field into waves, using spherical Fourier transform and spherical convolution. The presentation will include theoretical review, simulation studies, and initial experimental results.

  12. Indicators of Mass in Spherical Stellar Atmospheres

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lester, John B.; Dinshaw, Rayomond; Neilson, Hilding R.

    2013-04-01

    Mass is the most important stellar parameter, but it is not directly observable for a single star. Spherical model stellar atmospheres are explicitly characterized by their luminosity ( L⋆), mass ( M⋆), and radius ( R⋆), and observations can now determine directly L⋆ and R⋆. We computed spherical model atmospheres for red giants and for red supergiants holding L⋆ and R⋆ constant at characteristic values for each type of star but varying M⋆, and we searched the predicted flux spectra and surface-brightness distributions for features that changed with mass. For both stellar classes we found similar signatures of the stars’ mass in both the surface-brightness distribution and the flux spectrum. The spectral features have been use previously to determine log 10(g), and now that the luminosity and radius of a non-binary red giant or red supergiant can be observed, spherical model stellar atmospheres can be used to determine a star’s mass from currently achievable spectroscopy. The surface-brightness variations of mass are slightly smaller than can be resolved by current stellar imaging, but they offer the advantage of being less sensitive to the detailed chemical composition of the atmosphere.

  13. Features of spherical uranium-graphite HTGR fuel elements control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kreindlin, I.I.; Oleynikov, P.P.; Shtan, A.S.

    1985-01-01

    Control features of spherical HTGR uranium-graphite fuel elements with spherical coated fuel particles are mainly determined by their specific construction and fabrication technology. The technology is chiefly based on methods of ceramic fuel (fuel microspheres fabrication) and graphite production practice it is necessary to deal with a lot of problems from determination of raw materials properties to final fuel elements testing. These procedures are described

  14. Features of spherical uranium-graphite HTGR fuel elements control

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kreindlin, I I; Oleynikov, P P; Shtan, A S

    1985-07-01

    Control features of spherical HTGR uranium-graphite fuel elements with spherical coated fuel particles are mainly determined by their specific construction and fabrication technology. The technology is chiefly based on methods of ceramic fuel (fuel microspheres fabrication) and graphite production practice it is necessary to deal with a lot of problems from determination of raw materials properties to final fuel elements testing. These procedures are described.

  15. E-Beam-Cured Layered-Silicate and Spherical Silica Epoxy Nanocomposites (Preprint)

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Chen, Chenggang; Anderson, David P

    2007-01-01

    .... The nanofillers can be two dimensional (layered-silicate) and zero dimensional (spherical silica). Both the spherical silica epoxy nanocomposite and the layered-silicate epoxy nanocomposite can be cured to a high degree of curing...

  16. Quality metric for spherical panoramic video

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zakharchenko, Vladyslav; Choi, Kwang Pyo; Park, Jeong Hoon

    2016-09-01

    Virtual reality (VR)/ augmented reality (AR) applications allow users to view artificial content of a surrounding space simulating presence effect with a help of special applications or devices. Synthetic contents production is well known process form computer graphics domain and pipeline has been already fixed in the industry. However emerging multimedia formats for immersive entertainment applications such as free-viewpoint television (FTV) or spherical panoramic video require different approaches in content management and quality assessment. The international standardization on FTV has been promoted by MPEG. This paper is dedicated to discussion of immersive media distribution format and quality estimation process. Accuracy and reliability of the proposed objective quality estimation method had been verified with spherical panoramic images demonstrating good correlation results with subjective quality estimation held by a group of experts.

  17. p-Hydroxy benzoic acid-conjugated dendrimer nanotherapeutics as potential carriers for targeted drug delivery to brain: an in vitro and in vivo evaluation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Swami, Rajan; Singh, Indu [National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research (NIPER), Department of Pharmaceutics (India); Kulhari, Hitesh [CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Medicinal Chemistry & Pharmacology Division (India); Jeengar, Manish Kumar [National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research (NIPER), Departmentof Pharmacology (India); Khan, Wahid, E-mail: wahid@niperhyd.ac.in; Sistla, Ramakrishna, E-mail: sistla@iict.res.in, E-mail: rksistla@yahoo.com [National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research (NIPER), Department of Pharmaceutics (India)

    2015-06-15

    Dendrimers which are discrete nanostructures/nanoparticles are emerging as promising candidates for many nanomedicine applications. Ligand-conjugated dendrimer facilitate the delivery of therapeutics in a targeted manner. Small molecules such as p-hydroxyl benzoic acid (pHBA) were found to have high affinity for sigma receptors which are prominent in most parts of central nervous system and tumors. The aim of this study was to synthesize pHBA-dendrimer conjugates as colloidal carrier for site-specific delivery of practically water insoluble drug, docetaxel (DTX) to brain tumors and to determine its targeting efficiency. pHBA, a small molecule ligand was coupled to the surface amine groups of generation 4-PAMAM dendrimer via a carbodiimide reaction and loaded with DTX. The conjugation was confirmed by {sup 1}HNMR and FT-IR spectroscopy. In vitro release of drug from DTX-loaded pHBA-conjugated dendrimer was found to be less as compared to unconjugated dendrimers. The prepared drug delivery system exhibited good physico-chemical stability and decrease in hemolytic toxicity. Cell viability and cell uptake studies were performed against U87MG human glioblastoma cells and formulations exerted considerable anticancer effect than plain drug. Conjugation of dendrimer with pHBA significantly enhanced the brain uptake of DTX which was shown by the recovery of a higher percentage of the dose from the brain following administration of pHBA-conjugated dendrimers compared with unconjugated dendrimer or formulation in clinical use (Taxotere{sup ®}). Therefore, pHBA conjugated dendrimers could be an efficient delivery vehicle for the targeting of anticancer drugs to brain tumors.

  18. p-Hydroxy benzoic acid-conjugated dendrimer nanotherapeutics as potential carriers for targeted drug delivery to brain: an in vitro and in vivo evaluation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Swami, Rajan; Singh, Indu; Kulhari, Hitesh; Jeengar, Manish Kumar; Khan, Wahid; Sistla, Ramakrishna

    2015-01-01

    Dendrimers which are discrete nanostructures/nanoparticles are emerging as promising candidates for many nanomedicine applications. Ligand-conjugated dendrimer facilitate the delivery of therapeutics in a targeted manner. Small molecules such as p-hydroxyl benzoic acid (pHBA) were found to have high affinity for sigma receptors which are prominent in most parts of central nervous system and tumors. The aim of this study was to synthesize pHBA-dendrimer conjugates as colloidal carrier for site-specific delivery of practically water insoluble drug, docetaxel (DTX) to brain tumors and to determine its targeting efficiency. pHBA, a small molecule ligand was coupled to the surface amine groups of generation 4-PAMAM dendrimer via a carbodiimide reaction and loaded with DTX. The conjugation was confirmed by 1 HNMR and FT-IR spectroscopy. In vitro release of drug from DTX-loaded pHBA-conjugated dendrimer was found to be less as compared to unconjugated dendrimers. The prepared drug delivery system exhibited good physico-chemical stability and decrease in hemolytic toxicity. Cell viability and cell uptake studies were performed against U87MG human glioblastoma cells and formulations exerted considerable anticancer effect than plain drug. Conjugation of dendrimer with pHBA significantly enhanced the brain uptake of DTX which was shown by the recovery of a higher percentage of the dose from the brain following administration of pHBA-conjugated dendrimers compared with unconjugated dendrimer or formulation in clinical use (Taxotere ® ). Therefore, pHBA conjugated dendrimers could be an efficient delivery vehicle for the targeting of anticancer drugs to brain tumors

  19. p-Hydroxy benzoic acid-conjugated dendrimer nanotherapeutics as potential carriers for targeted drug delivery to brain: an in vitro and in vivo evaluation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swami, Rajan; Singh, Indu; Kulhari, Hitesh; Jeengar, Manish Kumar; Khan, Wahid; Sistla, Ramakrishna

    2015-06-01

    Dendrimers which are discrete nanostructures/nanoparticles are emerging as promising candidates for many nanomedicine applications. Ligand-conjugated dendrimer facilitate the delivery of therapeutics in a targeted manner. Small molecules such as p-hydroxyl benzoic acid (pHBA) were found to have high affinity for sigma receptors which are prominent in most parts of central nervous system and tumors. The aim of this study was to synthesize pHBA-dendrimer conjugates as colloidal carrier for site-specific delivery of practically water insoluble drug, docetaxel (DTX) to brain tumors and to determine its targeting efficiency. pHBA, a small molecule ligand was coupled to the surface amine groups of generation 4-PAMAM dendrimer via a carbodiimide reaction and loaded with DTX. The conjugation was confirmed by 1HNMR and FT-IR spectroscopy. In vitro release of drug from DTX-loaded pHBA-conjugated dendrimer was found to be less as compared to unconjugated dendrimers. The prepared drug delivery system exhibited good physico-chemical stability and decrease in hemolytic toxicity. Cell viability and cell uptake studies were performed against U87MG human glioblastoma cells and formulations exerted considerable anticancer effect than plain drug. Conjugation of dendrimer with pHBA significantly enhanced the brain uptake of DTX which was shown by the recovery of a higher percentage of the dose from the brain following administration of pHBA-conjugated dendrimers compared with unconjugated dendrimer or formulation in clinical use (Taxotere®). Therefore, pHBA conjugated dendrimers could be an efficient delivery vehicle for the targeting of anticancer drugs to brain tumors.

  20. Preparation of 1 Ci of europium 155 without carrier

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Falconi, N.; Radicella, R.

    1968-01-01

    High activity 'point' sources of 155 Eu are used for medical and industrial applications. For this purpose we have studied a method of obtaining I Ci of carrier free 155 Eu, with a solid residue smaller than 5 mg per Ci. In order to separate the 155 Eu from several grams of a 154 Sm enriched target we propose a procedure which is based on the work of Bouissieres and David, Onstott, and Takekoshi et al. The separation is carried out by electrolysis on a mercury cathode followed by purification on ion exchange resin. The yields of the europium separation and target recovery are 80 per cent and 90 per cent respectively. The time required for the procedure is three days. (authors) [fr

  1. Carrier transport uphill. I. General

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rosenberg, T; Wilbrandt, W

    1963-01-01

    A quantitative treatment of a carrier pump operating with two carrier forms C and Z is presented. Asymmetric metabolic reactions are assumed to transform Z into C on one and C into Z on the other side of the membrane, establishing a carrier cycle. The kinetical consequences of this mechanism...

