Spatial signals link exit from mitosis to spindle position.

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Falk, Jill Elaine; Tsuchiya, Dai; Verdaasdonk, Jolien; Lacefield, Soni; Bloom, Kerry; Amon, Angelika

2016-05-11

In budding yeast, if the spindle becomes mispositioned, cells prevent exit from mitosis by inhibiting the mitotic exit network (MEN). The MEN is a signaling cascade that localizes to spindle pole bodies (SPBs) and activates the phosphatase Cdc14. There are two competing models that explain MEN regulation by spindle position. In the 'zone model', exit from mitosis occurs when a MEN-bearing SPB enters the bud. The 'cMT-bud neck model' posits that cytoplasmic microtubule (cMT)-bud neck interactions prevent MEN activity. Here we find that 1) eliminating cMT- bud neck interactions does not trigger exit from mitosis and 2) loss of these interactions does not precede Cdc14 activation. Furthermore, using binucleate cells, we show that exit from mitosis occurs when one SPB enters the bud despite the presence of a mispositioned spindle. We conclude that exit from mitosis is triggered by a correctly positioned spindle rather than inhibited by improper spindle position.

The fission yeast spindle orientation checkpoint: a model that generates tension?

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Gachet, Yannick; Reyes, Céline; Goldstone, Sherilyn; Tournier, Sylvie

2006-10-15

In all eukaryotes, the alignment of the mitotic spindle with the axis of cell polarity is essential for accurate chromosome segregation as well as for the establishment of cell fate, and thus morphogenesis, during development. Studies in invertebrates, higher eukaryotes and yeast suggest that astral microtubules interact with the cell cortex to position the spindle. These microtubules are thought to impose pushing or pulling forces on the spindle poles to affect the rotation or movement of the spindle. In the fission yeast model, where cell division is symmetrical, spindle rotation is dependent on the interaction of astral microtubules with the cortical actin cytoskeleton. In these cells, a bub1-dependent mitotic checkpoint, the spindle orientation checkpoint (SOC), is activated when the spindles fail to align with the cell polarity axis. In this paper we review the mechanism that orientates the spindle during mitosis in fission yeast, and discuss the consequences of misorientation on metaphase progression. Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Abnormal spindle orientation during microsporogenesis in an interspecific Brachiaria (Gramineae hybrid

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Andréa Beatriz Mendes-Bonato

2006-01-01

Full Text Available This paper reports a case of abnormal spindle orientation during microsporogenesis in an interspecific hybrid of the tropical grass Brachiaria. In the affected plant, prophase I was normal. In metaphase I, bivalents were regularly co-oriented but distantly positioned and spread over the equatorial plate. In anaphase I, chromosomes failed to converge into focused poles due to parallel spindle fibers. As a consequence, in telophase I, an elongated nucleus or several micronuclei were observed in each pole. In the second division, the behavior was the same, leading to polyads with several micronuclei. A total of 40% of meiotic products were affected. The use of this hybrid in production systems needing good-quality seeds is discussed.

A Bipolar Spindle of Antiparallel ParM Filaments Drives Bacterial Plasmid Segregation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gayathri, P; Fujii, T; Møller-Jensen, Jakob

2012-01-01

the spindle between ParRC complexes on sister plasmids. Using a combination of structural work and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, we show that ParRC bound and could accelerate growth at only one end of polar ParM filaments, mechanistically resembling eukaryotic formins. The architecture...... of ParM filaments enabled two ParRC-bound filaments to associate in an antiparallel orientation, forming a bipolar spindle. The spindle elongated as a bundle of at least two antiparallel filaments, thereby pushing two plasmid clusters toward the poles....

Warts phosphorylates mud to promote pins-mediated mitotic spindle orientation in Drosophila, independent of Yorkie.

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Dewey, Evan B; Sanchez, Desiree; Johnston, Christopher A

2015-11-02

Multicellular animals have evolved conserved signaling pathways that translate cell polarity cues into mitotic spindle positioning to control the orientation of cell division within complex tissue structures. These oriented cell divisions are essential for the development of cell diversity and the maintenance of tissue homeostasis. Despite intense efforts, the molecular mechanisms that control spindle orientation remain incompletely defined. Here, we describe a role for the Hippo (Hpo) kinase complex in promoting Partner of Inscuteable (Pins)-mediated spindle orientation. Knockdown of Hpo, Salvador (Sav), or Warts (Wts) each result in a partial loss of spindle orientation, a phenotype previously described following loss of the Pins-binding protein Mushroom body defect (Mud). Similar to orthologs spanning yeast to mammals, Wts kinase localizes to mitotic spindle poles, a prominent site of Mud localization. Wts directly phosphorylates Mud in vitro within its C-terminal coiled-coil domain. This Mud coiled-coil domain directly binds the adjacent Pins-binding domain to dampen the Pins/Mud interaction, and Wts-mediated phosphorylation uncouples this intramolecular Mud interaction. Loss of Wts prevents cortical Pins/Mud association without affecting Mud accumulation at spindle poles, suggesting phosphorylation acts as a molecular switch to specifically activate cortical Mud function. Finally, loss of Wts in Drosophila imaginal disc epithelial cells results in diminished cortical Mud and defective planar spindle orientation. Our results provide new insights into the molecular basis for dynamic regulation of the cortical Pins/Mud spindle positioning complex and highlight a novel link with an essential, evolutionarily conserved cell proliferation pathway. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mitotic Spindle Asymmetry: A Wnt/PCP-Regulated Mechanism Generating Asymmetrical Division in Cortical Precursors

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Delphine Delaunay

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The regulation of asymmetric cell division (ACD during corticogenesis is incompletely understood. We document that spindle-size asymmetry (SSA between the two poles occurs during corticogenesis and parallels ACD. SSA appears at metaphase and is maintained throughout division, and we show it is necessary for proper neurogenesis. Imaging of spindle behavior and division outcome reveals that neurons preferentially arise from the larger-spindle pole. Mechanistically, SSA magnitude is controlled by Wnt7a and Vangl2, both members of the Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP-signaling pathway, and relayed to the cell cortex by P-ERM proteins. In vivo, Vangl2 and P-ERM downregulation promotes early cell-cycle exit and prevents the proper generation of late-born neurons. Thus, SSA is a core component of ACD that is conserved in invertebrates and vertebrates and plays a key role in the tight spatiotemporal control of self-renewal and differentiation during mammalian corticogenesis.

Critical Importance of Protein 4.1 in Centrosome and Mitiotic Spindle Aberrations in Breast Cancer Pathogenesis

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Krauss, Sharon W

2005-01-01

Important pathological hallmarks of many breast cancers include centrosome amplification, spindle pole defects leading to aberrant chromosome segregation, altered nucleoskeletal proteins and perturbed cytokinesis...

Sme4 coiled-coil protein mediates synaptonemal complex assembly, recombinosome relocalization, and spindle pole body morphogenesis.

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Espagne, Eric; Vasnier, Christelle; Storlazzi, Aurora; Kleckner, Nancy E; Silar, Philippe; Zickler, Denise; Malagnac, Fabienne

2011-06-28

We identify a large coiled-coil protein, Sme4/PaMe4, that is highly conserved among the large group of Sordariales and plays central roles in two temporally and functionally distinct aspects of the fungal sexual cycle: first as a component of the meiotic synaptonemal complex (SC) and then, after disappearing and reappearing, as a component of the spindle pole body (SPB). In both cases, the protein mediates spatial juxtaposition of two major structures: linkage of homolog axes through the SC and a change in the SPB from a planar to a bent conformation. Corresponding mutants exhibit defects, respectively, in SC and SPB morphogenesis, with downstream consequences for recombination and astral-microtubule nucleation plus postmeiotic nuclear migration. Sme4 is also required for reorganization of recombination complexes in which Rad51, Mer3, and Msh4 foci relocalize from an on-axis position to a between-axis (on-SC) position concomitant with SC installation. Because involved recombinosome foci represent total recombinational interactions, these dynamics are irrespective of their designation for maturation into cross-overs or noncross-overs. The defined dual roles for Sme4 in two different structures that function at distinct phases of the sexual cycle also provide more functional links and evolutionary dynamics among the nuclear envelope, SPB, and SC.

Dissecting the function and assembly of acentriolar microtubule organizing centers in Drosophila cells in vivo.

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Janina Baumbach

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Acentriolar microtubule organizing centers (aMTOCs are formed during meiosis and mitosis in several cell types, but their function and assembly mechanism is unclear. Importantly, aMTOCs can be overactive in cancer cells, enhancing multipolar spindle formation, merotelic kinetochore attachment and aneuploidy. Here we show that aMTOCs can form in acentriolar Drosophila somatic cells in vivo via an assembly pathway that depends on Asl, Cnn and, to a lesser extent, Spd-2--the same proteins that appear to drive mitotic centrosome assembly in flies. This finding enabled us to ablate aMTOC formation in acentriolar cells, and so perform a detailed genetic analysis of the contribution of aMTOCs to acentriolar mitotic spindle formation. Here we show that although aMTOCs can nucleate microtubules, they do not detectably increase the efficiency of acentriolar spindle assembly in somatic fly cells. We find that they are required, however, for robust microtubule array assembly in cells without centrioles that also lack microtubule nucleation from around the chromatin. Importantly, aMTOCs are also essential for dynein-dependent acentriolar spindle pole focusing and for robust cell proliferation in the absence of centrioles and HSET/Ncd (a kinesin essential for acentriolar spindle pole focusing in many systems. We propose an updated model for acentriolar spindle pole coalescence by the molecular motors Ncd/HSET and dynein in conjunction with aMTOCs.

The structure of the mitotic spindle and nucleolus during mitosis in the amebo-flagellate Naegleria.

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Walsh, Charles J

2012-01-01

Mitosis in the amebo-flagellate Naegleria pringsheimi is acentrosomal and closed (the nuclear membrane does not break down). The large central nucleolus, which occupies about 20% of the nuclear volume, persists throughout the cell cycle. At mitosis, the nucleolus divides and moves to the poles in association with the chromosomes. The structure of the mitotic spindle and its relationship to the nucleolus are unknown. To identify the origin and structure of the mitotic spindle, its relationship to the nucleolus and to further understand the influence of persistent nucleoli on cellular division in acentriolar organisms like Naegleria, three-dimensional reconstructions of the mitotic spindle and nucleolus were carried out using confocal microscopy. Monoclonal antibodies against three different nucleolar regions and α-tubulin were used to image the nucleolus and mitotic spindle. Microtubules were restricted to the nucleolus beginning with the earliest prophase spindle microtubules. Early spindle microtubules were seen as short rods on the surface of the nucleolus. Elongation of the spindle microtubules resulted in a rough cage of microtubules surrounding the nucleolus. At metaphase, the mitotic spindle formed a broad band completely embedded within the nucleolus. The nucleolus separated into two discreet masses connected by a dense band of microtubules as the spindle elongated. At telophase, the distal ends of the mitotic spindle were still completely embedded within the daughter nucleoli. Pixel by pixel comparison of tubulin and nucleolar protein fluorescence showed 70% or more of tubulin co-localized with nucleolar proteins by early prophase. These observations suggest a model in which specific nucleolar binding sites for microtubules allow mitotic spindle formation and attachment. The fact that a significant mass of nucleolar material precedes the chromosomes as the mitotic spindle elongates suggests that spindle elongation drives nucleolar division.

Relations between ultrastructure of mitotic spindle and chromosome translocation

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Jadwiga A. Tarkowska

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Dividing endosperm cells of Haemanthus katherinae Bak. treated with an 0.25 per cent mixture of water-soluble glycosides from Nerium oleander were insepected in a light microscope (LM and severe disturbances were found in all phases of mitosis. The same cells were observed in the electron microscope (EM and relations were noted and analysed between the chromosome arrangement and the submicroscopic structure of the mitotuc spindle. The successive steps in the disintegration of the formed spindle are described: fragmentatiun of all microtubules (MTs starting from the poles, disappearance of non-kinetachore MTs and further the external MTs of the kineto,chore bundle. The central (internal parallel ones remain the longest at the kinerf,ochares. Oleander glycosides cause disintegration of the existing MTs and prevent formation of new ones. The causes of restitution transformations in the successive phases of mitosis are discussed.

EFHC1, a protein mutated in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, associates with the mitotic spindle through its N-terminus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nijs, Laurence de; Lakaye, Bernard; Coumans, Bernard; Leon, Christine; Ikeda, Takashi; Delgado-Escueta, Antonio V.; Grisar, Thierry; Chanas, Grazyna

2006-01-01

A novel gene, EFHC1, mutated in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) encodes a protein with three DM10 domains of unknown function and one putative EF-hand motif. To study the properties of EFHC1, we expressed EGFP-tagged protein in various cell lines. In interphase cells, the fusion protein was present in the cytoplasm and in the nucleus with specific accumulation at the centrosome. During mitosis EGFP-EFHC1 colocalized with the mitotic spindle, especially at spindle poles and with the midbody during cytokinesis. Using a specific antibody, we demonstrated the same distribution of the endogenous protein. Deletion analyses revealed that the N-terminal region of EFHC1 is crucial for the association with the mitotic spindle and the midbody. Our results suggest that EFHC1 could play an important role during cell division

Spindle pole body-anchored Kar3 drives the nucleus along microtubules from another nucleus in preparation for nuclear fusion during yeast karyogamy.

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Gibeaux, Romain; Politi, Antonio Z; Nédélec, François; Antony, Claude; Knop, Michael

2013-02-01

Nuclear migration during yeast karyogamy, termed nuclear congression, is required to initiate nuclear fusion. Congression involves a specific regulation of the microtubule minus end-directed kinesin-14 motor Kar3 and a rearrangement of the cytoplasmic microtubule attachment sites at the spindle pole bodies (SPBs). However, how these elements interact to produce the forces necessary for nuclear migration is less clear. We used electron tomography, molecular genetics, quantitative imaging, and first principles modeling to investigate how cytoplasmic microtubules are organized during nuclear congression. We found that Kar3, with the help of its light chain, Cik1, is anchored during mating to the SPB component Spc72 that also serves as a nucleator and anchor for microtubules via their minus ends. Moreover, we show that no direct microtubule-microtubule interactions are required for nuclear migration. Instead, SPB-anchored Kar3 exerts the necessary pulling forces laterally on microtubules emanating from the SPB of the mating partner nucleus. Therefore, a twofold symmetrical application of the core principle that drives nuclear migration in higher cells is used in yeast to drive nuclei toward each other before nuclear fusion.

Automated high-throughput quantification of mitotic spindle positioning from DIC movies of Caenorhabditis embryos.

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David Cluet

Full Text Available The mitotic spindle is a microtubule-based structure that elongates to accurately segregate chromosomes during anaphase. Its position within the cell also dictates the future cell cleavage plan, thereby determining daughter cell orientation within a tissue or cell fate adoption for polarized cells. Therefore, the mitotic spindle ensures at the same time proper cell division and developmental precision. Consequently, spindle dynamics is the matter of intensive research. Among the different cellular models that have been explored, the one-cell stage C. elegans embryo has been an essential and powerful system to dissect the molecular and biophysical basis of spindle elongation and positioning. Indeed, in this large and transparent cell, spindle poles (or centrosomes can be easily detected from simple DIC microscopy by human eyes. To perform quantitative and high-throughput analysis of spindle motion, we developed a computer program ACT for Automated-Centrosome-Tracking from DIC movies of C. elegans embryos. We therefore offer an alternative to the image acquisition and processing of transgenic lines expressing fluorescent spindle markers. Consequently, experiments on large sets of cells can be performed with a simple setup using inexpensive microscopes. Moreover, analysis of any mutant or wild-type backgrounds is accessible because laborious rounds of crosses with transgenic lines become unnecessary. Last, our program allows spindle detection in other nematode species, offering the same quality of DIC images but for which techniques of transgenesis are not accessible. Thus, our program also opens the way towards a quantitative evolutionary approach of spindle dynamics. Overall, our computer program is a unique macro for the image- and movie-processing platform ImageJ. It is user-friendly and freely available under an open-source licence. ACT allows batch-wise analysis of large sets of mitosis events. Within 2 minutes, a single movie is processed

Structures of actin-like ParM filaments show architecture of plasmid-segregating spindles.

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Bharat, Tanmay A M; Murshudov, Garib N; Sachse, Carsten; Löwe, Jan

2015-07-02

Active segregation of Escherichia coli low-copy-number plasmid R1 involves formation of a bipolar spindle made of left-handed double-helical actin-like ParM filaments. ParR links the filaments with centromeric parC plasmid DNA, while facilitating the addition of subunits to ParM filaments. Growing ParMRC spindles push sister plasmids to the cell poles. Here, using modern electron cryomicroscopy methods, we investigate the structures and arrangements of ParM filaments in vitro and in cells, revealing at near-atomic resolution how subunits and filaments come together to produce the simplest known mitotic machinery. To understand the mechanism of dynamic instability, we determine structures of ParM filaments in different nucleotide states. The structure of filaments bound to the ATP analogue AMPPNP is determined at 4.3 Å resolution and refined. The ParM filament structure shows strong longitudinal interfaces and weaker lateral interactions. Also using electron cryomicroscopy, we reconstruct ParM doublets forming antiparallel spindles. Finally, with whole-cell electron cryotomography, we show that doublets are abundant in bacterial cells containing low-copy-number plasmids with the ParMRC locus, leading to an asynchronous model of R1 plasmid segregation.

Regulation of mitosis by the NIMA kinase involves TINA and its newly discovered partner, An-WDR8, at spindle pole bodies

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Shen, Kuo-Fang; Osmani, Stephen A.

2013-01-01

The NIMA kinase is required for mitotic nuclear pore complex disassembly and potentially controls other mitotic-specific events. To investigate this possibility, we imaged NIMA–green fluorescent protein (GFP) using four-dimensional spinning disk confocal microscopy. At mitosis NIMA-GFP locates to spindle pole bodies (SPBs), which contain Cdk1/cyclin B, followed by Aurora, TINA, and the BimC kinesin. NIMA promotes NPC disassembly in a spatially regulated manner starting near SPBs. NIMA is also required for TINA, a NIMA-interacting protein, to locate to SPBs during initiation of mitosis, and TINA is then necessary for locating NIMA back to SPBs during mitotic progression. To help expand the NIMA-TINA pathway, we affinity purified TINA and found it to uniquely copurify with An-WDR8, a WD40-domain protein conserved from humans to plants. Like TINA, An-WDR8 accumulates within nuclei during G2 but disperses from nuclei before locating to mitotic SPBs. Without An-WDR8, TINA levels are greatly reduced, whereas TINA is necessary for mitotic targeting of An-WDR8. Finally, we show that TINA is required to anchor mitotic microtubules to SPBs and, in combination with An-WDR8, for successful mitosis. The findings provide new insights into SPB targeting and indicate that the mitotic microtubule-anchoring system at SPBs involves WDR8 in complex with TINA. PMID:24152731

Nap sleep spindle correlates of intelligence.

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Ujma, Péter P; Bódizs, Róbert; Gombos, Ferenc; Stintzing, Johannes; Konrad, Boris N; Genzel, Lisa; Steiger, Axel; Dresler, Martin

2015-11-26

Sleep spindles are thalamocortical oscillations in non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, that play an important role in sleep-related neuroplasticity and offline information processing. Several studies with full-night sleep recordings have reported a positive association between sleep spindles and fluid intelligence scores, however more recently it has been shown that only few sleep spindle measures correlate with intelligence in females, and none in males. Sleep spindle regulation underlies a circadian rhythm, however the association between spindles and intelligence has not been investigated in daytime nap sleep so far. In a sample of 86 healthy male human subjects, we investigated the correlation between fluid intelligence and sleep spindle parameters in an afternoon nap of 100 minutes. Mean sleep spindle length, amplitude and density were computed for each subject and for each derivation for both slow and fast spindles. A positive association was found between intelligence and slow spindle duration, but not any other sleep spindle parameter. As a positive correlation between intelligence and slow sleep spindle duration in full-night polysomnography has only been reported in females but not males, our results suggest that the association between intelligence and sleep spindles is more complex than previously assumed.

The SUN protein Mps3 is required for spindle pole body insertion into the nuclear membrane and nuclear envelope homeostasis.

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Jennifer M Friederichs

2011-11-01

Full Text Available The budding yeast spindle pole body (SPB is anchored in the nuclear envelope so that it can simultaneously nucleate both nuclear and cytoplasmic microtubules. During SPB duplication, the newly formed SPB is inserted into the nuclear membrane. The mechanism of SPB insertion is poorly understood but likely involves the action of integral membrane proteins to mediate changes in the nuclear envelope itself, such as fusion of the inner and outer nuclear membranes. Analysis of the functional domains of the budding yeast SUN protein and SPB component Mps3 revealed that most regions are not essential for growth or SPB duplication under wild-type conditions. However, a novel dominant allele in the P-loop region, MPS3-G186K, displays defects in multiple steps in SPB duplication, including SPB insertion, indicating a previously unknown role for Mps3 in this step of SPB assembly. Characterization of the MPS3-G186K mutant by electron microscopy revealed severe over-proliferation of the inner nuclear membrane, which could be rescued by altering the characteristics of the nuclear envelope using both chemical and genetic methods. Lipid profiling revealed that cells lacking MPS3 contain abnormal amounts of certain types of polar and neutral lipids, and deletion or mutation of MPS3 can suppress growth defects associated with inhibition of sterol biosynthesis, suggesting that Mps3 directly affects lipid homeostasis. Therefore, we propose that Mps3 facilitates insertion of SPBs in the nuclear membrane by modulating nuclear envelope composition.

Gas bubble coalescence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ganeev, G.Z.; Turkebaev, T.Eh.; Kadyrov, Kh.G.

2001-01-01

Analysis of gaseous pores coalescence in area of the straggling of helium atoms is given. The considered coalescence is based on both the Brownian movement and the migration within the stress gradient. (author)

Mto2 multisite phosphorylation inactivates non-spindle microtubule nucleation complexes during mitosis

Science.gov (United States)

Borek, Weronika E.; Groocock, Lynda M.; Samejima, Itaru; Zou, Juan; de Lima Alves, Flavia; Rappsilber, Juri; Sawin, Kenneth E.

2015-01-01

Microtubule nucleation is highly regulated during the eukaryotic cell cycle, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. During mitosis in fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, cytoplasmic microtubule nucleation ceases simultaneously with intranuclear mitotic spindle assembly. Cytoplasmic nucleation depends on the Mto1/2 complex, which binds and activates the γ-tubulin complex and also recruits the γ-tubulin complex to both centrosomal (spindle pole body) and non-centrosomal sites. Here we show that the Mto1/2 complex disassembles during mitosis, coincident with hyperphosphorylation of Mto2 protein. By mapping and mutating multiple Mto2 phosphorylation sites, we generate mto2-phosphomutant strains with enhanced Mto1/2 complex stability, interaction with the γ-tubulin complex and microtubule nucleation activity. A mutant with 24 phosphorylation sites mutated to alanine, mto2[24A], retains interphase-like behaviour even in mitotic cells. This provides a molecular-level understanding of how phosphorylation ‘switches off' microtubule nucleation complexes during the cell cycle and, more broadly, illuminates mechanisms regulating non-centrosomal microtubule nucleation. PMID:26243668

Chiasmata promote monopolar attachment of sister chromatids and their co-segregation toward the proper pole during meiosis I.

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Yukinobu Hirose

2011-03-01

Full Text Available The chiasma is a structure that forms between a pair of homologous chromosomes by crossover recombination and physically links the homologous chromosomes during meiosis. Chiasmata are essential for the attachment of the homologous chromosomes to opposite spindle poles (bipolar attachment and their subsequent segregation to the opposite poles during meiosis I. However, the overall function of chiasmata during meiosis is not fully understood. Here, we show that chiasmata also play a crucial role in the attachment of sister chromatids to the same spindle pole and in their co-segregation during meiosis I in fission yeast. Analysis of cells lacking chiasmata and the cohesin protector Sgo1 showed that loss of chiasmata causes frequent bipolar attachment of sister chromatids during anaphase. Furthermore, high time-resolution analysis of centromere dynamics in various types of chiasmate and achiasmate cells, including those lacking the DNA replication checkpoint factor Mrc1 or the meiotic centromere protein Moa1, showed the following three outcomes: (i during the pre-anaphase stage, the bipolar attachment of sister chromatids occurs irrespective of chiasma formation; (ii the chiasma contributes to the elimination of the pre-anaphase bipolar attachment; and (iii when the bipolar attachment remains during anaphase, the chiasmata generate a bias toward the proper pole during poleward chromosome pulling that results in appropriate chromosome segregation. Based on these results, we propose that chiasmata play a pivotal role in the selection of proper attachments and provide a backup mechanism that promotes correct chromosome segregation when improper attachments remain during anaphase I.

Hydrodynamic effects on coalescence.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dimiduk, Thomas G.; Bourdon, Christopher Jay; Grillet, Anne Mary; Baer, Thomas A.; de Boer, Maarten Pieter; Loewenberg, Michael (Yale University, New Haven, CT); Gorby, Allen D.; Brooks, Carlton, F.

2006-10-01

The goal of this project was to design, build and test novel diagnostics to probe the effect of hydrodynamic forces on coalescence dynamics. Our investigation focused on how a drop coalesces onto a flat surface which is analogous to two drops coalescing, but more amenable to precise experimental measurements. We designed and built a flow cell to create an axisymmetric compression flow which brings a drop onto a flat surface. A computer-controlled system manipulates the flow to steer the drop and maintain a symmetric flow. Particle image velocimetry was performed to confirm that the control system was delivering a well conditioned flow. To examine the dynamics of the coalescence, we implemented an interferometry capability to measure the drainage of the thin film between the drop and the surface during the coalescence process. A semi-automated analysis routine was developed which converts the dynamic interferogram series into drop shape evolution data.

Accuracy of Spindle Units with Hydrostatic Bearings

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Fedorynenko Dmytro

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The work is devoted to the research of precision regularities in a spindle unit by the trajectory of the spindle installed on hydrostatic bearings. The mathematical model of trajectories spindle with lumped parameters that allows to define the position of the spindle with regard the simultaneous influence of design parameters, geometrical deviations ofform, temperature deformation bearing surfaces, the random nature of operational parameters and technical loads of hydrostatic bearings has been developed. Based on the results of numerical modeling the influence of shape errors of bearing surface of hydrostatic bearing on the statistical characteristics of the radius vector trajectories of the spindle by varying the values rotational speed of the spindle and oil pressure in front hydrostatic bearing has been developed. The obtained statistical regularities of precision spindle unit have been confirmed experimentally. It has been shown that an effective way to increase the precision of spindle units is to regulate the size of the gap in hydrostatic spindle bearings. The new design of an adjustable hydrostatic bearing, which can improve the accuracy of regulation size gap has been proposed.

Fast "coalescent" simulation

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Wall Jeff D

2006-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The amount of genome-wide molecular data is increasing rapidly, as is interest in developing methods appropriate for such data. There is a consequent increasing need for methods that are able to efficiently simulate such data. In this paper we implement the sequentially Markovian coalescent algorithm described by McVean and Cardin and present a further modification to that algorithm which slightly improves the closeness of the approximation to the full coalescent model. The algorithm ignores a class of recombination events known to affect the behavior of the genealogy of the sample, but which do not appear to affect the behavior of generated samples to any substantial degree. Results We show that our software is able to simulate large chromosomal regions, such as those appropriate in a consideration of genome-wide data, in a way that is several orders of magnitude faster than existing coalescent algorithms. Conclusion This algorithm provides a useful resource for those needing to simulate large quantities of data for chromosomal-length regions using an approach that is much more efficient than traditional coalescent models.

Downregulation of Protein 4.1R impairs centrosome function,bipolar spindle organization and anaphase

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spence, Jeffrey R.; Go, Minjoung M.; Bahmanyar, S.; Barth,A.I.M.; Krauss, Sharon Wald

2006-03-17

Centrosomes nucleate and organize interphase MTs and areinstrumental in the assembly of the mitotic bipolar spindle. Here wereport that two members of the multifunctional protein 4.1 family havedistinct distributions at centrosomes. Protein 4.1R localizes to maturecentrioles whereas 4.1G is a component of the pericentriolar matrixsurrounding centrioles. To selectively probe 4.1R function, we used RNAinterference-mediated depletion of 4.1R without decreasing 4.1Gexpression. 4.1R downregulation reduces MT anchoring and organization atinterphase and impairs centrosome separation during prometaphase.Metaphase chromosomes fail to properly condense/align and spindleorganization is aberrant. Notably 4.1R depletion causes mislocalizationof its binding partner NuMA (Nuclear Mitotic Apparatus Protein),essential for spindle pole focusing, and disrupts ninein. Duringanaphase/telophase, 4.1R-depleted cells have lagging chromosomes andaberrant MT bridges. Our data provide functional evidence that 4.1R makescrucial contributions to centrosome integrity and to mitotic spindlestructure enabling mitosis and anaphase to proceed with the coordinatedprecision required to avoid pathological events.

Mechanical design principles of a mitotic spindle.

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, Jonathan J; Roque, Hélio; Antony, Claude; Nédélec, François

2014-12-18

An organised spindle is crucial to the fidelity of chromosome segregation, but the relationship between spindle structure and function is not well understood in any cell type. The anaphase B spindle in fission yeast has a slender morphology and must elongate against compressive forces. This 'pushing' mode of chromosome transport renders the spindle susceptible to breakage, as observed in cells with a variety of defects. Here we perform electron tomographic analyses of the spindle, which suggest that it organises a limited supply of structural components to increase its compressive strength. Structural integrity is maintained throughout the spindle's fourfold elongation by organising microtubules into a rigid transverse array, preserving correct microtubule number and dynamically rescaling microtubule length.

Nuclear inner membrane fusion facilitated by yeast Jem1p is required for spindle pole body fusion but not for the first mitotic nuclear division during yeast mating.

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Nishikawa, Shuh-ichi; Hirata, Aiko; Endo, Toshiya

2008-11-01

During mating of budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, two haploid nuclei fuse to produce a diploid nucleus. The process of nuclear fusion requires two J proteins, Jem1p in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumen and Sec63p, which forms a complex with Sec71p and Sec72p, in the ER membrane. Zygotes of mutants defective in the functions of Jem1p or Sec63p contain two haploid nuclei that were closely apposed but failed to fuse. Here we analyzed the ultrastructure of nuclei in jem1 Delta and sec71 Delta mutant zygotes using electron microscope with the freeze-substituted fixation method. Three-dimensional reconstitution of nuclear structures from electron microscope serial sections revealed that Jem1p facilitates nuclear inner-membrane fusion and spindle pole body (SPB) fusion while Sec71p facilitates nuclear outer-membrane fusion. Two haploid SPBs that failed to fuse could duplicate, and mitotic nuclear division of the unfused haploid nuclei started in jem1 Delta and sec71 Delta mutant zygotes. This observation suggests that nuclear inner-membrane fusion is required for SPB fusion, but not for SPB duplication in the first mitotic cell division.

The Spindle Cell Neoplasms of the Oral Cavity.

Science.gov (United States)

Shamim, Thorakkal

2015-01-01

Spindle cell neoplasms are defined as neoplasms that consist of spindle-shaped cells in the histopathology. Spindle cell neoplasms can affect the oral cavity. In the oral cavity, the origin of the spindle cell neoplasms may be traced to epithelial, mesenchymal and odontogenic components. This article aims to review the spindle cell neoplasms of the oral cavity with emphasis on histopathology.

A spindle pole antigen gene MoSPA2 is important for polar cell growth of vegetative hyphae and conidia, but is dispensable for pathogenicity in Magnaporthe oryzae.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Chao; Yang, Jun; Zhou, Wei; Chen, Xiao-Lin; Huang, Jin-Guang; Cheng, Zhi-Hua; Zhao, Wen-Sheng; Zhang, Yan; Peng, You-Liang

2014-11-01

Spa2 is an important component of the multiprotein complex polarisome, which is involved in the establishment, maintenance, termination of polarized cell growth and is important for defining tip growth of filamentous fungi. In this study, we isolated an insertional mutant of the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae that formed smaller colony and conidia compared with the wild type. In the mutant, a spindle pole antigen gene MoSPA2 was disrupted by the integration of an exogenous plasmid. Targeted gene deletion and complementation assays demonstrated the gene disruption was responsible for the defects of the insertional mutant. Interestingly, the MoSpa2-GFP fusion protein was found to accumulate as a spot at hyphal tips, septa of hyphae and conidial tip cells where germ tubes are usually produced, but not in appressoria, infection hyphae or at the septa of conidia. Furthermore, the deletion mutants of MoSPA2 exhibited slower hyphal tip growth, more hyphal branches, and smaller size of conidial tip cells. However, MoSPA2 is not required for plant infection. These results indicate that MoSPA2 is required for vegetative hyphal growth and maintaining conidium morphology and that spotted accumulation of MoSpa2 is important for its functions during cell polar growth.

Coalescent: an open-science framework for importance sampling in coalescent theory.

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Tewari, Susanta; Spouge, John L

2015-01-01

Background. In coalescent theory, computer programs often use importance sampling to calculate likelihoods and other statistical quantities. An importance sampling scheme can exploit human intuition to improve statistical efficiency of computations, but unfortunately, in the absence of general computer frameworks on importance sampling, researchers often struggle to translate new sampling schemes computationally or benchmark against different schemes, in a manner that is reliable and maintainable. Moreover, most studies use computer programs lacking a convenient user interface or the flexibility to meet the current demands of open science. In particular, current computer frameworks can only evaluate the efficiency of a single importance sampling scheme or compare the efficiencies of different schemes in an ad hoc manner. Results. We have designed a general framework (http://coalescent.sourceforge.net; language: Java; License: GPLv3) for importance sampling that computes likelihoods under the standard neutral coalescent model of a single, well-mixed population of constant size over time following infinite sites model of mutation. The framework models the necessary core concepts, comes integrated with several data sets of varying size, implements the standard competing proposals, and integrates tightly with our previous framework for calculating exact probabilities. For a given dataset, it computes the likelihood and provides the maximum likelihood estimate of the mutation parameter. Well-known benchmarks in the coalescent literature validate the accuracy of the framework. The framework provides an intuitive user interface with minimal clutter. For performance, the framework switches automatically to modern multicore hardware, if available. It runs on three major platforms (Windows, Mac and Linux). Extensive tests and coverage make the framework reliable and maintainable. Conclusions. In coalescent theory, many studies of computational efficiency consider only

Coalescent: an open-science framework for importance sampling in coalescent theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susanta Tewari

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Background. In coalescent theory, computer programs often use importance sampling to calculate likelihoods and other statistical quantities. An importance sampling scheme can exploit human intuition to improve statistical efficiency of computations, but unfortunately, in the absence of general computer frameworks on importance sampling, researchers often struggle to translate new sampling schemes computationally or benchmark against different schemes, in a manner that is reliable and maintainable. Moreover, most studies use computer programs lacking a convenient user interface or the flexibility to meet the current demands of open science. In particular, current computer frameworks can only evaluate the efficiency of a single importance sampling scheme or compare the efficiencies of different schemes in an ad hoc manner.Results. We have designed a general framework (http://coalescent.sourceforge.net; language: Java; License: GPLv3 for importance sampling that computes likelihoods under the standard neutral coalescent model of a single, well-mixed population of constant size over time following infinite sites model of mutation. The framework models the necessary core concepts, comes integrated with several data sets of varying size, implements the standard competing proposals, and integrates tightly with our previous framework for calculating exact probabilities. For a given dataset, it computes the likelihood and provides the maximum likelihood estimate of the mutation parameter. Well-known benchmarks in the coalescent literature validate the accuracy of the framework. The framework provides an intuitive user interface with minimal clutter. For performance, the framework switches automatically to modern multicore hardware, if available. It runs on three major platforms (Windows, Mac and Linux. Extensive tests and coverage make the framework reliable and maintainable.Conclusions. In coalescent theory, many studies of computational efficiency

Regulation of mitotic spindle formation by the RhoA guanine nucleotide exchange factor ARHGEF10

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Satoh Takaya

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Dbl family guanine nucleotide exchange factor ARHGEF10 was originally identified as the product of the gene associated with slowed nerve-conduction velocities of peripheral nerves. However, the function of ARHGEF10 in mammalian cells is totally unknown at a molecular level. ARHGEF10 contains no distinctive functional domains except for tandem Dbl homology-pleckstrin homology and putative transmembrane domains. Results Here we show that RhoA is a substrate for ARHGEF10. In both G1/S and M phases, ARHGEF10 was localized in the centrosome in adenocarcinoma HeLa cells. Furthermore, RNA interference-based knockdown of ARHGEF10 resulted in multipolar spindle formation in M phase. Each spindle pole seems to contain a centrosome consisting of two centrioles and the pericentriolar material. Downregulation of RhoA elicited similar phenotypes, and aberrant mitotic spindle formation following ARHGEF10 knockdown was rescued by ectopic expression of constitutively activated RhoA. Multinucleated cells were not increased upon ARHGEF10 knockdown in contrast to treatment with Y-27632, a specific pharmacological inhibitor for the RhoA effector kinase ROCK, which induced not only multipolar spindle formation, but also multinucleation. Therefore, unregulated centrosome duplication rather than aberration in cytokinesis may be responsible for ARHGEF10 knockdown-dependent multipolar spindle formation. We further isolated the kinesin-like motor protein KIF3B as a binding partner of ARHGEF10. Knockdown of KIF3B again caused multipolar spindle phenotypes. The supernumerary centrosome phenotype was also observed in S phase-arrested osteosarcoma U2OS cells when the expression of ARHGEF10, RhoA or KIF3B was abrogated by RNA interference. Conclusion Collectively, our results suggest that a novel RhoA-dependent signaling pathway under the control of ARHGEF10 has a pivotal role in the regulation of the cell division cycle. This pathway is not involved in

Le phénomène de coalescence. Etude bibliographique Coalescence Phenomena. A Review

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Palermo T.

2006-11-01

Full Text Available Nous présentons une revue des différents travaux expérimentaux et théoriques effectués sur le phénomène de coalescence en limitant principalement notre discussion au cas de la coalescence d'une goutte isolée à une interface plane ou déformable. La coalescence se divise en deux phases distinctes : le drainage et la rupture du film interfacial. Ce film est constitué du liquide de la phase continue séparant la goutte de l'interface. La condition de rupture est principalement contrôlée par les forces électrostatiques dues à la double couche et par les forces de Van der Waals. Les résultats expérimentaux mettent en évidence un phénomène de coalescence partielle ainsi que l'existence d'une distribution statistique du temps de coalescence. Ils montrent également l'influence complexe de nombreux paramètres physiques et physico-chimiques sur le temps de coalescence. On rappelle les principaux modèles théoriques décrivant le drainage et la rupture des films liquides. Ces modèles permettent, entre autre, d'aboutir à des expressions mathématiques reliant le temps de coalescence à des paramètres tels que la tension interfaciale, les densités et les viscosités des fluides, la taille des gouttes. The problem linked to the stability of oil-in-water emulsions (e. g. deoiling of water and water-in-oil emulsions (e. g. dehydration of crudes is one of the major problems encountered in the petroleum industry. From the thermodynamic standpoint, an emulsion is always unstable (Fig. I. 1. The kinematic stability characterizing the separation rate of the dispersed phase from the continuous phase can nonetheless be controlled by the coalescence of droplets present in the emulsion (Fig. I. 2. This article reviews various experimental and theoretical works on the phenomenon of coalescence but the discussion is limited mainly to the coalescence of an single drop at a flat or deformable interface. The coalescence of a single drop is governed

A defect-driven diagnostic method for machine tool spindles.

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Vogl, Gregory W; Donmez, M Alkan

2015-01-01

Simple vibration-based metrics are, in many cases, insufficient to diagnose machine tool spindle condition. These metrics couple defect-based motion with spindle dynamics; diagnostics should be defect-driven. A new method and spindle condition estimation device (SCED) were developed to acquire data and to separate system dynamics from defect geometry. Based on this method, a spindle condition metric relying only on defect geometry is proposed. Application of the SCED on various milling and turning spindles shows that the new approach is robust for diagnosing the machine tool spindle condition.

Measuring and modeling polymer concentration profiles near spindle boundaries argues that spindle microtubules regulate their own nucleation

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Kaye, Bryan; Stiehl, Olivia; Foster, Peter J.; Shelley, Michael J.; Needleman, Daniel J.; Fürthauer, Sebastian

2018-05-01

Spindles are self-organized microtubule-based structures that segregate chromosomes during cell division. The mass of the spindle is controlled by the balance between microtubule turnover and nucleation. The mechanisms that control the spatial regulation of microtubule nucleation remain poorly understood. While previous work found that microtubule nucleators bind to pre-existing microtubules in the spindle, it is still unclear whether this binding regulates the activity of those nucleators. Here we use a combination of experiments and mathematical modeling to investigate this issue. We measured the concentration of microtubules and soluble tubulin in and around the spindle. We found a very sharp decay in the concentration of microtubules at the spindle interface. This is inconsistent with a model in which the activity of nucleators is independent of their association with microtubules but consistent with a model in which microtubule nucleators are only active when bound to pre-existing microtubules. This argues that the activity of microtubule nucleators is greatly enhanced when bound to pre-existing microtubules. Thus, microtubule nucleators are both localized and activated by the microtubules they generate.

Crack Coalescence in Molded Gypsum and Carrara Marble

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Wong, N.; Einstein, H. H.

2007-12-01

This research investigates the fracturing and coalescence behavior in prismatic laboratory-molded gypsum and Carrara marble specimens, which consist of either one or two pre-existing open flaws, under uniaxial compression. The tests are monitored by a high speed video system with a frame rate up to 24,000 frames/second. It allows one to precisely observe the cracking mechanisms, in particular if shear or tensile fracturing takes place. Seven crack types and nine crack coalescence categories are identified. The flaw inclination angle, the ligament length and the bridging angle between two flaws have different extents of influence on the coalescence patterns. For coplanar flaws, as the flaw inclination angle increases, there is a general trend of variation from shear coalescence to tensile coalescence. For stepped flaws, as the bridging angle changes from negative to small positive, and further up to large positive values, the coalescence generally progresses from categories of no coalescence, indirect coalescence to direct coalescence. For direct coalescence, it generally progresses from shear, mixed shear-tensile to tensile as the bridging angle increases. Some differences in fracturing and coalescence processes are observed in gypsum and marble, particularly the crack initiation in marble is preceded by the development of macroscopic white patches, but not in gypsum. Scanning Electron Microprobe (SEM) study reveals that the white patches consist of zones of microcracks (process zones).

Analytical modeling for thermal errors of motorized spindle unit

OpenAIRE

Liu, Teng; Gao, Weiguo; Zhang, Dawei; Zhang, Yifan; Chang, Wenfen; Liang, Cunman; Tian, Yanling

2017-01-01

Modeling method investigation about spindle thermal errors is significant for spindle thermal optimization in design phase. To accurately analyze the thermal errors of motorized spindle unit, this paper assumes approximately that 1) spindle linear thermal error on axial direction is ascribed to shaft thermal elongation for its heat transfer from bearings, and 2) spindle linear thermal errors on radial directions and angular thermal errors are attributed to thermal variations of bearing relati...

Inscuteable Regulates the Pins-Mud Spindle Orientation Pathway

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Mauser, Jonathon F.; Prehoda, Kenneth E.

2012-01-01

During asymmetric cell division, alignment of the mitotic spindle with the cell polarity axis ensures that the cleavage furrow separates fate determinants into distinct daughter cells. The protein Inscuteable (Insc) is thought to link cell polarity and spindle positioning in diverse systems by binding the polarity protein Bazooka (Baz; aka Par-3) and the spindle orienting protein Partner of Inscuteable (Pins; mPins or LGN in mammals). Here we investigate the mechanism of spindle orientation by the Insc-Pins complex. Previously, we defined two Pins spindle orientation pathways: a complex with Mushroom body defect (Mud; NuMA in mammals) is required for full activity, whereas binding to Discs large (Dlg) is sufficient for partial activity. In the current study, we have examined the role of Inscuteable in mediating downstream Pins-mediated spindle orientation pathways. We find that the Insc-Pins complex requires Gαi for partial activity and that the complex specifically recruits Dlg but not Mud. In vitro competition experiments revealed that Insc and Mud compete for binding to the Pins TPR motifs, while Dlg can form a ternary complex with Insc-Pins. Our results suggest that Insc does not passively couple polarity and spindle orientation but preferentially inhibits the Mud pathway, while allowing the Dlg pathway to remain active. Insc-regulated complex assembly may ensure that the spindle is attached to the cortex (via Dlg) before activation of spindle pulling forces by Dynein/Dynactin (via Mud). PMID:22253744

The Physics of the Metaphase Spindle.

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Oriola, David; Needleman, Daniel J; Brugués, Jan

2018-05-20

The assembly of the mitotic spindle and the subsequent segregation of sister chromatids are based on the self-organized action of microtubule filaments, motor proteins, and other microtubule-associated proteins, which constitute the fundamental force-generating elements in the system. Many of the components in the spindle have been identified, but until recently it remained unclear how their collective behaviors resulted in such a robust bipolar structure. Here, we review the current understanding of the physics of the metaphase spindle that is only now starting to emerge.

Mitotic spindle proteomics in Chinese hamster ovary cells.

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Mary Kate Bonner

Full Text Available Mitosis is a fundamental process in the development of all organisms. The mitotic spindle guides the cell through mitosis as it mediates the segregation of chromosomes, the orientation of the cleavage furrow, and the progression of cell division. Birth defects and tissue-specific cancers often result from abnormalities in mitotic events. Here, we report a proteomic study of the mitotic spindle from Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO cells. Four different isolations of metaphase spindles were subjected to Multi-dimensional Protein Identification Technology (MudPIT analysis and tandem mass spectrometry. We identified 1155 proteins and used Gene Ontology (GO analysis to categorize proteins into cellular component groups. We then compared our data to the previously published CHO midbody proteome and identified proteins that are unique to the CHO spindle. Our data represent the first mitotic spindle proteome in CHO cells, which augments the list of mitotic spindle components from mammalian cells.

Sleep spindles and intelligence: evidence for a sexual dimorphism.

Science.gov (United States)

Ujma, Péter P; Konrad, Boris Nikolai; Genzel, Lisa; Bleifuss, Annabell; Simor, Péter; Pótári, Adrián; Körmendi, János; Gombos, Ferenc; Steiger, Axel; Bódizs, Róbert; Dresler, Martin

2014-12-03

Sleep spindles are thalamocortical oscillations in nonrapid eye movement sleep, which play an important role in sleep-related neuroplasticity and offline information processing. Sleep spindle features are stable within and vary between individuals, with, for example, females having a higher number of spindles and higher spindle density than males. Sleep spindles have been associated with learning potential and intelligence; however, the details of this relationship have not been fully clarified yet. In a sample of 160 adult human subjects with a broad IQ range, we investigated the relationship between sleep spindle parameters and intelligence. In females, we found a positive age-corrected association between intelligence and fast sleep spindle amplitude in central and frontal derivations and a positive association between intelligence and slow sleep spindle duration in all except one derivation. In males, a negative association between intelligence and fast spindle density in posterior regions was found. Effects were continuous over the entire IQ range. Our results demonstrate that, although there is an association between sleep spindle parameters and intellectual performance, these effects are more modest than previously reported and mainly present in females. This supports the view that intelligence does not rely on a single neural framework, and stronger neural connectivity manifesting in increased thalamocortical oscillations in sleep is one particular mechanism typical for females but not males. Copyright © 2014 the authors 0270-6474/14/3416358-11$15.00/0.

Bubble coalescence in breathing DNA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Novotný, Tomas; Pedersen, Jonas Nyvold; Ambjörnsson, Tobias

2007-01-01

We investigate the coalescence of two DNA bubbles initially located at weak segments and separated by a more stable barrier region in a designed construct of double-stranded DNA. The characteristic time for bubble coalescence and the corresponding distribution are derived, as well as the distribu...... vicious walkers in opposite potentials....

Force interaction and 3D pole movement in double poling.

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Stöggl, T; Holmberg, H-C

2011-12-01

The aim of this study was to analyze double poling using combined kinetic and 3D kinematic analysis at high skiing speeds as regards pole force components, pole angles and pole behavior during the poling and swing phase. The hypothesis was that a horizontal pole force is more predictive for maximal skiing speed (V(max)) than the resultant pole force. Sixteen elite skiers performed a double-poling V(max) test while treadmill roller skiing. Pole forces and 3D kinematics of pole movement at a speed of 30 km/h were analyzed and related to V(max). The duration of the "preparation phase" showed the strongest relationship with V(max) (r=0.87, Pmax) compared with the resultant pole force. Impact force was not related to V(max). At high skiing speeds, skiers should aim to combine high pole forces with appropriate timing of pole forces and appropriate pole and body positions during the swing and poling phase. The emphasis in training should be on the development of specific strength capacities for pole force production and the utilization of these capacities in double-poling training sessions. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Bubble coalescence in a Newtonian fluid

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Garg, Vishrut; Basaran, Osman

2017-11-01

Bubble coalescence plays a central role in the hydrodynamics of gas-liquid systems such as bubble column reactors, spargers, and foams. Two bubbles approaching each other at velocity V coalesce when the thin film between them ruptures, which is often the rate-limiting step. Experimental studies of this system are difficult, and recent works provide conflicting results on the effect of V on coalescence times. We simulate the head-on approach of two bubbles of equal radii R in an incompressible Newtonian fluid (density ρ, viscosity μ, and surface tension σ) by solving numerically the free boundary problem comprised of the Navier Stokes and continuity equations. Simulations are made challenging by the existence of highly disparate lengthscales, i.e. film thickness and drop radii, which are resolved by using the method of elliptic mesh generation. For a given liquid, the bubbles are shown to coalesce for all velocities below a critical value. The effects of Ohnesorge number Oh = μ /√{ ρσR } on coalescence time and critical velocity are also investigated.

Analysis and topology optimization design of high-speed driving spindle

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Wang, Zhilin; Yang, Hai

2018-04-01

The three-dimensional model of high-speed driving spindle is established by using SOLIDWORKS. The model is imported through the interface of ABAQUS, A finite element analysis model of high-speed driving spindle was established by using spring element to simulate bearing boundary condition. High-speed driving spindle for the static analysis, the spindle of the stress, strain and displacement nephogram, and on the basis of the results of the analysis on spindle for topology optimization, completed the lightweight design of high-speed driving spindle. The design scheme provides guidance for the design of axial parts of similar structures.

Combination spindle-drive system for high precision machining

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Gerth, Howard L.

1977-07-26

A combination spindle-drive is provided for fabrication of optical quality surface finishes. Both the spindle-and-drive utilize the spindle bearings for support, thereby removing the conventional drive-means bearings as a source of vibration. An airbearing spindle is modified to carry at the drive end a highly conductive cup-shaped rotor which is aligned with a stationary stator to produce torque in the cup-shaped rotor through the reaction of eddy currents induced in the rotor. This arrangement eliminates magnetic attraction forces and all force is in the form of torque on the cup-shaped rotor.

Sleep spindles predict stress-related increases in sleep disturbances

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Thien Thanh eDang-Vu

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Background and Aim: Predisposing factors place certain individuals at higher risk for insomnia, especially in the presence of precipitating conditions such as stressful life events. Sleep spindles have been shown to play an important role in the preservation of sleep continuity. Lower spindle density might thus constitute an objective predisposing factor for sleep reactivity to stress. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the relationship between baseline sleep spindle density and the prospective change in insomnia symptoms in response to a standardized academic stressor. Methods: 12 healthy students had a polysomnography (PSG recording during a period of lower stress at the beginning of the academic semester, along with an assessment of insomnia complaints using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI. They completed a second ISI assessment at the end of the semester, a period coinciding with the week prior to final examinations and thus higher stress. Spindle density, amplitude, duration and frequency, as well as sigma power were computed from C4-O2 electroencephalography (EEG derivation during stages N2-N3 of non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM sleep, across the whole night and for each NREM sleep period. To test for the relationship between spindle density and changes in insomnia symptoms in response to academic stress, spindle measurements at baseline were correlated with changes in ISI across the academic semester.Results: Spindle density (as well as spindle amplitude and sigma power, particularly during the first NREM sleep period, negatively correlated with changes in ISI (p < 0.05. Conclusion: Lower spindle activity, especially at the beginning of the night, prospectively predicted larger increases in insomnia symptoms in response to stress. This result indicates that individual differences in sleep spindle activity contribute to the differential vulnerability to sleep disturbances in the face of precipitating factors.

Monitoring Method of Cutting Force by Using Additional Spindle Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Sarhan, Ahmed Aly Diaa; Matsubara, Atsushi; Sugihara, Motoyuki; Saraie, Hidenori; Ibaraki, Soichi; Kakino, Yoshiaki

This paper describes a monitoring method of cutting forces for end milling process by using displacement sensors. Four eddy-current displacement sensors are installed on the spindle housing of a machining center so that they can detect the radial motion of the rotating spindle. Thermocouples are also attached to the spindle structure in order to examine the thermal effect in the displacement sensing. The change in the spindle stiffness due to the spindle temperature and the speed is investigated as well. Finally, the estimation performance of cutting forces using the spindle displacement sensors is experimentally investigated by machining tests on carbon steel in end milling operations under different cutting conditions. It is found that the monitoring errors are attributable to the thermal displacement of the spindle, the time lag of the sensing system, and the modeling error of the spindle stiffness. It is also shown that the root mean square errors between estimated and measured amplitudes of cutting forces are reduced to be less than 20N with proper selection of the linear stiffness.

Optimal design of high-speed loading spindle based on ABAQUS

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xudong; Dong, Yu; Ge, Qingkuan; Yang, Hai

2017-12-01

The three-dimensional model of high-speed loading spindle is established by using ABAQUS’s modeling module. A finite element analysis model of high-speed loading spindle was established by using spring element to simulate bearing boundary condition. The static and dynamic performance of the spindle structure with different specifications of the rectangular spline and the different diameter neck of axle are studied in depth, and the influence of different spindle span on the static and dynamic performance of the high-speed loading spindle is studied. Finally, the optimal structure of the high-speed loading spindle is obtained. The results provide a theoretical basis for improving the overall performance of the test-bed

Mechanism and simulation of droplet coalescence in molten steel

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Ni, Bing; Zhang, Tao; Ni, Hai-qi; Luo, Zhi-guo

2017-11-01

Droplet coalescence in liquid steel was carefully investigated through observations of the distribution pattern of inclusions in solidified steel samples. The process of droplet coalescence was slow, and the critical Weber number ( We) was used to evaluate the coalescence or separation of droplets. The relationship between the collision parameter and the critical We indicated whether slow coalescence or bouncing of droplets occurred. The critical We was 5.5, which means that the droplets gradually coalesce when We ≤ 5.5, whereas they bounce when We > 5.5. For the carbonate wire feeding into liquid steel, a mathematical model implementing a combined computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-discrete element method (DEM) approach was developed to simulate the movement and coalescence of variably sized droplets in a bottom-argon-blowing ladle. In the CFD model, the flow field was solved on the premise that the fluid was a continuous medium. Meanwhile, the droplets were dispersed in the DEM model, and the coalescence criterion of the particles was added to simulate the collision- coalescence process of the particles. The numerical simulation results and observations of inclusion coalescence in steel samples are consistent.

Rab5 GTPase controls chromosome alignment through Lamin disassembly and relocation of the NuMA-like protein Mud to the poles during mitosis

Science.gov (United States)

Capalbo, Luisa; D'Avino, Pier Paolo; Archambault, Vincent; Glover, David M.

2011-01-01

The small GTPase Rab5 is a conserved regulator of membrane trafficking; it regulates the formation of early endosomes, their transport along microtubules, and the fusion to the target organelles. Although several members of the endocytic pathway were recently implicated in spindle organization, it is unclear whether Rab5 has any role during mitosis. Here, we describe that Rab5 is required for proper chromosome alignment during Drosophila mitoses. We also found that Rab5 associated in vivo with nuclear Lamin and mushroom body defect (Mud), the Drosophila counterpart of nuclear mitotic apparatus protein (NuMA). Consistent with this finding, Rab5 was required for the disassembly of the nuclear envelope at mitotic entry and the accumulation of Mud at the spindle poles. Furthermore, Mud depletion caused chromosome misalignment defects that resembled the defects of Rab5 RNAi cells, and double-knockdown experiments indicated that the two proteins function in a linear pathway. Our results indicate a role for Rab5 in mitosis and reinforce the emerging view of the contributions made by cell membrane dynamics to spindle function. PMID:21987826

Physical Limits on the Precision of Mitotic Spindle Positioning by Microtubule Pushing forces: Mechanics of mitotic spindle positioning.

Science.gov (United States)

Howard, Jonathon; Garzon-Coral, Carlos

2017-11-01

Tissues are shaped and patterned by mechanical and chemical processes. A key mechanical process is the positioning of the mitotic spindle, which determines the size and location of the daughter cells within the tissue. Recent force and position-fluctuation measurements indicate that pushing forces, mediated by the polymerization of astral microtubules against- the cell cortex, maintain the mitotic spindle at the cell center in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos. The magnitude of the centering forces suggests that the physical limit on the accuracy and precision of this centering mechanism is determined by the number of pushing microtubules rather than by thermally driven fluctuations. In cells that divide asymmetrically, anti-centering, pulling forces generated by cortically located dyneins, in conjunction with microtubule depolymerization, oppose the pushing forces to drive spindle displacements away from the center. Thus, a balance of centering pushing forces and anti-centering pulling forces localize the mitotic spindles within dividing C. elegans cells. © 2017 The Authors. BioEssays published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Inter-expert and intra-expert reliability in sleep spindle scoring

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wendt, Sabrina Lyngbye; Welinder, Peter; Sørensen, Helge Bjarup Dissing

2015-01-01

Objectives To measure the inter-expert and intra-expert agreement in sleep spindle scoring, and to quantify how many experts are needed to build a reliable dataset of sleep spindle scorings. Methods The EEG dataset was comprised of 400 randomly selected 115 s segments of stage 2 sleep from 110...... with higher reliability than the estimation of spindle duration. Reliability of sleep spindle scoring can be improved by using qualitative confidence scores, rather than a dichotomous yes/no scoring system. Conclusions We estimate that 2–3 experts are needed to build a spindle scoring dataset...... with ‘substantial’ reliability (κ: 0.61–0.8), and 4 or more experts are needed to build a dataset with ‘almost perfect’ reliability (κ: 0.81–1). Significance Spindle scoring is a critical part of sleep staging, and spindles are believed to play an important role in development, aging, and diseases of the nervous...

Coalescence preference in dense packing of bubbles

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yeseul; Gim, Bopil; Gim, Bopil; Weon, Byung Mook

2015-11-01

Coalescence preference is the tendency that a merged bubble from the contact of two original bubbles (parent) tends to be near to the bigger parent. Here, we show that the coalescence preference can be blocked by densely packing of neighbor bubbles. We use high-speed high-resolution X-ray microscopy to clearly visualize individual coalescence phenomenon which occurs in micro scale seconds and inside dense packing of microbubbles with a local packing fraction of ~40%. Previous theory and experimental evidence predict a power of -5 between the relative coalescence position and the parent size. However, our new observation for coalescence preference in densely packed microbubbles shows a different power of -2. We believe that this result may be important to understand coalescence dynamics in dense packing of soft matter. This work (NRF-2013R1A22A04008115) was supported by Mid-career Researcher Program through NRF grant funded by the MEST and also was supported by Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (2009-0082580) and by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry and Education, Science and Technology (NRF-2012R1A6A3A04039257).

