Transgenic Alfalfa Plants Expressing the Sweetpotato Orange Gene Exhibit Enhanced Abiotic Stress Tolerance

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhi; Ke, Qingbo; Kim, Myoung Duck; Kim, Sun Ha; Ji, Chang Yoon; Jeong, Jae Cheol; Lee, Haeng-Soon; Park, Woo Sung; Ahn, Mi-Jeong; Li, Hongbing; Xu, Bingcheng; Deng, Xiping; Lee, Sang-Hoon; Lim, Yong Pyo; Kwak, Sang-Soo

2015-01-01

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), a perennial forage crop with high nutritional content, is widely distributed in various environments worldwide. We recently demonstrated that the sweetpotato Orange gene (IbOr) is involved in increasing carotenoid accumulation and enhancing resistance to multiple abiotic stresses. In this study, in an effort to improve the nutritional quality and environmental stress tolerance of alfalfa, we transferred the IbOr gene into alfalfa (cv. Xinjiang Daye) under the control of an oxidative stress-inducible peroxidase (SWPA2) promoter through Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Among the 11 transgenic alfalfa lines (referred to as SOR plants), three lines (SOR2, SOR3, and SOR8) selected based on their IbOr transcript levels were examined for their tolerance to methyl viologen (MV)-induced oxidative stress in a leaf disc assay. The SOR plants exhibited less damage in response to MV-mediated oxidative stress and salt stress than non-transgenic plants. The SOR plants also exhibited enhanced tolerance to drought stress, along with higher total carotenoid levels. The results suggest that SOR alfalfa plants would be useful as forage crops with improved nutritional value and increased tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses, which would enhance the development of sustainable agriculture on marginal lands. PMID:25946429

Determination of free acid in plutonium (IV) solutions - thermometrically, potentiometrically

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, T.L.; Tucker, G.M.; Huff, G.A.; Jordan, L.G.

1981-09-01

The thermometric titration technique was found to offer certain advantages over potentiometry in the determination of free acid in Pu(IV) solutions. The thermometric technique was applied to the determination of free acid in plutonium nitrate solutions using potassium fluoride to suppress the hydrolytic interference of plutonium(IV). The results indicate that 0.2 to 2.0 milliequivalents of free acid can be determined with acceptable bias and precision in solutions containing up to 30 milligrams of plutonium. In contrast, neither the thermometric nor the potentiometric technique was suitable for samples containing more than eight milligrams of plutonium complexed with potassium oxalate

Stress fields around a crack lying parallel to a free surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higashida, Yutaka; Kamada, K.

1980-12-01

A method of stress analysis for a two dimentional crack, which is subjected to internal gas pressure, and situated parallel to a free surface of a material, is presented. It is based on the concept of continuously distributed edge dislocations of two kinds, i.e. one with Burgers vector normal to the free surface and the other with parallel to it. Stress fields of individual dislocations are chosen so as to satisfy stress free boundary conditions at the free surface, by taking account of image dislocations. Distributions of the both kinds of dislocations in the crack are derived so as to give the internal gas pressure and, at the same time, to satisfy shear stress free boundary condition on the crack surface. Stress fields σsub(xx), σsub(yy) and σsub(xy) in the sub-surface layer are then determined from them. They have square root singularities at the crack-tip. (author)

Effect of Free Radicals & Antioxidants on Oxidative Stress: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ashok Shinde

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Recently free radicals have attracted tremendous importance in the field of medicine including dentistry and molecular biology. Free radicals can be either harmful or helpful to the body. When there is an imbalance between formation and removal of free radicals then a condition called as oxidative stress is developed in body. To counteract these free radicals body has protective antioxidant mechanisms which have abilities to lower incidence of various human morbidities and mortalities. Many research groups in the past have tried to study and confirm oxidative stress. Many authors also have studied role of antioxidants in reducing oxidative stress. They have come across with controversial results and furthermore it is not yet fully confirmed whether oxidative stress increases the need for dietary antioxidants. Recently, an association between periodontitis and cardiovascular disease has received considerable attention. Various forms of antioxidants have been introduced as an approach to fight dental diseases and improve general gingival health. The implication of oxidative stress in the etiology of many chronic and degenerative diseases suggests that antioxidant therapy represents a promising avenue for treatment. This study was conducted with the objective of reviewing articles relating to this subject. A Pub Med search of all articles containing key words free radicals, oxidative stress, and antioxidants was done. A review of these articles was undertaken.

Discussion on accuracy of weld residual stress measurement by neutron diffraction. Influence of strain free reference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Hiroshi; Akita, Koichi

2012-01-01

It is required to evaluate a strain-free reference, α 0 , to perform accurate stress measurement using neutron diffraction. In this study, accuracy of neutron stress measurement was quantitatively discussed from α 0 evaluations on a dissimilar metal butt-weld between a type 304 austenitic stainless steel and an A533B low alloy ferritic steel. A strain-free standard specimen and a sliced specimen with 10 mm thickness taken from the dissimilar metal butt-weld were utilized. In the lattice constant evaluation using the standard specimen, average lattice constant derived from multiple hkl reflections was evaluated as the stress-free reference with cancelling out an intergranular strain. Comparing lattice constant distributions in each reflection with average lattice constant distribution in the standard specimen, αFe211 and γFe311 reflections were judged as a suitable reflection for neutron strain measurement to reduce intergranular strain effects. Residual stress distribution in the sliced specimen evaluated using α 0 measured here exhibited higher accuracy than that measured using strain gauges. On the other hand, α 0 distributions were evaluated using the sliced specimen under the plane-stress condition. Existence of slight longitudinal residual stresses near the weld center decreased accuracy of the α 0 evaluations, which means that it is required to optimize the thickness of the sliced specimen for accurate α 0 evaluation under plane strain condition. As a conclusion of this study, it was confirmed that procedures of accurate α 0 evaluation, optimization of the measurement condition, and multiple evaluations on the results play an important role to improve accuracy of the residual stress measurement using neutron diffraction. (author)

Repertoire of free-living protozoa in contact lens solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Bouchoucha, Ibtissem; Aziz, Aurore; Hoffart, Louis; Drancourt, Michel

2016-10-29

The repertoire of free-living protozoa in contact lens solutions is poorly known despite the fact that such protozoa may act as direct pathogens and may harbor intra-cellular pathogens. Between 2009 and 2014, the contact lens solutions collected from patients presenting at our Ophthalmology Department for clinically suspected keratitis, were cultured on non-nutrient agar examined by microscope for the presence of free-living protozoa. All protozoa were identified by 18S rRNA gene sequencing. A total of 20 of 233 (8.6 %) contact lens solution specimens collected from 16 patients were cultured. Acanthamoeba amoeba in 16 solutions (80 %) collected from 12 patients and Colpoda steini, Cercozoa sp., Protostelium sp. and a eukaryotic more closely related to Vermamoeba sp., were each isolated in one solution. Cercozoa sp., Colpoda sp., Protostelium sp. and Vermamoeba sp. are reported for the first time as contaminating contact lens solutions. The repertoire of protozoa in contact lens solutions is larger than previously known.

Simplified analytical solutions for free drops during NCT for radioactive material packagings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, N.K.

1997-01-01

To ensure structural integrity during normal conditions of transport (NCT), Federal regulations in 10CFR71.71 require that the nuclear material package designs be evaluated for the effects of free drops. The vessel stress acceptance criteria for these drops are given in Regulatory Guide 7.6 and ASME Section III Code. During initial phases of the package design, the effects of the NCT free drops can be evaluated by simplified analytical solutions which will ensure that the safety margins specified in R. G. 7.6 are met. These safety margins can be verified during the final stages of the package design with dynamic analyses using finite element methods. This paper calculates the maximum impact open-quotes gclose quotes loading on the vessels using single degree of freedom models for different drop orientations. Only end, bottom, and corner drops are analyzed for cylindrical packages or packages with cylindrical ends

AN EXACT ELASTO-PLASTIC SOLUTION OF METAL-MATRIX COMPOSITE CANTILEVER BEAM LOADED BY A SINGLE FORCE AT ITS FREE END

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Onur SAYMAN

2001-03-01

Full Text Available In the present study, an elastic-plastic stress analysis is carried out in a metal matrix composite cantilever beam loaded by a single force at its free end. A composite consisting of stainless-steel reinforced aluminium was produced for this work. The orientation angle of the fibers is chosen as 0°, 30°, 45°, 60° and 90°. The material is assumed to be perfectly plastic in the elasto-plastic solution. An analytical solution is performed for satisfying both the governing differential equation in the plane stress case and boundary conditions for small plastic deformations. The solution is carried out under the assumption of the Bernoulli-Navier hypotheses. The composite material is assumed as hardening linearly. The Tsai-Hill theory is used as a yield criterion.

Free-solution, label-free molecular interactions studied by back-scattering interferometry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bornhop, D.J.; Latham, J.C.; Kussrow, A.

2007-01-01

Free-solution, label-free molecular interactions were investigated with back-scattering interferometry in a simple optical train composed of a helium-neon laser, a microfluidic channel, and a position sensor. Molecular binding interactions between proteins, ions and protein, and small molecules...... and protein, were determined with high dynamic range dissociation constants (K-d spanning six decades) and unmatched sensitivity (picomolar K-d's and detection limits of 10,000s of molecules). With this technique, equilibrium dissociation constants were quantified for protein A and immunoglobulin G...

Study of free acidity determinations in aqueous solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kergreis, A.

1966-04-01

The object of this work is the study of the principal methods which can be applied to the measurement of 'free' acidity. In the first part, we define the various types of acidity which can exist in aqueous solution; then, after having studied some hydrolysis reactions, we compare the value of the neutralisation pH of the hydrated cation and that of the precipitation of the hydroxide. In the second part we have started to study the determination of the acidity of an aqueous solution. After having rapidly considered the 'total' acidity determination, we deal with the problem of the 'free' acidity titration. We have considered in particular certain methods: extrapolation of the equivalent point, colorimetric titrations with or without a complexing agent, and finally the use of ion-exchange resins with mixed aqueous and solvent solutions. (author) [fr

New stress intensity factor solutions for an elliptical crack in a plate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delliou, P.L.; Barthelet, B.

2005-01-01

Crack assessment in engineering structures relies first on accurate evaluation of the stress intensity factors. In recent years, a large work has been conducted in France by the Atomic Energy Commission to develop influence coefficients for surface cracks in pipes. However, the problem of embedded cracks in plates (and pipes) which is also of practical importance has not received so much attention. Presently, solutions for elliptical cracks are available either in infinite solid with a polynomial distribution of normal loading or in plate, but restricted to constant or linearly varying tension. This paper presents the work conducted at EDF R and D to obtain influence coefficients for plates containing an elliptical crack with a wide range of the parameters : relative size (2a/t ratio), shape (a/c ratio) and free surface proximity (a/d ratio where d is the distance from the center of the ellipse to the closest free surface). These coefficients were developed through extensive 3D finite element calculations : 200 geometrical configurations were modeled, each containing from 18000 to 26000 nodes. The limiting case of the tunnel crack (a/c = 0) was also analyzed with 2D finite element calculation (50 geometrical configurations). The accuracy of the results was checked by comparison with analytical solutions for infinite solids and, when possible, with solutions for finite-thickness plates (generally loaded in constant tension). (authors)

Comparison of erythrocyte dynamics in shear flow under different stress-free configurations

Science.gov (United States)

Cordasco, Daniel; Yazdani, Alireza; Bagchi, Prosenjit

2014-04-01

An open question that has persisted for decades is whether the cytoskeleton of a red blood cell is stress-free or under a stress. This question is important in the context of theoretical modeling of cellular motion under a flowing condition where it is necessary to make an assumption about the stress-free state. Here, we present a 3D numerical study to compare the cell dynamics in a simple shear flow under two different stress-free states, a biconcave discocyte representing the resting shape of the cell, and a nearly spherical oblate shape. We find that whether the stress-free states make a significant difference or not depends on the viscosity of the suspending medium. If the viscosity is close to that of blood plasma, the two stress-free states do not show any significant difference in cell dynamics. However, when the suspending medium viscosity is well above that of the physiological range, as in many in vitro studies, the shear rate separating the tank-treading and tumbling dynamics is observed to be higher for the biconcave stress-free state than the spheroidal state. The former shows a strong shape oscillation with repeated departures from the biconcave shape, while the latter shows a nearly stable biconcave shape. It is found that the cell membrane in the biconcave stress-free state is under a compressive stress and a weaker bending force density, leading to a periodic compression of the cell. The shape oscillation then leads to a higher energy barrier against membrane tank-tread leading to an early transition to tumbling. However, if the cells are released with a large off-shear plane angle, the oscillations can be suppressed due to an azimuthal motion of the membrane along the vorticity direction leading to a redistribution of the membrane points and lowering of the energy barrier, which again results in a nearly similar behavior of the cells under the two different stress-free states. A variety of off-shear plane dynamics is observed, namely, rolling

Ki aikido: a solution to stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Wiles, L

1990-03-10

It is common knowledge that the life of the general dental practitioner is extremely stressful. Different dentists resort to various ways of unwinding--perhaps a game of golf, a sailing trip, or mending the odd clock as occupational therapy. These are all ways of getting away from the stress of day-to-day work--but perhaps the time has come to look for a more fundamental solution. How many dentists have considered taking up a martial art to alleviate the problem of stress? Here, we outline the background of ki aikido and its practical applications in daily life.

Environmental and Intrinsic Correlates of Stress in Free-Ranging Wolves.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barbara Molnar

Full Text Available When confronted with a stressor, animals react with several physiological and behavioral responses. Although sustained or repeated stress can result in severe deleterious physiological effects, the causes of stress in free-ranging animals are yet poorly documented. In our study, we aimed at identifying the main factors affecting stress levels in free-ranging wolves (Canis lupus.We used fecal cortisol metabolites (FCM as an index of stress, after validating the method for its application in wolves. We analyzed a total of 450 fecal samples from eleven wolf packs belonging to three protected populations, in Italy (Abruzzo, France (Mercantour, and the United States (Yellowstone. We collected samples during two consecutive winters in each study area. We found no relationship between FCM concentrations and age, sex or social status of individuals. At the group level, our results suggest that breeding pair permanency and the loss of pack members through processes different from dispersal may importantly impact stress levels in wolves. We measured higher FCM levels in comparatively small packs living in sympatry with a population of free-ranging dogs. Lastly, our results indicate that FCM concentrations are associated with endoparasitic infections of individuals.In social mammals sharing strong bonds among group members, the death of one or several members of the group most likely induces important stress in the remainder of the social unit. The potential impact of social and territorial stability on stress levels should be further investigated in free-ranging populations, especially in highly social and in territorial species. As persistent or repeated stressors may facilitate or induce pathologies and physiological alterations that can affect survival and fitness, we advocate considering the potential impact of anthropogenic causes of stress in management and conservation programs regarding wolves and other wildlife.

Environmental and Intrinsic Correlates of Stress in Free-Ranging Wolves.

Science.gov (United States)

Molnar, Barbara; Fattebert, Julien; Palme, Rupert; Ciucci, Paolo; Betschart, Bruno; Smith, Douglas W; Diehl, Peter-Allan

2015-01-01

When confronted with a stressor, animals react with several physiological and behavioral responses. Although sustained or repeated stress can result in severe deleterious physiological effects, the causes of stress in free-ranging animals are yet poorly documented. In our study, we aimed at identifying the main factors affecting stress levels in free-ranging wolves (Canis lupus). We used fecal cortisol metabolites (FCM) as an index of stress, after validating the method for its application in wolves. We analyzed a total of 450 fecal samples from eleven wolf packs belonging to three protected populations, in Italy (Abruzzo), France (Mercantour), and the United States (Yellowstone). We collected samples during two consecutive winters in each study area. We found no relationship between FCM concentrations and age, sex or social status of individuals. At the group level, our results suggest that breeding pair permanency and the loss of pack members through processes different from dispersal may importantly impact stress levels in wolves. We measured higher FCM levels in comparatively small packs living in sympatry with a population of free-ranging dogs. Lastly, our results indicate that FCM concentrations are associated with endoparasitic infections of individuals. In social mammals sharing strong bonds among group members, the death of one or several members of the group most likely induces important stress in the remainder of the social unit. The potential impact of social and territorial stability on stress levels should be further investigated in free-ranging populations, especially in highly social and in territorial species. As persistent or repeated stressors may facilitate or induce pathologies and physiological alterations that can affect survival and fitness, we advocate considering the potential impact of anthropogenic causes of stress in management and conservation programs regarding wolves and other wildlife.

VR Mobile Solutions For Chronic Stress Reduction in Young Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Kenneth; Boyd, Chelsie; Wiederhold, Mark D; Wiederhold, Brenda K

2014-01-01

Chronic stress in young adults has become a growing problem within recent decades and many are unable to find cost-effective and accessible treatment for psychological stress in their daily lives. We analyze the market of using a mobile application, Positive Technology, as a solution. Eleven participants, aged between 18 and 24, participated in the exercise. Self-reported stress reduction was measured via an online marketing survey, while physiological measurements were monitored via peripheral devices. Secondary goals assessed the app's ease-of-use, accessibility, and cost. Results indicate that participants enjoyed the availability of the mobile solution and found the app to be fun and easy to learn. Stress levels were reduced in 73% of the participants, with higher effects in females and in participants aged 18-24. We conclude that the mobile platform is an effective means of delivering psychological stress reduction, and could provide an accessible, cost-effective solution.

Study on applicability of stress intensity factor solutions for flaw evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miura, Naoki; Nagai, Masaki; Takahashi, Yukio

2014-01-01

Stress intensity factor is the quantity which characterizes the singularity of the stress field near a crack tip in the scheme of the linear elastic fracture mechanics, and is used for fatigue and/or SCC crack propagation evaluation. Stress intensity factor depends on the shape and the size of cracked structures, and is frequently prepared as the tabulated correction factors which are the functions of crack depth ratio, aspect ratio, etc. Some stress intensity factor solutions have been included in the JSME rules on fitness-for-service for nuclear power plants. Many of them have been significantly revised on the latest (2012) version of the rules, however, the validation of the revised solutions was not adequate so far. In this study, the implication of the revision was investigated together with its technical basis. A comprehensive comparison was made between available solutions including the 2008 and 2012 version of the rules. It was ascertained that the solutions in the 2012 version provided stress intensity factors consistent with the previous version and the referential stress intensity factors. (author)

Corrosion under stress of AISI 304 steel in thiocyanate solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perillo, P.M.; Duffo, G.S.

1989-01-01

Corrosion susceptibility under stress of AISI 304 steel sensitized in a sodium thiocyanate solution has been studied and results were compared with those obtained with solutions of thiosulfate and tetrathionate. Sensitized steel type 304 is highly susceptible to corrosion when under intergranular stress (IGSCC) in thiocyanate solutions but the aggressiveness of this anion is less than that of the other sulphur anions studied (thiosulfate and tetrathionate). This work has been partly carried out in the Chemistry Department. (Author) [es

Calculating solution redox free energies with ab initio quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical minimum free energy path method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeng Xiancheng; Hu Hao; Hu Xiangqian; Yang Weitao

2009-01-01

A quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical minimum free energy path (QM/MM-MFEP) method was developed to calculate the redox free energies of large systems in solution with greatly enhanced efficiency for conformation sampling. The QM/MM-MFEP method describes the thermodynamics of a system on the potential of mean force surface of the solute degrees of freedom. The molecular dynamics (MD) sampling is only carried out with the QM subsystem fixed. It thus avoids 'on-the-fly' QM calculations and thus overcomes the high computational cost in the direct QM/MM MD sampling. In the applications to two metal complexes in aqueous solution, the new QM/MM-MFEP method yielded redox free energies in good agreement with those calculated from the direct QM/MM MD method. Two larger biologically important redox molecules, lumichrome and riboflavin, were further investigated to demonstrate the efficiency of the method. The enhanced efficiency and uncompromised accuracy are especially significant for biochemical systems. The QM/MM-MFEP method thus provides an efficient approach to free energy simulation of complex electron transfer reactions.