  2. Analysis of a spherical permanent magnet actuator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, J.; Jewell, G.W.; Howe, D.

    1997-01-01

    This paper describes a new form of actuator with a spherical permanent magnet rotor and a simple winding arrangement, which is capable of a high specific torque by utilizing a rare-earth permanent magnet. The magnetic-field distribution is established using an analytical technique formulated in spherical coordinates, and the results are validated by finite element analysis. The analytical field solution allows the prediction of the actuator torque and back emf in closed forms. In turn, these facilitate the characterization of the actuator and provide a firm basis for design optimization, system dynamic modeling, and closed-loop control law development. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

  3. Flat synchronizations in spherically symmetric space-times

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herrero, Alicia; Morales-Lladosa, Juan Antonio

    2010-01-01

    It is well known that the Schwarzschild space-time admits a spacelike slicing by flat instants and that the metric is regular at the horizon in the associated adapted coordinates (Painleve-Gullstrand metric form). We consider this type of flat slicings in an arbitrary spherically symmetric space-time. The condition ensuring its existence is analyzed, and then, we prove that, for any spherically symmetric flat slicing, the densities of the Weinberg momenta vanish. Finally, we deduce the Schwarzschild solution in the extended Painleve-Gullstrand-LemaItre metric form by considering the coordinate decomposition of the vacuum Einstein equations with respect to a flat spacelike slicing.

  4. Through-Space Paramagnetic NMR Effects in Host-Guest Complexes: Potential Ruthenium(III) Metallodrugs with Macrocyclic Carriers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chyba, Jan; Novák, Martin; Munzarová, Petra; Novotný, Jan; Marek, Radek

    2018-04-05

    The potential of paramagnetic ruthenium(III) compounds for use as anticancer metallodrugs has been investigated extensively during the past several decades. However, the means by which these ruthenium compounds are transported and distributed in living bodies remain relatively unexplored. In this work, we prepared several novel ruthenium(III) compounds with the general structure Na + [ trans-Ru III Cl 4 (DMSO)(L)] - (DMSO = dimethyl sulfoxide), where L stands for pyridine or imidazole linked with adamantane, a hydrophobic chemophore. The supramolecular interactions of these compounds with macrocyclic carriers of the cyclodextrin (CD) and cucurbit[ n]uril (CB) families were investigated by NMR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, isothermal titration calorimetry, and relativistic DFT methods. The long-range hyperfine NMR effects of the paramagnetic guest on the host macrocycle are related to the distance between them and their relative orientation in the host-guest complex. The CD and CB macrocyclic carriers being studied in this account can be attached to a vector that attracts the drug-carrier system to a specific biological target and our investigation thus introduces a new possibility in the field of targeted delivery of anticancer metallodrugs based on ruthenium(III) compounds.

  5. Monodromy in the quantum spherical pendulum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guillemin, V.; Uribe, A.

    1989-01-01

    In this article we show that monodromy in the quantum spherical pendulum can be interpreted as a Maslov effect: i.e. as multi-valuedness of a certain generating function of the quantum energy levels. (orig.)

  6. A Robust Solution of the Spherical Burmester Problem

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Angeles, Jorge; Bai, Shaoping

    2010-01-01

    The problem of spherical four-bar linkage synthesis is revisited in this paper. The work is aimed at developing a robust synthesis method by taking into account both the formulation and the solution method. In addition, the synthesis of linkages with spherical prismatic joints is considered...... by treating them as a special case of the linkages under study. A two-step synthesis method is developed, which sequentially deals with equation-solving by a semigraphical approach and branching-detection. Examples are included to demonstrate the proposed method....

  7. What extent will small-scale laser-beam fluctuations seed the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in direct-drive targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Skupsky, S.; McCrory, R.L.; Verdon, C.P.

    1984-01-01

    The nonuniformity in laser energy deposition on a spherical target is calculated for multiple overlapping beams having small-scale fluctuations. Such nonuniformities can imprint themselves on the target surface and ''seed'' the Rayleigh-Taylor instability early in the pulse before an adequate, smoothing plasma-atmosphere has been established. The resulting growth of target deformation during the implosion is estimated

  8. A new expression for determination of fluences from a spherical moderator neutron source for the calibration of spherical neutron measuring devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khoshnoodi, M.; Sohrabi, M.

    1997-01-01

    A new expression modifying the inverse square law for determination of neutron fluences from spherical moderator neutron sources is reported. The formalism is based on the neutron fluence at a point outside the moderator as the summation of fluxes of two groups of neutrons: direct neutrons from the central region of the moderator, and moderated neutrons which, to a first approximation, are scattered from the outermost layers of the spherical moderator. The expression has been further developed for spherical neutron measuring devices with an appropriate geometry factor which corrects the reading of the device for non-uniform irradiation of the detector. The combination of the new fluence function and those of the air and room scattered components introduce a calibration model. The fluence relationship obtained for moderated sources may conveniently be used for calculating the more rapid change of neutron dose at close distances than that which is based on the inverse square dependence. (author)

  9. A radiochemical separation of spallogenic 88Zr in the carrier-free state for radioisotopic photoneutron sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whipple, R.E.; Grant, P.M.; Daniels, R.J.; Daniels, W.R.; O'Brien, H.A.Jr.

    1976-01-01

    As the precursor of its 88 Y daughter, 88 Zr could be advantageously included in the active component of the 88 Y-Be photoneutron source for several reasons. The spallation of Mo targets with medium-energy protons at LAMPF procedure has been developed to separate radiozirconium from the target material and various spallogenic impurities. 88 Zr can consequently be obtained carrier-free and in quantitative yield. (author)

  10. Population spherical aberration: associations with ametropia, age, corneal curvature, and image quality

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kingston AC

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Amanda C Kingston,1,2 Ian G Cox11Bausch + Lomb, Rochester, NY, USA; 2Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USAPurpose: The aim of this analysis was to determine the total ocular wavefront aberration values of a large phakic population of physiologically normal, ametropic eyes, gathered under the same clinical protocol using the same diagnostic wavefront sensor.Materials and methods: Studies were conducted at multiple sites in Asia, North America, Europe, and Australia. A Bausch + Lomb Zywave II Wavefront Aberrometer (Rochester, NY, USA was used to measure the lower and higher order aberrations of each eye. Data analysis was conducted using linear regression analysis to determine the relationship between total spherical aberration, ametropia, age, corneal curvature, and image quality.Results: Linear regression analysis showed no correlation (r = 0.0207, P = 0.4874 between degree of ametropia and the amount of spherical aberration. There was also no correlation when the population was stratified into myopic and hyperopic refractive groups (rm = 0.0529, Pm = 0.0804 and rh = 0.1572, Ph = 0.2754. There was a statistically significant and weak positive correlation (r = 0.1962, P < 0.001 between age and the amount of spherical aberration measured in the eye; spherical aberration became more positive with increasing age. Also, there was a statistically significant and moderately positive correlation (r = 0.3611, P < 0.001 with steepness of corneal curvature; spherical aberration became more positive with increasing power of the anterior corneal surface. Assessment of image quality using optical design software (Zemax™, Bellevue, WA, USA showed that there was an overall benefit in correcting the average spherical aberration of this population.Conclusion: Analysis of this dataset provides insights into the inherent spherical aberration of a typical phakic, pre-presbyopic, population and provides the ability to

  11. Inert carriers for column extraction chromatography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Katykhin, G.S.

    1978-01-01

    Inert carriers used in column extraction chromatography are reviewed. Such carriers are devided into two large groups: hydrophilic carriers which possess high surface energy and are well wetted only with strongly polar liquids (kieselguhrs, silica gels, glasses, cellulose, Al 2 O 3 ) and water-repellent carriers which possess low surface energy and are well wetted with various organic solvents (polyethylene, polytetrafluorethylene polytrifluorochlorethylene). Properties of various carriers are presented: structure, chemical and radiation stability, adsorption properties, extracting agent capacity. The effect of structure and sizes of particles on the efficiency of chromatography columns is considered. Ways of immovable phase deposition on the carrier and the latter's regeneration. Peculiarities of column packing for preparative and continuous chromatography are discussed

  12. Direct drive target survival during injection in an inertial fusion energy power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petzoldt, R.W.; Goodin, D.T.; Nikroo, A.; Stephens, E.; Alexander, N.B.; Gallix, R.; Siegel, N.; Raffray, A.R.; Mau, T.K.; Tillack, M.; Najmabadi, F.; Krasheninnikov, S.I.

    2002-01-01

    In inertial fusion energy (IFE) power plant designs, the fuel is a spherical layer of frozen DT contained in a target that is injected at high velocity into the reaction chamber. For direct drive, typically laser beams converge at the centre of the chamber (CC) to compress and heat the target to fusion conditions. To obtain the maximum energy yield from the fusion reaction, the frozen DT layer must be at about 18.5 K and the target must maintain a high degree of spherical symmetry and surface smoothness when it reaches the CC. During its transit in the chamber the cryogenic target is heated by radiation from the hot chamber wall. The target is also heated by convection as it passes through the rarefied fill-gas used to control chamber wall damage by x-rays and debris from the target explosion. This article addresses the temperature limits at the target surface beyond which target uniformity may be damaged. It concentrates on direct drive targets because fuel warm up during injection is not currently thought to be an issue for present indirect drive designs and chamber concepts. Detailed results of parametric radiative and convective heating calculations are presented for direct-drive targets during injection into a dry-wall reaction chamber. The baseline approach to target survival utilizes highly reflective targets along with a substantially lower chamber wall temperature and fill-gas pressure than previously assumed. Recently developed high-Z material coatings with high heat reflectivity are discussed and characterized. The article also presents alternate target protection methods that could be developed if targets with inherent survival features cannot be obtained within a reasonable time span. (author)

  13. Hawking radiation from a spherical loop quantum gravity black hole

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gambini, Rodolfo; Pullin, Jorge

    2014-01-01

    We introduce quantum field theory on quantum space-times techniques to characterize the quantum vacua as a first step toward studying black hole evaporation in spherical symmetry in loop quantum gravity and compute the Hawking radiation. We use as quantum space-time the recently introduced exact solution of the quantum Einstein equations in vacuum with spherical symmetry and consider a spherically symmetric test scalar field propagating on it. The use of loop quantum gravity techniques in the background space-time naturally regularizes the matter content, solving one of the main obstacles to back-reaction calculations in more traditional treatments. The discreteness of area leads to modifications of the quantum vacua, eliminating the trans-Planckian modes close to the horizon, which in turn eliminates all singularities from physical quantities, like the expectation value of the stress–energy tensor. Apart from this, the Boulware, Hartle–Hawking and Unruh vacua differ little from the treatment on a classical space-time. The asymptotic modes near scri are reproduced very well. We show that the Hawking radiation can be computed, leading to an expression similar to the conventional one but with a high frequency cutoff. Since many of the conclusions concern asymptotic behavior, where the spherical mode of the field behaves in a similar way as higher multipole modes do, the results can be readily generalized to non spherically symmetric fields. (paper)