Function of donor cell centrosome in intraspecies and interspecies nuclear transfer embryos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhong Zhisheng; Zhang Gang; Meng Xiaoqian; Zhang Yanling; Chen Dayuan; Schatten, Heide; Sun Qingyuan

2005-01-01

Centrosomes, the main microtubule-organizing centers (MTOCs) in most animal cells, are important for many cellular activities such as assembly of the mitotic spindle, establishment of cell polarity, and cell movement. In nuclear transfer (NT), MTOCs that are located at the poles of the meiotic spindle are removed from the recipient oocyte, while the centrosome of the donor cell is introduced. We used mouse MII oocytes as recipients, mouse fibroblasts, rat fibroblasts, or pig granulosa cells as donor cells to construct intraspecies and interspecies nuclear transfer embryos in order to observe centrosome dynamics and functions. Three antibodies against centrin, γ-tubulin, and NuMA, respectively, were used to stain the centrosome. Centrin was not detected either at the poles of transient spindles or at the poles of first mitotic spindles. γ-tubulin translocated into the two poles of the transient spindles, while no accumulated γ-tubulin aggregates were detected in the area adjacent to the two pseudo-pronuclei. At first mitotic metaphase, γ-tubulin was translocated to the spindle poles. The distribution of γ-tubulin was similar in mouse intraspecies and rat-mouse interspecies embryos. The NuMA antibody that we used can recognize porcine but not murine NuMA protein, so it was used to trace the NuMA protein of donor cell in reconstructed embryos. In the pig-mouse interspecies reconstructed embryos, NuMA concentrated between the disarrayed chromosomes soon after activation and translocated to the transient spindle poles. NuMA then immigrated into pseudo-pronuclei. After pseudo-pronuclear envelope breakdown, NuMA was located between the chromosomes and then translocated to the spindle poles of first mitotic metaphase. γ-tubulin antibody microinjection resulted in spindle disorganization and retardation of the first cell division. NuMA antibody microinjection also resulted in spindle disorganization. Our findings indicate that (1) the donor cell centrosome, defined as

Measurement of Spindle Rigidity by using a Magnet Loader

Science.gov (United States)

Yamazaki, Taku; Matsubara, Atsushi; Fujita, Tomoya; Muraki, Toshiyuki; Asano, Kohei; Kawashima, Kazuyuki

The static rigidity of a rotating spindle in the radial direction is investigated in this research. A magnetic loading device (magnet loader) has been developed for the measurement. The magnet loader, which has coils and iron cores, generates the electromagnetic force and attracts a dummy tool attached to the spindle. However, the eddy current is generated in the dummy tool with the spindle rotation and reduces the attractive force at high spindle speed. In order to understand the magnetic flux and eddy current in the dummy tool, the electromagnetic field analysis by FEM was carried out. Grooves on the attraction surface of the dummy tool were designed to cut the eddy current flow. The dimension of the groove were decided based on the FEM analysis, and the designed tool were manufactured and tested. The test result shows that the designed tool successfully reduces the eddy current and recovers the attractive force. By using the magnet loader and the grooved tool, the spindle rigidity can be measured when the spindle rotates with a speed up to 10,000 min-1.

Satellite Formation during Coalescence of Unequal Size Drops

KAUST Repository

Zhang, F. H.

2009-03-12

The coalescence of a drop with a flat liquid surface pinches off a satellite from its top, in the well-known coalescence cascade, whereas the coalescence of two equally sized drops does not appear to leave such a satellite. Herein we perform experiments to identify the critical diameter ratio of two drops, above which a satellite is produced during their coalescence. We find that the critical parent ratio is as small as 1.55, but grows monotonically with the Ohnesorge number. The daughter size is typically about 50% of the mother drop. However, we have identified novel pinch-off dynamics close to the critical size ratio, where the satellite does not fully separate, but rather goes directly into a second stage of the coalescence cascade, thus generating a much smaller satellite droplet.

Satellite Formation during Coalescence of Unequal Size Drops

KAUST Repository

Zhang, F. H.; Li, E. Q.; Thoroddsen, Sigurdur T

2009-01-01

The coalescence of a drop with a flat liquid surface pinches off a satellite from its top, in the well-known coalescence cascade, whereas the coalescence of two equally sized drops does not appear to leave such a satellite. Herein we perform experiments to identify the critical diameter ratio of two drops, above which a satellite is produced during their coalescence. We find that the critical parent ratio is as small as 1.55, but grows monotonically with the Ohnesorge number. The daughter size is typically about 50% of the mother drop. However, we have identified novel pinch-off dynamics close to the critical size ratio, where the satellite does not fully separate, but rather goes directly into a second stage of the coalescence cascade, thus generating a much smaller satellite droplet.

Developmental Changes in Sleep Spindle Characteristics and Sigma Power across Early Childhood

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ian J. McClain

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Sleep spindles, a prominent feature of the non-rapid eye movement (NREM sleep electroencephalogram (EEG, are linked to cognitive abilities. Early childhood is a time of rapid cognitive and neurophysiological maturation; however, little is known about developmental changes in sleep spindles. In this study, we longitudinally examined trajectories of multiple sleep spindle characteristics (i.e., spindle duration, frequency, integrated spindle amplitude, and density and power in the sigma frequency range (10–16 Hz across ages 2, 3, and 5 years (n=8; 3 males. At each time point, nocturnal sleep EEG was recorded in-home after 13-h of prior wakefulness. Spindle duration, integrated spindle amplitude, and sigma power increased with age across all EEG derivations (C3A2, C4A1, O2A1, and O1A2; all ps < 0.05. We also found a developmental decrease in mean spindle frequency (p<0.05 but no change in spindle density with increasing age. Thus, sleep spindles increased in duration and amplitude but decreased in frequency across early childhood. Our data characterize early developmental changes in sleep spindles, which may advance understanding of thalamocortical brain connectivity and associated lifelong disease processes. These findings also provide unique insights into spindle ontogenesis in early childhood and may help identify electrophysiological features related to healthy and aberrant brain maturation.

Spinal spindle cell haemangioma: an atypical location.

Science.gov (United States)

Talan-Hranilović, J; Vucić, M; Sajko, T; Bedek, D; Tomić, K; Lupret, V

2007-03-01

We present a case of the 31-year-old male patient who complained of weakness in both legs and progressed slowly. Neuroimagine of the thoracic spine showed an intraspinal, extradural mass lesion, measuring 5.3 x 1.2 cm at the Th1-Th3 level. Histologically the lesion was a spindle cell haemangioma composed of dilated vascular spaces and a proliferation of bland appearing interspersed spindle cells. Immunohistochemical analysis was diffusely positive for VIM, SMA and focally for CD34. This lesion is uncommon and shows a predilection for distal extremities. Spindle cell haemangioma within the spine has not been previously reported in the literature.

Local sleep spindle modulations in relation to specific memory cues

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cox, R.; Hofman, W.F.; de Boer, M.; Talamini, L.M.

2014-01-01

Sleep spindles have been connected to memory processes in various ways. In addition, spindles appear to be modulated at the local cortical network level. We investigated whether cueing specific memories during sleep leads to localized spindle modulations in humans. During learning of word-location

Modal analysis of spindle of grinder machine based on ANSYS

OpenAIRE

HE Chaocong; LIU Peipei; YAN Chunfei; WANG Muhuan; LIN Jun

2015-01-01

The object of research is to a certain type grinding wheel spindle for which a 3D model of the spindle is established by SolidWorks software and ANSYS software is imported for model analysis.Natural frequency,vibration type and critical speed of the spindle model are obtained and the resulting data are scientifically analyzed.The results show that the spindle structure is reasonable,the machining accuracy can be ensured and the position where the most severe deformation and the main shaft fat...

Sleep spindles and intelligence in early childhood-developmental and trait-dependent aspects.

Science.gov (United States)

Ujma, Péter P; Sándor, Piroska; Szakadát, Sára; Gombos, Ferenc; Bódizs, Róbert

2016-12-01

Sleep spindles act as a powerful marker of individual differences in cognitive ability. Sleep spindle parameters correlate with both age-related changes in cognitive abilities and with the age-independent concept of IQ. While some studies have specifically demonstrated the relationship between sleep spindles and intelligence in young children, our previous work in older subjects revealed sex differences in the sleep spindle correlates of IQ, which was never investigated in small children before. We investigated the relationship between age, Raven Colored Progressive Matrices (CPM) scores and sleep spindles in 28 young children (age 4-8 years, 15 girls). We specifically investigated sex differences in the psychometric correlates of sleep spindles. We also aimed to separate the correlates of sleep spindles that are because of age-related maturation from other effects that reflect an age-independent relationship between sleep spindles and general intelligence. Our results revealed a modest positive correlation between fast spindle amplitude and age. Raven CPM scores positively correlated with both slow and fast spindle amplitude, but this effect remained a tendency in males and vanished after correcting for the effects of age. Age-corrected correlations between Raven CPM scores and both slow and fast spindle amplitude were only significant in females. Overall, our results show that in male children sleep spindles are a maturational marker, but in female children they indicate trait-like intelligence, in line with previous studies in adolescent and adult subjects. Thalamocortical white matter connectivity may be the underlying mechanism behind both higher spindle amplitude and higher intelligence in female, but not male subjects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Sleep Spindles as an Electrographic Element: Description and Automatic Detection Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dorothée Coppieters ’t Wallant

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Sleep spindle is a peculiar oscillatory brain pattern which has been associated with a number of sleep (isolation from exteroceptive stimuli, memory consolidation and individual characteristics (intellectual quotient. Oddly enough, the definition of a spindle is both incomplete and restrictive. In consequence, there is no consensus about how to detect spindles. Visual scoring is cumbersome and user dependent. To analyze spindle activity in a more robust way, automatic sleep spindle detection methods are essential. Various algorithms were developed, depending on individual research interest, which hampers direct comparisons and meta-analyses. In this review, sleep spindle is first defined physically and topographically. From this general description, we tentatively extract the main characteristics to be detected and analyzed. A nonexhaustive list of automatic spindle detection methods is provided along with a description of their main processing principles. Finally, we propose a technique to assess the detection methods in a robust and comparable way.

Muscle Spindles and Locomotor Control-An Unrecognized Falls Determinant?

OpenAIRE

Marks Ray

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Historically, evidence muscle spindles might be involved in locomotion was provided by their presence in tetrapod antigravity muscles associated with posture and locomotion. Later, Brodal (1962) noted muscle spindles in all muscles of locomotion. To unravel the complexity of the muscle spindle and its role in human locomotor control many investigators have since conducted lesion and/or anaesthesia studies in subhuman species and human contexts. QUESTIONS: How ...

Magnet pole tips

Science.gov (United States)

Thorn, Craig E.; Chasman, Chellis; Baltz, Anthony J.

1984-04-24

An improved magnet which more easily provides a radially increasing magnetic field, as well as reduced fringe field and requires less power for a given field intensity. The subject invention comprises a pair of spaced, opposed magnetic poles which further comprise a pair of pole roots, each having a pole tip attached to its center. The pole tips define the gap between the magnetic poles and at least a portion of each pole tip is separated from its associated pole root. The separation begins at a predetermined distance from the center of the pole root and increases with increasing radial distance while being constant with azimuth within that portion. Magnets in accordance with the subject invention have been found to be particularly advantageous for use in large isochronous cyclotrons.

The mechanics of anaphase B in a basidiomycete as revealed by laser microbeam microsurgery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bayles, C.J.; Aist, J.R.; Berns, M.W.

1993-01-01

Bayles, C. J., Aist, J. R., and Berns, M. W. 1993. The mechanics of anaphase B in a basidiomycete as revealed by laser microbeam microsurgery. Experimental Mycology 17, 191-199. Cytoplasmic forces were found to be actively pulling on the spindle pole bodies during anaphase B in the dikaryotic, basidiomycete fungus, Helicobasidium mompa. When the spindle of one nucleus was severed with a laser microbeam at mid anaphase B, its two spindle pole bodies separated at a much faster rate than did those of the intact spindle in the other nucleus of the same cell. Since astral microtubule populations apparently reach their maximum during anaphase B in this fungus, we suggest that these microtubules may be involved in the cytoplasmic pulling forces. The spindle appears to act primarily as a governor, regulating the rate at which the spindle pole bodies are separated

Sleep spindling and fluid intelligence across adolescent development: sex matters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Róbert eBódizs

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Evidence supports the intricate relationship between sleep electroencephalogram (EEG spindling and cognitive abilities in children and adults. Although sleep EEG changes during adolescence index fundamental brain reorganization, a detailed analysis of sleep spindling and the spindle-intelligence relationship was not yet provided for adolescents. Therefore, adolescent development of sleep spindle oscillations were studied in a home polysomnographic study focusing on the effects of chronological age and developmentally acquired overall mental efficiency (fluid IQ with sex as a potential modulating factor. Subjects were 24 healthy adolescents (12 males with an age range of 15–22 years (mean: 18 years and fluid IQ of 91-126 (mean: 104.12, Raven Progressive Matrices Test. Slow spindles (SSs and fast spindles (FSs were analyzed in 21 EEG derivations by using the individual adjustment method. A significant age-dependent increase in average FS density (r = .57; p = .005 was found. Moreover, fluid IQ correlated with FS density (r = .43; p = .04 and amplitude (r = .41; p = .049. The latter effects were entirely driven by particularly reliable FS-IQ correlations in females [r = .80 (p = .002 and r = .67 (p = .012, for density and amplitude, respectively]. Region-specific analyses revealed that these correlations peak in the fronto-central regions. The control of the age-dependence of FS measures and IQ scores did not considerably reduce the spindle-IQ correlations with respect to FS density. The only positive spindle-index of fluid IQ in males turned out to be the frequency of FSs (r = .60, p = .04. Increases in FS density during adolescence may index reshaped structural connectivity related to white matter maturation in the late developing human brain. The continued development over this age range of cognitive functions is indexed by specific measures of sleep spindling unravelling gender differences in adolescent brain maturation and perhaps cognitive

A fluid-mechanical model of elastocapillary coalescence

KAUST Repository

Singh, Kiran

2014-03-25

© 2014 Cambridge University Press. We present a fluid-mechanical model of the coalescence of a number of elastic objects due to surface tension. We consider an array of spring-block elements separated by thin liquid films, whose dynamics are modelled using lubrication theory. With this simplified model of elastocapillary coalescence, we present the results of numerical simulations for a large number of elements, N = O(10⁴). A linear stability analysis shows that pairwise coalescence is always the most unstable mode of deformation. However, the numerical simulations show that the cluster sizes actually produced by coalescence from a small white-noise perturbation have a distribution that depends on the relative strength of surface tension and elasticity, as measured by an elastocapillary number K. Both the maximum cluster size and the mean cluster size scale like K^-1/2 for small K. An analytical solution for the response of the system to a localized perturbation shows that such perturbations generate propagating disturbance fronts, which leave behind \\'frozen-in\\' clusters of a predictable size that also depends on K. A good quantitative comparison between the cluster-size statistics from noisy perturbations and this \\'frozen-in\\' cluster size suggests that propagating fronts may play a crucial role in the dynamics of coalescence.

Direct numerical simulation of water droplet coalescence in the oil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohammadi, Mehdi; Shahhosseini, Shahrokh; Bayat, Mahmoud

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► VOF computational technique has been used to simulate coalescence of two water droplets in oil. ► The model was validated with the experimental data for binary droplet coalescence. ► Based on the CFD simulation results a correlation has been proposed to predict the coalescence time. - Abstract: Coalescence of two water droplets in the oil was simulated using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques. The finite volume numerical method was applied to solve the Navier–Stokes equations in conjunction with the Volume of Fluid (VOF) approach for interface tracking. The effects of some parameters consisting of the collision velocity, off-center collision parameter, oil viscosity and water–oil interfacial tension on the coalescence time were investigated. The simulation results were validated against the experimental data available in the literature. The results revealed that quicker coalescence could be achieved if the head-on collisions occur or the droplets approach each other with a high velocity. In addition, low oil viscosities or large water–oil interfacial tensions cause less coalescence time. Moreover, a correlation was developed to predict coalescence efficiency as a function of the mentioned parameters.

Thermal Characteristic Analysis and Experimental Study of a Spindle-Bearing System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Wu

2016-07-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a thermo-mechanical coupling analysis model of the spindle-bearing system based on Hertz’s contact theory and a point contact non-Newtonian thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL theory are developed. In this model, the effect of preload, centrifugal force, the gyroscopic moment, and the lubrication state of the spindle-bearing system are considered. According to the heat transfer theory, the mathematical model for the temperature field of the spindle system is developed and the effect of the spindle cooling system on the spindle temperature distribution is analyzed. The theoretical simulations and the experimental results indicate that the bearing preload has great effect on the frictional heat generation; the cooling fluid has great effect on the heat balance of the spindle system. If a steady-state heat balance between the friction heat generation and the cooling system cannot be reached, thermally-induced preload will lead to a further increase of the frictional heat generation and then cause the thermal failure of the spindle.

SODIUM ALUMINOSILICATE FOULING AND CLEANING OF DECONTAMINATED SALT SOLUTION COALESCERS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poirier, M.; Thomas Peters, T.; Fernando Fondeur, F.; Samuel Fink, S.

2008-01-01

During initial non-radioactive operations at the Modular Caustic Side Solvent Extraction Unit (MCU), the pressure drop across the decontaminated salt solution coalescer reached ∼10 psi while processing ∼1250 gallons of salt solution, indicating possible fouling or plugging of the coalescer. An analysis of the feed solution and the 'plugged coalescer' concluded that the plugging was due to sodium aluminosilicate solids. MCU personnel requested Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) to investigate the formation of the sodium aluminosilicate solids (NAS) and the impact of the solids on the decontaminated salt solution coalescer. Researchers performed developmental testing of the cleaning protocols with a bench-scale coalescer container 1-inch long segments of a new coalescer element fouled using simulant solution. In addition, the authors obtained a 'plugged' Decontaminated Salt Solution coalescer from non-radioactive testing in the MCU and cleaned it according to the proposed cleaning procedure. Conclusions from this testing include the following: (1) Testing with the bench-scale coalescer showed an increase in pressure drop from solid particles, but the increase was not as large as observed at MCU. (2) Cleaning the bench-scale coalescer with nitric acid reduced the pressure drop and removed a large amount of solid particles (11 g of bayerite if all aluminum is present in that form or 23 g of sodium aluminosilicate if all silicon is present in that form). (3) Based on analysis of the cleaning solutions from bench-scale test, the 'dirt capacity' of a 40 inch coalescer for the NAS solids tested is calculated as 450-950 grams. (4) Cleaning the full-scale coalescer with nitric acid reduced the pressure drop and removed a large amount of solid particles (60 g of aluminum and 5 g of silicon). (5) Piping holdup in the full-scale coalescer system caused the pH to differ from the target value. Comparable hold-up in the facility could lead to less effective cleaning and

Explosive coalescence of Magnetic Islands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tajima, T.; Sakai, J.I.

1985-04-01

An explosive reconnection process associated with nonlinear evolution of the coalescence instability is found through studies of particle and magnetohydrodynamic simulations. The explosive coalescence is a self-similar process of magnetic collapse, in which the magnetic and electrostatic energies and temperatures explode toward the explosion time t 0 as (t 0 -t)/sup 8/3/,(t 0 -t) -4 , and (t 0 -t)/sup -8/3/, respectively. Ensuing amplitude oscillations in these quantities are identified by deriving an equation of motion for the scale factor in the Sagdeev potential

Xanthium strumarium extract inhibits mammalian cell proliferation through mitotic spindle disruption mediated by xanthatin.

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez-Lamar, Angel; Piloto-Ferrer, Janet; Fiore, Mario; Stano, Pasquale; Cozzi, Renata; Tofani, Daniela; Cundari, Enrico; Francisco, Marbelis; Romero, Aylema; González, Maria L; Degrassi, Francesca

2016-12-24

Xanthium strumarium L. is a member of the Asteraceae family popularly used with multiple therapeutic purposes. Whole extracts of this plant have shown anti-mitotic activity in vitro suggesting that some components could induce mitotic arrest in proliferating cells. Aim of the present work was to characterize the anti-mitotic properties of the X. strumarium whole extract and to isolate and purify active molecule(s). The capacity of the whole extract to inhibit mitotic progression in mammalian cultured cells was investigated to identify its anti-mitotic activity. Isolation of active component(s) was performed using a bioassay-guided multistep separation procedure in which whole extract was submitted to a progressive process of fractionation and fractions were challenged for their anti-mitotic activity. Our results show for the first time that X. strumarium whole extract inhibits assembly of the mitotic spindle and spindle-pole separation, thereby heavily affecting mitosis, impairing the metaphase to anaphase transition and inducing apoptosis. The purification procedure led to a fraction with an anti-mitotic activity comparable to that of the whole extract. Chemical analysis of this fraction showed that its major component was xanthatin. The present work shows a new activity of X. strumarium extract, i.e. the alteration of the mitotic apparatus in cultured cells that may be responsible for the anti-proliferative activity of the extract. Anti-mitotic activity is shown to be mainly exerted by xanthatin. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bunch coalescing in the Fermilab Main Ring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wildman, D.; Martin, P.; Meisner, K.; Miller, H.W.

1987-01-01

A new RF system has been installed in the Fermilab Main Ring to coalesce up to 13 individual bunches of protons or antiprotons into a single high-intensity bunch. The coalescing process consists of adiabatically reducing the h=1113 Main Ring RF voltage from 1 MV to less than 1 kV, capturing the debunched beam in a linearized h=53 and h=106 bucket, rotating for a quarter of a synchrotron oscillation period, and then recapturing the beam in a single h=1113 bucket. The new system is described and the results of recent coalescing experiments are compared with computer-generated particle tracking simulations

Surfactant effect on drop coalescence and film drainage hydrodynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Weheliye, Weheliye; Chinaud, Maxime; Voulgaropoulos, Victor; Angeli, Panagiota

2015-11-01

Coalescence of a drop on an aqueous-organic interface is studied in two test geometries A rectangular acrylic vessel and a Hele-Shaw cell (two parallel plates placed 2mm apart) are investigated for the experiments. Time resolved Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements provide information on the hydrodynamics during the bouncing stage of the droplet and on the vortices generated at the bulk fluid after the droplet has coalesced. The velocity field inside the droplet during its coalescence is presented. By localizing the rupture point of the coalescence in the quasi two dimensional cell, the film drainage dynamics are discussed by acquiring its flow velocity by PIV measurements with a straddling camera. The effect of surface tension forces in the coalescence of the droplet is investigated by introducing surface active agents at various concentrations extending on both sides of the critical micelle concentration.

Coalescence dynamics of mobile and immobile fluid interfaces

KAUST Repository

Vakarelski, Ivan Uriev; Manica, Rogerio; Li, Erqiang; Basheva, Elka S; Chan, Derek Y. C.; Thoroddsen, Sigurdur T.

2018-01-01

Coalescence dynamics between deformable bubbles and droplets can be dramatically affected by the mobility of the interfaces with fully tangentially mobile bubble-liquid or droplet-liquid interfaces expected to accelerate the coalescence by orders

Magnetic suspension motorized spindle-cutting system dynamics analysis and vibration control review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoli QIAO

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The performance of high-speed spindle directly determines the development of high-end machine tools. The cutting system's dynamic characteristics and vibration control effect are inseparable with the performance of the spindle,which influence each other, synergistic effect together the cutting efficiency, the surface quality of the workpiece and tool life in machining process. So, the review status on magnetic suspension motorized spindle, magnetic suspension bearing-flexible rotor system dynamics modeling theory and status of active control technology of flexible magnetic suspension motorized spindle rotor vibration are studied, and the problems which present in the magnetic suspension flexible motorized spindle rotor systems are refined, and the development trend of magnetic levitation motorized spindle and the application prospect is forecasted.

Modal analysis of spindle of grinder machine based on ANSYS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

HE Chaocong

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The object of research is to a certain type grinding wheel spindle for which a 3D model of the spindle is established by SolidWorks software and ANSYS software is imported for model analysis.Natural frequency,vibration type and critical speed of the spindle model are obtained and the resulting data are scientifically analyzed.The results show that the spindle structure is reasonable,the machining accuracy can be ensured and the position where the most severe deformation and the main shaft fatigue fracture may occur can be found out,which also provide the theoretical basis for further optimization design and precision control.

Parietal Fast Sleep Spindle Density Decrease in Alzheimer's Disease and Amnesic Mild Cognitive Impairment

Science.gov (United States)

Gorgoni, Maurizio; Lauri, Giulia; Truglia, Ilaria; Cordone, Susanna; Sarasso, Simone; Scarpelli, Serena; Mangiaruga, Anastasia; D'Atri, Aurora; Tempesta, Daniela; Ferrara, Michele; Marra, Camillo; Rossini, Paolo Maria; De Gennaro, Luigi

2016-01-01

Several studies have identified two types of sleep spindles: fast (13–15 Hz) centroparietal and slow (11–13 Hz) frontal spindles. Alterations in spindle activity have been observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Only few studies have separately assessed fast and slow spindles in these patients showing a reduction of fast spindle count, but the possible local specificity of this phenomenon and its relation to cognitive decline severity are not clear. Moreover, fast and slow spindle density have never been assessed in AD/MCI. We have assessed fast and slow spindles in 15 AD patients, 15 amnesic MCI patients, and 15 healthy elderly controls (HC). Participants underwent baseline polysomnographic recording (19 cortical derivations). Spindles during nonrapid eye movements sleep were automatically detected, and spindle densities of the three groups were compared in the derivations where fast and slow spindles exhibited their maximum expression (parietal and frontal, resp.). AD and MCI patients showed a significant parietal fast spindle density decrease, positively correlated with Minimental State Examination scores. Our results suggest that AD-related changes in spindle density are specific for frequency and location, are related to cognitive decline severity, and may have an early onset in the pathology development. PMID:27066274

Sleep spindling and fluid intelligence across adolescent development: sex matters.

Science.gov (United States)

Bódizs, Róbert; Gombos, Ferenc; Ujma, Péter P; Kovács, Ilona

2014-01-01

Evidence supports the intricate relationship between sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) spindling and cognitive abilities in children and adults. Although sleep EEG changes during adolescence index fundamental brain reorganization, a detailed analysis of sleep spindling and the spindle-intelligence relationship was not yet provided for adolescents. Therefore, adolescent development of sleep spindle oscillations were studied in a home polysomnographic study focusing on the effects of chronological age and developmentally acquired overall mental efficiency (fluid IQ) with sex as a potential modulating factor. Subjects were 24 healthy adolescents (12 males) with an age range of 15-22 years (mean: 18 years) and fluid IQ of 91-126 (mean: 104.12, Raven Progressive Matrices Test). Slow spindles (SSs) and fast spindles (FSs) were analyzed in 21 EEG derivations by using the individual adjustment method (IAM). A significant age-dependent increase in average FS density (r = 0.57; p = 0.005) was found. Moreover, fluid IQ correlated with FS density (r = 0.43; p = 0.04) and amplitude (r = 0.41; p = 0.049). The latter effects were entirely driven by particularly reliable FS-IQ correlations in females [r = 0.80 (p = 0.002) and r = 0.67 (p = 0.012), for density and amplitude, respectively]. Region-specific analyses revealed that these correlations peak in the fronto-central regions. The control of the age-dependence of FS measures and IQ scores did not considerably reduce the spindle-IQ correlations with respect to FS density. The only positive spindle-index of fluid IQ in males turned out to be the frequency of FSs (r = 0.60, p = 0.04). Increases in FS density during adolescence may index reshaped structural connectivity related to white matter maturation in the late developing human brain. The continued development over this age range of cognitive functions is indexed by specific measures of sleep spindling unraveling gender differences in adolescent brain maturation and perhaps

On spatial coalescents with multiple mergers in two dimensions.

Science.gov (United States)

Heuer, Benjamin; Sturm, Anja

2013-08-01

We consider the genealogy of a sample of individuals taken from a spatially structured population when the variance of the offspring distribution is relatively large. The space is structured into discrete sites of a graph G. If the population size at each site is large, spatial coalescents with multiple mergers, so called spatial Λ-coalescents, for which ancestral lines migrate in space and coalesce according to some Λ-coalescent mechanism, are shown to be appropriate approximations to the genealogy of a sample of individuals. We then consider as the graph G the two dimensional torus with side length 2L+1 and show that as L tends to infinity, and time is rescaled appropriately, the partition structure of spatial Λ-coalescents of individuals sampled far enough apart converges to the partition structure of a non-spatial Kingman coalescent. From a biological point of view this means that in certain circumstances both the spatial structure as well as larger variances of the underlying offspring distribution are harder to detect from the sample. However, supplemental simulations show that for moderately large L the different structure is still evident. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hybrid Prediction Model of the Temperature Field of a Motorized Spindle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lixiu Zhang

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The thermal characteristics of a motorized spindle are the main determinants of its performance, and influence the machining accuracy of computer numerical control machine tools. It is important to accurately predict the thermal field of a motorized spindle during its operation to improve its thermal characteristics. This paper proposes a model to predict the temperature field of a high-speed and high-precision motorized spindle under different working conditions using a finite element model and test data. The finite element model considers the influence of the parameters of the cooling system and the lubrication system, and that of environmental conditions on the coefficient of heat transfer based on test data for the surface temperature of the motorized spindle. A genetic algorithm is used to optimize the coefficient of heat transfer of the spindle, and its temperature field is predicted using a three-dimensional model that employs this optimal coefficient. A prediction model of the 170MD30 temperature field of the motorized spindle is created and simulation data for the temperature field are compared with the test data. The results show that when the speed of the spindle is 10,000 rpm, the relative mean prediction error is 1.5%, and when its speed is 15,000 rpm, the prediction error is 3.6%. Therefore, the proposed prediction model can predict the temperature field of the motorized spindle with high accuracy.

Characteristics of motorized spindle supported by active magnetic bearings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xie Zhenyu

2014-12-01

Full Text Available A motorized spindle supported by active magnetic bearings (AMBs is generally used for ultra-high-speed machining. Iron loss of radial AMB is very great owing to high rotation speed, and it will cause severe thermal deformation. The problem is particularly serious on the occasion of large power application, such as all electric aero-engine. In this study, a prototype motorized spindle supported by five degree-of-freedom AMBs is developed. Homopolar and heteropolar AMBs are independently adopted as radial bearings. The influences of the two types of radial AMBs on the dynamic characteristics of the motorized spindle are comparatively investigated by theoretical analysis, test modal analysis and actual operation of the system. The iron loss of the two types of radial AMBs is analyzed by finite element software and verified through run-down experiments of the system. The results show that the structures of AMB have less influence on the dynamic characteristics of the motorized spindle. However, the homopolar structure can effectively reduce the iron loss of the radial AMB and it is useful for improving the overall performance of the motorized spindle.

Dynamics Analysis of Unbalanced Motorized Spindles Supported on Ball Bearings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junfeng Liu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an improved dynamic model for unbalanced high speed motorized spindles. The proposed model includes a Hertz contact force model which takes into the internal clearance and an unbalanced electromagnetic force model based on the energy of the air magnetic field. The nonlinear characteristic of the model is analysed by Lyapunov stability theory and numerical analysis to study the dynamic properties of the spindle system. Finally, a dynamic operating test is carried out on a DX100A-24000/20-type motorized spindle. The good agreement between the numerical solutions and the experimental data indicates that the proposed model is capable of accurately predicting the dynamic properties of motorized spindles. The influence of the unbalanced magnetic force on the system is studied, and the sensitivities of the system parameters to the critical speed of the system are obtained. These conclusions are useful for the dynamic design of high speed motorized spindles.

Noninvasive three-dimensional live imaging methodology for the spindles at meiosis and mitosis

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Jing-gao; Huo, Tiancheng; Tian, Ning; Chen, Tianyuan; Wang, Chengming; Zhang, Ning; Zhao, Fengying; Lu, Danyu; Chen, Dieyan; Ma, Wanyun; Sun, Jia-lin; Xue, Ping

2013-05-01

The spindle plays a crucial role in normal chromosome alignment and segregation during meiosis and mitosis. Studying spindles in living cells noninvasively is of great value in assisted reproduction technology (ART). Here, we present a novel spindle imaging methodology, full-field optical coherence tomography (FF-OCT). Without any dye labeling and fixation, we demonstrate the first successful application of FF-OCT to noninvasive three-dimensional (3-D) live imaging of the meiotic spindles within the mouse living oocytes at metaphase II as well as the mitotic spindles in the living zygotes at metaphase and telophase. By post-processing of the 3-D dataset obtained with FF-OCT, the important morphological and spatial parameters of the spindles, such as short and long axes, spatial localization, and the angle of meiotic spindle deviation from the first polar body in the oocyte were precisely measured with the spatial resolution of 0.7 μm. Our results reveal the potential of FF-OCT as an imaging tool capable of noninvasive 3-D live morphological analysis for spindles, which might be useful to ART related procedures and many other spindle related studies.

Coalescence of magnetic islands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pellat, R.

1982-01-01

The paper gives the analytical theory of the coalescence instability and of a new, one island, instability. These instabilities are expected to be relevant for the disruptions observed in Tokamak experiments and astrophysical plasmas

Explosive coalescence of magnetic islands and explosive particle acceleration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tajima, T.; Sakai, J.I.

1985-07-01

An explosive reconnection process associated with the nonlinear evolution of the coalescence instability is found through studies of the electromagnetic particle simulation and the magnetohydrodynamic particle simulation. The explosive coalescence is a process of magnetic collapse, in which we find the magnetic and electrostatic field energies and temperatures (ion temperature in the coalescing direction, in particular) explode toward the explosion time t 0 as (t 0 - t)/sup -8/3/, (t 0 - t) -4 , and (t 0 - t)/sup -8/3/, respectively for a canonical case. Single-peak, double-peak, and triple-peak structures of magnetic energy, temperature, and electrostatic energy, respectively, are observed on the simulation as overshoot amplitude oscillations and are theoretically explained. The heuristic model of Brunel and Tajima is extended to this explosive coalescence in order to extract the basic process. Since the explosive coalescence exhibits self-similarity, a temporal universality, we theoretically search for a self-similar solution to the two-fluid plasma equations

TFG-MET fusion in an infantile spindle cell sarcoma with neural features

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Flucke, U.E.; Noesel, M.M. van; Wijnen, M.; Zhang, L.; Chen, C.L.; Sung, Y.S.; Antonescu, C.R.

2017-01-01

An increasing number of congenital and infantile sarcomas displaying a primitive, monomorphic spindle cell phenotype have been characterized to harbor recurrent gene fusions, including infantile fibrosarcoma and congenital spindle cell rhabdomyosarcoma. Here, we report an unusual spindle cell

Cell cycle-dependent SUMO-1 conjugation to nuclear mitotic apparatus protein (NuMA)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seo, Jae Sung; Kim, Ha Na; Kim, Sun-Jick; Bang, Jiyoung; Kim, Eun-A; Sung, Ki Sa [Department of Biological Sciences, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, Hyun-Joo [TissueGene Inc. 9605 Medical Center Dr., Rockville, MD 20850 (United States); Yoo, Hae Yong [Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul 135-710 (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Cheol Yong, E-mail: choicy@skku.ac.kr [Department of Biological Sciences, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of)

2014-01-03

Highlights: •NuMA is modified by SUMO-1 in a cell cycle-dependent manner. •NuMA lysine 1766 is the primary target site for SUMOylation. •SUMOylation-deficient NuMA induces multiple spindle poles during mitosis. •SUMOylated NuMA induces microtubule bundling. -- Abstract: Covalent conjugation of proteins with small ubiquitin-like modifier 1 (SUMO-1) plays a critical role in a variety of cellular functions including cell cycle control, replication, and transcriptional regulation. Nuclear mitotic apparatus protein (NuMA) localizes to spindle poles during mitosis, and is an essential component in the formation and maintenance of mitotic spindle poles. Here we show that NuMA is a target for covalent conjugation to SUMO-1. We find that the lysine 1766 residue is the primary NuMA acceptor site for SUMO-1 conjugation. Interestingly, SUMO modification of endogenous NuMA occurs at the entry into mitosis and this modification is reversed after exiting from mitosis. Knockdown of Ubc9 or forced expression of SENP1 results in impairment of the localization of NuMA to mitotic spindle poles during mitosis. The SUMOylation-deficient NuMA mutant is defective in microtubule bundling, and multiple spindles are induced during mitosis. The mitosis-dependent dynamic SUMO-1 modification of NuMA might contribute to NuMA-mediated formation and maintenance of mitotic spindle poles during mitosis.

The Bacterial Sequential Markov Coalescent.

Science.gov (United States)

De Maio, Nicola; Wilson, Daniel J

2017-05-01

Bacteria can exchange and acquire new genetic material from other organisms directly and via the environment. This process, known as bacterial recombination, has a strong impact on the evolution of bacteria, for example, leading to the spread of antibiotic resistance across clades and species, and to the avoidance of clonal interference. Recombination hinders phylogenetic and transmission inference because it creates patterns of substitutions (homoplasies) inconsistent with the hypothesis of a single evolutionary tree. Bacterial recombination is typically modeled as statistically akin to gene conversion in eukaryotes, i.e. , using the coalescent with gene conversion (CGC). However, this model can be very computationally demanding as it needs to account for the correlations of evolutionary histories of even distant loci. So, with the increasing popularity of whole genome sequencing, the need has emerged for a faster approach to model and simulate bacterial genome evolution. We present a new model that approximates the coalescent with gene conversion: the bacterial sequential Markov coalescent (BSMC). Our approach is based on a similar idea to the sequential Markov coalescent (SMC)-an approximation of the coalescent with crossover recombination. However, bacterial recombination poses hurdles to a sequential Markov approximation, as it leads to strong correlations and linkage disequilibrium across very distant sites in the genome. Our BSMC overcomes these difficulties, and shows a considerable reduction in computational demand compared to the exact CGC, and very similar patterns in simulated data. We implemented our BSMC model within new simulation software FastSimBac. In addition to the decreased computational demand compared to previous bacterial genome evolution simulators, FastSimBac provides more general options for evolutionary scenarios, allowing population structure with migration, speciation, population size changes, and recombination hotspots. FastSimBac is

Timely Endocytosis of Cytokinetic Enzymes Prevents Premature Spindle Breakage during Mitotic Exit.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cheen Fei Chin

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Cytokinesis requires the spatio-temporal coordination of membrane deposition and primary septum (PS formation at the division site to drive acto-myosin ring (AMR constriction. It has been demonstrated that AMR constriction invariably occurs only after the mitotic spindle disassembly. It has also been established that Chitin Synthase II (Chs2p neck localization precedes mitotic spindle disassembly during mitotic exit. As AMR constriction depends upon PS formation, the question arises as to how chitin deposition is regulated so as to prevent premature AMR constriction and mitotic spindle breakage. In this study, we propose that cells regulate the coordination between spindle disassembly and AMR constriction via timely endocytosis of cytokinetic enzymes, Chs2p, Chs3p, and Fks1p. Inhibition of endocytosis leads to over accumulation of cytokinetic enzymes during mitotic exit, which accelerates the constriction of the AMR, and causes spindle breakage that eventually could contribute to monopolar spindle formation in the subsequent round of cell division. Intriguingly, the mitotic spindle breakage observed in endocytosis mutants can be rescued either by deleting or inhibiting the activities of, CHS2, CHS3 and FKS1, which are involved in septum formation. The findings from our study highlight the importance of timely endocytosis of cytokinetic enzymes at the division site in safeguarding mitotic spindle integrity during mitotic exit.

Delimiting Coalescence Genes (C-Genes) in Phylogenomic Data Sets.

Science.gov (United States)

Springer, Mark S; Gatesy, John

2018-02-26

coalescence methods have emerged as a popular alternative for inferring species trees with large genomic datasets, because these methods explicitly account for incomplete lineage sorting. However, statistical consistency of summary coalescence methods is not guaranteed unless several model assumptions are true, including the critical assumption that recombination occurs freely among but not within coalescence genes (c-genes), which are the fundamental units of analysis for these methods. Each c-gene has a single branching history, and large sets of these independent gene histories should be the input for genome-scale coalescence estimates of phylogeny. By contrast, numerous studies have reported the results of coalescence analyses in which complete protein-coding sequences are treated as c-genes even though exons for these loci can span more than a megabase of DNA. Empirical estimates of recombination breakpoints suggest that c-genes may be much shorter, especially when large clades with many species are the focus of analysis. Although this idea has been challenged recently in the literature, the inverse relationship between c-gene size and increased taxon sampling in a dataset-the 'recombination ratchet'-is a fundamental property of c-genes. For taxonomic groups characterized by genes with long intron sequences, complete protein-coding sequences are likely not valid c-genes and are inappropriate units of analysis for summary coalescence methods unless they occur in recombination deserts that are devoid of incomplete lineage sorting (ILS). Finally, it has been argued that coalescence methods are robust when the no-recombination within loci assumption is violated, but recombination must matter at some scale because ILS, a by-product of recombination, is the raison d'etre for coalescence methods. That is, extensive recombination is required to yield the large number of independently segregating c-genes used to infer a species tree. If coalescent methods are powerful

Force encoding in muscle spindles during stretch of passive muscle.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyle P Blum

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Muscle spindle proprioceptive receptors play a primary role in encoding the effects of external mechanical perturbations to the body. During externally-imposed stretches of passive, i.e. electrically-quiescent, muscles, the instantaneous firing rates (IFRs of muscle spindles are associated with characteristics of stretch such as length and velocity. However, even in passive muscle, there are history-dependent transients of muscle spindle firing that are not uniquely related to muscle length and velocity, nor reproduced by current muscle spindle models. These include acceleration-dependent initial bursts, increased dynamic response to stretch velocity if a muscle has been isometric, and rate relaxation, i.e., a decrease in tonic IFR when a muscle is held at a constant length after being stretched. We collected muscle spindle spike trains across a variety of muscle stretch kinematic conditions, including systematic changes in peak length, velocity, and acceleration. We demonstrate that muscle spindle primary afferents in passive muscle fire in direct relationship to muscle force-related variables, rather than length-related variables. Linear combinations of whole muscle-tendon force and the first time derivative of force (dF/dt predict the entire time course of transient IFRs in muscle spindle Ia afferents during stretch (i.e., lengthening of passive muscle, including the initial burst, the dynamic response to lengthening, and rate relaxation following lengthening. Similar to acceleration scaling found previously in postural responses to perturbations, initial burst amplitude scaled equally well to initial stretch acceleration or dF/dt, though later transients were only described by dF/dt. The transient increase in dF/dt at the onset of lengthening reflects muscle short-range stiffness due to cross-bridge dynamics. Our work demonstrates a critical role of muscle cross-bridge dynamics in history-dependent muscle spindle IFRs in passive muscle

Force encoding in muscle spindles during stretch of passive muscle.

Science.gov (United States)

Blum, Kyle P; Lamotte D'Incamps, Boris; Zytnicki, Daniel; Ting, Lena H

2017-09-01

Muscle spindle proprioceptive receptors play a primary role in encoding the effects of external mechanical perturbations to the body. During externally-imposed stretches of passive, i.e. electrically-quiescent, muscles, the instantaneous firing rates (IFRs) of muscle spindles are associated with characteristics of stretch such as length and velocity. However, even in passive muscle, there are history-dependent transients of muscle spindle firing that are not uniquely related to muscle length and velocity, nor reproduced by current muscle spindle models. These include acceleration-dependent initial bursts, increased dynamic response to stretch velocity if a muscle has been isometric, and rate relaxation, i.e., a decrease in tonic IFR when a muscle is held at a constant length after being stretched. We collected muscle spindle spike trains across a variety of muscle stretch kinematic conditions, including systematic changes in peak length, velocity, and acceleration. We demonstrate that muscle spindle primary afferents in passive muscle fire in direct relationship to muscle force-related variables, rather than length-related variables. Linear combinations of whole muscle-tendon force and the first time derivative of force (dF/dt) predict the entire time course of transient IFRs in muscle spindle Ia afferents during stretch (i.e., lengthening) of passive muscle, including the initial burst, the dynamic response to lengthening, and rate relaxation following lengthening. Similar to acceleration scaling found previously in postural responses to perturbations, initial burst amplitude scaled equally well to initial stretch acceleration or dF/dt, though later transients were only described by dF/dt. The transient increase in dF/dt at the onset of lengthening reflects muscle short-range stiffness due to cross-bridge dynamics. Our work demonstrates a critical role of muscle cross-bridge dynamics in history-dependent muscle spindle IFRs in passive muscle lengthening conditions

A New Approach to Spindle Radial Error Evaluation Using a Machine Vision System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kavitha C.

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The spindle rotational accuracy is one of the important issues in a machine tool which affects the surface topography and dimensional accuracy of a workpiece. This paper presents a machine-vision-based approach to radial error measurement of a lathe spindle using a CMOS camera and a PC-based image processing system. In the present work, a precisely machined cylindrical master is mounted on the spindle as a datum surface and variations of its position are captured using the camera for evaluating runout of the spindle. The Circular Hough Transform (CHT is used to detect variations of the centre position of the master cylinder during spindle rotation at subpixel level from a sequence of images. Radial error values of the spindle are evaluated using the Fourier series analysis of the centre position of the master cylinder calculated with the least squares curve fitting technique. The experiments have been carried out on a lathe at different operating speeds and the spindle radial error estimation results are presented. The proposed method provides a simpler approach to on-machine estimation of the spindle radial error in machine tools.

Coalescence preference and droplet size inequality during fluid phase segregation

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, Sutapa

2018-02-01

Using molecular dynamics simulations and scaling arguments, we investigate the coalescence preference dynamics of liquid droplets in a phase-segregating off-critical, single-component fluid. It is observed that the preferential distance of the product drop from its larger parent, during a coalescence event, gets smaller for large parent size inequality. The relative coalescence position exhibits a power-law dependence on the parent size ratio with an exponent q ≃ 3.1 . This value of q is in strong contrast with earlier reports 2.1 and 5.1 in the literature. The dissimilarity is explained by considering the underlying coalescence mechanisms.

Partial coalescence from bubbles to drops

KAUST Repository

Zhang, F. H.

2015-10-07

The coalescence of drops is a fundamental process in the coarsening of emulsions. However, counter-intuitively, this coalescence process can produce a satellite, approximately half the size of the original drop, which is detrimental to the overall coarsening. This also occurs during the coalescence of bubbles, while the resulting satellite is much smaller, approximately 10 %. To understand this difference, we have conducted a set of coalescence experiments using xenon bubbles inside a pressure chamber, where we can continuously raise the pressure from 1 up to 85 atm and thereby vary the density ratio between the inner and outer fluid, from 0.005 up to unity. Using high-speed video imaging, we observe a continuous increase in satellite size as the inner density is varied from the bubble to emulsion-droplet conditions, with the most rapid changes occurring as the bubble density grows up to 15 % of that of the surrounding liquid. We propose a model that successfully relates the satellite size to the capillary wave mode responsible for its pinch-off and the overall deformations from the drainage. The wavelength of the primary wave changes during its travel to the apex, with the instantaneous speed adjusting to the local wavelength. By estimating the travel time of this wave mode on the bubble surface, we also show that the model is consistent with the experiments. This wavenumber is determined by both the global drainage as well as the interface shapes during the rapid coalescence in the neck connecting the two drops or bubbles. The rate of drainage is shown to scale with the density of the inner fluid. Empirically, we find that the pinch-off occurs when 60 % of the bubble fluid has drained from it. Numerical simulations using the volume-of-fluid method with dynamic adaptive grid refinement can reproduce these dynamics, as well as show the associated vortical structure and stirring of the coalescing fluid masses. Enhanced stirring is observed for cases with second

Automatic Sleep Spindle Detection and Genetic Influence Estimation Using Continuous Wavelet Transform

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Adamczyk, M.; Genzel, L.K.E.; Dresler, M.; Steiger, A.; Friess, E.

2015-01-01

Mounting evidence for the role of sleep spindles in neuroplasticity has led to an increased interest in these non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep oscillations. It has been hypothesized that fast and slow spindles might play a different role in memory processing. Here, we present a new sleep spindle

Spindle neurons of the human anterior cingulate cortex

Science.gov (United States)

Nimchinsky, E. A.; Vogt, B. A.; Morrison, J. H.; Hof, P. R.; Bloom, F. E. (Principal Investigator)

1995-01-01

The human anterior cingulate cortex is distinguished by the presence of an unusual cell type, a large spindle neuron in layer Vb. This cell has been noted numerous times in the historical literature but has not been studied with modern neuroanatomic techniques. For instance, details regarding the neuronal class to which these cells belong and regarding their precise distribution along both ventrodorsal and anteroposterior axes of the cingulate gyrus are still lacking. In the present study, morphological features and the anatomic distribution of this cell type were studied using computer-assisted mapping and immunocytochemical techniques. Spindle neurons are restricted to the subfields of the anterior cingulate cortex (Brodmann's area 24), exhibiting a greater density in anterior portions of this area than in posterior portions, and tapering off in the transition zone between anterior and posterior cingulate cortex. Furthermore, a majority of the spindle cells at any level is located in subarea 24b on the gyral surface. Immunocytochemical analysis revealed that the neurofilament protein triple was present in a large percentage of these neurons and that they did not contain calcium-binding proteins. Injections of the carbocyanine dye DiI into the cingulum bundle revealed that these cells are projection neurons. Finally, spindle cells were consistently affected in Alzheimer's disease cases, with an overall loss of about 60%. Taken together, these observations indicate that the spindle cells of the human cingulate cortex represent a morphological subpopulation of pyramidal neurons whose restricted distribution may be associated with functionally distinct areas.

Intercentrosomal angular separation during mitosis plays a crucial role for maintaining spindle stability

Science.gov (United States)

Sutradhar, S.; Basu, S.; Paul, R.

2015-10-01

Cell division through proper spindle formation is one of the key puzzles in cell biology. In most mammalian cells, chromosomes spontaneously arrange to achieve a stable bipolar spindle during metaphase which eventually ensures proper segregation of the DNA into the daughter cells. In this paper, we present a robust three-dimensional mechanistic model to investigate the formation and maintenance of a bipolar mitotic spindle in mammalian cells under different physiological constraints. Using realistic parameters, we test spindle viability by measuring the spindle length and studying the chromosomal configuration. The model strikingly predicts a feature of the spindle instability arising from the insufficient intercentrosomal angular separation and impaired sliding of the interpolar microtubules. In addition, our model successfully reproduces chromosomal patterns observed in mammalian cells, when activity of different motor proteins is perturbed.

Relationship between focal penicillin spikes and cortical spindles in the cerveau isolé cat.

Science.gov (United States)

McLachlan, R S; Kaibara, M; Girvin, J P

1983-01-01

Using the unanesthetized, cerveau isolé preparation in the cat, the association between artificially induced penicillin (PCN) spikes and spontaneously occurring electrocorticographic (ECoG) spindles was investigated. Spikes were elicited by surface application of small pledgets of PCN. After the application of PCN, there was a decrease in spindle amplitude but no change in frequency, duration, or spindle wave frequency in the area of the focus. Examination of the times of occurrence of the spikes and spindles disclosed that in the majority of cases, within a few minutes of the initiation of the foci, there was very high simultaneity, usually 100% between the occurrences of these two events. Examination of the times of occurrence of the spikes within the ECoG spindles failed to disclose any compelling evidence which would favor either the hypothesis that spikes "trigger" spindles or the hypothesis that spindles predispose to focal spikes. Thus, whether spikes trigger spindles, or spikes simply occur in a nonspecific manner during the occurrence of the spindle, or whether it is a combination of both these explanations, must remain an open question on the basis of the data available.

Poling of Planar Silica Waveguides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arentoft, Jesper; Kristensen, Martin; Jensen, Jesper Bo

1999-01-01

UV-written planar silica waveguides are poled using two different poling techniques, thermal poling and UV-poling. Thermal poling induces an electro-optic coefficient of 0.067 pm/V. We also demonstrate simultaneous UV-writing and UV-poling. The induced electro-optic effect shows a linear dependence...

Sleep Spindles and Intelligence in Early Childhood--Developmental and Trait-Dependent Aspects

Science.gov (United States)

Ujma, Péter P.; Sándor, Piroska; Szakadát, Sára; Gombos, Ferenc; Bódizs, Róbert

2016-01-01

Sleep spindles act as a powerful marker of individual differences in cognitive ability. Sleep spindle parameters correlate with both age-related changes in cognitive abilities and with the age-independent concept of IQ. While some studies have specifically demonstrated the relationship between sleep spindles and intelligence in young children, our…

Spindle-shaped Microstructures: Potential Models for Planktonic Life Forms on Other Worlds

Science.gov (United States)

Oehler, Dorothy Z.; Walsh, Maud M.; Sugitani, Kenichiro; House, Christopher H.

2014-01-01

Spindle-shaped, organic microstructures ("spindles") are now known from Archean cherts in three localities (Figs. 1-4): The 3 Ga Farrel Quartzite from the Pilbara of Australia [1]; the older, 3.3-3.4 Ga Strelley Pool Formation, also from the Pilbara of Australia [2]; and the 3.4 Ga Kromberg Formation of the Barberton Mountain Land of South Africa [3]. Though the spindles were previously speculated to be pseudofossils or epigenetic organic contaminants, a growing body of data suggests that these structures are bona fide microfossils and further, that they are syngenetic with the Archean cherts in which they occur [1-2, 4-10]. As such, the spindles are among some of the oldest-known organically preserved microfossils on Earth. Moreover, recent delta C-13 study of individual spindles from the Farrel Quartzite (using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry [SIMS]) suggests that the spindles may have been planktonic (living in open water), as opposed to benthic (living as bottom dwellers in contact with muds or sediments) [9]. Since most Precambrian microbiotas have been described from benthic, matforming communities, a planktonic lifestyle for the spindles suggests that these structures could represent a segment of the Archean biosphere that is poorly known. Here we synthesize the recent work on the spindles, and we add new observations regarding their geographic distribution, robustness, planktonic habit, and long-lived success. We then discuss their potential evolutionary and astrobiological significance.

Frequency Response Studies using Receptance Coupling Approach in High Speed Spindles

Science.gov (United States)

Shaik, Jakeer Hussain; Ramakotaiah, K.; Srinivas, J.

2018-01-01

In order to assess the stability of high speed machining, estimate the frequency response at the end of tool tip is of great importance. Evaluating dynamic response of several combinations of integrated spindle-tool holder-tool will consume a lot of time. This paper presents coupled field dynamic response at tool tip for the entire integrated spindle tool unit. The spindle unit is assumed to be relying over the front and rear bearings and investigated using the Timoshenko beam theory to arrive the receptances at different locations of the spindle-tool unit. The responses are further validated with conventional finite element model as well as with the experiments. This approach permits quick outputs without losing accuracy of solution and further these methods are utilized to analyze the various design variables on system dynamics. The results obtained through this analysis are needed to design the better spindle unit in an attempt to reduce the frequency amplitudes at the tool tip to improvise the milling stability during cutting process.

Sleep Spindle Detection and Prediction Using a Mixture of Time Series and Chaotic Features

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amin Hekmatmanesh

2017-01-01

Full Text Available It is well established that sleep spindles (bursts of oscillatory brain electrical activity are significant indicators of learning, memory and some disease states. Therefore, many attempts have been made to detect these hallmark patterns automatically. In this pilot investigation, we paid special attention to nonlinear chaotic features of EEG signals (in combination with linear features to investigate the detection and prediction of sleep spindles. These nonlinear features included: Higuchi's, Katz's and Sevcik's Fractal Dimensions, as well as the Largest Lyapunov Exponent and Kolmogorov's Entropy. It was shown that the intensity map of various nonlinear features derived from the constructive interference of spindle signals could improve the detection of the sleep spindles. It was also observed that the prediction of sleep spindles could be facilitated by means of the analysis of these maps. Two well-known classifiers, namely the Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP and the K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN were used to distinguish between spindle and non-spindle patterns. The MLP classifier produced a~high discriminative capacity (accuracy = 94.93%, sensitivity = 94.31% and specificity = 95.28% with significant robustness (accuracy ranging from 91.33% to 94.93%, sensitivity varying from 91.20% to 94.31%, and specificity extending from 89.79% to 95.28% in separating spindles from non-spindles. This classifier also generated the best results in predicting sleep spindles based on chaotic features. In addition, the MLP was used to find out the best time window for predicting the sleep spindles, with the experimental results reaching 97.96% accuracy.

ULTRAMASSIVE BLACK HOLE COALESCENCE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, Fazeel Mahmood; Holley-Bockelmann, Kelly; Berczik, Peter

2015-01-01

Although supermassive black holes (SMBHs) correlate well with their host galaxies, there is an emerging view that outliers exist. Henize 2-10, NGC 4889, and NGC 1277 are examples of SMBHs at least an order of magnitude more massive than their host galaxy suggests. The dynamical effects of such ultramassive central black holes is unclear. Here, we perform direct N-body simulations of mergers of galactic nuclei where one black hole is ultramassive to study the evolution of the remnant and the black hole dynamics in this extreme regime. We find that the merger remnant is axisymmetric near the center, while near the large SMBH influence radius, the galaxy is triaxial. The SMBH separation shrinks rapidly due to dynamical friction, and quickly forms a binary black hole; if we scale our model to the most massive estimate for the NGC 1277 black hole, for example, the timescale for the SMBH separation to shrink from nearly a kiloparsec to less than a parsec is roughly 10 Myr. By the time the SMBHs form a hard binary, gravitational wave emission dominates, and the black holes coalesce in a mere few Myr. Curiously, these extremely massive binaries appear to nearly bypass the three-body scattering evolutionary phase. Our study suggests that in this extreme case, SMBH coalescence is governed by dynamical friction followed nearly directly by gravitational wave emission, resulting in a rapid and efficient SMBH coalescence timescale. We discuss the implications for gravitational wave event rates and hypervelocity star production

Genetic Variability Under the Seedbank Coalescent.

Science.gov (United States)

Blath, Jochen; González Casanova, Adrián; Eldon, Bjarki; Kurt, Noemi; Wilke-Berenguer, Maite

2015-07-01

We analyze patterns of genetic variability of populations in the presence of a large seedbank with the help of a new coalescent structure called the seedbank coalescent. This ancestral process appears naturally as a scaling limit of the genealogy of large populations that sustain seedbanks, if the seedbank size and individual dormancy times are of the same order as those of the active population. Mutations appear as Poisson processes on the active lineages and potentially at reduced rate also on the dormant lineages. The presence of "dormant" lineages leads to qualitatively altered times to the most recent common ancestor and nonclassical patterns of genetic diversity. To illustrate this we provide a Wright-Fisher model with a seedbank component and mutation, motivated from recent models of microbial dormancy, whose genealogy can be described by the seedbank coalescent. Based on our coalescent model, we derive recursions for the expectation and variance of the time to most recent common ancestor, number of segregating sites, pairwise differences, and singletons. Estimates (obtained by simulations) of the distributions of commonly employed distance statistics, in the presence and absence of a seedbank, are compared. The effect of a seedbank on the expected site-frequency spectrum is also investigated using simulations. Our results indicate that the presence of a large seedbank considerably alters the distribution of some distance statistics, as well as the site-frequency spectrum. Thus, one should be able to detect from genetic data the presence of a large seedbank in natural populations. Copyright © 2015 by the Genetics Society of America.