Micromachined sensor for stress measurement and micromechanical study of free-standing thin films for MEMS applications

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ping

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) have a wide range of applications. In the field of wireless and microwave technology, considerable attention has been given to the development and integration of MEMS-based RF (radio frequency) components. An RF MEMS switch requires low insertion loss, high isolation, and low actuation voltage - electrical aspects that have been extensively studied. The mechanical requirements of the switch, such as low sensitivity to built-in stress and high reliability, greatly depend on the micromechanical properties of the switch materials, and have not been thoroughly explored. RF MEMS switches are typically in the form of a free-standing thin film structure. Large stress gradients and across-wafer stress variations developed during fabrication severely degrade their electrical performance. A micromachined stress measurement sensor has been developed that can potentially be employed for in-situ monitoring of stress evolution and stress variation. The sensors were micromachined using five masks on two wafer levels, each measuring 5x3x1 mm. They function by means of an electron tunneling mechanism, where a 2x2 mm silicon nitride membrane elastically deflects under an applied deflection voltage via an external feedback circuitry. For the current design, the sensors are capable of measuring tensile stresses up to the GPa range under deflection voltages of 50--100 V. Sensor functionality was studied by finite element modeling and a theoretical analysis of square membrane deflection. While the mechanical properties of thin films on substrates have been extensively studied, studies of free-standing thin films have been limited due to the practical difficulties in sample handling and testing. Free-standing Al and Al-Ti thin films specimens have been successfully fabricated and microtensile and stress relaxation tests have been performed using a custom-designed micromechanical testing apparatus. A dedicated TEM (transmission electron microscopy

Influence of interface reactions on the YBCO films grown by fluorine-free solution route

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhao, Yue; Wu, Wei; Tang, Xiao

2015-01-01

Fabrication of full-stacked coated conductors by all-chemical-solution routes exhibit a great potential in view of further reducing the cost and increasing the throughput for industrialization. Growth of YBa2Cu3O7−x (YBCO) superconducting films by fluorine-free metal organic deposition routes (FF......-MOD) which are environmental friendly has attracted more attentions recently. In this work, comparison study was performed on the YBCO-Ag superconducting thin films deposited on two types of single crystal substrates, LaAlO3 and Ce0.9La0.9O2−y/YSZ. The structural characterization and superconducting...... properties studies reveal that the interface reactions between the YBCO-Ag film and the CLO cap layer play an essential role on the nucleation and growth of YBCO-Ag films from the FF solution. Weak texture caused by serious interface reactions at high growth temperature is the main explanations for the poor...

A class of backward free-convective boundary-layer similarity solutions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuiken, H.K.

1983-01-01

This paper presents a class of backward free-convective boundary-layer similarity solutions. It is shown that these boundary layers can be produced along slender downward-projecting slabs of prescribed thickness variation, which are infinitely long. It is pointed out that these solutions can be used

Interaction between diffusion and chemical stresses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Fuqian

2005-01-01

The present work studies the interaction between chemical stresses and diffusion. A new relation between hydrostatic stress and concentration of solute atoms is established. For a solid free of action of body force, the Laplacian of the hydrostatic stress is proportional to the Laplacian of the concentration of solute atoms, that is, deviation of the hydrostatic stress from its local average is proportional to deviation of the local concentration of solute atoms. A general relationship among surface concentration of solute atoms, normal stress and surface deformation of a solid is then derived, in which the normal stress is dependent on the mean curvature of the undeformed surface and tangential components of the surface displacement. A closed-form solution of the steady state concentration of solute atoms in a thin plate is obtained. It turns out that linear distribution of solute atoms in the plate is non-existent due to the interaction between chemical stresses and diffusion

Dependence of Interaction Free Energy between Solutes on an External Electrostatic Field

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pei-Kun Yang

2013-07-01

Full Text Available To explore the athermal effect of an external electrostatic field on the stabilities of protein conformations and the binding affinities of protein-protein/ligand interactions, the dependences of the polar and hydrophobic interactions on the external electrostatic field, −Eext, were studied using molecular dynamics (MD simulations. By decomposing Eext into, along, and perpendicular to the direction formed by the two solutes, the effect of Eext on the interactions between these two solutes can be estimated based on the effects from these two components. Eext was applied along the direction of the electric dipole formed by two solutes with opposite charges. The attractive interaction free energy between these two solutes decreased for solutes treated as point charges. In contrast, the attractive interaction free energy between these two solutes increased, as observed by MD simulations, for Eext = 40 or 60 MV/cm. Eext was applied perpendicular to the direction of the electric dipole formed by these two solutes. The attractive interaction free energy was increased for Eext = 100 MV/cm as a result of dielectric saturation. The force on the solutes along the direction of Eext computed from MD simulations was greater than that estimated from a continuum solvent in which the solutes were treated as point charges. To explore the hydrophobic interactions, Eext was applied to a water cluster containing two neutral solutes. The repulsive force between these solutes was decreased/increased for Eext along/perpendicular to the direction of the electric dipole formed by these two solutes.

Elasticity Theory Solution of the Problem on Plane Bending of a Narrow Layered Cantilever Beam by Loads at Its Free End

Science.gov (United States)

Goryk, A. V.; Koval'chuk, S. B.

2018-05-01

An exact elasticity theory solution for the problem on plane bending of a narrow layered composite cantilever beam by tangential and normal loads distributed on its free end is presented. Components of the stress-strain state are found for the whole layers package by directly integrating differential equations of the plane elasticity theory problem by using an analytic representation of piecewise constant functions of the mechanical characteristics of layer materials. The continuous solution obtained is realized for a four-layer beam with account of kinematic boundary conditions simulating the rigid fixation of its one end. The solution obtained allows one to predict the strength and stiffness of composite cantilever beams and to construct applied analytical solutions for various problems on the elastic bending of layered beams.

All-Solution-Processed Metal-Oxide-Free Flexible Organic Solar Cells with Over 10% Efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Wei; Fan, Xi; Xu, Bingang; Yan, Feng; Cui, Huiqin; Wei, Qiang; Peng, Ruixiang; Hong, Ling; Huang, Jiaming; Ge, Ziyi

2018-05-16

All-solution-processing at low temperatures is important and desirable for making printed photovoltaic devices and also offers the possibility of a safe and cost-effective fabrication environment for the devices. Herein, an all-solution-processed flexible organic solar cell (OSC) using poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly-(styrenesulfonate) electrodes is reported. The all-solution-processed flexible devices yield the highest power conversion efficiency of 10.12% with high fill factor of over 70%, which is the highest value for metal-oxide-free flexible OSCs reported so far. The enhanced performance is attributed to the newly developed gentle acid treatment at room temperature that enables a high-performance PEDOT:PSS/plastic underlying substrate with a matched work function (≈4.91 eV), and the interface engineering that endows the devices with better interface contacts and improved hole mobility. Furthermore, the flexible devices exhibit an excellent mechanical flexibility, as indicated by a high retention (≈94%) of the initial efficiency after 1000 bending cycles. This work provides a simple route to fabricate high-performance all-solution-processed flexible OSCs, which is important for the development of printing, blading, and roll-to-roll technologies. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Stress corrosion cracking of Zircaloy-4 in non-aqueous iodine solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomez Sanchez, Andrea V.

2006-01-01

In the present work the susceptibility to intergranular attack and stress corrosion cracking of Zircaloy-4 in different iodine alcoholic solutions was studied. The influence of different variables such as the molecular weight of the alcohols, the water content of the solutions, the alcohol type (primary, secondary or tertiary) and the temperature was evaluated. To determine the susceptibility to stress corrosion cracking the slow strain rate technique was used. Specimens of Zircaloy-4 were also exposed between 0.5 and 300 hours to the solutions without applied stress to evaluate the susceptibility to intergranular attack. The electrochemical behavior of the material in the corrosive media was studied by potentiodynamic polarization tests. It was determined that the active species responsible for the stress corrosion cracking of Zircaloy-4 in iodine alcoholic solutions is a molecular complex between the alcohol and iodine. The intergranular attack precedes the 'true' stress corrosion cracking phenomenon (which is associated to the transgranular propagation of the crack) and it is controlled by the diffusion of the active specie to the tip of the crack. Water acts as inhibitor to intergranular attack. Except for methanolic solutions, the minimum water content necessary to inhibit stress corrosion cracking was determined. This critical water content decreases when increasing the molecular weight of the alcohol. An explanation for this behavior is proposed. The susceptibility to stress corrosion cracking also depends on the type of the alcohol used as solvent. The temperature dependence of the crack propagation rate is in agreement with a thermal activated process, and the activation energy is consistent with a process controlled by the volume diffusion of the active species. (author) [es

Oxidative stress and lung function profiles of male smokers free from ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Oxidative stress and lung function profiles of male smokers free from COPD compared to those with COPD: A case-control study. ... However, conclusions about the role of blood or lung oxidative stress markers were disparate. Aims: To ... Keywords: inflammation; lung disease; spirometry; tobacco; sedentarily; stress oxidant ...

Turbulent oscillating channel flow subjected to a free-surface stress.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kramer, W.; Clercx, H.J.H.; Armenio, V.

2010-01-01

The channel flow subjected to a wind stress at the free surface and an oscillating pressure gradient is investigated using large-eddy simulations. The orientation of the surface stress is parallel with the oscillating pressure gradient and a purely pulsating mean flow develops. The Reynolds number

Stress corrosion cracking of austenitic stainless steel in glycerol solution and chloride solution at elevated temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haftirman; Maruhum Tua Lubis

2009-01-01

Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) is an environmentally assisted failure caused by exposure to a corrodant while under a sustained tensile stress. SCC is most often rapid, unpredictable and catastrophic. Failure can occur in as little as a few hours or take years to happen. Most alloys are susceptible to SCC in one or more environments requiring careful consideration of alloy type in component design. In aqueous chloride environments austenitic stainless steels and many nickel based alloys are known to perform poorly. One of products Oleo chemical is glycerol solution. Glycerol solution contains chloride with concentration 50 ppm - 150 ppm. Austenitic stainless steel is usually used in distillation construction tank and pipe line of glycerol. Material AISI 304 will be failure in this glycerol solution with this concentration in 5 years. In production process, concentration of chloride in glycerol becomes more than 150 ppm at temperature 150 degree Celsius. The reason is that the experiment I conducted in high chloride with concentration such as 6000 ppm, 9000 ppm, and 12000 ppm. The stress corrosion cracking of the austenitic stainless steels of types AISI 304, 316 and 316L in glycerol solution at elevated temperature 150 degree Celsius is investigated as a function variation of chloride concentration, namely 50, 6000, 9000 and 12000 ppm using a constant load method with two kinds of initial tensile stress as 50 % and 70 % yield strength. The experiment uses a spring loaded fixture type and is based on ASTM G49 for experiment method, and E292 for geometry of specimen. Pitting corrosion occurs on the surface specimen until the stress level reaches the ultimate strength. Pitting corrosion attack and depletion occur on the surface as initiation of SCC failure as the stress reaches the ultimate strength. Failure has occurred in catastrophic brittle fracture type of transgranular. AISI 304 was more susceptible for all conditions. In chloride solution with concentration of

An analytical and numerical study of the nonlinear reflection at a stress-free surface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Romer, Anne, E-mail: anne.romer@gmx.net; Kim, Jin-Yeon, E-mail: anne.romer@gmx.net [School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332 (United States); Jacobs, Laurence J. [School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA and G.W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332 (United States)

2015-03-31

Implementation of the ultrasonic second harmonic generation has typically been restricted to simple setups such as through-transmission or Rayleigh surface waves. Recent research has evaluated the second harmonic waves generation in P- and SV- waves reflected from a stress-free surface to enable the single-sided interrogation of a specimen. This research considers the second harmonic generation in an aluminum specimen, which is analytically evaluated using an approach based on a perturbation method. Here, the model is chosen to mimic an experimental setup where the longitudinal wave is generated at oblique angle using a wedge transducer. Due to the mode conversion at the interface of the wedge and the specimen, it is necessary to evaluate longitudinal and shear waves, determining all second harmonic waves generated in the bulk and at the stress-free boundary. The theoretically developed model is then implemented in a commercial finite element code, COMSOL, using increasing fundamental wave amplitudes for different values of third order elastic constants. The results of this computational model verify the analytical approach and the proposed measurement setup, taking into account assumptions and approximations of the solution procedure. Furthermore, the computational model is used to draw important conclusions relevant to the experimental setup, including the need to avoid interaction with diffracted waves.

Exact solution for stresses/displacements in a multilayered hollow cylinder under thermo-mechanical loading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yeo, W.H.; Purbolaksono, J.; Aliabadi, M.H.; Ramesh, S.; Liew, H.L.

2017-01-01

In this study, a new analytical solution by the recursive method for evaluating stresses/displacements in multilayered hollow cylinder under thermo-mechanical loading was developed. The results for temperature distribution, displacements and stresses obtained by using the proposed solution were shown to be in good agreement with the FEM results. The proposed analytical solution was also found to produce more accurate results than those by the analytical solution reported in literature. - Highlights: • A new analytical solution for evaluating stresses in multilayered hollow cylinder under thermo-mechanical loading. • A simple computational procedure using a recursive method. • A promising technique for evaluating the operating axial and hoop stresses in pressurized composite vessels.

Analytical solutions of couple stress fluid flows with slip boundary conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Devakar M.

2014-09-01

Full Text Available In the present article, the exact solutions for fundamental flows namely Couette, Poiseuille and generalized Couette flows of an incompressible couple stress fluid between parallel plates are obtained using slip boundary conditions. The effect of various parameters on velocity for each problem is discussed. It is found that, for each of the problems, the solution in the limiting case as couple stresses approaches to zero is similar to that of classical viscous Newtonian fluid. The results indicate that, the presence of couple stresses decreases the velocity of the fluid.

Oxidative stress in preeclampsia and the role of free fetal hemoglobin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan Rocco Hansson

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Preeclampsia is a leading cause of pregnancy complications and affects 3–7 % of pregnant women. This review summarizes the current knowledge of a new potential etiology of the disease, with a special focus on hemoglobin-induced oxidative stress. Furthermore, we also suggest hemoglobin as a potential target for therapy. Gene and protein profiling studies have shown increased expression and accumulation of free fetal hemoglobin in the preeclamptic placenta. Predominantly due to oxidative damage to the placental barrier, fetal hemoglobin leaks over to the maternal circulation. Free hemoglobin and its metabolites are toxic in several ways; a ferrous hemoglobin (Fe2+ binds strongly to the vasodilator nitric oxide and reduces the availability of free nitric oxide, which results in vasoconstriction, b hemoglobin (Fe2+ with bound oxygen spontaneously generates free oxygen radicals and c the heme groups create an inflammatory response by inducing activation of neutrophils and cytokine production. The endogenous protein α1-microglobulin, with radical and heme binding properties, has shown both ex vivo and in vivo to have the ability to counteract free hemoglobin-induced placental and kidney damage. Oxidative stress in general, and more specifically fetal hemoglobin-induced oxidative stress, could play a key role in the pathology of preeclampsia seen both in the placenta and ultimately in the maternal endothelium.

Conformations and solution properties of star-branched polyelectrolytes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Borisov, O.V.; Zhulina, E.B.; Leermakers, F.A.M.; Ballauff, M.; Muller, A.H.E.

2011-01-01

Aqueous solutions of star-like polyelectrolytes (PEs) exhibit distinctive features that originate from the topological complexity of branched macromolecules. In a salt-free solution of branched PEs, mobile counterions preferentially localize in the intramolecular volume of branched macroions.

Correlation between passive film-induced stress and stress corrosion cracking of α-Ti in a methanol solution at various potentials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, X.Z.; Gao, K.W.; Chu, W.Y.; Qiao, L.J.

2003-01-01

The flow stress of a specimen of α-Ti before unloading is different with the yield stress of the same specimen after unloading and forming a passive film through immersing in a methanol solution at various constant potentials. The difference is the passive film-induced stress. The film-induced stress and susceptibility to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in the methanol solution at various potentials were measured. At the stable open-circuit potential and under anodic polarization, both film-induced tensile stress σ p and susceptibility to SCC had a maximum value. The film-induced stress and SCC susceptibility, however, decreased steeply with a decrease in potential under cathodic polarization. When the potential V≤-280 mV SCE , the film-induced stress became compressive; correspondingly, susceptibility to SCC was zero. Therefore, the variation of film-induced stress with potential was consistent with that of susceptibility to SCC. A large film-induced tensile stress is the necessary condition for SCC of α-Ti in the methanol solution. The symbol and amount of the film-induced stress were related to the compositions of the passive film, which have been analyzed using the X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS)

Free radicals generated by radiolysis of aqueous solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwarz, H.A.

1981-01-01

The free radicals produced in the radiolysis of aqueous solutions span the range of redox potentials from -2.9 to +2.65 volts. The identity and nature of these radicals were discussed. Most of the discussion was results obtained with low LET radiation sources ( 60 Co gamma radiation or electron accelerators). Water radiolysis provides the synthesis of many radicals and radical ions in aqueous solution. The primary radicals, e/sub aq/ - H, OH, are well characterized. The radical population can be made to be 90% pure OH (or O - ) if N 2 O solutions are irradiated, the remaining 10% being H atoms. 55% of the radicals can be converted to H atoms in acid solution or in neutral phosphate solutions(e/sub aq/ - reacts with H 2 PO 4- to produce H). The remaining 45% (OH radicals) are difficult to convert to H by reaction with H 2 , due to the slow rate of the reaction. About 100 atmospheres of H 2 are required to do the conversion in less than 10 - 6 sec. 3 figures, 3 tables. (DP)

Modifying Poisson equation for near-solute dielectric polarization and solvation free energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Pei-Kun, E-mail: peikun@isu.edu.tw

2016-06-15

Highlights: • We modify the Poisson equation. • The dielectric polarization was calculated from the modified Poisson equation. • The solvation free energies of the solutes were calculated from the dielectric polarization. • The calculated solvation free energies were similar to those obtained from MD simulations. - Abstract: The dielectric polarization P is important for calculating the stability of protein conformation and the binding affinity of protein–protein/ligand interactions and for exploring the nonthermal effect of an external electric field on biomolecules. P was decomposed into the product of the electric dipole moment per molecule p; bulk solvent density N{sub bulk}; and relative solvent molecular density g. For a molecular solute, 4πr{sup 2}p(r) oscillates with the distance r to the solute, and g(r) has a large peak in the near-solute region, as observed in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Herein, the Poisson equation was modified for computing p based on the modified Gauss’s law of Maxwell’s equations, and the potential of the mean force was used for computing g. For one or two charged atoms in a water cluster, the solvation free energies of the solutes obtained by these equations were similar to those obtained from MD simulations.

Electrophoresis of DNA in agarose gels, polyacrylamide gels and in free solution

Science.gov (United States)

Stellwagen, Nancy C.

2009-01-01

This review describes the electrophoresis of curved and normal DNA molecules in agarose gels, polyacrylamide gels and in free solution. These studies were undertaken to clarify why curved DNA molecules migrate anomalously slowly in polyacrylamide gels but not in agarose gels. Two milestone papers are cited, in which Ferguson plots were used to estimate the effective pore size of agarose and polyacrylamide gels. Subsequent studies on the effect of the electric field on agarose and polyacrylamide gel matrices, DNA interactions with the two gel matrices, and the effect of curvature on the free solution mobility of DNA are also described. The combined results suggest that the anomalously slow mobilities observed for curved DNA molecules in polyacrylamide gels are due primarily to preferential interactions of curved DNAs with the polyacrylamide gel matrix; the restrictive pore size of the matrix is of lesser importance. In free solution, DNA mobilities increase with increasing molecular mass until leveling off at a plateau value of (3.17 ± 0.01) × 10-4 cm2/Vs in 40 mM Tris-acetate-EDTA buffer at 20°C. Curved DNA molecules migrate anomalously slowly in free solution as well as in polyacrylamide gels, explaining why the Ferguson plots of curved and normal DNAs containing the same number of base pairs extrapolate to different mobilities at zero gel concentration. PMID:19517510

Stress relaxation of entangled polystyrene solution after constant-rate, uniaxial elongation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Matsumiya, Yumi; Masubuchi, Yuichi; Watanabe, Hiroshi

For an entangled solution of linear polystyrene (PS 545k; M = 545k) in dibutyl phthalate (DBP), the stress relaxation after constant-rate uniaxial elongation was examined with an extensional viscosity fixture mounted on ARES (TA Instruments). The PS concentration, c = 52 wt%, was chosen in a way...... that the entanglement density M/Me of the solution coincided with that of PS 290k melt (M = 290k). After the elongation at the Rouse-based Weissenberg number Wi(R) ~ 3 up to the Hencky strain of 3, the short time stress relaxation of the solution was accelerated by a factor of ~4, which was less significant compared...... and the lack of monotonic thinning observed for the semidilute solutions. Results for less concentrated solutions will be also presented on site....