  14. Targeting Antibacterial Agents by Using Drug-Carrying Filamentous Bacteriophages

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yacoby, Iftach; Shamis, Marina; Bar, Hagit; Shabat, Doron; Benhar, Itai

    2006-01-01

    Bacteriophages have been used for more than a century for (unconventional) therapy of bacterial infections, for half a century as tools in genetic research, for 2 decades as tools for discovery of specific target-binding proteins, and for nearly a decade as tools for vaccination or as gene delivery vehicles. Here we present a novel application of filamentous bacteriophages (phages) as targeted drug carriers for the eradication of (pathogenic) bacteria. The phages are genetically modified to display a targeting moiety on their surface and are used to deliver a large payload of a cytotoxic drug to the target bacteria. The drug is linked to the phages by means of chemical conjugation through a labile linker subject to controlled release. In the conjugated state, the drug is in fact a prodrug devoid of cytotoxic activity and is activated following its dissociation from the phage at the target site in a temporally and spatially controlled manner. Our model target was Staphylococcus aureus, and the model drug was the antibiotic chloramphenicol. We demonstrated the potential of using filamentous phages as universal drug carriers for targetable cells involved in disease. Our approach replaces the selectivity of the drug itself with target selectivity borne by the targeting moiety, which may allow the reintroduction of nonspecific drugs that have thus far been excluded from antibacterial use (because of toxicity or low selectivity). Reintroduction of such drugs into the arsenal of useful tools may help to combat emerging bacterial antibiotic resistance. PMID:16723570

  15. Applications of polymeric micelles with tumor targeted in chemotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ding Hui; Wang Xiaojun; Zhang Song; Liu Xinli

    2012-01-01

    Polymeric micelles (PMs) have gained more progress as a carrier system with the quick development of biological and nanoparticle techniques. In particular, PMs with smart targeting can deliver anti-cancer drugs directly into tumor cells at a sustained rate. PMs with core–shell structure (with diameters of 10 ∼ 100 nm) have been prepared by a variety of biodegradable and biocompatible polymers via a self-assembly process. The preparation of polymeric micelles with stimuli-responsive block copolymers or modification of target molecules on polymeric micelles’ surface are able to significantly improve the efficiency of drug delivery. Polymeric micelles, which have been considered as a novel promising drug carrier for cancer therapeutics, are rapidly evolving and being introduced in an attempt to overcome several limitations of traditional chemotherapeutics, including water solubility, tumor-specific accumulation, anti-tumor efficacy, and non-specific toxicity. This review describes the preparation of polymeric micelles and the targeted modification which greatly enhance the effects of chemotherapeutic agents.

  16. Trapped surfaces in spherical stars

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bizon, P.; Malec, E.; O'Murchadha, N.

    1988-01-01

    We give necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of trapped surfaces in spherically symmetric spacetimes. These conditions show that the formation of trapped surfaces depends on both the degree of concentration and the average flow of the matter. The result can be considered as a partial validation of the cosmic-censorship hypothesis

  17. Boundary causality versus hyperbolicity for spherical black holes in Gauss–Bonnet gravity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andrade, Tomás; Cáceres, Elena; Keeler, Cynthia

    2017-01-01

    We explore the constraints boundary causality places on the allowable Gauss–Bonnet gravitational couplings in asymptotically AdS spaces, specifically considering spherical black hole solutions. We additionally consider the hyperbolicity properties of these solutions, positing that hyperbolicity-violating solutions are sick solutions whose causality properties provide no information about the theory they reside in. For both signs of the Gauss–Bonnet coupling, spherical black holes violate boundary causality at smaller absolute values of the coupling than planar black holes do. For negative coupling, as we tune the Gauss–Bonnet coupling away from zero, both spherical and planar black holes violate hyperbolicity before they violate boundary causality. For positive coupling, the only hyperbolicity-respecting spherical black holes which violate boundary causality do not do so appreciably far from the planar bound. Consequently, eliminating hyperbolicity-violating solutions means the bound on Gauss–Bonnet couplings from the boundary causality of spherical black holes is no tighter than that from planar black holes. (paper)

  18. Electroless or autocatalytic coating of microparticles for laser fusion targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mayer, A.; Catlett, D.S.

    1977-04-01

    Use of a novel device for applying uniform metallic coatings to spherical microparticles is described. The apparatus deposits electroless metal coatings on hollow, thin-walled metal or sensitized nonmetallic micromandrels. The apparatus and process were developed for fabrication of microsphere pressure vessels for use as targets in laser-initiated fusion research

  19. Joint Iterative Carrier Synchronization and Signal Detection for Dual Carrier 448 Gb/s PDM 16-QAM

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zibar, Darko; Carvalho, Luis; Estaran Tolosa, Jose Manuel

    2013-01-01

    Soft decision driven joint carrier synchronization and signal detection, employing expectation maximization, is experimentally demonstrated. Employing soft decisions offers an improvement of 0.5 dB compared to hard decision digital PLL based carrier synchronization and demodulation.......Soft decision driven joint carrier synchronization and signal detection, employing expectation maximization, is experimentally demonstrated. Employing soft decisions offers an improvement of 0.5 dB compared to hard decision digital PLL based carrier synchronization and demodulation....

  20. The Fatigue Life Prediction of Train Wheel Rims Containing Spherical Inclusions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yajie; Chen, Huanguo; Cai, Li; Chen, Pei; Qian, Jiacheng; Wu, Jianwei

    2018-03-01

    It is a common phenomenon that fatigue crack initiation occurs frequently in the inclusions of wheel rims. Research on the fatigue life of wheel rims with spherical inclusions is of great significance on the reliability of wheels. To find the danger point and working condition of a wheel, the stress state of the wheel rim with spherical inclusions was analyzed using the finite element method. Results revealed that curve conditions are dangerous. The critical plane method, based on the cumulative fatigue damage theory, was used to predict the fatigue life of the wheel rim and whether it contained spherical inclusions or not under curve conditions. It was found that the fatigue life of the wheel rim is significantly shorter when the wheel rim contains spherical inclusions. Analysis of the results can provide a theoretical basis and technical support for train operations and maintenance.

  1. Normal range of facial asymmetry in spherical coordinates: a CBCT study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoon, Suk Ja [Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, School of Dentistry, Dental Science Research Institute, Chonnam National University, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Wang, Rui Feng [Research Laboratory Specialist Intermediate, Department of Biologic and Material Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Na, Hee Ja [Dept. ofDental Hygiene, Honam University, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Palomo, Juan Matin [Dept. of Orthodontics, School of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland (United States)

    2013-03-15

    This study aimed to measure the bilateral differences of facial lines in spherical coordinates from faces within a normal range of asymmetry utilizing cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). CBCT scans from 22 females with normal symmetric-looking faces (mean age 24 years and 8 months) were selected for the study. The average menton deviation was 1.01{+-}0.66 mm. The spherical coordinates, length, and midsagittal and coronal inclination angles of the ramal and mandibular lines were calculated from CBCT. The bilateral differences in the facial lines were determined. All of the study subjects had minimal bilateral differences of facial lines. The normal range of facial asymmetry of the ramal and mandibular lines was obtained in spherical coordinates. The normal range of facial asymmetry in the spherical coordinate system in this study should be useful as a reference for diagnosing facial asymmetry.

  2. On the spherical harmonic expansion of the neutron angular distribution function

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Depken, Sven

    1959-03-15

    The neutron (one-velocity) angular distribution function is expanded in terms of spherical harmonic tensors. The solution to the equations of the moments is given explicitly and the result is applied to the plane, spherical and cylinder symmetrical cases.

  3. On the spherical harmonic expansion of the neutron angular distribution function

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Depken, Sven

    1959-03-01

    The neutron (one-velocity) angular distribution function is expanded in terms of spherical harmonic tensors. The solution to the equations of the moments is given explicitly and the result is applied to the plane, spherical and cylinder symmetrical cases

  4. LIQUIFIED NATURAL GAS (LNG CARRIERS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Posavec

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Modern liquefied natural gas carriers are double-bottom ships classified according to the type of LNG tank. The tanks are specially designed to store natural gas cooled to -161°C, the boiling point of methane. Since LNG is highly flammable, special care must be taken when designing and operating the ship. The development of LNG carriers has begun in the middle of the twentieth century. LNG carrier storage space has gradually grown to the current maximum of 260000 m3. There are more than 300 LNG carriers currently in operation (the paper is published in Croatian.

  5. Optical properties of spherical gold mesoparticles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Evlyukhin, A. B.; Kuznetsov, A. I.; Novikov, S. M.

    2012-01-01

    Optical properties of spherical gold particles with diameters of 150-650 nm (mesoparticles) are studied by reflectance spectroscopy. Particles are fabricated by laser-induced transfer of metallic droplets onto metal and dielectric substrates. Contributions of higher multipoles (beyond...

  6. Production and characterization of nanostructured lipid carriers and solid lipid nanoparticles containing lycopene for food fortification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akhoond Zardini, Ali; Mohebbi, Mohebbat; Farhoosh, Reza; Bolurian, Shadi

    2018-01-01

    In this study, lycopene, was loaded on nanostructured lipid carrier and solid lipid nanoparticles using combination of high shear homogenization and ultrasonication method. Effect of applied lipids types, nanocarrier's type and lycopene loading on physicochemical properties of developed nanocarriers were studied. Particle sizes of developed nanocarriers were between 74.93 and 183.40 nm. Encapsulation efficiency of nanostructured lipid carrier was significantly higher than solid lipid nanoparticles. Morphological study of developed nanocarriers using scanning electron microscopy showed spherical nanoparticles with smooth surface. Lycopene was entrapped in nanocarriers without any chemical interaction with coating material according to Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectrum and differential scanning calorimetry thermogram. Glycerol monostearate containing nanoparticles showed phase separation after 30 days in 6 and 25 °C, whereas this event was not observed in nanosuspensions that produced by glycerol distearate. Lycopene release in gastrointestinal condition was studied by the dialysis bag method. To evaluate nanocarrier's potential for food fortification, developed lycopene-loaded nanocarriers were added to orange drink. Results of sensory analysis indicated that nanoencapsulation could obviate the poor solubility and tomato after taste of lycopene. Fortified sample with lycopene nanocarriers didn't show significant difference with blank orange drink sample except in orange odor.