Drosophila parthenogenesis: A tool to decipher centrosomal vs acentrosomal spindle assembly pathways

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riparbelli, Maria Giovanna; Callaini, Giuliano

2008-01-01

Development of unfertilized eggs in the parthenogenetic strain K23-O-im of Drosophila mercatorum requires the stochastic interactions of self-assembled centrosomes with the female chromatin. In a portion of the unfertilized eggs that do not assemble centrosomes, microtubules organize a bipolar anastral mitotic spindle around the chromatin like the one formed during the first female meiosis, suggesting that similar pathways may be operative. In the cytoplasm of eggs in which centrosomes do form, monastral and biastral spindles are found. Analysis by laser scanning confocal microscopy suggests that these spindles are derived from the stochastic interaction of astral microtubules directly with kinetochore regions or indirectly with kinetochore microtubules. Our findings are consistent with the idea that mitotic spindle assembly requires both acentrosomal and centrosomal pathways, strengthening the hypothesis that astral microtubules can dictate the organization of the spindle by capturing kinetochore microtubules

Coalescence dynamics of mobile and immobile fluid interfaces

KAUST Repository

Vakarelski, Ivan Uriev

2018-01-12

Coalescence dynamics between deformable bubbles and droplets can be dramatically affected by the mobility of the interfaces with fully tangentially mobile bubble-liquid or droplet-liquid interfaces expected to accelerate the coalescence by orders of magnitudes. However, there is a lack of systematic experimental investigations that quantify this effect. By using high speed camera imaging we examine the free rise and coalescence of small air-bubbles (100 to 1300 μm in diameter) with a liquid interface. A perfluorocarbon liquid, PP11 is used as a model liquid to investigate coalescence dynamics between fully-mobile and immobile deformable interfaces. The mobility of the bubble surface was determined by measuring the terminal rise velocity of small bubbles rising at Reynolds numbers, Re less than 0.1 and the mobility of free PP11 surface by measuring the deceleration kinetics of the small bubble toward the interface. Induction or film drainage times of a bubble at the mobile PP11-air surface were found to be more than two orders of magnitude shorter compared to the case of bubble and an immobile PP11-water interface. A theoretical model is used to illustrate the effect of hydrodynamics and interfacial mobility on the induction time or film drainage time. The results of this study are expected to stimulate the development of a comprehensive theoretical model for coalescence dynamics between two fully or partially mobile fluid interfaces.

Coalescence of liquid drops: Different models versus experiment

KAUST Repository

Sprittles, J. E.

2012-01-01

The process of coalescence of two identical liquid drops is simulated numerically in the framework of two essentially different mathematical models, and the results are compared with experimental data on the very early stages of the coalescence process reported recently. The first model tested is the "conventional" one, where it is assumed that coalescence as the formation of a single body of fluid occurs by an instant appearance of a liquid bridge smoothly connecting the two drops, and the subsequent process is the evolution of this single body of fluid driven by capillary forces. The second model under investigation considers coalescence as a process where a section of the free surface becomes trapped between the bulk phases as the drops are pressed against each other, and it is the gradual disappearance of this "internal interface" that leads to the formation of a single body of fluid and the conventional model taking over. Using the full numerical solution of the problem in the framework of each of the two models, we show that the recently reported electrical measurements probing the very early stages of the process are better described by the interface formation/disappearance model. New theory-guided experiments are suggested that would help to further elucidate the details of the coalescence phenomenon. As a by-product of our research, the range of validity of different "scaling laws" advanced as approximate solutions to the problem formulated using the conventional model is established. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.

Node insertion in Coalescence Fractal Interpolation Function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prasad, Srijanani Anurag

2013-01-01

The Iterated Function System (IFS) used in the construction of Coalescence Hidden-variable Fractal Interpolation Function (CHFIF) depends on the interpolation data. The insertion of a new point in a given set of interpolation data is called the problem of node insertion. In this paper, the effect of insertion of new point on the related IFS and the Coalescence Fractal Interpolation Function is studied. Smoothness and Fractal Dimension of a CHFIF obtained with a node are also discussed

A single bout of exercise with a flexible pole induces significant cardiac autonomic responses in healthy men

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Cristiane M. Ogata

2014-09-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: Flexible poles can provide rapid eccentric and concentric muscle contractions. Muscle vibration is associated with a "tonic vibration reflex” that is stimulated by a sequence of rapid muscle stretching, activation of the muscle spindles and stimulation of a response that is similar to the myotatic reflex. Literature studies analyzing the acute cardiovascular responses to different exercises performed with this instrument are lacking. We investigated the acute effects of exercise with flexible poles on the heart period in healthy men. METHOD: The study was performed on ten young adult males between 18 and 25 years old. We evaluated the heart rate variability in the time and frequency domains. The subjects remained at rest for 10 min. After the rest period, the volunteers performed the exercises with the flexible poles. Immediately after the exercise protocol, the volunteers remained seated at rest for 30 min and their heart rate variability was analyzed. RESULTS: The pNN50 was reduced at 5-10 and 15-20 min after exercise compared to 25-30 min after exercise (p = 0.0019, the SDNN was increased at 25-30 min after exercise compared to at rest and 0-10 min after exercise (p = 0.0073 and the RMSSD was increased at 25-30 min after exercise compared to 5-15 min after exercise (p = 0.0043. The LF in absolute units was increased at 25-30 min after exercise compared to 5-20 min after exercise (p = 0.0184. CONCLUSION: A single bout of exercise with a flexible pole reduced the heart rate variability and parasympathetic recovery was observed approximately 30 min after exercise.

Measurement Research of Motorized Spindle Dynamic Stiffness under High Speed Rotating

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Xiaopeng Wang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available High speed motorized spindle has become a key functional unit of high speed machine tools and effectively promotes the development of machine tool technology. The development of higher speed and more power puts forward the stricter requirement for the performance of motorized spindle, especially the dynamic performance which affects the machining accuracy, reliability, and production efficiency. To overcome the problems of ineffective loading and dynamic performance measurement of motorized spindle, a noncontact electromagnetic loading device is developed. The cutting load can be simulated by using electromagnetic force. A new method of measuring force by force sensors is presented, and the steady and transient loading force could be measured exactly. After the high speed machine spindle is tested, the frequency response curves of the spindle relative to machine table are collected at 0~12000 rpm; then the relationships between stiffness and speeds as well as between damping ratio and speeds are obtained. The result shows that not only the static and dynamic stiffness but also the damping ratio declined with the increase of speed.

A comparison of two sleep spindle detection methods based on all night averages: individually adjusted versus fixed frequencies

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Péter Przemyslaw Ujma

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Sleep spindles are frequently studied for their relationship with state and trait cognitive variables, and they are thought to play an important role in sleep-related memory consolidation. Due to their frequent occurrence in NREM sleep, the detection of sleep spindles is only feasible using automatic algorithms, of which a large number is available. We compared subject averages of the spindle parameters computed by a fixed frequency (11-13 Hz for slow spindles, 13-15 Hz for fast spindles automatic detection algorithm and the individual adjustment method (IAM, which uses individual frequency bands for sleep spindle detection. Fast spindle duration and amplitude are strongly correlated in the two algorithms, but there is little overlap in fast spindle density and slow spindle parameters in general. The agreement between fixed and manually determined sleep spindle frequencies is limited, especially in case of slow spindles. This is the most likely reason for the poor agreement between the two detection methods in case of slow spindle parameters. Our results suggest that while various algorithms may reliably detect fast spindles, a more sophisticated algorithm primed to individual spindle frequencies is necessary for the detection of slow spindles as well as individual variations in the number of spindles in general.

Coalescent Processes with Skewed Offspring Distributions and Nonequilibrium Demography.

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Matuszewski, Sebastian; Hildebrandt, Marcel E; Achaz, Guillaume; Jensen, Jeffrey D

2018-01-01

Nonequilibrium demography impacts coalescent genealogies leaving detectable, well-studied signatures of variation. However, similar genomic footprints are also expected under models of large reproductive skew, posing a serious problem when trying to make inference. Furthermore, current approaches consider only one of the two processes at a time, neglecting any genomic signal that could arise from their simultaneous effects, preventing the possibility of jointly inferring parameters relating to both offspring distribution and population history. Here, we develop an extended Moran model with exponential population growth, and demonstrate that the underlying ancestral process converges to a time-inhomogeneous psi-coalescent. However, by applying a nonlinear change of time scale-analogous to the Kingman coalescent-we find that the ancestral process can be rescaled to its time-homogeneous analog, allowing the process to be simulated quickly and efficiently. Furthermore, we derive analytical expressions for the expected site-frequency spectrum under the time-inhomogeneous psi-coalescent, and develop an approximate-likelihood framework for the joint estimation of the coalescent and growth parameters. By means of extensive simulation, we demonstrate that both can be estimated accurately from whole-genome data. In addition, not accounting for demography can lead to serious biases in the inferred coalescent model, with broad implications for genomic studies ranging from ecology to conservation biology. Finally, we use our method to analyze sequence data from Japanese sardine populations, and find evidence of high variation in individual reproductive success, but few signs of a recent demographic expansion. Copyright © 2018 by the Genetics Society of America.

Simplified Dynamic Analysis of Grinders Spindle Node

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Demec, Peter

2014-12-01

The contribution deals with the simplified dynamic analysis of surface grinding machine spindle node. Dynamic analysis is based on the use of the transfer matrix method, which is essentially a matrix form of method of initial parameters. The advantage of the described method, despite the seemingly complex mathematical apparatus, is primarily, that it does not require for solve the problem of costly commercial software using finite element method. All calculations can be made for example in MS Excel, which is advantageous especially in the initial stages of constructing of spindle node for the rapid assessment of the suitability its design. After detailing the entire structure of spindle node is then also necessary to perform the refined dynamic analysis in the environment of FEM, which it requires the necessary skills and experience and it is therefore economically difficult. This work was developed within grant project KEGA No. 023TUKE-4/2012 Creation of a comprehensive educational - teaching material for the article Production technique using a combination of traditional and modern information technology and e-learning.

Material Choice for spindle of machine tools

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Gouasmi, S.; Merzoug, B.; Abba, G.; Kherredine, L.

2012-02-01

The requirements of contemporary industry and the flashing development of modern sciences impose restrictions on the majority of the elements of machines; the resulting financial constraints can be satisfied by a better output of the production equipment. As for those concerning the design, the resistance and the correct operation of the product, these require the development of increasingly precise parts, therefore the use of increasingly powerful tools [5]. The precision of machining and the output of the machine tools are generally determined by the precision of rotation of the spindle, indeed, more this one is large more the dimensions to obtain are in the zone of tolerance and the defects of shape are minimized. During the development of the machine tool, the spindle which by definition is a rotating shaft receiving and transmitting to the work piece or the cutting tool the rotational movement, must be designed according to certain optimal parameters to be able to ensure the precision required. This study will be devoted to the choice of the material of the spindle fulfilling the imposed requirements of precision.

Material Choice for spindle of machine tools

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gouasmi, S; Merzoug, B; Kherredine, L; Abba, G

2012-01-01

The requirements of contemporary industry and the flashing development of modern sciences impose restrictions on the majority of the elements of machines; the resulting financial constraints can be satisfied by a better output of the production equipment. As for those concerning the design, the resistance and the correct operation of the product, these require the development of increasingly precise parts, therefore the use of increasingly powerful tools [5]. The precision of machining and the output of the machine tools are generally determined by the precision of rotation of the spindle, indeed, more this one is large more the dimensions to obtain are in the zone of tolerance and the defects of shape are minimized. During the development of the machine tool, the spindle which by definition is a rotating shaft receiving and transmitting to the work piece or the cutting tool the rotational movement, must be designed according to certain optimal parameters to be able to ensure the precision required. This study will be devoted to the choice of the material of the spindle fulfilling the imposed requirements of precision.

Pituitary spindle cell oncocytoma

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Soledad Sosa

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Spindle cell oncocytoma is an infrequent benign non-endocrine sellar neoplasm. Due to its similar morphology to pituitary adenomas, consideration of this differential diagnosis would conduce to a more careful surgical approach in order to avoid intraoperative bleeding and aiming to a complete resection, on which depends long-term outcomes. We present the case of a 60-year-old male who complained about visual abnormalities, with computerized visual field confirmation. On biochemistry, a panhypopituitarism was detected. The brain magnetic resonance images showed a sellar mass. A non-functioning pituitary macroadenoma was presumptively diagnosed and due to the visual impairment, surgical transesphenoidal treatment was indicated. The histological diagnosis was spindle cell oncocytoma. Five months after surgery, the control image demonstrated a lesion that was considered as remnant tumor, hence radiosurgery was performed. During the follow-up, the tumor reduced its size and four years after initial treatment, the sellar resonance imaging showed disappearance of the residual tumor. Communication of new cases of this rare entity will enlarge the existing evidence and will help to determinate the most effective treatment and prognosis.

Sleep Spindles as Biomarker for Early Detection of Neurodegenerative Disorders

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2015-01-01

The present invention relates to the use of sleep spindles as a novel biomarker for early diagnosis of synucleinopathies, in particular Parkinson's disease (PD). The method is based on automatic detection of sleep spindles. The method may be combined with measurements of one or more further...

Automatic sleep spindle detection: Benchmarking with fine temporal resolution using open science tools

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Christian eO'Reilly

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Sleep spindle properties index cognitive faculties such as memory consolidation and diseases such as major depression. For this reason, scoring sleep spindle properties in polysomnographic recordings has become an important activity in both research and clinical settings. The tediousness of this manual task has motivated efforts for its automation. Although some progress has been made, increasing the temporal accuracy of spindle scoring and improving the performance assessment methodology are two aspects needing more attention. In this paper, four open-access automated spindle detectors with fine temporal resolution are proposed and tested against expert scoring of two proprietary and two open-access databases. Results highlight several findings: 1 that expert scoring and polysomnographic databases are important confounders when comparing the performance of spindle detectors tested using different databases or scorings; 2 because spindles are sparse events, specificity estimates are potentially misleading for assessing automated detector performance; 3 reporting the performance of spindle detectors exclusively with sensitivity and specificity estimates, as is often seen in the literature, is insufficient; including sensitivity, precision and a more comprehensive statistic such as Matthew’s correlation coefficient, F1-score, or Cohen’s κ is necessary for adequate evaluation; 4 reporting statistics for some reasonable range of decision thresholds provides a much more complete and useful benchmarking; 5 performance differences between tested automated detectors were found to be similar to those between available expert scorings; 6 much more development is needed to effectively compare the performance of spindle detectors developed by different research teams. Finally, this work clarifies a long-standing but only seldom posed question regarding whether expert scoring truly is a reliable gold standard for sleep spindle assessment.

Liquid Marble Coalescence and Triggered Microreaction Driven by Acoustic Levitation.

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Chen, Zhen; Zang, Duyang; Zhao, Liang; Qu, Mengfei; Li, Xu; Li, Xiaoguang; Li, Lixin; Geng, Xingguo

2017-06-27

Liquid marbles show promising potential for application in the microreactor field. Control of the coalescence between two or among multiple liquid marbles is critical; however, the successful merging of two isolated marbles is difficult because of their mechanically robust particle shells. In this work, the coalescence of multiple liquid marbles was achieved via acoustic levitation. The dynamic behaviors of the liquid marbles were monitored by a high-speed camera. Driven by the sound field, the liquid marbles moved toward each other, collided, and eventually coalesced into a larger single marble. The underlying mechanisms of this process were probed via sound field simulation and acoustic radiation pressure calculation. The results indicated that the pressure gradient on the liquid marble surface favors the formation of a liquid bridge between the liquid marbles, resulting in their coalescence. A preliminary indicator reaction was induced by the coalescence of dual liquid marbles, which suggests that expected chemical reactions can be successfully triggered with multiple reagents contained in isolated liquid marbles via acoustic levitation.

Cosmology with coalescing massive black holes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hughes, Scott A; Holz, Daniel E

2003-01-01

The gravitational waves generated in the coalescence of massive binary black holes will be measurable by LISA to enormous distances. Redshifts z ∼ 10 or larger (depending somewhat on the mass of the binary) can potentially be probed by such measurements, suggesting that binary coalescences can be made into cosmological tools. We discuss two particularly interesting types of probe. First, by combining gravitational-wave measurements with information about the cosmography of the universe, we can study the evolution of black-hole masses and merger rates as a function of redshift, providing information about the growth of structures at high redshift and possibly constraining hierarchical merger scenarios. Second, if it is possible to associate an 'electromagnetic' counterpart with a coalescence, it may be possible to measure both redshift and luminosity distance to an event with less than ∼1% error. Such a measurement would constitute an amazingly precise cosmological standard candle. Unfortunately, gravitational lensing uncertainties will reduce the quality of this candle significantly. Though not as amazing as might have been hoped, such a candle would nonetheless very usefully complement other distance-redshift probes, in particular providing a valuable check on systematic effects in such measurements

Coalescent: an open-source and scalable framework for exact calculations in coalescent theory

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Currently, there is no open-source, cross-platform and scalable framework for coalescent analysis in population genetics. There is no scalable GUI based user application either. Such a framework and application would not only drive the creation of more complex and realistic models but also make them truly accessible. Results As a first attempt, we built a framework and user application for the domain of exact calculations in coalescent analysis. The framework provides an API with the concepts of model, data, statistic, phylogeny, gene tree and recursion. Infinite-alleles and infinite-sites models are considered. It defines pluggable computations such as counting and listing all the ancestral configurations and genealogies and computing the exact probability of data. It can visualize a gene tree, trace and visualize the internals of the recursion algorithm for further improvement and attach dynamically a number of output processors. The user application defines jobs in a plug-in like manner so that they can be activated, deactivated, installed or uninstalled on demand. Multiple jobs can be run and their inputs edited. Job inputs are persisted across restarts and running jobs can be cancelled where applicable. Conclusions Coalescent theory plays an increasingly important role in analysing molecular population genetic data. Models involved are mathematically difficult and computationally challenging. An open-source, scalable framework that lets users immediately take advantage of the progress made by others will enable exploration of yet more difficult and realistic models. As models become more complex and mathematically less tractable, the need for an integrated computational approach is obvious. Object oriented designs, though has upfront costs, are practical now and can provide such an integrated approach. PMID:23033878

Coalescent: an open-source and scalable framework for exact calculations in coalescent theory

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Tewari Susanta

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Currently, there is no open-source, cross-platform and scalable framework for coalescent analysis in population genetics. There is no scalable GUI based user application either. Such a framework and application would not only drive the creation of more complex and realistic models but also make them truly accessible. Results As a first attempt, we built a framework and user application for the domain of exact calculations in coalescent analysis. The framework provides an API with the concepts of model, data, statistic, phylogeny, gene tree and recursion. Infinite-alleles and infinite-sites models are considered. It defines pluggable computations such as counting and listing all the ancestral configurations and genealogies and computing the exact probability of data. It can visualize a gene tree, trace and visualize the internals of the recursion algorithm for further improvement and attach dynamically a number of output processors. The user application defines jobs in a plug-in like manner so that they can be activated, deactivated, installed or uninstalled on demand. Multiple jobs can be run and their inputs edited. Job inputs are persisted across restarts and running jobs can be cancelled where applicable. Conclusions Coalescent theory plays an increasingly important role in analysing molecular population genetic data. Models involved are mathematically difficult and computationally challenging. An open-source, scalable framework that lets users immediately take advantage of the progress made by others will enable exploration of yet more difficult and realistic models. As models become more complex and mathematically less tractable, the need for an integrated computational approach is obvious. Object oriented designs, though has upfront costs, are practical now and can provide such an integrated approach.

Poling of UV-written Waveguides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arentoft, Jesper; Kristensen, Martin; Hübner, Jörg

1999-01-01

We report poling of UV-written silica waveguides. Thermal poling induces an electro-optic coefficient of 0.05 pm/V. We also demonstrate simultaneous UV-writing and UV-poling. No measurable decay in the induced electro-optic effect was detected after nine months......We report poling of UV-written silica waveguides. Thermal poling induces an electro-optic coefficient of 0.05 pm/V. We also demonstrate simultaneous UV-writing and UV-poling. No measurable decay in the induced electro-optic effect was detected after nine months...

Sleep spindles may predict response to cognitive-behavioral therapy for chronic insomnia.

Science.gov (United States)

Dang-Vu, Thien Thanh; Hatch, Benjamin; Salimi, Ali; Mograss, Melodee; Boucetta, Soufiane; O'Byrne, Jordan; Brandewinder, Marie; Berthomier, Christian; Gouin, Jean-Philippe

2017-11-01

While cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia constitutes the first-line treatment for chronic insomnia, only few reports have investigated how sleep architecture relates to response to this treatment. In this pilot study, we aimed to determine whether pre-treatment sleep spindle density predicts treatment response to cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia. Twenty-four participants with chronic primary insomnia participated in a 6-week cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia performed in groups of 4-6 participants. Treatment response was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Insomnia Severity Index measured at pre- and post-treatment, and at 3- and 12-months' follow-up assessments. Secondary outcome measures were extracted from sleep diaries over 7 days and overnight polysomnography, obtained at pre- and post-treatment. Spindle density during stage N2-N3 sleep was extracted from polysomnography at pre-treatment. Hierarchical linear modeling analysis assessed whether sleep spindle density predicted response to cognitive-behavioral therapy. After adjusting for age, sex, and education level, lower spindle density at pre-treatment predicted poorer response over the 12-month follow-up, as reflected by a smaller reduction in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index over time. Reduced spindle density also predicted lower improvements in sleep diary sleep efficiency and wake after sleep onset immediately after treatment. There were no significant associations between spindle density and changes in the Insomnia Severity Index or polysomnography variables over time. These preliminary results suggest that inter-individual differences in sleep spindle density in insomnia may represent an endogenous biomarker predicting responsiveness to cognitive-behavioral therapy. Insomnia with altered spindle activity might constitute an insomnia subtype characterized by a neurophysiological vulnerability to sleep disruption associated with impaired responsiveness to

Spindle-cell carcinoma of esophagus: a case report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Ji Chang; Lee, Jae Mun; Jung, Seung Eun; Lee, Kyo Young; Hahn, Seong Tai; Kim, Man Deuk

2001-01-01

Spindle-cell carcinoma of the esophagus is a rare malignant tumor composed of both carcinomatous and sarcomatous elements, and has generated many terminology problems. It is characterized by a bulky polypoid intraluminal mass with a lobulated surface located in the middle third of the esophagus. Local expansion of this organ is observed. The lesion may be pedunculated but despite its bulk, causes little obstruction. We report the imaging findings of a case of spindle-cell carcinoma arising in the upper esophagus

Topographic and sex-related differences in sleep spindles in major depressive disorder: a high-density EEG investigation.

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Plante, D T; Goldstein, M R; Landsness, E C; Peterson, M J; Riedner, B A; Ferrarelli, F; Wanger, T; Guokas, J J; Tononi, G; Benca, R M

2013-03-20

Sleep spindles are believed to mediate several sleep-related functions including maintaining disconnection from the external environment during sleep, cortical development, and sleep-dependent memory consolidation. Prior studies that have examined sleep spindles in major depressive disorder (MDD) have not demonstrated consistent differences relative to control subjects, which may be due to sex-related variation and limited spatial resolution of spindle detection. Thus, this study sought to characterize sleep spindles in MDD using high-density electroencephalography (hdEEG) to examine the topography of sleep spindles across the cortex in MDD, as well as sex-related variation in spindle topography in the disorder. All-night hdEEG recordings were collected in 30 unipolar MDD participants (19 women) and 30 age and sex-matched controls. Topography of sleep spindle density, amplitude, duration, and integrated spindle activity (ISA) were assessed to determine group differences. Spindle parameters were compared between MDD and controls, including analysis stratified by sex. As a group, MDD subjects demonstrated significant increases in frontal and parietal spindle density and ISA compared to controls. When stratified by sex, MDD women demonstrated increases in frontal and parietal spindle density, amplitude, duration, and ISA; whereas MDD men demonstrated either no differences or decreases in spindle parameters. Given the number of male subjects, this study may be underpowered to detect differences in spindle parameters in male MDD participants. This study demonstrates topographic and sex-related differences in sleep spindles in MDD. Further research is warranted to investigate the role of sleep spindles and sex in the pathophysiology of MDD. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The coalescence of heterogeneous liquid metal on nano substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Long; Li, Yifan; Zhou, Xuyan; Li, Tao; Li, Hui

2017-06-01

Molecular dynamics simulation has been performed to study the asymmetric coalescence of heterogeneous liquid metal on graphene. Simulation results show that the anomalies in the drop coalescence is mainly caused by the wettability of heterogeneous liquid metal. The silver atoms incline to distribute on the outer layer of the gold and copper droplets, revealing that the structure is determined by the interaction between different metal atoms. The coalescence and fusion of heterogeneous liquid metal drop can be predicted by comparing the wettability and the atomic mass of metallic liquid drops, which has important implications in the industrial application such as ink-jet printing and metallurgy.

On the Free Vibration Modeling of Spindle Systems: A Calibrated Dynamic Stiffness Matrix

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Omar Gaber

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The effect of bearings on the vibrational behavior of machine tool spindles is investigated. This is done through the development of a calibrated dynamic stiffness matrix (CDSM method, where the bearings flexibility is represented by massless linear spring elements with tuneable stiffness. A dedicated MATLAB code is written to develop and to assemble the element stiffness matrices for the system’s multiple components and to apply the boundary conditions. The developed method is applied to an illustrative example of spindle system. When the spindle bearings are modeled as simply supported boundary conditions, the DSM model results in a fundamental frequency much higher than the system’s nominal value. The simply supported boundary conditions are then replaced by linear spring elements, and the spring constants are adjusted such that the resulting calibrated CDSM model leads to the nominal fundamental frequency of the spindle system. The spindle frequency results are also validated against the experimental data. The proposed method can be effectively applied to predict the vibration characteristics of spindle systems supported by bearings.

Breast spindle cell tumours: about eight cases

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Abd El All Howayda S

2006-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Breast spindle cell tumours (BSCTs, although rare, represent a heterogeneous group with different treatment modalities. This work was undertaken to evaluate the utility of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC, histopathology and immunohistochemistry (IHC in differentiating BSCTs. Methods FNAC of eight breast masses diagnosed cytologically as BSCTs was followed by wide excision biopsy. IHC using a panel of antibodies against vimentin, pan-cytokeratin, s100, desmin, smooth muscle actin, CD34, and CD10 was evaluated to define their nature. Results FNAC defined the tumors as benign (n = 4, suspicious (n = 2 and malignant (n = 3, based on the cytopathological criteria of malignancy. Following wide excision biopsy, the tumors were reclassified into benign (n = 5 and malignant (n = 3. In the benign group, the diagnosis was raised histologically and confirmed by IHC for 3 cases (one spindle cell lipoma, one myofibroblastoma and one leiomyoma. For the remaining two cases, the diagnosis was set up after IHC (one fibromatosis and one spindle cell variant of adenomyoepithelioma. In the malignant group, a leiomyosarcoma was diagnosed histologically, while IHC was crucial to set up the diagnosis of one case of spindle cell carcinoma and one malignant myoepithelioma. Conclusion FNAC in BSCTs is an insufficient tool and should be followed by wide excision biopsy. The latter technique differentiate benign from malignant BSCTs and is able in 50% of the cases to set up the definite diagnosis. IHC is of value to define the nature of different benign lesions and is mandatory in the malignant ones for optimal treatment. Awareness of the different types of BSCTs prevents unnecessary extensive therapeutic regimes.

Comparison of a Four-Section Spindle and Stomacher for Efficacy of Detaching Microorganisms from Fresh Vegetables.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Do-Kyun; Kim, Soo-Ji; Kang, Dong-Hyun

2015-07-01

This study was undertaken to compare the effect of the spindle and stomacher for detaching microorganisms from fresh vegetables. The spindle is an apparatus for detaching microorganisms from food surfaces, which was developed in our laboratory. When processed with the spindle, food samples were barely disrupted, the original shape was maintained, and the diluent was clear, facilitating further detection analysis more easily than with stomacher treatment. The four-section spindle consists of four sample bag containers (A, B, C, and D) to economize time and effort by simultaneously processing four samples. The aerobic plate counts (APC) of 50 fresh vegetable samples were measured following spindle and stomacher treatment. Correlations between the two methods for each section of the spindle and stomacher were very high (R(2) = 0.9828 [spindle compartment A; Sp A], 0.9855 [Sp B], 0.9848 [Sp C], and 0.9851 [Sp D]). One-tenth milliliter of foodborne pathogens suspensions was inoculated onto surfaces of food samples, and ratios of spindle-to-stomacher enumerations were close to 1.00 log CFU/g between every section of the spindle and stomacher. One of the greatest features of the spindle is that it can treat large-sized samples that exceed 200 g. Uncut whole apples, green peppers, potatoes, and tomatoes were processed by the spindle and by hand massaging by 2 min. Large-sized samples were also assayed for aerobic plate count and recovery of the three foodborne pathogens, and the difference between each section of the spindle and hand massaging was not significant (P > 0.05). This study demonstrated that the spindle apparatus can be an alternative device for detaching microorganisms from all fresh vegetable samples for microbiological analysis by the food processing industry.

Age-related Changes In Sleep Spindles Characteristics During Daytime Recovery Following a 25-Hour Sleep Deprivation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thaïna eRosinvil

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Objectives: The mechanisms underlying sleep spindles (~11-15Hz; >0.5s help to protect sleep. With age, it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain sleep at a challenging time (e.g. daytime, even after sleep loss. This study compared spindle characteristics during daytime recovery and nocturnal sleep in young and middle-aged adults. In addition, we explored whether spindles characteristics in baseline nocturnal sleep were associated with the ability to maintain sleep during daytime recovery periods in both age groups.Methods: Twenty-nine young (15 women and 14 men; 27.3 ± 5.0 and 31 middle-aged (19 women and 13 men; 51.6 y ± 5.1 healthy subjects participated in a baseline nocturnal sleep and a daytime recovery sleep after 25 hours of sleep deprivation. Spindles were detected on artefact-free NREM sleep epochs. Spindle density (nb/min, amplitude (μV, frequency (Hz and duration (s were analyzed on parasagittal (linked-ears derivations. Results: In young subjects, spindle frequency increased during daytime recovery sleep as compared to baseline nocturnal sleep in all derivations, whereas middle-aged subjects showed spindle frequency enhancement only in the prefrontal derivation. No other significant interaction between age group and sleep condition was observed. Spindle density for all derivations and centro-occipital spindle amplitude decreased whereas prefrontal spindle amplitude increased from baseline to daytime recovery sleep in both age groups. Finally, no significant correlation was found between spindle characteristics during baseline nocturnal sleep and the marked reduction in sleep efficiency during daytime recovery sleep in both young and middle-aged subjects.Conclusion: These results suggest that the interaction between homeostatic and circadian pressure module spindle frequency differently in aging. Spindle characteristics do not seem to be linked with the ability to maintain daytime recovery sleep.

Coalescence in dense water/oil dispersions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thunem, H

1993-06-01

This project has been divided into three parts. The first part has been to review a large amount of literature to obtain models describing separate stages of the coalescence of a single drop at an interface. These stages include the drop deformation, the film thinning, the critical film thickness, and the drop breakup. The second part has been to evaluate the different models and select which to use in the development of the OneDrop program. The models describing drop deformation and film thinning were supplied by Charles and Mason, however the film thinning model has been slightly enhanced in this project. The models and the enhancements made have been compared to experimental data from the literature and from work done by undergraduate students at our department. The third part of the project has been to implement the models to drop-drop coalescence, and to write the SIM program to simulate the coalescence in a system of many drops. We use the same equations as in the OneDrop case, except for the film thinning. But by using a similar derivation as for the OneDrop case, an equation for the SIM case has been developed. We have made the assumption that the physical phenomena regarding drop deformation, film thinning and critical film thickness are the same in the OneDrop and SIM cases, so the experimental validation of OneDrop also apply to SIM. By using the results from the SIM program, we can obtain some information about how different physical parameters will affect the collision frequency and collision efficiency. We may use this information to derive empirical equations describing these parameters effect on the coalescence probability in a dispersion. 207 refs., 83 figs., 21 tabs.

Gene tree rooting methods give distributions that mimic the coalescent process.

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Tian, Yuan; Kubatko, Laura S

2014-01-01

Multi-locus phylogenetic inference is commonly carried out via models that incorporate the coalescent process to model the possibility that incomplete lineage sorting leads to incongruence between gene trees and the species tree. An interesting question that arises in this context is whether data "fit" the coalescent model. Previous work (Rosenfeld et al., 2012) has suggested that rooting of gene trees may account for variation in empirical data that has been previously attributed to the coalescent process. We examine this possibility using simulated data. We show that, in the case of four taxa, the distribution of gene trees observed from rooting estimated gene trees with either the molecular clock or with outgroup rooting can be closely matched by the distribution predicted by the coalescent model with specific choices of species tree branch lengths. We apply commonly-used coalescent-based methods of species tree inference to assess their performance in these situations. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Vibration sensitivity of human muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organs.

Science.gov (United States)

Fallon, James B; Macefield, Vaughan G

2007-07-01

The responses of the various muscle receptors to vibration are more complicated than a naïve categorization into stretch (muscle spindle primary ending), length (muscle spindle secondary endings), and tension (Golgi tendon organs) receptors. To emphasize the similarity of responses to small length changes, we recorded from 58 individual muscle afferents subserving receptors in the ankle or toe dorsiflexors of awake human subjects (32 primary endings, 20 secondary endings, and six Golgi tendon organs). Transverse sinusoidal vibration was applied to the distal tendon of the receptor-bearing muscle, while subjects either remained completely relaxed or maintained a weak isometric contraction of the appropriate muscle. In relaxed muscle, few units responded in a 1:1 manner to vibration, and there was no evidence of a preferred frequency of activation. In active muscle the response profiles of all three receptor types overlapped, with no significant difference in threshold between receptor types. These results emphasize that when intramuscular tension increases during a voluntary contraction, Golgi tendon organs and muscle spindle secondary endings, not just muscle spindle primary endings, can effectively encode small imposed length changes.

Using acoustics to study and stimulate the coalescence of oil drops surrounded by water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gardner, E.A.; Apfel, R.E. (Yale Univ., New Haven, CT (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering)

1993-08-01

The coalescence of oil drops in water is studied using acoustic levitation and stimulated with acoustic cavitation. Unlike most earlier studies, which investigate the coalescence of a single drop with an initially planar interface, the use of acoustic radiation forces allows two drops to be brought into contact and allowed to coalesce. The acoustic technique has the advantage over other drop-drop coalescence systems in that the drops remain in contact until they coalesce without the use of solid supports to control them. Additionally, acoustic cavitation is observed to deposit sufficient energy in the oil-water interface to trigger the coalescence of a pair of 2-mm-diameter drops. This stimulation mechanism could have application to emulsion breaking. Some of the factors that affect spontaneous and stimulated coalescence are investigated.

REM sleep behaviour disorder is associated with lower fast and higher slow sleep spindle densities.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Reilly, Christian; Godin, Isabelle; Montplaisir, Jacques; Nielsen, Tore

2015-12-01

To investigate differences in sleep spindle properties and scalp topography between patients with rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) and healthy controls, whole-night polysomnograms of 35 patients diagnosed with RBD and 35 healthy control subjects matched for age and sex were compared. Recordings included a 19-lead 10-20 electroencephalogram montage and standard electromyogram, electrooculogram, electrocardiogram and respiratory leads. Sleep spindles were automatically detected using a standard algorithm, and their characteristics (amplitude, duration, density, frequency and frequency slope) compared between groups. Topological analyses of group-discriminative features were conducted. Sleep spindles occurred at a significantly (e.g. t34 = -4.49; P = 0.00008 for C3) lower density (spindles ∙ min(-1) ) for RBD (mean ± SD: 1.61 ± 0.56 for C3) than for control (2.19 ± 0.61 for C3) participants. However, when distinguishing slow and fast spindles using thresholds individually adapted to the electroencephalogram spectrum of each participant, densities smaller (31-96%) for fast but larger (20-120%) for slow spindles were observed in RBD in all derivations. Maximal differences were in more posterior regions for slow spindles, but over the entire scalp for fast spindles. Results suggest that the density of sleep spindles is altered in patients with RBD and should therefore be investigated as a potential marker of future neurodegeneration in these patients. © 2015 European Sleep Research Society.

Yeast Interacting Proteins Database: YDR176W, YDL239C [Yeast Interacting Proteins Database

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available a Don1p-containing structure at the leading edge of the prospore membrane via interaction with spindle pole...ining structure at the leading edge of the prospore membrane via interaction with spindle pole body componen...DY3 Prey description Protein required for spore wall formation, thought to mediate assembly of a Don1p-conta

Expert and crowd-sourced validation of an individualized sleep spindle detection method employing complex demodulation and individualized normalization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura eRay

2015-09-01

Full Text Available A spindle detection method was developed that: 1 extracts the signal of interest (i.e., spindle-related phasic changes in sigma relative to ongoing background sigma activity using complex demodulation, 2 accounts for variations of spindle characteristics across the night, scalp derivations and between individuals, and 3 employs a minimum number of sometimes arbitrary, user-defined parameters. Complex demodulation was used to extract instantaneous power in the spindle band. To account for intra- and inter-individual differences, the signal was z-score transformed using a 60s sliding window, per channel, over the course of the recording. Spindle events were detected with a z-score threshold corresponding to a low probability (e.g., 99th percentile. Spindle characteristics, such as amplitude, duration and oscillatory frequency, were derived for each individual spindle following detection, which permits spindles to be subsequently and flexibly categorized as slow or fast spindles from a single detection pass. Spindles were automatically detected in 15 young healthy subjects. Two experts manually identified spindles from C3 during Stage 2 sleep, from each recording; one employing conventional guidelines, and the other, identifying spindles with the aid of a sigma (11-16 Hz filtered channel. These spindles were then compared between raters and to the automated detection to identify the presence of true positives, true negatives, false positives and false negatives. This method of automated spindle detection resolves or avoids many of the limitations that complicate automated spindle detection, and performs well compared to a group of non-experts, and importantly, has good external validity with respect to the extant literature in terms of the characteristics of automatically detected spindles.

Spindle formation in the mouse embryo requires Plk4 in the absence of centrioles.

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Coelho, Paula A; Bury, Leah; Sharif, Bedra; Riparbelli, Maria G; Fu, Jingyan; Callaini, Giuliano; Glover, David M; Zernicka-Goetz, Magdalena

2013-12-09

During the first five rounds of cell division in the mouse embryo, spindles assemble in the absence of centrioles. Spindle formation initiates around chromosomes, but the microtubule nucleating process remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that Plk4, a protein kinase known as a master regulator of centriole formation, is also essential for spindle assembly in the absence of centrioles. Depletion of maternal Plk4 prevents nucleation and growth of microtubules and results in monopolar spindle formation. This leads to cytokinesis failure and, consequently, developmental arrest. We show that Plk4 function depends on its kinase activity and its partner protein, Cep152. Moreover, tethering Cep152 to cellular membranes sequesters Plk4 and is sufficient to trigger spindle assembly from ectopic membranous sites. Thus, the Plk4-Cep152 complex has an unexpected role in promoting microtubule nucleation in the vicinity of chromosomes to mediate bipolar spindle formation in the absence of centrioles. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Coalescence kinetics of oil-in-water emulsions studied with microfluidics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krebs, T.; Schroen, C.G.P.H.; Boom, R.M.

2013-01-01

We report the results of experiments on the coalescence dynamics in flowing oil-in-water emulsions using an integrated microfluidic device. The microfluidic circuit permits direct observation of shear-induced collisions and coalescence events between emulsion droplets. Three mineral oils with a

Different maturational changes of fast and slow sleep spindles in the first four years of life.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Atri, Aurora; Novelli, Luana; Ferrara, Michele; Bruni, Oliviero; De Gennaro, Luigi

2018-02-01

Massive changes in brain morphology and function in the first years of life reveal a postero-anterior trajectory of cortical maturation accompanied by regional modifications of NREM sleep. One of the most sensible marker of this maturation process is represented by electroencephalographic (EEG) activity within the frequency range of sleep spindles. However, direct evidence that these changes actually reflect maturational modifications of fast and slow spindles still lacks. Our study aimed at answering the following questions: 1. Do cortical changes at 11.50 Hz frequency correspond to slow spindles? 2. Do fast and slow spindles show different age trajectories and different topographical distributions? 3. Do changes in peak frequency explain age changes of slow and fast spindles? We measured the antero-posterior changes of slow and fast spindles in the first 60 min of nightly sleep of 39 infants and children (0-48 mo.). We found that (A) changes of slow spindles from birth to childhood mostly affect frontal areas (B) variations of fast and slow spindles across age groups go in opposite direction, the latter progressively increasing across ages; (C) this process is not merely reducible to changes of spindle frequency. As a main finding, our cross-sectional study shows that the first form of mature spindle (i.e., corresponding to the adult phasic event of NREM sleep) is marked by the emergence of slow spindles on anterior regions around the age of 12 months. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Slow sleep spindle and procedural memory consolidation in patients with major depressive disorder

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Nishida M

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Masaki Nishida,1 Yusaku Nakashima,2 Toru Nishikawa11Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Yushima, Bunkyo, 2Medical Technology Research Laboratory, Research and Development Division, Medical Business Unit, Sony Corporation, Tokyo, JapanIntroduction: Evidence has accumulated, which indicates that, in healthy individuals, sleep enhances procedural memory consolidation, and that sleep spindle activity modulates this process. However, whether sleep-dependent procedural memory consolidation occurs in patients medicated for major depressive disorder remains unclear, as are the pharmacological and physiological mechanisms that underlie this process.Methods: Healthy control participants (n=17 and patients medicated for major depressive disorder (n=11 were recruited and subjected to a finger-tapping motor sequence test (MST; nondominant hand paradigm to compare the averaged scores of different learning phases (presleep, postsleep, and overnight improvement. Participants' brain activity was recorded during sleep with 16 electroencephalography channels (between MSTs. Sleep scoring and frequency analyses were performed on the electroencephalography data. Additionally, we evaluated sleep spindle activity, which divided the spindles into fast-frequency spindle activity (12.5–16 Hz and slow-frequency spindle activity (10.5–12.5 Hz.Result: Sleep-dependent motor memory consolidation in patients with depression was impaired in comparison with that in control participants. In patients with depression, age correlated negatively with overnight improvement. The duration of slow-wave sleep correlated with the magnitude of motor memory consolidation in patients with depression, but not in healthy controls. Slow-frequency spindle activity was associated with reduction in the magnitude of motor memory consolidation in both groups.Conclusion: Because the changes in slow

Electrohydrodynamic coalescence of droplets using an embedded potential flow model

Science.gov (United States)

Garzon, M.; Gray, L. J.; Sethian, J. A.

2018-03-01

The coalescence, and subsequent satellite formation, of two inviscid droplets is studied numerically. The initial drops are taken to be of equal and different sizes, and simulations have been carried out with and without the presence of an electrical field. The main computational challenge is the tracking of a free surface that changes topology. Coupling level set and boundary integral methods with an embedded potential flow model, we seamlessly compute through these singular events. As a consequence, the various coalescence modes that appear depending upon the relative ratio of the parent droplets can be studied. Computations of first stage pinch-off, second stage pinch-off, and complete engulfment are analyzed and compared to recent numerical studies and laboratory experiments. Specifically, we study the evolution of bridge radii and the related scaling laws, the minimum drop radii evolution from coalescence to satellite pinch-off, satellite sizes, and the upward stretching of the near cylindrical protrusion at the droplet top. Clear evidence of partial coalescence self-similarity is presented for parent droplet ratios between 1.66 and 4. This has been possible due to the fact that computational initial conditions only depend upon the mother droplet size, in contrast with laboratory experiments where the difficulty in establishing the same initial physical configuration is well known. The presence of electric forces changes the coalescence patterns, and it is possible to control the satellite droplet size by tuning the electrical field intensity. All of the numerical results are in very good agreement with recent laboratory experiments for water droplet coalescence.

Coala: an R framework for coalescent simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Staab, Paul R; Metzler, Dirk

2016-06-15

Simulation programs based on the coalescent efficiently generate genetic data according to a given model of evolution. We present coala, an R package for calling coalescent simulators with a unified syntax. It can execute simulations with several programs, calculate additional summary statistics and combine multiple simulations to create biologically more realistic data. The package is publicly available on CRAN and on https://github.com/statgenlmu/coala under the conditions of the MIT license. metzler@bio.lmu.de. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Valve spindle gland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burda, Z.; Harazim, A.; Kerlin, K.

1979-01-01

A gland is proposed of the valve spindle designed for radioactive or otherwise harmful media, such as in nuclear power plant primary circuits. The gland is installed in the valve cover and consists of a primary and a secondary part and of a gland case partitioning the gland space into two chambers. The bottom face of the gland case is provided with a double-sided collar for controlling the elements of the bottom primary gland while the top face is provided with a removable flange. (M.S.)

On the Dynamics of Rocking Motion of the Hard-Disk Drive Spindle Motor System

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Joseph

Excessive rocking motion of the spindle motor system can cause track misregistration resulting in poor throughput or even drive failure. The chance of excessive disk stack rocking increases as a result of decreasing torsional stiffness of spindle motor bearing system due to the market demand for low profile hard drives. As the track density increases and the vibration specification becomes increasingly stringent, rocking motion of a spindle motor system deserves even more attention and has become a primary challenge for a spindle motor system designer. Lack of understanding of the rocking phenomenon combined with misleading paradox has presented a great difficulty in the effort of avoiding the rocking motion in the hard-disk drive industry. This paper aims to provide fundamental understanding of the rocking phenomenon of a rotating spindle motor system, to clarify the paradox in disk-drive industry and to provide a design guide to an optimized spindle system. This paper, theoretically and experimentally, covers a few important areas of industrial interest including the prediction of rocking natural frequencies and mode shape of a rotating spindle, free vibration, and frequency response under common forcing functions such as rotating and fixed-plane forcing functions. The theory presented here meets with agreeable experimental observation.

The coalescence instability in solar flares

Science.gov (United States)

Tajima, T.; Brunel, F.; Sakai, J.-I.; Vlahos, L.; Kundu, M. R.

1985-01-01

The nonlinear coalescence instability of current carrying solar loops can explain many of the characteristics of the solar flares such as their impulsive nature, heating and high energy particle acceleration, amplitude oscillations of electromagnetic and emission as well as the characteristics of two-dimensional microwave images obtained during a flare. The plasma compressibility leads to the explosive phase of loop coalescence and its overshoot results in amplitude oscillations in temperatures by adiabatic compression and decompression. It is noted that the presence of strong electric fields and super-Alfvenic flows during the course of the instability play an important role in the production of nonthermal particles. A qualitative explanation on the physical processes taking place during the nonlinear stages of the instability is given.

The coalescence instability in solar flares

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tajima, T.; Brunel, F.; Sakai, J.I.; Vlahos, L.; Kundu, M.R.

1984-01-01

The non-linear coalescence instability of current carrying solar loops can explain many of the characteristics of the solar flares such as their impulsive nature, heating and high energy particle acceleration, amplitude oscillations of electromagnetic emission as well as the characteristics of 2-D microwave images obtained during a flare. The plasma compressibility leads to the explosive phase of loop coalescence and its overshoot results in amplitude oscillations in temperatures by adiabatic compression and decompression. We note that the presence of strong electric fields and super-Alfvenic flows during the course of the instabilty paly an important role in the production of non-thermal particles. A qualitative explanation on the physical processes taking place during the non-linear stages of the instability is given. (author)

Assessment of partial coalescence in whippable oil-in-water food emulsions.

Science.gov (United States)

Petrut, Raul Flaviu; Danthine, Sabine; Blecker, Christophe

2016-03-01

Partial coalescence influences to a great extent the properties of final food products such as ice cream and whipped toppings. In return, the partial coalescence occurrence and development are conditioned, in such systems, by the emulsion's intrinsic properties (e.g. solid fat content, fat crystal shape and size), formulation (e.g. protein content, surfactants presence) and extrinsic factors (e.g. cooling rate, shearing). A set of methods is available for partial coalescence investigation and quantification. These methods are critically reviewed in this paper, balancing the weaknesses of the methods in terms of structure alteration (for turbidity, dye dilution, etc.) and assumptions made for mathematical models (for particle size determination) with their advantages (good repeatability, high sensitivity, etc.). With the methods proposed in literature, the partial coalescence investigations can be conducted quantitatively and/or qualitatively. Good correlation were observed between some of the quantitative methods such as dye dilution, calorimetry, fat particle size; while a poor correlation was found in the case of solvent extraction method with other quantitative methods. The most suitable way for partial coalescence quantification was implied to be the fat particle size method, which would give results with a high degree of confidence if used in combination with a microscopic technique for the confirmation of partial coalescence as the main destabilization mechanism. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Kinesin-8 effects on mitotic microtubule dynamics contribute to spindle function in fission yeast

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Gergely, Zachary R.; Crapo, Ammon; Hough, Loren E.; McIntosh, J. Richard; Betterton, Meredith D.

2016-01-01

Kinesin-8 motor proteins destabilize microtubules. Their absence during cell division is associated with disorganized mitotic chromosome movements and chromosome loss. Despite recent work studying effects of kinesin-8s on microtubule dynamics, it remains unclear whether the kinesin-8 mitotic phenotypes are consequences of their effect on microtubule dynamics, their well-established motor activity, or additional, unknown functions. To better understand the role of kinesin-8 proteins in mitosis, we studied the effects of deletion of the fission yeast kinesin-8 proteins Klp5 and Klp6 on chromosome movements and spindle length dynamics. Aberrant microtubule-driven kinetochore pushing movements and tripolar mitotic spindles occurred in cells lacking Klp5 but not Klp6. Kinesin-8–deletion strains showed large fluctuations in metaphase spindle length, suggesting a disruption of spindle length stabilization. Comparison of our results from light microscopy with a mathematical model suggests that kinesin-8–induced effects on microtubule dynamics, kinetochore attachment stability, and sliding force in the spindle can explain the aberrant chromosome movements and spindle length fluctuations seen. PMID:27146110

Review of the Dynamics of Coalescence and Demulsification by High-Voltage Pulsed Electric Fields

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ye Peng

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The coalescence of droplets in oil can be implemented rapidly by high-voltage pulse electric field, which is an effective demulsification dehydration technological method. At present, it is widely believed that the main reason of pulse electric field promoting droplets coalescence is the dipole coalescence and oscillation coalescence in pulse electric field, and the optimal coalescence pulse electric field parameters exist. Around the above content, the dynamics of high-voltage pulse electric field promoting the coalescence of emulsified droplets is studied by researchers domestically and abroad. By review, the progress of high-voltage pulse electric field demulsification technology can get a better understanding, which has an effect of throwing a sprat to catch a whale on promoting the industrial application.

Regulation of cortical contractility and spindle positioning by the protein phosphatase 6 PPH-6 in one-cell stage C. elegans embryos

Science.gov (United States)

Afshar, Katayoun; Werner, Michael E.; Tse, Yu Chung; Glotzer, Michael; Gönczy, Pierre

2010-01-01

Modulation of the microtubule and the actin cytoskeleton is crucial for proper cell division. Protein phosphorylation is known to be an important regulatory mechanism modulating these cytoskeletal networks. By contrast, there is a relative paucity of information regarding how protein phosphatases contribute to such modulation. Here, we characterize the requirements for protein phosphatase PPH-6 and its associated subunit SAPS-1 in one-cell stage C. elegans embryos. We establish that the complex of PPH-6 and SAPS-1 (PPH-6/SAPS-1) is required for contractility of the actomyosin network and proper spindle positioning. Our analysis demonstrates that PPH-6/SAPS-1 regulates the organization of cortical non-muscle myosin II (NMY-2). Accordingly, we uncover that PPH-6/SAPS-1 contributes to cytokinesis by stimulating actomyosin contractility. Furthermore, we demonstrate that PPH-6/SAPS-1 is required for the proper generation of pulling forces on spindle poles during anaphase. Our results indicate that this requirement is distinct from the role in organizing the cortical actomyosin network. Instead, we uncover that PPH-6/SAPS-1 contributes to the cortical localization of two positive regulators of pulling forces, GPR-1/2 and LIN-5. Our findings provide the first insights into the role of a member of the PP6 family of phosphatases in metazoan development. PMID:20040490

Adaptive Spindle Balancing Using Magnetically Levitated Bearings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

BARNEY, PATRICK S.; LAUFFER, JAMES P.; PETTEYS, REBECCA; REDMOND, JAMES M.; SULLIVAN, WILLIAM N.

1999-01-01

A technological break through for supporting rotating shafts is the active magnetic bearing (AMB). Active magnetic bearings offer some important advantages over conventional ball, roller or journal bearings such as reduced frictional drag, no physical contact in the bearing, no need for lubricants, compatibility with high vacuum and ultra-clean environments, and ability to control shaft position within the bearing. The disadvantages of the AMB system are the increased cost and complexity, reduced bearing stiffness and the need for a controller. Still, there are certain applications, such as high speed machining, biomedical devices, and gyroscopes, where the additional cost of an AMB system can be justified. The inherent actuator capabilities of the AMB offer the potential for active balancing of spindles and micro-shaping capabilities for machine tools, The work presented in this paper concentrates on an AMB test program that utilizes the actuator capability to dynamically balance a spindle. In this study, an unbalanced AMB spindle system was enhanced with an LMS (Least Mean Squares) algorithm combined with an existing PID (proportional, integral, differential) control. This enhanced controller significantly improved the concentricity of an intentionally unbalanced shaft. The study included dynamic system analysis, test validation, control design and simulation, as well as experimental implementation using a digital LMS controller

Afferent Innervation, Muscle Spindles, and Contractures Following Neonatal Brachial Plexus Injury in a Mouse Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Nikolaou, Sia; Hu, Liangjun; Cornwall, Roger

2015-10-01

We used an established mouse model of elbow flexion contracture after neonatal brachial plexus injury (NBPI) to test the hypothesis that preservation of afferent innervation protects against contractures and is associated with preservation of muscle spindles and ErbB signaling. A model of preganglionic C5 through C7 NBPI was first tested in mice with fluorescent axons using confocal imaging to confirm preserved afferent innervation of spindles despite motor end plate denervation. Preganglionic and postganglionic injuries were then created in wild-type mice. Four weeks later, we assessed total and afferent denervation of the elbow flexors by musculocutaneous nerve immunohistochemistry. Biceps muscle volume and cross-sectional area were measured by micro computed tomography. An observer who was blinded to the study protocol measured elbow flexion contractures. Biceps spindle and muscle fiber morphology and ErbB signaling pathway activity were assessed histologically and immunohistochemically. Preganglionic and postganglionic injuries caused similar total denervation and biceps muscle atrophy. However, after preganglionic injuries, afferent innervation was partially preserved and elbow flexion contractures were significantly less severe. Spindles degenerated after postganglionic injury but were preserved after preganglionic injury. ErbB signaling was inactivated in denervated spindles after postganglionic injury but ErbB signaling activity was preserved in spindles after preganglionic injury with retained afferent innervation. Preganglionic and postganglionic injuries were associated with upregulation of ErbB signaling in extrafusal muscle fibers. Contractures after NBPI are associated with muscle spindle degeneration and loss of spindle ErbB signaling activity. Preservation of afferent innervation maintained spindle development and ErbB signaling activity, and protected against contractures. Pharmacologic modulation of ErbB signaling, which is being investigated as a

Computational approach for a pair of bubble coalescence process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nurul Hasan; Zalinawati binti Zakaria

2011-01-01

The coalescence of bubbles has great value in mineral recovery and oil industry. In this paper, two co-axial bubbles rising in a cylinder is modelled to study the coalescence of bubbles for four computational experimental test cases. The Reynolds' (Re) number is chosen in between 8.50 and 10, Bond number, Bo ∼4.25-50, Morton number, M 0.0125-14.7. The viscosity ratio (μ r ) and density ratio (ρ r ) of liquid to bubble are kept constant (100 and 850 respectively). It was found that the Bo number has significant effect on the coalescence process for constant Re, μ r and ρ r . The bubble-bubble distance over time was validated against published experimental data. The results show that VOF approach can be used to model these phenomena accurately. The surface tension was changed to alter the Bo and density of the fluids to alter the Re and M, keeping the μ r and ρ r the same. It was found that for lower Bo, the bubble coalesce is slower and the pocket at the lower part of the leading bubble is less concave (towards downward) which is supported by the experimental data.

Sleep Spindle Characteristics in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Their Relation to Cognition

Science.gov (United States)

Wise, Merrill S.

2016-01-01

Empirical evidence indicates that sleep spindles facilitate neuroplasticity and “off-line” processing during sleep, which supports learning, memory consolidation, and intellectual performance. Children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) exhibit characteristics that may increase both the risk for and vulnerability to abnormal spindle generation. Despite the high prevalence of sleep problems and cognitive deficits in children with NDD, only a few studies have examined the putative association between spindle characteristics and cognitive function. This paper reviews the literature regarding sleep spindle characteristics in children with NDD and their relation to cognition in light of what is known in typically developing children and based on the available evidence regarding children with NDD. We integrate available data, identify gaps in understanding, and recommend future research directions. Collectively, studies are limited by small sample sizes, heterogeneous populations with multiple comorbidities, and nonstandardized methods for collecting and analyzing findings. These limitations notwithstanding, the evidence suggests that future studies should examine associations between sleep spindle characteristics and cognitive function in children with and without NDD, and preliminary findings raise the intriguing question of whether enhancement or manipulation of sleep spindles could improve sleep-dependent memory and other aspects of cognitive function in this population. PMID:27478646

Coalescent methods for estimating phylogenetic trees.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Liang; Yu, Lili; Kubatko, Laura; Pearl, Dennis K; Edwards, Scott V

2009-10-01

We review recent models to estimate phylogenetic trees under the multispecies coalescent. Although the distinction between gene trees and species trees has come to the fore of phylogenetics, only recently have methods been developed that explicitly estimate species trees. Of the several factors that can cause gene tree heterogeneity and discordance with the species tree, deep coalescence due to random genetic drift in branches of the species tree has been modeled most thoroughly. Bayesian approaches to estimating species trees utilizes two likelihood functions, one of which has been widely used in traditional phylogenetics and involves the model of nucleotide substitution, and the second of which is less familiar to phylogeneticists and involves the probability distribution of gene trees given a species tree. Other recent parametric and nonparametric methods for estimating species trees involve parsimony criteria, summary statistics, supertree and consensus methods. Species tree approaches are an appropriate goal for systematics, appear to work well in some cases where concatenation can be misleading, and suggest that sampling many independent loci will be paramount. Such methods can also be challenging to implement because of the complexity of the models and computational time. In addition, further elaboration of the simplest of coalescent models will be required to incorporate commonly known issues such as deviation from the molecular clock, gene flow and other genetic forces.