Exploratory behavior is linked to stress physiology and social network centrality in free-living house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus).

Science.gov (United States)

Moyers, Sahnzi C; Adelman, James S; Farine, Damien R; Moore, Ignacio T; Hawley, Dana M

2018-05-21

Animal personality has been linked to individual variation in both stress physiology and social behaviors, but few studies have simultaneously examined covariation between personality traits, stress hormone levels, and behaviors in free-living animals. We investigated relationships between exploratory behavior (one aspect of animal personality), stress physiology, and social and foraging behaviors in wild house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus). We conducted novel environment assays after collecting samples of baseline and stress-induced plasma corticosterone concentrations from a subset of house finches. We then fitted individuals with Passive Integrated Transponder tags and monitored feeder use and social interactions at radio-frequency identification equipped bird feeders. First, we found that individuals with higher baseline corticosterone concentrations exhibit more exploratory behaviors in a novel environment. Second, more exploratory individuals interacted with more unique conspecifics in the wild, though this result was stronger for female than for male house finches. Third, individuals that were quick to begin exploring interacted more frequently with conspecifics than slow-exploring individuals. Finally, exploratory behaviors were unrelated to foraging behaviors, including the amount of time spent on bird feeders, a behavior previously shown to be predictive of acquiring a bacterial disease that causes annual epidemics in house finches. Overall, our results indicate that individual differences in exploratory behavior are linked to variation in both stress physiology and social network traits in free-living house finches. Such covariation has important implications for house finch ecology, as both traits can contribute to fitness in the wild. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Kombucha Tea Ameliorates Trichloroethylene Induced Hepatic Damages in Rats via Inhibition of Oxidative Stress and Free Radicals Induction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gharib, O.A.; Gharib, M.A.

2008-01-01

Kombucha Tea (KT) is reported to exhibit a wide variety of biological effects, including antioxidant. Evidence shows the important role of oxidative stress in the hepatic damage. The aim of this study is to investigate the possible protective effects of oral administration of KT in rats with trichloroethylene (TCE)-induced damage for ten consecutive days. Hepatic damage was evaluated by measuring total free radicals levels, biochemical and histological examinations. Serum gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) activity (the hepatic damage marker), total protein, albumin and globulin as well as malonaldehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH) content, nitric oxide (NO) concentration were evaluated in liver tissue homogenates. Total free radicals concentration in blood was examined by electron spin resonance (ESR). Total protein, DNA concentration, cell number and cell size in liver tissues were also examined. The rats orally administrated with TCE for ten days indicates hepatic damage changes, an increase in blood total free radicals concentration was observed, serum GGT activity, liver MDA, NO levels, total protein and decreased GSH content, DNA concentration and cell number. This accompanied with an increase in cell size of liver tissues, whereas KT reversed these effects. Furthermore, KT inhibits the concentration of total free radicals in blood and decreasing the increment of MDA and NO concentration. Histological studies reveal partial healing in those rats treated by KT after oral administration with TCE. The present results suggest that KT ameliorates TCE induced hepatic damage in rats probably due to its content of glucuronic, acetic acid and B vitamins via inhibition of oxidative stress and total free radicals

Stress corrosion cracking of duplex stainless steels in caustic solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharya, Ananya

Duplex stainless steels (DSS) with roughly equal amount of austenite and ferrite phases are being used in industries such as petrochemical, nuclear, pulp and paper mills, de-salination plants, marine environments, and others. However, many DSS grades have been reported to undergo corrosion and stress corrosion cracking in some aggressive environments such as chlorides and sulfide-containing caustic solutions. Although stress corrosion cracking of duplex stainless steels in chloride solution has been investigated and well documented in the literature but the SCC mechanisms for DSS in caustic solutions were not known. Microstructural changes during fabrication processes affect the overall SCC susceptibility of these steels in caustic solutions. Other environmental factors, like pH of the solution, temperature, and resulting electrochemical potential also influence the SCC susceptibility of duplex stainless steels. In this study, the role of material and environmental parameters on corrosion and stress corrosion cracking of duplex stainless steels in caustic solutions were investigated. Changes in the DSS microstructure by different annealing and aging treatments were characterized in terms of changes in the ratio of austenite and ferrite phases, phase morphology and intermetallic precipitation using optical micrography, SEM, EDS, XRD, nano-indentation and microhardness methods. These samples were then tested for general and localized corrosion susceptibility and SCC to understand the underlying mechanisms of crack initiation and propagation in DSS in the above-mentioned environments. Results showed that the austenite phase in the DSS is more susceptible to crack initiation and propagation in caustic solutions, which is different from that in the low pH chloride environment where the ferrite phase is the more susceptible phase. This study also showed that microstructural changes in duplex stainless steels due to different heat treatments could affect their SCC

Improvement of stress-rupture life of GTD-111 by second solution heat treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Caixiong; Xu, Yulai; Zhang, Zixing; Nie, Heng; Xiao, Xueshan; Jia, Guoqing; Shen, Zhi

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► The second solution heat treatment promoted the solution of γ–γ′ eutectic into γ matrix. ► The volume fraction of γ′ increases significantly after adding the second solution heat treatment. ► The improved stress-rupture life is primarily due to the increased volume fraction of γ′ phase. -- Abstract: An added second solution heat treatment was conducted to investigate its effects on the microstructures and stress-rupture properties of GTD-111. The microstructures were analyzed by scanning electron microscope after each step of heat treatments. The stress-rupture life of GTD-111 dramatically increases from about 180 to 288 h at 871 °C/310 MPa after adding a second solution heat treatment. The added second solution heat treatment promoted the solution of γ–γ′ eutectic into γ matrix, and facilitated the nucleation and precipitate of the secondary γ′ particles. The distribution of γ′ phase becomes much denser, the width of γ matrix channel is also reduced, and the volume fraction of γ′ phase significantly increases from about 29.3% to 44.2%. The improved stress-rupture life is primarily due to the increased volume fraction of γ′ phase. The carbides mainly consist of MC and a small amount of M 23 C 6 , which may prevent the dislocation moving and/or grain boundary sliding, and further improve the stress-rupture properties of GTD-111.

Adsorption and colloidal behaviour of carrier-free 7Be in aqueous solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benes, P.; Jiranek, V.

1974-01-01

The state of carrier-free 7 Be in aqueous nitrate solutions was studied by electrophoresis, centrifugation and dialysis. In solutions of pH 2+ cation. At pH > 4 hydrolysis of beryllium proceeds which results in the formation of BeOH + ions and Be(OH) 2 molecules. The larger part of these molecules is adsorbed on the surface of colloidal impurities present in the solution. The pseudocolloids thus formed are positively charged up to pH 11. In alkaline solutions (pH > 11), negatively charged pseudocolloids and anionic hydroxocomplexes of beryllium exist. Adsorption and desorption of carrier-free beryllium was studied on glass, plexiglass and polyethylene as a function of pH, age and ionic strength (NaNO 3 ) of the solution. It has been found that the adsorption begins at pH 3-5, passes through a maximum at pH 8-11 and decreases to a very low value at pH 14. Probable mechanismus of the adsorption were discussed. (orig.) [de

Chemical milling solution reveals stress corrosion cracks in titanium alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Braski, D. N.

1967-01-01

Solution of hydrogen flouride, hydrogen peroxide, and water reveals hot salt stress corrosion cracks in various titanium alloys. After the surface is rinsed in water, dried, and swabbed with the solution, it can be observed by the naked eye or at low magnification.

Propofol Effect on Stress Response and Free Radicals in Patient during Surgery and Sedation Procedure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Theresia Monica Rahardjo

2015-12-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Propofol is an intravenous anesthetic used worldwide as an anesthesia induction and maintenance agent. Propofol also used as sedation agent in Intensive Care Unit (ICU. Despite it’s usual anesthesia properties, propofol has an unique pharmacologic characteristic, especially as antioxidant and stress response reduction. These advantages suggested propofol has positive effects when used as an anesthesia agent in surgery or sedation in ICU in conditions when high stress and free radical level are released. CONTENT: Stress response and free radical can be elevated in various conditions including surgery or during care in ICU, especially critical ill patient. Cortisol is a major stress hormone that influences metabolism, cardiovascular and central nervous system, either in acute or chronic phase. Oxidative stress was marked by free radical elevation called Radical Oxygen Species (ROS. Combination of both elements (cortisol and ROS can worsen patient condition. Propofol with anti-stress and antioxidant properties could be used to reduce stress response and attenuate free radical level in order to improve patient condition. SUMMARY: The anti-stress and antioxidant properties of Propofol are interesting, because these benefits can be added as adjunctive therapy when propofol was used as an anesthetic agent in surgery and a sedation in ICU. KEYWORDS: propofol, stress response, antioxidant.

Free diffusion of translation of macromolecules in solution with the rayleigh interferometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leger, J.J.

1969-01-01

The aim of this study is to develop a rapid and accurate measurement, with the Rayleigh interferometer, of the free diffusion coefficient of translation of macromolecules in solution. After having explained the choice of a diffusion cell with laminar lateral flow, and explained the principle of the Rayleigh interferometer, a semi-automatic technique of free diffusion are then introduced. Solutions are proposed for systems composed of two or three components, such as biopolymers. The paper ends by drafting the possible treatment of recorded experimental data by means of electronic computer. (author) [fr

The Asymptotic Solution for the Steady Variable-Viscosity Free ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Under an arbitrary time-dependent heating of an infinite vertical plate (or wall), the steady viscosity-dependent free convection flow of a viscous incompressible fluid is investigated. Using the asymptotic method of solution on the governing equations of motion and energy, the resulting Ordinary differential equations were ...

Application of laser interferometry for assessment of surface residual stress by determination of stress-free state

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Dong Won; Kwon, Dong Il; Lee, Nak Kyu; Choi, Tae Hoon; Na, Kyoung Hoan

2003-01-01

The total relaxed stress in annealing and the thermal strain/stress were obtained from the identification of the residual stress-free state using Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometry (ESPI). The residual stress fields in case of both single and film/substrate systems were modeled using the thermo-elastic theory and the relationship between relaxed stresses and displacements. We mapped the surface residual stress fields on the indented bulk Cu and the 0.5 μm Au film by ESPI. In indented Cu, the normal and shear residual stress are distributed over -1.7 GPa to 700 MPa and -800 GPa to 600 MPa respectively around the indented point and in deposited Au film on Si wafer, the tensile residual stress is uniformly distributed on the Au film from 500 MPa to 800 MPa. Also we measured the residual stress by the X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD) for the verification of above residual stress results by ESPI

New approaches and solutions of the nonlinear force-free field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie Baisong; Yin Xintao; Luo Xia

2006-01-01

New approaches to nonlinear force-free field equations are presented and new exact solutions are found analytically. Examples are given and some implications of the results to astrophysical solar plasmas as well as tokamak plasmas are discussed

Stress-Softening Formulae of Polymer Bearings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. H. B. M. Shariff

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The motivation for this work was the absence of closed form solutions that can reasonably describe the axial deformation behaviour of stress-softening polymer bearings. In this paper, new closed form solutions that exhibit Mullins phenomenon are developed. We show that the apparent Young modulus depends on the shape factor and the minimal infinitesimal strain. We furthermore found that, in a nonlinear deformation, the shape factor plays an important role in stress softening. The solutions are design friendly and are consistent with expected results.

A free-volume modification of GEM-QC to correlate VLE and LLE in polymer solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radfarnia, H.R.; Taghikhani, V.; Ghotbi, C.; Khoshkbarchi, M.K.

2004-01-01

The generalized quasi-chemical (GEM-QC) model proposed by Wang and Vera is modified to correlate better the phase equilibrium and to overcome the shortcoming of the original model to predict the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of binary polymer solutions. This shortcoming is mainly because the GEM-QC model does not consider the effect of free-volume, which is important in systems containing molecules with large size differences. The proposed modification is based on replacing the combinatorial term of the GEM-QC model by a term proposed by Kontogerogis et al., which includes the effect of the free-volume. The main advantage of the free volume generalized quasi-chemical (GEM-QC-FV) model over the original GEM-QC is its ability to predict the phase behaviour of binary polymer solutions with LCST behaviour. In addition, the free volume UNIQUAC (UNIQUAC-FV) model is used to correlate VLE and LLE experimental data for binary polymer solutions. The comparison of the results obtained from the GEM-QC-FV model and the UNIQUAC-FV model shows the superiority of the GEM-QC-FV model in correlating the VLE and LLE experimental data for binary polymer solutions

On the stress-free lattice expansion of porous cordierite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruno, Giovanni; Efremov, Alexander M.; Clausen, Bjorn; Balagurov, Anatoly M.; Simkin, Valeriy N.; Wheaton, Bryan R.; Webb, James E.; Brown, Donald W.

2010-01-01

An extensive investigation of the lattice expansion (up to 1200 deg. C) of porous synthetic cordierite (obtained by firing a mixture of talc, clay, alumina and silica) was carried out using time-of-flight neutron diffraction at LANSCE, Los Alamos, NM, USA and FNLP, Dubna, Russia. An extruded rod and several powders, with different particle size (dispersity), were studied, with the aim of monitoring the variation of the (lattice) micro-strain as a function of temperature and its influence on the microscopic and macroscopic thermal expansion. Results show a different expansion of the a- and b-axes of the orthorhombic cell (in the rod above 800 deg. C). While the finest powder seems to contract more along the c-axis, thus hinting at the presence of smaller stress, the integral peak width increases as a function of temperature in the intermediate range (300-700 deg. C). This could be explained by the integrity factor modeling in terms of micro-cracking. In polycrystalline cordierite, the model implies tension along the a- and b-axes (positive thermal expansion) accompanied by compression along the c-axis (negative thermal expansion) and a stress release upon cooling, via a thermal micro-cracking mechanism. The calculations of the cordierite macroscopic thermal expansion having as input crystal axial expansions assumed to be stress-free allowed us to conclude that even a fine powder (5 μm particle size) cannot be considered completely stress-free. This conclusion is supported by microstructural observations.

Pattern formation under residual compressive stress in free sustained aluminum films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Senjiang; Ye Quanlin; Zhang Yongju; Cai Pinggen; Xu Xiaojun; Chen Jiangxing; Ye Gaoxiang

2005-01-01

A nearly free sustained aluminum (Al) film system has been successfully fabricated by vapor phase deposition of Al atoms on silicone oil surfaces and an unusual type of ordered patterns at the micrometer scale has been systematically studied. The ordered patterns are composed of a large number of parallel key-shaped domains and possess a sandwiched structure. The nucleation and growth of the patterns are very susceptible to the growth period, deposition rate, nominal film thickness and location of the film. The experiment shows that the ordered patterns are induced by the residual compressive stress in the film owing to contraction of the liquid surface after deposition. The appearance of these stress relief patterns generally represents the stress distribution in the nearly free sustained Al films, which mainly results from the characteristic boundary condition and the nearly zero adhesion of the solid-liquid interface

L^p-continuity of solutions to parabolic free boundary problems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdeslem Lyaghfouri

2015-07-01

Full Text Available In this article, we consider a class of parabolic free boundary problems. We establish some properties of the solutions, including L^infinity-regularity in time and a monotonicity property, from which we deduce strong L^p-continuity in time.

Singularity free non-rotating cosmological solutions for perfect fluids ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Singularity free cosmological solutions of the type stated in the title known so far are of a very special class and have the following characteristics: (a) The space time is cylindrically symmetric. (b) In case the metric is diagonal, the μ's are of the form μ = a function of time multiplied by a function of the radial coordinate.

Stress corrosion cracking of zirconium and its alloys in halogenide solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farina, Silvia B.

2001-01-01

A doctoral thesis developed at the corrosion labs in CNEA a few years ago showed that zirconium and Zircaloy-4 were susceptible to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in chloride aqueous solutions at potentials above the pitting potential. However, the nature of the phenomenon was not elucidated. On the other hand, references about the subject were scarce and contradictory. The development of new SCC models, in particular, the surface mobility SCC mechanism suggested a review of zirconium and Zircaloy-4 SCC in halogenide aqueous solutions. This mechanism predicts that zirconium should be susceptible to SCC not only in chloride solutions but also in bromide and iodide solutions due to the low melting point of the surface compounds formed by the interaction between the metal and the environment. The present work was aimed to determine the conditions under which SCC takes place and the mechanism operating during this process. For that purpose, the effect of electrochemical potential, strain rate and temperature on the SCC susceptibility of both, zirconium and Zircaloy-4 in chloride, bromide and iodide solutions was investigated. It was observed that those materials undergo stress corrosion cracking only at potentials higher than the breakdown potential. The crack velocity increased slightly with the applied potential, and the strain rate had an accelerating effect on the crack propagation rate. In both materials two steps were found during cracking. The first one was characterized as intergranular attack assisted by stress due to an anodic dissolution process. This step is followed by a transition to a transgranular mode of propagation, which was considered as the 'true' stress corrosion cracking step. The intergranular attack is the rate-determining step due to the fact that the transgranular propagation rate is higher than the intergranular propagation rate. Several stress corrosion cracking mechanisms were analyzed to explain the transgranular cracking. The predictions

Stress and strain field singularities, micro-cracks, and their role in failure initiation at the composite laminate free-edge

Science.gov (United States)

Dustin, Joshua S.

A state-of-the-art multi-scale analysis was performed to predict failure initiation at the free-edge of an angle-ply laminate using the Strain Invariant Failure Theory (SIFT), and multiple improvements to this analysis methodology were proposed and implemented. Application of this analysis and theory led to the conclusion that point-wise failure criteria which ignore the singular stress and strain fields from a homogenized analysis and the presence of free-edge damage in the form of micro-cracking, may do so at the expense of failure prediction capability. The main contributions of this work then are made in the study of the laminate free-edge singularity and in the effects of micro-cracking at the composite laminate free-edge. Study of both classical elasticity and finite element solutions of the laminate free-edge stress field based upon the assumption of homogenized lamina properties reveal that the order of the free-edge singularity is sufficiently small such that the domain of dominance of this term away from the laminate free-edge is much smaller than the relevant dimensions of the microstructure. In comparison to a crack-tip field, these free-edge singularities generate stress and strain fields which are half as intense as those at the crack-tip, leading to the conclusion that existing flaws at the free-edge in the form of micro-cracks would be more prone to the initiation of free-edge failure than the existence of a singularity in the free-edge elasticity solutions. A methodical experiment was performed on a family of [±25°/90°] s laminates made of IM7/8552 carbon/epoxy composite, to both characterize micro-cracks present at the laminate free-edge and to study their behavior under the application of a uniform extensional load. The majority of these micro-cracks were of length on the order of a few fiber diameters, though larger micro-cracks as long as 100 fiber diameters were observed in thicker laminates. A strong correlation between the application of

Predicting the activity coefficients of free-solvent for concentrated globular protein solutions using independently determined physical parameters.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Devin W McBride

Full Text Available The activity coefficient is largely considered an empirical parameter that was traditionally introduced to correct the non-ideality observed in thermodynamic systems such as osmotic pressure. Here, the activity coefficient of free-solvent is related to physically realistic parameters and a mathematical expression is developed to directly predict the activity coefficients of free-solvent, for aqueous protein solutions up to near-saturation concentrations. The model is based on the free-solvent model, which has previously been shown to provide excellent prediction of the osmotic pressure of concentrated and crowded globular proteins in aqueous solutions up to near-saturation concentrations. Thus, this model uses only the independently determined, physically realizable quantities: mole fraction, solvent accessible surface area, and ion binding, in its prediction. Predictions are presented for the activity coefficients of free-solvent for near-saturated protein solutions containing either bovine serum albumin or hemoglobin. As a verification step, the predictability of the model for the activity coefficient of sucrose solutions was evaluated. The predicted activity coefficients of free-solvent are compared to the calculated activity coefficients of free-solvent based on osmotic pressure data. It is observed that the predicted activity coefficients are increasingly dependent on the solute-solvent parameters as the protein concentration increases to near-saturation concentrations.

FREE AMINO ACID COMPOSITION IN SCOTS PINE TISSUES UNDER STRESS IMPACT IN RHIZOSPHERE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sudachkova N.E.