  7. Electrical Conduction Mechanism and Dielectric Properties of Spherical Shaped Fe₃O₄ Nanoparticles Synthesized by Co-Precipitation Method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radoń, Adrian; Łukowiec, Dariusz; Kremzer, Marek; Mikuła, Jarosław; Włodarczyk, Patryk

    2018-05-05

    On the basis of dielectric measurements performed in a wide temperature range (173⁻373 K), a comprehensive analysis of the dielectric and electrical properties of magnetite nanoparticles electrical conduction mechanism of compressed spherical shaped Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles was proposed. The electrical conductivity of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles was related to two different mechanisms (correlated barrier hopping and non-overlapping small polaron tunneling mechanisms); the transition between them was smooth. Additionally, role of grains and grain boundaries with charge carrier mobility and with observed hopping mechanism was described in detail. It has been confirmed that conductivity dispersion (as a function of frequencies) is closely related to both the long-range mobility (conduction mechanism associated with grain boundaries) and to the short-range mobility (conduction mechanism associated with grains). Calculated electron mobility increases with temperature, which is related to the decreasing value of hopping energy for the tunneling of small polarons. The opposite scenario was observed for the value of electron hopping energy.

  8. Air Carrier Traffic Statistics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-11-01

    This report contains airline operating statistics for large certificated air carriers based on data reported to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) by carriers that hold a certificate issued under Section 401 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 a...

  9. Air Carrier Traffic Statistics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-07-01

    This report contains airline operating statistics for large certificated air carriers based on data reported to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) by carriers that hold a certificate issued under Section 401 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 a...

  10. Importance of aerosol non-sphericity in estimating aerosol radiative forcing in Indo-Gangetic Basin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Srivastava, Parul; Dey, Sagnik; Srivastava, Atul Kumar; Singh, Sachchidanand; Mishra, S K; Tiwari, Suresh

    2017-12-01

    Aerosols are usually presumed spherical in shape while estimating the direct radiative forcing (DRF) using observations or in the models. In the Indo-Gangetic Basin (IGB), a regional aerosol hotspot where dust is a major aerosol species and has been observed to be non-spherical in shape, it is important to test the validity of this assumption. We address this issue using measured chemical composition at megacity Delhi, a representative site of the western IGB. Based on the observation, we choose three non-spherical shapes - spheroid, cylinder and chebyshev, and compute their optical properties. Non-spherical dust enhances aerosol extinction coefficient (β ext ) and single scattering albedo (SSA) at visible wavelengths by >0.05km -1 and >0.04 respectively, while it decreases asymmetry parameter (g) by ~0.1. Accounting non-sphericity leads top-of-the-atmosphere (TOA) dust DRF to more cooling due to enhanced backscattering and increases surface dimming due to enhanced β ext . Outgoing shortwave flux at TOA increases by up to 3.3% for composite aerosols with non-spherical dust externally mixed with other spherical species. Our results show that while non-sphericity needs to be accounted for, choice of shape may not be important in estimating aerosol DRF in the IGB. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. The Spherical Deformation Model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hobolth, Asgar

    2003-01-01

    Miller et al. (1994) describe a model for representing spatial objects with no obvious landmarks. Each object is represented by a global translation and a normal deformation of a sphere. The normal deformation is defined via the orthonormal spherical-harmonic basis. In this paper we analyse the s...... a single central section of the object. We use maximum-likelihood-based inference for this purpose and demonstrate the suggested methods on real data....

  12. Classical properties and semiclassical quantization of a spherical nuclear potential

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carbonell, J.; Brut, F.; Arvieu, R.; Touchard, J.

    1984-03-01

    The geometrical properties of the classical energy-action surface are studied for a nuclear Woods-Saxon-like spherical potential, in connection with the E.B.K. semiclassical method of quantization. Comparisons are made with other well known cases: the spherical harmonic oscillator and the spherical billiard. The shift of single particle energies from A = 208 to A = 16 is calculated by a simple method inspired by the Erhenfest adiabatic invariants. Semiclassical results are then compared with exact Schroedinger energies. It is seen that the most significant features of the single particle spectrum are explained by local properties of the energy action surface (curvature, slope) and by their evolution with the particle number

  13. Experimental study of hydrodynamics of target system construction with liquid metallic coolant on water models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beznosov, A.; Davidov, D.; Khokhlov, D.

    2001-01-01

    This paper is about experimental study of hydrodynamics of target system construction with a spherical beam window (membrane). The visualization of current and current velocity fields in energy release area was considered. The findings are used to optimize the geometrical characteristics of target system. Also report contains the information about functioning accelerator-driven system, description it principle circuit and description of basic requirements what the target design should satisfy. (authors)

  14. A spherical electron cloud hopping model for studying product branching ratios of dissociative recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Hua-Gen

    2008-05-21

    A spherical electron cloud hopping (SECH) model is proposed to study the product branching ratios of dissociative recombination (DR) of polyatomic systems. In this model, the fast electron-captured process is treated as an instantaneous hopping of a cloud of uniform spherical fractional point charges onto a target M+q ion (or molecule). The sum of point charges (-1) simulates the incident electron. The sphere radius is determined by a critical distance (Rc eM) between the incoming electron (e-) and the target, at which the potential energy of the e(-)-M+q system is equal to that of the electron-captured molecule M+q(-1) in a symmetry-allowed electronic state with the same structure as M(+q). During the hopping procedure, the excess energies of electron association reaction are dispersed in the kinetic energies of M+q(-1) atoms to conserve total energy. The kinetic energies are adjusted by linearly adding atomic momenta in the direction of driving forces induced by the scattering electron. The nuclear dynamics of the resultant M+q(-1) molecule are studied by using a direct ab initio dynamics method on the adiabatic potential energy surface of M+q(-1), or together with extra adiabatic surface(s) of M+q(-1). For the latter case, the "fewest switches" surface hopping algorithm of Tully was adapted to deal with the nonadiabaticity in trajectory propagations. The SECH model has been applied to study the DR of both CH+ and H3O+(H2O)2. The theoretical results are consistent with the experiment. It was found that water molecules play an important role in determining the product branching ratios of the molecular cluster ion.

  15. National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Masayuki Ono

    2000-01-01

    The main aim of National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) is to establish the fusion physics principles of the innovative spherical torus (ST) concept. Physics outcome of the NSTX research program is relevant to near-term applications such as the Volume Neutron Source (VNS) and burning plasmas, and future applications such as the pilot and power plants. The NSTX device began plasma operations in February 1999 and the plasma current was successfully ramped up to the design value of 1 million amperes (MA) on December 14, 1999. The CHI (Coaxial Helicity Injection) and HHFW (High Harmonic Fast Wave) experiments have also started. Stable CHI discharges of up to 133 kA and 130-msec duration have been produced using 20 kA of injected current. Using eight antennas connected to two transmitters, up to 2 MW of HHFW power was successfully coupled to the plasma. The Neutral-beam Injection (NBI) heating system and associated NBI-based diagnostics such as the Charge-exchange Recombination Spectrometer (CHERS) will be operational in October 2000

  16. Efficient carrier relaxation and fast carrier recombination of N-polar InGaN/GaN light emitting diodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feng, Shih-Wei; Liao, Po-Hsun; Leung, Benjamin; Han, Jung; Yang, Fann-Wei; Wang, Hsiang-Chen

    2015-01-01

    Based on quantum efficiency and time-resolved electroluminescence measurements, the effects of carrier localization and quantum-confined Stark effect (QCSE) on carrier transport and recombination dynamics of Ga- and N-polar InGaN/GaN light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are reported. The N-polar LED exhibits shorter ns-scale response, rising, delay, and recombination times than the Ga-polar one does. Stronger carrier localization and the combined effects of suppressed QCSE and electric field and lower potential barrier acting upon the forward bias in an N-polar LED provide the advantages of more efficient carrier relaxation and faster carrier recombination. By optimizing growth conditions to enhance the radiative recombination, the advantages of more efficient carrier relaxation and faster carrier recombination in a competitive performance N-polar LED can be realized for applications of high-speed flash LEDs. The research results provide important information for carrier transport and recombination dynamics of an N-polar InGaN/GaN LED

  17. Efficient carrier relaxation and fast carrier recombination of N-polar InGaN/GaN light emitting diodes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Feng, Shih-Wei, E-mail: swfeng@nuk.edu.tw; Liao, Po-Hsun [Department of Applied Physics, National University of Kaohsiung, No. 700, Kaohsiung University Rd., Nan Tzu Dist., 811 Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Leung, Benjamin; Han, Jung [Department of Electrical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520 (United States); Yang, Fann-Wei [Department of Electronic Engineering, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan, Taiwan (China); Wang, Hsiang-Chen [Graduate Institute of Opto-Mechatronics and Advanced Institute of Manufacturing with High-Tech Innovations (AIM-HI), National Chung Cheng University, Chia-Yi, Taiwan (China)

    2015-07-28

    Based on quantum efficiency and time-resolved electroluminescence measurements, the effects of carrier localization and quantum-confined Stark effect (QCSE) on carrier transport and recombination dynamics of Ga- and N-polar InGaN/GaN light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are reported. The N-polar LED exhibits shorter ns-scale response, rising, delay, and recombination times than the Ga-polar one does. Stronger carrier localization and the combined effects of suppressed QCSE and electric field and lower potential barrier acting upon the forward bias in an N-polar LED provide the advantages of more efficient carrier relaxation and faster carrier recombination. By optimizing growth conditions to enhance the radiative recombination, the advantages of more efficient carrier relaxation and faster carrier recombination in a competitive performance N-polar LED can be realized for applications of high-speed flash LEDs. The research results provide important information for carrier transport and recombination dynamics of an N-polar InGaN/GaN LED.

  18. High-order perturbations of a spherical collapsing star

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brizuela, David; Martin-Garcia, Jose M.; Sperhake, Ulrich; Kokkotas, Kostas D.