Sequential activities of Dynein, Mud and Asp in centrosome-spindle coupling maintain centrosome number upon mitosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bosveld, Floris; Ainslie, Anna; Bellaïche, Yohanns

2017-10-15

Centrosomes nucleate microtubules and are tightly coupled to the bipolar spindle to ensure genome integrity, cell division orientation and centrosome segregation. While the mechanisms of centrosome-dependent microtubule nucleation and bipolar spindle assembly have been the focus of numerous works, less is known about the mechanisms ensuring the centrosome-spindle coupling. The conserved NuMA protein (Mud in Drosophila ) is best known for its role in spindle orientation. Here, we analyzed the role of Mud and two of its interactors, Asp and Dynein, in the regulation of centrosome numbers in Drosophila epithelial cells. We found that Dynein and Mud mainly initiate centrosome-spindle coupling prior to nuclear envelope breakdown (NEB) by promoting correct centrosome positioning or separation, while Asp acts largely independently of Dynein and Mud to maintain centrosome-spindle coupling. Failure in the centrosome-spindle coupling leads to mis-segregation of the two centrosomes into one daughter cell, resulting in cells with supernumerary centrosomes during subsequent divisions. Altogether, we propose that Dynein, Mud and Asp operate sequentially during the cell cycle to ensure efficient centrosome-spindle coupling in mitosis, thereby preventing centrosome mis-segregation to maintain centrosome number. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Spindle Cell Carcinoma of the hypopharynx: a case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dillu Ram Kandel

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Spindle cell carcinoma of hpopharynx is a rare pathology. It is a poorly differentiated variant of squamous cell carcinoma and morphologically resembles sarcoma. This is a disease of old age. It is usually associated with smoking and alcohol abuse. When it is associated with radiation exposure history it behaves more aggressively. Surgery is considered as the main modality of treatment and adjuvant radiotherapy if necessary. Here we present a case of 79 year old male with spindle cell carcinomaof right piriform fossa with 2-month history of progressive dysphasia and hoarseness that has been affecting his ability to speak and swallow with history of weight loss and past history of radiotherapy. So possibility of spindle cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx should beconsidered in an old patient with rapidly developing swelling of the hypopharynx with past history of radiation exposure. As it is a highly aggressive disease it should be treated timely and more aggressively to prolong the survival of the patient.   

Analysis of Void Growth and Coalescence in Porous Polymer Materials. Coalescence in Polymer Materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. A. Reffas

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The use of polymeric materials in engineering applications is growing more and more all over the world. This issue requests new methodologies of analysis in order to assess the material’s capability to withstand complex loads. The use of polyacetal in engineering applications has increased rapidly in the last decade. In order to evaluate the behavior, the damage and coalescence of this type of polymer, a numerical method based on damage which occurs following several stages (nucleation of cavities, their growth and coalescence in more advanced stages of deformation is proposed in this work. A particular attention is given on the stress-strain and the volumetric strain evolution under different triaxiality and for three initial void shapes. Its application to polyacetal allows approving this approach for technical polymers. Finally, this method allow us to compare the obtained results of basic calculations at different triaxiality and to discuss their possible influence on the initial size and the geometrical shape of the porosity on the material failure.

Dynamics of gas cell coalescence during baking expansion of leavened dough.

Science.gov (United States)

Miś, Antoni; Nawrocka, Agnieszka; Lamorski, Krzysztof; Dziki, Dariusz

2018-01-01

The investigation of the dynamics of gas cell coalescence, i.e. a phenomenon that deteriorates the homogeneity of the cellular structure of bread crumb, was carried out performing simultaneously measurements of the dough volume, pressure, and viscosity. It was demonstrated that, during the baking expansion of chemically leavened wheat flour dough, the maximum growth rate of the gas cell radius determined from the ratio of pressure exerted by the expanded dough to its viscosity was on average four-fold lower than that calculated from volume changes in the gas phase of the dough. Such a high discrepancy was interpreted as a result of the course of coalescence, and a formula for determination of its rate was developed. The coalescence rate in the initial baking expansion phase had negative values, indicating nucleation of newly formed gas cells, which increased the number of gas cells even by 8%. In the next baking expansion phase, the coalescence rate started to exhibit positive values, reflecting dominance of the coalescence phenomenon over nucleation. The maximum coalescence rates indicate that, during the period of the most intensive dough expansion, the number of gas cells decreased by 2-3% within one second. At the end of the formation of bread crumb, the number of the gas cells declined by 55-67% in comparison with the initial value. The correctness of the results was positively verified using X-ray micro-computed tomography. The developed method can be a useful tool for more profound exploration of the coalescence phenomenon at various stages of evolution of the cellular structure and its determinants, which may contribute to future development of more effective methods for improving the texture and sensory quality of bread crumb. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pole lengths influence O2-cost during double poling in highly trained cross-country skiers.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlsen, Camilla Høivik; Rud, Bjarne; Myklebust, Håvard; Losnegard, Thomas

2018-02-01

In elite cross-country skiing, double poling is used in different terrain. This study compared O 2 -cost and kinematics during double poling with four different pole lengths [self-selected (SS), SS - 5 cm, SS + 5 cm, SS + 10 cm] at Low versus Moderate incline. Thirteen highly trained male cross-country skiers (mean ± SD 23 ± 3 years; 182 ± 4 cm; 77 ± 6 kg) completed eight submaximal trials with roller skis on a treadmill at two conditions: "Low incline" (1.7°; 4.5 m s -1 ) and "Moderate incline" (4.5°; 2.5 m s -1 ) with each of the four pole lengths. O 2 -cost and 3D body kinematics were assessed in each trial. In Low incline, SS + 10 cm induced a lower O 2 -cost than all the other pole lengths [P size (ES) 0.5-0.8], whereas no differences were found between the remaining pole lengths (P > 0.05; ES 0.2-0.4). In Moderate incline, significant differences between all pole lengths were found for O 2 -cost, with SS - 5 cm > SS > SS + 5 cm > SS + 10 cm (P differences in O 2 -cost between SS and the other pole lengths were greater in Moderate incline than Low incline (SS - 5 cm; 1.5%, ES 0.8, SS + 5 cm; 1.3%, ES 1.0, and SS + 10 cm; 1.9%, ES 1.0, all P difference was found in cycle, poling or reposition times between pole lengths. However, at both conditions a smaller total vertical displacement of center of mass was observed with SS + 10 cm compared to the other pole lengths. Increasing pole length from SS - 5 cm to SS + 10 cm during double poling induced lower O 2 -cost and this advantage was greater in Moderate compared to Low incline.

Mounting arrangement for the drive system of an air-bearing spindle on a machine tool

Science.gov (United States)

Lunsford, J.S.; Crisp, D.W.; Petrowski, P.L.

1987-12-07

The present invention is directed to a mounting arrangement for the drive system of an air-bearing spindle utilized on a machine tool such as a lathe. The mounting arrangement of the present invention comprises a housing which is secured to the casing of the air bearing in such a manner that the housing position can be selectively adjusted to provide alignment of the air-bearing drive shaft supported by the housing and the air-bearing spindle. Once this alignment is achieved the air between spindle and the drive arrangement is maintained in permanent alignment so as to overcome misalignment problems encountered in the operation of the machine tool between the air-bearing spindle and the shaft utilized for driving the air-bearing spindle.

Experimental investigation of void coalescence in a dual phase steel using X-ray tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Landron, C.; Bouaziz, O.; Maire, E.; Adrien, J.

2013-01-01

In situ tensile tests were carried out during X-ray microtomography imaging of a smooth and a notched specimen of dual phase steel. The void coalescence was first qualitatively observed and quantitative data concerning this damage step was then acquired. The void coalescence criteria of Brown and Embury and of Thomason were then tested against the experimental data at both the macroscopic and local levels. Although macroscopic implementation of the criteria gave acceptable results, the local approach was probably closest to the real nature of void coalescence, because it takes into account local coalescence events observed experimentally before final fracture. The correlation between actual coalescing couples of cavities and local implementation of the two criteria showed that the Thomason criterion is probably the best adapted to predict the local coalescence events in the case of the material studied

The spindle assembly checkpoint: More than just keeping track of the spindle.

OpenAIRE

Lawrence, KS; Engebrecht, J

2015-01-01

Genome stability is essential for cell proliferation and survival. Consequently, genome integrity is monitored by two major checkpoints, the DNA damage response (DDR) and the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC). The DDR monitors DNA lesions in G1, S, and G2 stages of the cell cycle and the SAC ensures proper chromosome segregation in M phase. There have been extensive studies characterizing the roles of these checkpoints in response to the processes for which they are named; however, emerging e...

Evaluating and Improving Automatic Sleep Spindle Detection by Using Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Min-Yin Liu

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Sleep spindles are brief bursts of brain activity in the sigma frequency range (11–16 Hz measured by electroencephalography (EEG mostly during non-rapid eye movement (NREM stage 2 sleep. These oscillations are of great biological and clinical interests because they potentially play an important role in identifying and characterizing the processes of various neurological disorders. Conventionally, sleep spindles are identified by expert sleep clinicians via visual inspection of EEG signals. The process is laborious and the results are inconsistent among different experts. To resolve the problem, numerous computerized methods have been developed to automate the process of sleep spindle identification. Still, the performance of these automated sleep spindle detection methods varies inconsistently from study to study. There are two reasons: (1 the lack of common benchmark databases, and (2 the lack of commonly accepted evaluation metrics. In this study, we focus on tackling the second problem by proposing to evaluate the performance of a spindle detector in a multi-objective optimization context and hypothesize that using the resultant Pareto fronts for deriving evaluation metrics will improve automatic sleep spindle detection. We use a popular multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA, the Strength Pareto Evolutionary Algorithm (SPEA2, to optimize six existing frequency-based sleep spindle detection algorithms. They include three Fourier, one continuous wavelet transform (CWT, and two Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT based algorithms. We also explore three hybrid approaches. Trained and tested on open-access DREAMS and MASS databases, two new hybrid methods of combining Fourier with HHT algorithms show significant performance improvement with F1-scores of 0.726–0.737.

Experimental study on bearing preload optimum of machine tool spindle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Tao; Xu Guanghua; Zhang Qin; Hua Cheng; Zhang Hu; Jiang Kuosheng

2012-01-01

An experimental study is conducted to investigate the possibility and the effect of temperature rise and vibration level of bearing by adjusting axial preloads and radial loads in spindle bearing test rig. The shaft of the test rig is driven by a motorized high speed spindle at the range of 0∼20000 rpm. The axial preloads and radial loads on bearings are controlled by using hydraulic pressure which can be adjusted automatically. Temperature rise and radial vibration of test bearings are measured by thermocouples and Polytec portable laser vibrometer PDV100. Experiment shows that the temperature rise of bearings is nonlinear varying with the increase of radial loads, but temperature rise almost increases linearly with the increase of axial preload and rotating speed. In this paper, an alternate axial preload is used for bearings. When the rotating speed passes through the critical speed of the shaft, axial preload of bearings will have a remarkable effect. The low preload could reduce bearing vibration and temperature rise for bearings as well. At the others speed, the high preload could improve the vibration performance of high speed spindle and the bearing temperature was lower than that of the constant pressure preload spindle.

Coalescence aspects of cobalt nanoparticles during in situ high-temperature annealing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Palasantzas, G; Vystavel, T; Koch, SA; De Hosson, JTM

2006-01-01

In this work we investigate the coalescence aspects of Co nanoparticles. It was observed that nanoparticles in contact with the substrate are relatively immobile, whereas those on top of other Co particles can rearrange themselves during high-temperature annealing and further coalesce. Indeed,

Autocatalytic microtubule nucleation determines the size and mass of Xenopus laevis egg extract spindles.

Science.gov (United States)

Decker, Franziska; Oriola, David; Dalton, Benjamin; Brugués, Jan

2018-01-11

Regulation of size and growth is a fundamental problem in biology. A prominent example is the formation of the mitotic spindle, where protein concentration gradients around chromosomes are thought to regulate spindle growth by controlling microtubule nucleation. Previous evidence suggests that microtubules nucleate throughout the spindle structure. However, the mechanisms underlying microtubule nucleation and its spatial regulation are still unclear. Here, we developed an assay based on laser ablation to directly probe microtubule nucleation events in Xenopus laevis egg extracts. Combining this method with theory and quantitative microscopy, we show that the size of a spindle is controlled by autocatalytic growth of microtubules, driven by microtubule-stimulated microtubule nucleation. The autocatalytic activity of this nucleation system is spatially regulated by the limiting amounts of active microtubule nucleators, which decrease with distance from the chromosomes. This mechanism provides an upper limit to spindle size even when resources are not limiting. © 2018, Decker et al.

A SUMOylation Motif in Aurora-A: Implications for Spindle Dynamics and Oncogenesis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pérez de Castro, Ignacio; Aguirre-Portolés, Cristina [Molecular Oncology Programme, Cell Division and Cancer Group, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas, Madrid (Spain); Martin, Benedicte [CNRS-UMR 6061, Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes, IFR 140 GFAS, Faculté de Médecine, Université Rennes 1, Rennes (France); Fernández-Miranda, Gonzalo [Molecular Oncology Programme, Cell Division and Cancer Group, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas, Madrid (Spain); Klotzbucher, Andrea; Kubbutat, Michael H. G. [ProQinase GmBH, Freiburg (Germany); Megías, Diego [Confocal Microscopy Core Unit, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas, Madrid (Spain); Arlot-Bonnemains, Yannick [CNRS-UMR 6061, Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes, IFR 140 GFAS, Faculté de Médecine, Université Rennes 1, Rennes (France); Malumbres, Marcos, E-mail: mmm@cnio.es, E-mail: iperez@cnio.es [Molecular Oncology Programme, Cell Division and Cancer Group, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas, Madrid (Spain)

2011-12-14

Aurora-A is a serine/threonine kinase that plays critical roles in centrosome maturation, spindle dynamics, and chromosome orientation and it is frequently over-expressed in human cancers. In this work, we show that Aurora-A interacts with the SUMO-conjugating enzyme UBC9 and co-localizes with SUMO1 in mitotic cells. Aurora-A can be SUMOylated in vitro and in vivo. Mutation of the highly conserved SUMOylation residue lysine 249 significantly disrupts Aurora-A SUMOylation and mitotic defects characterized by defective and multipolar spindles ensue. The Aurora-A{sup K249R} mutant has normal kinase activity but displays altered dynamics at the mitotic spindle. In addition, ectopic expression of the Aurora-A{sup K249R} mutant results in a significant increase in susceptibility to malignant transformation induced by the Ras oncogene. These data suggest that modification by SUMO residues may control Aurora-A function at the spindle and that deficiency of SUMOylation of this kinase may have important implications for tumor development.

Cortical dendritic activity correlates with spindle-rich oscillations during sleep in rodents.

Science.gov (United States)

Seibt, Julie; Richard, Clément J; Sigl-Glöckner, Johanna; Takahashi, Naoya; Kaplan, David I; Doron, Guy; de Limoges, Denis; Bocklisch, Christina; Larkum, Matthew E

2017-09-25

How sleep influences brain plasticity is not known. In particular, why certain electroencephalographic (EEG) rhythms are linked to memory consolidation is poorly understood. Calcium activity in dendrites is known to be necessary for structural plasticity changes, but this has never been carefully examined during sleep. Here, we report that calcium activity in populations of neocortical dendrites is increased and synchronised during oscillations in the spindle range in naturally sleeping rodents. Remarkably, the same relationship is not found in cell bodies of the same neurons and throughout the cortical column. Spindles during sleep have been suggested to be important for brain development and plasticity. Our results provide evidence for a physiological link of spindles in the cortex specific to dendrites, the main site of synaptic plasticity.Different stages of sleep, marked by particular electroencephalographic (EEG) signatures, have been linked to memory consolidation, but underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, the authors show that dendritic calcium synchronisation correlates with spindle-rich sleep phases.

Etude expérimentale des phénomènes de coalescence dans les systèmes bulles-gouttes Experimental Study of Coalescence Phenomena in Bubble-Drop Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roques H.

2006-11-01

Full Text Available A l'occasion d'une étude sur les séparations eau-hydrocarbures par flottation, nous avons été amenés à étudier expérimentalement les coalescences bulle-goutte, goutte-goutte et bulle-bulle dans le système triphasique eau-air-kérosène. Les 4 montages expérimentaux décrits nous ont permis d'étudier les aspects statiques (structure du complexe bulle-goutte qui se forme et dynamiques (temps de coalescence moyens bulle-goutte, goutte-goutte et bulle-bulle et d'étudier l'influence de composés transférables d'une phase à l'autre sur ces temps de coalescence moyens. Du point de vue statique, la configuration stable du complexe bulle d'air-goutte de kérosène correspond à la formation à l'interface eau-air d'un film d'hydrocarbure qui entoure la bulle d'air, Par contre, la fixation d'une bulle d'air à la périphérie d'une goutte de kérosène, selon la disposition classique dans la flottation des solides, ne s'observe ici que rarement et toujours de façon transitoire. D'un point de vue cinétique on observe que : - les coalescences bulle-bulle ou goutte-goutte sont toujours favorisées (les temps de coalescence moyens diminuent lorsqu'on introduit dans la phase gaz ou dans l'une des phases liquides un composé transférable dans l'autre phase liquide; - les coalescences bulle-goutte sont favorisées par la présence dans la phase gaz d'un composé transférable dans la phase continue aqueuse ou par la présence dans la phase dispersée liquide d'un composé transférable dans la phase continue aqueuse; - les coalescences bulle-goutte sont défavorisées par la présence dans la phase continue aqueuse d'un composé transférable sur les gouttes constituant la phase dispersée liquide. During a study of water-hydrocarbon separations by flotation, we were led to make an experimental examination of bubble-drop, drop-drop and bubble-bubble coalescences in a three-phase water-air-kerosene system. The four experimental arrangements

Multimode multidrop serial coalescence effects during condensation on hierarchical superhydrophobic surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Rykaczewski, Konrad; Paxson, Adam T; Anand, Sushant; Chen, Xuemei; Wang, Zuankai; Varanasi, Kripa K

2013-01-22

The prospect of enhancing the condensation rate by decreasing the maximum drop departure diameter significantly below the capillary length through spontaneous drop motion has generated significant interest in condensation on superhydrophobic surfaces (SHS). The mobile coalescence leading to spontaneous drop motion was initially reported to occur only on hierarchical SHS, consisting of both nanoscale and microscale topological features. However, subsequent studies have shown that mobile coalescence also occurs on solely nanostructured SHS. Thus, recent focus has been on understanding the condensation process on nanostructured surfaces rather than on hierarchical SHS. In this work, we investigate the impact of microscale topography of hierarchical SHS on the droplet coalescence dynamics and wetting states during the condensation process. We show that isolated mobile and immobile coalescence between two drops, almost exclusively focused on in previous studies, are rare. We identify several new droplet shedding modes, which are aided by tangential propulsion of mobile drops. These droplet shedding modes comprise of multiple droplets merging during serial coalescence events, which culminate in formation of a drop that either departs or remains anchored to the surface. We directly relate postmerging drop adhesion to formation of drops in nanoscale as well as microscale Wenzel and Cassie-Baxter wetting states. We identify the optimal microscale feature spacing of the hierarchical SHS, which promotes departure of the highest number of microdroplets. This optimal surface architecture consists of microscale features spaced close enough to enable transition of larger droplets into micro-Cassie state yet, at the same time, provides sufficient spacing in-between the features for occurrence of mobile coalescence.

2D Stabilised analytic signal method in DC pole-pole potential data ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

R. Narasimhan (Krishtel eMaging) 1461 1996 Oct 15 13:05:22

synthetic error prone secondary pole-pole potential data. 1. Introduction. Analytical signal .... The meaning of the rest of the parameters is self- evident. The three ..... interpretation using 3-D analytic signal; Geophysics 57. 116–125. Starostenko ...

Clathrin is spindle-associated but not essential for mitosis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joana Borlido

Full Text Available Clathrin is a multimeric protein involved in vesicle coat assembly. Recently clathrin distribution was reported to change during the cell cycle and was found to associate with the mitotic spindle. Here we test whether the recruitment of clathrin to the spindle is indicative of a critical functional contribution to mitosis.Previously a chicken pre-B lymphoma cell line (DKO-R was developed in which the endogenous clathrin heavy chain alleles were replaced with the human clathrin heavy chain under the control of a tetracycline-regulatable promoter. Receptor-mediated and fluid-phase endocytosis were significantly inhibited in this line following clathrin knockout, and we used this to explore the significance of clathrin heavy chain expression for cell cycle progression. We confirmed using confocal microscopy that clathrin colocalised with tubulin at mitotic spindles. Using a propidium iodide flow cytometric assay we found no statistical difference in the cell cycle distribution of the knockout cells versus the wild-type. Additionally, we showed that the ploidy and the recovery kinetics following cell cycle arrest with nocodazole were unchanged by repressing clathrin heavy chain expression.We conclude that the association of clathrin with the mitotic spindle and the contribution of clathrin to endocytosis are evolutionarily conserved. However we find that the contribution of clathrin to mitosis is less robust and dependent on cellular context. In other cell-lines silencing RNA has been used by others to knockdown clathrin expression resulting in an increase in the mitotic index of the cells. We show an effect on the G2/M phase population of clathrin knockdown in HEK293 cells but show that repressing clathrin expression in the DKO-R cell-line has no effect on the size of this population. Consequently this work highlights the need for a more detailed molecular understanding of the recruitment and function of clathrin at the spindle, since the

Partial coalescence as a tool to control sensory perception of emulsions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Benjamins, J.; Vingerhoeds, M.H.; Zoet, F.D.; Hoog, de E.H.A.; Aken, van G.A.

2009-01-01

This study evaluates the role of partial coalescence of whey protein-stabilized emulsions on sensory perception. The selection of fats was restricted to vegetable fats that are essentially melted at oral temperatures. The sensitivity to partial coalescence was controlled by a variation in the fat

Sleep Spindles in the Right Hemisphere Support Awareness of Regularities and Reflect Pre-Sleep Activations.

Science.gov (United States)

Yordanova, Juliana; Kolev, Vasil; Bruns, Eike; Kirov, Roumen; Verleger, Rolf

2017-11-01

The present study explored the sleep mechanisms which may support awareness of hidden regularities. Before sleep, 53 participants learned implicitly a lateralized variant of the serial response-time task in order to localize sensorimotor encoding either in the left or right hemisphere and induce implicit regularity representations. Electroencephalographic (EEG) activity was recorded at multiple electrodes during both task performance and sleep, searching for lateralized traces of the preceding activity during learning. Sleep EEG analysis focused on region-specific slow (9-12 Hz) and fast (13-16 Hz) sleep spindles during nonrapid eye movement sleep. Fast spindle activity at those motor regions that were activated during learning increased with the amount of postsleep awareness. Independently of side of learning, spindle activity at right frontal and fronto-central regions was involved: there, fast spindles increased with the transformation of sequence knowledge from implicit before sleep to explicit after sleep, and slow spindles correlated with individual abilities of gaining awareness. These local modulations of sleep spindles corresponded to regions with greater presleep activation in participants with postsleep explicit knowledge. Sleep spindle mechanisms are related to explicit awareness (1) by tracing the activation of motor cortical and right-hemisphere regions which had stronger involvement already during learning and (2) by recruitment of individually consolidated processing modules in the right hemisphere. The integration of different sleep spindle mechanisms with functional states during wake collectively supports the gain of awareness of previously experienced regularities, with a special role for the right hemisphere. © Sleep Research Society 2017. Published by Oxford University Press [on behalf of the Sleep Research Society].

Yeast Interacting Proteins Database: YDL239C, YDR273W [Yeast Interacting Proteins Database

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available of a Don1p-containing structure at the leading edge of the prospore membrane via interaction with spindle p...it as prey (1) YDR273W DON1 Meiosis-specific component of the spindle pole body, part of the leading... edge protein (LEP) coat, forms a ring-like structure at the leading edge of the prospore...ption Protein required for spore wall formation, thought to mediate assembly of a Don1p-containing structure at the leading...description Meiosis-specific component of the spindle pole body, part of the leading edge protein (LEP) coat

Permanent magnet machine and method with reluctance poles and non-identical PM poles for high density operation

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, John S.

2010-05-18

A method and apparatus in which a stator (11) and a rotor (12) define a primary air gap (20) for receiving AC flux and at least one source (23, 40), and preferably two sources (23, 24, 40) of DC excitation are positioned for inducing DC flux at opposite ends of the rotor (12). Portions of PM material (17, 17a) are provided as boundaries separating PM rotor pole portions from each other and from reluctance poles. The PM poles (18) and the reluctance poles (19) can be formed with poles of one polarity having enlarged flux paths in relation to flux paths for pole portions of an opposite polarity, the enlarged flux paths communicating with a core of the rotor (12) so as to increase reluctance torque produced by the electric machine. Reluctance torque is increased by providing asymmetrical pole faces. The DC excitation can also use asymmetric poles and asymmetric excitation sources. Several embodiments are disclosed with additional variations.

Fusimotor control of spindle sensitivity regulates central and peripheral coding of joint angles.

Science.gov (United States)

Lan, Ning; He, Xin

2012-01-01

Proprioceptive afferents from muscle spindles encode information about peripheral joint movements for the central nervous system (CNS). The sensitivity of muscle spindle is nonlinearly dependent on the activation of gamma (γ) motoneurons in the spinal cord that receives inputs from the motor cortex. How fusimotor control of spindle sensitivity affects proprioceptive coding of joint position is not clear. Furthermore, what information is carried in the fusimotor signal from the motor cortex to the muscle spindle is largely unknown. In this study, we addressed the issue of communication between the central and peripheral sensorimotor systems using a computational approach based on the virtual arm (VA) model. In simulation experiments within the operational range of joint movements, the gamma static commands (γ(s)) to the spindles of both mono-articular and bi-articular muscles were hypothesized (1) to remain constant, (2) to be modulated with joint angles linearly, and (3) to be modulated with joint angles nonlinearly. Simulation results revealed a nonlinear landscape of Ia afferent with respect to both γ(s) activation and joint angle. Among the three hypotheses, the constant and linear strategies did not yield Ia responses that matched the experimental data, and therefore, were rejected as plausible strategies of spindle sensitivity control. However, if γ(s) commands were quadratically modulated with joint angles, a robust linear relation between Ia afferents and joint angles could be obtained in both mono-articular and bi-articular muscles. With the quadratic strategy of spindle sensitivity control, γ(s) commands may serve as the CNS outputs that inform the periphery of central coding of joint angles. The results suggest that the information of joint angles may be communicated between the CNS and muscles via the descending γ(s) efferent and Ia afferent signals.

Modulation of jaw muscle spindle afferent activity following intramuscular injections with hypertonic saline.

Science.gov (United States)

Ro, J Y; Capra, N F

2001-05-01

Transient noxious chemical stimulation of small diameter muscle afferents modulates jaw movement-related responses of caudal brainstem neurons. While it is likely that the effect is mediated from the spindle afferents in the mesencephalic nucleus (Vmes) via the caudally projecting Probst's tract, the mechanisms of pain induced modulations of jaw muscle spindle afferents is not known. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that jaw muscle nociceptors gain access to muscle spindle afferents in the same muscle via central mechanisms and alter their sensitivity. Thirty-five neurons recorded from the Vmes were characterized as muscle spindle afferents based on their responses to passive jaw movements, muscle palpation, and electrical stimulation of the masseter nerve. Each cell was tested by injecting a small volume (250 microl) of either 5% hypertonic and/or isotonic saline into the receptor-bearing muscle. Twenty-nine units were tested with 5% hypertonic saline, of which 79% (23/29) showed significant modulation of mean firing rates (MFRs) during one or more phases of ramp-and-hold movements. Among the muscle spindle primary-like units (n = 12), MFRs of 4 units were facilitated, five reduced, two showed mixed responses and one unchanged. In secondary-like units (n = 17), MFRs of 9 were facilitated, three reduced and five unchanged. Thirteen units were tested with isotonic saline, of which 77% showed no significant changes of MFRs. Further analysis revealed that the hypertonic saline not only affected the overall output of muscle spindle afferents, but also increased the variability of firing and altered the relationship between afferent signal and muscle length. These results demonstrated that activation of muscle nociceptors significantly affects proprioceptive properties of jaw muscle spindles via central neural mechanisms. The changes can have deleterious effects on oral motor function as well as kinesthetic sensibility.

Validation of a novel automatic sleep spindle detector with high performance during sleep in middle aged subjects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wendt, Sabrina Lyngbye; Christensen, Julie A. E.; Kempfner, Jacob

2012-01-01

Many of the automatic sleep spindle detectors currently used to analyze sleep EEG are either validated on young subjects or not validated thoroughly. The purpose of this study is to develop and validate a fast and reliable sleep spindle detector with high performance in middle aged subjects....... An automatic sleep spindle detector using a bandpass filtering approach and a time varying threshold was developed. The validation was done on sleep epochs from EEG recordings with manually scored sleep spindles from 13 healthy subjects with a mean age of 57.9 ± 9.7 years. The sleep spindle detector reached...

The Drosophila Microtubule-Associated Protein Mars Stabilizes Mitotic Spindles by Crosslinking Microtubules through Its N-Terminal Region

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Gang; Beati, Hamze; Nilsson, Jakob; Wodarz, Andreas

2013-01-01

Correct segregation of genetic material relies on proper assembly and maintenance of the mitotic spindle. How the highly dynamic microtubules (MTs) are maintained in stable mitotic spindles is a key question to be answered. Motor and non-motor microtubule associated proteins (MAPs) have been reported to stabilize the dynamic spindle through crosslinking adjacent MTs. Mars, a novel MAP, is essential for the early development of Drosophila embryos. Previous studies showed that Mars is required for maintaining an intact mitotic spindle but did not provide a molecular mechanism for this function. Here we show that Mars is able to stabilize the mitotic spindle in vivo. Both in vivo and in vitro data reveal that the N-terminal region of Mars functions in the stabilization of the mitotic spindle by crosslinking adjacent MTs. PMID:23593258

The Drosophila microtubule-associated protein mars stabilizes mitotic spindles by crosslinking microtubules through its N-terminal region.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gang Zhang

Full Text Available Correct segregation of genetic material relies on proper assembly and maintenance of the mitotic spindle. How the highly dynamic microtubules (MTs are maintained in stable mitotic spindles is a key question to be answered. Motor and non-motor microtubule associated proteins (MAPs have been reported to stabilize the dynamic spindle through crosslinking adjacent MTs. Mars, a novel MAP, is essential for the early development of Drosophila embryos. Previous studies showed that Mars is required for maintaining an intact mitotic spindle but did not provide a molecular mechanism for this function. Here we show that Mars is able to stabilize the mitotic spindle in vivo. Both in vivo and in vitro data reveal that the N-terminal region of Mars functions in the stabilization of the mitotic spindle by crosslinking adjacent MTs.

The Drosophila microtubule-associated protein mars stabilizes mitotic spindles by crosslinking microtubules through its N-terminal region.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Gang; Beati, Hamze; Nilsson, Jakob; Wodarz, Andreas

2013-01-01

Correct segregation of genetic material relies on proper assembly and maintenance of the mitotic spindle. How the highly dynamic microtubules (MTs) are maintained in stable mitotic spindles is a key question to be answered. Motor and non-motor microtubule associated proteins (MAPs) have been reported to stabilize the dynamic spindle through crosslinking adjacent MTs. Mars, a novel MAP, is essential for the early development of Drosophila embryos. Previous studies showed that Mars is required for maintaining an intact mitotic spindle but did not provide a molecular mechanism for this function. Here we show that Mars is able to stabilize the mitotic spindle in vivo. Both in vivo and in vitro data reveal that the N-terminal region of Mars functions in the stabilization of the mitotic spindle by crosslinking adjacent MTs.

On hydrogen-induced plastic flow localization during void growth and coalescence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahn, D.C.; Sofronis, P. [Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 West Green Street, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Dodds, R.H. Jr. [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 205 North Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States)

2007-11-15

Hydrogen-enhanced localized plasticity (HELP) is recognized as a viable mechanism of hydrogen embrittlement. A possible way by which the HELP mechanism can bring about macroscopic material failure is through hydrogen-induced accelerated void growth and coalescence. Assuming a periodic array of spherical voids loaded axisymmetrically, we investigate the hydrogen effect on the occurrence of plastic flow localization upon void growth and its dependence on macroscopic stress triaxiality. Under a macroscopic stress triaxiality equal to 1 and prior to void coalescence, the finite element calculation results obtained with material data relevant to A533B steel indicate that a hydrogen-induced localized shear band forms at an angle of about 45 {sup circle} from the axis of symmetry. At triaxiality equal to 3, void coalescence takes place by accelerated hydrogen-induced localization of plasticity mainly in the ligament between the voids. Lastly, we discuss the numerical results within the context of experimental observations on void growth and coalescence in the presence of hydrogen. (author)

Application of parametric equations of motion to study the resonance coalescence in H2(+).

Science.gov (United States)

Kalita, Dhruba J; Gupta, Ashish K

2012-12-07

Recently, occurrence of coalescence point was reported in H(2)(+) undergoing multiphoton dissociation in strong laser field. We have applied parametric equations of motion and smooth exterior scaling method to study the coalescence phenomenon of H(2)(+). The advantage of this method is that one can easily trace the different states that are changing as the field parameters change. It was reported earlier that in the parameter space, only two bound states coalesce [R. Lefebvre, O. Atabek, M. Sindelka, and N. Moiseyev, Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 123003 (2009)]. However, it is found that increasing the accuracy of the calculation leads to the coalescence between resonance states originating from the bound and the continuum states. We have also reported many other coalescence points.

Centrosome-Based Mechanisms, Prognostics and Therapeutics in Prostate Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

2006-12-01

Roberts, J. M. CDK inhibitors: positive and negative regulators of G1- phase progression. Genes Dev. 13, 1501–1512 (1999). 20. La Terra , S. et al. The...centrosome matura - tion because disruption of the tubulin–pericentrin inter- action disrupts spindle pole assembly and possibly centrosome maturation...monitoring. We favor a model in which the check- point senses spindle pole assembly/centrosome matura - tion because disruption of the tubulin

Spindle frequency activity in the sleep EEG: individual differences and topographic distribution.

Science.gov (United States)

Werth, E; Achermann, P; Dijk, D J; Borbély, A A

1997-11-01

The brain topography of EEG power spectra in the frequency range of sleep spindles was investigated in 34 sleep recordings from 20 healthy young men. Referential (F3-A2, C3-A2, P3-A2 and O1-A2) and bipolar derivations (F3-C3, C3-P3 and P3-O1) along the anteroposterior axis were used. Sleep spindles gave rise to a distinct peak in the EEG power spectrum. The distribution of the peak frequencies pooled over subjects and derivations showed a bimodal pattern with modes at 11.5 and 13.0 Hz, and a trough at 12.25 Hz. The large inter-subject variation in peak frequency (range: 1.25 Hz) contrasted with the small intra-subject variation between derivations, non-REM sleep episodes and different nights. In some individuals and/or some derivations, only a single spindle peak was present. The topographic distributions from referential and bipolar recordings showed differences. The power showed a declining trend over consecutive non-REM sleep episodes in the low range of spindle frequency activity and a rising trend in the high range. The functional and topographic heterogeneity of sleep spindles in conjunction with the intra-subject stability of their frequency are important characteristics for the analysis of sleep regulation on the basis of the EEG.

Flow-induced coalescence in polydisperse systems

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Fortelný, Ivan; Jůza, Josef

2014-01-01

Roč. 299, č. 10 (2014), s. 1213-1219 ISSN 1438-7492 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP106/11/1069 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : coalescence * polymer blends * polydisperse droplets Subject RIV: BK - Fluid Dynamics Impact factor: 2.661, year: 2014

Left atrial spindle cell sarcoma – Case report

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Nihar Mehta

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Primary spindle cell sarcoma of the left atrium is an extremely rare tumour. Surgical excision is the mainstay of treatment since it responds poorly to chemotherapy or radiotherapy. In spite of all the treatment, the prognosis remains poor due to inadvertent delay in diagnosis, few therapeutic options and propensity to metastasize. We present a 47-year-old male who underwent a surgical excision of a left atrial mass in February 2010. It was proved to be a high-grade spindle cell sarcoma on histopathology. He presented again in October 2010 with recurrence of the tumour for which he was re-operated. However, the tumour recurred again within one month, to which the patient succumbed.

Sleep-spindle detection: crowdsourcing and evaluating performance of experts, non-experts and automated methods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Warby, Simon C.; Wendt, Sabrina Lyngbye; Welinder, Peter

2014-01-01

to crowdsource spindle identification by human experts and non-experts, and we compared their performance with that of automated detection algorithms in data from middle- to older-aged subjects from the general population. We also refined methods for forming group consensus and evaluating the performance...... of event detectors in physiological data such as electroencephalographic recordings from polysomnography. Compared to the expert group consensus gold standard, the highest performance was by individual experts and the non-expert group consensus, followed by automated spindle detectors. This analysis showed...... that crowdsourcing the scoring of sleep data is an efficient method to collect large data sets, even for difficult tasks such as spindle identification. Further refinements to spindle detection algorithms are needed for middle- to older-aged subjects....

Tree-loop duality relation beyond single poles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bierenbaum, Isabella [Hamburg Univ. (Germany). 2. Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik; Buchta, Sebastian; Draggiotis, Petros; Malamos, Ioannis; Rodrigo, German [Valencia Univ. Paterna (Spain). Inst. de Fisica Corpuscular

2012-11-15

We develop the Tree-Loop Duality Relation for two- and three-loop integrals with multiple identical propagators (multiple poles). This is the extension of the Duality Relation for single poles and multi-loop integrals derived in previous publications. We prove a generalization of the formula for single poles to multiple poles and we develop a strategy for dealing with higher-order pole integrals by reducing them to single pole integrals using Integration By Parts.

Stage-independent, single lead EEG sleep spindle detection using the continuous wavelet transform and local weighted smoothing.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsanas, Athanasios; Clifford, Gari D

2015-01-01

Sleep spindles are critical in characterizing sleep and have been associated with cognitive function and pathophysiological assessment. Typically, their detection relies on the subjective and time-consuming visual examination of electroencephalogram (EEG) signal(s) by experts, and has led to large inter-rater variability as a result of poor definition of sleep spindle characteristics. Hitherto, many algorithmic spindle detectors inherently make signal stationarity assumptions (e.g., Fourier transform-based approaches) which are inappropriate for EEG signals, and frequently rely on additional information which may not be readily available in many practical settings (e.g., more than one EEG channels, or prior hypnogram assessment). This study proposes a novel signal processing methodology relying solely on a single EEG channel, and provides objective, accurate means toward probabilistically assessing the presence of sleep spindles in EEG signals. We use the intuitively appealing continuous wavelet transform (CWT) with a Morlet basis function, identifying regions of interest where the power of the CWT coefficients corresponding to the frequencies of spindles (11-16 Hz) is large. The potential for assessing the signal segment as a spindle is refined using local weighted smoothing techniques. We evaluate our findings on two databases: the MASS database comprising 19 healthy controls and the DREAMS sleep spindle database comprising eight participants diagnosed with various sleep pathologies. We demonstrate that we can replicate the experts' sleep spindles assessment accurately in both databases (MASS database: sensitivity: 84%, specificity: 90%, false discovery rate 83%, DREAMS database: sensitivity: 76%, specificity: 92%, false discovery rate: 67%), outperforming six competing automatic sleep spindle detection algorithms in terms of correctly replicating the experts' assessment of detected spindles.

Stage-independent, single lead EEG sleep spindle detection using the continuous wavelet transform and local weighted smoothing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Athanasios eTsanas

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Sleep spindles are critical in characterizing sleep and have been associated with cognitive function and pathophysiological assessment. Typically, their detection relies on the subjective and time-consuming visual examination of electroencephalogram (EEG signal(s by experts, and has led to large inter-rater variability as a result of poor definition of sleep spindle characteristics. Hitherto, many algorithmic spindle detectors inherently make signal stationarity assumptions (e.g. Fourier transform-based approaches which are inappropriate for EEG signals, and frequently rely on additional information which may not be readily available in many practical settings (e.g. more than one EEG channels, or prior hypnogram assessment. This study proposes a novel signal processing methodology relying solely on a single EEG channel, and provides objective, accurate means towards probabilistically assessing the presence of sleep spindles in EEG signals. We use the intuitively appealing continuous wavelet transform (CWT with a Morlet basis function, identifying regions of interest where the power of the CWT coefficients corresponding to the frequencies of spindles (11-16 Hz is large. The potential for assessing the signal segment as a spindle is refined using local weighted smoothing techniques. We evaluate our findings on two databases: the MASS database comprising 19 healthy controls and the DREAMS sleep spindle database comprising eight participants diagnosed with various sleep pathologies. We demonstrate that we can replicate the experts’ sleep spindles assessment accurately in both databases (MASS database: sensitivity: 84%, specificity: 90%, false discovery rate 83%, DREAMS database: sensitivity: 76%, specificity: 92%, false discovery rate: 67%, outperforming six competing automatic sleep spindle detection algorithms in terms of correctly replicating the experts’ assessment of detected spindles.

Synthesis and surface modification of spindle-type magnetic nanoparticles: gold coating and PEG functionalization

OpenAIRE

Mendez-Garza , Juan; Wang , Biran; Madeira , Alexandra; Di-Giorgio , Christophe; Bossis , Georges

2013-01-01

International audience; In this paper, we describe the synthesis of gold coated spindle-type iron nanoparticles and its surface modification by a thiolated fluorescently-labelled polyethylene glycol (PEG) polymer. A forced hydrolysis of ferric salts in the presence of phosphate ions was used to produce α-Fe2O3 spindle-type particles. The oxide powders were first reduced to α-iron under high temperature and controlled dihydrogen atmosphere. Then, the resulting magnetic spindle-type particles w...

Phylogenetic analysis at deep timescales: unreliable gene trees, bypassed hidden support, and the coalescence/concatalescence conundrum.

Science.gov (United States)

Gatesy, John; Springer, Mark S

2014-11-01

Large datasets are required to solve difficult phylogenetic problems that are deep in the Tree of Life. Currently, two divergent systematic methods are commonly applied to such datasets: the traditional supermatrix approach (= concatenation) and "shortcut" coalescence (= coalescence methods wherein gene trees and the species tree are not co-estimated). When applied to ancient clades, these contrasting frameworks often produce congruent results, but in recent phylogenetic analyses of Placentalia (placental mammals), this is not the case. A recent series of papers has alternatively disputed and defended the utility of shortcut coalescence methods at deep phylogenetic scales. Here, we examine this exchange in the context of published phylogenomic data from Mammalia; in particular we explore two critical issues - the delimitation of data partitions ("genes") in coalescence analysis and hidden support that emerges with the combination of such partitions in phylogenetic studies. Hidden support - increased support for a clade in combined analysis of all data partitions relative to the support evident in separate analyses of the various data partitions, is a hallmark of the supermatrix approach and a primary rationale for concatenating all characters into a single matrix. In the most extreme cases of hidden support, relationships that are contradicted by all gene trees are supported when all of the genes are analyzed together. A valid fear is that shortcut coalescence methods might bypass or distort character support that is hidden in individual loci because small gene fragments are analyzed in isolation. Given the extensive systematic database for Mammalia, the assumptions and applicability of shortcut coalescence methods can be assessed with rigor to complement a small but growing body of simulation work that has directly compared these methods to concatenation. We document several remarkable cases of hidden support in both supermatrix and coalescence paradigms and argue

Partial coalescence from bubbles to drops

KAUST Repository

Zhang, F. H.; Thoraval, Marie-Jean; Thoroddsen, Sigurdur T; Taborek, P.

2015-01-01

the travel time of this wave mode on the bubble surface, we also show that the model is consistent with the experiments. This wavenumber is determined by both the global drainage as well as the interface shapes during the rapid coalescence in the neck

A parallel algorithm for filtering gravitational waves from coalescing binaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sathyaprakash, B.S.; Dhurandhar, S.V.

1992-10-01

Coalescing binary stars are perhaps the most promising sources for the observation of gravitational waves with laser interferometric gravity wave detectors. The waveform from these sources can be predicted with sufficient accuracy for matched filtering techniques to be applied. In this paper we present a parallel algorithm for detecting signals from coalescing compact binaries by the method of matched filtering. We also report the details of its implementation on a 256-node connection machine consisting of a network of transputers. The results of our analysis indicate that parallel processing is a promising approach to on-line analysis of data from gravitational wave detectors to filter out coalescing binary signals. The algorithm described is quite general in that the kernel of the algorithm is applicable to any set of matched filters. (author). 15 refs, 4 figs

White Matter Structure in Older Adults Moderates the Benefit of Sleep Spindles on Motor Memory Consolidation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mander, Bryce A; Zhu, Alyssa H; Lindquist, John R; Villeneuve, Sylvia; Rao, Vikram; Lu, Brandon; Saletin, Jared M; Ancoli-Israel, Sonia; Jagust, William J; Walker, Matthew P

2017-11-29

Sleep spindles promote the consolidation of motor skill memory in young adults. Older adults, however, exhibit impoverished sleep-dependent motor memory consolidation. The underlying pathophysiological mechanism(s) explaining why motor memory consolidation in older adults fails to benefit from sleep remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that male and female older adults show impoverished overnight motor skill memory consolidation relative to young adults, with the extent of impairment being associated with the degree of reduced frontal fast sleep spindle density. The magnitude of the loss of frontal fast sleep spindles in older adults was predicted by the degree of reduced white matter integrity throughout multiple white matter tracts known to connect subcortical and cortical brain regions. We further demonstrate that the structural integrity of selective white matter fiber tracts, specifically within right posterior corona radiata, right tapetum, and bilateral corpus callosum, statistically moderates whether sleep spindles promoted overnight consolidation of motor skill memory. Therefore, white matter integrity within tracts known to connect cortical sensorimotor control regions dictates the functional influence of sleep spindles on motor skill memory consolidation in the elderly. The deterioration of white matter fiber tracts associated with human brain aging thus appears to be one pathophysiological mechanism influencing subcortical-cortical propagation of sleep spindles and their related memory benefits. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Numerous studies have shown that sleep spindle expression is reduced and sleep-dependent motor memory is impaired in older adults. However, the mechanisms underlying these alterations have remained unknown. The present study reveals that age-related degeneration of white matter within select fiber tracts is associated with reduced sleep spindles in older adults. We further demonstrate that, within these same fiber tracts, the degree of

CoaSim: A Flexible Environment for Simulating Genetic Data under Coalescent Models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mailund; Schierup, Mikkel Heide; Pedersen, Christian Nørgaard Storm

2005-01-01

get insight into these. Results We have created the CoaSim application as a flexible environment for Monte various types of genetic data under equilibrium and non-equilibrium coalescent variety of applications. Interaction with the tool is through the Guile version scripting language. Scheme scripts......Background Coalescent simulations are playing a large role in interpreting large scale intra- polymorphism surveys and for planning and evaluating association studies. Coalescent of data sets under different models can be compared to the actual data to test different evolutionary factors and thus...

The pacemaker role of thalamic reticular nucleus in controlling spike-wave discharges and spindles.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Denggui; Liao, Fucheng; Wang, Qingyun

2017-07-01

Absence epilepsy, characterized by 2-4 Hz spike-wave discharges (SWDs), can be caused by pathological interactions within the thalamocortical system. Cortical spindling oscillations are also demonstrated to involve the oscillatory thalamocortical rhythms generated by the synaptic circuitry of the thalamus and cortex. This implies that SWDs and spindling oscillations can share the common thalamocortical mechanism. Additionally, the thalamic reticular nucleus (RE) is hypothesized to regulate the onsets and propagations of both the epileptic SWDs and sleep spindles. Based on the proposed single-compartment thalamocortical neural field model, we firstly investigate the stimulation effect of RE on the initiations, terminations, and transitions of SWDs. It is shown that the activations and deactivations of RE triggered by single-pulse stimuli can drive the cortical subsystem to behave as the experimentally observed onsets and self-abatements of SWDs, as well as the transitions from 2-spike and wave discharges (2-SWDs) to SWDs. In particular, with increasing inhibition from RE to the specific relay nucleus (TC), rich transition behaviors in cortex can be obtained through the upstream projection path, RE→TC→Cortex. Although some of the complex dynamical patterns can be expected from the earlier single compartment thalamocortical model, the effect of brain network topology on the emergence of SWDs and spindles, as well as the transitions between them, has not been fully investigated. We thereby develop a spatially extended 3-compartment coupled network model with open-/closed-end connective configurations, to investigate the spatiotemporal effect of RE on the SWDs and spindles. Results show that the degrees of activations of RE 1 can induce the rich spatiotemporal evolution properties including the propagations from SWDs to spindles within different compartments and the transitions between them, through the RE 1 →TC 1 →Cortex 1 and Cortex 1 →Cortex 2 →Cortex 3

The pacemaker role of thalamic reticular nucleus in controlling spike-wave discharges and spindles

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Denggui; Liao, Fucheng; Wang, Qingyun

2017-07-01

Absence epilepsy, characterized by 2-4 Hz spike-wave discharges (SWDs), can be caused by pathological interactions within the thalamocortical system. Cortical spindling oscillations are also demonstrated to involve the oscillatory thalamocortical rhythms generated by the synaptic circuitry of the thalamus and cortex. This implies that SWDs and spindling oscillations can share the common thalamocortical mechanism. Additionally, the thalamic reticular nucleus (RE) is hypothesized to regulate the onsets and propagations of both the epileptic SWDs and sleep spindles. Based on the proposed single-compartment thalamocortical neural field model, we firstly investigate the stimulation effect of RE on the initiations, terminations, and transitions of SWDs. It is shown that the activations and deactivations of RE triggered by single-pulse stimuli can drive the cortical subsystem to behave as the experimentally observed onsets and self-abatements of SWDs, as well as the transitions from 2-spike and wave discharges (2-SWDs) to SWDs. In particular, with increasing inhibition from RE to the specific relay nucleus (TC), rich transition behaviors in cortex can be obtained through the upstream projection path, RE → TC → Cortex . Although some of the complex dynamical patterns can be expected from the earlier single compartment thalamocortical model, the effect of brain network topology on the emergence of SWDs and spindles, as well as the transitions between them, has not been fully investigated. We thereby develop a spatially extended 3-compartment coupled network model with open-/closed-end connective configurations, to investigate the spatiotemporal effect of RE on the SWDs and spindles. Results show that the degrees of activations of RE 1 can induce the rich spatiotemporal evolution properties including the propagations from SWDs to spindles within different compartments and the transitions between them, through the RE 1 → TC 1 → Cortex 1 and Cortex 1 → Cortex 2 �

Online Dynamic Balance Technology for High Speed Spindle Based on Gain Parameter Adaption and Scheduling Control

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Shihai Zhang

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Unbalance vibration is one of the main vibration forms of a high speed machine tool spindle. The overlarge unbalance vibration will have some adverse effects on the working life of the spindle system and the surface quality of the work-piece. In order to reduce the unbalance of a high speed spindle system, a pneumatic online dynamic balance device and its control system are presented in the paper. To improve the balance accuracy and adaptation of the balance system, the gain parameter adaption and scheduling control method are proposed first, and then the different balance effects of the influence coefficient method and the gain scheduling control method are compared through many dynamic balance experiments of the high speed spindle. The experimental results indicate that the gain parameters can be changed timely according to the transformation of the speed and kinetic parameters of the spindle system. The balance accuracy can be improved for a high speed spindle with time-varying characteristics, based on the adaptive gain scheduling control method.

Asymptotic distributions of coalescence times and ancestral lineage numbers for populations with temporally varying size.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hua; Chen, Kun

2013-07-01

The distributions of coalescence times and ancestral lineage numbers play an essential role in coalescent modeling and ancestral inference. Both exact distributions of coalescence times and ancestral lineage numbers are expressed as the sum of alternating series, and the terms in the series become numerically intractable for large samples. More computationally attractive are their asymptotic distributions, which were derived in Griffiths (1984) for populations with constant size. In this article, we derive the asymptotic distributions of coalescence times and ancestral lineage numbers for populations with temporally varying size. For a sample of size n, denote by Tm the mth coalescent time, when m + 1 lineages coalesce into m lineages, and An(t) the number of ancestral lineages at time t back from the current generation. Similar to the results in Griffiths (1984), the number of ancestral lineages, An(t), and the coalescence times, Tm, are asymptotically normal, with the mean and variance of these distributions depending on the population size function, N(t). At the very early stage of the coalescent, when t → 0, the number of coalesced lineages n - An(t) follows a Poisson distribution, and as m → n, $$n\\left(n-1\\right){T}_{m}/2N\\left(0\\right)$$ follows a gamma distribution. We demonstrate the accuracy of the asymptotic approximations by comparing to both exact distributions and coalescent simulations. Several applications of the theoretical results are also shown: deriving statistics related to the properties of gene genealogies, such as the time to the most recent common ancestor (TMRCA) and the total branch length (TBL) of the genealogy, and deriving the allele frequency spectrum for large genealogies. With the advent of genomic-level sequencing data for large samples, the asymptotic distributions are expected to have wide applications in theoretical and methodological development for population genetic inference.

The effects of eszopiclone on sleep spindles and memory consolidation in schizophrenia: a randomized placebo-controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Wamsley, Erin J; Shinn, Ann K; Tucker, Matthew A; Ono, Kim E; McKinley, Sophia K; Ely, Alice V; Goff, Donald C; Stickgold, Robert; Manoach, Dara S

2013-09-01

In schizophrenia there is a dramatic reduction of sleep spindles that predicts deficient sleep-dependent memory consolidation. Eszopiclone (Lunesta), a non-benzodiazepine hypnotic, acts on γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurons in the thalamic reticular nucleus where spindles are generated. We investigated whether eszopiclone could increase spindles and thereby improve memory consolidation in schizophrenia. In a double-blind design, patients were randomly assigned to receive either placebo or 3 mg of eszopiclone. Patients completed Baseline and Treatment visits, each consisting of two consecutive nights of polysomnography. On the second night of each visit, patients were trained on the motor sequence task (MST) at bedtime and tested the following morning. Academic research center. Twenty-one chronic, medicated schizophrenia outpatients. We compared the effects of two nights of eszopiclone vs. placebo on stage 2 sleep spindles and overnight changes in MST performance. Eszopiclone increased the number and density of spindles over baseline levels significantly more than placebo, but did not significantly enhance overnight MST improvement. In the combined eszopiclone and placebo groups, spindle number and density predicted overnight MST improvement. Eszopiclone significantly increased sleep spindles, which correlated with overnight motor sequence task improvement. These findings provide partial support for the hypothesis that the spindle deficit in schizophrenia impairs sleep-dependent memory consolidation and may be ameliorated by eszopiclone. Larger samples may be needed to detect a significant effect on memory. Given the general role of sleep spindles in cognition, they offer a promising novel potential target for treating cognitive deficits in schizophrenia.

Influence of Energy and Temperature in Cluster Coalescence Induced by Deposition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. C. Jiménez-Sáez

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Coalescence induced by deposition of different Cu clusters on an epitaxial Co cluster supported on a Cu(001 substrate is studied by constant-temperature molecular dynamics simulations. The degree of epitaxy of the final system increases with increasing separation between the centres of mass of the projectile and target clusters during the collision. Structure, roughness, and epitaxial order of the supported cluster also influence the degree of epitaxy. The effect of energy and temperature is determinant on the epitaxial condition of the coalesced cluster, especially both factors modify the generation, growth and interaction among grains. A higher temperature favours the epitaxial growth for low impact parameters. A higher energy contributes to the epitaxial coalescence for any initial separation between the projectile and target clusters. The influence of projectile energy is notably greater than the influence of temperature since higher energies allow greater and instantaneous atomic reorganizations, so that the number of arisen grains just after the collision becomes smaller. The appearance of grain boundary dislocations is, therefore, a decisive factor in the epitaxial growth of the coalesced cluster.

CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorder with spindle-cell morphology.

Science.gov (United States)

Martires, Kathryn J; Cohen, Brandon E; Cassarino, David S

2016-11-01

Lymphomatoid papulosis (LyP) is classified as a CD30+ primary cutaneous lymphoproliferative disease. The phenotypic variability along the spectrum of CD30+ lymphoproliferative diseases is highlighted by the distinct histologic subtypes of LyP types A, B, C, and the more recently described types D, E, and F. We report the case of an elderly woman with a clinical presentation and histopathologic findings consistent with LyP, whose atypical CD30+ infiltrate uniquely demonstrated a spindle-cell morphology. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of LyP characterized by CD30+ spindle-shaped cells, and may represent a new and distinct histologic variant of LyP. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Visualization by X-ray tomography of void growth and coalescence leading to fracture in model materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weck, A.; Wilkinson, D.S.; Maire, E.; Toda, H.

2008-01-01

The literature contains many models for the process of void nucleation, growth and coalescence leading to ductile fracture. However, these models lack in-depth experimental validation, in part because void coalescence is difficult to capture experimentally. In this paper, an embedded array of holes is obtained by diffusion bonding a sheet filled with laser-drilled holes between two intact sheets. The experiments have been performed with both pure copper and Glidcop. Using X-ray computed tomography, we show that void growth and coalescence (or linkage) are well captured in both materials. The Brown and Embury model for void coalescence underestimates coalescence strains due to constraining effects. However, both the Rice and Tracey model for void growth and the Thomason model for void coalescence give good predictions for copper samples when stress triaxiality is considered. The Thomason model, however, fails to predict coalescence for the Glidcop samples; this is primarily due to secondary void nucleation

Multiple Duties for Spindle Assembly Checkpoint Kinases in Meiosis

Science.gov (United States)

Marston, Adele L.; Wassmann, Katja

2017-01-01

Cell division in mitosis and meiosis is governed by evolutionary highly conserved protein kinases and phosphatases, controlling the timely execution of key events such as nuclear envelope breakdown, spindle assembly, chromosome attachment to the spindle and chromosome segregation, and cell cycle exit. In mitosis, the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) controls the proper attachment to and alignment of chromosomes on the spindle. The SAC detects errors and induces a cell cycle arrest in metaphase, preventing chromatid separation. Once all chromosomes are properly attached, the SAC-dependent arrest is relieved and chromatids separate evenly into daughter cells. The signaling cascade leading to checkpoint arrest depends on several protein kinases that are conserved from yeast to man. In meiosis, haploid cells containing new genetic combinations are generated from a diploid cell through two specialized cell divisions. Though apparently less robust, SAC control also exists in meiosis. Recently, it has emerged that SAC kinases have additional roles in executing accurate chromosome segregation during the meiotic divisions. Here, we summarize the main differences between mitotic and meiotic cell divisions, and explain why meiotic divisions pose special challenges for correct chromosome segregation. The less-known meiotic roles of the SAC kinases are described, with a focus on two model systems: yeast and mouse oocytes. The meiotic roles of the canonical checkpoint kinases Bub1, Mps1, the pseudokinase BubR1 (Mad3), and Aurora B and C (Ipl1) will be discussed. Insights into the molecular signaling pathways that bring about the special chromosome segregation pattern during meiosis will help us understand why human oocytes are so frequently aneuploid. PMID:29322045

Multiple Duties for Spindle Assembly Checkpoint Kinases in Meiosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adele L. Marston

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Cell division in mitosis and meiosis is governed by evolutionary highly conserved protein kinases and phosphatases, controlling the timely execution of key events such as nuclear envelope breakdown, spindle assembly, chromosome attachment to the spindle and chromosome segregation, and cell cycle exit. In mitosis, the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC controls the proper attachment to and alignment of chromosomes on the spindle. The SAC detects errors and induces a cell cycle arrest in metaphase, preventing chromatid separation. Once all chromosomes are properly attached, the SAC-dependent arrest is relieved and chromatids separate evenly into daughter cells. The signaling cascade leading to checkpoint arrest depends on several protein kinases that are conserved from yeast to man. In meiosis, haploid cells containing new genetic combinations are generated from a diploid cell through two specialized cell divisions. Though apparently less robust, SAC control also exists in meiosis. Recently, it has emerged that SAC kinases have additional roles in executing accurate chromosome segregation during the meiotic divisions. Here, we summarize the main differences between mitotic and meiotic cell divisions, and explain why meiotic divisions pose special challenges for correct chromosome segregation. The less-known meiotic roles of the SAC kinases are described, with a focus on two model systems: yeast and mouse oocytes. The meiotic roles of the canonical checkpoint kinases Bub1, Mps1, the pseudokinase BubR1 (Mad3, and Aurora B and C (Ipl1 will be discussed. Insights into the molecular signaling pathways that bring about the special chromosome segregation pattern during meiosis will help us understand why human oocytes are so frequently aneuploid.