2007-12-01

Full Text Available The free amino acid content in the needles and the inner bark of stems and roots of 8-13-ages self-sawn trees of Pinus sylvestris L. in Central Siberia in experimental and natural conditions was compared. The experiments imitated an influence of long-seasonal or permafrost, soil drought and root hypoxia, concomitant flooding. The aim of the investigation was to expose the adaptive changes of these metabolites composition under stress impact. All of types of stress influences changed the total free amino acid content in the tissues of different morphological tree parts: the cooling of root system caused a deposit of free amino acids in overground tree part, the water deficit stimulated an accumulation of free amino acids in root inner bark, the flooding decreased the amino acid content in all tissues. The ratio in a group of amino acids with glutamic acid as metabolic precursor (-aminobutyric (GABA, proline, arginine, citrulline and ornithine changed under different stress impact. The cold stress in rhizosphere caused GABA accumulation in the needles and stem but not in the roots in the period of soil thawing. The moderate moisture deficit had not an influence on GABA content, the flooding caused GABA accumulation only in new needles. The maximal exceeding above control were marked for the sum of arginine and its metabolic precursors citrulline and ornithine. The group of these compounds may be considered as stress metabolites for scots pine, but specificity of depositing of these amino acids at water stress requires additional proofs. Since the proline accumulation was showed in separate times in the different tissues under all of investigated stressors impact, the specificity of proline as indicator of water stress in scots pine tissues is debatable. The disturbance of donor-acceptor connections in experiment with cooling resulted to the amino acid accumulation in stem inner bark, in experiment with drought – in root inner bark.

Monitoring stress in captive and free-ranging African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) using faecal glucocorticoid metabolites.

Science.gov (United States)

Van der Weyde, L K; Martin, G B; Paris, M C J

2016-01-15

An understanding of stress physiology is important for species management because high levels of stress can hamper reproduction and affect an individual's ability to cope with threats to their survival, such as disease and human-wildlife conflict. A commonly used indicator of stress, faecal concentrations of cortisol metabolites (FCM), can be used to assess the impact of social, biological and environmental factors. Measurements of FCM are particularly valuable for endangered species that are logistically challenging to study and where non-invasive techniques are preferred. As the second most endangered canid in Africa, the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) has been the focus of considerable conservation research, yet there is still little understanding of factors associated with stress, in either captive or free-ranging populations. The present study therefore aimed to determine whether stress levels differ between captive and free-ranging populations, and to detect social, biological and environmental factors that are stressful in these populations. Faecal samples were collected from 20 captive and 62 free-ranging animals. Within free-ranging populations, the sexes differed significantly, but there was no effect of social status, age or breeding period for either sex. Captive females had higher FCM concentrations than free-ranging females. In captive populations, FCM concentrations differed among zoos and with reproductive status in females, but were not related to age class or group-housing structure. In conclusion, FCM is a useful indicator of stress and should be considered an integrative aspect of management, for both in situ and ex situ African wild dog populations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sling surgery for stress urinary incontinence; the perfect solution?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hogewoning, C.R.C.

2017-01-01

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is the most observed type of urinary incontinence and is defined as the loss of urine following a rise in abdominal pressure. The TVT (Tension-free Vaginal Tape), a mid-urethral sling (MUS), was introduced in 1996 and soon became the gold standard in the surgical

Standard Gibbs free energies for transfer of actinyl ions at the aqueous/organic solution interface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kitatsuji, Yoshihiro; Okugaki, Tomohiko; Kasuno, Megumi; Kubota, Hiroki; Maeda, Kohji; Kimura, Takaumi; Yoshida, Zenko; Kihara, Sorin

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Standard Gibbs free energies for ion-transfer of tri- to hexavalent actinide ions. → Determination is based on distribution method combined with ion-transfer voltammetry. → Organic solvents examined are nitrobenzene, DCE, benzonitrile, acetophenone and NPOE. → Gibbs free energies of U(VI), Np(VI) and Pu(VI) are similar to each other. → Gibbs free energies of Np(V) is very large, comparing with ordinary monovalent cations. - Abstract: Standard Gibbs free energies for transfer (ΔG tr 0 ) of actinyl ions (AnO 2 z+ ; z = 2 or 1; An: U, Np, or Pu) between an aqueous solution and an organic solution were determined based on distribution method combined with voltammetry for ion transfer at the interface of two immiscible electrolyte solutions. The organic solutions examined were nitrobenzene, 1,2-dichloroethane, benzonitrile, acetophenone, and 2-nitrophenyl octyl ether. Irrespective of the type of organic solutions, ΔG tr 0 of UO 2 2+ ,NpO 2 2+ , and PuO 2 2+ were nearly equal to each other and slightly larger than that of Mg 2+ . The ΔG tr 0 of NpO 2 + was extraordinary large compared with those of ordinary monovalent cations. The dependence of ΔG tr 0 of AnO 2 z+ on the type of organic solutions was similar to that of H + or Mg 2+ . The ΔG tr 0 of An 3+ and An 4+ were also discussed briefly.

Post-menopausal Women Exhibit Greater Interleukin-6 Responses to Mental Stress Than Older Men.

Science.gov (United States)

Endrighi, Romano; Hamer, Mark; Steptoe, Andrew

2016-08-01

Acute stress triggers innate immune responses and elevation in circulating cytokines including interleukin-6 (IL-6). The effect of sex on IL-6 responses remains unclear due to important limitations of previous studies. The purpose of this study was to examine sex differences in IL-6 responses to mental stress in a healthy, older (post-menopausal) sample accounting for several moderating factors. Five hundred six participants (62.9 ± 5.60 years, 55 % male) underwent 10 min of mental stress consisting of mirror tracing and Stroop task. Blood was sampled at baseline, after stress, and 45 and 75 min post-stress, and assayed using a high sensitivity kit. IL-6 reactivity was computed as the mean difference between baseline and 45 min and between baseline and 75 min post-stress. Main effects and interactions were examined using ANCOVA models. There was a main effect of time for the IL-6 response (F 3,1512 = 201.57, p = stress compared to males. Results were independent of age, adiposity, socioeconomic position, depression, smoking and alcohol consumption, physical activity, statin use, testing time, task appraisals, hormone replacement, and baseline IL-6. Other significant predictors of IL-6 reactivity were lower household wealth, afternoon testing, and baseline IL-6. Healthy, post-menopausal females exhibit substantially greater IL-6 responses to acute stress. Inflammatory responses if sustained over time may have clinical implications for the development and maintenance of inflammatory-related conditions prevalent in older women.

The Role of Cartilage Stress in Patellofemoral Pain

Science.gov (United States)

Besier, Thor F.; Pal, Saikat; Draper, Christine E.; Fredericson, Michael; Gold, Garry E.; Delp, Scott L.; Beaupré, Gary S.

2015-01-01

Purpose Elevated cartilage stress has been identified as a potential mechanism for retropatellar pain; however, there are limited data in the literature to support this mechanism. Females are more likely to develop patellofemoral pain than males, yet the causes of this dimorphism are unclear. We used experimental data and computational modeling to determine whether patients with patellofemoral pain had elevated cartilage stress compared to pain-free controls and test the hypothesis that females exhibit greater cartilage stress than males. Methods We created finite element models of 24 patients with patellofemoral pain (11 males; 13 females) and 16 pain-free controls (8 males; 8 females) to estimate peak patellar cartilage stress (strain energy density) during a stair climb activity. Simulations took into account cartilage morphology from MRI, joint posture from weight-bearing MRI, and muscle forces from an EMG-driven model. Results We found no difference in peak patellar strain energy density between patellofemoral pain (1.9 ± 1.23 J/m3) and control subjects (1.66 ± 0.75 J/m3, p=0.52). Females exhibited greater cartilage stress compared to males (2.2 vs 1.3 J/m3, respectively, p=0.0075), with large quadriceps muscle forces (3.7BW females vs 3.3BW males) and 23% smaller joint contact area (females: 467 ± 59 mm2 vs males: 608 ± 95mm2). Conclusion Patellofemoral pain patients did not display significantly greater patellar cartilage stress compared to pain-free controls; however, there was a great deal of subject variation. Females exhibited greater peak cartilage stress compared to males, which might explain the greater prevalence of patellofemoral pain in females compared to males but other mechanical and biological factors are clearly involved in this complex pathway to pain. PMID:25899103

Solution structure of GSP13 from Bacillus subtilis exhibits an S1 domain related to cold shock proteins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Wenyu; Hu Jicheng; Yu Bingke; Xia Wei; Jin Changwen; Xia Bin

2009-01-01

GSP13 encoded by gene yugI is a σ B -dependent general stress protein in Bacillus subtilis, which can be induced by heat shock, salt stress, ethanol stress, glucose starvation, oxidative stress and cold shock. Here we report the solution structure of GSP13 and it is the first structure of S1 domain containing protein in Bacillus subtilis. The structure of GSP13 mainly consists of a typical S1 domain along with a C-terminal 50-residue flexible tail, different from the other known S1 domain containing proteins. Comparison with other S1 domain structures reveals that GSP13 has a conserved RNA binding surface, and it may function similarly to cold shock proteins in response to cold stress

Novel processing of Barkhausen noise signal for assessment of residual stress in surface ground components exhibiting poor magnetic response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vashista, M.; Paul, S.

2011-01-01

The Barkhausen Noise Analysis (BNA) technique has been utilised to assess surface integrity of steels. But the BNA technique is not very successful in evaluating surface integrity of ground steels that exhibit poor micro-magnetic response. A new approach has been proposed for the processing of BN signal and two newly proposed parameters, namely 'count' and 'event', have been shown to correlate linearly with the residual stress upon grinding, with judicious choice of user defined 'threshold', even when the micro-magnetic response of the work material is poor. In the present study, residual stress induced upon conventional plunge surface grinding of hardened bearing steel has been investigated along with unhardened bearing steel for benchmarking. Moreover, similar correlation has been established, when primarily compressive stress is induced upon high speed grinding using cBN wheel with moderately deep cut suppressing the micro-magnetic response from the ground medium carbon steel as the work material. - Highlights: → The problem of work materials exhibiting poor BN response and poor Barkhausen Noise response is identified. → A novel signal processing strategy is introduced to address the issue of poor micro-magnetic response of some ferromagnetic material. → Potential of newly introduced BN parameters has been studied. → These two BN parameters exhibited linear correlation with residual stress for work material with poor micro-magnetic response.

Digital collections and exhibits

CERN Document Server

Denzer, Juan

2015-01-01

Today's libraries are taking advantage of cutting-edge technologies such as flat panel displays using touch, sound, and hands-free motions to design amazing exhibits using everything from simple computer hardware to advanced technologies such as the Microsoft Kinect. Libraries of all types are striving to add new interactive experiences for their patrons through exciting digital exhibits, both online and off. Digital Collections and Exhibits takes away the mystery of designing stunning digital exhibits to spotlight library trea

Potentiometric determination of free nitric-acid in trilaurylamine solutions containing plutonium nitrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perez, J.J.; Saey, J.C.

1965-01-01

A potentiometric method of determination of the free nitric acid in trilaurylamine solutions containing plutonium or thorium nitrates is described. The potentiometric titration is carried out in a mixture of benzene and 1,2-dichloro ethane with a standard solution of trilaurylamine as the titrant. When thorium nitrate is present the metal complex is not dissociated then the titration has a single end-point. In the case of plutonium nitrate the partial dissociation of the plutonium complex corresponds to a second point. The experimental error in duplicate analyses of 50 samples is about 1 per cent for free acid concentrations in the range of 0,03 to 0,1 N and plutonium concentrations between 1 to 5 g/l. (authors) [fr

Influence of Ni Solute segregation on the intrinsic growth stresses in Cu(Ni) thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaub, T.M.; Felfer, P.; Cairney, J.M.; Thompson, G.B.

2016-01-01

Using intrinsic solute segregation in alloys, the compressive stress in a series of Cu(Ni) thin films has been studied. The highest compressive stress was noted in the 5 at.% Ni alloy, with increasing Ni concentration resulting in a subsequent reduction of stress. Atom probe tomography quantified Ni's Gibbsian interfacial excess in the grain boundaries and confirmed that once grain boundary saturation is achieved, the compressive stress was reduced. This letter provides experimental support in elucidating how interfacial segregation of excess adatoms contributes to the post-coalescence compressive stress generation mechanism in thin films. - Graphical abstract: Cu(Ni) film stress relationship with Ni additions. Atom probe characterization confirms solute enrichment in the boundaries, which was linked to stress response.

An analytical solution describing the shape of a yield stress material subjected to an overpressure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hovad, Emil; Spangenberg, Jon; Larsen, P.

2016-01-01

as well as the spread length and height of the material when deformed in a box due to gravity. In the present work, the analytical solution is extended with the addition of an overpressure that acts over the entire body of the material. This extension enables finding the shape of a yield stress material......Many fluids and granular materials are able to withstand a limited shear stress without flowing. These materials are known as yields stress materials. Previously, an analytical solution was presented to quantify the yield stress for such materials. The yields stress is obtained based on the density...... with known density and yield stress when for instance deformed under water or subjected to a forced air pressure....

Effect of Inflammatory and Noninflammatory Stress on Beta-Hydroxybutyrate and Free Fatty Acids in Rat Blood.

Science.gov (United States)

fasting plus screen-restraint and fasting plus femoral fracture. Inflammatory stresses caused a marked inhibition of the normal fasting-induced ketosis ...and a reduction in the level of circulating free fatty acids. Noninflammatory stresses caused no inhibition of the normal fasting-induced ketosis but did cause a reduction in the level of circulating free fatty acids. (Author)

Acute stress affects free recall and recognition of pictures differently depending on age and sex.

Science.gov (United States)

Hidalgo, Vanesa; Pulopulos, Matias M; Puig-Perez, Sara; Espin, Laura; Gomez-Amor, Jesus; Salvador, Alicia

2015-10-01

Little is known about age differences in the effects of stress on memory retrieval. Our aim was to perform an in-depth examination of acute psychosocial stress effects on memory retrieval, depending on age and sex. For this purpose, data from 52 older subjects (27 men and 25 women) were reanalyzed along with data from a novel group of 50 young subjects (26 men and 24 women). Participants were exposed to an acute psychosocial stress task (Trier Social Stress Test) or a control task. After the experimental manipulation, the retrieval of positive, negative and neutral pictures learned the previous day was tested. As expected, there was a significant response to the exposure to the stress task, but the older participants had a lower cortisol response to TSST than the younger ones. Stress impaired free recall of emotional (positive and negative) and neutral pictures only in the group of young men. Also in this group, correlation analyses showed a marginally significant association between cortisol and free recall. However, exploratory analyses revealed only a negative relationship between the stress-induced cortisol response and free recall of negative pictures. Moreover, stress impaired recognition memory of positive pictures in all participants, although this effect was not related to the cortisol or alpha-amylase response. These results indicate that both age and sex are critical factors in acute stress effects on specific aspects of long-term memory retrieval of emotional and neutral material. They also point out that more research is needed to better understand their specific role. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Integrating Free and Open Source Solutions into Geospatial Science Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vaclav Petras

2015-06-01

Full Text Available While free and open source software becomes increasingly important in geospatial research and industry, open science perspectives are generally less reflected in universities’ educational programs. We present an example of how free and open source software can be incorporated into geospatial education to promote open and reproducible science. Since 2008 graduate students at North Carolina State University have the opportunity to take a course on geospatial modeling and analysis that is taught with both proprietary and free and open source software. In this course, students perform geospatial tasks simultaneously in the proprietary package ArcGIS and the free and open source package GRASS GIS. By ensuring that students learn to distinguish between geospatial concepts and software specifics, students become more flexible and stronger spatial thinkers when choosing solutions for their independent work in the future. We also discuss ways to continually update and improve our publicly available teaching materials for reuse by teachers, self-learners and other members of the GIS community. Only when free and open source software is fully integrated into geospatial education, we will be able to encourage a culture of openness and, thus, enable greater reproducibility in research and development applications.

Failure analysis in ITO-free all-solution processed organic solar cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Galagan, Y.; Eggenhuisen, T.M.; Coenen, M.J.J.; Biezemans, A.F.K.V.; Verhees, W.J.H.; Veenstra, S.C.; Groen, W.A.; Andriessen, R.; Janssen, R.A.J.

2015-01-01

In this paper we discuss a problem-solving methodology and present guidance for troubleshooting defects in ITO-free all-solution processed organic solar cells with an inverted cell architecture. A systematic approach for identifying the main causes of failures in devices is presented. Comprehensive

Study of free acidity determinations in aqueous solution; Etude des dosages d'acidite libre en solution aqueuse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kergreis, A [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1966-04-01

The object of this work is the study of the principal methods which can be applied to the measurement of 'free' acidity. In the first part, we define the various types of acidity which can exist in aqueous solution; then, after having studied some hydrolysis reactions, we compare the value of the neutralisation pH of the hydrated cation and that of the precipitation of the hydroxide. In the second part we have started to study the determination of the acidity of an aqueous solution. After having rapidly considered the 'total' acidity determination, we deal with the problem of the 'free' acidity titration. We have considered in particular certain methods: extrapolation of the equivalent point, colorimetric titrations with or without a complexing agent, and finally the use of ion-exchange resins with mixed aqueous and solvent solutions. (author) [French] Le but de ce travail est l'etude des principales methodes de determination de l'acidite 'libre'. Dans une premiere partie nous avons defini les differentes sortes d'acidites pouvant exister en solution aqueuse, puis apres avoir etudie quelques reactions d'hydrolyse, nous avons compare la valeur de pH de neutralisation du cation hydrate et celle de precipitation de l'hydroxyde. Dans la seconde partie nous avons aborde l'etuce des dosages de l'acidite d'une solution aqueuse. Apres avoir envisage assez rapidement la determination de l'acidite 'totale', nous traitons du probleme du titrage de l'acidite 'libre'. Nous avons porte notre attention sur certaines methodes: extrapolation du point equivalent, titrimetrie colorimetrique avec ou sans complexant, et enfin utilisation des resines echangeuses d'ions en milieu aqueux et solvant mixte.

Stable, metastable and unstable solutions of a spin-1 Ising system based on the free energy surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Keskİin, Mustafa; Özgan, Şükrü

1990-04-01

Stable, metastable and unstable solutions of a spin-1 Ising model with bilinear and biquadratic interactions are found by using the free energy surfaces. The free energy expression is obtained in the lowest approximation of the cluster variation method. All these solutions are shown in the two-dimensional phase space, especially the unstable solutions which in some cases are difficult to illustrate in the two-dimensional phase space, found by Keskin et al. recently.

Assessment of Free Radical Scavenging Activity of Dimethylglycine Sodium Salt and Its Role in Providing Protection against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Oxidative Stress in Mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Kaiwen; Xu, Wen; Zhang, Jingfei; Kou, Tao; Niu, Yu; Wan, Xiaoli; Zhang, Lili; Wang, Chao; Wang, Tian

2016-01-01

In the present study, the free radical scavenging activities (against 1,1-diphenyl-2-pierylhydrazy (DPPH), 2,2'-Azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6- sulphonate) (ABTS+), Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)) of dimethylglycine sodium salt (DMG-Na) were measured and compared with those of Trolox (6-hydroxy-2, 5, 7, 8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid), a commonly used antioxidant. The radical scavenging activities of DMG-Na were found to be the highest at 40 mg/ml. In Experiment 2, gastric intubation in mice with 12 mg DMG-Na/0.3 ml sterile saline solution significantly increased (P DMG-Na/0.3 ml sterile saline solution, which showed the highest antioxidant capacity, was further studied using a mice model. In Experiment 3, the mice CL (CON+ lipopolysaccharide (LPS)) group showed a significant decrease (P DMG+LPS) group showed a significant decrease (P DMG-Na could protect against the LPS-induced oxidative stress by enhancing the free radical scavenging capacity, and increasing the activity of antioxidant defense system.

Quantitative prediction of solute strengthening in aluminium alloys.