    2010-01-01

    A formalism to deal with high-order perturbations of a general spherical background was developed in earlier work [D. Brizuela, J. M. Martin-Garcia, and G. A. Mena Marugan, Phys. Rev. D 74, 044039 (2006); D. Brizuela, J. M. Martin-Garcia, and G. A. Mena Marugan, Phys. Rev. D 76, 024004 (2007)]. In this paper, we apply it to the particular case of a perfect fluid background. We have expressed the perturbations of the energy-momentum tensor at any order in terms of the perturbed fluid's pressure, density, and velocity. In general, these expressions are not linear and have sources depending on lower-order perturbations. For the second-order case we make the explicit decomposition of these sources in tensor spherical harmonics. Then, a general procedure is given to evolve the perturbative equations of motions of the perfect fluid for any value of the harmonic label. Finally, with the problem of a spherical collapsing star in mind, we discuss the high-order perturbative matching conditions across a timelike surface, in particular, the surface separating the perfect fluid interior from the exterior vacuum.

  19. Research progess on treatment of cancer with targeted radionuclide therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luo Jiawen; Zhang Caixia

    2008-01-01

    The new development and situation of targeted radionuclide therapy in oncology is described, which include radioimmunotherapy, peptide receptor radionuclide therapy, gene therapy and radionuclide labled chemotherapeutics therapy. The application research on labled carrier of those therapy is emphasized. Meanwhile, the research progess of indomethacin and its combined with targeted radionuclide therapy is also described. (authors)

  20. Synthesis of spherical LiMnPO4/C composite microparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bakenov, Zhumabay; Taniguchi, Izumi

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → We could prepare LiMnPO 4 /C composites by a novel preparation method. → The LiMnPO 4 /C composites were spherical particles with a mean diameter of 3.65 μm. → The LiMnPO 4 /C composite cathode exhibited 112 mAh g -1 at 0.05 C. → It also showed a good rate capability up to 5 C at room temperature and 55 o C. -- Abstract: Spherical LiMnPO 4 /C composite microparticles were prepared by a combination of spray pyrolysis and spray drying followed by heat treatment and examined as a cathode material for lithium batteries. The structure, morphology and electrochemical performance of the resulting spherical LiMnPO 4 /C microparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electronic microscopy and standard electrochemical techniques. The final sample was identified as a single phase orthorhombic structure of LiMnPO 4 and spherical powders with a geometric mean diameter of 3.65 μm and a geometric standard deviation of 1.34. The electrochemical cells contained the spherical LiMnPO 4 /C microparticles exhibited first discharge capacities of 112 and 130 mAh g -1 at 0.05 C at room temperature and 55 o C, respectively. These also showed a good rate capability up to 5 C at room temperature and 55 o C.

  1. Nanostructured materials for selective recognition and targeted drug delivery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kotrotsiou, O; Kotti, K; Dini, E; Kammona, O; Kiparissides, C

    2005-01-01

    Selective recognition requires the introduction of a molecular memory into a polymer matrix in order to make it capable of rebinding an analyte with a very high specificity. In addition, targeted drug delivery requires drug-loaded vesicles which preferentially localize to the sites of injury and avoid uptake into uninvolved tissues. The rapid evolution of nanotechnology is aiming to fulfill the goal of selective recognition and optimal drug delivery through the development of molecularly imprinted polymeric (MIP) nanoparticles, tailor-made for a diverse range of analytes (e.g., pharmaceuticals, pesticides, amino acids, etc.) and of nanostructured targeted drug carriers (e.g., liposomes and micelles) with increased circulation lifetimes. In the present study, PLGA microparticles containing multilamellar vesicles (MLVs), and MIP nanoparticles were synthesized to be employed as drug carriers and synthetic receptors respectively

  2. A modular platform for targeted RNAi therapeutics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kedmi, Ranit; Veiga, Nuphar; Ramishetti, Srinivas; Goldsmith, Meir; Rosenblum, Daniel; Dammes, Niels; Hazan-Halevy, Inbal; Nahary, Limor; Leviatan-Ben-Arye, Shani; Harlev, Michael; Behlke, Mark; Benhar, Itai; Lieberman, Judy; Peer, Dan

    2018-03-01

    Previous studies have identified relevant genes and signalling pathways that are hampered in human disorders as potential candidates for therapeutics. Developing nucleic acid-based tools to manipulate gene expression, such as short interfering RNAs 1-3 (siRNAs), opens up opportunities for personalized medicine. Yet, although major progress has been made in developing siRNA targeted delivery carriers, mainly by utilizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for targeting 4-8 , their clinical translation has not occurred. This is in part because of the massive development and production requirements and the high batch-to-batch variability of current technologies, which rely on chemical conjugation. Here we present a self-assembled modular platform that enables the construction of a theoretically unlimited repertoire of siRNA targeted carriers. The self-assembly of the platform is based on a membrane-anchored lipoprotein that is incorporated into siRNA-loaded lipid nanoparticles that interact with the antibody crystallizable fragment (Fc) domain. We show that a simple switch of eight different mAbs redirects the specific uptake of siRNAs by diverse leukocyte subsets in vivo. The therapeutic potential of the platform is demonstrated in an inflammatory bowel disease model by targeting colon macrophages to reduce inflammatory symptoms, and in a Mantle Cell Lymphoma xenograft model by targeting cancer cells to induce cell death and improve survival. This modular delivery platform represents a milestone in the development of precision medicine.

  3. A modular platform for targeted RNAi therapeutics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kedmi, Ranit; Veiga, Nuphar; Ramishetti, Srinivas; Goldsmith, Meir; Rosenblum, Daniel; Dammes, Niels; Hazan-Halevy, Inbal; Nahary, Limor; Leviatan-Ben-Arye, Shani; Harlev, Michael; Behlke, Mark; Benhar, Itai; Lieberman, Judy; Peer, Dan

    2018-01-01

    Previous studies have identified relevant genes and signalling pathways that are hampered in human disorders as potential candidates for therapeutics. Developing nucleic acid-based tools to manipulate gene expression, such as short interfering RNAs1-3 (siRNAs), opens up opportunities for personalized medicine. Yet, although major progress has been made in developing siRNA targeted delivery carriers, mainly by utilizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for targeting4-8, their clinical translation has not occurred. This is in part because of the massive development and production requirements and the high batch-to-batch variability of current technologies, which rely on chemical conjugation. Here we present a self-assembled modular platform that enables the construction of a theoretically unlimited repertoire of siRNA targeted carriers. The self-assembly of the platform is based on a membrane-anchored lipoprotein that is incorporated into siRNA-loaded lipid nanoparticles that interact with the antibody crystallizable fragment (Fc) domain. We show that a simple switch of eight different mAbs redirects the specific uptake of siRNAs by diverse leukocyte subsets in vivo. The therapeutic potential of the platform is demonstrated in an inflammatory bowel disease model by targeting colon macrophages to reduce inflammatory symptoms, and in a Mantle Cell Lymphoma xenograft model by targeting cancer cells to induce cell death and improve survival. This modular delivery platform represents a milestone in the development of precision medicine.

  4. Hyper-spherical harmonics and anharmonics in m-dimensional space

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shojaei, M.R.; Rajabi, A.A.; Hasanabadi, H.

    2008-01-01

    In quantum mechanics the hyper-spherical method is one of the most well-established and successful computational tools. The general theory of harmonic polynomials and hyper-spherical harmonics is of central importance in this paper. The interaction potential V is assumed to depend on the hyper-radius ρ only where ρ is the function of the Jacobi relative coordinate x 1 , x 2 ,…, x n which are functions of the particles' relative positions. (author)

  5. Plasma heating and fuelling in the Globus-M spherical tokamak

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gusev, V.K.; Barsukov, A.G.; Belyakov, V.A.

    2005-01-01

    The results of the last two years of plasma investigations at Globus-M are presented. Described are improvements helping to achieve high performance OH plasmas, which are used as the target for auxiliary heating and fuelling experiments. Increased energy content, high beta poloidal and good confinement are reported. Experiments on NBI plasma heating with a wide range of plasma parameters were performed. Some results are presented and analyzed. Experiments on RF plasma heating in the frequency range of fundamental ion cyclotron harmonics are described. In some experiments which were performed for the first time in spherical tokamaks, promising results were achieved. Noticeable ion heating was recorded at low launched power and a high concentration of hydrogen minority in deuterium plasmas. Simulations of RF wave absorption are briefly discussed. Described also are modification of the plasma gun and test-stand experiments. Fuelling experiments performed at Globus-M are discussed. (author)

  6. Application of identifying transmission spheres for spherical surface testing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Christopher B.; Ye, Xin; Li, Xueyuan; Wang, Quanzhao; Tang, Shouhong; Han, Sen

    2017-06-01

    We developed a new application on Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC) to identify correct transmission spheres (TS) for Spherical Surface Testing (SST). Spherical surfaces are important optical surfaces, and the wide application and high production rate of spherical surfaces necessitates an accurate and highly reliable measuring device. A Fizeau Interferometer is an appropriate tool for SST due to its subnanometer accuracy. It measures the contour of a spherical surface using a common path, which is insensitive to the surrounding circumstances. The Fizeau Interferometer transmits a wide laser beam, creating interference fringes from re-converging light from the transmission sphere and the test surface. To make a successful measurement, the application calculates and determines the appropriate transmission sphere for the test surface. There are 3 main inputs from the test surfaces that are utilized to determine the optimal sizes and F-numbers of the transmission spheres: (1) the curvatures (concave or convex), (2) the Radii of Curvature (ROC), and (3) the aperture sizes. The application will firstly calculate the F-numbers (i.e. ROC divided by aperture) of the test surface, secondly determine the correct aperture size of a convex surface, thirdly verify that the ROC of the test surface must be shorter than the reference surface's ROC of the transmission sphere, and lastly calculate the percentage of area that the test surface will be measured. However, the amount of interferometers and transmission spheres should be optimized when measuring large spherical surfaces to avoid requiring a large amount of interferometers and transmission spheres for each test surface. Current measuring practices involve tedious and potentially inaccurate calculations. This smart application eliminates human calculation errors, optimizes the selection of transmission spheres (including the least number required) and interferometer sizes, and increases efficiency.