Clathrin heavy chain 1 is required for spindle assembly and chromosome congression in mouse oocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Jie; Wang, Lu; Zhou, Hong-Xia; Liu, Li; Lu, Angeleem; Li, Guang-Peng; Schatten, Heide; Liang, Cheng-Guang

2013-10-01

Clathrin heavy chain 1 (CLTC) has been considered a “moonlighting protein” which acts in membrane trafficking during interphase and in stabilizing spindle fibers during mitosis. However, its roles in meiosis, especially in mammalian oocyte maturation, remain unclear. This study investigated CLTC expression and function in spindle formation and chromosome congression during mouse oocyte meiotic maturation. Our results showed that the expression level of CLTC increased after germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) and peaked in the M phase. Immunostaining results showed CLTC distribution throughout the cytoplasm in a cell cycle-dependent manner. Appearance and disappearance of CLTC along with β-tubulin (TUBB) could be observed during spindle dynamic changes. To explore the relationship between CLTC and microtubule dynamics, oocytes at metaphase were treated with taxol or nocodazole. CLTC colocalized with TUBB at the enlarged spindle and with cytoplasmic asters after taxol treatment; it disassembled and distributed into the cytoplasm along with TUBB after nocodazole treatment. Disruption of CLTC function using stealth siRNA caused a decreased first polar body extrusion rate and extensive spindle formation and chromosome congression defects. Taken together, these results show that CLTC plays an important role in spindle assembly and chromosome congression through a microtubule correlation mechanism during mouse oocyte maturation.

Spindle Cell Metaplastic Breast Cancer: Case Report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dursun Ozgur Karakas

2013-08-01

Conclusion: Spindle cell metaplastic breast cancer must be considered in differential diagnosis of breast cancers, and preoperative immunohistochemical examination, including cytokeratin and vimentin, must be added to pathological examination in intervening cases. [Arch Clin Exp Surg 2013; 2(4.000: 259-262

Nuclear fusion and genome encounter during yeast zygote formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Tartakoff, Alan Michael; Jaiswal, Purnima

2009-06-01

When haploid cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are crossed, parental nuclei congress and fuse with each other. To investigate underlying mechanisms, we have developed assays that evaluate the impact of drugs and mutations. Nuclear congression is inhibited by drugs that perturb the actin and tubulin cytoskeletons. Nuclear envelope (NE) fusion consists of at least five steps in which preliminary modifications are followed by controlled flux of first outer and then inner membrane proteins, all before visible dilation of the waist of the nucleus or coalescence of the parental spindle pole bodies. Flux of nuclear pore complexes occurs after dilation. Karyogamy requires both the Sec18p/NSF ATPase and ER/NE luminal homeostasis. After fusion, chromosome tethering keeps tagged parental genomes separate from each other. The process of NE fusion and evidence of genome independence in yeast provide a prototype for understanding related events in higher eukaryotes.

Smurf2 as a novel mitotic regulator: From the spindle assembly checkpoint to tumorigenesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moore Finola E

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract The execution of the mitotic program with high fidelity is dependent upon precise spatiotemporal regulation of posttranslational protein modifications. For example, the timely polyubiquitination of critical mitotic regulators by Anaphase Promoting Complex/Cyclosome (APC/C is essential for the metaphase to anaphase transition and mitotic exit. The spindle assembly checkpoint prevents unscheduled activity of APC/C-Cdc20 in early mitosis, allowing bipolar attachment of kinetochores to mitotic spindle and facilitating equal segregation of sister chromatids. The critical effector of the spindle checkpoint, Mitotic arrest deficient 2 (Mad2, is recruited to unattached kinetochores forming a complex with other regulatory proteins to efficiently and cooperatively inhibit APC/C-Cdc20. A weakened and/or dysfunctional spindle checkpoint has been linked to the development of genomic instability in both cell culture and animal models, and evidence suggests that aberrant regulation of the spindle checkpoint plays a critical role in human carcinogenesis. Recent studies have illuminated a network of both degradative and non-degradative ubiquitination events that regulate the metaphase to anaphase transition and mitotic exit. Within this context, our recent work showed that the HECT (Homologous to E6-AP C-terminus-family E3 ligase Smurf2 (Smad specific ubiquitin regulatory factor 2, known as a negative regulator of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β signaling, is required for a functional spindle checkpoint by promoting the functional localization and stability of Mad2. Here we discuss putative models explaining the role of Smurf2 as a new regulator in the spindle checkpoint. The dynamic mitotic localization of Smurf2 to the centrosome and other critical mitotic structures provides implications about mitotic checkpoint control dependent on various ubiquitination events. Finally, deregulated Smurf2 activity may contribute to carcinogenesis by

Thermal Error Modelling of the Spindle Using Data Transformation and Adaptive Neurofuzzy Inference System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanlei Li

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a new method for predicting spindle deformation based on temperature data. The method introduces the adaptive neurofuzzy inference system (ANFIS, which is a neurofuzzy modeling approach that integrates the kernel and geometrical transformations. By utilizing data transformation, the number of ANFIS rules can be effectively reduced and the predictive model structure can be simplified. To build the predictive model, we first map the original temperature data to a feature space with Gaussian kernels. We then process the mapped data with the geometrical transformation and make the data gather in the square region. Finally, the transformed data are used as input to train the ANFIS. A verification experiment is conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. Six Pt100 thermal resistances are used to monitor the spindle temperature, and a laser displacement sensor is used to detect the spindle deformation. Experimental results show that the proposed method can precisely predict the spindle deformation and greatly improve the thermal performance of the spindle. Compared with back propagation (BP networks, the proposed method is more suitable for complex working conditions in practical applications.

Simplified Analytic Approach of Pole-to-Pole Faults in MMC-HVDC for AC System Backup Protection Setting Calculation

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Tongkun Lan

2018-01-01

Full Text Available AC (alternating current system backup protection setting calculation is an important basis for ensuring the safe operation of power grids. With the increasing integration of modular multilevel converter based high voltage direct current (MMC-HVDC into power grids, it has been a big challenge for the AC system backup protection setting calculation, as the MMC-HVDC lacks the fault self-clearance capability under pole-to-pole faults. This paper focused on the pole-to-pole faults analysis for the AC system backup protection setting calculation. The principles of pole-to-pole faults analysis were discussed first according to the standard of the AC system protection setting calculation. Then, the influence of fault resistance on the fault process was investigated. A simplified analytic approach of pole-to-pole faults in MMC-HVDC for the AC system backup protection setting calculation was proposed. In the proposed approach, the derived expressions of fundamental frequency current are applicable under arbitrary fault resistance. The accuracy of the proposed approach was demonstrated by PSCAD/EMTDC (Power Systems Computer-Aided Design/Electromagnetic Transients including DC simulations.

Cytokeratin: a Shortcut to Diagnose Spindle Cell Carcinoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dehghani Nazhvani A

2017-09-01

Full Text Available A relatively rare subtype of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC is spindle cell carcinoma (SPCC. It is composed of epithelium-derived spindle cells arranged in sheets with mesenchymal properties and small, hard-ly detectable regions of SCC, challenging its definite diagnosis. We encountered five cases of SPCC. In case one, chronic inflammation and subepithelial blister with leukoplakia was found 5 years before our examination. And later, exophytic features, keratotic papules and scar with elevated margins was seen on lateral border of the tongue. In case two, three and four, an abnormal soft tissue elevations were examined, and in the fifth case we examined the soft and bony speci-men from the posterior aspect of maxillary ridge. We evaluated all of them histologically and immunohistochemically for cytokeratin to reach final diagnosis.

Regulation of microtubule nucleation mediated by gamma-tubulin complexes

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Sulimenko, Vadym; Hájková, Zuzana; Klebanovych, Anastasiya; Dráber, Pavel

2017-01-01

Roč. 254, č. 3 (2017), s. 1187-1199 ISSN 0033-183X R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LD13015 Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : mitotic spindle formation * ring complex * fission yeast * organizing centers * protein complex * golgi-complex * cell-cycle * pole body * augmin * centrosome * Centrosomes * Microtubule nucleation * Microtubule-organizing centers * Non-centrosomal nucleation sites * Spindle pole bodies * gamma-Tubulin complexes Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology OBOR OECD: Cell biology Impact factor: 2.870, year: 2016

Declarative memory performance is associated with the number of sleep spindles in elderly women.

Science.gov (United States)

Seeck-Hirschner, Mareen; Baier, Paul Christian; Weinhold, Sara Lena; Dittmar, Manuela; Heiermann, Steffanie; Aldenhoff, Josef B; Göder, Robert

2012-09-01

Recent evidence suggests that the sleep-dependent consolidation of declarative memory relies on the nonrapid eye movement rather than the rapid eye movement phase of sleep. In addition, it is known that aging is accompanied by changes in sleep and memory processes. Hence, the purpose of this study was to investigate the overnight consolidation of declarative memory in healthy elderly women. Sleep laboratory of University. Nineteen healthy elderly women (age range: 61-74 years). We used laboratory-based measures of sleep. To test declarative memory, the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test was performed. Declarative memory performance in elderly women was associated with Stage 2 sleep spindle density. Women characterized by high memory performance exhibited significantly higher numbers of sleep spindles and higher spindle density compared with women with generally low memory performance. The data strongly support theories suggesting a link between sleep spindle activity and declarative memory consolidation.

Semaphorin-Plexin Signaling Controls Mitotic Spindle Orientation during Epithelial Morphogenesis and Repair

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xia, Jingjing; Swiercz, Jakub M.; Bañón-Rodríguez, Inmaculada

2015-01-01

Morphogenesis, homeostasis, and regeneration of epithelial tissues rely on the accurate orientation of cell divisions, which is specified by the mitotic spindle axis. To remain in the epithelial plane, symmetrically dividing epithelial cells align their mitotic spindle axis with the plane. Here, we...... show that this alignment depends on epithelial cell-cell communication via semaphorin-plexin signaling. During kidney morphogenesis and repair, renal tubular epithelial cells lacking the transmembrane receptor Plexin-B2 or its semaphorin ligands fail to correctly orient the mitotic spindle, leading...... to severe defects in epithelial architecture and function. Analyses of a series of transgenic and knockout mice indicate that Plexin-B2 controls the cell division axis by signaling through its GTPase-activating protein (GAP) domain and Cdc42. Our data uncover semaphorin-plexin signaling as a central...

The potential of wood-based composite poles

Science.gov (United States)

Todd F. Shupe; Cheng Piao; Chung Y. Hse

2009-01-01

Wood-based composite utility poles are receiving increasing attention in the North American pole market. This interest is being driven by many increasing factors such as increasing: (1) disposal costs of solid wood poles, (2) liability and environmental concerns with traditional means of disposal of solid wood poles, (3) cost and concerns of long-term...

Dynamic measurements and simulations of airborne picolitre-droplet coalescence in holographic optical tweezers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bzdek, Bryan R.; Reid, Jonathan P.; Collard, Liam; Sprittles, James E.; Hudson, Andrew J.

2016-01-01

We report studies of the coalescence of pairs of picolitre aerosol droplets manipulated with holographic optical tweezers, probing the shape relaxation dynamics following coalescence by simultaneously monitoring the intensity of elastic backscattered light (EBL) from the trapping laser beam (time resolution on the order of 100 ns) while recording high frame rate camera images (time resolution <10 μs). The goals of this work are to: resolve the dynamics of droplet coalescence in holographic optical traps; assign the origin of key features in the time-dependent EBL intensity; and validate the use of the EBL alone to precisely determine droplet surface tension and viscosity. For low viscosity droplets, two sequential processes are evident: binary coalescence first results from the overlap of the optical traps on the time scale of microseconds followed by the recapture of the composite droplet in an optical trap on the time scale of milliseconds. As droplet viscosity increases, the relaxation in droplet shape eventually occurs on the same time scale as recapture, resulting in a convoluted evolution of the EBL intensity that inhibits quantitative determination of the relaxation time scale. Droplet coalescence was simulated using a computational framework to validate both experimental approaches. The results indicate that time-dependent monitoring of droplet shape from the EBL intensity allows for robust determination of properties such as surface tension and viscosity. Finally, the potential of high frame rate imaging to examine the coalescence of dissimilar viscosity droplets is discussed.

Dynamic measurements and simulations of airborne picolitre-droplet coalescence in holographic optical tweezers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bzdek, Bryan R.; Reid, Jonathan P., E-mail: j.p.reid@bristol.ac.uk [School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS (United Kingdom); Collard, Liam [Department of Mathematics, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH (United Kingdom); Sprittles, James E. [Mathematics Institute, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL (United Kingdom); Hudson, Andrew J. [Department of Chemistry, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH (United Kingdom)

2016-08-07

We report studies of the coalescence of pairs of picolitre aerosol droplets manipulated with holographic optical tweezers, probing the shape relaxation dynamics following coalescence by simultaneously monitoring the intensity of elastic backscattered light (EBL) from the trapping laser beam (time resolution on the order of 100 ns) while recording high frame rate camera images (time resolution <10 μs). The goals of this work are to: resolve the dynamics of droplet coalescence in holographic optical traps; assign the origin of key features in the time-dependent EBL intensity; and validate the use of the EBL alone to precisely determine droplet surface tension and viscosity. For low viscosity droplets, two sequential processes are evident: binary coalescence first results from the overlap of the optical traps on the time scale of microseconds followed by the recapture of the composite droplet in an optical trap on the time scale of milliseconds. As droplet viscosity increases, the relaxation in droplet shape eventually occurs on the same time scale as recapture, resulting in a convoluted evolution of the EBL intensity that inhibits quantitative determination of the relaxation time scale. Droplet coalescence was simulated using a computational framework to validate both experimental approaches. The results indicate that time-dependent monitoring of droplet shape from the EBL intensity allows for robust determination of properties such as surface tension and viscosity. Finally, the potential of high frame rate imaging to examine the coalescence of dissimilar viscosity droplets is discussed.

Constitutive Cdk2 activity promotes aneuploidy while altering the spindle assembly and tetraploidy checkpoints

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jahn, Stephan C; Corsino, Patrick E; Davis, Bradley J

2013-01-01

instability. Expression of these complexes in the MCF10A cell line leads to retinoblastoma protein (Rb) hyperphosphorylation, a subsequent increase in proliferation rate, and increased expression of the spindle assembly checkpoint protein Mad2. This results in a strengthening of the spindle assembly...

Radiation-induced spindle cell sarcoma: A rare case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khan Mubeen

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Ionizing radiation has been known to induce malignant transformation in human beings. Radiation-induced sarcomas are a late sequel of radiation therapy. Most sarcomas have been reported to occur after exposure to a radiation dose of 55 Gray (Gy and above, with a dose ranging from 16 to 112 Gys. Spindle cell sarcomas, arising after radiotherapy given to treat the carcinoma of head and neck region is a very uncommon sequel. This is a rare case report of spindle cell sarcoma of left maxilla, in a 24-year-old male, occurring as a late complication of radiotherapy with Cobalt-60 given for the treatment of retinoblastoma of the left eye 21 years back.

Method for automated building of spindle thermal model with use of CAE system

Science.gov (United States)

Kamenev, S. V.

2018-03-01

The spindle is one of the most important units of the metal-cutting machine tool. Its performance is critical to minimize the machining error, especially the thermal error. Various methods are applied to improve the thermal behaviour of spindle units. One of the most important methods is mathematical modelling based on the finite element analysis. The most common approach for its realization is the use of CAE systems. This approach, however, is not capable to address the number of important effects that need to be taken into consideration for proper simulation. In the present article, the authors propose the solution to overcome these disadvantages using automated thermal model building for the spindle unit utilizing the CAE system ANSYS.

Design of Accelerated Reliability Test for CNC Motorized Spindle Based on Vibration Signal

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Chen Chao

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Motorized spindle is the key functional component of CNC machining centers which is a mechatronics system with long life and high reliability. The reliability test cycle of motorized spindle is too long and infeasible. This paper proposes a new accelerated test for reliability evaluation of motorized spindle. By field reliability test, authors collect and calculate the load data including rotational speed, cutting force and torque. Load spectrum distribution law is analyzed. And authors design a test platform to apply the load spectrum. A new method to define the fuzzy acceleration factor based on the vibration signal is proposed. Then the whole test plan of accelerated reliability test is done.

Characterization of solids deposited on the modular caustic-side solvent extraction unit (MCU) coalescer media removed in October 2014

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fondeur, F. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

2016-03-01

In February 2015, Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) received a Strip Effluent (SE) coalescer (FLT-304) from MCU. That coalescer was first installed at MCU in July 2014 and removed in October 2014. While processing approximately 31,400 gallons of strip solution, the pressure drop steadily increased from 1 psi to beyond the administrative limit of 20 psi. The physical and chemical analysis was conducted on this coalescer to determine the mechanism that led to the plugging of this coalescer. Characterization of this coalescer revealed the adsorption of organic containing amines as well as MCU modifier. The amines are probably from the decomposition of the suppressor (TiDG) as well as from bacteria. This adsorption may have changed the surface energetics (characteristics) of the coalescer fibers and therefore, their wetting behavior. A very small amount of inorganic solids were found to have deposited on this coalescer (possibly an artifact of cleaning the coalescer with Boric acid. However, we believe that inorganic precipitation, as has been seen in the past, did not play a role in the high pressure drop rise of this coalescer. With regards to the current practice of reducing the radioactive content of the SE coalescer, it is recommended that future SE coalescer should be flushed with 10 mM boric acid which is currently used at MCU. Plugging of the SE coalescer was most likely due to the formation and accumulation of a water-in-oil emulsion that reduced the overall porosity of the coalescer. There is also evidence that a bimodal oil particle distribution may have entered and deposited in the coalescer and caused the initial increase in pressure drop.

JMJD5 (Jumonji Domain-containing 5) Associates with Spindle Microtubules and Is Required for Proper Mitosis.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Zhimin; Wu, Junyu; Su, Xiaonan; Zhang, Ye; Pan, Lixia; Wei, Huimin; Fang, Qiang; Li, Haitao; Wang, Da-Liang; Sun, Fang-Lin

2016-02-26

Precise mitotic spindle assembly is a guarantee of proper chromosome segregation during mitosis. Chromosome instability caused by disturbed mitosis is one of the major features of various types of cancer. JMJD5 has been reported to be involved in epigenetic regulation of gene expression in the nucleus, but little is known about its function in mitotic process. Here we report the unexpected localization and function of JMJD5 in mitotic progression. JMJD5 partially accumulates on mitotic spindles during mitosis, and depletion of JMJD5 results in significant mitotic arrest, spindle assembly defects, and sustained activation of the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC). Inactivating SAC can efficiently reverse the mitotic arrest caused by JMJD5 depletion. Moreover, JMJD5 is found to interact with tubulin proteins and associate with microtubules during mitosis. JMJD5-depleted cells show a significant reduction of α-tubulin acetylation level on mitotic spindles and fail to generate enough interkinetochore tension to satisfy the SAC. Further, JMJD5 depletion also increases the susceptibility of HeLa cells to the antimicrotubule agent. Taken together, these results suggest that JMJD5 plays an important role in regulating mitotic progression, probably by modulating the stability of spindle microtubules. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Combining time-frequency and spatial information for the detection of sleep spindles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian eO'Reilly

2015-02-01

Full Text Available EEG sleep spindles are short (0.5-2.0 s bursts of activity in the 11-16 Hz band occurring during non-rapid eye movement (NREM sleep. This sporadic activity is thought to play a role in memory consolidation, brain plasticity, and protection of sleep integrity. Many automatic detectors have been proposed to assist or replace experts for sleep spindle scoring. However, these algorithms usually detect too many events making it difficult to achieve a good tradeoff between sensitivity (Se and false detection rate (FDr. In this work, we propose a semi-automatic detector comprising a sensitivity phase based on well-established criteria followed by a specificity phase using spatial and spectral criteria.In the sensitivity phase, selected events are those which amplitude in the 10 – 16 Hz band and spectral ratio characteristics both reject a null hypothesis (p <0.1 stating that the considered event is not a spindle. This null hypothesis is constructed from events occurring during rapid eye movement (REM sleep epochs. In the specificity phase, a hierarchical clustering of the selected candidates is done based on events’ frequency and spatial position along the anterior-posterior axis. Only events from the classes grouping most (at least 80% spindles scored by an expert are kept. We obtain Se = 93.2% and FDr = 93.0% in the first phase and Se = 85.4% and FDr = 86.2% in the second phase. For these two phases, Matthew’s correlation coefficients are respectively 0.228 and 0.324. Results suggest that spindles are defined by specific spatio-spectral properties and that automatic detection methods can be improved by considering these features.

Sleep Spindle Density Predicts the Effect of Prior Knowledge on Memory Consolidation

Science.gov (United States)

Lambon Ralph, Matthew A.; Kempkes, Marleen; Cousins, James N.; Lewis, Penelope A.

2016-01-01

Information that relates to a prior knowledge schema is remembered better and consolidates more rapidly than information that does not. Another factor that influences memory consolidation is sleep and growing evidence suggests that sleep-related processing is important for integration with existing knowledge. Here, we perform an examination of how sleep-related mechanisms interact with schema-dependent memory advantage. Participants first established a schema over 2 weeks. Next, they encoded new facts, which were either related to the schema or completely unrelated. After a 24 h retention interval, including a night of sleep, which we monitored with polysomnography, participants encoded a second set of facts. Finally, memory for all facts was tested in a functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner. Behaviorally, sleep spindle density predicted an increase of the schema benefit to memory across the retention interval. Higher spindle densities were associated with reduced decay of schema-related memories. Functionally, spindle density predicted increased disengagement of the hippocampus across 24 h for schema-related memories only. Together, these results suggest that sleep spindle activity is associated with the effect of prior knowledge on memory consolidation. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Episodic memories are gradually assimilated into long-term memory and this process is strongly influenced by sleep. The consolidation of new information is also influenced by its relationship to existing knowledge structures, or schemas, but the role of sleep in such schema-related consolidation is unknown. We show that sleep spindle density predicts the extent to which schemas influence the consolidation of related facts. This is the first evidence that sleep is associated with the interaction between prior knowledge and long-term memory formation. PMID:27030764

Experimental Analysis and Full Prediction Model of a 5-DOF Motorized Spindle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weiyu Zhang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The cost and power consumption of DC power amplifiers are much greater than that of AC power converters. Compared to a motorized spindle supported with DC magnetic bearings, a motorized spindle supported with AC magnetic bearings is inexpensive and more efficient. This paper studies a five-degrees-of-freedom (5-DOF motorized spindle supported with AC hybrid magnetic bearings (HMBs. Most models of suspension forces, except a “switching model”, are quite accurate, but only in a particular operating area and not in regional coverage. If a “switching model” is applied to a 5-DOF motorized spindle, the real-time performance of the control system can be significantly decreased due to the large amount of data processing for both displacement and current. In order to solve this defect, experiments based on the “switching model” are performed, and the resulting data are analyzed. Using the data analysis results, a “full prediction model” based on the operating state is proposed to improve real-time performance and precision. Finally, comparative, verification and stiffness tests are conducted to verify the improvement of the proposed model. Results of the tests indicate that the rotor has excellent characteristics, such as good real-time performance, superior anti-interference performance with load and the accuracy of the model in full zone. The satisfactory experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the “full prediction model” applied to the control system under different operating stages. Therefore, the results of the experimental analysis and the proposed full prediction model can provide a control system of a 5-DOF motorized spindle with the most suitable mathematical models of the suspension force.

Error Correction of Radial Displacement in Grinding Machine Tool Spindle by Optimizing Shape and Bearing Tuning

OpenAIRE

Khairul Jauhari; Achmad Widodo; Ismoyo Haryanto

2015-01-01

In this article, the radial displacement error correction capability of a high precision spindle grinding caused by unbalance force was investigated. The spindle shaft is considered as a flexible rotor mounted on two sets of angular contact ball bearing. Finite element methods (FEM) have been adopted for obtaining the equation of motion of the spindle. In this paper, firstly, natural frequencies, critical frequencies, and amplitude of the unbalance response caused by resi...

The function of the sleep spindle: a physiological index of intelligence and a mechanism for sleep-dependent memory consolidation.

Science.gov (United States)

Fogel, Stuart M; Smith, Carlyle T

2011-04-01

Until recently, the electrophysiological mechanisms involved in strengthening new memories into a more permanent form during sleep have been largely unknown. The sleep spindle is an event in the electroencephalogram (EEG) characterizing Stage 2 sleep. Sleep spindles may reflect, at the electrophysiological level, an ideal mechanism for inducing long-term synaptic changes in the neocortex. Recent evidence suggests the spindle is highly correlated with tests of intellectual ability (e.g.; IQ tests) and may serve as a physiological index of intelligence. Further, spindles increase in number and duration in sleep following new learning and are correlated with performance improvements. Spindle density and sigma (14-16Hz) spectral power have been found to be positively correlated with performance following a daytime nap, and animal studies suggest the spindle is involved in a hippocampal-neocortical dialogue necessary for memory consolidation. The findings reviewed here collectively provide a compelling body of evidence that the function of the sleep spindle is related to intellectual ability and memory consolidation. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

TFG-MET fusion in an infantile spindle cell sarcoma with neural features.

Science.gov (United States)

Flucke, Uta; van Noesel, Max M; Wijnen, Marc; Zhang, Lei; Chen, Chun-Liang; Sung, Yun-Shao; Antonescu, Cristina R

2017-09-01

An increasing number of congenital and infantile sarcomas displaying a primitive, monomorphic spindle cell phenotype have been characterized to harbor recurrent gene fusions, including infantile fibrosarcoma and congenital spindle cell rhabdomyosarcoma. Here, we report an unusual spindle cell sarcoma presenting as a large and infiltrative pelvic soft tissue mass in a 4-month-old girl, which revealed a novel TFG-MET gene fusion by whole transcriptome RNA sequencing. The tumor resembled the morphology of an infantile fibrosarcoma with both fascicular and patternless growth, however, it expressed strong S100 protein immunoreactivity, while lacking SOX10 staining and retaining H3K27me3 expression. Although this immunoprofile suggested partial neural/neuroectodermal differentiation, overall features were unusual and did not fit into any known tumor types (cellular schwannoma, MPNST), raising the possibility of a novel pathologic entity. The TFG-MET gene fusion expands the genetic spectrum implicated in the pathogenesis of congenital spindle cell sarcomas, with yet another example of kinase oncogenic activation through chromosomal translocation. The discovery of this new fusion is significant since the resulting MET activation can potentially be inhibited by targeted therapy, as MET inhibitors are presently available in clinical trials. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Development and validation of models for bubble coalescence and breakup

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liao, Yiaxiang

2013-10-08

A generalized model for bubble coalescence and breakup has been developed, which is based on a comprehensive survey of existing theories and models. One important feature of the model is that all important mechanisms leading to bubble coalescence and breakup in a turbulent gas-liquid flow are considered. The new model is tested extensively in a 1D Test Solver and a 3D CFD code ANSYS CFX for the case of vertical gas-liquid pipe flow under adiabatic conditions, respectively. Two kinds of extensions of the standard multi-fluid model, i.e. the discrete population model and the inhomogeneous MUSIG (multiple-size group) model, are available in the two solvers, respectively. These extensions with suitable closure models such as those for coalescence and breakup are able to predict the evolution of bubble size distribution in dispersed flows and to overcome the mono-dispersed flow limitation of the standard multi-fluid model. For the validation of the model the high quality database of the TOPFLOW L12 experiments for air-water flow in a vertical pipe was employed. A wide range of test points, which cover the bubbly flow, turbulent-churn flow as well as the transition regime, is involved in the simulations. The comparison between the simulated results such as bubble size distribution, gas velocity and volume fraction and the measured ones indicates a generally good agreement for all selected test points. As the superficial gas velocity increases, bubble size distribution evolves via coalescence dominant regimes first, then breakup-dominant regimes and finally turns into a bimodal distribution. The tendency of the evolution is well reproduced by the model. However, the tendency is almost always overestimated, i.e. too much coalescence in the coalescence dominant case while too much breakup in breakup dominant ones. The reason of this problem is discussed by studying the contribution of each coalescence and breakup mechanism at different test points. The redistribution of the

Development and validation of models for bubble coalescence and breakup

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liao, Yiaxiang

2013-01-01

A generalized model for bubble coalescence and breakup has been developed, which is based on a comprehensive survey of existing theories and models. One important feature of the model is that all important mechanisms leading to bubble coalescence and breakup in a turbulent gas-liquid flow are considered. The new model is tested extensively in a 1D Test Solver and a 3D CFD code ANSYS CFX for the case of vertical gas-liquid pipe flow under adiabatic conditions, respectively. Two kinds of extensions of the standard multi-fluid model, i.e. the discrete population model and the inhomogeneous MUSIG (multiple-size group) model, are available in the two solvers, respectively. These extensions with suitable closure models such as those for coalescence and breakup are able to predict the evolution of bubble size distribution in dispersed flows and to overcome the mono-dispersed flow limitation of the standard multi-fluid model. For the validation of the model the high quality database of the TOPFLOW L12 experiments for air-water flow in a vertical pipe was employed. A wide range of test points, which cover the bubbly flow, turbulent-churn flow as well as the transition regime, is involved in the simulations. The comparison between the simulated results such as bubble size distribution, gas velocity and volume fraction and the measured ones indicates a generally good agreement for all selected test points. As the superficial gas velocity increases, bubble size distribution evolves via coalescence dominant regimes first, then breakup-dominant regimes and finally turns into a bimodal distribution. The tendency of the evolution is well reproduced by the model. However, the tendency is almost always overestimated, i.e. too much coalescence in the coalescence dominant case while too much breakup in breakup dominant ones. The reason of this problem is discussed by studying the contribution of each coalescence and breakup mechanism at different test points. The redistribution of the

Gravitational Waves from Coalescing Binary Black Holes: Theoretical and Experimental Challenges

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2010-01-01

(LIGO/VIRGO/GEO/...) is currently taking data near its planned sensitivity. Coalescing black hole binaries are among the most promising, and most exciting, gravitational wave sources for these detectors. The talk will review the theoretical and experimental challenges that must be met in order to successfully detect gravitational waves from coalescing black hole binaries, and to be able to reliably measure the physical parameters of the source (masses, spins, ...).

Time-frequency dynamics during sleep spindles on the EEG in rodents with a genetic predisposition to absence epilepsy (WAG/Rij rats)

Science.gov (United States)

Hramov, Alexander E.; Sitnikova, Evgenija Y.; Pavlov, Alexey N.; Grubov, Vadim V.; Koronovskii, Alexey A.; Khramova, Marina V.

2015-03-01

Sleep spindles are known to appear spontaneously in the thalamocortical neuronal network of the brain during slow-wave sleep; pathological processes in the thalamocortical network may be the reason of the absence epilepsy. The aim of the present work is to study developed changes in the time-frequency structure of sleep spindles during the progressive development of the absence epilepsy in WAG/Rij rats. EEG recordings were made at age 7 and 9 months. Automatic recognition and subsequent analysis of sleep spindles on the EEG were performed using the continuous wavelet transform. The duration of epileptic discharges and the total duration of epileptic activity were found to increase with age, while the duration of sleep spindles, conversely, decreased. In terms of the mean frequency, sleep spindles could be divided into three classes: `slow' (mean frequency 9.3Hz), `medium' (11.4Hz), and `fast' (13.5Hz). Slow and medium (transitional) spindles in five-month-old animals showed increased frequency from the beginning to the end of the spindle. The more intense the epilepsy is, the shorter are the durations of spindles of all types. The mean frequencies of `medium' and `fast' spindles were higher in rats with more intense signs of epilepsy. Overall, high epileptic activity in WAG/Rij rats was linked with significant changes in spindles of the transitional type, with less marked changes in the two traditionally identified types of spindle, slow and fast.

Sleep spindles are related to schizotypal personality traits and thalamic glutamine/glutamate in healthy subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Lustenberger, Caroline; O'Gorman, Ruth L; Pugin, Fiona; Tüshaus, Laura; Wehrle, Flavia; Achermann, Peter; Huber, Reto

2015-03-01

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder affecting approximately 1% of the worldwide population. Yet, schizophrenia-like experiences (schizotypy) are very common in the healthy population, indicating a continuum between normal mental functioning and the psychosis found in schizophrenic patients. A continuum between schizotypy and schizophrenia would be supported if they share the same neurobiological origin. Two such neurobiological markers of schizophrenia are: (1) a reduction of sleep spindles (12-15 Hz oscillations during nonrapid eye movement sleep), likely reflecting deficits in thalamo-cortical circuits and (2) increased glutamine and glutamate (Glx) levels in the thalamus. Thus, this study aimed to investigate whether sleep spindles and Glx levels are related to schizotypal personality traits in healthy subjects. Twenty young male subjects underwent 2 all-night sleep electroencephalography recordings (128 electrodes). Sleep spindles were detected automatically. After those 2 nights, thalamic Glx levels were measured by magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Subjects completed a magical ideation scale to assess schizotypy. Sleep spindle density was negatively correlated with magical ideation (r = -.64, P .1). The common relationship of sleep spindle density with schizotypy and thalamic Glx levels indicates a neurobiological overlap between nonclinical schizotypy and schizophrenia. Thus, sleep spindle density and magical ideation may reflect the anatomy and efficiency of the thalamo-cortical system that shows pronounced impairment in patients with schizophrenia. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The Effect of the Rotor Static Eccentricity on the Electro-Mechanical Coupled Characteristics of the Motorized Spindle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wu Zaixin

2016-01-01

Full Text Available High-speed motorized spindle is a multi-variable, non-linear and strong coupling system. The rotor static eccentricity is inevitable because of machining or assembling error. The rotor static eccentricities have an important effect on the electromechanical coupled characteristics of the motorized spindle. In this paper, the electromechanical coupled mathematical model of the motorized spindle was set up. The mathematical model includes mechanical and electrical equation. The mechanical and electrical equation is built up by the variational principle. Furthermore, the inductance parameters without the rotor static eccentricity and the inductance parameters with rotor static eccentricity have been calculated by the winding function method and the high speed motorized spindle was simulated. The result show that the rotor static eccentricity can delay the starting process of the motorized spindle, and at steady state, the rotor circuit currents are still large because of the rotor static eccentricity.

Analysis of radial runout for symmetric and asymmetric HDD spindle motors with rotor eccentricity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, T.-J.; Kim, K.-T.; Hwang, S.-M.; Lee, S.-B.; Park, N.-G.

2001-01-01

Radial runout of disk drive spindle is one of the major limiting factors in achieving higher track densities in hard disk drives. Mechanical, magnetic and their coupled origins, such as unbalanced mass, reaction forces and magnetic forces, introduce radial runout of spindle motors. In this paper, radial magnetic forces are calculated with respect to the various rotor eccentricities using analytic method. Based on the results of the radial magnetic forces, the radial runout of the spindle motor is analyzed using finite element and transfer matrices. Results show that an asymmetric motor has a worse performance on unbalanced magnetic forces and radial runout when mechanical and magnetic coupling exists

Coalescence of silver unidimensional structures by molecular dynamics simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perez A, M.; Gutierrez W, C.E.; Mondragon, G.; Arenas, J.

2007-01-01

The study of nanoparticles coalescence and silver nano rods phenomena by means of molecular dynamics simulation under the thermodynamic laws is reported. In this work we focus ourselves to see the conditions under which the one can be given one dimension growth of silver nano rods for the coalescence phenomenon among two nano rods or one nano rod and one particle; what allows us to study those structural, dynamic and morphological properties of the silver nano rods to different thermodynamic conditions. The simulations are carried out using the Sutton-Chen potentials of interaction of many bodies that allow to obtain appropriate results with the real physical systems. (Author)

Coalescence measurements for evolving foams monitored by real-time projection imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Myagotin, A; Helfen, L; Baumbach, T

2009-01-01

Real-time radiographic projection imaging together with novel spatio-temporal image analysis is presented to be a powerful technique for the quantitative analysis of coalescence processes accompanying the generation and temporal evolution of foams and emulsions. Coalescence events can be identified as discontinuities in a spatio-temporal image representing a sequence of projection images. Detection, identification of intensity and localization of the discontinuities exploit a violation criterion of the Fourier shift theorem and are based on recursive spatio-temporal image partitioning. The proposed method is suited for automated measurements of discontinuity rates (i.e., discontinuity intensity per unit time), so that large series of radiographs can be analyzed without user intervention. The application potential is demonstrated by the quantification of coalescence during the formation and decay of metal foams monitored by real-time x-ray radiography

Muscle spindle autogenetic inhibition in the extraocular muscles of lamb.

Science.gov (United States)

Pettorossi, V E; Filippi, G M

1981-09-01

The role of extraocular muscle (EOM) proprioceptors on eye motility has been investigated in lambs on "encéphale isolé", by evaluating the tension of EOMs at various lengths and velocities of stretch before and after proprioceptive blocks. The EOM tension, in the absence of proprioceptive input, was higher than in normal conditions. Such an effect occurred at lengthening values greater than 3 mm of stretch from resting muscle length, corresponding to 18 degrees of eye deviation and was dependent on the velocity of the stretch, being more effective at high velocity. The muscle receptors responsible for this effect was determined by comparing the sensitivity to vibratory stimulation of spindles and tendon organs to the amount of inhibition provoked by the same stimulation on an EOM electromyographic activity. The tension inhibition appeared to be correlated to muscle spindle activation. Thus, the presence of muscle spindles can determine a reduction of the tension within the stretched muscles. This result suggests that the EOM length and velocity signals operate moment to moment reduction on the stiffness of the muscle which antagonizes eye displacement, thus facilitating the ocular movements.

Regulation of spindle orientation and neural stem cell fate in the Drosophila optic lobe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brand Andrea H

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The choice of a stem cell to divide symmetrically or asymmetrically has profound consequences for development and disease. Unregulated symmetric division promotes tumor formation, whereas inappropriate asymmetric division affects organ morphogenesis. Despite its importance, little is known about how spindle positioning is regulated. In some tissues cell fate appears to dictate the type of cell division, whereas in other tissues it is thought that stochastic variation in spindle position dictates subsequent sibling cell fate. Results Here we investigate the relationship between neural progenitor identity and spindle positioning in the Drosophila optic lobe. We use molecular markers and live imaging to show that there are two populations of progenitors in the optic lobe: symmetrically dividing neuroepithelial cells and asymmetrically dividing neuroblasts. We use genetically marked single cell clones to show that neuroepithelial cells give rise to neuroblasts. To determine if a change in spindle orientation can trigger a neuroepithelial to neuroblast transition, we force neuroepithelial cells to divide along their apical/basal axis by misexpressing Inscuteable. We find that this does not induce neuroblasts, nor does it promote premature neuronal differentiation. Conclusion We show that symmetrically dividing neuroepithelial cells give rise to asymmetrically dividing neuroblasts in the optic lobe, and that regulation of spindle orientation and division symmetry is a consequence of cell type specification, rather than a mechanism for generating cell type diversity.

Experimental visualization coalesced interaction of sliding bubble near wall in vertical narrow rectangular channel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Jianjun; Chen Bingde; Wang Xiaojun

2011-01-01

The characteristic of the coalesced sliding bubble was visually observed by wide side and narrow side of the narrow rectangular channel using high speed digital camera. The results show that the coalesced time among the sliding bubbles is quick, and the new formation of coalesced bubble is not lift-off, and it continues to slide along the heated surface in low heat flux for the isolated bubble region. The influence region is about 2 times projected area of the sliding bubble when the sliding bubbles begin to interact. The sliding bubble velocities increase duo to the interaction among the bubbles, which contributes to enhance heat transfer of this region. Finally, the effect of coalesced interaction of growing bubble in the nucleation sites on bubble lift-off was discussed and analysed. (authors)

Sleep spindle activity in double cortex syndrome: a case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Sforza, Emilia; Marcoz, Jean-Pierre; Foletti, Giovanni

2010-09-01

Cortical dysgenesis is increasingly recognised as a cause of epilepsy. We report a case with double cortex heterotopia and secondarily generalized seizures with a generalised spike wave pattern. During the course of the disease, the child developed electrical status epilepticus in slow wave sleep. From the first examination, sleep pattern revealed increased frequency and amplitude of spindle activity, more evident in anterior areas. The role of the thalamocortical pathway in increased sleep spindle activity is discussed with emphasis on the possible role of altered thalamocortical pathways in abnormal cortical migration. A strong suspicion of cortical dysgenesis may therefore be based on specific EEG sleep patterns.

Free surface flows: coalescence, spreading and dewetting

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hernandez Sanchez, J.F.

2015-01-01

Capillary and wetting phenomena are an essential part of nature. Its presence is noticed in many circumstances where solid and liquid surfaces come into contact. In this thesis different types of capillary free surface flows are studied. The topics discussed are mainly the coalescence of viscous

A variational void coalescence model for ductile metals

KAUST Repository

Siddiq, Amir

2011-08-17

We present a variational void coalescence model that includes all the essential ingredients of failure in ductile porous metals. The model is an extension of the variational void growth model by Weinberg et al. (Comput Mech 37:142-152, 2006). The extended model contains all the deformation phases in ductile porous materials, i.e. elastic deformation, plastic deformation including deviatoric and volumetric (void growth) plasticity followed by damage initiation and evolution due to void coalescence. Parametric studies have been performed to assess the model\\'s dependence on the different input parameters. The model is then validated against uniaxial loading experiments for different materials. We finally show the model\\'s ability to predict the damage mechanisms and fracture surface profile of a notched round bar under tension as observed in experiments. © Springer-Verlag 2011.

Dishevelled binds the Discs large 'Hook' domain to activate GukHolder-dependent spindle positioning in Drosophila.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joshua D Garcia

Full Text Available Communication between cortical cell polarity cues and the mitotic spindle ensures proper orientation of cell divisions within complex tissues. Defects in mitotic spindle positioning have been linked to various developmental disorders and have recently emerged as a potential contributor to tumorigenesis. Despite the importance of this process to human health, the molecular mechanisms that regulate spindle orientation are not fully understood. Moreover, it remains unclear how diverse cortical polarity complexes might cooperate to influence spindle positioning. We and others have demonstrated spindle orientation roles for Dishevelled (Dsh, a key regulator of planar cell polarity, and Discs large (Dlg, a conserved apico-basal cell polarity regulator, effects which were previously thought to operate within distinct molecular pathways. Here we identify a novel direct interaction between the Dsh-PDZ domain and the alternatively spliced "I3-insert" of the Dlg-Hook domain, thus establishing a potential convergent Dsh/Dlg pathway. Furthermore, we identify a Dlg sequence motif necessary for the Dsh interaction that shares homology to the site of Dsh binding in the Frizzled receptor. Expression of Dsh enhanced Dlg-mediated spindle positioning similar to deletion of the Hook domain. This Dsh-mediated activation was dependent on the Dlg-binding partner, GukHolder (GukH. These results suggest that Dsh binding may regulate core interdomain conformational dynamics previously described for Dlg. Together, our results identify Dlg as an effector of Dsh signaling and demonstrate a Dsh-mediated mechanism for the activation of Dlg/GukH-dependent spindle positioning. Cooperation between these two evolutionarily-conserved cell polarity pathways could have important implications to both the development and maintenance of tissue homeostasis in animals.

Coalescence of GaAs on (001) Si nano-trenches based on three-stage epitaxial lateral overgrowth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

He, Yunrui; Wang, Jun, E-mail: wangjun12@bupt.edu.cn; Hu, Haiyang; Wang, Qi; Huang, Yongqing; Ren, Xiaomin [State Key Laboratory of Information Photonics and Optical Communications, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing 100876 (China)

2015-05-18

The coalescence of selective area grown GaAs regions has been performed on patterned 1.8 μm GaAs buffer layer on Si via metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. We propose a promising method of three-stage epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELO) to achieve uniform coalescence and flat surface. Rough surface caused by the coalescence of different growth fronts is smoothened by this method. Low root-mean-square surface roughness of 6.29 nm has been obtained on a 410-nm-thick coalesced ELO GaAs layer. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscope study shows that the coalescence of different growth fronts will induce some new dislocations. However, the coalescence-induced dislocations tend to mutually annihilate and only a small part of them reach the GaAs surface. High optical quality of the ELO GaAs layer has been confirmed by low temperature (77 K) photoluminescence measurements. This research promises a very large scale integration platform for the monolithic integration of GaAs-based device on Si.

The role of p53 in the response to mitotic spindle damage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meek, D.W.

2000-01-01

The p53 tumour suppressor protein has defined roles in G1/S and G2/M cell cycle checkpoint in response to a range of cellular stresses including DNA damage, dominant oncogene expression, hypoxia, metabolic changes and viral infection. In addition to these responses, p53 can also be activated when damage occurs to the mitotic spindle. Initially, spindle damage activates a p53-independent checkpoint which functions at the metaphase-anaphase transition and prevents cells from progressing through mitosis until the completion of spindle formation. Cells eventually escape from this block (a process termed 'mitotic slippage'), and an aberrant mitosis ensues in which sister chromatids fail to segregate properly. After a delay period, p53 responds to this mitotic failure by instituting a G1-like growth arrest, with an intact nucleus containing 4N DNA, but without the cells undergoing division. Cells lacking wild-type p53 are still able to arrest transiently at mitosis, and also fail to undergo division, underscoring that the delay in mitosis is p53-independent. However, these cells are not prevented from re-entering the cell cycle and can reduplicate their DNA unchecked, leading to polyploidy. Additionally, p53-null cells which experience spindle failure often show the appearance of micronuclei arising from poorly segregated chromosomes which have de-condensed and been enclosed in a nuclear envelope. The ability of p53 to prevent their formation suggests an additional G2 involvement which prevents nuclear breakdown prior to mitosis. The molecular mechanism by which p53 is able to sense mitotic failure is still unknown, but may be linked to the ability of p53 to regulate duplication of the centrosome, the organelle which nucleates spindle formation. (authors)

ORF Sequence: NC_001145 [GENIUS II[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available forms GTPase-activating Bfa1p-Bub2p complex that binds Tem1p and spindle pole bodies, blocks cell cycle prog...ression before anaphase in response to spindle and kinetochore damage; Bub2p [Saccharomyces cerevisiae] MTSI

Yeast Interacting Proteins Database: YDL239C, YOR324C [Yeast Interacting Proteins Database

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available of a Don1p-containing structure at the leading edge of the prospore membrane via interaction with spindle p... a Don1p-containing structure at the leading edge of the prospore membrane via interaction with spindle pole

Geometric Modelling of Octagonal Lamp Poles

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, T. O.; Lichti, D. D.

2014-06-01

Lamp poles are one of the most abundant highway and community components in modern cities. Their supporting parts are primarily tapered octagonal cones specifically designed for wind resistance. The geometry and the positions of the lamp poles are important information for various applications. For example, they are important to monitoring deformation of aged lamp poles, maintaining an efficient highway GIS system, and also facilitating possible feature-based calibration of mobile LiDAR systems. In this paper, we present a novel geometric model for octagonal lamp poles. The model consists of seven parameters in which a rotation about the z-axis is included, and points are constrained by the trigonometric property of 2D octagons after applying the rotations. For the geometric fitting of the lamp pole point cloud captured by a terrestrial LiDAR, accurate initial parameter values are essential. They can be estimated by first fitting the points to a circular cone model and this is followed by some basic point cloud processing techniques. The model was verified by fitting both simulated and real data. The real data includes several lamp pole point clouds captured by: (1) Faro Focus 3D and (2) Velodyne HDL-32E. The fitting results using the proposed model are promising, and up to 2.9 mm improvement in fitting accuracy was realized for the real lamp pole point clouds compared to using the conventional circular cone model. The overall result suggests that the proposed model is appropriate and rigorous.

The Making of SPINdle

Science.gov (United States)

Lam, Ho-Pun; Governatori, Guido

We present the design and implementation of SPINdle - an open source Java based defeasible logic reasoner capable to perform efficient and scalable reasoning on defeasible logic theories (including theories with over 1 million rules). The implementation covers both the standard and modal extensions to defeasible logics. It can be used as a standalone theory prover and can be embedded into any applications as a defeasible logic rule engine. It allows users or agents to issues queries, on a given knowledge base or a theory generated on the fly by other applications, and automatically produces the conclusions of its consequences. The theory can also be represented using XML.

Abnormal spindles in second meiosis in canola (Brassica napus and Brassica campestris

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alice Maria de Souza

1999-01-01

Full Text Available Studies were carried out on the occurrence of abnormal spindles in the second meiotic division in some canola cultivars recently introduced in Brazil. Fusion of spindles was observed in metaphase II rejoining the two sets of chromosomes segregated in anaphase I and also sequential and tripolar spindles were discovered rejoining two sets of chromatids segregated in anaphase II. The frequency of cells with abnormal spindles ranged from 3.18 to 8.10%. The results suggested that this abnormality was caused by environmental stress that affected the plants during the blooming period.O presente estudo descreve a ocorrência de fusos anormais na segunda divisão meiótica em algumas cultivares da canola recentemente introduzidas no Brasil. Fusão de fusos foi observada em metáfase II reunindo os dois conjuntos cromossômicos segregados na anáfase I; fusos sequenciais e tripolares reunindo cromátides segregadas na anáfase II também foram observados. A frequência de células com fusos anormais variou de 3,18 a 8,10% entre as variedades. Os resultados sugerem que estas anormalidades foram causadas por condições climáticas adversas que afetaram as plantas no período de florescimento. As implicações genéticas destas anormalidades são descritas.

Bubble coalescence dynamics and supersaturation in electrolytic gas evolution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stover, R.L. [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering]|[Lawrence Berkeley National Lab., CA (United States). Energy and Environment Div.

1996-08-01

The apparatus and procedures developed in this research permit the observation of electrolytic bubble coalescence, which heretofore has not been possible. The influence of bubble size, electrolyte viscosity, surface tension, gas type, and pH on bubble coalescence was examined. The Navier-Stokes equations with free surface boundary conditions were solved numerically for the full range of experimental variables that were examined. Based on this study, the following mechanism for bubble coalescence emerges: when two gas bubbles coalesce, the surface energy decreases as the curvature and surface area of the resultant bubble decrease, and the energy is imparted into the surrounding liquid. The initial motion is driven by the surface tension and slowed by the inertia and viscosity of the surrounding fluid. The initial velocity of the interface is approximately proportional to the square root of the surface tension and inversely proportional to the square root of the bubble radius. Fluid inertia sustains the oblate/prolate oscillations of the resultant bubble. The period of the oscillations varies with the bubble radius raised to the 3/2 power and inversely with the square root of the surface tension. Viscous resistance dampens the oscillations at a rate proportional to the viscosity and inversely proportional to the square of the bubble radius. The numerical simulations were consistent with most of the experimental results. The differences between the computed and measured saddle point decelerations and periods suggest that the surface tension in the experiments may have changed during each run. By adjusting the surface tension in the simulation, a good fit was obtained for the 150-{micro}m diameter bubbles. The simulations fit the experiments on larger bubbles with very little adjustment of surface tension. A more focused analysis should be done to elucidate the phenomena that occur in the receding liquid film immediately following rupture.

A coalescence model for uranium exploration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stuart-Williams, V.; Taylor, C.M.

1983-01-01

Uranium mineralization was found in the Pristerognathus-Diictodon Assemblage Zone of the Teekloof Formation, Beaufort Group, west of Beaufort West, Cape Province, South Africa. All the anomalies can be related to a single mineralization model. Mineralization is found at the termination of a silt parting between two coalescing sandstones and lies in the lower sandstone as an inclined zone dipping downflow from the termination of the silt parting. The existence of primary Eh-pH gradient is indicated by a uranium-molybdenum zonation, the molybdenum lying above the uranium mineralization. The upper sandstone was an oxidizing fluvial channel in an arid environment through which uranyl carbonate was being transported in solution. Carbonaceous material undergoing anaerobic bacterial breakdown generated a weakly reducing fluid in the lower sandstone. Carbonaceous material at the REDOX front developed between the two mixing fluids at the point of sandstone coalescence reduced uranyl carbonates in solution. Once reduced the uranium minerals remained stable because the conditions in the REDOX front were only very weakly oxidizing. As floodplain aggradation continued, the upper sandstone was buried and the entire sandstone couplet became reducing, permanently stabilizing the uranium mineralization

Subnuclear relocalization and silencing of a chromosomal region by an ectopic ribosomal DNA repeat

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jakociunas, Tadas; Domange Jordö, Marie Elise; Mebarek, Mazhoura Aït

2013-01-01

Our research addresses the relationship between subnuclear localization and gene expression in fission yeast. We observed the relocalization of a heterochromatic region, the mating-type region, from its natural location at the spindle-pole body to the immediate vicinity of the nucleolus. Relocali......Our research addresses the relationship between subnuclear localization and gene expression in fission yeast. We observed the relocalization of a heterochromatic region, the mating-type region, from its natural location at the spindle-pole body to the immediate vicinity of the nucleolus...

Discrimination between micronuclei induced by spindle poisons and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Discrimination between micronuclei induced by spindle poisons and clastogens by using toad bone marrow polychromatic erythrocytes. ... Egyptian Journal of Biology ... The used chemicals induced high percentages of micronuclei with variable sizes, which clarify the sensitivity of bone marrow cells of Bufo regularis to ...

Second-harmonic imaging of poled silica waveguides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arentoft, Jesper; Pedersen, Kjeld; Bozhevolnyi, Sergey I.

2000-01-01

Electric-field poled silica-based waveguides are characterized by measurements of second-harmonic generation (SHG) and of the linear electro-optic effect (LEO). A SHG scanning technique allowing for high-resolution imaging of poled devices is demonstrated. Scans along the direction of the poling...

Void growth to coalescence in a non-local material

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Niordson, Christian Frithiof

2008-01-01

of different material length parameters in a multi-parameter theory is studied, and it is shown that the important length parameter is the same as under purely hydrostatic loading. It is quantified how micron scale voids grow less rapidly than larger voids, and the implications of this in the overall strength...... of the material is emphasized. The size effect on the onset of coalescence is studied, and results for the void volume fraction and the strain at the onset of coalescence are presented. It is concluded that for cracked specimens not only the void volume fraction, but also the typical void size is of importance...... to the fracture strength of ductile materials....

Coalescence of liquid drops: Different models versus experiment

KAUST Repository

Sprittles, J. E.; Shikhmurzaev, Y. D.

2012-01-01

help to further elucidate the details of the coalescence phenomenon. As a by-product of our research, the range of validity of different "scaling laws" advanced as approximate solutions to the problem formulated using the conventional model

Role of microtexture in the interaction and coalescence of hydrogen-induced cracks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Venegas, V. [Departamento de Ingenieria Metalurgica, IPN-ESIQIE, UPALM Edif. 7, Zacatenco, Mexico D.F. 07738 (Mexico); Caleyo, F. [Departamento de Ingenieria Metalurgica, IPN-ESIQIE, UPALM Edif. 7, Zacatenco, Mexico D.F. 07738 (Mexico)], E-mail: fcaleyo@gmail.com; Baudin, T. [Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie de l' Etat Solide, ICMMO, UMR CNRS 8182, Batiment 410, Universite de Paris Sud, 91405, Orsay, Cedex (France); Hallen, J.M. [Departamento de Ingenieria Metalurgica, IPN-ESIQIE, UPALM Edif. 7, Zacatenco, Mexico D.F. 07738 (Mexico); Penelle, R. [Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie de l' Etat Solide, ICMMO, UMR CNRS 8182, Batiment 410, Universite de Paris Sud, 91405, Orsay, Cedex (France)

2009-05-15

The role of microtexture in hydrogen-induced crack interaction and coalescence is investigated in line pipe steels using electron backscatter diffraction. Experimental evidence shows that, depending on the local grain orientation, crack interaction and coalescence can depart from the conditions predicted by the mixed-mode fracture mechanics of isotropic linear elastic materials. Stress simulation and microtexture analysis are used to explain the experimental observations.

Role of microtexture in the interaction and coalescence of hydrogen-induced cracks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Venegas, V.; Caleyo, F.; Baudin, T.; Hallen, J.M.; Penelle, R.

2009-01-01

The role of microtexture in hydrogen-induced crack interaction and coalescence is investigated in line pipe steels using electron backscatter diffraction. Experimental evidence shows that, depending on the local grain orientation, crack interaction and coalescence can depart from the conditions predicted by the mixed-mode fracture mechanics of isotropic linear elastic materials. Stress simulation and microtexture analysis are used to explain the experimental observations.

On localization and void coalescence as a precursor to ductile fracture.

Science.gov (United States)

Tekoğlu, C; Hutchinson, J W; Pardoen, T

2015-03-28

Two modes of plastic flow localization commonly occur in the ductile fracture of structural metals undergoing damage and failure by the mechanism involving void nucleation, growth and coalescence. The first mode consists of a macroscopic localization, usually linked to the softening effect of void nucleation and growth, in either a normal band or a shear band where the thickness of the band is comparable to void spacing. The second mode is coalescence with plastic strain localizing to the ligaments between voids by an internal necking process. The ductility of a material is tied to the strain at macroscopic localization, as this marks the limit of uniform straining at the macroscopic scale. The question addressed is whether macroscopic localization occurs prior to void coalescence or whether the two occur simultaneously. The relation between these two modes of localization is studied quantitatively in this paper using a three-dimensional elastic-plastic computational model representing a doubly periodic array of voids within a band confined between two semi-infinite outer blocks of the same material but without voids. At sufficiently high stress triaxiality, a clear separation exists between the two modes of localization. At lower stress triaxialities, the model predicts that the onset of macroscopic localization and coalescence occur simultaneously. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

A PIV Study of Drop-interface Coalescence with Surfactants

Science.gov (United States)

Weheliye, Weheliye Hashi; Dong, Teng; Angeli, Panagiota

2017-11-01

In this work, the coalescence of a drop with an aqueous-organic interface was studied by Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). The effect of surfactants on the drop surface evolution, the vorticity field and the kinetic energy distribution in the drop during coalescence were investigated. The coalescence took place in an acrylic rectangular box with 79% glycerol solution at the bottom and Exxsol D80 oil above. The glycerol solution drop was generated through a nozzle fixed at 2cm above the aqueous/oil interface and was seeded with Rhodamine particles. The whole process was captured by a high-speed camera. Different mass ratios of non-ionic surfactant Span80 to oil were studied. The increase of surfactant concentration promoted deformation of the interface before the rupture of the trapped oil film. At the early stages after film rupture, two counter-rotating vortices appeared at the bottom of the drop which then travelled to the upper part. The propagation rates, as well as the intensities of the vortices decreased at high surfactant concentrations. At early stages, the kinetic energy was mainly distributed near the bottom part of the droplet, while at later stages it was distributed near the upper part of the droplet. Programme Grant MEMPHIS, Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC).

Stochastic coalescence in Lagrangian cloud microphysics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Dziekan

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Stochasticity of the collisional growth of cloud droplets is studied using the super-droplet method (SDM of Shima et al.(2009. Statistics are calculated from ensembles of simulations of collision–coalescence in a single well-mixed cell. The SDM is compared with direct numerical simulations and the master equation. It is argued that SDM simulations in which one computational droplet represents one real droplet are at the same level of precision as the master equation. Such simulations are used to study fluctuations in the autoconversion time, the sol–gel transition and the growth rate of lucky droplets, which is compared with a theoretical prediction. The size of the coalescence cell is found to strongly affect system behavior. In small cells, correlations in droplet sizes and droplet depletion slow down rain formation. In large cells, collisions between raindrops are more frequent and this can also slow down rain formation. The increase in the rate of collision between raindrops may be an artifact caused by assuming an overly large well-mixed volume. The highest ratio of rain water to cloud water is found in cells of intermediate sizes. Next, we use these precise simulations to determine the validity of more approximate methods: the Smoluchowski equation and the SDM with multiplicities greater than 1. In the latter, we determine how many computational droplets are necessary to correctly model the expected number and the standard deviation of the autoconversion time. The maximal size of a volume that is turbulently well mixed with respect to coalescence is estimated at Vmix  =  1.5  ×  10−2 cm3. The Smoluchowski equation is not valid in such small volumes. It is argued that larger volumes can be considered approximately well mixed, but such approximation needs to be supported by a comparison with fine-grid simulations that resolve droplet motion.