Science.gov (United States)

Leyson, Gerard Paul M; Curtin, William A; Hector, Louis G; Woodward, Christopher F

2010-09-01

Despite significant advances in computational materials science, a quantitative, parameter-free prediction of the mechanical properties of alloys has been difficult to achieve from first principles. Here, we present a new analytic theory that, with input from first-principles calculations, is able to predict the strengthening of aluminium by substitutional solute atoms. Solute-dislocation interaction energies in and around the dislocation core are first calculated using density functional theory and a flexible-boundary-condition method. An analytic model for the strength, or stress to move a dislocation, owing to the random field of solutes, is then presented. The theory, which has no adjustable parameters and is extendable to other metallic alloys, predicts both the energy barriers to dislocation motion and the zero-temperature flow stress, allowing for predictions of finite-temperature flow stresses. Quantitative comparisons with experimental flow stresses at temperature T=78 K are made for Al-X alloys (X=Mg, Si, Cu, Cr) and good agreement is obtained.

MyMolDB: a micromolecular database solution with open source and free components.

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Bing; Tai, Zheng-Fu; Gu, Yu-Cheng; Li, Bang-Jing; Ding, Li-Sheng; Zhou, Yan

2011-10-01

To manage chemical structures in small laboratories is one of the important daily tasks. Few solutions are available on the internet, and most of them are closed source applications. The open-source applications typically have limited capability and basic cheminformatics functionalities. In this article, we describe an open-source solution to manage chemicals in research groups based on open source and free components. It has a user-friendly interface with the functions of chemical handling and intensive searching. MyMolDB is a micromolecular database solution that supports exact, substructure, similarity, and combined searching. This solution is mainly implemented using scripting language Python with a web-based interface for compound management and searching. Almost all the searches are in essence done with pure SQL on the database by using the high performance of the database engine. Thus, impressive searching speed has been archived in large data sets for no external Central Processing Unit (CPU) consuming languages were involved in the key procedure of the searching. MyMolDB is an open-source software and can be modified and/or redistributed under GNU General Public License version 3 published by the Free Software Foundation (Free Software Foundation Inc. The GNU General Public License, Version 3, 2007. Available at: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html). The software itself can be found at http://code.google.com/p/mymoldb/. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Exact Solutions for Unsteady Free Convection Flow of Casson Fluid over an Oscillating Vertical Plate with Constant Wall Temperature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asma Khalid

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The unsteady free flow of a Casson fluid past an oscillating vertical plate with constant wall temperature has been studied. The Casson fluid model is used to distinguish the non-Newtonian fluid behaviour. The governing partial differential equations corresponding to the momentum and energy equations are transformed into linear ordinary differential equations by using nondimensional variables. Laplace transform method is used to find the exact solutions of these equations. Expressions for shear stress in terms of skin friction and the rate of heat transfer in terms of Nusselt number are also obtained. Numerical results of velocity and temperature profiles with various values of embedded flow parameters are shown graphically and their effects are discussed in detail.

Gel-free/label-free proteomic analysis of root tip of soybean over time under flooding and drought stresses.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xin; Oh, MyeongWon; Sakata, Katsumi; Komatsu, Setsuko

2016-01-01

Growth in the early stage of soybean is markedly inhibited under flooding and drought stresses. To explore the responsive mechanisms of soybean, temporal protein profiles of root tip under flooding and drought stresses were analyzed using gel-free/label-free proteomic technique. Root tip was analyzed because it was the most sensitive organ against flooding, and it was beneficial to root penetration under drought. UDP glucose: glycoprotein glucosyltransferase was decreased and increased in soybean root under flooding and drought, respectively. Temporal protein profiles indicated that fermentation and protein synthesis/degradation were essential in root tip under flooding and drought, respectively. In silico protein-protein interaction analysis revealed that the inductive and suppressive interactions between S-adenosylmethionine synthetase family protein and B-S glucosidase 44 under flooding and drought, respectively, which are related to carbohydrate metabolism. Furthermore, biotin/lipoyl attachment domain containing protein and Class II aminoacyl tRNA/biotin synthetases superfamily protein were repressed in the root tip during time-course stresses. These results suggest that biotin and biotinylation might be involved in energy management to cope with flooding and drought in early stage of soybean-root tip. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

General Series Solutions for Stresses and Displacements in an Inner-fixed Ring

Science.gov (United States)

Jiao, Yongshu; Liu, Shuo; Qi, Dexuan

2018-03-01

The general series solution approach is provided to get the stress and displacement fields in the inner-fixed ring. After choosing an Airy stress function in series form, stresses are expressed by infinite coefficients. Displacements are obtained by integrating the geometric equations. For an inner-fixed ring, the arbitrary loads acting on outer edge are extended into two sets of Fourier series. The zero displacement boundary conditions on inner surface are utilized. Then the stress (and displacement) coefficients are expressed by loading coefficients. A numerical example shows the validity of this approach.

Characterization and minimization of the stress response to trapping in free-ranging wolves (Canis lupus): insights from physiology and behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Nuno; Rio-Maior, Helena; Nakamura, Mónia; Roque, Sara; Brandão, Ricardo; Álvares, Francisco

2017-09-01

Wildlife capture is an essential management tool that induces a reactive homeostasis response in the captured animals. The aim of this study was to characterize the reactive homeostatic response to trapping in free-ranging wolves and assess the mitigation achieved by reducing the duration of restraint. Making use of wolves captured for ecological research as a model for wildlife acute stress, we characterize 25 reactive homeostasis mediators and we assess the effect on these mediators of reducing the duration of restraint in trap by using remote trap activation alarms. Free-ranging wolves trapped by leg-hold snares (n = 15) showed higher stress leukogram, tissue injury and hematocrit; while lower glucose, ions and cardiac rate compared with captive wolves. They also showed higher leukocyte count and creatine kinase; but lower hematocrit, cardiac rate and rectal body temperature compared to wolves captured by darting from a helicopter. Daily distance travelled was significantly lower up to day 12 post-capture compared to the remainder of the telemetry follow-up and this effect was more noticeable on the nocturnal distance travelled. Reducing the duration of restraint on trap significantly lowered the stress leukogram and dehydration. Daily distance travelled during the night by wolves captured using trap-alarms was significantly lower only up to day 4 post-capture compared to up to day 28 for wolves captured without trap-alarms. The capture method and duration of restraint influence the reactive homeostasis response of free-ranging wolves. Technological solutions that reduce the duration of restraint on trap significantly dampen this influence. Wildlife trapping actions should strive to minimize the delay from capture to manipulation.

Influence of yield stress on free convective boundary-layer flow of a non-Newtonian nanofluid past a vertical plate in a porous medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hady, F. M.; Ibrahim, F. S.; Abdel-Gaied, S. M.; Eid, M. R.

2011-01-01

The effect of yield stress on the free convective heat transfer of dilute liquid suspensions of nanofluids flowing on a vertical plate saturated in porous medium under laminar conditions is investigated considering the nanofluid obeys the mathematical model of power-law. The model used for non-Newtonian nanofluid incorporates the effects of Brownian motion and thermophoresis. The governing boundary- layer equations are cast into dimensionless system which is solved numerically using a deferred correction technique and Newton iteration. This solution depends on yield stress parameter Ω, a power-law index n, Lewis number Le, a buoyancy-ratio number Nr, a Brownian motion number Nb, and a thermophoresis number Nt. Analyses of the results found that the reduced Nusselt and Sherwood numbers are decreasing functions of the higher yield stress parameter for each dimensionless numbers, n and Le, except the reduced Sherwood number is an increasing function of higher Nb for different values of yield stress parameter

Transgenic tobacco plants constitutively expressing peanut BTF3 exhibit increased growth and tolerance to abiotic stresses.

Science.gov (United States)

Pruthvi, V; Rama, N; Parvathi, M S; Nataraja, K N

2017-05-01

Abiotic stresses limit crop growth and productivity worldwide. Cellular tolerance, an important abiotic stress adaptive trait, involves coordinated activities of multiple proteins linked to signalling cascades, transcriptional regulation and other diverse processes. Basal transcriptional machinery is considered to be critical for maintaining transcription under stressful conditions. From this context, discovery of novel basal transcription regulators from stress adapted crops like peanut would be useful for improving tolerance of sensitive plant types. In this study, we prospected a basal transcription factor, BTF3 from peanut (Arachis hypogaea L) and studied its relevance in stress acclimation by over expression in tobacco. AhBTF3 was induced under PEG-, NaCl-, and methyl viologen-induced stresses in peanut. The constitutive expression of AhBTF3 in tobacco increased plant growth under non stress condition. The transgenic plants exhibited superior phenotype compared to wild type under mannitol- and NaCl-induced stresses at seedling level. The enhanced cellular tolerance of transgenic plants was evidenced by higher cell membrane stability, reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging activity, seedling survival and vigour than wild type. The transgenic lines showed better in vitro regeneration capacity on growth media supplemented with NaCl than wild type. Superior phenotype of transgenic plants under osmotic and salinity stresses seems to be due to constitutive activation of genes of multiple pathways linked to growth and stress adaptation. The study demonstrated that AhBTF3 is a positive regulator of growth and stress acclimation and hence can be considered as a potential candidate gene for crop improvement towards stress adaptation. © 2016 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Standard Gibbs free energies of reactions of ozone with free radicals in aqueous solution: quantum-chemical calculations.

Science.gov (United States)

Naumov, Sergej; von Sonntag, Clemens

2011-11-01

Free radicals are common intermediates in the chemistry of ozone in aqueous solution. Their reactions with ozone have been probed by calculating the standard Gibbs free energies of such reactions using density functional theory (Jaguar 7.6 program). O(2) reacts fast and irreversibly only with simple carbon-centered radicals. In contrast, ozone also reacts irreversibly with conjugated carbon-centered radicals such as bisallylic (hydroxycylohexadienyl) radicals, with conjugated carbon/oxygen-centered radicals such as phenoxyl radicals, and even with nitrogen- oxygen-, sulfur-, and halogen-centered radicals. In these reactions, further ozone-reactive radicals are generated. Chain reactions may destroy ozone without giving rise to products other than O(2). This may be of importance when ozonation is used in pollution control, and reactions of free radicals with ozone have to be taken into account in modeling such processes.

Nonequilibrium free diffusion in seed leachate

Science.gov (United States)

Ortiz G., Luis; Riquelme P., Pablo; Guzmán, R.

2013-11-01

In this work, we use a Schlieren-like Near Field Scattering (SNFS) setup to study nonequilibrium free diffusion behavior of a colloidal solution obtained from seeds leachate. The main objective is to compare the temporal behavior of the diffusion coefficient of seed leachate with an electric conductivity based vigor test. SNFS sizing measurements, based on Mie theory, were carried out to ensure its reliability and sensitivity. Then, we performed a typical nonequilibrium free diffusion experiment of a glycerol-water mixture. In this way, we confirmed that SNFS setup is sensitive to giant concentration fluctuations of nanocolloidal solutions. The results obtained in this stage reproduce properly the data reported elsewhere in literature. Moreover, seed leachate diffuse, in water, in a similar way that glycerol does. In both cases we used the same method (dynamic structure factor) to determine thermo-physical properties. We show that time evolution of diffusion coefficient of Lupinus Albus leachate exhibits three defined regimes as electric conductivity measurements. The results also exhibit a correspondence between the behavior of the diffusion coefficient and electric conductivity values of the two regions in the temporal range studied. Finally, we discuss biological processes involved in germination that could modulate this dependence, and the role played by the electrolytic nature of solutes.

On the Construction and Properties of Weak Solutions Describing Dynamic Cavitation

KAUST Repository

Miroshnikov, Alexey

2014-08-21

We consider the problem of dynamic cavity formation in isotropic compressible nonlinear elastic media. For the equations of radial elasticity we construct self-similar weak solutions that describe a cavity emanating from a state of uniform deformation. For dimensions d=2,3 we show that cavity formation is necessarily associated with a unique precursor shock. We also study the bifurcation diagram and do a detailed analysis of the singular asymptotics associated to cavity initiation as a function of the cavity speed of the self-similar profiles. We show that for stress free cavities the critical stretching associated with dynamically cavitating solutions coincides with the critical stretching in the bifurcation diagram of equilibrium elasticity. Our analysis treats both stress-free cavities and cavities with contents.

Relationship between oxygen free radicals, cytokines, cortisol and stress complications in patients with acute cerebrovascular disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Yingbin; Wang Bingjie; Li Yunchao

2010-01-01

Objective: To investigate the relationship between oxygen free radicals, cytokines, cortisol and stress complications in patients with acute cerebrovascular disease (ACVD). Methods: Serum levels of superoxide dismutases (SOD), malonaldehyde (MDA) (with biochemistry) interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and cortisol (with RIA) were measured in 32 patients with acute cerebrovascular disease (ACVD) plus stress complications and 48 patients without stress complications as well as 36 controls. Results: Serum SOD contents in non-stressed group were higher than those in stressed group (P<0.05) but lower than those of the controls (P<0.05). However the levels of MDA, IL-6, TNF-α and cortisol were highest in the stressed group and lowest in the controls (all P<0.05). Conclusion: Oxygen free radicals, IL-6, TNF-α and cortisol were involved in stress complications in patients with ACVD. Monitoring the levels of serum SOD, MDA, IL-6, TNF-α and cortisol could be useful for predicting stress complications and evaluating the therapeutic effect. (authors)

Free Br atom and free radical reactions in the radiolysis of 1,2 dibromoethane (DBE) in air free aqueous solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lal, Manohar

1986-01-01

G(Br - ) have been reported in the free radical degradation of 1,2 DBE in Ar - and N 2 O-saturated solutions. It is clear from the results that a small chain reaction occurs, t-butanol radical reacts with 1,2 DBE to give Br - . At pH 12.3, high (Br - ) are attributed to another chain reaction involving O - radical anion. Dose rate studies confirm the occurrence of chain reaction. (author). 5 refs

The Influence of the ‘Trier Social Stress Test’ on Free Throw Performance in Basketball: An Interdisciplinary Study

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Mascret, Nicolas; Ibáñez-Gijón, Jorge; Bréjard, Vincent; Buekers, Martinus; Casanova, Rémy; Marqueste, Tanguy; Montagne, Gilles; Rao, Guillaume; Roux, Yannick; Cury, François

2016-01-01

The aim of the present study was to explore the relationship between stress and sport performance in a controlled setting. The experimental protocol used to induce stress in a basketball free throw was the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and its control condition (Placebo-TSST). Participants (n = 19), novice basketball players but trained sportspersons, were exposed to two counterbalanced conditions in a crossover design. They were equipped with sensors to measure movement execution, while salivary cortisol and psychological state were also measured. The task consisted of two sequences of 40 free throws, one before either the TSST or Placebo-TSST and one after. Physiological and psychological measures evidenced that the TSST induced significant stress responses, whereas the Placebo-TSST did not. Shooting performance remained stable after the TSST but decreased after the Placebo-TSST. We found no effect of the TSST or Placebo-TSST on movement execution. A multivariate model of free throw performance demonstrated that timing, smoothness and explosiveness of the movements are more relevant to account for beginner’s behavior than stress-related physiological and psychological states. We conclude that the TSST is a suitable protocol to induce stress responses in sport context, even though the effects on beginners’ free throw performance and execution are small and complex. PMID:27309715

Tension-free vaginal taping in pakistani women with stress urinary incontinence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saleem, A.

2017-01-01

To evaluate the effectiveness and determine the peroperative and postoperative complications of tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) sling for urinary stress incontinence (USI) and contributing factors to complications. Study Design: Descriptive study. Place and Duration of Study: Kidney Centre Postgraduate Institute, Karachi, from January 2009 to December 2010. Methodology: One hundred consecutive patients underwent TVT as per Ulmsten Technique for urinary stress incontinence and patients were followed for 3 years. The subjective cure rate and improvement rate was based on the international consultation on incontinence questionnaire for evaluating female lower urinary tract symptoms (ICIQ - FLUS). The subjective cure was defined as the statement of the woman not experiencing any loss of urine upon physical stress and improvement rate was defined as occasional leakage during stress. Results: Patients at 1- and 3-year up follow-up showed subjective cure rate and improvement rate of 98% and 2%, and 95% and 5%, respectively. Mean operative time was 32 minutes. UTI was the commonest complication observed in 7 (7%) patients. Women with voiding dysfunction preoperatively had 9-fold odds of difficulty postoperatively (0<0.001). There was a significant association of preoperative symptoms of overactive bladder (OAB) with the same postoperative symptoms (p<0.0001). Preoperative hysterectomy had a significant (p< 0.005) 15.63 fold odds of intraoperative bladder perforation. Conclusion: Tension-free vaginal tape sling is an efficacious and secure surgical procedure for the treatment of urinary stress incontinence. Bladder perforation, voiding dysfunction, supra-pubic discomfort and UTI are the commonest complications. Risk factors for perforation include preoperative hysterectomy. Pre-existing voiding dysfunction and UTI lead to persistent similar postoperative problems. (author)

Normal stress differences from Oldroyd 8-constant framework: Exact analytical solution for large-amplitude oscillatory shear flow

Science.gov (United States)

Saengow, C.; Giacomin, A. J.

2017-12-01

The Oldroyd 8-constant framework for continuum constitutive theory contains a rich diversity of popular special cases for polymeric liquids. In this paper, we use part of our exact solution for shear stress to arrive at unique exact analytical solutions for the normal stress difference responses to large-amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) flow. The nonlinearity of the polymeric liquids, triggered by LAOS, causes these responses at even multiples of the test frequency. We call responses at a frequency higher than twice the test frequency higher harmonics. We find the new exact analytical solutions to be compact and intrinsically beautiful. These solutions reduce to those of our previous work on the special case of the corotational Maxwell fluid. Our solutions also agree with our new truncated Goddard integral expansion for the special case of the corotational Jeffreys fluid. The limiting behaviors of these exact solutions also yield new explicit expressions. Finally, we use our exact solutions to see how η∞ affects the normal stress differences in LAOS.

Upper crustal stress and seismotectonics of the Garhwal Himalaya using small-to-moderate earthquakes: Implications to the local structures and free fluids

Science.gov (United States)

Prasath, R. Arun; Paul, Ajay; Singh, Sandeep

2017-03-01

The work presents new focal-mechanism data of small-to-moderate (3.0 ⩾ ML ⩽ 5.0) upper crustal earthquakes for the Garhwal Himalaya from a local seismic network installed in July 2007. Majority of the epicenters of these earthquakes are located close to the Main Central Thrust (MCT) zone. We retrieved Moment Tensor (MT) solutions of 26 earthquakes by waveform inversion. The MT results and 11 small-to-moderate earthquakes from the published records are used for stress inversions. The MT solutions reveal dominatingly thrust mechanisms with few strike slip earthquakes near Chamoli. The seismic cross sections illustrate that, these earthquakes are located around the Mid-Crustal-Ramp (MCR) in the detachment. The optimally oriented faults from stress inversions suggest that, the seismogenic fault in this region is similar to a fault plane having dip angle between 12 and 25 degrees, which is compatible with the dip angle of the MCR (∼16°) in this region. P-axes and the maximum horizontal compressive stress are NE-SW oriented; the direction of the relative motion of Indian plate with respect to the Eurasian plate. The Friction Coefficient estimated from stress inversions show that the Chamoli region having low friction in comparison to the overall values. The free fluids trapped beneath the detachment are penetrating into the local faults, hence, decreasing the frictional strength and altering the prevailing stress conditions of the surroundings. The present study reveals that the MCR structure is seismogenically active and producing the small-moderate earthquakes in the region, while the MCT is probably dormant at present.