  7. National Ignition Facility Target Chamber

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wavrik, R W; Cox, J R; Fleming, P J

    2000-01-01

    On June 11, 1999 the Department of Energy dedicated the single largest piece of the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in Livermore, California. The ten (10) meter diameter aluminum target high vacuum chamber will serve as the working end of the largest laser in the world. The output of 192 laser beams will converge at the precise center of the chamber. The laser beams will enter the chamber in two by two arrays to illuminate 10 millimeter long gold cylinders called hohlraums enclosing 2 millimeter capsule containing deuterium, tritium and isotopes of hydrogen. The two isotopes will fuse, thereby creating temperatures and pressures resembling those found only inside stars and in detonated nuclear weapons, but on a minute scale. The NIF Project will serve as an essential facility to insure safety and reliability of our nation's nuclear arsenal as well as demonstrating inertial fusion's contribution to creating electrical power. The paper will discuss the requirements that had to be addressed during the design, fabrication and testing of the target chamber. A team from Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and LLNL with input from industry performed the configuration and basic design of the target chamber. The method of fabrication and construction of the aluminum target chamber was devised by Pitt-Des Moines, Inc. (PDM). PDM also participated in the design of the chamber in areas such as the Target Chamber Realignment and Adjustment System, which would allow realignment of the sphere laser beams in the event of earth settlement or movement from a seismic event. During the fabrication of the target chamber the sphericity tolerances had to be addressed for the individual plates. Procedures were developed for forming, edge preparation and welding of individual plates. Construction plans were developed to allow the field construction of the target chamber to occur parallel to other NIF construction activities. This was

  8. Neutron production in a spherical phantom aboard ISS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tasbaz, A.; Machrafi, R.

    2012-01-01

    As part of an ongoing research program on radiation monitoring on International Space Station (ISS) that was established to analyze the radiation exposure levels onboard the ISS using different radiation instruments and a spherical phantom to simulate human body. Monte Carlo transport code was used to simulate the interaction of high energy protons and neutrons with the spherical phantom currently onboard ISS. The phantom has been exposed to individual proton energies and to a spectrum of neutrons. The internal to external neutron flux ratio was calculated and compared to the experimental data, recently, measured on the ISS. (author)

  9. Strongly Localized Image States of Spherical Graphitic Particles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Godfrey Gumbs

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available We investigate the localization of charged particles by the image potential of spherical shells, such as fullerene buckyballs. These spherical image states exist within surface potentials formed by the competition between the attractive image potential and the repulsive centripetal force arising from the angular motion. The image potential has a power law rather than a logarithmic behavior. This leads to fundamental differences in the nature of the effective potential for the two geometries. Our calculations have shown that the captured charge is more strongly localized closest to the surface for fullerenes than for cylindrical nanotube.

  10. Impact of carriers in oral absorption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gram, Luise Kvisgaard; Rist, Gerda Marie; Lennernäs, Hans

    2009-01-01

    Carriers may mediate the permeation across enterocytes for drug substances being organic anions. Carrier mediated permeation for the organic anions estrone-3-sulfate (ES) and glipizide across Caco-2 cells were investigated kinetically, and interactions on involved carriers evaluated. Initial...

  11. Mechanisms of Stochastic Diffusion of Energetic Ions in Spherical Tori

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ya.I. Kolesnichenko; R.B. White; Yu.V. Yakovenko

    2001-01-18

    Stochastic diffusion of the energetic ions in spherical tori is considered. The following issues are addressed: (I) Goldston-White-Boozer diffusion in a rippled field; (ii) cyclotron-resonance-induced diffusion caused by the ripple; (iii) effects of non-conservation of the magnetic moment in an axisymmetric field. It is found that the stochastic diffusion in spherical tori with a weak magnetic field has a number of peculiarities in comparison with conventional tokamaks; in particular, it is characterized by an increased role of mechanisms associated with non-conservation of the particle magnetic moment. It is concluded that in current experiments on National Spherical Torus eXperiment (NSTX) the stochastic diffusion does not have a considerable influence on the confinement of energetic ions.

  12. Spherical Projection Based Straight Line Segment Extraction for Single Station Terrestrial Laser Point Cloud

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ZHANG Fan

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Due to the discrete distribution computing errors and lack of adaptability are ubiquitous in the current straight line extraction for TLS data methods. A 3D straight line segment extraction method is proposed based on spherical projection for single station terrestrial laser point clouds. Firstly, horizontal and vertical angles of each laser point are calculated by means of spherical coordinates, intensity panoramic image according to the two angles is generated. Secondly, edges which include straight line features are detected from intensity panoramic image by using of edge detection algorithm. Thirdly, great circles are detected from edges of panoramic image using spherical Hough transform. According to the axiom that a straight line segment in 3D space is a spherical great circle after spherical projection, detecting great circles from spherical projected data sets is essentially detecting straight line segments from 3D data sets without spherical projection. Finally, a robust 3D straight line fitting method is employed to fitting the straight lines and calculating parameters of the straight line segments. Experiments using different data sets and comparison with other methods show the accuracy and applicability of the proposed method.

  13. Influence of atmospheric turbulence on the energy focusability of Gaussian beams with spherical aberration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deng, Jinping; Ji, Xiaoling

    2014-01-01

    By using the four-dimensional (4D) computer code of the time-dependent propagation of laser beams through atmospheric turbulence, the influence of atmospheric turbulence on the energy focusability of Gaussian beams with spherical aberration is studied in detail, where the mean-squared beam width, the power in the bucket (PIB), the β parameter and the energy Strehl ratio are taken as the characteristic parameters. It is shown that turbulence results in beam spreading, and the effect of spherical aberration on the beam spreading decreases due to turbulence. Gaussian beams with negative spherical aberration are more affected by turbulence than those with positive spherical aberration. For the negative spherical aberration case, the focus position moves to the source plane due to turbulence. It is mentioned that the influence of turbulence on the energy focusability defined by a certain energy (i.e. PIB = 63%) is very heavy when the negative spherical aberration is very heavy. On the other hand, the influence of turbulence on the energy focusability defined by the energy within a given bucket radius (i.e. mean-squared beam width) is heaviest when a certain negative spherical aberration coefficient is adopted. (papers)

  14. Carrier-added and no-carrier-added syntheses of [18F]spiroperidol and [18F]haloperidol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kilbourn, M.R.; Welch, M.J.; Dence, C.S.; Tewson, T.J.; Saji, H.; Maeda, M.

    1984-01-01

    Syntheses of [ 18 F]haloperidol and [ 18 F]spiroperidol in both no-carrier-added and carrier-added forms have been accomplished. The no-carrier-added [ 18 F]butyrophenone neuroleptics were prepared in low ( 18 F-neuroleptics were prepared in better (5-17%) yields by 18 F-for- 19 F nucleophilic aromatic substitution. The preparation of all synthetic precursors, and procedures for radiolabeling are fully described. (author)

  15. Repetitive Solid Spherical Pellet Injection and Irradiation toward the Repetitive-mode Fast-Ignition Fusion miniReactor CANDY

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    HANAYAMA, Ryohei; KOMEDA, Osamu; NISHIMURA, Yasuhiko; MORI, Yoshitaka; ISHII, Katsuhiro; NAKAYAMA, Suisei; OKIHARA, Shinichiro; FUJITA, Kazuhisa; SEKINE, Takashi; SATO, Nakahiro; KAWASHIMA, Toshiyuki; KAN, Hirofumi; KURITA, Takashi; NAKAMURA, Naoki; KONDO, Takuya; FUJINE, Manabu; AZUMA, Hirozumi; HIOKI, Tatsumi; KAKENO, Mitsutaka; MOTOHIRO, Tomoyoshi

    2016-01-01

    Pellet injection and repetitive laser illumination are key technologies for realizing inertial fusion energy [1-4]. Neutron generator using lasers also requires a repeating pellet target supplier. Here we present the first demonstration of target injection and neutron generation[5]. We injected more than 1300 spherical deuterated polystyrene(C 8 D 8 ) bead pellet targets during 23 minutes at 1 Hz(Fig. 1). After the pellet targets fell for a distance of 18 cm, we applied the synchronized laser-diode-pumped ultra-intense laser HAMA. The laser intensity at the focal point is 5 x 10 18 W/cm 2 , which is high enough to generate neutrons. As a result of the irradiation, we produced 2.45-MeV DD neutrons. Figure 2 shows the neutron time-of-flight signals detected by plastic scintillators coupled to photomultipliers. The neutron energy was calculated by the time-of-flight method. The maximum neutron yield was 9.5 x 10 4 /4π sr. The result is a step toward fusion power and also suggests possible industrial neutron sources. (paper)

  16. Comparative dynamics analysis on xonotlite spherical particles synthesized via hydrothermal synthesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, F.; Chen, S.; Lin, Q.; Wang, X. D.; Cao, J. X.

    2018-01-01

    The xonotlite crystals were synthesized via the hydrothermal synthesis manner from CaO and SiO2 as the raw materials with their Si/Ca molar ratio of 1.0. Comparative dynamics analysis on xonotlite spherical particles synthesized via hydrothermal synthesis process was explored in this paper. The accuracy of the dynamic equation of xonotlite spherical particles was verified by two methods, one was comparing the production rate of the xonotlite products calculated by the dynamic equation with the experimental values, and the other was comparing the apparent activation energies calculated by the dynamic equation with that calculated by the Kondo model. The results indicated that the production rates of the xonotlite spherical particles calculated by the dynamic equation were in good agreement with the experimental values and the apparent activation energy of the xonotlite spherical particles calculated by dynamic equation (84 kJ·mol-1) was close to that calculated by Kondo model (77 kJ·mol-1), verifying the high accuracy of the dynamic equation.

  17. Simulation Analysis of Spherical Mechanical Seal Property of Marine Stern Shaft

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhou Xu Hui

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The finite element model of spherical mechanical seal wasestablished with ANSYS, and the influence of seawater pressure, shaft speed and other factors on the sealing performance was discussed. The study results show that local contact situation of the spherical mechanical seal is in the outside of the seal rings, and both maximum contact pressure and temperature appearat the same position. As sea water pressure and stern shaft rotary speed are increased, the contact pressure and temperature of the spherical seal surface are raised, and when the contact pressure of seal surface is 0, the spherical seal surface forms two zones including contact one and clearance zone. The former is near the outside of the seal ring, the lateris close to the inside of one. These research results are of important theoretical significance and engineering application value for the development of new kinds of mechanical seals, and improvement of both safety and survivability of underwater vehicles.

  18. 14 CFR 271.4 - Carrier costs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... Aeronautics and Space OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (AVIATION PROCEEDINGS) ECONOMIC REGULATIONS GUIDELINES FOR SUBSIDIZING AIR CARRIERS PROVIDING ESSENTIAL AIR TRANSPORTATION § 271.4 Carrier costs. (a) The reasonable costs projected for a carrier providing essential air service at an eligible...

  19. 14 CFR 271.5 - Carrier revenues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... Aeronautics and Space OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (AVIATION PROCEEDINGS) ECONOMIC REGULATIONS GUIDELINES FOR SUBSIDIZING AIR CARRIERS PROVIDING ESSENTIAL AIR TRANSPORTATION § 271.5 Carrier revenues. (a) The projected passenger revenue for a carrier providing essential air service at an eligible...