Shear-induced Bubble Coalescence in Rhyolitic Melts with Low Vesicularity

Science.gov (United States)

Okumura, S.; Nakamura, M.; Tsuchiyama, A.

2006-12-01

Development of bubble structure during magma ascent controls the dynamics of volcanic eruption, because the bubble structure influences the magma rheology and permeability, and hence magma degassing. In the flowing magmas, the bubble structure is expected to be changed by shear, as pointed out by some previous studies based on geological observations. However, the development of bubble structure has been experimentally studied only in the isostatic magmas. We have experimentally demonstrated for the first time, the shear-induced development of number density, size and shape of bubbles in a rhyolitic melt. The deformation experiments were performed by using an externally heated, piston-cylinder type apparatus with a rotational piston. At 975°C, natural obsidian (initial water content of 0.5 wt%) having cylindrical shape (ca. 4.7 mm in diameter and 5 mm in length) was vesiculated in the graphite container (ca. 5 and 9 mm in the inner and the outer diameters, respectively, and 5 mm in length), and the vesiculated samples were twisted at various rotational speeds up to 1 rpm. The number density, size and shape of bubbles in the quenched samples were then measured by using the X-ray computed tomography. The size distribution of bubbles shows that the number of larger bubbles increases with the rotational speed and at the outer zone of the samples at which the shear rate is high. In the high shear rate zone, the magnitude of bubble deformation is large. The 3D images of large bubbles clearly indicate that they were formed by coalescence. These results indicate that the degree of bubble coalescence is enhanced with the shear rate. The experimental results also demonstrated that the coalescence of bubbles occur even at low vesicularity (ca. 20 vol.%). Because the shear rate induced in this study (in the order of 0.01 1/s) seems to be produced for magmas ascending in a volcanic conduit, we propose the possibility that the vesiculated magmas undergo bubble coalescence at a

A lattice Boltzmann simulation of coalescence-induced droplet jumping on superhydrophobic surfaces with randomly distributed structures

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Li-Zhi; Yuan, Wu-Zhi

2018-04-01

The motion of coalescence-induced condensate droplets on superhydrophobic surface (SHS) has attracted increasing attention in energy-related applications. Previous researches were focused on regularly rough surfaces. Here a new approach, a mesoscale lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), is proposed and used to model the dynamic behavior of coalescence-induced droplet jumping on SHS with randomly distributed rough structures. A Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT) method is used to generate non-Gaussian randomly distributed rough surfaces with the skewness (Sk), kurtosis (K) and root mean square (Rq) obtained from real surfaces. Three typical spreading states of coalesced droplets are observed through LBM modeling on various rough surfaces, which are found to significantly influence the jumping ability of coalesced droplet. The coalesced droplets spreading in Cassie state or in composite state will jump off the rough surfaces, while the ones spreading in Wenzel state would eventually remain on the rough surfaces. It is demonstrated that the rough surfaces with smaller Sks, larger Rqs and a K at 3.0 are beneficial to coalescence-induced droplet jumping. The new approach gives more detailed insights into the design of SHS.

Knitmesh And Duplex-Nylon Type Coalescence Aids Use In Phase Disengagement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamit Topuz

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This study shows how dispersions consisted of droplet sizes ranging from 100 microns and above of immiscible liquids in agitated vessels coalesced and settled back to their phases by employing commercially known as knit-mesh made from stainless steel and nylon. These components known as higher surface energy and lower surface energy contained coalesce aids respectively. In addition to compare coalesce aid made purely from commercially known as duplex-nylon also used. The experimental set up was 13 scale of a single stage mixer-settler unit of the already existing unit which was in use at BNFL Springfield Works. The liquid liquid system made from 20 tri-butyl-phosphate TBP technical grade of odorless kerosene forming the light organic phase or solvent phase and 5 M nitric acid forming the heavy aqueous phase. The solvent phase contained 70 gram of uranium per liter. Uranium contained phase was supplied by above mentioned company.

Evaluation of the pole figure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cabrera B, E.; Macias B, L.R.

1984-01-01

In the present work it's shown the possibility of obtaining a pole-figure from the data generated in a conventional X-ray equipment, with a commercial goniometer and no electronic device to process the data. The way to plot the pole-figure on-line is by means of measuring the diffractogram and plot manually the stereographic projections. The atainable precision is very low in such a cumbersome process. In this paper we substitute such method by storing the data in a punched tape from a conventional teletype. The data is processed in a computer and the pole-figure is recorded by a plotter attached to the computer. (author)

Acute effect of carbamazepine on corticothalamic 5-9-Hz and thalamocortical spindle (10-16-Hz) oscillations in the rat.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Thomas W; O'Brien, Terence J; Kulikova, Sofya P; Reid, Christopher A; Morris, Margaret J; Pinault, Didier

2014-03-01

A major side effect of carbamazepine (CBZ), a drug used to treat neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, is drowsiness, a state characterized by increased slow-wave oscillations with the emergence of sleep spindles in the electroencephalogram (EEG). We conducted cortical EEG and thalamic cellular recordings in freely moving or lightly anesthetized rats to explore the impact of CBZ within the intact corticothalamic (CT)-thalamocortical (TC) network, more specifically on CT 5-9-Hz and TC spindle (10-16-Hz) oscillations. Two to three successive 5-9-Hz waves were followed by a spindle in the cortical EEG. A single systemic injection of CBZ (20 mg/kg) induced a significant increase in the power of EEG 5-9-Hz oscillations and spindles. Intracellular recordings of glutamatergic TC neurons revealed 5-9-Hz depolarizing wave-hyperpolarizing wave sequences prolonged by robust, rhythmic spindle-frequency hyperpolarizing waves. This hybrid sequence occurred during a slow hyperpolarizing trough, and was at least 10 times more frequent under the CBZ condition than under the control condition. The hyperpolarizing waves reversed at approximately -70 mV, and became depolarizing when recorded with KCl-filled intracellular micropipettes, indicating that they were GABAA receptor-mediated potentials. In neurons of the GABAergic thalamic reticular nucleus, the principal source of TC GABAergic inputs, CBZ augmented both the number and the duration of sequences of rhythmic spindle-frequency bursts of action potentials. This indicates that these GABAergic neurons are responsible for the generation of at least the spindle-frequency hyperpolarizing waves in TC neurons. In conclusion, CBZ potentiates GABAA receptor-mediated TC spindle oscillations. Furthermore, we propose that CT 5-9-Hz waves can trigger TC spindles. © 2013 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A variational void coalescence model for ductile metals

KAUST Repository

Siddiq, Amir; Arciniega, Roman; El Sayed, Tamer

2011-01-01

We present a variational void coalescence model that includes all the essential ingredients of failure in ductile porous metals. The model is an extension of the variational void growth model by Weinberg et al. (Comput Mech 37:142-152, 2006

Dynamic maintenance of asymmetric meiotic spindle position through Arp2/3 complex-driven cytoplasmic streaming in mouse oocytes

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Kexi; Unruh, Jay R.; Deng, Manqi; Slaughter, Brian D.; Rubinstein, Boris; Li, Rong

2012-01-01

Mature mammalian oocytes are poised for the completion of second polar body extrusion upon fertilization by positioning the metaphase spindle in close proximity to an actomyosin-rich cortical cap. Loss of this spindle position asymmetry is often associated with poor oocyte quality and infertility 1–3. Here, we report a novel role for the Arp2/3 actin nucleation complex in the maintenance of asymmetric spindle position in mature mouse oocytes. The Arp2/3 complex localizes to the cortical cap in a Ran GTPase-dependent manner and accounts for the nucleation of the majority of actin filaments in both the cortical cap and a cytoplasmic actin network. Inhibition of Arp2/3 complex activity or localization leads to rapid dissociation of the spindle from the cortex. High resolution live imaging and spatiotemporal image correlation spectroscopy (STICS) analysis reveal that in normal oocytes actin filaments flow continuously away from the Arp2/3-rich cortex, generating a cytoplamic streaming that results in a net pushing force on the spindle toward the actomyosin cap. Arp2/3 inhibition not only diminishes this actin flow and cytoplamic streaming but also enables a reverse streaming driven by myosin-II-based cortical contraction, leading to spindle movement away from the cortex. We conclude that the Arp2/3 complex maintains asymmetric meiotic spindle position by generating an actin polymerization-driven cytoplamic streaming and by suppressing a counteracting force from myosin-II-based contractility. PMID:21874009

A Modeling approach for analysis and improvement of spindle-holder-tool assembly dynamics

OpenAIRE

Budak, Erhan; Ertürk, A.; Erturk, A.; Özgüven, H. N.; Ozguven, H. N.

2006-01-01

The most important information required for chatter stability analysis is the dynamics of the involved structures, i.e. the frequency response functions (FRFs) which are usually determined experimentally. In this study, the tool point FRF of a spindle-holder-tool assembly is analytically determined by using the receptance coupling and structural modification techniques. Timoshenko’s beam model is used for increased accuracy. The spindle is also modeled analytically with elastic supports repre...

Pole shifting with constrained output feedback

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamel, D.; Mensah, S.; Boisvert, J.

1984-03-01

The concept of pole placement plays an important role in linear, multi-variable, control theory. It has received much attention since its introduction, and several pole shifting algorithms are now available. This work presents a new method which allows practical and engineering constraints such as gain limitation and controller structure to be introduced right into the pole shifting design strategy. This is achieved by formulating the pole placement problem as a constrained optimization problem. Explicit constraints (controller structure and gain limits) are defined to identify an admissible region for the feedback gain matrix. The desired pole configuration is translated into an appropriate cost function which must be closed-loop minimized. The resulting constrained optimization problem can thus be solved with optimization algorithms. The method has been implemented as an algorithmic interactive module in a computer-aided control system design package, MVPACK. The application of the method is illustrated to design controllers for an aircraft and an evaporator. The results illustrate the importance of controller structure on overall performance of a control system

Method and apparatus for assembling a permanent magnet pole assembly

Science.gov (United States)

Carl, Jr., Ralph James; Bagepalli, Bharat Sampathkumaran [Niskayuna, NY; Jansen, Patrick Lee [Scotia, NY; Dawson, Richard Nils [Voorheesville, NY; Qu, Ronghai [Clifton Park, NY; Avanesov, Mikhail Avramovich [Moscow, RU

2009-08-11

A pole assembly for a rotor, the pole assembly includes a permanent magnet pole including at least one permanent magnet block, a plurality of laminations including a pole cap mechanically coupled to the pole, and a plurality of laminations including a base plate mechanically coupled to the pole.

Spindle disturbances in human-hamster hybrid (AL) cells induced by mobile communication frequency range signals.

Science.gov (United States)

Schrader, Thorsten; Münter, Klaus; Kleine-Ostmann, Thomas; Schmid, Ernst

2008-12-01

The production of spindle disturbances in FC2 cells, a human-hamster hybrid (A(L)) cell line, by non-ionizing radiation was studied using an electromagnetic field with a field strength of 90 V/m at a frequency of 835 MHz. Due to the given experimental conditions slide flask cultures were exposed at room temperature in a microTEM (transversal electromagnetic field) cell, which allows optimal experimental conditions for small samples of biological material. Numerical calculations suggest that specific absorption rates of up to 60 mW/kg are reached for maximum field exposure. All exposure field parameters--either measured or calculable--are precisely defined and, for the first time, traceable to the standards of the SI system of physical units. Compared with co-incident negative controls, the results of two independently performed experiments suggest that exposure periods of time from 0.5 to 2 h with an electric field strength of 90 V/m are spindle acting agents as predominately indicated by the appearance of spindle disturbances at the ana- and telophase stages (especially lagging and non-disjunction of single chromosomes) of cell divisions. The spindle disturbances do not change the fraction of mitotic cells with increasing exposure time up to 2 h. Due to the applied experimental conditions an influence of temperature as a confounder parameter for spindle disturbances can be excluded.

Coalescence of rotating black holes on Eguchi-Hanson space

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuno, Ken; Ishihara, Hideki; Kimura, Masashi; Tomizawa, Shinya

2007-01-01

We obtain new charged rotating multi-black hole solutions on the Eguchi-Hanson space in the five-dimensional Einstein-Maxwell system with a Chern-Simons term and a positive cosmological constant. In the two-black holes case, these solutions describe the coalescence of two rotating black holes with the horizon topologies of S 3 into a single rotating black hole with the horizon topology of the lens space L(2;1)=S 3 /Z 2 . We discuss the differences in the horizon areas between our solutions and the two-centered Klemm-Sabra solutions which describe the coalescence of two rotating black holes with the horizon topologies of S 3 into a single rotating black hole with the horizon topology of S 3

Dislocation mediated alignment during metal nanoparticle coalescence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lange, A.P.; Samanta, A.; Majidi, H.; Mahajan, S.; Ging, J.; Olson, T.Y.; Benthem, K. van; Elhadj, S.

2016-01-01

Dislocation mediated alignment processes during gold nanoparticle coalescence were studied at low and high temperatures using molecular dynamics simulations and transmission electron microscopy. Particles underwent rigid body rotations immediately following attachment in both low temperature (500 K) simulated coalescence events and low temperature (∼315 K) transmission electron microscopy beam heating experiments. In many low temperature simulations, some degree of misorientation between particles remained after rigid body rotations, which was accommodated by grain boundary dislocation nodes. These dislocations were either sessile and remained at the interface for the duration of the simulation or dissociated and cross-slipped through the adjacent particles, leading to improved co-alignment. Minimal rigid body rotations were observed during or immediately following attachment in high temperature (1100 K) simulations, which is attributed to enhanced diffusion at the particles' interface. However, rotation was eventually induced by {111} slip on planes parallel to the neck groove. These deformation modes led to the formation of single and multi-fold twins whose structures depended on the initial orientation of the particles. The driving force for {111} slip is attributed to high surface stresses near the intersection of low energy {111} facets in the neck region. The details of this twinning process were examined in detail using simulated trajectories, and the results reveal possible mechanisms for the nucleation and propagation of Shockley partials on consecutive planes. Deformation twinning was also observed in-situ using transmission electron microscopy, which resulted in the co-alignment of a set of the particles' {111} planes across their grain boundary and an increase in their dihedral angle. This constitutes the first detailed experimental observation of deformation twinning during nanoparticle coalescence, validating simulation results presented here and

Finding the best resolution for the Kingman-Tajima coalescent: theory and applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Sainudiin, Raazesh; Stadler, Tanja; Véber, Amandine

2015-05-01

Many summary statistics currently used in population genetics and in phylogenetics depend only on a rather coarse resolution of the underlying tree (the number of extant lineages, for example). Hence, for computational purposes, working directly on these resolutions appears to be much more efficient. However, this approach seems to have been overlooked in the past. In this paper, we describe six different resolutions of the Kingman-Tajima coalescent together with the corresponding Markov chains, which are essential for inference methods. Two of the resolutions are the well-known n-coalescent and the lineage death process due to Kingman. Two other resolutions were mentioned by Kingman and Tajima, but never explicitly formalized. Another two resolutions are novel, and complete the picture of a multi-resolution coalescent. For all of them, we provide the forward and backward transition probabilities, the probability of visiting a given state as well as the probability of a given realization of the full Markov chain. We also provide a description of the state-space that highlights the computational gain obtained by working with lower-resolution objects. Finally, we give several examples of summary statistics that depend on a coarser resolution of Kingman's coalescent, on which simulations are usually based.

SPINDLE: A 2-Stage Nuclear-Powered Cryobot for Ocean World Exploration

Science.gov (United States)

Stone, W.; Hogan, B.; Siegel, V. L.; Howe, T.; Howe, S.; Harman, J.; Richmond, K.; Flesher, C.; Clark, E.; Lelievre, S.; Moor, J.; Rothhammer, B.

2016-12-01

SPINDLE (Sub-glacial Polar Ice Navigation, Descent, and Lake Exploration) is a 2-stage autonomous vehicle system consisting of a robotic ice-penetrating carrier vehicle (cryobot) and a marsupial, hovering autonomous underwater vehicle (HAUV). The cryobot will descend through an ice body into a sub-ice aqueous environment and deploy the HAUV to conduct long range reconnaissance, life search, and sample collection. The HAUV will return to, and auto-dock with, the cryobot at the conclusion of the mission for subsequent data uplink and sample return to the surface. The SPINDLE cryobot has been currently designed for a 1.5 kilometer penetration through a terrestrial ice sheet and the HAUV has been designed for persistent exploration and science presence in for deployments up to a kilometer radius from the cryobot. Importantly, the cryobot is bi-directional and vertically controllable both in an ice sheet as well as following breakthrough into a subglacial water cavity / ocean. The vehicle has been designed for long-duration persistent science in subglacial cavities and to allow for subsequent return-to-surface at a much later date or subsequent season. Engineering designs for the current SPINDLE cryobot will be presented in addition to current designs for autonomous rendezvous, docking, and storing of the HAUV system into the cryobot for subsequent recovery of the entire system to the surface. Taken to completion in a three-phase program, SPINDLE will deliver an integrated and field-tested system that will be directly transferable into a Flagship-class mission to either the hypothesized shallow lakes of Europa, the sub-surface ocean of Ganymede, or the geyser/plume sources on both Europa and Enceladus. We present the results of several parallel laboratory investigations into advanced power transmission systems (laser, high voltage) as well as onboard systems that enable the SPINDLE vehicle to access any subglacial lake on earth while using non-nuclear surrogate, surface

Casein kinase II is required for the spindle assembly checkpoint by regulating Mad2p in fission yeast

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shimada, Midori [Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya City University, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601 (Japan); Yamamoto, Ayumu [Department of Chemistry, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga-ku, Sizuoka 422-8529 (Japan); Murakami-Tonami, Yuko; Nakanishi, Makoto; Yoshida, Takashi [Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya City University, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601 (Japan); Aiba, Hirofumi [Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, School of Agriculture, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601 (Japan); Murakami, Hiroshi, E-mail: hmura@med.nagoya-cu.ac.jp [Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya City University, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601 (Japan)

2009-10-23

The spindle checkpoint is a surveillance mechanism that ensures the fidelity of chromosome segregation in mitosis. Here we show that fission yeast casein kinase II (CK2) is required for this checkpoint function. In the CK2 mutants mitosis occurs in the presence of a spindle defect, and the spindle checkpoint protein Mad2p fails to localize to unattached kinetochores. The CK2 mutants are sensitive to the microtubule depolymerising drug thiabendazole, which is counteracted by ectopic expression of mad2{sup +}. The level of Mad2p is low in the CK2 mutants. These results suggest that CK2 has a role in the spindle checkpoint by regulating Mad2p.

Casein kinase II is required for the spindle assembly checkpoint by regulating Mad2p in fission yeast

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimada, Midori; Yamamoto, Ayumu; Murakami-Tonami, Yuko; Nakanishi, Makoto; Yoshida, Takashi; Aiba, Hirofumi; Murakami, Hiroshi

2009-01-01

The spindle checkpoint is a surveillance mechanism that ensures the fidelity of chromosome segregation in mitosis. Here we show that fission yeast casein kinase II (CK2) is required for this checkpoint function. In the CK2 mutants mitosis occurs in the presence of a spindle defect, and the spindle checkpoint protein Mad2p fails to localize to unattached kinetochores. The CK2 mutants are sensitive to the microtubule depolymerising drug thiabendazole, which is counteracted by ectopic expression of mad2 + . The level of Mad2p is low in the CK2 mutants. These results suggest that CK2 has a role in the spindle checkpoint by regulating Mad2p.

Coalescing colony model: Mean-field, scaling, and geometry

Science.gov (United States)

Carra, Giulia; Mallick, Kirone; Barthelemy, Marc

2017-12-01

We analyze the coalescing model where a `primary' colony grows and randomly emits secondary colonies that spread and eventually coalesce with it. This model describes population proliferation in theoretical ecology, tumor growth, and is also of great interest for modeling urban sprawl. Assuming the primary colony to be always circular of radius r (t ) and the emission rate proportional to r (t) θ , where θ >0 , we derive the mean-field equations governing the dynamics of the primary colony, calculate the scaling exponents versus θ , and compare our results with numerical simulations. We then critically test the validity of the circular approximation for the colony shape and show that it is sound for a constant emission rate (θ =0 ). However, when the emission rate is proportional to the perimeter, the circular approximation breaks down and the roughness of the primary colony cannot be discarded, thus modifying the scaling exponents.

Modelling binary black-hole coalescence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baker, John

2003-01-01

The final burst of radiation from the coalescence of two supermassive black holes produces extraordinary gravitational wave luminosity making these events visible to LISA even out to large redshift. Interpreting such observations will require detailed theoretical models, based on general relativity. The effort to construct these models is just beginning to produce results. I describe the Lazarus approach to modelling these radiation bursts, and present recent results which indicate that the system loses, in the last few wave cycles, about 3% of its mass-energy as strongly polarized gravitational radiation

Simulations of plasma heating caused by the coalescence of multiple current loops in a proton-boron fusion plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haruki, T.; Yousefi, H. R.; Sakai, J.-I.

2010-01-01

Two dimensional particle-in-cell simulations of a dense plasma focus were performed to investigate a plasma heating process caused by the coalescence of multiple current loops in a proton-boron-electron plasma. Recently, it was reported that the electric field produced during the coalescence of two current loops in a proton-boron-electron plasma heats up all plasma species; proton-boron nuclear fusion may therefore be achievable using a dense plasma focus device. Based on this work, the coalescence process for four and eight current loops was investigated. It was found that the return current plays an important role in both the current pinch and the plasma heating. The coalescence of four current loops led to the breakup of the return current from the pinched plasma, resulting in plasma heating. For the coalescence of eight current loops, the plasma was confined by the pinch but the plasma heating was smaller than the two and four loop cases. Therefore the heating associated with current loop coalescence depends on the number of initial current loops. These results are useful for understanding the coalescence of multiple current loops in a proton-boron-electron plasma.

Direct observation of shear–induced nanocrystal attachment and coalescence in CuZr-based metallic glasses: TEM investigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hajlaoui, K.; Alrasheedi, Nashmi H.; Yavari, A.R.

2016-01-01

In-situ tensile straining tests were performed in a transmission electron microscope (TEM) to analyse the deformation processes in CuZr-based metallic glasses and to directly observe the phase transformation occurrence. We report evidence of shear induced coalescence of nanocrystals in the vicinity of deformed regions. Nanocrystals grow in shear bands, come into contact, being attached and progressively coalesce under applied shear stress. - Highlights: • In-situ tensile straining test in TEM was investigated on CuZr-Based metallic glass. • Strain induces nanocrystallization and subsequent attachment and coalescence of nanocrystals. • The coalescence of nanocrystals compensates strain softening in metallic glasses.

Utility poles not affected by CCA decision

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Venzio, H. [Arch Wood Protection Canada, Mississauga, ON (Canada)

2002-08-01

A voluntary decision by industry to move non-industrial use of treated lumber products away from pressure-treated wood containing chromated copper arsenate (CCA) preservative was announced by the Environmental Protection Agency on February 12, 2002. Although new alternative wood preservatives would be used, this decision does not affect utility poles, which will continue to be sold and installed. The author provides a brief historical outline concerning the creation of CCA in 1933 and its subsequent uses. CCA has many advantages, including clean surface of the poles, ground line treatment that is not required thus eliminating the requirement to rotate the poles during extended storage periods. Conductivity is low, as is corrosivity without affecting the bending characteristics of the wood. The injection of a refined hydrocarbon oil emulsion in the outer layer of the pole after the treatment with CCA is offered by some pole producers to facilitate gaff penetration. Sawing, drilling and nailing are also made easier. Water repellents can be added to the treating solution to improve climbability, slowing down the absorption and release of moisture. Warranties, extending for 50-year periods, are offered by some companies against wood-destroying organisms. The North American Wood Pole Coalition (NAWPC) was formed in 1998 to promote the use of wood poles, and publishes brochures and technical bulletins to that effect.

Study on Pole Arrangement of the CEDM Coils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jin Seok; Lee, Myoung Goo; Kim, Hyun Min; Cho, Yeon Ho; Choi, Taek Sang

2013-01-01

The coil stack assembly is important for reliable operation of the CEDM, there have been efforts to improve the design by optimizing the design parameters such as dimensions and winding turns. However, magnetic forces of the CEDM can also change by different pole arrangement even if their design parameters are the same. Since the latch coil and lift coil are installed connected to each other, they produce magnetically coupled field when they are energized at the same time. This coupling field can affect the magnetic force of the CEDM significantly. In this paper, coil pole arrangement effects are studied. Electro-magnetic analysis is performed for the different pole arrangements of the CEDM coils to calculate the magnetic forces. Pole arrangement effects on magnetic forces were studied by static analysis of the CEDM magnetic field. Magnetic forces were calculated and compared for the two different pole arrangements of the coils. The results show that the magnetic poles of the lift coil and latch coil shall be arranged to have the same magnetic pole direction to achieve higher magnetic force

Phosphatase-regulated recruitment of the spindle- and kinetochore-associated (Ska complex to kinetochores

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sushama Sivakumar

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Kinetochores move chromosomes on dynamic spindle microtubules and regulate signaling of the spindle checkpoint. The spindle- and kinetochore-associated (Ska complex, a hexamer composed of two copies of Ska1, Ska2 and Ska3, has been implicated in both roles. Phosphorylation of kinetochore components by the well-studied mitotic kinases Cdk1, Aurora B, Plk1, Mps1, and Bub1 regulate chromosome movement and checkpoint signaling. Roles for the opposing phosphatases are more poorly defined. Recently, we showed that the C terminus of Ska1 recruits protein phosphatase 1 (PP1 to kinetochores. Here we show that PP1 and protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A both promote accumulation of Ska at kinetochores. Depletion of PP1 or PP2A by siRNA reduces Ska binding at kinetochores, impairs alignment of chromosomes to the spindle midplane, and causes metaphase delay or arrest, phenotypes that are also seen after depletion of Ska. Artificial tethering of PP1 to the outer kinetochore protein Nuf2 promotes Ska recruitment to kinetochores, and it reduces but does not fully rescue chromosome alignment and metaphase arrest defects seen after Ska depletion. We propose that Ska has multiple functions in promoting mitotic progression and that kinetochore-associated phosphatases function in a positive feedback cycle to reinforce Ska complex accumulation at kinetochores.

Sequence Classification: 892076 [

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available it network regulator, forms GTPase-activating Bfa1p-Bub2p complex that binds Tem1p and spindle pole bodies, ...blocks cell cycle progression before anaphase in response to spindle and kinetochore damage; Bub2p || http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/protein/6323700 ...

Second harmonic electromagnetic emission via Langmuir wave coalescence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Willes, A.J.; Robinson, P.A.; Melrose, D.B.

1996-01-01

The coalescence of Langmuir waves to produce electromagnetic waves at twice the plasma frequency is considered. A simplified expression for the rate of production of second harmonic electromagnetic waves is obtained for a broad class of Langmuir spectra. In addition, two different analytic approximations are considered. The validity of the commonly used head-on approximation is explored, in which the two coalescing Langmuir waves are assumed to approach from opposite directions. This approximation breaks down at low Langmuir wavenumbers, and for narrow Langmuir wave spectra. A second, more general, approximation is introduced, called the narrow-spectrum approximation, which requires narrow spectral widths of the Langmuir spectra. The advantages of this approximation are that it does not break down at low Langmuir wavenumbers, and that it remains valid for relatively broad Langmuir wave spectra. Finally, the applicability of these approximations in treating harmonic radiation in type III solar radio bursts is discussed. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics

Rotor pole refurbishment for hydrogenerators: insulation problems and solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reynolds, R.R.; Rux, L.

2005-01-01

Rotor poles for Unit 1 at Lower Granite Powerhouse were removed from the rotor and shipped to a repair facility for refurbishment. Upon inspection, it was found that all of the pole bodies exhibited a distinct bow, center to end, on the pole mounting surface. In some cases, the deflection was as much as 0.106 inch. Concerns were raised about how this condition might affect the ability to properly insulate and/or re-seat the poles. This paper presents details of the rotor pole and field winding evaluation, the problems encountered, and the solutions implemented to successfully refurbish the rotor poles and field winding. (author)

Characteristic dynamics near two coalescing eigenvalues incorporating continuum threshold effects

Science.gov (United States)

Garmon, Savannah; Ordonez, Gonzalo

2017-06-01

It has been reported in the literature that the survival probability P(t) near an exceptional point where two eigenstates coalesce should generally exhibit an evolution P (t ) ˜t2e-Γ t, in which Γ is the decay rate of the coalesced eigenstate; this has been verified in a microwave billiard experiment [B. Dietz et al., Phys. Rev. E 75, 027201 (2007)]. However, the heuristic effective Hamiltonian that is usually employed to obtain this result ignores the possible influence of the continuum threshold on the dynamics. By contrast, in this work we employ an analytical approach starting from the microscopic Hamiltonian representing two simple models in order to show that the continuum threshold has a strong influence on the dynamics near exceptional points in a variety of circumstances. To report our results, we divide the exceptional points in Hermitian open quantum systems into two cases: at an EP2A two virtual bound states coalesce before forming a resonance, anti-resonance pair with complex conjugate eigenvalues, while at an EP2B two resonances coalesce before forming two different resonances. For the EP2B, which is the case studied in the microwave billiard experiment, we verify that the survival probability exhibits the previously reported modified exponential decay on intermediate time scales, but this is replaced with an inverse power law on very long time scales. Meanwhile, for the EP2A the influence from the continuum threshold is so strong that the evolution is non-exponential on all time scales and the heuristic approach fails completely. When the EP2A appears very near the threshold, we obtain the novel evolution P (t ) ˜1 -C1√{t } on intermediate time scales, while further away the parabolic decay (Zeno dynamics) on short time scales is enhanced.

The Thermohydrodynamic Analysis of Sliding Bearing High-Speed Motorized Spindle by Rotor Dynamic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Songsheng

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This is paper presents thermohydrodynamic characteristics of high speed motorized spindle sliding bearing rotor system. The dynamic characteristic of the oil film bearing is affected by temperature increment, thereby affecting the high-speed spindle rotor system dynamics. This study applied the hydrodynamic lubrication theory, the influence of temperature on the viscosity of lubricating oil, associated with the bearing stiffness, oil film damping and other performance parameters, is considered in generalized Reynolds equation of oil film bearing. The theoretical model of the sliding bearing rotor system is established by using the transfer matrix method to analyze the dynamic characteristic and verified by experiments. The results show the high temperature environment in the motorized spindle and the friction of the bearing lead to oil temperature rise and viscosity reduction, which influences the bearing capacity, stiffness and damping, hence impact on the critical speeds and modal shapes of the sliding bearing rotor system.

Pole Dancing Auto-ethnography – Practice, Pedagogy, Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amy Patricia Cadwallader

2017-02-01

Full Text Available In this research paper, the author addresses the following four questions: 1 What are the implications of bringing pole dancing into concert dance, not as a caricature or theatrical version of what is performed in strip clubs, but as its own, free-standing art form? 2 In what ways will years of ballet and modern dance training influence the type of dancing that emerges from dancers when poles and other apparatuses are introduced? 3 How can the author create an original pole dancing style and pedagogical methods for teaching it? 4 Who participates in pole fitness classes and how does the demographic change based on location? What about when pole fitness classes are offered in an academic setting? The author shares first-hand experiences of investigating pole dancing in fitness classes, attending performances, engaging in a rehearsal process with highly trained dancers, and teaching pole dancing to movers with a wide range of abilities. The author addresses how research plans changed as she encountered limitations of budget and time constraints. The author also elaborates on the creative process that she engaged in with her thesis cast, collaborators, and supporting designers in the making of Super-beneath, a theatrical dance work that uses five, free-standing poles. She outline the vignettes, overall structure, and narrative of the work. The author then discusses where this research fits into the larger field of pole dancing, and the even larger field of dance. In the final sections of this paper, the author describes her pedagogical practices relating to pole classes, what “practice as research” means to her, and how she would like to continue on this research trajectory in the future.

Sleep spindle alterations in patients with Parkinson's disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Julie Anja Engelhard; Nikolic, Miki; Warby, Simon C.

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify changes of sleep spindles (SS) in the EEG of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Five sleep experts manually identified SS at a central scalp location (C3-A2) in 15 PD and 15 age- and sex-matched control subjects. Each SS was given a confidence score...

Combined classical spindle cell/pleomorphic lipoma spectrum imaging and clinical data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Younan, Yara; Gonzalez, Felix; Umpierrez, Monica; Singer, Adam D. [Emory University Hospital, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences Section of Musculoskeletal Imaging, Atlanta, GA (United States); Martinez, Anthony; Edgar, Mark [Emory University Hospital, Department of Pathology, Atlanta, GA (United States); Reimer, Nickolas [Emory University Hospital, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Atlanta, GA (United States); Subhawong, Ty [University of Miami, Department of Radiology, Miami, FL (United States)

2018-01-15

Compile the largest study to date on the imaging and clinical features of the classic spindle cell/pleomorphic lipoma spectrum and suggest this diagnosis be included in the differential for benign and malignant macroscopic fat-containing soft tissue masses regardless of the mass location or patient demographics. An institutional search was performed to identify all available classic-type spindle cell/pleomorphic lipomas with available demographic and imaging data. Images and reports were analyzed by one MSK-trained radiologist and radiographic, anatomic and clinical data were recorded. Additionally, a literature search was performed to identify studies describing the spindle cell lipoma spectrum imaging features and were combined with institutional data. Forty-two institutional cases were identified, 37 of which had MRIs performed among which 21 had images available (T1- and T2-weighted pulse sequences) for review while the remainder had outside reports detailing the mass imaging features. There was a mean age of 57 with 79% of cases occurring in males. Contrary to prior reports, 57% of masses were subcutaneous, and the neck and back region accounted for 26% of cases. When the institutional cases were combined with available data in the literature, there was a new sample size of 91 masses, 74 of which had MRI and/or CT data. Eighty-seven percent of masses were heterogeneous, 51% were composed of less than 75% fat, 65% were in the back, neck or shoulder region, 27% of masses were deep and 91% demonstrated enhancement. Eighty-two percent of patients were males with a mean age of 58 at excision. Imaging features, patient demographics and tumor location alone are not enough to differentiate tumors of the spindle cell lipoma spectrum from other macroscopic fat-containing benign and malignant tumors, and these entities should be included in the same imaging differential diagnosis. (orig.)

Lateralised sleep spindles relate to false memory generation.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, John J; Monaghan, Padraic

2017-12-01

Sleep is known to enhance false memories: After presenting participants with lists of semantically related words, sleeping before recalling these words results in a greater acceptance of unseen "lure" words related in theme to previously seen words. Furthermore, the right hemisphere (RH) seems to be more prone to false memories than the left hemisphere (LH). In the current study, we investigated the sleep architecture associated with these false memory and lateralisation effects in a nap study. Participants viewed lists of related words, then stayed awake or slept for approximately 90min, and were then tested for recognition of previously seen-old, unseen-new, or unseen-lure words presented either to the LH or RH. Sleep increased acceptance of unseen-lure words as previously seen compared to the wake group, particularly for RH presentations of word lists. RH lateralised stage 2 sleep spindle density relative to the LH correlated with this increase in false memories, suggesting that RH sleep spindles enhanced false memories in the RH. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cenp-meta is required for sustained spindle checkpoint

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Rubin

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Cenp-E is a kinesin-like motor protein required for efficient end-on attachment of kinetochores to the spindle microtubules. Cenp-E immunodepletion in Xenopus mitotic extracts results in the loss of mitotic arrest and massive chromosome missegregation, whereas its depletion in mammalian cells leads to chromosome segregation defects despite the presence of a functional spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC. Cenp-meta has previously been reported to be the Drosophila homolog of vertebrate Cenp-E. In this study, we show that cenp-metaΔ mutant neuroblasts arrest in mitosis when treated with colchicine. cenp-metaΔ mutant cells display a mitotic delay. Yet, despite the persistence of the two checkpoint proteins Mad2 and BubR1 on unattached kinetochores, these cells eventually enter anaphase and give rise to highly aneuploid daughter cells. Indeed, we find that cenp-metaΔ mutant cells display a slow but continuous degradation of cyclin B, which eventually triggers the mitotic exit observed. Thus, our data provide evidence for a role of Cenp-meta in sustaining the SAC response.

In-situ hot corrosion testing of candidate materials for exhaust valve spindles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bihlet, Uffe; Hoeg, Harro A.; Dahl, Kristian Vinter

2011-01-01

The two stroke diesel engine has been continually optimized since its invention more than a century ago. One of the ways to increase fuel efficiency further is to increase the compression ratio, and thereby the temperature in the combustion chamber. Because of this, and the composition of the fuel...... used, exhaust valve spindles in marine diesel engines are subjected to high temperatures and stresses as well as molten salt induced corrosion. To investigate candidate materials for future designs which will involve the HIP process, a spindle with Ni superalloy material samples inserted in a HIPd Ni49...

An investigation of bubble coalescence and post-rupture oscillation in non-ionic surfactant solutions using high-speed cinematography.

Science.gov (United States)

Bournival, G; Ata, S; Karakashev, S I; Jameson, G J

2014-01-15

Most processes involving bubbling in a liquid require small bubbles to maximise mass/energy transfer. A common method to prevent bubbles from coalescing is by the addition of surfactants. In order to get an insight into the coalescence process, capillary bubbles were observed using a high speed cinematography. Experiments were performed in solutions of 1-pentanol, 4-methyl-2-pentanol, tri(propylene glycol) methyl ether, and poly(propylene glycol) for which information such as the coalescence time and the deformation of the resultant bubble upon coalescence was extracted. It is shown in this study that the coalescence time increases with surfactant concentration until the appearance of a plateau. The increase in coalescence time with surfactant concentration could not be attributed only to surface elasticity. The oscillation of the resultant bubble was characterised by the damping of the oscillation. The results suggested that a minimum elasticity is required to achieve an increased damping and considerable diffusion has a detrimental effect on the dynamic response of the bubble, thereby reducing the damping. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The occurrence of in-mouth coalescence of emulsion droplets in relation to perception of fat

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dresselhuis, D.M.; Hoog, de E.H.A.; Cohen Stuart, M.A.; Vingerhoeds, M.H.; Aken, van G.A.

2008-01-01

We studied the relation between sensitivity of emulsions for in-mouth coalescence and perception of fat-related attributes, such as creaminess as well as the relation with in vivo perceived and ex vivo measured friction. Emulsions with varying expected sensitivity towards in-mouth coalescence were

Nickel, copper and cobalt coalescence in copper cliff converter slag

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wolf A.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this investigation is to assess the effect of various additives on coalescence of nickel, copper and cobalt from slags generated during nickel extraction. The analyzed fluxes were silica and lime while examined reductants were pig iron, ferrosilicon and copper-silicon compound. Slag was settled at the different holding temperatures for various times in conditions that simulated the industrial environment. The newly formed matte and slag were characterized by their chemical composition and morphology. Silica flux generated higher partition coefficients for nickel and copper than the addition of lime. Additives used as reducing agents had higher valuable metal recovery rates and corresponding partition coefficients than fluxes. Microstructural studies showed that slag formed after adding reductants consisted of primarily fayalite, with some minute traces of magnetite as the secondary phase. Addition of 5 wt% of pig iron, ferrosilicon and copper-silicon alloys favored the formation of a metallized matte which increased Cu, Ni and Co recoveries. Addition of copper-silicon alloys with low silicon content was efficient in copper recovery but coalescence of the other metals was low. Slag treated with the ferrosilicon facilitated the highest cobalt recovery while copper-silicon alloys with silicon content above 10 wt% resulted in high coalescence of nickel and copper, 87 % and 72 % respectively.

Solar Open Flux Migration from Pole to Pole: Magnetic Field Reversal.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, G-H; Lin, C-H; Lee, L C

2017-08-25

Coronal holes are solar regions with low soft X-ray or low extreme ultraviolet intensities. The magnetic fields from coronal holes extend far away from the Sun, and thus they are identified as regions with open magnetic field lines. Coronal holes are concentrated in the polar regions during the sunspot minimum phase, and spread to lower latitude during the rising phase of solar activity. In this work, we identify coronal holes with outward and inward open magnetic fluxes being in the opposite poles during solar quiet period. We find that during the sunspot rising phase, the outward and inward open fluxes perform pole-to-pole trans-equatorial migrations in opposite directions. The migration of the open fluxes consists of three parts: open flux areas migrating across the equator, new open flux areas generated in the low latitude and migrating poleward, and new open flux areas locally generated in the polar region. All three components contribute to the reversal of magnetic polarity. The percentage of contribution from each component is different for different solar cycle. Our results also show that the sunspot number is positively correlated with the lower-latitude open magnetic flux area, but negatively correlated with the total open flux area.

Dynamics modeling and modal experimental study of high speed motorized spindle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Yunsong; Chen, Xiaoan; Zhang, Peng; Zhou, Jinming

2017-01-01

This paper presents a dynamical model of high speed motorized spindles in free state and work state. In the free state, the housing is modeled as a rotor with equivalent masses including bearing pedestals, motor stator and rear end cover. As a consequence, a double rotor dynamics can be modeled for high speed motorized spindles by a bearing element which connects the housing and bearing pedestals. In the work state, the housing is fixed and the system becomes a bearing-rotor dynamical model. An excitation-measurement test in the free state is designed to analyze the cross spectral density and auto spectral density of input and output signals. Then the frequency response function of system and coherence function of input and output signals which are used to analyze the inherent characteristics of the double- rotor model can be obtained. The other vibration test in the work state is designed to research the dynamical supporting characteristics of bearings and the effects from bearings on the inherent characteristics of the system. The good agreement between the experimental data and theoretical results indicates that the dynamical model in two states is capable of accurately predicting the dynamic behavior of high speed motorized spindles

Dynamics modeling and modal experimental study of high speed motorized spindle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Yunsong; Chen, Xiaoan; Zhang, Peng; Zhou, Jinming [Chongqing Univ., Chongqing (China)

2017-03-15

This paper presents a dynamical model of high speed motorized spindles in free state and work state. In the free state, the housing is modeled as a rotor with equivalent masses including bearing pedestals, motor stator and rear end cover. As a consequence, a double rotor dynamics can be modeled for high speed motorized spindles by a bearing element which connects the housing and bearing pedestals. In the work state, the housing is fixed and the system becomes a bearing-rotor dynamical model. An excitation-measurement test in the free state is designed to analyze the cross spectral density and auto spectral density of input and output signals. Then the frequency response function of system and coherence function of input and output signals which are used to analyze the inherent characteristics of the double- rotor model can be obtained. The other vibration test in the work state is designed to research the dynamical supporting characteristics of bearings and the effects from bearings on the inherent characteristics of the system. The good agreement between the experimental data and theoretical results indicates that the dynamical model in two states is capable of accurately predicting the dynamic behavior of high speed motorized spindles.

Cross-poling textures in a lead zirconate titanate piezoelectric material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wan, Shan; Bowman, Keith J.

2000-01-01

Tetragonal ferroelectric materials are polarized to induce the anisotropy necessary for the piezoelectric effect. This poling of the material is inherently an orientation process. Pole figure texture measurements of poling and cross-poling in a lead zirconate titanate Navy VI material show domain motion. The resulting axisymmetric and three-dimensional textures demonstrate the contribution of 90 degree sign domain motion to piezoelectricity. Cross-poling results in strong orientations with lower applied fields than in the initial poling steps. (c) 2000 Materials Research Society

The Drosophila Microtubule-Associated Protein Mars Stabilizes Mitotic Spindles by Crosslinking Microtubules through Its N-Terminal Region

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Gang; Beati, Hamze; Nilsson, Jakob

2013-01-01

Correct segregation of genetic material relies on proper assembly and maintenance of the mitotic spindle. How the highly dynamic microtubules (MTs) are maintained in stable mitotic spindles is a key question to be answered. Motor and non-motor microtubule associated proteins (MAPs) have been...

Arrested of coalescence of emulsion droplets of arbitrary size

Science.gov (United States)

Mbanga, Badel L.; Burke, Christopher; Blair, Donald W.; Atherton, Timothy J.

2013-03-01

With applications ranging from food products to cosmetics via targeted drug delivery systems, structured anisotropic colloids provide an efficient way to control the structure, properties and functions of emulsions. When two fluid emulsion droplets are brought in contact, a reduction of the interfacial tension drives their coalescence into a larger droplet of the same total volume and reduced exposed area. This coalescence can be partially or totally hindered by the presence of nano or micron-size particles that coat the interface as in Pickering emulsions. We investigate numerically the dependance of the mechanical stability of these arrested shapes on the particles size, their shape anisotropy, their polydispersity, their interaction with the solvent, and the particle-particle interactions. We discuss structural shape changes that can be induced by tuning the particles interactions after arrest occurs, and provide design parameters for the relevant experiments.

Reuse of poles treated with CCA; CCA-kyllaestettyjen puupylvaeiden uudelleenkaeyttoe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lehmus, E. [Vtt Building and Transport, Espoo (Finland)

2005-07-01

This study investigated the feasibility of re-using utility poles or parts of poles for structural use in construction. There are more than 10 million poles in Finland and about 200 000 poles will be removed from service yearly during the next few years. The directive 2003/2/EY will restrict the use of poles treated with CCA. This will change the practice that the energy and telecommunication companies have given the removed poles to the land owners. The present study launched by the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) was carried out to determine the technical condition of CCA impregnated poles removed from service and the concentration levels and leaching of remaining preservatives. To summarize the results of the tests, it is safe to say that re-use of recovered poles of 30 to 50 years of age is possible. Both the preservative concentrations and strength/load-bearing capacity are high enough to allow the use of the poles as load-bearing structures. (orig.)

The pole tide in deep oceans

Science.gov (United States)

Dickman, S. R.

1990-01-01

The fluid-dynamical theory of the pole tide is examined by describing the oceanic response to the Chandler wobble and assessing its implications for mantle anelasticity and low-frequency ocean dynamics. The Laplace tide equations accounting for bottom friction are given, and a spherical harmonic approach is delineated in which the time-independent portion of the tide height is expanded. Pole-tide height and related inertia products are linearly proportional to wobble amplitude, and the final equations are modified to account for mantle elasticity and oceanic loading. Results for pole tide effects are given for various earth models with attention to the role of boundary constraints. A dynamic effect is identified which lengthens the Chandler period by about 1 day more than static lengthening, a contribution that suggests a vigorous low-frequency response. The values derived are shown to agree with previous models that do not incorporate the effects of the pole tide.

POLE mutations in families predisposed to cutaneous melanoma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aoude, Lauren G; Heitzer, Ellen; Johansson, Peter

2015-01-01

Germline mutations in the exonuclease domain of POLE have been shown to predispose to colorectal cancers and adenomas. POLE is an enzyme involved in DNA repair and chromosomal DNA replication. In order to assess whether such mutations might also predispose to cutaneous melanoma, we interrogated...... variants in the exonuclease domain of POLE. Although this frequency is not significantly higher than that in unselected Caucasian controls, we observed multiple cancer types in the melanoma families, suggesting that some germline POLE mutations may predispose to a broad spectrum of cancers, including...

IL-6 and mouse oocyte spindle.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jashoman Banerjee

Full Text Available Interleukin 6 (IL-6 is considered a major indicator of the acute-phase inflammatory response. Endometriosis and pelvic inflammation, diseases that manifest elevated levels of IL-6, are commonly associated with higher infertility. However, the mechanistic link between elevated levels of IL-6 and poor oocyte quality is still unclear. In this work, we explored the direct role of this cytokine as a possible mediator for impaired oocyte spindle and chromosomal structure, which is a critical hurdle in the management of infertility. Metaphase-II mouse oocytes were exposed to recombinant mouse IL-6 (50, 100 and 200 ng/mL for 30 minutes and subjected to indirect immunofluorescent staining to identify alterations in the microtubule and chromosomal alignment compared to untreated controls. The deterioration in microtubule and chromosomal alignment were evaluated utilizing both fluorescence and confocal microscopy, and were quantitated with a previously reported scoring system. Our results showed that IL-6 caused a dose-dependent deterioration in microtubule and chromosomal alignment in the treated oocytes as compared to the untreated group. Indeed, IL-6 at a concentration as low as 50 ng/mL caused deterioration in the spindle structure in 60% of the oocytes, which increased significantly (P<0.0001 as IL-6 concentration was increased. In conclusion, elevated levels of IL-6 associated with endometriosis and pelvic inflammation may reduce the fertilizing capacity of human oocyte through a mechanism that involves impairment of the microtubule and chromosomal structure.

Genes with minimal phylogenetic information are problematic for coalescent analyses when gene tree estimation is biased.

Science.gov (United States)

Xi, Zhenxiang; Liu, Liang; Davis, Charles C

2015-11-01

The development and application of coalescent methods are undergoing rapid changes. One little explored area that bears on the application of gene-tree-based coalescent methods to species tree estimation is gene informativeness. Here, we investigate the accuracy of these coalescent methods when genes have minimal phylogenetic information, including the implementation of the multilocus bootstrap approach. Using simulated DNA sequences, we demonstrate that genes with minimal phylogenetic information can produce unreliable gene trees (i.e., high error in gene tree estimation), which may in turn reduce the accuracy of species tree estimation using gene-tree-based coalescent methods. We demonstrate that this problem can be alleviated by sampling more genes, as is commonly done in large-scale phylogenomic analyses. This applies even when these genes are minimally informative. If gene tree estimation is biased, however, gene-tree-based coalescent analyses will produce inconsistent results, which cannot be remedied by increasing the number of genes. In this case, it is not the gene-tree-based coalescent methods that are flawed, but rather the input data (i.e., estimated gene trees). Along these lines, the commonly used program PhyML has a tendency to infer one particular bifurcating topology even though it is best represented as a polytomy. We additionally corroborate these findings by analyzing the 183-locus mammal data set assembled by McCormack et al. (2012) using ultra-conserved elements (UCEs) and flanking DNA. Lastly, we demonstrate that when employing the multilocus bootstrap approach on this 183-locus data set, there is no strong conflict between species trees estimated from concatenation and gene-tree-based coalescent analyses, as has been previously suggested by Gatesy and Springer (2014). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Asymptotic Properties of the Number of Matching Coalescent Histories for Caterpillar-Like Families of Species Trees.

Science.gov (United States)

Disanto, Filippo; Rosenberg, Noah A

2016-01-01

Coalescent histories provide lists of species tree branches on which gene tree coalescences can take place, and their enumerative properties assist in understanding the computational complexity of calculations central in the study of gene trees and species trees. Here, we solve an enumerative problem left open by Rosenberg (IEEE/ACM Transactions on Computational Biology and Bioinformatics 10: 1253-1262, 2013) concerning the number of coalescent histories for gene trees and species trees with a matching labeled topology that belongs to a generic caterpillar-like family. By bringing a generating function approach to the study of coalescent histories, we prove that for any caterpillar-like family with seed tree t , the sequence (h n ) n ≥ 0 describing the number of matching coalescent histories of the n th tree of the family grows asymptotically as a constant multiple of the Catalan numbers. Thus, h n  ∼ β t c n , where the asymptotic constant β t > 0 depends on the shape of the seed tree t. The result extends a claim demonstrated only for seed trees with at most eight taxa to arbitrary seed trees, expanding the set of cases for which detailed enumerative properties of coalescent histories can be determined. We introduce a procedure that computes from t the constant β t as well as the algebraic expression for the generating function of the sequence (h n ) n ≥ 0 .

Gas flow through the clearances of screw spindle vacuum pumps; Gasspaltstroemungen in Schraubenspindel-Vakuumpumpen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kauder, K.; Wenderott, D. [Dortmund Univ. (Germany). FG Fluidenergiemaschinen

1998-12-31

The documentation `Schraubenmaschinen` deals with the subject `screw spindle vacuum pump` for the first time. Therefore, this paper presents the type of maschine `screw spindle vacuum pump`, fixes its limits to the better known screw type compressor and finally classifies it in the crossover of vacuum-technology, characteristic geometry and the numerical simulation. The suggested reflections to choose a proper model of flow are based on the geometry of the screw spindle vacuum pump and fundamentals concerning the vacuum-technology and the state of flow. (orig.) [Deutsch] Die Schriftenreihe `Schraubenmaschinen` behandelt erstmals das Thema `Schraubenspindel-Vakuumpumpe`. Aus diesem Grund stellt der vorliegende Beitrag den Maschinentyp Schraubenspindel-Vakuumpumpe vor, grenzt ihn zur bekannteren Schraubenmaschine ab und ordnet ihn in der Schnittmenge aus Vakuumtechnik, charakteristischer Maschinengeometrie und der Simulation ein. Auf den vakuumtechnischen und stroemungstechnischen Grundlagen sowie geometrischen Betrachtungen basieren die genannten Ueberlegungen zur Auswahl geeigneter Stroemungsmodelle. (orig.)

Research on a power management system for thermoelectric generators to drive wireless sensors on a spindle unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Sheng; Yao, Xinhua; Fu, Jianzhong

2014-07-16

Thermoelectric energy harvesting is emerging as a promising alternative energy source to drive wireless sensors in mechanical systems. Typically, the waste heat from spindle units in machine tools creates potential for thermoelectric generation. However, the problem of low and fluctuant ambient temperature differences in spindle units limits the application of thermoelectric generation to drive a wireless sensor. This study is devoted to presenting a transformer-based power management system and its associated control strategy to make the wireless sensor work stably at different speeds of the spindle. The charging/discharging time of capacitors is optimized through this energy-harvesting strategy. A rotating spindle platform is set up to test the performance of the power management system at different speeds. The experimental results show that a longer sampling cycle time will increase the stability of the wireless sensor. The experiments also prove that utilizing the optimal time can make the power management system work more effectively compared with other systems using the same sample cycle.

Plotter of pole figure using data from x-ray diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lima, A.F.

1990-01-01

Any polycrystalline aggregate normally has a preferred crystallographic orientation, or texture which depends on its thermal and or mechanical history. Preferred orientation is best described by means of a pole figure. A pole figure is a stereographic projection which shows the variation in pole density with pole orientation, for a selected set of crystal planes. In this work, computer programs was developed to plot pole figures. The corrected intensities are calculated and directly transmitted to the plotter. The different intensities levels are represented by different colors in the pole figure. (author)

Impact of 50% Synthesized Iso-Paraffins (SIP) on Middle Distillate Fuel Filtration and Coalescence

Science.gov (United States)

2014-10-30

Paraffins DEFINITIONS Coalescence - the ability to shed water Conventional Material Source - crude oil , natural gas liquid condensates...Impact of 50% Synthesized Iso-Paraffins (SIP) on Middle Distillate Fuel Filtration and Coalescence NF&LCFT REPORT 441/15-003 30 October 2014...heavy oil , shale oil , and oil sands Effluent - stream leaving a system Influent - stream entering a system Turnover - time required to flow the

Distribution of TTX-sensitive voltage-gated sodium channels in primary sensory endings of mammalian muscle spindles.

Science.gov (United States)

Carrasco, Dario I; Vincent, Jacob A; Cope, Timothy C

2017-04-01

Knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying signaling of mechanical stimuli by muscle spindles remains incomplete. In particular, the ionic conductances that sustain tonic firing during static muscle stretch are unknown. We hypothesized that tonic firing by spindle afferents depends on sodium persistent inward current (INaP) and tested for the necessary presence of the appropriate voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels in primary sensory endings. The NaV 1.6 isoform was selected for both its capacity to produce INaP and for its presence in other mechanosensors that fire tonically. The present study shows that NaV 1.6 immunoreactivity (IR) is concentrated in heminodes, presumably where tonic firing is generated, and we were surprised to find NaV 1.6 IR strongly expressed also in the sensory terminals, where mechanotransduction occurs. This spatial pattern of NaV 1.6 IR distribution was consistent for three mammalian species (rat, cat, and mouse), as was tonic firing by primary spindle afferents. These findings meet some of the conditions needed to establish participation of INaP in tonic firing by primary sensory endings. The study was extended to two additional NaV isoforms, selected for their sensitivity to TTX, excluding TTX-resistant NaV channels, which alone are insufficient to support firing by primary spindle endings. Positive immunoreactivity was found for NaV 1.1 , predominantly in sensory terminals together with NaV 1.6 and for NaV 1.7 , mainly in preterminal axons. Differential distribution in primary sensory endings suggests specialized roles for these three NaV isoforms in the process of mechanosensory signaling by muscle spindles. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The molecular mechanisms underlying mechanosensory signaling responsible for proprioceptive functions are not completely elucidated. This study provides the first evidence that voltage-gated sodium channels (NaVs) are expressed in the spindle primary sensory ending, where NaVs are found at every site

Theory of peak coalescence in Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Boldin, Ivan A; Nikolaev, Eugene N

2009-10-01

Peak coalescence, i.e. the merging of two close peaks in a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrum at a high number of ions, plays an important role in various FTICR experiments. In order to describe the coalescence phenomenon we would like to propose a new theory of motion for ion clouds with close mass-to-charge ratios, driven by a uniform magnetic field and Coulomb interactions between the clouds. We describe the motion of the ion clouds in terms of their averaged drift motion in crossed magnetic and electric fields. The ion clouds are considered to be of constant size and their motion is studied in two dimensions. The theory deals with the first-order approximation of the equations of motion in relation to dm/m, where dm is the mass difference and m is the mass of a single ion. The analysis was done for an arbitrary inter-cloud interaction potential, which makes it possible to analyze finite-size ion clouds of any shape. The final analytical expression for the condition of the onset of coalescence is found for the case of uniformly charged spheres. An algorithm for finding this condition for an arbitrary interaction potential is proposed. The critical number of ions for the peak coalescence to take place is shown to depend quadratically on the magnetic field strength and to be proportional to the cyclotron radius and inversely proportional to the ion masses. Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Theoretical Coalescence: A Method to Develop Qualitative Theory: The Example of Enduring.

Science.gov (United States)

Morse, Janice M

Qualitative research is frequently context bound, lacks generalizability, and is limited in scope. The purpose of this article was to describe a method, theoretical coalescence, that provides a strategy for analyzing complex, high-level concepts and for developing generalizable theory. Theoretical coalescence is a method of theoretical expansion, inductive inquiry, of theory development, that uses data (rather than themes, categories, and published extracts of data) as the primary source for analysis. Here, using the development of the lay concept of enduring as an example, I explore the scientific development of the concept in multiple settings over many projects and link it within the Praxis Theory of Suffering. As comprehension emerges when conducting theoretical coalescence, it is essential that raw data from various different situations be available for reinterpretation/reanalysis and comparison to identify the essential features of the concept. The concept is then reconstructed, with additional inquiry that builds description, and evidence is conducted and conceptualized to create a more expansive concept and theory. By utilizing apparently diverse data sets from different contexts that are linked by certain characteristics, the essential features of the concept emerge. Such inquiry is divergent and less bound by context yet purposeful, logical, and with significant pragmatic implications for practice in nursing and beyond our discipline. Theoretical coalescence is a means by which qualitative inquiry is broadened to make an impact, to accommodate new theoretical shifts and concepts, and to make qualitative research applied and accessible in new ways.