Application of stable, nitroxide free radicals in solution to low magnetic fields measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Besson, Rene

1973-01-01

The first attempts to use the Overhauser-Abragam effect for measuring low magnetic fields date back to 1956. However, the instability of the free radical used, PREMY'S Salt, as well as its virtual insolubility in solvents other than water, hampered the development of the nuclear magnetic resonance magnetometer realized in accordance to this principle: dynamic polarization of protons. New free radicals stable and soluble in many solvents, will enhanced the interest in the device. In particular, the use of 2,2,6,6, tetramethyl- piperidine-4-one-1-oxide (TANO or TANONE) leads to a high sensitivity, low field magnetometer. The methods of measurements, the required apparatus and sample preparation are first described. Next the results of measurements made both in high and low magnetic fields with various free radicals in different solvents are presented in tabular and graphical form. These measurements have determined which radical-solvent couple will yield a high dynamic polarization coefficient. In addition, the improvement obtained by complete deuteration of the free radical has been demonstrated. Problems connected with the application of such radicals in solution to the 'double effect probe' of the magnetometer built by LETI at CEN Grenoble and the solutions reached are discussed. (author) [fr

Buffer-free therapeutic antibody preparations provide a viable alternative to conventionally buffered solutions: from protein buffer capacity prediction to bioprocess applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Bahrenburg, Sven; Karow, Anne R; Garidel, Patrick

2015-04-01

Protein therapeutics, including monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), have significant buffering capacity, particularly at concentrations>50 mg/mL. This report addresses pH-related issues critical to adoption of self-buffered monoclonal antibody formulations. We evaluated solution conditions with protein concentrations ranging from 50 to 250 mg/mL. Samples were both buffer-free and conventionally buffered with citrate. Samples were non-isotonic or adjusted for isotonicity with NaCl or trehalose. Studies included accelerated temperature stability tests, shaking stability studies, and pH changes in infusion media as protein concentrate is added. We present averaged buffering slopes of capacity that can be applied to any mAb and present a general method for calculating buffering capacity of buffer-free, highly concentrated antibody liquid formulations. In temperature stability tests, neither buffer-free nor conventionally buffered solution conditions showed significant pH changes. Conventionally buffered solutions showed significantly higher opalescence than buffer-free ones. In general, buffer-free solution conditions showed less aggregation than conventionally buffered solutions. Shaking stability tests showed no differences between buffer-free and conventionally buffered solutions. "In-use" preparation experiments showed that pH in infusion bag medium can rapidly approximate that of self-buffered protein concentrate as concentrate is added. In summary, the buffer capacity of proteins can be predicted and buffer-free therapeutic antibody preparations provide a viable alternative to conventionally buffered solutions. Copyright © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Molecular Mechanisms behind Free Radical Scavengers Function against Oxidative Stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fereshteh Ahmadinejad

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Accumulating evidence shows that oxidative stress is involved in a wide variety of human diseases: rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, cancers, etc. Here, we discuss the significance of oxidative conditions in different disease, with the focus on neurodegenerative disease including Parkinson’s disease, which is mainly caused by oxidative stress. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS, respectively, collectively known as RONS, are produced by cellular enzymes such as myeloperoxidase, NADPH-oxidase (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-oxidase and nitric oxide synthase (NOS. Natural antioxidant systems are categorized into enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant groups. The former includes a number of enzymes such as catalase and glutathione peroxidase, while the latter contains a number of antioxidants acquired from dietary sources including vitamin C, carotenoids, flavonoids and polyphenols. There are also scavengers used for therapeutic purposes, such as 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA used routinely in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease (not as a free radical scavenger, and 3-methyl-1-phenyl-2-pyrazolin-5-one (Edaravone that acts as a free radical detoxifier frequently used in acute ischemic stroke. The cell surviving properties of L-DOPA and Edaravone against oxidative stress conditions rely on the alteration of a number of stress proteins such as Annexin A1, Peroxiredoxin-6 and PARK7/DJ-1 (Parkinson disease protein 7, also known as Protein deglycase DJ-1. Although they share the targets in reversing the cytotoxic effects of H2O2, they seem to have distinct mechanism of function. Exposure to L-DOPA may result in hypoxia condition and further induction of ORP150 (150-kDa oxygen-regulated protein with its concomitant cytoprotective effects but Edaravone seems to protect cells via direct induction of Peroxiredoxin-2 and inhibition of apoptosis.

Vertical structures in vibrated wormlike micellar solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Epstein, Tamir; Deegan, Robert

2008-11-01

Vertically vibrated shear thickening particulate suspensions can support a free-standing interfaces oriented parallel to gravity. We find that shear thickening worm-like micellar solutions also support such vertical interfaces. Above a threshold in acceleration, the solution spontaneously accumulates into a labyrinthine pattern characterized by a well-defined vertical edge. The formation of vertical structures is of interest because they are unique to shear-thickening fluids, and they indicate the existence of an unknown stress bearing mechanism.

Copper removal from aqueous solution using Aspergillus niger mycelia in free and polyurethane-bound form

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsekova, K.; Ilieva, S. [Inst. of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia (Bulgaria)

2001-07-01

This study assesses the ability of mycelia of Aspergillus niger B-77 (both free and immobilized on polyurethane foam) to remove copper from single-ion solution. All experiments were conducted using 0.5 mM solutions of CuSO{sub 4}.5H{sub 2} O. Mycelia immobilized on polyurethane foam cells showed a three-fold increase in uptake, compared with that of free cells. The efficiency of copper removal (mg Cu{sup 2+} removed/mg Cu{sup 2+} added) in a column system reached more than 99% before the break-through point was attained. (orig.)

Design of aircraft cabin testbed for stress free air travel experiment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tan, C.F.; Chen, W.; Rauterberg, G.W.M.

2009-01-01

The paper presents an aircraft cabin testbed that is designed and built for the stress free air travel experiment. The project is funded by European Union in the aim of improving air travel comfort during long haul flight. The testbed is used to test and validate the adaptive system that is capable

The simulation of solute transport: An approach free of numerical dispersion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carrera, J.; Melloni, G.

1987-01-01

The applicability of most algorithms for simulation of solute transport is limited either by instability or by numerical dispersion, as seen by a review of existing methods. A new approach is proposed that is free of these two problems. The method is based on the mixed Eulerian-Lagrangian formulation of the mass-transport problem, thus ensuring stability. Advection is simulated by a variation of reverse-particle tracking that avoids the accumulation of interpolation errors, thus preventing numerical dispersion. The algorithm has been implemented in a one-dimensional code. Excellent results are obtained, in comparison with an analytical solution. 36 refs., 14 figs., 1 tab

Duration of IOP reduction with travoprost BAK-free solution.

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, Ronald L; Peace, James H; Smith, Stephen E; Walters, Thomas R; Dubiner, Harvey B; Weiss, Mark J; Ochsner, Katherine I

2008-01-01

To compare the duration of action of travoprost ophthalmic solution 0.004% (Travatan Z) formulated without benzalkonium chloride (BAK) to travoprost ophthalmic solution 0.004% formulated with BAK (Travatan). This was a prospective, randomized, double-masked study. Patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension were randomized to receive 2 weeks of once-daily therapy with travoprost BAK-free or travoprost with BAK. Patients received the last dose of medication on day 13 and then intraocular pressure (IOP) was assessed every 12 hours for 60 hours. Statistical analysis included change in IOP from baseline for each group and comparison of mean IOP between groups. Of the 109 patients enrolled, 106 patients completed the study. Untreated mean baseline IOP at 8 AM was 26.9 mm Hg in the travoprost BAK-free group and 27.1 mm Hg in the travoprost with BAK group. At 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 hours after the last dose, mean IOP in the travoprost BAK-free group was 18.7, 17.2, 19.5, 18.7, and 20.8 mm Hg, respectively; whereas mean IOP in the travoprost with BAK group was 18.5, 16.8, 19.7, 18.0, and 20.8 mm Hg, respectively. Mean IOP at all time points after the last dose of medication was >6 mm Hg lower than the 8 AM baseline in both groups. Between-group differences were within +/-0.6 mm Hg at all postdose time points. There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 treatment groups at baseline or at any postdose time point. Drug-related side effects were uncommon, mild in intensity, and comparable between groups. Travoprost without BAK has similar IOP-lowering efficacy and safety compared with travoprost preserved with BAK. Both formulations of travoprost have a prolonged duration of action, with statistically and clinically significant reductions from baseline persisting up to 60 hours after the last dose.

Exact solutions for MHD flow of couple stress fluid with heat transfer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Najeeb Alam Khan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper aims at presenting exact solutions for MHD flow of couple stress fluid with heat transfer. The governing partial differential equations (PDEs for an incompressible MHD flow of couple stress fluid are reduced to ordinary differential equations by employing wave parameter. The methodology is implemented for linearizing the flow equations without extra transformation and restrictive assumptions. Comparison is made with the result obtained previously.

Order of wetting transitions in electrolyte solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Ibagon, Ingrid; Bier, Markus; Dietrich, S

2014-05-07

For wetting films in dilute electrolyte solutions close to charged walls we present analytic expressions for their effective interface potentials. The analysis of these expressions renders the conditions under which corresponding wetting transitions can be first- or second-order. Within mean field theory we consider two models, one with short- and one with long-ranged solvent-solvent and solvent-wall interactions. The analytic results reveal in a transparent way that wetting transitions in electrolyte solutions, which occur far away from their critical point (i.e., the bulk correlation length is less than half of the Debye length) are always first-order if the solvent-solvent and solvent-wall interactions are short-ranged. In contrast, wetting transitions close to the bulk critical point of the solvent (i.e., the bulk correlation length is larger than the Debye length) exhibit the same wetting behavior as the pure, i.e., salt-free, solvent. If the salt-free solvent is governed by long-ranged solvent-solvent as well as long-ranged solvent-wall interactions and exhibits critical wetting, adding salt can cause the occurrence of an ion-induced first-order thin-thick transition which precedes the subsequent continuous wetting as for the salt-free solvent.

Osmotic stress alters the balance between organic and inorganic solutes in flax (Linum usitatissimum).

Science.gov (United States)

Quéro, Anthony; Molinié, Roland; Elboutachfaiti, Redouan; Petit, Emmanuel; Pau-Roblot, Corinne; Guillot, Xavier; Mesnard, François; Courtois, Josiane

2014-01-01

Flax (Linum usitatissimum) is grown for its oil and its fiber. This crop, cultivated in temperate regions, has seen a renewed interest due to the presence of abundant molecules of interest for many applications. Little information is available about the behavior of flax during osmotic stress; yet this is considered a major stress that causes significant yield losses in most crops. To control the presence of this stress better, flax behavior was investigated following the application of osmotic stress and the response was examined by applying increasing concentrations of PEG 8000. This resulted in the reorganization of 32 metabolites and 6 mineral ions in the leaves. The analysis of these two types of solute highlighted the contrasting behavior between a higher metabolite content (particularly fructose, glucose and proline) and a decrease in mineral ions (especially nitrate and potassium) following PEG treatment. However, this reorganization did not lead to a greater accumulation of solutes, with the total amount remaining unchanged in leaves during osmotic stress. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Free and Cell Wall-Bound Polyamines under Long-Term Water Stress Applied at Different Growth Stages of ×Triticosecale Wittm.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomasz Hura

Full Text Available Long-stemmed and semi-dwarf cultivars of triticale were exposed to water stress at tillering, heading and anthesis stage. Quantitative determination of free and cell wall-bound polyamines, i.e. agmatine, cadaverine, putrescine, spermidine and spermine, was supplemented with an analysis of quantitative relationships between free and cell wall-bound polyamines.The content of free and cell wall-bound polyamines varied depending on the development stage, both under optimal and water stress conditions. Drought-induced increase in free agmatine content was observed at all developmental stages in long-stemmed cultivar. A depletion of spermidine and putrescine was also reported in this cultivar, and spermidine was less abundant in semi-dwarf cultivar exposed to drought stress at the three analyzed developmental stages. Changes in the content of the other free polyamines did not follow a steady pattern reflecting the developmental stages. On the contrary, the content of cell wall-bound polyamines gradually increased from tillering, through heading and until anthesis period.Water stress seemed to induce a progressive decrease in the content of free polyamines and an accumulation of cell wall-bound polyamines.

The Effect of the Free Surface on the Singular Stress Field at the Fatigue Crack Front

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Oplt Tomáš

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Description of stress singularity in the vicinity of a free surface is presented. Its presence causes the retardation of the fatigue crack growth in that region and fatigue crack is being curved. Numerical model is used to study dependence of the stress singularity exponent on Poisson’s ratio. Estimated values are compared to those already published. Experimentally measured angles of fatigue crack on SENB specimens confirm the relation between Poisson’s ratio and the angle between crack front and free surface.

Molecular dynamics study of charged dendrimers in salt-free solution : effect of counterions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gurtovenko, A.A.; Lyulin, S.V.; Karttunen, M.E.J.; Vattulainen, I.

2006-01-01

Polyamidoamine dendrimers, being protonated under physiological conditions, represent a promising class of nonviral, nanosized vectors for drug and gene delivery. We performed extensive molecular dynamics simulations of a generic model dendrimer in a salt-free solution with dendrimer’s terminal

Non-Euclidean stress-free configuration of arteries accounting for curl of axial strips sectioned from vessels.

Science.gov (United States)

Takamizawa, Keiichi; Nakayama, Yasuhide

2013-11-01

It is well known that arteries are subject to residual stress. In earlier studies, the residual stress in the arterial ring relieved by a radial cut was considered in stress analysis. However, it has been found that axial strips sectioned from arteries also curled into arcs, showing that the axial residual stresses were relieved from the arterial walls. The combined relief of circumferential and axial residual stresses must be considered to accurately analyze stress and strain distributions under physiological loading conditions. In the present study, a mathematical model of a stress-free configuration of artery was proposed using Riemannian geometry. Stress analysis for arterial walls under unloaded and physiologically loaded conditions was performed using exponential strain energy functions for porcine and human common carotid arteries. In the porcine artery, the circumferential stress distribution under physiological loading became uniform compared with that without axial residual strain, whereas a gradient of axial stress distribution increased through the wall thickness. This behavior showed almost the same pattern that was observed in a recent study in which approximate analysis accounting for circumferential and axial residual strains was performed, whereas the circumferential and axial stresses increased from the inner surface to the outer surface under a physiological condition in the human common carotid artery of a two-layer model based on data of other recent studies. In both analyses, Riemannian geometry was appropriate to define the stress-free configurations of the arterial walls with both circumferential and axial residual strains.

Predicting solute partitioning in lipid bilayers: Free energies and partition coefficients from molecular dynamics simulations and COSMOmic

Science.gov (United States)

Jakobtorweihen, S.; Zuniga, A. Chaides; Ingram, T.; Gerlach, T.; Keil, F. J.; Smirnova, I.

2014-07-01

Quantitative predictions of biomembrane/water partition coefficients are important, as they are a key property in pharmaceutical applications and toxicological studies. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are used to calculate free energy profiles for different solutes in lipid bilayers. How to calculate partition coefficients from these profiles is discussed in detail and different definitions of partition coefficients are compared. Importantly, it is shown that the calculated coefficients are in quantitative agreement with experimental results. Furthermore, we compare free energy profiles from MD simulations to profiles obtained by the recent method COSMOmic, which is an extension of the conductor-like screening model for realistic solvation to micelles and biomembranes. The free energy profiles from these molecular methods are in good agreement. Additionally, solute orientations calculated with MD and COSMOmic are compared and again a good agreement is found. Four different solutes are investigated in detail: 4-ethylphenol, propanol, 5-phenylvaleric acid, and dibenz[a,h]anthracene, whereby the latter belongs to the class of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The convergence of the free energy profiles from biased MD simulations is discussed and the results are shown to be comparable to equilibrium MD simulations. For 5-phenylvaleric acid the influence of the carboxyl group dihedral angle on free energy profiles is analyzed with MD simulations.

Predicting solute partitioning in lipid bilayers: Free energies and partition coefficients from molecular dynamics simulations and COSMOmic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jakobtorweihen, S.; Ingram, T.; Gerlach, T.; Smirnova, I.; Zuniga, A. Chaides; Keil, F. J.

2014-01-01

Quantitative predictions of biomembrane/water partition coefficients are important, as they are a key property in pharmaceutical applications and toxicological studies. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are used to calculate free energy profiles for different solutes in lipid bilayers. How to calculate partition coefficients from these profiles is discussed in detail and different definitions of partition coefficients are compared. Importantly, it is shown that the calculated coefficients are in quantitative agreement with experimental results. Furthermore, we compare free energy profiles from MD simulations to profiles obtained by the recent method COSMOmic, which is an extension of the conductor-like screening model for realistic solvation to micelles and biomembranes. The free energy profiles from these molecular methods are in good agreement. Additionally, solute orientations calculated with MD and COSMOmic are compared and again a good agreement is found. Four different solutes are investigated in detail: 4-ethylphenol, propanol, 5-phenylvaleric acid, and dibenz[a,h]anthracene, whereby the latter belongs to the class of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The convergence of the free energy profiles from biased MD simulations is discussed and the results are shown to be comparable to equilibrium MD simulations. For 5-phenylvaleric acid the influence of the carboxyl group dihedral angle on free energy profiles is analyzed with MD simulations

Stress-free states of continuum dislocation fields : Rotations, grain boundaries, and the Nye dislocation density tensor

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Limkumnerd, Surachate; Sethna, James P.

We derive general relations between grain boundaries, rotational deformations, and stress-free states for the mesoscale continuum Nye dislocation density tensor. Dislocations generally are associated with long-range stress fields. We provide the general form for dislocation density fields whose

Free energy change of a dislocation due to a Cottrell atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Sills, R. B.; Cai, W.

2018-06-01

The free energy reduction of a dislocation due to a Cottrell atmosphere of solutes is computed using a continuum model. We show that the free energy change is composed of near-core and far-field components. The far-field component can be computed analytically using the linearized theory of solid solutions. Near the core the linearized theory is inaccurate, and the near-core component must be computed numerically. The influence of interactions between solutes in neighbouring lattice sites is also examined using the continuum model. We show that this model is able to reproduce atomistic calculations of the nickel-hydrogen system, predicting hydride formation on dislocations. The formation of these hydrides leads to dramatic reductions in the free energy. Finally, the influence of the free energy change on a dislocation's line tension is examined by computing the equilibrium shape of a dislocation shear loop and the activation stress for a Frank-Read source using discrete dislocation dynamics.

Fractionation of hydrogen and oxygen isotopes between hydrated and free water molecules in aqueous urea solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kakiuchi, M.; Matsuo, S.

1985-01-01

Ratios of D/H and 18 O/ 16 O in the vapor phase in equilibrium with aqueous urea solution with different urea molalities were measured at 15 and 25 0 C. Under the assumption that urea solutions consist of two species, i.e., the urea-water cluster and free water, the results are interpreted to give the average hydration number, i.e., the number of water molecules per urea molecule in the urea-water cluster. Good agreement was obtained for the hydration number estimated independently from hydrogen and oxygen isotopic fractions. On the basis of hydrogen isotopic data at 25 0 C, the average hydration number of urea in the cluster is 6.3 +/- 0.8 at 2.1 m and 2.75 +/- 0.08 at saturation (20.15 m). The corresponding average hydration numbers based on oxygen isotopic data were calculated to be 6.7 +/- 2.4 at 2.1 m and 2.75 +/- 0.25 at urea saturation. HD 16 O is enriched in the urea-water cluster and H 2 18 O is enriched in free water. Isotopic partitioning between the cluster and free water is markedly different from those between hydration spheres and free water in aqueous electrolyte solutions. 29 references, 6 figures, 5 tables

AIRSF: a new entertainment adaptive framework for stress free air tTravels

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Liu, H.; Hu, J.; Rauterberg, G.W.M.; Inakage, M.; Cheok, A.D.

2008-01-01

In this paper, we present a new entertainment adaptive framework AIRSF for stress free air travels. Based on the passenger’s current and target comfort states, user entertainment preference, and context of use, the system uses a Markov decision process to recommend context-aware and personalized

High energy storage efficiency with fatigue resistance and thermal stability in lead-free Na{sub 0.5}K{sub 0.5}NbO{sub 3}/BiMnO{sub 3} solid-solution films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Yizhu; Zhou, Yunpeng; Lu, Qingshan; Zhao, Shifeng [Inner Mongolia Key Lab of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology and School of Physical Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot (China)

2018-02-15

The ferroelectric, leakage, dielectric, and energy storage properties of lead-free Na{sub 0.5}K{sub 0.5}NbO{sub 3}/BiMnO{sub 3} (KNN/BMO) solid-solution films are investigated. The strong ferroelectric relaxation behaviors of slim ferroelectricity with small remanent polarization and coercive field induce a high energy-storage density and efficiency at room temperature. The energy density reaches 14.8 J cm{sup -3}, even the efficiency is up to 79.79% under the applied electric field of 985.66 kV cm{sup -1}. Moreover, the energy storage performances of KNN/BMO solid-solution films exhibit good thermal stability over a wide temperature range and high ferroelectric fatigue endurance after switching 10{sup 6} bipole electrical cycles. KNN/BMO solid-solution films can replace lead-based films and other outstanding lead-free systems in the energy storage performance. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Production of Catalyst-Free Hyperpolarised Ethanol Aqueous Solution via Heterogeneous Hydrogenation with Parahydrogen

Science.gov (United States)

Salnikov, Oleg G.; Kovtunov, Kirill V.; Koptyug, Igor V.