  20. Facilitated transport of hydrophilic salts by mixtures of anion and cation carriers and by ditopic carriers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Chrisstoffels, L.A.J.; de Jong, Feike; Reinhoudt, David; Sivelli, Stefano; Gazzola, Licia; Casnati, Alessandro; Ungaro, Rocco

    1999-01-01

    Anion transfer to the membrane phase affects the extraction efficiency of salt transport by cation carriers 1 and 3. Addition of anion receptors 5 or 6 to cation carriers 1, 3, or 4 in the membrane phase enhances the transport of salts under conditions in which the cation carriers alone do not

  1. Characterization of cryogenic direct-drive ICF targets during layering studies and just prior to shot time

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Edgell, D.H.; Seka, W.; Craxton, R.S.; Elasky, L.M.; Harding, D.R.; Keck, R.L.; Lund, L.D.; Wittman, M.D.

    2006-07-13

    The characterization of OMEGA cryogenic targets is based on shadowgraphs obtained from multiple angular views taken with the target in the layering sphere. The D2 ice has been observed to re-layer during slow rotations, leading to procedural changes that avoid re-layering thus ensuring high-quality, spherical-harmonic, 3-D ice layer reconstructions.

  2. Novel spherical hohlraum with cylindrical laser entrance holes and shields

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lan, Ke [Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, Beijing 100088 (China); Center for Applied Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Zheng, Wudi [Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, Beijing 100088 (China)

    2014-09-15

    Our recent works [K. Lan et al., Phys. Plasmas 21, 010704 (2014); K. Lan et al., Phys. Plasmas 21, 052704 (2014)] have shown that the octahedral spherical hohlraums are superior to the cylindrical hohlraums in both higher symmetry during the capsule implosion and lower backscatter without supplementary technology. However, both the coupling efficiency from the drive laser energy to the capsule and the capsule symmetry decrease remarkably when larger laser entrance holes (LEHs) are used. In addition, the laser beams injected at angles > 45° transport close to the hohlraum wall, thus the wall blowoff causes the LEH to close faster and results in strong laser plasma interactions inside the spherical hohlraums. In this letter, we propose a novel octahedral hohlraum with LEH shields and cylindrical LEHs to alleviate these problems. From our theoretical study, with the LEH shields, the laser coupling efficiency is significantly increased and the capsule symmetry is remarkably improved in the spherical hohlraums. The cylindrical LEHs take advantage of the cylindrical hohlraum near the LEH and mitigate the influence of the blowoff on laser transport inside a spherical hohlraum. The cylindrical LEHs can also be applied to the rugby and elliptical hohlraums.

  3. Novel spherical hohlraum with cylindrical laser entrance holes and shields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lan, Ke; Zheng, Wudi

    2014-01-01

    Our recent works [K. Lan et al., Phys. Plasmas 21, 010704 (2014); K. Lan et al., Phys. Plasmas 21, 052704 (2014)] have shown that the octahedral spherical hohlraums are superior to the cylindrical hohlraums in both higher symmetry during the capsule implosion and lower backscatter without supplementary technology. However, both the coupling efficiency from the drive laser energy to the capsule and the capsule symmetry decrease remarkably when larger laser entrance holes (LEHs) are used. In addition, the laser beams injected at angles > 45° transport close to the hohlraum wall, thus the wall blowoff causes the LEH to close faster and results in strong laser plasma interactions inside the spherical hohlraums. In this letter, we propose a novel octahedral hohlraum with LEH shields and cylindrical LEHs to alleviate these problems. From our theoretical study, with the LEH shields, the laser coupling efficiency is significantly increased and the capsule symmetry is remarkably improved in the spherical hohlraums. The cylindrical LEHs take advantage of the cylindrical hohlraum near the LEH and mitigate the influence of the blowoff on laser transport inside a spherical hohlraum. The cylindrical LEHs can also be applied to the rugby and elliptical hohlraums

  4. Investigations of the drift mobility of carriers and density of states in nanocrystalline CdS thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Singh, Baljinder [Department of Physics, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra 136119 (India); Department of Physics, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014 (India); Singh, Janpreet; Kaur, Jagdish [Department of Physics, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014 (India); Moudgil, R.K. [Department of Physics, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra 136119 (India); Tripathi, S.K., E-mail: surya@pu.ac.in [Department of Physics, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014 (India)

    2016-06-01

    Nanocrystalline Cadmium Sulfide (nc-CdS) thin films have been prepared on well-cleaned glass substrate at room temperature (300 K) by thermal evaporation technique using inert gas condensation (IGC) method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis reveals that the films crystallize in hexagonal structure with preferred orientation along [002] direction. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Transmission electron microscope (TEM) studies reveal that grains are spherical in shape and uniformly distributed over the glass substrates. The optical band gap of the film is estimated from the transmittance spectra. Electrical parameters such as Hall coefficient, carrier type, carrier concentration, resistivity and mobility are determined using Hall measurements at 300 K. Transit time and mobility are estimated from Time of Flight (TOF) transient photocurrent technique in gap cell configuration. The measured values of electron drift mobility from TOF and Hall measurements are of the same order. Constant Photocurrent Method in ac-mode (ac-CPM) is used to measure the absorption spectra in low absorption region. By applying derivative method, we have converted the measured absorption data into a density of states (DOS) distribution in the lower part of the energy gap. The value of Urbach energy, steepness parameter and density of defect states have been calculated from the absorption and DOS spectra.

  5. Current drive experiments on the HIT-II spherical torus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jarboe, T.R.; Raman, R.; Nelson, B.A.; Holcomb, C.T.; McCollam, K.J.; Sieck, P.E.

    1999-01-01

    This paper describes the following new achievements from the Helicity Injected Torus (HIT) program: a) formation and sustainment of a toroidal magnetic equilibrium using coaxial helicity injection (CHI) in a conducting shell that has an L/R time much shorter than the pulse length; b) static formation of a spherical torus with plasma current over 180 kA using a transformer and feedback controlled equilibrium coils; and c) production of a current increase in a transformer produced spherical torus using CHI. (author)

  6. Current drive experiments on the HIT-II spherical torus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jarboe, T.; Raman, R.; Nelson, B.; Holcomb, C.T.; McCollam, K.J.; Sieck, P.E.

    2001-01-01

    This paper describes the following new achievements from the Helicity Injected Torus (HIT) program: a) formation and sustainment of a toroidal magnetic equilibrium using coaxial helicity injection (CHI) in a conducting shell that has an L/R time much shorter than the pulse length; b) static formation of a spherical torus with plasma current over 180 kA using a transformer and feedback controlled equilibrium coils; and c) production of a current increase in a transformer produced spherical torus using CHI. (author)

  7. Positivity of the spherically averaged atomic one-electron density

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fournais, Søren; Hoffmann-Ostenhof, Maria; Hoffmann-Ostenhof, Thomas

    2008-01-01

    We investigate the positivity of the spherically averaged atomic one-electron density . For a which stems from a physical ground state we prove that for r ≥  0. This article may be reproduced in its entirety for non-commercial purposes.......We investigate the positivity of the spherically averaged atomic one-electron density . For a which stems from a physical ground state we prove that for r ≥  0. This article may be reproduced in its entirety for non-commercial purposes....

  8. Minimum Q Electrically Small Spherical Magnetic Dipole Antenna - Theory

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Breinbjerg, Olav; Kim, Oleksiy S.

    2009-01-01

    The stored energies, radiated power, and quality factor of a magnetic-dipole antenna, consisting of a spherical electrical surface current density enclosing a magnetic core, is obtained through direct spatial integration of the internally and externally radiated field expressed in terms...... of spherical vector waves. The obtained quality factor agrees with that of Wheeler and Thal for vanishing free-space electric radius but holds also for larger radii and facilitates the optimal choice of permeability in the presence of the resonances....

  9. Spherical grating spectrometers

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Donoghue, Darragh; Clemens, J. Christopher

    2014-07-01

    We describe designs for spectrometers employing convex dispersers. The Offner spectrometer was the first such instrument; it has almost exclusively been employed on satellite platforms, and has had little impact on ground-based instruments. We have learned how to fabricate curved Volume Phase Holographic (VPH) gratings and, in contrast to the planar gratings of traditional spectrometers, describe how such devices can be used in optical/infrared spectrometers designed specifically for curved diffraction gratings. Volume Phase Holographic gratings are highly efficient compared to conventional surface relief gratings; they have become the disperser of choice in optical / NIR spectrometers. The advantage of spectrometers with curved VPH dispersers is the very small number of optical elements used (the simplest comprising a grating and a spherical mirror), as well as illumination of mirrors off axis, resulting in greater efficiency and reduction in size. We describe a "Half Offner" spectrometer, an even simpler version of the Offner spectrometer. We present an entirely novel design, the Spherical Transmission Grating Spectrometer (STGS), and discuss exemplary applications, including a design for a double-beam spectrometer without any requirement for a dichroic. This paradigm change in spectrometer design offers an alternative to all-refractive astronomical spectrometer designs, using expensive, fragile lens elements fabricated from CaF2 or even more exotic materials. The unobscured mirror layout avoids a major drawback of the previous generation of catadioptric spectrometer designs. We describe laboratory measurements of the efficiency and image quality of a curved VPH grating in a STGS design, demonstrating, simultaneously, efficiency comparable to planar VPH gratings along with good image quality. The stage is now set for construction of a prototype instrument with impressive performance.

  10. Relative Pose Estimation and Accuracy Verification of Spherical Panoramic Image

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    XIE Donghai

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available This paper improves the method of the traditional 5-point relative pose estimation algorithm, and proposes a relative pose estimation algorithm which is suitable for spherical panoramic images. The algorithm firstly computes the essential matrix, then decomposes the essential matrix to obtain the rotation matrix and the translation vector using SVD, and finally the reconstructed three-dimensional points are used to eliminate the error solution. The innovation of the algorithm lies the derivation of panorama epipolar formula and the use of the spherical distance from the point to the epipolar plane as the error term for the spherical panorama co-planarity function. The simulation experiment shows that when the random noise of the image feature points is within the range of pixel, the error of the three Euler angles is about 0.1°, and the error between the relative translational displacement and the simulated value is about 1.5°. The result of the experiment using the data obtained by the vehicle panorama camera and the POS shows that:the error of the roll angle and pitch angle can be within 0.2°, the error of the heading angle can be within 0.4°, and the error between the relative translational displacement and the POS can be within 2°. The result of our relative pose estimation algorithm is used to generate the spherical panoramic epipolar images, then we extract the key points between the spherical panoramic images and calculate the errors in the column direction. The result shows that the errors is less than 1 pixel.