Nicotine-induced Disturbances of Meiotic Maturation in Cultured Mouse Oocytes: Alterations of Spindle Integrity and Chromosome Alignment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zenzes Maria

2004-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract We investigated whether nicotine exposure in vitro of mouse oocytes affects spindle and chromosome function during meiotic maturation (M-I and M-II. Oocytes in germinal vesicle (GV stage were cultured in nicotine for 8 h or for 16 h, to assess effects in M-I and in metaphase II (M-II. The latter culture setting used the three protocols: 8 h nicotine then 8 h medium (8N + 8M; 16 h nicotine (16N; 8 h medium then 8 h nicotine (8M + 8N. Non-toxic concentrations of nicotine at 1.0, 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 mmol/L were used. Spindle-chromosome configurations were analyzed with wide-field optical sectioning microscopy. In 8 h cultures, nicotine exposure resulted in dose-related increased proportions of M-I oocytes with defective spindle-chromosome configurations. A dose-related delayed entry into anaphase I was also detected. In 16 h cultures, nicotine exposure for the first 8 h (8N + 8M, or for 16 h (16N, resulted in dose- and time-related increased proportions of oocytes arrested in M-I (10 mmol/L; 8 h: 53.2%, controls 9.6%; 16 h: 87.6%, controls 8.5%. Defects in M-I spindles and chromosomes caused M-I arrest leading to dose-related decreased proportions of oocytes that reached metaphase-II (10 mmol/L 8 h: 46.8%, controls 90.4%;16 h: 12.4%, controls 91.5%. A delayed anaphase-I affected the normal timing of M-II, leading to abnormal oocytes with dispersed chromosomes, or with double spindles and no polar body. Nicotine exposure during the second 8 h (8M + 8N resulted in dose-related, increased proportions of M-II oocytes with defective spindles and chromosomes (10 mmol/L: 42.9%, controls 2.0%. Nicotine has no adverse effects on GV break down, but induces spindle and chromosome defects compromising oocyte meiotic maturation and development.

Nek2A destruction marks APC/C activation at the prophase-to-prometaphase transition by spindle-checkpoint-restricted Cdc20.

Science.gov (United States)

Boekhout, Michiel; Wolthuis, Rob

2015-04-15

Nek2 isoform A (Nek2A) is a presumed substrate of the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome containing Cdc20 (APC/C(Cdc20)). Nek2A, like cyclin A, is degraded in mitosis while the spindle checkpoint is active. Cyclin A prevents spindle checkpoint proteins from binding to Cdc20 and is recruited to the APC/C in prometaphase. We found that Nek2A and cyclin A avoid being stabilized by the spindle checkpoint in different ways. First, enhancing mitotic checkpoint complex (MCC) formation by nocodazole treatment inhibited the degradation of geminin and cyclin A, whereas Nek2A disappeared at a normal rate. Second, depleting Cdc20 effectively stabilized cyclin A but not Nek2A. Nevertheless, Nek2A destruction crucially depended on Cdc20 binding to the APC/C. Third, in contrast to cyclin A, Nek2A was recruited to the APC/C before the start of mitosis. Interestingly, the spindle checkpoint very effectively stabilized an APC/C-binding mutant of Nek2A, which required the Nek2A KEN box. Apparently, in cells, the spindle checkpoint primarily prevents Cdc20 from binding destruction motifs. Nek2A disappearance marks the prophase-to-prometaphase transition, when Cdc20, regardless of the spindle checkpoint, activates the APC/C. However, Mad2 depletion accelerated Nek2A destruction, showing that spindle checkpoint release further increases APC/C(Cdc20) catalytic activity. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Effects of slotting and unipolar flux on magnetic pull in a two-pole induction motor with an extra four-pole stator winding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sinervo, A.

2013-06-01

This thesis is about the radial magnetic forces between the rotor and stator in twopole induction machines. The magnetic forces arise from rotor eccentricity. The asymmetric air-gap makes the flux density on one side of the rotor stronger than on the opposite side. This produces magnetic pull. The magnetic flux density distribution in the air-gap can be expressed with spatial harmonics, i.e. flux densities with different pole-pair numbers. In two-pole machines, the main part of the magnetic force is produced by the interaction of two- and fourpole flux unless the four-pole flux is damped by parallel paths in the stator winding or an extra four-pole stator winding. The rest of the force comes from the interaction of two-pole and unipolar flux and from the higher harmonics of the air-gap flux of which the slot harmonics are a major part. The force caused by the higher harmonics and the unipolar flux is studied in the case where a four-pole stator winding is used to reduce the four-pole flux. The higher harmonics are found to produce, in addition to the traditional unbalanced magnetic pull, a force similar to the effect of the unipolar flux and the two can be distinguished only by measuring the unipolar flux. In measurements at various operation points, the higher harmonics are found to produce much more force than the unipolar flux and two-pole flux but the unipolar flux is still significant. The four-pole winding also is used to actively control the four-pole flux and the magnetic forces. Designing the controller requires a low order model of the system. Such a model is derived and the effect of the slot harmonics and the unipolar flux are included in the model. Different measurements techniques and methods are presented to identify and validate the control model. The operation point dependence of the system dynamics is studied via measurements. All results are obtained from a 30 kW test motor. The rotor of the test machine has a long flexible shaft on external

Inhibition of clathrin by pitstop 2 activates the spindle assembly checkpoint and induces cell death in dividing HeLa cancer cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Smith Charlotte M

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background During metaphase clathrin stabilises the mitotic spindle kinetochore(K-fibres. Many anti-mitotic compounds target microtubule dynamics. Pitstop 2™ is the first small molecule inhibitor of clathrin terminal domain and inhibits clathrin-mediated endocytosis. We investigated its effects on a second function for clathrin in mitosis. Results Pitstop 2 did not impair clathrin recruitment to the spindle but disrupted its function once stationed there. Pitstop 2 trapped HeLa cells in metaphase through loss of mitotic spindle integrity and activation of the spindle assembly checkpoint, phenocopying clathrin depletion and aurora A kinase inhibition. Conclusions Pitstop 2 is therefore a new tool for investigating clathrin spindle dynamics. Pitstop 2 reduced viability in dividing HeLa cells, without affecting dividing non-cancerous NIH3T3 cells, suggesting that clathrin is a possible novel anti-mitotic drug target.

Repair and rehabilitation of wood utility poles with fibre-reinforced polymers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Polyzois, D.; Kell, J.A. [Manitoba Univ., Winnipeg, MB (Canada). Dept. of Civil Engineering

2007-01-15

In order to ensure safe and reliable service, all wood utility poles need an effective maintenance program. The service life of a wood utility pole depends on several factors, such as decay, mechanical damage, weathering, and changing design requirements. An effective preservative treatment and maintenance program can effectively extend the service life of the wood pole. However, all poles will attain a point when they are no longer suitable for their intended use. New innovative methods are therefore required to restore and maintain the structural integrity of existing wood poles, especially in light of the increasing cost of quality wood for use in poles as well as a result of environmental concerns regarding pole disposal and chemical treatment of existing poles. This article presented results from a research program carried out at the University of Manitoba to develop a repair and rehabilitation technique for wood poles using fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP). It also provided a brief overview of current standards for wood utility poles and reinforcing stubs and discussed the experimental program where long, air-dried jack pine poles were tested in order to evaluate the effectiveness of a proposed rehabilitation system consisting of FRP splines and FRP jackets. The ultimate capacity of the poles was determined using the CSA standard for wood poles. The capacity of the rehabilitated poles was nearly 93 per cent of the average ultimate capacity of the average ultimate capacity of poles tested during the first phase of the study, and 23 per cent higher than the capacity required by CSA standards. 7 refs., 2 figs., 4 tabs.

Design of a portable CAT scanner for utility pole inspection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, W.H.

1986-01-01

Work is under way at the University of Missouri, Columbia (UMC) to design, build, and test a portable computerized axial tomography (CAT) device for the nondestructive, field imaging of wooden utility poles. CAT is a well-established medical technology that has recently been applied to a number of industrial applications. Wooden utility poles are prone to rot and decay at ground level; current techniques to assess this loss of strength are relatively primitive, i.e., tapping the pole (hitting the pole with a hammer) or boring into the pole for samples and then testing inside the bore hole with an electrical pulse device. The accuracy in identifying poles needing replacement using these techniques is ∼ 70%. Since the cost of replacing a pole ranges from hundreds to thousands of dollars, an accurate, nondestructive method is needed. CAT can accurately image a wooden utility pole (since the size, density, and atomic elements of a pole are similar to the human head to torso), as was confirmed by imaging poles using the UMC nuclear engineering EMI-1010 medical scanner. Detailed images have been produced showing the ring structure of the wood and voids due to rot or decay. Images approaching this quality have also been produced on living trees using semiportable systems by other researchers

Glucose assisted synthesis of hollow spindle LiMnPO_4/C nanocomposites for high performance Li-ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu, Xiaoning; Chang, Zhaorong; Chang, Kun; Li, Bao; Tang, Hongwei; Shangguan, Enbo; Yuan, Xiao-Zi; Wang, Haijiang

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: Nano-sized hollow spindle LiMnPO_4 with a well-developed olivine-type structure exhibits a high specific capacity and cycling performance. - Highlights: • A pure and well-crystallized LiMnPO_4 are synthesized via a solution-phase method. • The LiMnPO_4/C composite constitutes highly and uniformly distributed hollow spindles. • The LiMnPO_4/C composite exhibits a high specific capacity and cycling performance. • The growth process of the hollow spindle LiMnPO_4 particles is revealed. - Abstract: Nano-sized hollow spindle LiMnPO_4 with a well-developed olivine-type structure was synthesized with the assistance of glucose in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)/H_2O under ambient pressure and 108 °C. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) images show that the LiMnPO_4 particles consist of hollow spindles with a mean width of 200 nm, length of 500-700 nm, and wall thickness of about 30-60 nm. The LiMnPO_4/C nanocomposite was obtained by sintering nano-sized LiMnPO_4 with glucose at 650 °C under an inert atmosphere for 4 h. With a coated carbon thickness of about 10 nm, the obtained composite maintained the morphology and size of the hollow spindle. The electrochemical tests show the specific capacity of LiMnPO_4/C nanocomposite is 161.8 mAh g"−"1 at 0.05C, 137.7 mAh g"−"1 at 0.1C and 110.8 mAh g"−"1 at 0.2 C. The retention of discharge capacity maintains 92% after 100 cycles at 0.2 C. After different rate cycles the high capacity of the LiMnPO_4/C nanocomposite can be recovered. This high performance is attributed to the composite material's hollow spindle structure, which facilitates the electrolyte infiltration, resulting in an increased solid-liquid interface. The carbon layer covering the hollow spindle also contributes to the high performance of the LiMnPO_4/C material as the carbon layer improves its electronic conductivity and the nano-scaled wall thickness decreases the paths of Li

In Situ Poling and Imidization of Amorphous Piezoelectric Polyimides

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Cheol; Ounaies, Zoubeida; Wise, Kristopher E.; Harrison, Joycelyn S.; Bushnell, Dennis M. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

An amorphous piezoelectric polyimide containing polar functional groups has been developed using a combination of experimental and molecular modeling for potential use in high temperature applications. This amorphous polyimide, (Beta-CN)APB/ODPA, has exhibited good thermal stability and piezoelectric response at temperatures up to 150C. Density functional calculations predicted that a partially cured amic acid (open imide ring) possesses a dipole moment four times larger than the fully imidized closed ring. In situ poling and imidization of the partially cured (Beta-CN)APB/ODPA, was studied in an attempt to maximize the degree of dipolar orientation and the resultant piezoelectric response. A positive corona poling was used to minimize localized arcing during poling and to allow use of higher poling fields without dielectric breakdown. The dielectric relaxation strength, remanent polarization, and piezoelectric response were evaluated as a function of the poling profile. The partially cured, corona poled polymers exhibited higher dielectric relaxation strength (delta varepsilon), remanent polarization (Pr) and piezoelectric strain coefficient (d33) than the fully cured, conventionally poled ones.

Primary histiocytic sarcoma arising in the head and neck with predominant spindle cell component

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhao XF

2007-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract This is the first case report of Histiocytic Sarcoma (HS with predominant spindle cell component occurring in the head and neck region of a 41-year-old man. The tumor was composed of sheets of large round to oval cells with pleomorphic vesicular nuclei, prominent nucleoli and abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm. Multinucleated forms, numerous mitoses, and tumor necrosis were also noted. Sheets, fascicles, and whorls of spindle cells with spindled to ovoid vesicular nuclei, small to medium-sized distinct nucleoli, and eosinophilic cytoplasm were frequently observed. Immunohistochemical staining in the tumor cells was positive for CD163, CD68, lysozyme, CD45, and NSE. Focal expression of CD4 and S-100 was also noted. Electron microscopy demonstrated an abundance of lysosomes in the cytoplasm of tumor cells. Chromosome study revealed a 57–80 hyperdiploid [7]/46, XY [13] karyotype, including 3 to 4 copies of various chromosomes. The immunohistochemical and ultrastructural findings confirmed the diagnosis of HS.

Study of shock coalescence in laser-irradiated targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coe, S.E.; Willi, O.; Afshar-Rad, T.; Rose, S.J.

1988-01-01

We report on the first direct experimental observation of the coalescence of two shocks induced by a shaped laser pulse. Optical streak photography of the rear surface of aluminum multiple step targets was used to study the breakout of these shocks and observe their behavior. The experimental results are compared with simulations by a one-dimensional Lagrangian hydrodynamic code

A poling study on lead zirconate titanate composition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bryant, P.J.

1992-01-01

Ceramics produced by the conventional mixed oxide route are dual phased. Because the titania and zirconia are not perfectly homogenized, some parts of the ceramic are more tetragonal (titanium rich) and other parts more rhombohedral (zirconium rich). This inhomogeneity means that some domains can be more easily poled than others. Lastly, the density and porosity can affect the poling process if the flaw density becomes such that the breakdown voltage is exceeded by the required poling voltage. The phase boundary determined by most dielectric and piezoelectric measurements is significantly removed from the 44% titanium content determined by neutron diffraction. The indicators that are most consistent with this value are the minimum in the poling efficiency curve and the shape of the dissipative factor curve. The reason for the discrepancy appears to be related to the broad coexistence region of the two phases and the differing poling efficiencies of each phase. It has been established that different poling temperature profiles can substantially modify the observed properties. Such behaviour is again related to the inhomogeneity of the ceramic and the presence of the two phases. 4 refs., 5 figs

Interplay between microtubule bundling and sorting factors ensures acentriolar spindle stability during C. elegans oocyte meiosis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Timothy J Mullen

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In many species, oocyte meiosis is carried out in the absence of centrioles. As a result, microtubule organization, spindle assembly, and chromosome segregation proceed by unique mechanisms. Here, we report insights into the principles underlying this specialized form of cell division, through studies of C. elegans KLP-15 and KLP-16, two highly homologous members of the kinesin-14 family of minus-end-directed kinesins. These proteins localize to the acentriolar oocyte spindle and promote microtubule bundling during spindle assembly; following KLP-15/16 depletion, microtubule bundles form but then collapse into a disorganized array. Surprisingly, despite this defect we found that during anaphase, microtubules are able to reorganize into a bundled array that facilitates chromosome segregation. This phenotype therefore enabled us to identify factors promoting microtubule organization during anaphase, whose contributions are normally undetectable in wild-type worms; we found that SPD-1 (PRC1 bundles microtubules and KLP-18 (kinesin-12 likely sorts those bundles into a functional orientation capable of mediating chromosome segregation. Therefore, our studies have revealed an interplay between distinct mechanisms that together promote spindle formation and chromosome segregation in the absence of structural cues such as centrioles.

Thermal poling of multi-wire array optical fiber

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Huang, Lin; An, Honglin; Hayashi, Juliano G.

2018-01-01

We demonstrate in this paper thermal poling of multi-wire array fibers, which extends poling of fibers with two anodes to similar to 50 and similar to 500 wire array anodes. The second harmonic microscopy observations show that second order nonlinearity (SON) layers are developed surrounding all...... the rings of wires in the similar to 50 anode array fiber with poling of 1.8kV, 250 degrees C and 30min duration, and the outer rings of the similar to 500 anode array fiber at lower poling temperature. Our simulations based on a two-dimensional charge dynamics model confirm this can be explained...

Characterization of Solids Deposited on the Modular Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction Unit (MCU) Strip Effluent (SE) Coalescer Media Removed in April 2015

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fondeur, F. F. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

2016-06-13

On June 2015, Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) received a Strip Effluent (SE) coalescer (FLT-304) from MCU. That coalescer was first installed at MCU in late October 2014 and removed in April 2015. While processing approximately 48,700 gallons of strip solution, the pressure drop steadily increased linearly from 1 psi to near 16 psi (the administrative limit is 17 psi) with the total filtrate volume (2.1E-4 psi/gal of filtrate). The linear behavior is due to the combined effect of a constant deposition of material that starts from the closed-end to the mid-section of the coalescer reducing the available surface area of the coalescer for fluid passage (linearly with filtrate volume) and the formation of a secondary emulsion (water in NG-CSSX) on the fibers of the coalescer media. Both effects reduced the coalescer porosity by at least 13% (after processing 48,700 gallons). Before the coalescer was removed, it was flushed with a 10 mM boric acid solution to reduce the dose level. To determine the nature of the deposited material, a physical and chemical analysis of the coalescer was conducted. Characterization of this coalescer revealed the adsorption of organic containing amines (secondary amides and primary amines), TiDG, degraded modifier (with no hydroxyl group), MaxCalix, and oxidized hydrocarbon (possibly from Isopar™L or from lubricant used at MCU) onto the coalescer media. The amide and amines are possibly from the decomposition of the suppressor (TiDG). The modifier and MaxCalix were the largest components of the deposited organic material, as determined from leaching the coalescer with dichloromethane. Both the Fourier-Transformed Infrared (FTIR) and Fourier-Transformed Hydrogen Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (FT-HNMR) results indicated that some of the modifier was degraded (missing their OH groups). The modifier was observed everywhere in the examined coalescer pieces (FTIR), while the TiDG and its decomposition products were observed at the

Spindle-like thalamocortical synchronization in a rat brain slice preparation.

Science.gov (United States)

Tancredi, V; Biagini, G; D'Antuono, M; Louvel, J; Pumain, R; Avoli, M

2000-08-01

We obtained rat brain slices (550-650 microm) that contained part of the frontoparietal cortex along with a portion of the thalamic ventrobasal complex (VB) and of the reticular nucleus (RTN). Maintained reciprocal thalamocortical connectivity was demonstrated by VB stimulation, which elicited orthodromic and antidromic responses in the cortex, along with re-entry of thalamocortical firing originating in VB neurons excited by cortical output activity. In addition, orthodromic responses were recorded in VB and RTN following stimuli delivered in the cortex. Spontaneous and stimulus-induced coherent rhythmic oscillations (duration = 0.4-3.5 s; frequency = 9-16 Hz) occurred in cortex, VB, and RTN during application of medium containing low concentrations of the K(+) channel blocker 4-aminopyridine (0.5-1 microM). This activity, which resembled electroencephalograph (EEG) spindles recorded in vivo, disappeared in both cortex and thalamus during application of the excitatory amino acid receptor antagonist kynurenic acid in VB (n = 6). By contrast, cortical application of kynurenic acid (n = 4) abolished spindle-like oscillations at this site, but not those recorded in VB, where their frequency was higher than under control conditions. Our findings demonstrate the preservation of reciprocally interconnected cortical and thalamic neuron networks that generate thalamocortical spindle-like oscillations in an in vitro rat brain slice. As shown in intact animals, these oscillations originate in the thalamus where they are presumably caused by interactions between RTN and VB neurons. We propose that this preparation may help to analyze thalamocortical synchronization and to understand the physiopathogenesis of absence attacks.

Self-Poling of BiFeO3 Thick Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Khomyakova, Evgeniya; Sadl, Matej; Ursic, Hana; Daniels, John; Malic, Barbara; Bencan, Andreja; Damjanovic, Dragan; Rojac, Tadej

2016-08-03

Bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) is difficult to pole because of the combination of its high coercive field and high electrical conductivity. This problem is particularly pronounced in thick films. The poling, however, must be performed to achieve a large macroscopic piezoelectric response. This study presents evidence of a prominent and reproducible self-poling effect in few-tens-of-micrometer-thick BiFeO3 films. Direct and converse piezoelectric measurements confirmed that the as-sintered BiFeO3 thick films yield d33 values of up to ∼20 pC/N. It was observed that a significant self-poling effect only appears in cases when the films are heated and cooled through the ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition (Curie temperature TC ∼ 820 °C). These self-poled films exhibit a microstructure with randomly oriented columnar grains. The presence of a compressive strain gradient across the film thickness cooled from above the TC was experimentally confirmed and is suggested to be responsible for the self-poling effect. Finally, the macroscopic d33 response of the self-poled BiFeO3 film was characterized as a function of the driving-field frequency and amplitude.

Sleep spindle and K-complex detection using tunable Q-factor wavelet transform and morphological component analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tarek eLajnef

2015-07-01

Full Text Available A novel framework for joint detection of sleep spindles and K-complex events, two hallmarks of sleep stage S2, is proposed. Sleep electroencephalography (EEG signals are split into oscillatory (spindles and transient (K-complex components. This decomposition is conveniently achieved by applying morphological component analysis (MCA to a sparse representation of EEG segments obtained by the recently introduced discrete tunable Q-factor wavelet transform (TQWT. Tuning the Q-factor provides a convenient and elegant tool to naturally decompose the signal into an oscillatory and a transient component. The actual detection step relies on thresholding (i the transient component to reveal K-complexes and (ii the time-frequency representation of the oscillatory component to identify sleep spindles. Optimal thresholds are derived from ROC-like curves (sensitivity versus FDR on training sets and the performance of the method is assessed on test data sets. We assessed the performance of our method using full-night sleep EEG data we collected from 14 participants. In comparison to visual scoring (Expert 1, the proposed method detected spindles with a sensitivity of 83.18% and false discovery rate (FDR of 39%, while K-complexes were detected with a sensitivity of 81.57% and an FDR of 29.54%. Similar performances were obtained when using a second expert as benchmark. In addition, when the TQWT and MCA steps were excluded from the pipeline the detection sensitivities dropped down to 70% for spindles and to 76.97% for K-complexes, while the FDR rose up to 43.62% and 49.09% respectively. Finally, we also evaluated the performance of the proposed method on a set of publicly available sleep EEG recordings. Overall, the results we obtained suggest that the TQWT-MCA method may be a valuable alternative to existing spindle and K-complex detection methods. Paths for improvements and further validations with large-scale standard open-access benchmarking data sets are

A Balance between Nuclear and Cytoplasmic Volumes Controls Spindle Length

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Nováková, Lucia; Kovačovicová, Kristina; Dang-Nguyen, T.; Šodek, Martin; Škultéty, M.; Anger, Martin

2016-01-01

Roč. 11, č. 2 (2016), e0149535-e0149535 E-ISSN 1932-6203 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP502/12/2201 Institutional support: RVO:67985904 Keywords : mitotoc spindle * size * cells Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 2.806, year: 2016

A heat transfer model for evaporating micro-channel coalescing bubble flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Consolini, L.; Thome, J.R.

2009-01-01

The current study presents a one-dimensional model of confined coalescing bubble flow for the prediction of micro-channel convective boiling heat transfer. Coalescing bubble flow has recently been identified as one of the characteristic flow patterns to be found in micro-scale systems, occurring at intermediate vapor qualities between the isolated bubble and the fully annular regimes. As two or more bubbles bond under the action of inertia and surface tension, the passage frequency of the bubble liquid slug pair declines, with a redistribution of liquid among the remaining flow structures. Assuming heat transfer to occur only by conduction through the thin evaporating liquid film surrounding individual bubbles, the present model includes a simplified description of the dynamics of the thin film evaporation process that takes into account the added mass transfer by breakup of the bridging liquid slugs. The new model has been confronted against experimental data taken within the coalescing bubble flow mode that have been identified by a diabatic micro-scale flow pattern map. The comparisons for three different fluids (R-134a, R-236fa and R-245fa) gave encouraging results with 83% of the database predicted within a ± 30% error band. (author)

Polymer poling characterization using second harmonic generation (SHG)

Science.gov (United States)

Tellier, Gildas; Averty, Dominique; Blart, Errol; Boisrobert, Christian; Gundel, Hartmut; Le Tacon, Sylvain; Monnereau, Cyrille; Odobel, Fabrice; Seveno, Raynald

2006-04-01

Several polymer molecules have structures which are suitable for the non-linear optic applications. We report on the design and fabrication of a high performance electro-optic modulator made of polymer thin films. The polymer we study contains a chromophore based on Disperse Red One covalently grafted to a host-matrix. The polymer materials are deposited in thin layers on a glass substrate by chemical solution deposition, either by spin-coating or by dip-coating. The thickness of the films is ranging from a hundred nanometers to several micrometers. Initially, the polymer molecules are randomly oriented and the films are isotropic, hence no electro-optic effect can be observed. In order to break the symmetry and align the chromophores, the films are submitted to the so-called corona poling process. As a result, their structure become non-centrosymmetric and the second-order susceptibility is no longer zero. The corona poling method consists of applying a high electric field to the polymer by means of a needle electrode, placed above the polymer film which is posed on a grounded sample support electrode. Thermal regulation of the support electrode allows to control the temperature during the poling of the films. Once the poling process has been established, a chemical cross-linking function is thermally activated in order to fix the orientation of the chromophores in the polymer matrix. The orientation and its stability in time is evaluated with a Second Harmonic Generation measurement set-up using the Makers Fringes configuration. We studied the influence of the poling temperature, the distance between the corona needle electrode and the sample, the high voltage applied, and the duration of the poling process on the efficiency of chromophore orientation in order to optimize the poling procedure. Finally, aging of poled polymer samples has been investigated at elevated temperatures, confirming the stability of the cross-linking process.

Shock wave lithotripsy outcomes for lower pole and non-lower pole stones from a university teaching hospital: Parallel group comparison during the same time period

Science.gov (United States)

Geraghty, Robert; Burr, Jacob; Simmonds, Nick; Somani, Bhaskar K.

2015-01-01

Introduction: Shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) is a treatment option for all locations of renal and ureteric stones. We compared the results of SWL for lower pole renal stones with all other non-lower pole renal and ureteric stones during the same time period. Material and Methods: All SWL procedures were carried out as day case procedures by a mobile lithotripter from January 2012 to August 2013. The follow-up imaging was a combination of KUB X-ray or USS. Following SWL treatment, the stone free rate (SFR) was defined as ≤3 mm fragments. Results: A total of 148 patients with a mean age of 62 years underwent 201 procedures. Of the 201 procedures, 93 (46%) were for lower pole stones. The non-lower pole stones included upper pole (n = 36), mid pole (n = 40), renal pelvis (n = 10), PUJ (n = 8), mid ureter (n = 3), upper ureter (n = 5) and a combination of upper, middle and/or lower pole (n = 6). The mean stone size for lower pole stones (7.4 mm; range: 4-16 mm) was slightly smaller than non-lower pole stones (8 mm; range: 4-17 mm). The stone fragmentation was successful in 124 (62%) of patients. However, the SFR was statistically significantly better (P = 0.023) for non-lower pole stones 43 (40%) compared to lower pole stones 23 (25%). There were 9 (4%) minor complications and this was not significantly different in the two groups. Conclusions: Although SWL achieves a moderately high stone fragmentation rate with a low complication rate, the SFR is variable depending on the location of stone and the definition of SFR, with lower pole stones fairing significantly worse than stones in all other locations. PMID:25657543

A particle system with cooperative branching and coalescence

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Sturm, A.; Swart, Jan M.

2015-01-01

Roč. 25, č. 3 (2015), s. 1616-1649 ISSN 1050-5164 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP201/10/0752 Institutional support: RVO:67985556 Keywords : interacting particle system * cooperative branching * coalescence * phase transition * upper invariant law * survival * extinction Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.755, year: 2015 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2015/SI/swart-0442871.pdf

PNRA. South-pole directory listing

OpenAIRE

Biagioni, Stefania; Carlesi, Carlo; Carpen?, Andrea; Ramorino, Chiara; Rossi, Lucio

1992-01-01

In the following all DATA-SET descriptors (DSD) contained in the "South-Pole Directory" (vers. 1992) are listed. The "South-Pole Directory" was a joint project between ENEA and CNR. The IEI/CNR took care of the data digitalization and check and of the english translation (where necessary). The ARF/CNR and the Progetto Antartide/ENEA joined the IEI/CNR in defining the acronyms of the Sensor_Names and of the Source_Names, together with the short and long names for the Data_Centers. Finally, the...

v-Src causes delocalization of Mklp1, Aurora B, and INCENP from the spindle midzone during cytokinesis failure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soeda, Shuhei [Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Inohana 1-8-1, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8675 (Japan); Nakayama, Yuji, E-mail: nakayama@mb.kyoto-phu.ac.jp [Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Inohana 1-8-1, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8675 (Japan); Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, 5 Nakauchi-cho, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto 607-8414 (Japan); Honda, Takuya; Aoki, Azumi; Tamura, Naoki; Abe, Kohei; Fukumoto, Yasunori [Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Inohana 1-8-1, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8675 (Japan); Yamaguchi, Naoto, E-mail: nyama@faculty.chiba-u.jp [Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Inohana 1-8-1, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8675 (Japan)

2013-06-10

Src-family tyrosine kinases are aberrantly activated in cancers, and this activation is associated with malignant tumor progression. v-Src, encoded by the v-src transforming gene of the Rous sarcoma virus, is a mutant variant of the cellular proto-oncogene c-Src. Although investigations with temperature sensitive mutants of v-Src have shown that v-Src induces many oncogenic processes, the effects on cell division are unknown. Here, we show that v-Src inhibits cellular proliferation of HCT116, HeLa S3 and NIH3T3 cells. Flow cytometry analysis indicated that inducible expression of v-Src results in an accumulation of 4N cells. Time-lapse analysis revealed that binucleation is induced through the inhibition of cytokinesis, a final step of cell division. The localization of Mklp1, which is essential for cytokinesis, to the spindle midzone is inhibited in v-Src-expressing cells. Intriguingly, Aurora B, which regulates Mklp1 localization at the midzone, is delocalized from the spindle midzone and the midbody but not from the metaphase chromosomes upon v-Src expression. Mklp2, which is responsible for the relocation of Aurora B from the metaphase chromosomes to the spindle midzone, is also lost from the spindle midzone. These results suggest that v-Src inhibits cytokinesis through the delocalization of Mklp1 and Aurora B from the spindle midzone, resulting in binucleation. -- Highlights: • v-Src inhibits cell proliferation of HCT116, HeLa S3 and NIH3T3 cells. • v-Src induces binucleation together with cytokinesis failure. • v-Src causes delocalization of Mklp1, Aurora B and INCENP from the spindle midzone.

Pressure transmitter surveillance: the dominant real pole case

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blazquez, J.; Ballestrin, J.

1995-01-01

There are about 500 pressure transmitters in a nuclear power plant. Due to Safety requirements, some of them must be specially surveilled. Sensor response time to a pressure ramp is the usual quantity to be measured. Response time, τ r , reflects the dynamics of the sensor and the sensing line. A real pole is due to the inner sensor structure, but the complex pole stands for the sensing line too. The real pole usually is the dominant in most sensors. On line monitoring noise analysis regards simultaneously both, the sensor and the sensing line, but the noise signal contains not only the sensor poles, but many others coming from the plant, so must be conditioned previously and the determination of τ r is not free of systematic errors. That is the price to be paid for non disturbing the plant. When the real pole is dominant, the sensing line contribution is negligible, so the on line noise monitoring methods are supported by the laboratory experiments and the real pole border in the PSD is properly identified. The mean square frequency results proportional to τ r -1 , so manual techniques are designed for response time surveillance made by non noise plant's maintenance technicians. (author)

Jupiter's interior and deep atmosphere: The initial pole-to-pole passes with the Juno spacecraft

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bolton, S. J.; Adriani, Alberto; Adumitroaie, V.

2017-01-01

On 27 August 2016, the Juno spacecraft acquired science observations of Jupiter, passing less than 5000 kilometers above the equatorial cloud tops. Images of Jupiter's poles show a chaotic scene, unlike Saturn's poles. Microwave sounding reveals weather features at pressures deeper than 100 bars,...... of magnitude more precise. This has implications for the distribution of heavy elements in the interior, including the existence and mass of Jupiter's core. The observed magnetic field exhibits smaller spatial variations than expected, indicative of a rich harmonic content....

Factors governing partial coalescence in oil-in-water emulsions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fredrick, E.; Walstra, P.; Dewettinck, K.

2010-01-01

The consequences of the instability mechanism partial coalescence in oil-in-water food emulsions show a discrepancy. On the one hand, it needs to be avoided in order to achieve an extended shelf life in food products like sauces, creams and several milk products. On the other hand, during the

Coalescing black hole solution in the De-Sitter universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, Mainuddin

2005-01-01

A new coalescing black hole solution of Einstein-Maxwell equation in general relativity is given. The new solution is also found to support the 'Nerst Theorem' of thermodynamics in the case of black hole. Thus this solution poses to solve an outstanding problem of thermodynamics and black hole physics. (author)

Micromechanics of transformation-induced plasticity and variant coalescence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marketz, F.; Fischer, F.D.; University for Mining and Metallurgy, Leoben; Tanaka, K.

1996-01-01

Quantitative micromechanics descriptions of both transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) associated with the martensitic transformation in an Fe-Ni alloy and of variant coalescence in a Cu-Al-Ni shape memory alloy are presented. The macroscopic deformation behavior of a polycrystalline aggregate as a result of the rearrangements within the crystallites is modelled with the help of a finite element based periodic microfield approach. In the case of TRIP the parent→martensite transformation is described by microscale thermodynamic and kinetic equations taking into account internal stress states. The simulation of a classical experiment on TRIP allows to quantify the Magee-effect and the Greenwood-Johnson effect. Furthermore, the development of the martensitic microstructure is studied with respect to the stress-assisted transformation of preferred variants. In the case of variant coalescence the strain energy due to internal stress states has an important influence on the mechanical behavior. Formulating the reorientation process on the size scale of self-accommodating plate groups in terms of the mobility of the boundaries between martensitic variants the macroscopic behavior in uniaxial tension is predicted by an incremental modelling procedure. Furthermore, influence of energy dissipation on the overall behavior is quantified. (orig.)

Particles as S-matrix poles: hadron democracy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chew, G.F.

1989-01-01

The connection between two theoretical ideas of the 1950s is traced in this article, namely that hadrons are nonfundamental, ''composite'' particles and that all physically observable particles correspond to singularities of an analytic scattering matrix. The S matrix theory developed by Werner Heisenberg in the early forties now incorporated the concepts of unitarity, invariance, analyticity and causality. The meson-exchange force meant that poles must be present in nucleon-nuclear and pion-nucleon scattering as predicted by dispersion relations. Experimental work in accessible regions determined pole residues. Pole residue became associated with force strength and pole position with particle mass. In 1959, the author discovered the so-called ''bootstrap'' theory the rho meson as a force generates a rho particle. By the end of the 1950s it was clear that all hadrons had equal status, each being bound states of other hadrons, sustained by hadron exchange forces and that hadrons are self-generated by an S-matrix bootstrap mechanism that determines all their properties. (UK)

One-pot synthesis and electrochemical reactivity of carbon coated LiFePO4 spindles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Juanjuan; Hu Juncheng; Li Jinlin

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Carbon coated LiFePO 4 spindles have been successfully synthesized via a novel supercritical method. ► The concentrations of lithium have an effect on the morphology of carbon coated LiFePO 4 . ► Amorphous carbon layer formed on the surface of LiFePO 4 by adding glucose. ► The carbon coating is responsible for the enhanced electrochemical performance. - Abstract: Spindle-like carbon coated LiFePO 4 (LiFePO 4 /C) composites have been successfully synthesized via a novel one-pot supercritical methanol method. The products were characterized by X-ray power diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The particle size, morphology and electrochemical reactivity changed with the concentration of lithium and carbon source. A possible morphology evolution process was also proposed. The glucose not only facilitates the formation of single crystalline LiFePO 4 , but also gives an amorphous carbon layer on the surface LiFePO 4 spindles.

A 2D/3D image analysis system to track fluorescently labeled structures in rod-shaped cells: application to measure spindle pole asymmetry during mitosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmitter, Daniel; Wachowicz, Paulina; Sage, Daniel; Chasapi, Anastasia; Xenarios, Ioannis; Simanis; Unser, Michael

2013-01-01

The yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe is frequently used as a model for studying the cell cycle. The cells are rod-shaped and divide by medial fission. The process of cell division, or cytokinesis, is controlled by a network of signaling proteins called the Septation Initiation Network (SIN); SIN proteins associate with the SPBs during nuclear division (mitosis). Some SIN proteins associate with both SPBs early in mitosis, and then display strongly asymmetric signal intensity at the SPBs in late mitosis, just before cytokinesis. This asymmetry is thought to be important for correct regulation of SIN signaling, and coordination of cytokinesis and mitosis. In order to study the dynamics of organelles or large protein complexes such as the spindle pole body (SPB), which have been labeled with a fluorescent protein tag in living cells, a number of the image analysis problems must be solved; the cell outline must be detected automatically, and the position and signal intensity associated with the structures of interest within the cell must be determined. We present a new 2D and 3D image analysis system that permits versatile and robust analysis of motile, fluorescently labeled structures in rod-shaped cells. We have designed an image analysis system that we have implemented as a user-friendly software package allowing the fast and robust image-analysis of large numbers of rod-shaped cells. We have developed new robust algorithms, which we combined with existing methodologies to facilitate fast and accurate analysis. Our software permits the detection and segmentation of rod-shaped cells in either static or dynamic (i.e. time lapse) multi-channel images. It enables tracking of two structures (for example SPBs) in two different image channels. For 2D or 3D static images, the locations of the structures are identified, and then intensity values are extracted together with several quantitative parameters, such as length, width, cell orientation, background fluorescence and

The practice of pole dance as a leisure activity in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Andorra Lynn

2015-01-01

The aim of this study is to explore the how pole dance is practiced as a form of leisure activity in Denmark. The methodical approach is qualitative and inspired by ethnography. I have conducted a field study where I have observed and participated in the pole dance culture in Copenhagen from May ...... addresses the difference between a focus on dance and a focus on tricks in pole dancing as well as it examines the different opinions pole studio owners have concerning ‘sexiness’ in pole dance and how this affects the way pole dance is practiced....

DETECTION AND CLASSIFICATION OF POLE-LIKE OBJECTS FROM MOBILE MAPPING DATA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Fukano

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Laser scanners on a vehicle-based mobile mapping system can capture 3D point-clouds of roads and roadside objects. Since roadside objects have to be maintained periodically, their 3D models are useful for planning maintenance tasks. In our previous work, we proposed a method for detecting cylindrical poles and planar plates in a point-cloud. However, it is often required to further classify pole-like objects into utility poles, streetlights, traffic signals and signs, which are managed by different organizations. In addition, our previous method may fail to extract low pole-like objects, which are often observed in urban residential areas. In this paper, we propose new methods for extracting and classifying pole-like objects. In our method, we robustly extract a wide variety of poles by converting point-clouds into wireframe models and calculating cross-sections between wireframe models and horizontal cutting planes. For classifying pole-like objects, we subdivide a pole-like object into five subsets by extracting poles and planes, and calculate feature values of each subset. Then we apply a supervised machine learning method using feature variables of subsets. In our experiments, our method could achieve excellent results for detection and classification of pole-like objects.

Pole orientation of 16 Psyche by two independent methods

Science.gov (United States)

Tedesco, E. F.; Taylor, R. C.

1985-01-01

Nineteen new lightcurves of 16 Psyche are presented along with a pole orientation derived using two independent methods, namely, photometric astrometry and magnitude-amplitude-shape-aspect. The pole orientations found using these two methods agree to within 4 deg. The results from applying photometric astrometry were prograde rotation, a sidereal period of 0.1748143 days + or - 0.0000003 days, and a pole at longitude 223 deg and latitude +37 deg, with an uncertainty of 10 deg, and, from applying magnitude-amplitude-shape-aspect a pole at 220 + or - 1 deg, +40 + or - 4 deg, and a modeled triaxial ellipsoid shape (a greater than b greater than c) and a/b = 1.33 + or - 0.07. The discrepancy between the high-pole latitude found here and the low latitudes reported by Lupishko et al. (1982) and Zhou and Yang (1982) is discussed.

Pengaturan Kecepatan Motor Spindle pada Retrofit Mesin Bubut CNC Menggunakan Kontroler PID Gain Scheduling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fikri Yoga Permana

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Pada mesin bubut Computerized Numerical Control (CNC, proses pemahatan benda kerja memerlukan kecepatan potong yang tetap agar hasil kerja memiliki tingkat presisi tinggi. Dalam prakteknya, ketika terjadi pemotongan, diameter benda kerja akan selalu berkurang dan tingkat kedalaman pahat berubah-ubah sesuai dengan proses yang dilakukan sehingga mempengaruhi kecepatan putar motor spindle sehingga mengakibatkan tingkat presisi hasil kerja menjadi berkurang. Pada penelitian ini, digunakan kontroler PI Gain Scheduling untuk mengatur kecapatan motor spindle. Hasil yang didapatkan berupa simulasi kontroler PI Gain Scheduling. Dari hasil simulasi didapatkan kontroler PI Gain Scheduling mampu membuat respon sistem sesuai dengan yang diinginkan.

"Fast" and "slow" skeleto-fusimotor innervation in cat tenuissimus spindles; a study with the glycogen-depletion method.

Science.gov (United States)

Jami, L; Lan-Couton, D; Malmgren, K; Petit, J

1978-07-01

The glycogen-depletion method was used to investigate the motor supply to tenuissimus with respect to the presence of fast beta axons and to assess the total proportion of both fast and slow beta-innervated spindles in this muscle. In a first series of 5 expts., groups of motor axons with conduction velocities higher than 85 m/s were repetitively stimulated so as to produce glycogen depletion in the muscle fibres they innervated. The whole muscle was then quick-frozen, serially cut, stained to demonstrate glycogen and examined for intrafusal glycogen depletion. Zones of glycogen depletion were found in 16 of the 46 examined spindles; they were most frequently located in the longest of the chain intrafusal muscle fibres. Since it is known that there are no purely fusimotor axons to tenuissimus with conduction velocities above 50 m/s, it was concluded that beta axons are present among the fastest axons to this muscle. In a second series of 5 expts. as many motor axons as possible with conduction velocities above 60 m/s were stimulated. Zones of glycogen depletion were found in 19 of the 47 examined spindles. They affected chain fibres in about half of the instances and bag1 fibers in the others. As this latter location is characteristic of slow dynamic beta axons, it was concluded that both slow and fast beta axons occur regularly in the motor supply to tenuissimus. beta-innervation is present in at least 40% of tenuissimus spindles with almost no convergence of fast and slow beta axons onto the same spindle.

Current superimposition variable flux reluctance motor with 8 salient poles

Science.gov (United States)

Takahara, Kazuaki; Hirata, Katsuhiro; Niguchi, Noboru; Kohara, Akira

2017-12-01

We propose a current superimposition variable flux reluctance motor for a traction motor of electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles, which consists of 10 salient poles in the rotor and 12 slots in the stator. However, iron losses of this motor in high rotation speed ranges is large because the number of salient poles is large. In this paper, we propose a current superimposition variable flux reluctance motor that consists of 8 salient poles and 12 slots. The characteristics of the 10-pole-12-slot and 8-pole-12-slot current superimposition variable flux reluctance motors are compared using finite element analysis under vector control.

Current superimposition variable flux reluctance motor with 8 salient poles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takahara Kazuaki

2017-12-01

Full Text Available We propose a current superimposition variable flux reluctance motor for a traction motor of electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles, which consists of 10 salient poles in the rotor and 12 slots in the stator. However, iron losses of this motor in high rotation speed ranges is large because the number of salient poles is large. In this paper, we propose a current superimposition variable flux reluctance motor that consists of 8 salient poles and 12 slots. The characteristics of the 10-pole-12-slot and 8-pole-12-slot current superimposition variable flux reluctance motors are compared using finite element analysis under vector control.

POLE somatic mutations in advanced colorectal cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Guerra, Joana; Pinto, Carla; Pinto, Diana; Pinheiro, Manuela; Silva, Romina; Peixoto, Ana; Rocha, Patrícia; Veiga, Isabel; Santos, Catarina; Santos, Rui; Cabreira, Verónica; Lopes, Paula; Henrique, Rui; Teixeira, Manuel R

2017-12-01

Despite all the knowledge already gathered, the picture of somatic genetic changes in colorectal tumorigenesis is far from complete. Recently, germline and somatic mutations in the exonuclease domain of polymerase epsilon, catalytic subunit (POLE) gene have been reported in a small subset of microsatellite-stable and hypermutated colorectal carcinomas (CRCs), affecting the proofreading activity of the enzyme and leading to misincorporation of bases during DNA replication. To evaluate the role of POLE mutations in colorectal carcinogenesis, namely in advanced CRC, we searched for somatic mutations by Sanger sequencing in tumor DNA samples from 307 cases. Microsatellite instability and mutation analyses of a panel of oncogenes were performed in the tumors harboring POLE mutations. Three heterozygous mutations were found in two tumors, the c.857C>G, p.Pro286Arg, the c.901G>A, p.Asp301Asn, and the c.1376C>T, p.Ser459Phe. Of the POLE-mutated CRCs, one tumor was microsatellite-stable and the other had low microsatellite instability, whereas KRAS and PIK3CA mutations were found in one tumor each. We conclude that POLE somatic mutations exist but are rare in advanced CRC, with further larger studies being necessary to evaluate its biological and clinical implications. © 2017 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Development of a multi-pole magnetorheological brake

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiao, Yaojung; Nguyen, Quang-Anh

2013-01-01

This paper presents a new approach in the design and optimization of a novel multi-pole magnetorheological (MR) brake that employs magnetic flux more effectively on the surface of the rotor. MR brakes with conventional single ring-type electromagnetic poles have reached the limits of torque enhancement. One major reason is the limitation of the magnetic field strength within the active area of the MR fluid due to the geometric constraints of the coil. The multi-pole MR brake design features multiple electromagnetic poles surrounded by several coils. As a result, the active chaining areas for the MR fluid are greatly increased, and significant brake torque improvement is achieved. The coil structure, as a part of the stator, becomes flexible and customizable in terms of space usage for the winding and bobbin design. In addition, this brake offers extra options in its dimensions for torque enhancement because either the radial or the axial dimensions of the rotor can be increased. Magnetic circuit analysis was conducted to analyze the effects of the design parameters on the field torque. After that, simulations were done to find the optimal design under all major geometric constraints with a given power supply. The results show that the multi-pole MR brake provides a considerable braking torque increase while maintaining a compact and solid design. This is confirmation of its feasibility in actual braking applications. (paper)

Void growth and coalescence in metals deformed at elevated temperature

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klöcker, H.; Tvergaard, Viggo

2000-01-01

For metals deformed at elevated temperatures the growth of voids to coalescence is studied numerically. The voids are assumed to be present from the beginning of deformation, and the rate of deformation considered is so high that void growth is dominated by power law creep of the material, without...... any noticeable effect of surface diffusion. Axisymmetric unit cell model computations are used to study void growth in a material containing a periodic array of voids, and the onset of the coalescence process is defined as the stage where plastic flow localizes in the ligaments between neighbouring...... voids. The focus of the study is on various relatively high stress triaxialties. In order to represent the results in terms of a porous ductile material model a set of constitutive relations are used, which have been proposed for void growth in a material undergoing power law creep....

Inhibition of muscle spindle afferent activity during masseter muscle fatigue in the rat.

Science.gov (United States)

Brunetti, Orazio; Della Torre, Giovannella; Lucchi, Maria Luisa; Chiocchetti, Roberto; Bortolami, Ruggero; Pettorossi, Vito Enrico

2003-09-01

The influence of muscle fatigue on the jaw-closing muscle spindle activity has been investigated by analyzing: (1) the field potentials evoked in the trigeminal motor nucleus (Vmot) by trigeminal mesencephalic nucleus (Vmes) stimulation, (2) the orthodromic and antidromic responses evoked in the Vmes by stimulation of the peripheral and central axons of the muscle proprioceptive afferents, and (3) the extracellular unitary discharge of masseter muscle spindles recorded in the Vmes. The masseter muscle was fatigued by prolonged tetanic masseter nerve electrical stimulation. Pre- and postsynaptic components of the potentials evoked in the Vmot showed a significant reduction in amplitude following muscle fatigue. Orthodromic and antidromic potentials recorded in the Vmes also showed a similar amplitude decrease. Furthermore, muscle fatigue caused a decrease of the discharge frequency of masseter muscle spindle afferents in most of the examined units. The inhibition of the potential amplitude and discharge frequency was strictly correlated with the extent of muscle fatigue and was mediated by the group III and IV afferent muscle fibers activated by fatigue. In fact, the inhibitory effect was abolished by capsaicin injection in the masseter muscle that provokes selective degeneration of small afferent muscle fibers containing neurokinins. We concluded that fatigue signals originating from the muscle and traveling through capsaicin-sensitive fibers are able to diminish the proprioceptive input by a central presynaptic influence. In the second part of the study, we examined the central projection of the masseter small afferents sensitive to capsaicin at the electron-microscopic level. Fiber degeneration was induced by injecting capsaicin into the masseter muscle. Degenerating terminals were found on the soma and stem process in Vmes and on the dendritic tree of neurons in Vmot. This suggests that small muscle afferents may influence the muscle spindle activity through

Fatigue failure and cracking in high mast poles.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-01

This report presents the findings of a comprehensive research project to investigate the fatigue : cracking and failure of galvanized high mast illumination poles (HMIP). Ultrasonic inspection of : poles throughout the state has revealed the presence...

Muscle spindles exhibit core lesions and extensive degeneration of intrafusal fibers in the Ryr1I4895T/wt mouse model of core myopathy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zvaritch, Elena; MacLennan, David H.

2015-01-01

Muscle spindles from the hind limb muscles of adult Ryr1 I4895T/wt (IT/+) mice exhibit severe structural abnormalities. Up to 85% of the spindles are separated from skeletal muscle fascicles by a thick layer of connective tissue. Many intrafusal fibers exhibit degeneration, with Z-line streaming, compaction and collapse of myofibrillar bundles, mitochondrial clumping, nuclear shrinkage and pyknosis. The lesions resemble cores observed in the extrafusal myofibers of this animal model and of core myopathy patients. Spindle abnormalities precede those in extrafusal fibers, indicating that they are a primary pathological feature in this murine Ryr1-related core myopathy. Muscle spindle involvement, if confirmed for human core myopathy patients, would provide an explanation for an array of devastating clinical features characteristic of these diseases and provide novel insights into the pathology of RYR1-related myopathies. - Highlights: • Muscle spindles exhibit structural abnormalities in a mouse model of core myopathy. • Myofibrillar collapse and mitochondrial clumping is observed in intrafusal fibers. • Myofibrillar degeneration follows a pattern similar to core formation in extrafusal myofibers. • Muscle spindle abnormalities are a part of the pathological phenotype in the mouse model of core myopathy. • Direct involvement of muscle spindles in the pathology of human RYR1-related myopathies is proposed

Spindle Cell Carcinoma of Nasal Cavity- A Case Report

Science.gov (United States)

Mittal, Abhishek; Nagpal, Tapan

2016-01-01

Spindle Cell Carcinoma (SpCC), also known as Sarcomatoid Carcinoma, is a rare and peculiar biphasic malignant neoplasm that occurs mainly in the upper aero-digestive tract, mostly in larynx. SCC accounts for 3% of all squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) in the head and neck region. It is a rare variant of SCC which shows spindled or pleomorphic tumour cells simulating a true sarcoma. We present a case report of SpCC nasal cavity in a 50-year-old female patient, presented with intermittent epistaxis from left nasal cavity. On physical examination, the patient had an ulcero-exophytic type of mass in the left nasal cavity and a smooth bulge on the left side of anterior hard palate. Patient underwent excision of nasal mass along with partial palatectomy by facial degloving approach and reconstruction of palate with naso-labial flap. The postoperative histopathological report showed SCC. Surgery forms the mainstay of treatment. Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy is warranted in order to improve treatment results. As only few cases have been reported, we report a case of this rare entity to contribute for better understanding and awareness of this rare malignancy. PMID:27190843

Fibreglass as an alternative to wood poles : Transmission and distribution poles and crossarms : use of fiber reinforced composite materials for overhead electric utility lines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wiles, J.R. [Shakespeare Composites and Electronics, Newberry, SC (United States)

2002-07-01

For over thirty years, Shakespeare Composites and Electronics has manufactured fiberglass composite lighting and utility poles, as well as being the number one maker of composite crossarms. Composite poles have a few advantages, such as being lightweight, they do no rust, are woodpecker and termite resistant, use no harmful chemicals, and have long life. A chart displaying the comparative pole weights is presented. The key design factors of fiberglass composite utility poles are: pole diameter, fiberglass type and wind angle, layers (thickness) of fiberglass, resin type and formulation, resin mix consistency, cure cycle and maximum curing temperature, and others. Two charts were also displayed presenting 40 feet class 4 pole bending strengths and 40 feet class 2 pole bending strengths. The author indicated that composite poles have a better strength consistency than wood, while being as consistent as steel and prestressed concrete. The design is based on an overload factor of safety of 2.5 for numerous installations. Some of the analytical methods used include mechanical testing, finite element modeling, and thermal analysis. The author describes in detail the concerns associated with attachments. Coating consists of a system of ultra violet blockers in the resin followed by an added resin rich polyester veil outer surface. In addition, there is a proprietary coating process with additional ultra violet blockers. Quality control is effected at the plant. The weathering system lasts 80 years. figs.

Magnetic neutral point stretching and coalescence in tearing-generated magnetohydrodynamic structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malara, F.; Veltri, P.; Carbone, V.

1991-01-01

The time evolution of the instability of a sheet pinch is numerically studied using a sufficiently high ratio of system length to width in order to allow the simultaneous growth of several unstable wavelengths. This numerical simulation provides new insights into the nonlinear development of the tearing instability. Before the instability saturates, the nonlinear interactions among the unstable modes produce local coalescence phenomena that destroy the weaker current pinches and reduce the number of magnetic islands. In contrast with the usual picture, this coalescence is not due to the attraction between the current maxima, but is due to the stretching of the X-neutral points associated with the most intense current pinches. The global perturbation growth rate remains essentially unchanged in time, being of the order of the resistive instability growth rate

Spindle-cell squamous carcinoma of the esophagus: a tumor with biphasic morphology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agha, F.P.; Keren, D.F.

1985-01-01

Spindle-cell squamous carcinoma of the esophagus is a rare malignant tumor. It is characterized by a large bulky mass in the middle third of the esophagus with a lobulated surface and local expansion of the esophagus. This lesion may be pedunculated and cause relatively little obstruction despite its bulk. The current view, based on ultrastructure and immunohistochemical evidence, has confirmed that the sarcomatous component of the squamous cell carcinoma originates from mesenchymal metaplasia of squamous cells. On the basis of this evidence and clinical behavior, it seems appropriate to consider carcinosarcoma and pseudosarcoma as equivalents and as variants of squamous cell carcinoma. Four patients with spindle-cell squamous carcinoma, an unusual subset of squamous carcinoma, are described, and the salient radiographic and pathologic features of this disorder's distinctive biphasic morphology are discussed

Generalized pole inflation: Hilltop, natural, and chaotic inflationary attractors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Terada, Takahiro, E-mail: takahiro.terada@apctp.org [Department of Physics, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics, Pohang 37673 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-09-10

A reformulation of inflationary model analyses appeared recently, in which inflationary observables are determined by the structure of a pole in the inflaton kinetic term rather than the shape of the inflaton potential. We comprehensively study this framework with an arbitrary order of the pole taking into account possible additional poles in the kinetic term or in the potential. Depending on the setup, the canonical potential becomes the form of hilltop or plateau models, variants of natural inflation, power-law inflation, or monomial/polynomial chaotic inflation. We demonstrate attractor behaviors of these models and compute corrections from the additional poles to the inflationary observables.

Development of a field pole of 1 MW-class HTS motor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan, S; Kimura, Y; Miki, M; Felder, B; Tsuzuki, K; Izumi, M; Ida, T; Umemoto, K; Aizawa, K; Yokoyama, M

2010-01-01

We report a field-pole high-temperature superconductor (HTS) magnet designed for 1 MW-class motor for propulsion. The field pole is assembled to the rotor of the radial-type motor. Each field pole is composed of HTS-Bi2223 tape wound into coils which have been piled up as a double pancake coils. In the design concept of the motor, we employ field poles without iron core. We prepared the test field-pole coil, whose dimension is smaller than the designed one for 1 MW, and tested its performances after cooling under self-field and external magnetic field. We verified the operation with the minimum bend radius of the coils required in the motor design, while keeping an optimal current which is lower than the critical current of the field-pole coil. The test HTS field poles were successfully cooled down and operated under a magnetic field ranging up to 5 T. We report the results of the test field-pole coil and the manufacture of a practical racetrack coil with Bi2223 and discuss the adaptability to 1 MW-class motors.

Development of a field pole of 1 MW-class HTS motor

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, S.; Kimura, Y.; Miki, M.; Felder, B.; Tsuzuki, K.; Ida, T.; Izumi, M.; Umemoto, K.; Aizawa, K.; Yokoyama, M.

2010-06-01

We report a field-pole high-temperature superconductor (HTS) magnet designed for 1 MW-class motor for propulsion. The field pole is assembled to the rotor of the radial-type motor. Each field pole is composed of HTS-Bi2223 tape wound into coils which have been piled up as a double pancake coils. In the design concept of the motor, we employ field poles without iron core. We prepared the test field-pole coil, whose dimension is smaller than the designed one for 1 MW, and tested its performances after cooling under self-field and external magnetic field. We verified the operation with the minimum bend radius of the coils required in the motor design, while keeping an optimal current which is lower than the critical current of the field-pole coil. The test HTS field poles were successfully cooled down and operated under a magnetic field ranging up to 5 T. We report the results of the test field-pole coil and the manufacture of a practical racetrack coil with Bi2223 and discuss the adaptability to 1 MW-class motors.

Optimal pole shifting controller for interconnected power system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yousef, Ali M.; Kassem, Ahmed M.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Mathematical model represents a power system which consists of synchronous machine connected to infinite bus through transmission line. → Power system stabilizer was designed based on optimal pole shifting controller. → The system performances was tested through load disturbances at different operating conditions. → The system performance with the proposed optimal pole shifting controller is compared with the conventional pole placement controller. → The digital simulation results indicated that the proposed controller has a superior performance. -- Abstract: Power system stabilizer based on optimal pole shifting is proposed. An approach for shifting the real parts of the open-loop poles to any desired positions while preserving the imaginary parts is presented. In each step of this approach, it is required to solve a first-order or a second-order linear matrix Lyapunov equation for shifting one real pole or two complex conjugate poles, respectively. This presented method yields a solution, which is optimal with respect to a quadratic performance index. The attractive feature of this method is that it enables solutions of the complex problem to be easily found without solving any non-linear algebraic Riccati equation. The present power system stabilizer is based on Riccati equation approach. The control law depends on finding the feedback gain matrix, and then the control signal is synthesized by multiplying the state variables of the power system with determined gain matrix. The gain matrix is calculated one time only, and it works over wide range of operating conditions. To validate the power of the proposed PSS, a linearized model of a simple power system consisted of a single synchronous machine connected to infinite bus bar through transmission line is simulated. The studied power system is subjected to various operating points and power system parameters changes.