2015-09-01

An experimental approach for the production of catalyst-free hyperpolarised ethanol solution in water via heterogeneous hydrogenation of vinyl acetate with parahydrogen and the subsequent hydrolysis of ethyl acetate was demonstrated. For an efficient hydrogenation, liquid vinyl acetate was transferred to the gas phase by parahydrogen bubbling and almost completely converted to ethyl acetate with Rh/TiO2 catalyst. Subsequent dissolution of ethyl acetate gas in water containing OH- ions led to the formation of catalyst- and organic solvent-free hyperpolarised ethanol and sodium acetate. These results represent the first demonstration of catalyst- and organic solvent-free hyperpolarised ethanol production achieved by heterogeneous hydrogenation of vinyl acetate vapour with parahydrogen and the subsequent ethyl acetate hydrolysis.

Effect of uniaxial stress on free and bismuth-bound excitons in InP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weber, G.; Ruehle, W.

1979-01-01

The reduction of the shear deformation potentials of holes bound to the isoelectronic impurity Bi in InP is determined by piezoluminescence. It is compared with the corresponding reduction for holes bound to the Coulomb-type acceptors C and Zn. The theory for an effective mass acceptor describes well the cases of C and Zn. However, additional effects as local strain and Stark fields must be involved in the case of Bi leading to an extremely large reduction of the deformation potentials. No change in binding energy with applied stress as well as no exchange splitting of the Bi-bound exciton can be detected within experimental accuracy. The stress dependence of the free exciton reflectance reveals values for the band deformation potentials and a value of 0.07 meV for the exchange splitting of the free exciton in InP. (author)

Comparison of gravimetric and mantle flow solutions for sub-lithopsheric stress modeling and their combination

Science.gov (United States)

Eshagh, Mehdi; Steinberger, Bernhard; Tenzer, Robert; Tassara, Andrés

2018-05-01

Based on Hager and O'Connell's solution to mantle flow equations, the stresses induced by mantle convection are determined using the density and viscosity structure in addition to topographic data and a plate velocity model. The solution to mantle flow equations requires the knowledge of mantle properties that are typically retrieved from seismic information. Large parts of the world are, however, not yet covered sufficiently by seismic surveys. An alternative method of modeling the stress field was introduced by Runcorn. He formulated a direct relation between the stress field and gravity data, while adopting several assumptions, particularly disregarding the toroidal mantle flow component and mantle viscosity variations. A possible way to overcome theoretical deficiencies of Runcorn's theory as well as some practical limitations of applying Hager and O'Connell's theory (in the absence of seismic data) is to combine these two methods. In this study, we apply a least-squares analysis to combine these two methods based on the gravity data inversion constraint on mantle flow equations. In particular, we use vertical gravity gradients from the Gravity field and steady state Ocean Circulation Explorer that are corrected for the gravitational contribution of crustal density heterogeneities prior to applying a localized gravity-gradient inversion. This gravitational contribution is estimated based on combining the Vening Meinesz-Moritz and flexural isostatic theories. Moreover, we treat the non-isostatic effect implicitly by applying a band-limited kernel of the integral equation during the inversion. In numerical studies of modeling, the stress field within the South American continental lithosphere we compare the results obtained after applying Runcorn and Hager and O'Connell's methods as well as their combination. The results show that, according to Hager and O'Connell's (mantle flow) solution, the maximum stress intensity is inferred under the northern Andes

Corrosion of metals exposed to 25% magnesium chloride solution and tensile stress: Field and laboratory studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xianming Shi

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The use of chemicals for snow and ice control operations is a common practice for improving the safety and mobility of roadways in cold climate, but brings significant concerns over their risks including the corrosive effects on transportation infrastructure and motor vehicles. The vast majority of existing studies and methods to test the deicer corrosivity have been restricted to laboratory environments and unstressed metals, which may not reliably simulate actual service conditions. As such, we report a case study in which stainless steel SS 304 (unstressed and externally tensile stressed, aluminum (Al 1100 and low carbon steel (C1010 coupons were exposed to 25% MgCl2 under field conditions for six weeks. A new corrosion test-bed was developed in Montana to accelerate the field exposure to this deicer. To further investigate the observed effect of tensile stress on the corrosion of stainless steel, SS 304 (unstressed and externally stressed coupons were exposed to 25% MgCl2 solution under the laboratory conditions. The C 1010 exhibited the highest percentage of rust area and suffered the most weight loss as a result of field exposure and MgCl2 sprays. In terms of ultimate tensile strength, the Al 1100 coupons saw the greatest reduction and the unstressed and externally stressed SS 304 coupons saw the least. The ability of MgCl2 to penetrate deep into the matrix of aluminum alloy poses great risk to such structural material. Tensile stressed SS 304 suffered more corrosion than unstressed SS 304 in both the field and laboratory conditions. Results from this case study may shed new light on the deicer corrosion issue and help develop improved field testing methods to evaluate the deicer corrosivity to metals in service.

[Safety and efficacy of a new preservative-free levocabastine ophthalmic solution (Levofree®) using the conjunctival provocation test].

Science.gov (United States)

Allaire, C; Siou-Mermet, R; Bassols, A

2012-09-01

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of preservative-free levocabastine 0.05 % ophthalmic solution compared to placebo (vehicle) and to preserved levocabastine 0.05 % ophthalmic suspension in the prevention of allergic conjunctivitis induced by a conjunctival provocation test. Ninety-two subjects (18-50 years) with a previous history of allergic conjunctivitis to pollen were randomised to receive either preservative-free levocabastine solution in one eye and preserved levocabastine suspension in the fellow eye (n=69), or preservative-free levocabastine in one eye and placebo in the fellow eye (n=23). One drop of each product was administered 10 minutes (visit 3) and 4 hours (visit 4) prior to the provocation test. The primary efficacy criterion was the sum of the itching and conjunctival hyperemia scores assessed at 3, 5 and 10 minutes after the provocation test. The safety evaluation included adverse events, visual acuity, intra-ocular pressure and study drug drop sensation. The efficacy of the preservative-free solution was significantly higher than that of placebo at all time points (P≤0.01) with one exception at visit 4 (3 minutes after the provocation test). It was significantly higher than that of the preserved suspension at visit 3, and equivalent at visit 4. The incidence of adverse events was lower with the preservative-free solution than with the preserved suspension. 94.2 % and 95.7 % subjects rated preservative-free levocabastine drop sensation as "good" or "very good" at visits 3 and 4 respectively, whereas these rates were 68.1 % and 63.8 % with preserved levocabastine. This difference between the two formulations was highly statistically significant (Ppreservative-free levocabastine was superior to that of the placebo and of the preserved suspension at visit 3, at least as effective as the preserved suspension at visit 4, and better tolerated at each visit. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Determinations of directions of the mean stress field in Sichuan-Yunnan region from a number of focal mechanism solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Ji-Mao; Cheng, Wan-Zheng

2006-07-01

Based on the spatial orientation and slip direction of the fault plane solutions, we present the expression of corresponding mechanical axis tensor in geographic coordinate system, and then put forward a method for calculating average mechanical axis tensor and its eigenvalues, which involves solving the corresponding eigenequation. The method for deducing mean stress field from T, B, and P axes parameters of a number of focal mechanism solutions has been verified by inverting data of mean stress fields in Fuyun region and in Tangshan region with fitting method of slip direction, and both results are consistent. To study regional average stress field, we need to choose a population of focal mechanism solutions of earthquakes in the massifs where there are significant tectonic structures. According to the focal mechanism solutions of 256 moderate-strong earthquakes occurred in 13 seismic zones of Sichuan-Yunnan region, the quantitative analysis results of stress tensor in each seismic zone have been given. The algorithm of such method is simple and convenient, which makes the method for analyzing tectonic stress field with large amount of focal mechanism solution data become quantified.

EXHIBITION: Accelerated Particles

CERN Multimedia

2004-01-01

An exhibition of plastic arts and two evenings of performances by sound and visual artists as part of CERN's 50th anniversary celebrations. Fifty candles for CERN, an international laboratory renowned for fundamental research, is a cause for celebration. Since March this year, Geneva and neighbouring parts of France have been the venues for a wealth of small and large-scale events, which will continue until November. Given CERN's location in the commune of Meyrin, the ForuMeyrin is hosting exhibitions of plastic arts and performances entitled: Accelerated Particles. Several works will be exhibited and performed in two 'salons'. Salon des matières: An exhibition of plastic arts From Tues 12 October to Wed 3 November 2004 Tuesdays to Fridays: 16:00 to 19:00 Saturdays: 14:00 to 18:00 Exhibition open late on performance nights, entrance free Salon des particules: Musical and visual performances Tues 12 and Mon 25 October from 20:00 to 23:00 Preview evening for both events: Tues 12 October from 18:...

Determination of the Critical Stress Associated with Dynamic Phase Transformation in Steels by Means of Free Energy Method

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Clodualdo Aranas

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The double differentiation method overestimates the critical stress associated with the initiation of dynamic transformation (DT because significant amounts of the dynamic phase must be present in order for its effect on the work hardening rate to be detectable. In this work, an alternative method (referred to here as the free energy method is presented based on the thermodynamic condition that the driving force is equal to the total energy obstacle during the exact moment of transformation. The driving force is defined as the difference between the DT critical stress (measured in the single-phase austenite region and the yield stress of the fresh ferrite that takes its place. On the other hand, the energy obstacle consists of the free energy difference between austenite and ferrite, and the work of shear accommodation and dilatation associated with the phase transformation. Here, the DT critical stresses in a C-Mn steel were calculated using the free energy method at temperatures ranging from 870 °C to 1070 °C. The results show that the calculated critical stress using the present approach appears to be more accurate than the values measured by the double differentiation method.

Stress Corrosion Cracking of an Austenitic Stainless Steel in Nitrite-Containing Chloride Solutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. K. Singh Raman

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This article describes the susceptibility of 316L stainless steel to stress corrosion cracking (SCC in a nitrite-containing chloride solution. Slow strain rate testing (SSRT in 30 wt. % MgCl2 solution established SCC susceptibility, as evidenced by post-SSRT fractography. Addition of nitrite to the chloride solution, which is reported to have inhibitive influence on corrosion of stainless steels, was found to increase SCC susceptibility. The susceptibility was also found to increase with nitrite concentration. This behaviour is explained on the basis of the passivation and pitting characteristics of 316L steel in chloride solution.

Overexpression of a cytosolic abiotic stress responsive universal stress protein (SbUSP mitigates salt and osmotic stress in transgenic tobacco plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pushpika eUdawat

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The Universal Stress Protein (USP is a ubiquitous protein and plays an indispensable role in plant abiotic stress tolerance. The genome of Salicornia brachiata contains two homologues of intron less SbUSP gene which encodes for salt and osmotic responsive universal stress protein. In vivo localization reveals that SbUSP is a membrane bound cytosolic protein. The role of the gene was functionally validated by developing transgenic tobacco and compared with control (wild type and vector control plants under different abiotic stress condition. Transgenic lines (T1 exhibited higher chlorophyll, relative water, proline, total sugar, reducing sugar, free amino acids, polyphenol contents, osmotic potential, membrane stability and lower electrolyte leakage and lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde content under stress treatments than control (WT and VC plants. Lower accumulation of H2O2 and O2- radicals was also detected in transgenic lines compared to control plants under stress conditions. Present study confers that overexpression of the SbUSP gene enhances plant growth, alleviates ROS buildup, maintains ion homeostasis and improves the physiological status of the plant under salt and osmotic stresses. Principal component analysis (PCA exhibited a statistical distinction of plant response to salinity stress, and a significant response was observed for transgenic lines under stress, which provides stress endurance to the plant. A possible signaling role is proposed that some downstream genes may get activated by abiotic stress responsive cytosolic SbUSP, which leads to the protection of cell from oxidative damages. The study unveils that ectopic expression of the gene mitigates salt or osmotic stress by scavenging ROS and modulating the physiological process of the plant.

Outcome of Treatment of Anterior Vaginal Wall Prolapse and Stress Urinary Incontinence with Transobturator Tension-Free Vaginal Mesh (Prolift and Concomitant Tension-Free Vaginal Tape-Obturator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sameh Azazy

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Objective. It is to assess the feasibility, effectiveness, and safety of transobturator tension-free vaginal mesh (Prolift and concomitant tension-free vaginal tape-obturator (TVT-O system as a treatment of female anterior vaginal wall prolapse associated with stress urinary incontinence (SUI. Patients and Methods. Between December 2006 and July 2007, 20 patients with anterior genital prolapse and voiding dysfunction were treated with the transobturator tension-free vaginal mesh (Prolift and concomitant tension-free vaginal tape-obturator (TVT-O. Sixteen patients had stress urinary incontinence and 4 patients were considered at risk for development of de novo stress incontinence after the prolapse is repaired. All patients underwent a complete urodynamic assessment. All the patients underwent pelvic examination 4–6 weeks after the operation, and anatomical and functional outcomes were recorded. Results. Twenty cystocoeles were repaired: 6 grade II, 12 grade III, and 2 grade IV. There were no vessel or bladder injuries. Eighteen patients had optimal anatomic results and 2 patients had persistent asymptomatic stage I prolapse. Conclusion. These preliminary results suggest that Prolift system offers a safe and effective treatment for female anterior vaginal wall prolapse. However, a long-term followup is necessary in order to support the good result maintenance.

Stress Analysis in Polymeric Coating Layer Deposited on Rigid Substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Sang Soon Lee [Korea University of Technology and Education, School of Mechatronics Engineering, Chonan (Korea, Republic of)

2015-08-15

This paper presents an analysis of thermal stress induced along the interface between a polymeric coating layer and a steel substrate as a result of uniform temperature change. The epoxy layer is assumed to be a linear viscoelastic material and to be theromorheologically simple. The viscoelastic boundary element method is employed to investigate the behavior of interface stresses. The numerical results exhibit relaxation of interface stresses and large stress gradients, which are observed in the vicinity of the free surface. Since the exceedingly large stresses cannot be borne by the polymeric coating layer, local cracking or delamination can occur at the interface corner.

Quantitative Experimental Determination of Primer-Dimer Formation Risk by Free-Solution Conjugate Electrophoresis

Science.gov (United States)

Desmarais, Samantha M.; Leitner, Thomas; Barron, Annelise E.

2012-01-01

DNA barcodes are short, unique ssDNA primers that “mark” individual biomolecules. To gain better understanding of biophysical parameters constraining primer-dimer formation between primers that incorporate barcode sequences, we have developed a capillary electrophoresis method that utilizes drag-tag-DNA conjugates to quantify dimerization risk between primer-barcode pairs. Results obtained with this unique free-solution conjugate electrophoresis (FSCE) approach are useful as quantitatively precise input data to parameterize computation models of dimerization risk. A set of fluorescently labeled, model primer-barcode conjugates were designed with complementary regions of differing lengths to quantify heterodimerization as a function of temperature. Primer-dimer cases comprised two 30-mer primers, one of which was covalently conjugated to a lab-made, chemically synthesized poly-N-methoxyethylglycine drag-tag, which reduced electrophoretic mobility of ssDNA to distinguish it from ds primer-dimers. The drag-tags also provided a shift in mobility for the dsDNA species, which allowed us to quantitate primer-dimer formation. In the experimental studies, pairs of oligonucleotide primer-barcodes with fully or partially complementary sequences were annealed, and then separated by free-solution conjugate CE at different temperatures, to assess effects on primer-dimer formation. When less than 30 out of 30 basepairs were bonded, dimerization was inversely correlated to temperature. Dimerization occurred when more than 15 consecutive basepairs formed, yet non-consecutive basepairs did not create stable dimers even when 20 out of 30 possible basepairs bonded. The use of free-solution electrophoresis in combination with a peptoid drag-tag and different fluorophores enabled precise separation of short DNA fragments to establish a new mobility shift assay for detection of primer-dimer formation. PMID:22331820

Overexpression of a Cytosolic Abiotic Stress Responsive Universal Stress Protein (SbUSP) Mitigates Salt and Osmotic Stress in Transgenic Tobacco Plants

Science.gov (United States)

Udawat, Pushpika; Jha, Rajesh K.; Sinha, Dinkar; Mishra, Avinash; Jha, Bhavanath

2016-01-01

The universal stress protein (USP) is a ubiquitous protein and plays an indispensable role in plant abiotic stress tolerance. The genome of Salicornia brachiata contains two homologs of intron less SbUSP gene which encodes for salt and osmotic responsive USP. In vivo localization reveals that SbUSP is a membrane bound cytosolic protein. The role of the gene was functionally validated by developing transgenic tobacco and compared with control [wild-type (WT) and vector control (VC)] plants under different abiotic stress condition. Transgenic lines (T1) exhibited higher chlorophyll, relative water, proline, total sugar, reducing sugar, free amino acids, polyphenol contents, osmotic potential, membrane stability, and lower electrolyte leakage and lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde content) under stress treatments than control (WT and VC) plants. Lower accumulation of H2O2 and O2− radicals was also detected in transgenic lines compared to control plants under stress conditions. Present study confers that overexpression of the SbUSP gene enhances plant growth, alleviates ROS buildup, maintains ion homeostasis and improves the physiological status of the plant under salt and osmotic stresses. Principal component analysis exhibited a statistical distinction of plant response to salinity stress, and a significant response was observed for transgenic lines under stress, which provides stress endurance to the plant. A possible signaling role is proposed that some downstream genes may get activated by abiotic stress responsive cytosolic SbUSP, which leads to the protection of cell from oxidative damages. The study unveils that ectopic expression of the gene mitigates salt or osmotic stress by scavenging ROS and modulating the physiological process of the plant. PMID:27148338

Lead-free piezoceramics.

Science.gov (United States)

Saito, Yasuyoshi; Takao, Hisaaki; Tani, Toshihiko; Nonoyama, Tatsuhiko; Takatori, Kazumasa; Homma, Takahiko; Nagaya, Toshiatsu; Nakamura, Masaya

2004-11-04

Lead has recently been expelled from many commercial applications and materials (for example, from solder, glass and pottery glaze) owing to concerns regarding its toxicity. Lead zirconium titanate (PZT) ceramics are high-performance piezoelectric materials, which are widely used in sensors, actuators and other electronic devices; they contain more than 60 weight per cent lead. Although there has been a concerted effort to develop lead-free piezoelectric ceramics, no effective alternative to PZT has yet been found. Here we report a lead-free piezoelectric ceramic with an electric-field-induced strain comparable to typical actuator-grade PZT. We achieved this through the combination of the discovery of a morphotropic phase boundary in an alkaline niobate-based perovskite solid solution, and the development of a processing route leading to highly textured polycrystals. The ceramic exhibits a piezoelectric constant d33 (the induced charge per unit force applied in the same direction) of above 300 picocoulombs per newton (pC N(-1)), and texturing the material leads to a peak d33 of 416 pC N(-1). The textured material also exhibits temperature-independent field-induced strain characteristics.

Participation of physical activities during free time and the relation of the secundary traumatic stress in firefigther

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jimmy Fernando Rojas-Quirós

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose was to analyze the relationship between the participation of physical activity (PA and the psychological processes of Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS on firefighters. Levels of participation in PA during free time and prevalence of STS were measured in a convenience sample of 56 firefighters using the Secondary Traumatic Stress Questionnaire and the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. Findings show that 80.3% of the firefighters report moderate and vigorous free time-PA levels, investing an average of 2662.86 MET-min/week. Free time-PA levels show positive and significant correlations with the Secondary Trauma/Symptoms subscale of STS (r=.324, sig. .015, which is the factor with higher prevalence (32.1%, followed by Shattered Assumptions with 17.9%. In conclusion, firefighters with higher levels of free time-PA tend to report higher scores of ETS, specifically regarding to Secondary Trauma/Symptoms.