  11. Water hammer caused by closure of turbine safety spherical valves

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karadžić, U.; Bergant, A.; Vukoslavčević, P.

    2010-08-01

    This paper investigates water hammer effects caused by closure of spherical valves against the discharge. During the first phase of modernisation of Perućica high-head hydropower plant (HPP), Montenegro, safety spherical valves (inlet turbine valves) have been refurbished on the first two Pelton turbine units. The valve closure is controlled by the valve actuator (hydraulic servomotor). Because the torque acting on the valve body is dependent on flow conditions the valve closing time may vary significantly for different flow velocities (passive valve). For the passive valve the torques acting on the valve body should be considered in the valve model. The valve closing time results from numerical simulation. On the contrary, for the active valve the valve closing time is assumed prior to simulation. The spherical valve boundary condition is incorporated into the method of characteristics (MOC) algorithm. The staggered (diamond) grid in applying the MOC is used in this paper. The passive valve boundary condition is described by the water hammer equations, the valve equation that relates discharge to pressure head drop and the dynamic equation of the valve body motion (torque equation). The active valve boundary condition is described by the first two equations, respectively. Standard quasi-steady friction model is used for estimating friction losses in plant's tunnel and penstocks. Numerical results using both the active and the passive spherical valve models are compared with results of measurements. It has been found that the influence of flow conditions on the spherical valve closing time is minor for the cases considered. Computed and measured results agree reasonably well.

  12. Water hammer caused by closure of turbine safety spherical valves

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karadzic, U; Vukoslavcevic, P; Bergant, A

    2010-01-01

    This paper investigates water hammer effects caused by closure of spherical valves against the discharge. During the first phase of modernisation of Perucica high-head hydropower plant (HPP), Montenegro, safety spherical valves (inlet turbine valves) have been refurbished on the first two Pelton turbine units. The valve closure is controlled by the valve actuator (hydraulic servomotor). Because the torque acting on the valve body is dependent on flow conditions the valve closing time may vary significantly for different flow velocities (passive valve). For the passive valve the torques acting on the valve body should be considered in the valve model. The valve closing time results from numerical simulation. On the contrary, for the active valve the valve closing time is assumed prior to simulation. The spherical valve boundary condition is incorporated into the method of characteristics (MOC) algorithm. The staggered (diamond) grid in applying the MOC is used in this paper. The passive valve boundary condition is described by the water hammer equations, the valve equation that relates discharge to pressure head drop and the dynamic equation of the valve body motion (torque equation). The active valve boundary condition is described by the first two equations, respectively. Standard quasi-steady friction model is used for estimating friction losses in plant's tunnel and penstocks. Numerical results using both the active and the passive spherical valve models are compared with results of measurements. It has been found that the influence of flow conditions on the spherical valve closing time is minor for the cases considered. Computed and measured results agree reasonably well.

  13. Water hammer caused by closure of turbine safety spherical valves

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Karadzic, U; Vukoslavcevic, P [Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Montenegro Dzordza Vasingtona nn, Podgorica, 81000 (Montenegro); Bergant, A, E-mail: uros.karadzic@ac.m [LitostrojPower d.o.o., Litostrojska 50, Ljubljana, 1000 (Slovenia)

    2010-08-15

    This paper investigates water hammer effects caused by closure of spherical valves against the discharge. During the first phase of modernisation of Perucica high-head hydropower plant (HPP), Montenegro, safety spherical valves (inlet turbine valves) have been refurbished on the first two Pelton turbine units. The valve closure is controlled by the valve actuator (hydraulic servomotor). Because the torque acting on the valve body is dependent on flow conditions the valve closing time may vary significantly for different flow velocities (passive valve). For the passive valve the torques acting on the valve body should be considered in the valve model. The valve closing time results from numerical simulation. On the contrary, for the active valve the valve closing time is assumed prior to simulation. The spherical valve boundary condition is incorporated into the method of characteristics (MOC) algorithm. The staggered (diamond) grid in applying the MOC is used in this paper. The passive valve boundary condition is described by the water hammer equations, the valve equation that relates discharge to pressure head drop and the dynamic equation of the valve body motion (torque equation). The active valve boundary condition is described by the first two equations, respectively. Standard quasi-steady friction model is used for estimating friction losses in plant's tunnel and penstocks. Numerical results using both the active and the passive spherical valve models are compared with results of measurements. It has been found that the influence of flow conditions on the spherical valve closing time is minor for the cases considered. Computed and measured results agree reasonably well.

  14. Fabrication and electromechanical examination of a spherical dielectric elastomer actuator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmadi, S; Gooyers, M; Soleimani, M; Menon, C

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, a procedure for fabricating and testing a seamless spherical dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) is presented. In previously developed spherical prototypes, the DEA material is pre-strained by a rigid frame to improve the actuator’s output force; however, it is possible to pre-strain a spherical DEA by inflating the sample with a liquid or gas as long as the sample contains the pressure. In this work, a very compliant silicone-based material was used to fabricate a nearly spherical balloon-shaped prototype. The DEA sample was inflated by air and various electrical-actuation regimes were considered. The performance of the DEA sample was studied using an analytical and a finite element-based model. An Ogden hyperelastic model was used in formulation of the analytical model to include nonlinear behavior of the silicone material. Full statistical analysis of the experimental and numerical results was carried out using the root-mean-square (RMS) error and the normalized RMS error. The analytical and FEM results were in good agreement with the experimental data. According to modeling results, it was found that the DEA’s actuation force can be mainly improved by increasing the voltage, reducing the thickness, lowering the stiffness, and/or increasing the initial pressure. As an example, a three-fold increase of the actuation force was found when the thickness was reduced to half of its initial value. This improvement of the efficiency suggests that the spherical DEA is suitable for use in several applications if an appropriate design with optimal governing parameters is developed. (paper)

  15. Carrier-added and no-carrier-added syntheses of (/sup 18/F)spiroperidol and (/sub 18/F)haloperidol

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kilbourn, M R; Welch, M J; Dence, C S; Tewson, T J; Saji, H; Maeda, M

    1984-07-01

    Syntheses of (18F)haloperidol and (18F)spiroperidol in both no-carrier-added and carrier-added forms have been accomplished. The no-carrier-added (18F)butyrophenone neuroleptics were prepared in low (less than 2%) yield by acid decomposition of aryl piperidine triazenes. Carrier-added 18F-neuroleptics were prepared in better (5-17%) yields by 18F-for-19F nucleophilic aromatic substitution. The preparation of all synthetic precursors, and procedures for radiolabeling are fully described.

  16. Double phi-Step theta-Scanning Technique for Spherical Near-Field Antenna Measurements

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Laitinen, Tommi

    2008-01-01

    Probe-corrected spherical near-field antenna measurements with an arbitrary probe set certain requirements on an applicable scanning technique. The computational complexity of the general high-order probe correction technique for an arbitrary probe, that is based on the Phi scanning, is O(N4...... a specific double Phi-step thetas scanning technique for spherical near-field antenna measurements. This technique not only constitutes an alternative spherical scanning technique, but it also enables formulating an associated probe correction technique for arbitrary probes with the computational complexity...

  17. Market response to external events and interventions in spherical minority games

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Papadopoulos, P; Coolen, A C C

    2008-01-01

    We solve the dynamics of large spherical minority games (MG) in the presence of non-negligible time-dependent external contributions to the overall market bid. The latter represent the actions of market regulators or other major natural or political events that impact on the market. In contrast to non-spherical MGs, the spherical formulation allows one to derive closed dynamical order parameter equations in an explicit form and work out the market's response to such events fully analytically. We focus on a comparison between the response to stationary versus oscillating market interventions, and reveal profound and partially unexpected differences in terms of transition lines and the volatility

  18. Fusion potential for spherical and compact tokamaks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sandzelius, Mikael

    2003-02-01

    The tokamak is the most successful fusion experiment today. Despite this, the conventional tokamak has a long way to go before being realized into an economically viable power plant. In this master thesis work, two alternative tokamak configurations to the conventional tokamak has been studied, both of which could be realized to a lower cost. The fusion potential of the spherical and the compact tokamak have been examined with a comparison of the conventional tokamak in mind. The difficulties arising in the two configurations have been treated from a physical point of view concerning the fusion plasma and from a technological standpoint evolving around design, materials and engineering. Both advantages and drawbacks of either configuration have been treated relative to the conventional tokamak. The spherical tokamak shows promising plasma characteristics, notably a high β-value but have troubles with high heat loads and marginal tritium breeding. The compact tokamak operates at a high plasma density and a high magnetic field enabling it to be built considerably smaller than any other tokamak. The most notable down-side being high heat loads and neutron transport problems. With the help of theoretical reactor studies, extrapolating from where we stand today, it is conceivable that the spherical tokamak is closer of being realized of the two. But, as this study shows, the compact tokamak power plant concept offers the most appealing prospect

  19. Fusion potential for spherical and compact tokamaks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sandzelius, Mikael

    2003-02-01

    The tokamak is the most successful fusion experiment today. Despite this, the conventional tokamak has a long way to go before being realized into an economically viable power plant. In this master thesis work, two alternative tokamak configurations to the conventional tokamak has been studied, both of which could be realized to a lower cost. The fusion potential of the spherical and the compact tokamak have been examined with a comparison of the conventional tokamak in mind. The difficulties arising in the two configurations have been treated from a physical point of view concerning the fusion plasma and from a technological standpoint evolving around design, materials and engineering. Both advantages and drawbacks of either configuration have been treated relative to the conventional tokamak. The spherical tokamak shows promising plasma characteristics, notably a high {beta}-value but have troubles with high heat loads and marginal tritium breeding. The compact tokamak operates at a high plasma density and a high magnetic field enabling it to be built considerably smaller than any other tokamak. The most notable down-side being high heat loads and neutron transport problems. With the help of theoretical reactor studies, extrapolating from where we stand today, it is conceivable that the spherical tokamak is closer of being realized of the two. But, as this study shows, the compact tokamak power plant concept offers the most appealing prospect.

  20. Sphericity in the interacting boson model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ogata, H.

    1977-01-01

    The interacting boson model (IBM) of Arima and Iachello is examined. The transition between the rotational and vibrational modes of even-even nuclei is presented as a function of a sphericity parameter, which is determined primarily from yrast band spectra. The backbending feature is reasonably reproduced. (author)