Optimal pole shifting controller for interconnected power system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yousef, Ali M., E-mail: drali_yousef@yahoo.co [Electrical Eng. Dept., Faculty of Engineering, Assiut University (Egypt); Kassem, Ahmed M., E-mail: kassem_ahmed53@hotmail.co [Control Technology Dep., Industrial Education College, Beni-Suef University (Egypt)

2011-05-15

Research highlights: {yields} Mathematical model represents a power system which consists of synchronous machine connected to infinite bus through transmission line. {yields} Power system stabilizer was designed based on optimal pole shifting controller. {yields} The system performances was tested through load disturbances at different operating conditions. {yields} The system performance with the proposed optimal pole shifting controller is compared with the conventional pole placement controller. {yields} The digital simulation results indicated that the proposed controller has a superior performance. -- Abstract: Power system stabilizer based on optimal pole shifting is proposed. An approach for shifting the real parts of the open-loop poles to any desired positions while preserving the imaginary parts is presented. In each step of this approach, it is required to solve a first-order or a second-order linear matrix Lyapunov equation for shifting one real pole or two complex conjugate poles, respectively. This presented method yields a solution, which is optimal with respect to a quadratic performance index. The attractive feature of this method is that it enables solutions of the complex problem to be easily found without solving any non-linear algebraic Riccati equation. The present power system stabilizer is based on Riccati equation approach. The control law depends on finding the feedback gain matrix, and then the control signal is synthesized by multiplying the state variables of the power system with determined gain matrix. The gain matrix is calculated one time only, and it works over wide range of operating conditions. To validate the power of the proposed PSS, a linearized model of a simple power system consisted of a single synchronous machine connected to infinite bus bar through transmission line is simulated. The studied power system is subjected to various operating points and power system parameters changes.

Synthetic focused array of electrical prospecting using pole-pole array potential data; Sanjigen denki tansaho ni okeru nikyokuho den`i data wo mochiita denryu shusoku haichi no goseiho

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suzuki, K [Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, Tokyo (Japan)

1997-10-22

Various methods have been put into practice for the conventional two-dimensional pole configuration using a single line in three-dimensional electrical prospecting. Pole configuration effective for the three-dimensional exploration has not been investigated. This paper describes synthetic focused array using four pairs of guarded poles based on pole-pole array potential data in the case of arrangement of measuring points on a grid. Results of the numerical simulation are also described. For the focused array, laterolog of electrical logging is applied to the surface prospecting. Directivity can be given to the current from the main pole by controlling the current from guarded pole. It was found from the simulation that the resistivity anomaly is concentrated directly on the embedded ball for the focused array rather than for the pole-pole array. It was also found that two conductive balls can be clearly separated for the focused array rather than for the dipole-dipole array. Accordingly, it was considered that results approximating the original structures can be obtained by analyzing using the both arrays. 5 refs., 6 figs.

Multiple pole in the electron--hydrogen-atom scattering amplitude

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amusia, M.Y.; Kuchiev, M.Y.

1982-01-01

It is demonstrated that the amplitude for electron--hydrogen-atom forward scattering has the third-order pole at the point E = -13.6 eV, E being the energy of the incident electron. The coefficients which characterize the pole are calculated exactly. The invalidity of the Born approximation is proved. The contribution of the pole singularity to the dispersion relation for the scattering amplitude is discussed

Observation of Coalescence Process of Silver Nanospheres During Shape Transformation to Nanoprisms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu Pyng

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract In this report, we observed the growth mechanism and the shape transformation from spherical nanoparticles (diameter ~6 nm to triangular nanoprisms (bisector length ~100 nm. We used a simple direct chemical reduction method and provided evidences for the growth of silver nanoprisms via a coalescence process. Unlike previous reports, our method does not rely upon light, heat, or strong oxidant for the shape transformation. This transformation could be launched by fine-tuning the pH value of the silver colloidal solution. Based on our extensive examination using transmission electron microscopy, we propose a non-point initiated growth mechanism, which is a combination of coalescence and dissolution–recrystallization process during the growth of silver nanoprisms.

What is the function of centrioles?

Science.gov (United States)

Marshall, Wallace F

2007-03-01

The function of centrioles has been controversial and remains incompletely resolved. This is because centrioles, in and of themselves, do not directly perform any physiological activity. Instead, their role is only to act as a jig or breadboard onto which other functional structures can be built. Centrioles are primarily involved in forming two structures-centrosomes and cilia. Centrioles bias the position of spindle pole formation, but because spindle poles can self-organize, the function of the centriole in mitosis is not obligatory. Consequently, lack of centrioles does not generally prevent mitosis, although recent experiments suggest acentriolar spindles have reduced fidelity of chromosome segregation. In contrast, centrioles are absolutely required for the assembly of cilia, including primary cilia that act as cellular antennae. Consistent with this requirement, it is now becoming clear that many ciliary diseases, including nephronophthisis, Bardet-Biedl syndrome, Meckel Syndrome, and Oral-Facial-Digital syndrome, are caused by defects in centriole-associated proteins.

Sleep spindles during a nap correlate with post sleep memory performance for highly rewarded word-pairs.

Science.gov (United States)

Studte, Sara; Bridger, Emma; Mecklinger, Axel

2017-04-01

The consolidation of new associations is thought to depend in part on physiological processes engaged during non-REM (NREM) sleep, such as slow oscillations and sleep spindles. Moreover, NREM sleep is thought to selectively benefit associations that are adaptive for the future. In line with this, the current study investigated whether different reward cues at encoding are associated with changes in sleep physiology and memory retention. Participants' associative memory was tested after learning a list of arbitrarily paired words both before and after taking a 90-min nap. During learning, word-pairs were preceded by a cue indicating either a high or a low reward for correct memory performance at test. The motivation manipulation successfully impacted retention such that memory declined to a greater extent from pre- to post sleep for low rewarded than for high rewarded word-pairs. In line with previous studies, positive correlations between spindle density during NREM sleep and general memory performance pre- and post-sleep were found. In addition to this, however, a selective positive relationship between memory performance for highly rewarded word-pairs at posttest and spindle density during NREM sleep was also observed. These results support the view that motivationally salient memories are preferentially consolidated and that sleep spindles may be an important underlying mechanism for selective consolidation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Imputation of missing genotypes within LD-blocks relying on the basic coalescent and beyond: consideration of population growth and structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Kabisch, Maria; Hamann, Ute; Lorenzo Bermejo, Justo

2017-10-17

Genotypes not directly measured in genetic studies are often imputed to improve statistical power and to increase mapping resolution. The accuracy of standard imputation techniques strongly depends on the similarity of linkage disequilibrium (LD) patterns in the study and reference populations. Here we develop a novel approach for genotype imputation in low-recombination regions that relies on the coalescent and permits to explicitly account for population demographic factors. To test the new method, study and reference haplotypes were simulated and gene trees were inferred under the basic coalescent and also considering population growth and structure. The reference haplotypes that first coalesced with study haplotypes were used as templates for genotype imputation. Computer simulations were complemented with the analysis of real data. Genotype concordance rates were used to compare the accuracies of coalescent-based and standard (IMPUTE2) imputation. Simulations revealed that, in LD-blocks, imputation accuracy relying on the basic coalescent was higher and less variable than with IMPUTE2. Explicit consideration of population growth and structure, even if present, did not practically improve accuracy. The advantage of coalescent-based over standard imputation increased with the minor allele frequency and it decreased with population stratification. Results based on real data indicated that, even in low-recombination regions, further research is needed to incorporate recombination in coalescence inference, in particular for studies with genetically diverse and admixed individuals. To exploit the full potential of coalescent-based methods for the imputation of missing genotypes in genetic studies, further methodological research is needed to reduce computer time, to take into account recombination, and to implement these methods in user-friendly computer programs. Here we provide reproducible code which takes advantage of publicly available software to facilitate

Prediction of crack coalescence of steam generator tubes in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abou-Hanna, Jeries; McGreevy, Timothy E.; Majumdar, Saurin

2004-01-01

Prediction of failure pressures of cracked steam generator tubes of nuclear power plants is an important ingredient in scheduling inspection and repair of tubes. Prediction is usually based on nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of cracks. NDE often reveals two neighboring cracks. If the cracks interact, the tube pressure under which the ligament between the two cracks fails could be much lower than the critical burst pressure of an individual equivalent crack. The ability to accurately predict the ligament failure pressure, called ''coalescence pressure,'' is important. The failure criterion was established by nonlinear finite element model (FEM) analyses of coalescence of two 100% through-wall collinear cracks. The ligament failure is precipitated by local instability of the ligament under plane strain conditions. As a result of this local instability, the ligament thickness in the radial direction decreases abruptly with pressure. Good correlation of FEM analysis results with experimental data obtained at Argonne National Laboratory's Energy Technology Division demonstrated that nonlinear FEM analyses are capable of predicting the coalescence pressure accurately for 100% through-wall cracks. This failure criterion and FEA work have been extended to axial cracks of varying ligament width, crack length, and cases where cracks are offset by axial or circumferential ligaments

POLE-LIKE STREET FURNITURE DECOMPOSTION IN MOBILE LASER SCANNING DATA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Li

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Automatic semantic interpretation of street furniture has become a popular topic in recent years. Current studies detect street furniture as connected components of points above the street level. Street furniture classification based on properties of such components suffers from large intra class variability of shapes and cannot deal with mixed classes like traffic signs attached to light poles. In this paper, we focus on the decomposition of point clouds of pole-like street furniture. A novel street furniture decomposition method is proposed, which consists of three steps: (i acquirement of prior-knowledge, (ii pole extraction, (iii components separation. For the pole extraction, a novel global pole extraction approach is proposed to handle 3 different cases of street furniture. In the evaluation of results, which involves the decomposition of 27 different instances of street furniture, we demonstrate that our method decomposes mixed classes street furniture into poles and different components with respect to different functionalities.

Pole-Like Street Furniture Decompostion in Mobile Laser Scanning Data

Science.gov (United States)

Li, F.; Oude Elberink, S.; Vosselman, G.

2016-06-01

Automatic semantic interpretation of street furniture has become a popular topic in recent years. Current studies detect street furniture as connected components of points above the street level. Street furniture classification based on properties of such components suffers from large intra class variability of shapes and cannot deal with mixed classes like traffic signs attached to light poles. In this paper, we focus on the decomposition of point clouds of pole-like street furniture. A novel street furniture decomposition method is proposed, which consists of three steps: (i) acquirement of prior-knowledge, (ii) pole extraction, (iii) components separation. For the pole extraction, a novel global pole extraction approach is proposed to handle 3 different cases of street furniture. In the evaluation of results, which involves the decomposition of 27 different instances of street furniture, we demonstrate that our method decomposes mixed classes street furniture into poles and different components with respect to different functionalities.

Bubble Coalescence: Effect of Bubble Approach Velocity and Liquid Viscosity

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Orvalho, Sandra; Růžička, Marek; Olivieri, G.; Marzocchella, A.

2015-01-01

Roč. 134, SEP 29 (2015), s. 205-216 ISSN 0009-2509 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LD13018 Institutional support: RVO:67985858 Keywords : bubble coalescence * bubble approach velocity * liquid viscosity Subject RIV: CI - Industrial Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Impact factor: 2.750, year: 2015

Compact high-field superconducting quadrupole magnet with holmium poles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barlow, D.B.; Kraus, R.H. Jr.; Lobb, C.T.; Menzel, M.T. (Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)); Walstrom, P.L. (Grumman Space Systems, Los Alamos, NM (United States))

1992-03-15

A compact high-field superconducting quadrupole magnet was designed and built with poles made of the rare-earth metal holmium. The magnet is intended for use in superconducting coupled-cavity linear accelerators where compact high-field quadrupoles are needed, but where the use of permanent magnets is ruled out because of trapped-flux losses. The magnet has a clear bore diameter of 1.8 cm, outside diameter of 11 cm, length of 11 cm, and pole tip length of 6 cm. The effect of using holmium, a material with a higher saturation field than iron, was investigated by replacing poles made of iron with identical poles made of holmium. The magnet was operated at a temperature of 4.2 K and reached a peak quadrupole field gradient of 355 T/m, a 10% increase over the same magnet with iron poles. This increase in performance is consistent with calculations based on B-H curves that were measured for holmium at 4.2 K. (orig.).

Multiscale Simulations of Magnetic Island Coalescence

Science.gov (United States)

Dorelli, John C.

2010-01-01

We describe a new interactive parallel Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) framework written in the Python programming language. This new framework, PyAMR, hides the details of parallel AMR data structures and algorithms (e.g., domain decomposition, grid partition, and inter-process communication), allowing the user to focus on the development of algorithms for advancing the solution of a systems of partial differential equations on a single uniform mesh. We demonstrate the use of PyAMR by simulating the pairwise coalescence of magnetic islands using the resistive Hall MHD equations. Techniques for coupling different physics models on different levels of the AMR grid hierarchy are discussed.

GALAXY ROTATION AND RAPID SUPERMASSIVE BINARY COALESCENCE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Holley-Bockelmann, Kelly [Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (United States); Khan, Fazeel Mahmood, E-mail: k.holley@vanderbilt.edu [Institute of Space Technology (IST), Islamabad (Pakistan)

2015-09-10

Galaxy mergers usher the supermassive black hole (SMBH) in each galaxy to the center of the potential, where they form an SMBH binary. The binary orbit shrinks by ejecting stars via three-body scattering, but ample work has shown that in spherical galaxy models, the binary separation stalls after ejecting all the stars in its loss cone—this is the well-known final parsec problem. However, it has been shown that SMBH binaries in non-spherical galactic nuclei harden at a nearly constant rate until reaching the gravitational wave regime. Here we use a suite of direct N-body simulations to follow SMBH binary evolution in both corotating and counterrotating flattened galaxy models. For N > 500 K, we find that the evolution of the SMBH binary is convergent and is independent of the particle number. Rotation in general increases the hardening rate of SMBH binaries even more effectively than galaxy geometry alone. SMBH binary hardening rates are similar for co- and counterrotating galaxies. In the corotating case, the center of mass of the SMBH binary settles into an orbit that is in corotation resonance with the background rotating model, and the coalescence time is roughly a few 100 Myr faster than a non-rotating flattened model. We find that counterrotation drives SMBHs to coalesce on a nearly radial orbit promptly after forming a hard binary. We discuss the implications for gravitational wave astronomy, hypervelocity star production, and the effect on the structure of the host galaxy.

GALAXY ROTATION AND RAPID SUPERMASSIVE BINARY COALESCENCE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holley-Bockelmann, Kelly; Khan, Fazeel Mahmood

2015-01-01

Galaxy mergers usher the supermassive black hole (SMBH) in each galaxy to the center of the potential, where they form an SMBH binary. The binary orbit shrinks by ejecting stars via three-body scattering, but ample work has shown that in spherical galaxy models, the binary separation stalls after ejecting all the stars in its loss cone—this is the well-known final parsec problem. However, it has been shown that SMBH binaries in non-spherical galactic nuclei harden at a nearly constant rate until reaching the gravitational wave regime. Here we use a suite of direct N-body simulations to follow SMBH binary evolution in both corotating and counterrotating flattened galaxy models. For N > 500 K, we find that the evolution of the SMBH binary is convergent and is independent of the particle number. Rotation in general increases the hardening rate of SMBH binaries even more effectively than galaxy geometry alone. SMBH binary hardening rates are similar for co- and counterrotating galaxies. In the corotating case, the center of mass of the SMBH binary settles into an orbit that is in corotation resonance with the background rotating model, and the coalescence time is roughly a few 100 Myr faster than a non-rotating flattened model. We find that counterrotation drives SMBHs to coalesce on a nearly radial orbit promptly after forming a hard binary. We discuss the implications for gravitational wave astronomy, hypervelocity star production, and the effect on the structure of the host galaxy

Effect of materials and manufacturing on the bending stiffness of vaulting poles

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, C. L.; Kukureka, S. N.

2012-09-01

The increase in the world record height achieved in pole vaulting can be related to the improved ability of the athletes, in terms of their fitness and technique, and to the change in materials used to construct the pole. For example in 1960 there was a change in vaulting pole construction from bamboo to glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites. The lighter GFRP pole enabled the athletes to have a faster run-up, resulting in a greater take-off speed, giving them more kinetic energy to convert into potential energy and hence height. GFRP poles also have a much higher failure stress than bamboo, so the poles were engineered to bend under the load of the athlete, thereby storing elastic strain energy that can be released as the pole straightens, resulting in greater energy efficiency. The bending also allowed athletes to change their vaulting technique from a style that involved the body remaining almost upright during the vault to one where the athlete goes over the bar with their feet upwards. Modern vaulting poles can be made from GFRP and/or carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites. The addition of carbon fibres maintains the mechanical properties of the pole, but allows a reduction in the weight. The number and arrangement of the fibres determines the mechanical properties, in particular the bending stiffness. Vaulting poles are also designed for an individual athlete to take into account each athlete’s ability and physical characteristics. The poles are rated by ‘weight’ to allow athletes to select an appropriate pole for their ability. This paper will review the development of vaulting poles and the requirements to maximize performance. The properties (bending stiffness and pre-bend) and microstructure (fibre volume fraction and lay-up) of typical vaulting poles will be discussed. Originally published as Davis C L and Kukureka S N (2004) Effect of materials and manufacturing on the bending stiffness of vaulting poles The Engineering of

Modeling and characterization of an electromagnetic system for the estimation of Frequency Response Function of spindle

Science.gov (United States)

Tlalolini, David; Ritou, Mathieu; Rabréau, Clément; Le Loch, Sébastien; Furet, Benoit

2018-05-01

The paper presents an electromagnetic system that has been developed to measure the quasi-static and dynamic behavior of machine-tool spindle, at different spindle speeds. This system consists in four Pulse Width Modulation amplifiers and four electromagnets to produce magnetic forces of ± 190 N for the static mode and ± 80 N for the dynamic mode up to 5 kHz. In order to measure the Frequency Response Function (FRF) of spindle, the applied force is required, which is a key issue. A dynamic force model is proposed in order to obtain the load from the measured current in the amplifiers. The model depends on the exciting frequency and on the magnetic characteristics of the system. The predicted force at high speed is validated with a specific experiment and the performance limits of the experimental device are investigated. The FRF obtained with the electromagnetic system is compared to a classical tap test measurement.

Sleep spindles: a physiological marker of age-related changes in gray matter in brain regions supporting motor skill memory consolidation.

Science.gov (United States)

Fogel, Stuart; Vien, Catherine; Karni, Avi; Benali, Habib; Carrier, Julie; Doyon, Julien

2017-01-01

Sleep is necessary for the optimal consolidation of procedural learning, and in particular, for motor sequential skills. Motor sequence learning remains intact with age, but sleep-dependent consolidation is impaired, suggesting that memory deficits for procedural skills are specifically impacted by age-related changes in sleep. Age-related changes in spindles may be responsible for impaired motor sequence learning consolidation, but the morphological basis for this deficit is unknown. Here, we found that gray matter in the hippocampus and cerebellum was positively correlated with both sleep spindles and offline improvements in performance in young participants but not in older participants. These results suggest that age-related changes in gray matter in the hippocampus relate to spindles and may underlie age-related deficits in sleep-related motor sequence memory consolidation. In this way, spindles can serve as a biological marker for structural brain changes and the related memory deficits in older adults. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A maximum pseudo-likelihood approach for estimating species trees under the coalescent model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edwards Scott V

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Several phylogenetic approaches have been developed to estimate species trees from collections of gene trees. However, maximum likelihood approaches for estimating species trees under the coalescent model are limited. Although the likelihood of a species tree under the multispecies coalescent model has already been derived by Rannala and Yang, it can be shown that the maximum likelihood estimate (MLE of the species tree (topology, branch lengths, and population sizes from gene trees under this formula does not exist. In this paper, we develop a pseudo-likelihood function of the species tree to obtain maximum pseudo-likelihood estimates (MPE of species trees, with branch lengths of the species tree in coalescent units. Results We show that the MPE of the species tree is statistically consistent as the number M of genes goes to infinity. In addition, the probability that the MPE of the species tree matches the true species tree converges to 1 at rate O(M -1. The simulation results confirm that the maximum pseudo-likelihood approach is statistically consistent even when the species tree is in the anomaly zone. We applied our method, Maximum Pseudo-likelihood for Estimating Species Trees (MP-EST to a mammal dataset. The four major clades found in the MP-EST tree are consistent with those in the Bayesian concatenation tree. The bootstrap supports for the species tree estimated by the MP-EST method are more reasonable than the posterior probability supports given by the Bayesian concatenation method in reflecting the level of uncertainty in gene trees and controversies over the relationship of four major groups of placental mammals. Conclusions MP-EST can consistently estimate the topology and branch lengths (in coalescent units of the species tree. Although the pseudo-likelihood is derived from coalescent theory, and assumes no gene flow or horizontal gene transfer (HGT, the MP-EST method is robust to a small amount of HGT in the

Difference in growth and coalescing patterns of droplets on bi-philic surfaces with varying spatial distribution.

Science.gov (United States)

Garimella, Martand Mayukh; Koppu, Sudheer; Kadlaskar, Shantanu Shrikant; Pillutla, Venkata; Abhijeet; Choi, Wonjae

2017-11-01

This paper reports the condensation and subsequent motion of water droplets on bi-philic surfaces, surfaces that are patterned with regions of different wettability. Bi-philic surfaces can enhance the water collection efficiency: droplets condensing on hydrophobic regions wick into hydrophilic drain channels when droplets grow to a certain size, renewing the condensation on the dry hydrophobic region. The onset of drain phenomenon can be triggered by multiple events with distinct nature ranging from gravity, direct contact between a droplet and a drain channel, to a mutual coalescence between droplets. This paper focuses on the effect of the length scale of hydrophobic regions on the dynamics of mutual coalescence between droplets and subsequent drainage. The main hypothesis was that, when the drop size is sufficient, the kinetic energy associated with a coalescence of droplets may cause dynamic advancing of a newly formed drop, leading to further coalescence with nearby droplets and ultimately to a chain reaction. We fabricate bi-philic surfaces with hydrophilic and hydrophobic stripes, and the result confirms that coalescing droplets, when the length scale of droplets increases beyond 0.2mm, indeed display dynamic expansion and chain reaction. Multiple droplets can thus migrate to hydrophilic drain simultaneously even when the initial motion of the droplets was not triggered by the direct contact between the droplet and the hydrophilic drain. Efficiency of drain due to mutual coalescence of droplets varies depending on the length scale of bi-philic patterns, and the drain phenomenon reaches its peak when the width of hydrophobic stripes is between 800μm and 1mm. The Ohnesorge number of droplets draining on noted surfaces is between 0.0042 and 0.0037 respectively. The observed length scale of bi-philic patterns matches that on the Stenocara beetle's fog harvesting back surface. This match between length scales suggests that the surface of the insect is optimized

Reliability assessment of power pole infrastructure incorporating deterioration and network maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryan, Paraic C.; Stewart, Mark G.; Spencer, Nathan; Li, Yue

2014-01-01

There is considerable investment in timber utility poles worldwide, and there is a need to examine the structural reliability and probability based management optimisation of these power distribution infrastructure elements. The work presented in this paper builds on the existing studies in this area through assessment of both treated and untreated timber power poles, with the effects of deterioration and network maintenance incorporated in the analysis. This more realistic assessment approach, with deterioration and maintenance considered, was achieved using event-based Monte Carlo simulation. The output from the probabilistic model is used to illustrate the importance of considering network maintenance in the time-dependent structural reliability assessment of timber power poles. Under wind load, treated and untreated poles designed and maintained in accordance with existing Australian standards were found to have similar failure rates. However, untreated pole networks required approximately twice as many maintenance based pole replacements to sustain the same level of reliability. The effect of four different network maintenance strategies on infrastructure performance was also investigated herein. This assessment highlighted the fact that slight alterations to network maintenance practices can lead to significant changes in performance of timber power pole networks. - Highlights: • A time-dependent structural reliability model was developed for timber power poles. • Deterioration and network maintenance were incorporated into this event based model. • Network maintenance had a significant impact on power pole wind vulnerability. • Treated and untreated poles designed to Australian standards had similar reliability. • Minor alterations to maintenance strategies had large effects on network performance

Constitutively expressed Protocadherin-α regulates the coalescence and elimination of homotypic olfactory axons through its cytoplasmic region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sonoko eHasegawa

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Olfactory sensory neuron (OSN axons coalesce into specific glomeruli in the olfactory bulb (OB according to their odorant receptor (OR expression. Several guidance molecules enhance the coalescence of homotypic OSN projections, in an OR-specific- and neural-activity-dependent manner. However, the mechanism by which homotypic OSN axons are organized into glomeruli is unsolved. We previously reported that the clustered protocadherin-α (Pcdh-α family of diverse cadherin-related molecules plays roles in the coalescence and elimination of homotypic OSN axons throughout development. Here we showed that the elimination of small ectopic homotypic glomeruli required the constitutive expression of a Pcdh-α isoform and Pcdh-α’s cytoplasmic region, but not OR specificity or neural activity. These results suggest that Pcdh-α proteins provide a cytoplasmic signal to regulate repulsive activity for homotypic OSN axons independently of OR expression and neural activity. The counterbalancing effect of Pcdh-α proteins for the axonal coalescence mechanisms mediated by other olfactory guidance molecules indicate a possible mechanism for the organization of homotypic OSN axons into glomeruli during development.

Coalescence of two equal cylinders: exact results for creeping viscous plane flow driven by capillarity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hopper, R.W.

1984-01-01

The coalescence of two equal viscous cylinders under the influence of capillarity is of interest in the theory of sintering. Although the flow in typical cylinder coalescence experiments is not planar, the plane-flow case is of general interest and is a good approximation in the early stage. An essentially exact analytic solution giving the shape as a function of time for slow plane flow is presented in simple closed form. 16 references, 2 figures, 1 table

Determination of the crystallite orientation distribution from direct pole figures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Araujo Gomes, P.A.M. de.

1977-01-01

A method is described which allows to calculate the crystallite orientation distribution in polycrystalline material, from direct pole figures data of its crystallographic planes (Roe's Method). The programme was applied to (1010), (0002), (1011) and (1120) complete pole figures data for a commercial, thin sheet Zircaloy-4 tubing specimen. A semi-automatic Rigaku-Denki texture goniometer, which scans the reciprocal lattice sphere pointwise outputting the data in a punched tape, was used to obtain the pole figures. This is consistent with the results obtained through direct conclusion from the pole figures. (author)

LOX is a novel mitotic spindle-associated protein essential for mitosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Boufraqech, Myriem; Wei, Darmood; Weyemi, Urbain; Zhang, Lisa; Quezado, Martha; Kalab, Petr; Kebebew, Electron

2016-05-17

LOX regulates cancer progression in a variety of human malignancies. It is overexpressed in aggressive cancers and higher expression of LOX is associated with higher cancer mortality. Here, we report a new function of LOX in mitosis. We show that LOX co-localizes to mitotic spindles from metaphase to telophase, and p-H3(Ser10)-positive cells harbor strong LOX staining. Further, purification of mitotic spindles from synchronized cells show that LOX fails to bind to microtubules in the presence of nocodazole, whereas paclitaxel treated samples showed enrichment in LOX expression, suggesting that LOX binds to stabilized microtubules. LOX knockdown leads to G2/M phase arrest; reduced p-H3(Ser10), cyclin B1, CDK1, and Aurora B. Moreover, LOX knockdown significantly increased sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents that target microtubules. Our findings suggest that LOX has a role in cancer cell mitosis and may be targeted to enhance the activity of microtubule inhibitors for cancer therapy.

The Aurora B kinase in chromosome biorientation and spindle checkpoint signalling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Veronica eKrenn

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Aurora B, a member of the Aurora family of serine/threonine protein kinases, is a key player in chromosome segregation. As part of a macromolecular complex known as the chromosome passenger complex, Aurora B concentrates early during mitosis in the proximity of centromeres and kinetochores, the sites of attachment of chromosomes to spindle microtubules. There, it contributes to a number of processes that impart fidelity to cell division, including kinetochore stabilization, kinetochore-microtubule attachment, and the regulation of a surveillance mechanism named the spindle assembly checkpoint. In the regulation of these processes, Aurora B is the fulcrum of a remarkably complex network of interactions that feed back on its localization and activation state. In this review we discuss the multiple roles of Aurora B during mitosis, focusing in particular on its role at centromeres and kinetochores. Many details of the network of interactions at these locations remain poorly understood, and we focus here on several crucial outstanding questions.

Theoretical modeling and experimental analyses of laminated wood composite poles

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng Piao; Todd F. Shupe; Vijaya Gopu; Chung Y. Hse

2005-01-01

Wood laminated composite poles consist of trapezoid-shaped wood strips bonded with synthetic resin. The thick-walled hollow poles had adequate strength and stiffness properties and were a promising substitute for solid wood poles. It was necessary to develop theoretical models to facilitate the manufacture and future installation and maintenance of this novel...

Breakup and coalescence characteristics of a hollow cone swirling spray

Science.gov (United States)

Saha, Abhishek; Lee, Joshua D.; Basu, Saptarshi; Kumar, Ranganathan

2012-12-01

This paper deals with an experimental study of the breakup characteristics of water emanating from hollow cone hydraulic injector nozzles induced by pressure-swirling. The experiments were conducted using two nozzles with different orifice diameters 0.3 mm and 0.5 mm and injection pressures (0.3-4 MPa) which correspond to Rep = 7000-26 000. Two types of laser diagnostic techniques were utilized: shadowgraph and phase Doppler particle anemometry for a complete study of the atomization process. Measurements that were made in the spray in both axial and radial directions indicate that both velocity and average droplet diameter profiles are highly dependent on the nozzle characteristics, Weber number and Reynolds number. The spatial variation of diameter and velocity arises principally due to primary breakup of liquid films and subsequent secondary breakup of large droplets due to aerodynamic shear. Downstream of the nozzle, coalescence of droplets due to collision was also found to be significant. Different types of liquid film breakup were considered and found to match well with the theory. Secondary breakup due to shear was also studied theoretically and compared to the experimental data. Coalescence probability at different axial and radial locations was computed to explain the experimental results. The spray is subdivided into three zones: near the nozzle, a zone consisting of film and ligament regime, where primary breakup and some secondary breakup take place; a second zone where the secondary breakup process continues, but weakens, and the centrifugal dispersion becomes dominant; and a third zone away from the spray where coalescence is dominant. Each regime has been analyzed in detail, characterized by timescale and Weber number and validated using experimental data.

Derivation of nominal strength for wood utility poles

Science.gov (United States)

Ronald W. Wolfe; Jozsef Bodig; Patricia Lebow

2001-01-01

The designated fiber stress values published in the American National Standards Institute Standard for Poles, ANSI 05.1, no longer reflect the state of the knowledge. These values are based on a combination of test data from small clear wood samples and small poles (

Comparative Investigation on the Performance of Modified System Poles and Traditional System Poles Obtained from PDC Data for Diagnosing the Ageing Condition of Transformer Polymer Insulation Materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiefeng Liu

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The life expectancy of a transformer is largely depended on the service life of transformer polymer insulation materials. Nowadays, several papers have reported that the traditional system poles obtained from polarization and depolarization current (PDC data can be used to assess the condition of transformer insulation systems. However, the traditional system poles technique only provides limited ageing information for transformer polymer insulation. In this paper, the modified system poles obtained from PDC data are proposed to assess the ageing condition of transformer polymer insulation. The aim of the work is to focus on reporting a comparative investigation on the performance of modified system poles and traditional system poles for assessing the ageing condition of a transformer polymer insulation system. In the present work, a series of experiments have been performed under controlled laboratory conditions. The PDC measurement data, degree of polymerization (DP and moisture content of the oil-immersed polymer pressboard specimens were carefully monitored. It is observed that, compared to the relationships between traditional system poles and DP values, there are better correlations between the modified system poles and DP values, because the modified system poles can obtain much more ageing information on transformer polymer insulation. Therefore, the modified system poles proposed in the paper are more suitable for the diagnosis of the ageing condition of transformer polymer insulation.

Choice of wood poles can reduce greenhouse gases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sedjo, R. A.

2002-07-01

The first, second and third assessment reports on climate change of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are reviewed in an effort to highlight results of past studies on the total life cycle energy utilization of wood products compared with the use of substitute materials such as steel, concrete, bricks and aluminum. Without exception, all studies found that the total energy requirements associated with wood materials are substantially lower than those of other commonly substituted materials. For example, it has been clearly demonstrated that wooden poles are more environmentally benign than concrete or steel poles with regard to their energy utilization and their potential to contribute to atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions. An estimate to convert wood poles to steel poles showed that while the greenhouse gas emissions associated with pole conversion were modest compared to the national total, they were nevertheless a significant percentage of US annual emission (approximately 2.8 per cent of annual US total of 5.28 billion tons of carbon dioxide). These studies provide empirical confirmation of the concept that substitution of high energy-intensive materials for low-energy-using wood materials contributes substantially to the overall increase of carbon dioxide emissions through their overall higher energy requirements.

Analysis of car’s frontal collision against pole

Science.gov (United States)

Ispas, N.; Nastasoiu, M.

2017-10-01

Reducing the effects of traffic accidents over the occupants is a major objective of collision attempts. Impacts between the car and the pole are very dangerous for the physical integrity of the car’s occupants. To minimalize the effects of such events on the passengers of a vehicle, a whole series of efforts by both designers and experienced engineers led to increasingly the vehicles safety. The main aim of these paper is to quantify the influences over the car passengers of loads involved by car against pole collisions using the same car model at different speeds. Also, this kind on occupant influences were study using a small car model. Other goal of the paper was the study of the cars stiffness in frontal collision against the pole. The paper’s experimental results were obtained by support of DSD, Dr. Steffan Datentechnik GmbH - Linz, Austria. The described tests were performed in full test facility of DSD Linz, in “Easter 2016 PC-Crash Seminar”. Cars accelerations, velocities, rotations angles after pole impact were registered and discussed. The novelty of the paper consists in studies referred for the same car model involved in car against pole collisions at different impact speeds. Paper’s conclusions can be future used for car safety improvement.

The Pole Orientation, Pole Precession, and Moment of Inertia Factor of Saturn

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobson, R. A.; French, R. G.; Nicholson, P. D.; Hedman, M.; Colwell, J. E.; Marouf, E.; Rappaport, N.; McGhee, C.; Sepersky, T.; Lonergan, K.

2011-01-01

This paper discusses our determination of the Saturn's pole orientation and precession using a combination of Earthbased and spacecraft based observational data. From our model of the polar motion and the observed precession rate we obtain a value for Saturn's polar moment of inertia

Van der Waals Attraction and Coalescence of Aqueous Salt Nanodroplets

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Jungwirth, Pavel; Buch, V.

2003-01-01

Roč. 68, č. 12 (2003), s. 2283-2291 ISSN 0010-0765 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LN00A032 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z4040901 Keywords : van der Waals interactions * aqueous droplets * coalescence Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 1.041, year: 2003

Parameter Estimation of the Thermal Network Model of a Machine Tool Spindle by Self-made Bluetooth Temperature Sensor Module

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuan-Chieh Lo

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Thermal characteristic analysis is essential for machine tool spindles because sudden failures may occur due to unexpected thermal issue. This article presents a lumped-parameter Thermal Network Model (TNM and its parameter estimation scheme, including hardware and software, in order to characterize both the steady-state and transient thermal behavior of machine tool spindles. For the hardware, the authors develop a Bluetooth Temperature Sensor Module (BTSM which accompanying with three types of temperature-sensing probes (magnetic, screw, and probe. Its specification, through experimental test, achieves to the precision ±(0.1 + 0.0029|t| °C, resolution 0.00489 °C, power consumption 7 mW, and size Ø40 mm × 27 mm. For the software, the heat transfer characteristics of the machine tool spindle correlative to rotating speed are derived based on the theory of heat transfer and empirical formula. The predictive TNM of spindles was developed by grey-box estimation and experimental results. Even under such complicated operating conditions as various speeds and different initial conditions, the experiments validate that the present modeling methodology provides a robust and reliable tool for the temperature prediction with normalized mean square error of 99.5% agreement, and the present approach is transferable to the other spindles with a similar structure. For realizing the edge computing in smart manufacturing, a reduced-order TNM is constructed by Model Order Reduction (MOR technique and implemented into the real-time embedded system.

Spindle epithelial tumor with thymus-like differentiation of thyroid gland: Report of two cases with follow-up

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nisa Azizun

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Spindle epithelial tumor with thymus-like differentiation (SETTLE is a rare malignant thyroid tumor showing thymic or related branchial pouch differentiation. The tumors are composed predominantly of spindle cells along with focal epithelial component and ductular formations. SETTLE occurs in young patients, with indolent growth and a tendency to develop delayed blood-borne metastases. We herein report two cases of SETTLE with a follow-up period of 64 months and 30 months, respectively.

GW151226: Observation of Gravitational Waves from a 22-Solar-Mass Binary Black Hole Coalescence

OpenAIRE

Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Adhikari, R. X.; Anderson, S. B.; Arai, K.; Araya, M. C.; Barayoga, J. C.; Barish, B. C.; Berger, B. K.; Billingsley, G.; Blackburn, J. K.; Bork, R.; Brooks, A. F.; Brunett, S.; Cahillane, C.

2016-01-01

We report the observation of a gravitational-wave signal produced by the coalescence of two stellar-mass black holes. The signal, GW151226, was observed by the twin detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) on December 26, 2015 at 03:38:53 UTC. The signal was initially identified within 70 s by an online matched-filter search targeting binary coalescences. Subsequent off-line analyses recovered GW151226 with a network signal-to-noise ratio of 13 and a signifi...

Ketamine increases the frequency of electroencephalographic bicoherence peak on the alpha spindle area induced with propofol.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayashi, K; Tsuda, N; Sawa, T; Hagihira, S

2007-09-01

The reticular and thalamocortical system is known to play a prominent role in spindle wave activity, and the spindle wave is related to the sedative effects of anaesthetics. Recently, bispectral analysis of the EEG has been developed as a better method to indicate nonlinear regulation including the thalamocortical system linking to the cortical area. In the present study, in order to explore the interference of ketamine with the nonlinear regulation of the sub-cortical system, we examined the effect of ketamine on spindle alpha waves through the bispectral analysis. The study included 21 patients. Anaesthesia was induced and maintained using a propofol-TCI system (target-controlled infusion, with target concentration 3.5 microg ml(-1)). An A-2000 BIS monitor was used and the raw EEG signals were collected via an RS232 interface on a personal computer. Bicoherence, the normalized bispectrum, and power spectrum were analysed before and after i.v. administration of 1 mg kg(-1) racemic ketamine. Propofol caused alpha peaks in both power and bicoherence spectra, with average frequencies of 10.6 (SD 0.9) Hz and 10.7 (1.0) Hz, respectively. The addition of ketamine significantly shifted each peak to frequencies of 14.4 (1.4) Hz and 13.6 (1.5) Hz, respectively [P < 0.05, mean (SD)]. Ketamine shifted the alpha peaks of bicoherence induced by propofol to higher frequencies. This suggests that ketamine changes the alpha spindle rhythms through the modulation of the nonlinear sub-cortical reverberating network.

Phospho-Bcl-xL(Ser62) influences spindle assembly and chromosome segregation during mitosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jianfang; Beauchemin, Myriam; Bertrand, Richard

2014-01-01

Functional analysis of a series of phosphorylation mutants reveals that Bcl-xL(Ser62Ala) influences cell entry into anaphase and mitotic exit in taxol-exposed cells compared with cells expressing wild-type Bcl-xL or a series of other phosphorylation mutants, an effect that appears to be independent of its anti-apoptotic activity. During normal mitosis progression, Bcl-xL(Ser62) is strongly phosphorylated by PLK1 and MAPK14/SAPKp38α at the prometaphase, metaphase, and the anaphase boundaries, while it is de-phosphorylated at telophase and cytokinesis. Phospho-Bcl-xL(Ser62) localizes in centrosomes with γ-tubulin and in the mitotic cytosol with some spindle-assembly checkpoint signaling components, including PLK1, BubR1, and Mad2. In taxol- and nocodazole-exposed cells, phospho-Bcl-xL(Ser62) also binds to Cdc20- Mad2-, BubR1-, and Bub3-bound complexes, while Bcl-xL(Ser62Ala) does not. Silencing Bcl-xL expression and expressing the phosphorylation mutant Bcl-xL(Ser62Ala) lead to an increased number of cells harboring mitotic spindle defects including multipolar spindle, chromosome lagging and bridging, aneuploidy with micro-, bi-, or multi-nucleated cells, and cells that fail to resolve undergo mitosis within 6 h. Together, the data indicate that during mitosis, Bcl-xL(Ser62) phosphorylation impacts on spindle assembly and chromosome segregation, influencing chromosome stability. Observations of mitotic cells harboring aneuploidy with micro-, bi-, or multi-nucleated cells, and cells that fail to resolve undergo mitosis within 6 h were also made with cells expressing the phosphorylation mutant Bcl-xL(Ser49Ala) and dual mutant Bcl-xL(Ser49/62Ala).

Expanding the histologic spectrum of mucinous tubular and spindle cell carcinoma of the kidney.

Science.gov (United States)

Fine, Samson W; Argani, Pedram; DeMarzo, Angelo M; Delahunt, Brett; Sebo, Thomas J; Reuter, Victor E; Epstein, Jonathan I

2006-12-01

Mucinous tubular and spindle cell carcinomas (MTSCs) are polymorphic neoplasms characterized by small, elongated tubules lined by cuboidal cells and/or cords of spindled cells separated by pale mucinous stroma. Nonclassic morphologic variants and features of MTSC have not been well studied. We identified 17 previously unreported MTSCs from Surgical Pathology and consultative files of the authors and their respective institutions and studied their morphologic features. A total of 10/17 cases were considered "classic," as described above, with 5/10 showing at least focal (20% to 50%) tubular predominance without apparent mucinous matrix. Alcian blue staining revealed abundant (>50%) mucin in all classic cases. Seven of 17 MTSCs were classified as "mucin-poor," with little to no extracellular mucin appreciable by hematoxylin and eosin. Four of these cases showed equal tubular and spindled morphology, 2 cases showed spindle cell predominance (70%; 95%), and 1 case showed tubular predominance (90%). In 5/7 mucin-poor cases, staining for Alcian blue revealed scant (<10%) mucin in cellular areas with the other 2 cases having 30% mucin. Unusual histologic features identified in the 17 cases were: foamy macrophages (n=8), papillations/well formed papillae (n=6/n=1), focal clear cells in tubules (n=3), necrosis (n=3), oncocytic tubules (n=2; 40%, 5%), numerous small vacuoles (n=2), heterotopic bone (n=1), psammomatous calcification (n=1), and nodular growth with lymphocytic cuffing (n=1). An exceptional case contained a well-circumscribed, HMB45-positive angiomyolipoma within the MTSC. MTSCs may be "mucin-poor" and show a marked predominance of either of its principal morphologic components, which coupled with the presence of other unusual features such as clear cells, papillations, foamy macrophages, and necrosis, may mimic other forms of renal cell carcinoma. Pathologists must be aware of the spectrum of histologic findings within MTSCs to ensure their accurate diagnosis.

South Pole Region of the Moon as Seen by Clementine

Science.gov (United States)

1994-01-01

Lunar mosaic of 1500 Clementine images of the south polar region of the moon. The projection is orthographic, centered on the south pole. The Schrodinger Basin (320 km in diameter) is located in the lower right of the mosaic. Amundsen-Ganswindt is the more subdued circular basin between Schrodinger and the pole. The polar regions of the moon are of special interest because of the postulated occurrence of ice in permanently shadowed areas. The south pole is of greater interest because the area that remains in shadow is much larger than that at the north pole.

Time domain oscillating poles: Stability redefined in Memristor based Wien-oscillators

KAUST Repository

Talukdar, Abdul Hafiz Ibne; Radwan, Ahmed G.; Salama, Khaled N.

2012-01-01

poles. The idea is verified using a Memristor based Wien oscillator. Sustained oscillations are observed without having the poles of the system fixed on the imaginary axis and the oscillating behavior of the system poles is reported. The oscillating

Topological defects in confined populations of spindle-shaped cells

Science.gov (United States)

Duclos, Guillaume; Erlenkämper, Christoph; Joanny, Jean-François; Silberzan, Pascal

2017-01-01

Most spindle-shaped cells (including smooth muscles and sarcomas) organize in vivo into well-aligned `nematic’ domains, creating intrinsic topological defects that may be used to probe the behaviour of these active nematic systems. Active non-cellular nematics have been shown to be dominated by activity, yielding complex chaotic flows. However, the regime in which live spindle-shaped cells operate, and the importance of cell-substrate friction in particular, remains largely unexplored. Using in vitro experiments, we show that these active cellular nematics operate in a regime in which activity is effectively damped by friction, and that the interaction between defects is controlled by the system’s elastic nematic energy. Due to the activity of the cells, these defects behave as self-propelled particles and pairwise annihilate until all displacements freeze as cell crowding increases. When confined in mesoscopic circular domains, the system evolves towards two identical +1/2 disclinations facing each other. The most likely reduced positions of these defects are independent of the size of the disk, the cells’ activity or even the cell type, but are well described by equilibrium liquid crystal theory. These cell-based systems thus operate in a regime more stable than other active nematics, which may be necessary for their biological function.

Vibration of rotating-shaft design spindles with flexible bases

Science.gov (United States)

Tseng, Chaw-Wu

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate an accurate mathematical model predicting forced vibration of rotating-shaft HDD spindle motors with flexible stationary parts. The mathematical model consists of three parts: a rotating part, a stationary part, and bearings. The rotating part includes a flexible hub, a flexible shaft press-fit into the hub, and N elastic disks mounted on the hub. The stationary part can include motor bracket (stator), base casting, and top cover. The bearings under consideration can be ball bearings or hydrodynamic bearings (HDB). The rotating disks are modelled through the classical plate theory. The rotating part (except the disks) and the stationary part are modelled through finite element analyses (FEA). With mode shapes and natural frequencies obtained from FEA, the kinetic and potential energies of the rotating and stationary parts are formulated and discretized to compensate for the gyroscopic effects from rotation. Finally, use of Lagrange equation results in the equations of motion. To verify the mathematical model, frequency response functions are measured experimentally for an HDB spindle carrying two identical disks at motor and drive levels. Experimental measurements agree very well with theoretical predictions not only in resonance frequency but also in resonance amplitude.

State-PID Feedback for Pole Placement of LTI Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarawut Sujitjorn

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Pole placement problems are especially important for disturbance rejection and stabilization of dynamical systems and regarded as algebraic inverse eigenvalue problems. In this paper, we propose gain formulae of state feedback through PID-elements to achieve desired pole placement for a delay-free LTI system with single input. Real and complex stable poles can be assigned with the proposed compact gain formulae. Numerical examples show that our proposed gain formulae can be used effectively resulting in very satisfactory responses.

Pole solutions for flame front propagation

CERN Document Server

Kupervasser, Oleg

2015-01-01

This book deals with solving mathematically the unsteady flame propagation equations. New original mathematical methods for solving complex non-linear equations and investigating their properties are presented. Pole solutions for flame front propagation are developed. Premixed flames and filtration combustion have remarkable properties: the complex nonlinear integro-differential equations for these problems have exact analytical solutions described by the motion of poles in a complex plane. Instead of complex equations, a finite set of ordinary differential equations is applied. These solutions help to investigate analytically and numerically properties of the flame front propagation equations.

Void coalescence mechanism for combined tension and large amplitude cyclic shearing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Kim Lau; Andersen, Rasmus Grau; Tvergaard, Viggo

2017-01-01

Void coalescence at severe shear deformation has been studied intensively under monotonic loading conditions, and the sequence of micro-mechanisms that governs failure has been demonstrated to involve collapse, rotation, and elongation of existing voids. Under intense shearing, the voids are flat...

Predicting Catastrophic Phase Inversion on the Basis of Droplet Coalescence Kinetics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vaessen, G.E.J.; Visschers, M.; Stein, H.N.

1996-01-01

A predictive model for catastrophic phase inversion, based on the kinetics of droplet breakup and coalescence, is presented here. Two inversion mechanisms can be distinguished, depending on the direction of the phase inversion process. With the surfactant predominantly present in the dispersed

Sex-chromosome anaphase movements in crane-fly spermatocytes are coordinated: ultraviolet microbeam irradiation of one kinetochore of one sex chromosome blocks the movements of both sex chromosomes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swedak, J.A.M.; Forer, A.

1987-01-01

Sex chromosomes in crane-fly spermatocytes move polewards at anaphase after the autosomes have reached the poles. We irradiated one kinetochore of one sex chromosome using an ultraviolet microbeam. When both sex chromosomes were normally oriented, irradiation of a single kinetochore permanently blocked movement of both sex chromosomes. Irradiation of non-kinetochore chromosomal regions or of spindle fibres did not block movement, or blocked movement only temporarily. We argue that ultraviolet irradiation of one kinetochore blocks movement of both sex chromosomes because of effects on a 'signal' system. Irradiation of one kinetochore of a maloriented sex chromosome did not block motion of either sex chromosome. However, irradiation of one kinetochore of a normally oriented sex chromosome permanently blocked motion of both that sex chromosome and the maloriented sex chromosome. Thus for the signal system to allow the sex chromosomes to move to the pole each sex chromosome must have one spindle fibre to each pole. (author)

On pole structure assignment in linear systems

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Loiseau, J.-J.; Zagalak, Petr

2009-01-01

Roč. 82, č. 7 (2009), s. 1179-1192 ISSN 0020-7179 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA102/07/1596 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : linear systems * linear state feedback * pole structure assignment Subject RIV: BC - Control Systems Theory Impact factor: 1.124, year: 2009 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2009/AS/zagalak-on pole structure assignment in linear systems.pdf

Spindle vibration and sound field measurement using optical vibrometry

OpenAIRE

Tatar, Kourosh

2008-01-01

Mechanical systems often produce a considerable amount of vibration and noise. To be able to obtain a complete picture of the dynamic behaviour of these systems, vibration and sound measurements are of significant importance. Optical metrology is well-suited for non-intrusive measurements on complex objects. The development and the use of remote non-contact vibration measurement methods for spindles are described and vibration measurements on thin- walled structures and sound field measuremen...

Development and validation of models for bubble coalescence and breakup. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liao, Y.; Lucas, D.

2013-02-01

A new generalized model for bubble coalescence and breakup has been developed. It is based on physical considerations and takes into account various mechanisms that can lead to bubble coalescence and breakup. First, in a detailed literature review, the available models were compiled and analyzed. It turned out that many of them show a contradictory behaviour. None of these models allows the prediction of the evolution of bubble size distributions along a pipe flow for a wide range of combinations of flow rates of the gas and the liquid phase. The new model has been extensively studied in a simplified Test-Solver. Although this does not cover all details of a developing flow along the pipe, it allows - in contrast to a CFD code - to conduct a large number of variational calculations to investigate the influence of individual sizes and models. Coalescence and breakup cannot be considered separately from other phenomena and models that reflect these phenomena. There are close interactions with the turbulence of the liquid phase and the momentum exchange between phases. Since the dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy is a direct input parameter for the new model, the turbulence modelling has been studied very carefully. To validate the model, a special experimental series for air-water flows was used, conducted at the TOPFLOW facility in an 8-meter long DN200 pipe. The data are characterized by high quality and were produced within the TOPFLOW-II project. The test series aims to provide a basis for the work presented here. Predicting the evolution of the bubble size distribution along the pipe could be improved significantly in comparison to the previous standard models for bubble coalescence and breakup implemented in CFX. However some quantitative discrepancies remain. The full model equations as well as an implementation as ''User-FORTRAN'' in CFX are available and can be used for further work on the simulation of poly-disperse bubbly flows.

Anaphase B

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan M. Scholey

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Anaphase B spindle elongation is characterized by the sliding apart of overlapping antiparallel interpolar (ip microtubules (MTs as the two opposite spindle poles separate, pulling along disjoined sister chromatids, thereby contributing to chromosome segregation and the propagation of all cellular life. The major biochemical “modules” that cooperate to mediate pole–pole separation include: (i midzone pushing or (ii braking by MT crosslinkers, such as kinesin-5 motors, which facilitate or restrict the outward sliding of antiparallel interpolar MTs (ipMTs; (iii cortical pulling by disassembling astral MTs (aMTs and/or dynein motors that pull aMTs outwards; (iv ipMT plus end dynamics, notably net polymerization; and (v ipMT minus end depolymerization manifest as poleward flux. The differential combination of these modules in different cell types produces diversity in the anaphase B mechanism. Combinations of antagonist modules can create a force balance that maintains the dynamic pre-anaphase B spindle at constant length. Tipping such a force balance at anaphase B onset can initiate and control the rate of spindle elongation. The activities of the basic motor filament components of the anaphase B machinery are controlled by a network of non-motor MT-associated proteins (MAPs, for example the key MT cross-linker, Ase1p/PRC1, and various cell-cycle kinases, phosphatases, and proteases. This review focuses on the molecular mechanisms of anaphase B spindle elongation in eukaryotic cells and briefly mentions bacterial DNA segregation systems that operate by spindle elongation.

Diverse mitotic functions of the cytoskeletal cross-linking protein Shortstop suggest a role in Dynein/Dynactin activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Dewey, Evan B; Johnston, Christopher A

2017-09-15

Proper assembly and orientation of the bipolar mitotic spindle is critical to the fidelity of cell division. Mitotic precision fundamentally contributes to cell fate specification, tissue development and homeostasis, and chromosome distribution within daughter cells. Defects in these events are thought to contribute to several human diseases. The underlying mechanisms that function in spindle morphogenesis and positioning remain incompletely defined, however. Here we describe diverse roles for the actin-microtubule cross-linker Shortstop (Shot) in mitotic spindle function in Drosophila Shot localizes to mitotic spindle poles, and its knockdown results in an unfocused spindle pole morphology and a disruption of proper spindle orientation. Loss of Shot also leads to chromosome congression defects, cell cycle progression delay, and defective chromosome segregation during anaphase. These mitotic errors trigger apoptosis in Drosophila epithelial tissue, and blocking this apoptotic response results in a marked induction of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition marker MMP-1. The actin-binding domain of Shot directly interacts with Actin-related protein-1 (Arp-1), a key component of the Dynein/Dynactin complex. Knockdown of Arp-1 phenocopies Shot loss universally, whereas chemical disruption of F-actin does so selectively. Our work highlights novel roles for Shot in mitosis and suggests a mechanism involving Dynein/Dynactin activation. © 2017 Dewey and Johnston. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Coalescent-based genome analyses resolve the early branches of the euarchontoglires.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vikas Kumar

Full Text Available Despite numerous large-scale phylogenomic studies, certain parts of the mammalian tree are extraordinarily difficult to resolve. We used the coding regions from 19 completely sequenced genomes to study the relationships within the super-clade Euarchontoglires (Primates, Rodentia, Lagomorpha, Dermoptera and Scandentia because the placement of Scandentia within this clade is controversial. The difficulty in resolving this issue is due to the short time spans between the early divergences of Euarchontoglires, which may cause incongruent gene trees. The conflict in the data can be depicted by network analyses and the contentious relationships are best reconstructed by coalescent-based analyses. This method is expected to be superior to analyses of concatenated data in reconstructing a species tree from numerous gene trees. The total concatenated dataset used to study the relationships in this group comprises 5,875 protein-coding genes (9,799,170 nucleotides from all orders except Dermoptera (flying lemurs. Reconstruction of the species tree from 1,006 gene trees using coalescent models placed Scandentia as sister group to the primates, which is in agreement with maximum likelihood analyses of concatenated nucleotide sequence data. Additionally, both analytical approaches favoured the Tarsier to be sister taxon to Anthropoidea, thus belonging to the Haplorrhine clade. When divergence times are short such as in radiations over periods of a few million years, even genome scale analyses struggle to resolve phylogenetic relationships. On these short branches processes such as incomplete lineage sorting and possibly hybridization occur and make it preferable to base phylogenomic analyses on coalescent methods.

Action-derived molecular dynamics simulations for the migration and coalescence of vacancies in graphene and carbon nanotubes.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Alex Taekyung; Ryu, Byungki; Lee, In-Ho; Chang, K J

2014-03-19

We report the results of action-derived molecular dynamics simulations for the migration and coalescence processes of monovacancies in graphene and carbon nanotubes with different chiralities. In carbon nanotubes, the migration pathways and barriers of a monovacancy depend on the tube chirality, while there is no preferential pathway in graphene due to the lattice symmetry and the absence of the curvature effect. The probable pathway changes from the axial to circumferential direction as the chirality varies from armchair to zigzag. The chirality dependence is attributed to the preferential orientation of the reconstructed bond formed around each vacancy site. It is energetically more favourable for two monovacancies to coalesce into a divacancy via alternative movements rather than simultaneous movements. The energy barriers for coalescence are generally determined by the migration barrier for the monovacancy, although there are some variations due to interactions between two diffusing vacancies. In graphene and armchair nanotubes, two monovacancies prefer to migrate along different zigzag atomic chains rather than a single atomic chain connecting these vacancies. On the other hand, in zigzag tubes, the energy barrier for coalescence increases significantly unless monovacancies lie on the same circumference.

MLL/WDR5 Complex Regulates Kif2A Localization to Ensure Chromosome Congression and Proper Spindle Assembly during Mitosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Aamir; Veeranki, Sailaja Naga; Chinchole, Akash; Tyagi, Shweta

2017-06-19

Mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL), along with multisubunit (WDR5, RbBP5, ASH2L, and DPY30) complex catalyzes the trimethylation of H3K4, leading to gene activation. Here, we characterize a chromatin-independent role for MLL during mitosis. MLL and WDR5 localize to the mitotic spindle apparatus, and loss of function of MLL complex by RNAi results in defects in chromosome congression and compromised spindle formation. We report interaction of MLL complex with several kinesin and dynein motors. We further show that the MLL complex associates with Kif2A, a member of the Kinesin-13 family of microtubule depolymerase, and regulates the spindle localization of Kif2A during mitosis. We have identified a conserved WDR5 interaction (Win) motif, so far unique to the MLL family, in Kif2A. The Win motif of Kif2A engages in direct interactions with WDR5 for its spindle localization. Our findings highlight a non-canonical mitotic function of MLL complex, which may have a direct impact on chromosomal stability, frequently compromised in cancer. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Method for Vibration Response Simulation and Sensor Placement Optimization of a Machine Tool Spindle System with a Bearing Defect

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Hongrui; Niu, Linkai; He, Zhengjia

2012-01-01

Bearing defects are one of the most important mechanical sources for vibration and noise generation in machine tool spindles. In this study, an integrated finite element (FE) model is proposed to predict the vibration responses of a spindle bearing system with localized bearing defects and then the sensor placement for better detection of bearing faults is optimized. A nonlinear bearing model is developed based on Jones' bearing theory, while the drawbar, shaft and housing are modeled as Timoshenko's beam. The bearing model is then integrated into the FE model of drawbar/shaft/housing by assembling equations of motion. The Newmark time integration method is used to solve the vibration responses numerically. The FE model of the spindle-bearing system was verified by conducting dynamic tests. Then, the localized bearing defects were modeled and vibration responses generated by the outer ring defect were simulated as an illustration. The optimization scheme of the sensor placement was carried out on the test spindle. The results proved that, the optimal sensor placement depends on the vibration modes under different boundary conditions and the transfer path between the excitation and the response. PMID:23012514

Revisiting the time until fixation of a neutral mutant in a finite population - A coalescent theory approach.