The effect of a zinc–tin-oxide layer used as an etch-stopper layer on the bias stress stability of solution-processed indium–gallium–zinc-oxide thin-film transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Chul Ho; Rim, You Seung; Kim, Hyun Jae

2014-01-01

We investigated the bias stress stability of solution-processed indium–gallium–zinc-oxide thin-film transistors (IGZO TFTs) using zinc–tin-oxide (ZTO) as the etch-stopper layer, the so-called dual-active-layered ZTO/IGZO TFT (DALZI TFT). The DALZI TFT can use a low-cost back-channel-etch structure because of the high chemical stability of the upper ZTO layer. The DALZI TFT exhibited only a threshold voltage shift of −1.86 V under negative bias illumination stress (NBIS) conditions (stress time = 1000 s), while the unpassivated IGZO TFT suffered from a threshold voltage shift of −19.59 V under NBIS conditions (stress time = 1000 s). The superior bias stress stability of the DALZI TFT is attributed not only to the densification effect by the multi-stacking process but also to the lower sensitivity to ambient gases (e.g., oxygen and water vapour) due to the low oxygen vacancy in the upper ZTO layer. (paper)

On the time course of lexical stress priming in speech production: Behavioral and ERPs evidence from a free-stress language.

Science.gov (United States)

Sulpizio, Simone; Vespignani, Francesco; Job, Remo

2016-10-01

The goal of the present research was to study the time course of lexical stress encoding in a free-stress language with unpredictable stress. To this aim we measured event-related brain potentials (ERPs) during lexical priming. Participants named pictures bearing either the dominant or non-dominant stress pattern, and preceded by either a congruent or an incongruent word prime (e.g., CInema-FRAgola'cinema-strawberry' vs. benZIna-FRAgola'petrol-strawberry'). Behavioral results show that participants were slower in naming targets that had the same stress pattern as the prime, and were also faster in producing words with the dominant stress pattern in the language. The electrophysiological results show that both the effects are compatible with the time course of phonological encoding in speech production. Surprisingly, a dominant stress effect occurred in the ERPs elicited by the primes, with a larger positivity for non-dominant stress words in a 150-250ms time-window. The pattern of results indicates that during speech production: a) the system is sensitive to the stress patterns distribution; b) the automatic pre-activation of a metrical frame may interfere with the phonological encoding of a to-be-uttered word. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Vortex breakdown in a cylinder with a rotating bottom and a flat stress-free surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serre, E.; Bontoux, P.

2007-01-01

Vortex breakdown and transition to time-dependent regimes are investigated in a cylinder (H/R = 4) with a rotating disk and a free-surface. The aim of this study is to show how, by changing upstream conditions it is possible to alter on the flow, particularly the vortex breakdown process. The understanding of such effects on vortex breakdown is very useful in the development of a control strategy in order to intensify or remove the phenomenon. The flow dynamics are explored through numerical solution of the three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations based on high-order spectral approximations. The use of a flat, stress-free model for the air/water interface is shown to be entirely satisfactory at least for moderate Reynolds numbers. A particular interest of these results is to show how the bubble related to the vortex breakdown becomes attached to the free-surface and grows in diameter as the Reynolds number is increased, Re ≥ 2900. Such a phenomenon removes the cylindrical vortex core upstream of the breakdown which is usually included in classical theories based on idealized models of vortex flows. The flow is shown to be unstable to three-dimensional perturbations for sufficiently large rotation rates. The bifurcated state takes the form of a k = 3 rotating wave at Re = 3000. The existence of the free-surface promotes the onset of periodicity, with a critical Reynolds number about 15% lower than in the case with a rigid cover. Moreover, the successive bifurcations occur over a much shorter range of Reynolds numbers and lead rapidly to a multi-frequency regime with more than five different frequencies. In the unsteady regime, the vortex breakdown is characterized by an elongated, asymmetric recirculation zone, attached to the free-surface and precessing around the axis of the container. By increasing the rotation, the circular stagnation line on the free-surface takes a more irregular form and starts to move around the axis of the cylinder in the same sense as

Reduced incidence of stress ulcer in germ-free Sprague Dawley rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Paré, W P; Burken, M I; Allen, E D; Kluczynski, J M

1993-01-01

Recent findings with respect to the role of spiral gram-negative bacteria in peptic ulcer disease have stimulated interest in discerning the role of these agents in stress ulcer disease. We tested the hypothesis that a standard restraint-cold ulcerogenic procedure would fail to produce ulcers in axenic rats. Axenic, as well as normal Sprague Dawley rats, were exposed to a cold-restraint procedure. The germ-free condition was maintained throughout the study in the axenic rats. Axenic rats had significantly fewer ulcers as compared to normal rats exposed to the standard cold-restraint procedure, as well as handling control rats. The data represent the first report suggesting a microbiologic component in the development of stress ulcer using the rat model.

A method for the determination of free nitric acid in aqueous plutonium nitrate solutions - potassium fluoride method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mair, M.A.

1988-06-01

Plutonium IV and VI, and certain other hydrolysable metals which may be present, are converted to non-interfering species by the addition of the sample to potassium fluoride solution. The free acid is then titrated with standard sodium hydroxide solution using phenolphthalein as an indicator. (author)

Conductometric investigation of salt-free solutions of polyriboguanylic acid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kozlov, A.G.; Davydova, O.V.; Kargov, S.I.

1993-01-01

Salt-free solutions of various ionic forms of polyriboguanylic acid (poly(G)) were studied by the methods of conductometry and spectroscopy of annular dichroism. The Manning approach was employed to calculate transport characteristics and structural parameters of poly(G) on the basis of spectra permit putting poly(G) salts in two groups: the first one comprising NH 4 + -, Rb + -, K + -, Na + -, the second one - Cs + -, and Li + -poly(G). The assumption is made that Li + and Cs + ions, bound with concrete groups of polyanion in a specific way, can promote formation of a stable structure different from the one observed in the presence of the first group counterions. 25 refs., 3 figs

Stress Corrosion Cracking of Zircaloy-4 in Halide Solutions: Effect of Temperature

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Farina S.B.

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Zircaloy-4 was found to be susceptible to stress corrosion cracking in 1 M NaCl, 1 M KBr and 1 M KI aqueous solutions at potentials above the pitting potential. In all the solutions tested crack propagation was initially intergranular and then changed to transgranular. The effect of strain rate and temperature on the SCC propagation was investigated. An increase in the strain rate was found to lead to an increase in the crack propagation rate. The crack propagation rate increases in the three solutions tested as the temperatures increases between 20 and 90 °C. The Surface-Mobility SCC mechanism accounts for the observation made in the present work, and the activation energy predicted in iodide solutions is similar to that found in the literature.

Role of Free Radicals, Oxidative Stress and Xenobiotics in Carcinogenesis by Environmental Pollutants

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Dibyajyoti Saha

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Carcinogenesis by many small molecular weight chemicals involves either a direct action of the chemical on cellular DNA or metabolism of the parent chemical to an active or ultimate form, which can than react with cellular DNA to produce a permanent chemical change in a DNA structure. A free radical is an atom or molecule that has one or more unpaired electron(s. These are highly reactive species capable of wide spread, indiscriminate oxidation and per oxidation of proteins, lipids and DNA which can lead to significant cellular damage and even tissue and/or organ failure. . Oxidative stress is a leading cause to damage cells by oxidation. The rate at which oxidative damage is induced (input and the rate at which it is efficiently repaired and removed (output. Xenobiotics are a compound that is foreign to the body. Xenobiotics can produce a variety of biological effects, including pharmacologic responses, toxicity, genes, immunologic reactions and cancer. Oxidative stress is a leading cause to damage cells by oxidation. The rate at which oxidative damage is induced (input and the rate at which it is efficiently repaired and removed (output. This communication highlights the role of carcinogens as environmental pollutants with the possible mechanism of free radicals, oxidative stress and xenobiotics.

Brief, pre-retrieval stress differentially influences long-term memory depending on sex and corticosteroid response.

Science.gov (United States)

Zoladz, Phillip R; Kalchik, Andrea E; Hoffman, Mackenzie M; Aufdenkampe, Rachael L; Burke, Hanna M; Woelke, Sarah A; Pisansky, Julia M; Talbot, Jeffery N

2014-03-01

Previous work has indicated that stress generally impairs memory retrieval. However, little research has addressed discrepancies that exist in this line of work and the factors that could explain why stress can exert differential effects on retrieval processes. Therefore, we examined the influence of brief, pre-retrieval stress that was administered immediately before testing on long-term memory in males and females. Participants learned a list of 42 words varying in emotional valence and arousal. Following the learning phase, participants were given an immediate free recall test. Twenty-four hours later, participants submerged their non-dominant hand in a bath of ice cold (Stress) or warm (No Stress) water for 3 min. Immediately following this manipulation, participants' memory for the word list was assessed via free recall and recognition tests. We observed no group differences on short-term memory. However, male participants who showed a robust cortisol response to the stress exhibited enhanced long-term recognition memory, while male participants who demonstrated a blunted cortisol response to the stress exhibited impaired long-term recall and recognition memory. These findings suggest that the effects of brief, pre-retrieval stress on long-term memory are sex-specific and mediated by corticosteroid mechanisms. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Inhibition of HIV-1 replication by chimeric phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides applied in free solution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, O S; Hansen, J E

1998-01-01

Oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) containing a variable number of 3' and 5' terminal phosphorothioate linkages were applied in free solution to cells infected by HIV-1. ODNs of 28 nt length were applied at up to 5 microM concentration. The ODNs were found to inhibit HIV-1 infection in a dose dependent...... by these modified chimers....

Electroplating of low stress permalloy for MEMS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Yonghua; Ding Guifu; Cai Yuli; Wang Hong; Cai Bingchu

2006-01-01

With the wafer-bending method and spectrophotometry, the internal stress in electroplated Ni-Fe alloy for MEMS has been investigated as a function of bath concentration. This investigation demonstrated that low concentration plating solution is useful for the decrease of the residual stress in the electrodeposits, and the stress could further decrease with an increase of saccharin additive content. And the change of stress from tensile to compressive was not observed with the increase of the additive content in plating path. The low stress permalloy (Ni 81 Fe 19 ) was reached in our experimental conditions. A bistable electromagnetic RF MEMS switch with deformation-free bilayer cantilever beam was fabricated successfully by electroplated permalloy

[Free radical modification of proteins in brain structure of Sprague-Dawley rats and some behaviour indicators after prenatal stress].

Science.gov (United States)

V'iushina, A V; Pritvorova, A V; Flerov, M A

2012-08-01

We studied the influence of late prenatal stress on free radical oxidation processes in Sprague-Dawley rats cortex, striatum, hippocampus, hypothalamus proteins. It was shown that after prenatal stress most changes were observed in hypothalamus and hippocampus. It was shown that in hypothalamus spontaneous oxidation level increased, but level of induced oxidation decreased, the opposite changes were found in hippocampus. Simultaneously minor changes of protein modification were observed in cortex and striatum. It was shown that prenatal stress changed both correlation of proteins free radical oxidation in studied structures and values of these data regarding to control. In test of "open field" motor activity in rats after prenatal stress decreased and time of freezing and grooming increased; opposite, in T-labyrinth motor activity and time of grooming in rats after prenatal stress increased, but time of freezing decreased.

Fluid transport with time on peritoneal dialysis: the contribution of free water transport and solute coupled water transport

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Coester, Annemieke M.; Smit, Watske; Struijk, Dirk G.; Krediet, Raymond T.

2009-01-01

Ultrafiltration in peritoneal dialysis occurs through endothelial water channels (free water transport) and together with solutes across small pores: solute coupled water transport. A review is given of cross-sectional studies and on the results of longitudinal follow-up

Analytical solution for stress, strain and plastic instability of pressurized pipes with volumetric flaws

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cunha, Sérgio B.; Netto, Theodoro A.

2012-01-01

The mechanical behavior of internally pressurized pipes with volumetric flaws is analyzed. The two possible modes of circumferentially straining the pipe wall are identified and associated to hypothesized geometries. The radial deformation that takes place by bending the pipe wall is studied by means of axisymmetric flaws and the membrane strain developed by unequal hoop deformation is analyzed with the help of narrow axial flaws. Linear elastic shell solutions for stress and strain are developed, the plastic behavior is studied and the maximum hoop stress at the flaw is related to the undamaged pipe hoop stress by means of stress concentration factors. The stress concentration factors are employed to obtain equations predicting the pressure at which the pipe fails by plastic instability for both types of flaw. These analytical solutions are validated by comparison with burst tests on 3″ diameter pipes and finite element simulations. Forty-one burst tests were carried out and two materials with very dissimilar plastic behavior, carbon steel and austenitic stainless steel, were used in the experiments. Both the analytical and the numerical predictions showed good correlation with the experimentally observed burst pressures. - Highlights: ► An analytical model for the burst of a pipe with a volumetric flaw is developed. ► Deformation, strain and stress are modeled in the elastic and plastic domains. ► The model is comprehensively validated by experiments and numerical simulations. ► The burst pressure model’s accuracy is equivalent to finite element simulations.

Adoption of Free Open Source Geographic Information System Solution for Health Sector in Zanzibar Tanzania

OpenAIRE

BAKAR, Abubakar D.; KIMARO, Honest C.; SULTAN, Abu Bakar MD; HAMIAR, S.

2014-01-01

The study aims at developing in-depth understanding on how Open Source Geographic Information System technology is used to provide solutions for data visualization in the health sector of Zanzibar, Tanzania. The study focuses on implementing the health visualization solutions for the purpose of bridging the gap during the transition period from proprietary software to the Free Open-Source Software using Key Indicator Data System. The developed tool facilitates data integration between the two...

Analytical solution of the thermo-mechanical stresses in a multilayered composite pressure vessel considering the influence of the closed ends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Q.; Wang, Z.W.; Tang, C.Y.; Hu, D.P.; Liu, P.Q.; Xia, L.Z.

2012-01-01

Limited work has been reported on determining the thermo-mechanical stresses in a multilayered composite pressure vessel when the influence of its closed ends is considered. In this study, an analytical solution was derived for determining the stress distribution of a multilayered composite pressure vessel subjected to an internal fluid pressure and a thermal load, based on thermo-elasticity theory. In the solution, a pseudo extrusion pressure was proposed to emulate the effect of the closed ends of the pressure vessel. To validate the analytical solution, the stress distribution of the pressure vessel was also computed using finite element (FE) method. It was found that the analytical results were in good agreement with the computational ones, and the effect of thermal load on the stress distribution was discussed in detail. The proposed analytical solution provides an exact means to design multilayered composite pressure vessels. Highlights: ► The thermal-mechanical stress was derived for a multilayered pressure vessel. ► A new pseudo extrusion pressure was proposed to emulate the effect of closed ends. ► The analytical results are in good agreement with the computational ones using FEM. ► The solution provides an exact way to design the multilayered pressure vessel.

Electro chemical studies on stress corrosion cracking of Incoloy-800 in caustic solution, part I: As received samples

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dinu Alice

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Many non-volatile impurities accidentally introduced into the steam generator tend to Concentrate on its surface in restricted flow areas. In this way these impurities can lead to stress corrosion cracking (SCC on stressed tubes of the steam generator. Such impurities can be strong alkaline or acid solutions. To evaluate the effect of alkaline concentrated environments on SCC of steam generator tubes, the tests were con ducted on stressed samples of Incoloy-800 in 10% NaOH solution. To accelerate the SCC process, stressed specimens were anodically polarised in a caustic solution in an electro chemical cell. The method of stressing of Incoloy-800 tubes used in our experiments was the C-ring. Using the cathodic zone of the potentiodynamic curves it was possible to calculate the most important electrochemical parameters: the corrosion current, the corrosion rate, and the polarization resistance. We found that the value of the corrosion potential to initiate the SCC microcracks was -100 mV. The tested samples were examined using the metallographic method. The main experimental results showed that the in crease of the stress state promoted the in crease of the SCC susceptibility of Incoloy-800 samples tested under the same conditions, and that the length of the SCC-type microcracks in creased with the growth of the stress value.

Effect of uranyl nitrate and free acid concentration in feed solution of gelation on UO2 kernel quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masduki, B.; Wardaya; Widarmoko, A.

1996-01-01

An investigation on the effect of uranium and free nitric acid concentration of uranyl nitrate as feed of gelation process on quality of UO 2 kernel was done.The investigation is to look for some concentration of uranyl nitrate solutions those are optimum as feed for preparation of gelled UO 3 . Uranyl nitrate solution of various concentration of uranium (450; 500; 550; 600; 650; 700 g/l) and free nitric acid of (0.9; 1.0; 1.1 N) was made into feed solutions by adding urea and HMTA with mole ratio of urea/uranium and HMTA/uranium 2.1 and 2.0. The feed solutions were changed into spherical gelled UO 3 by dropping was done to get the optimum concentrations of uranyl nitrate solutions. The gelled UO 3 was soaked and washed with 2.5% ammonia solution for 17 hours, dried at 70 o C, calcined at 350 o C for 3 hours then reduced at 850 o C for 3 hours. At every step of the steps process the colour and percentage of well product of gelled UO 3 were noticed. The density and O/U ratio of end product (UO 2 kernel) was determined, the percentage of well product of all steps process was also determined. The three factor were used to chose the optimum concentration of uranyl nitrate solution. From this investigation it was concluded that the optimum concentration of uranyl nitrate was 600 g/l uranium with free nitric acid 0,9 - 1,0 N, the percentage of well product was 97% density of 6.12 - 4.8 g/cc and O/U ratio of 2.15 - 2.06. (author)

Positive technology: a free mobile platform for the self-management of psychological stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaggioli, Andrea; Cipresso, Pietro; Serino, Silvia; Campanaro, Danilo Marco; Pallavicini, Federica; Wiederhold, Brenda K; Riva, Giuseppe

2014-01-01

We describe the main features and preliminary evaluation of Positive Technology, a free mobile platform for the self-management of psychological stress (http://positiveapp.info/). The mobile platform features three main components: (i) guided relaxation, which provides the user with the opportunity of browsing a gallery of relaxation music and video-narrative resources for reducing stress; (ii) 3D biofeedback, which helps the user learning to control his/her responses, by visualizing variations of heart rate in an engaging 3D environment; (iii) stress tracking, by the recording of heart rate and self-reports. We evaluated the Positive Technology app in an online trial involving 32 participants, out of which 7 used the application in combination with the wrist sensor. Overall, feedback from users was satisfactory and the analysis of data collected online indicated the capability of the app for reducing perceived stress levels. A future goal is to improve the usability of the application and include more advanced stress monitoring features, based on the analysis of heart rate variability indexes.

Laser-controlled stress of Si nanocrystals in a free-standing Si /SiO2 superlattice

Science.gov (United States)

Khriachtchev, Leonid; Räsänen, Markku; Novikov, Sergei

2006-01-01

We report laser manipulations with stress at the nanoscale level. The continuous-wave Ar+ laser radiation melts Si nanocrystals in a free-standing Si /SiO2 superlattice. Silicon crystallization from the liquid phase leads to a compressive stress, which can be accurately tuned in the 3GPa range using laser annealing below the Si melting temperature and then recovered by laser annealing above the melting temperature. This allows investigations of various phenomena as a function of stress and makes a case of Si-nanocrystal memory with very long retention time, which can be written, erased, and read by optical means.

Laser-controlled stress of Si nanocrystals in a free-standing Si/SiO2 superlattice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khriachtchev, Leonid; Raesaenen, Markku; Novikov, Sergei

2006-01-01

We report laser manipulations with stress at the nanoscale level. The continuous-wave Ar + laser radiation melts Si nanocrystals in a free-standing Si/SiO 2 superlattice. Silicon crystallization from the liquid phase leads to a compressive stress, which can be accurately tuned in the 3 GPa range using laser annealing below the Si melting temperature and then recovered by laser annealing above the melting temperature. This allows investigations of various phenomena as a function of stress and makes a case of Si-nanocrystal memory with very long retention time, which can be written, erased, and read by optical means

Free diffusion of translation of macromolecules in solution with the rayleigh interferometer; Diffusion libre de translation des macromolecules en solution, par interferometrie de rayleigh

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leger, J J [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1969-07-01

The aim of this study is to develop a rapid and accurate measurement, with the Rayleigh interferometer, of the free diffusion coefficient of translation of macromolecules in solution. After having explained the choice of a diffusion cell with laminar lateral flow, and explained the principle of the Rayleigh interferometer, a semi-automatic technique of free diffusion are then introduced. Solutions are proposed for systems composed of two or three components, such as biopolymers. The paper ends by drafting the possible treatment of recorded experimental data by means of electronic computer. (author) [French] Cette etude a ete entreprise pour mettre au point une methode precise et rapide de mesure, par interferometre de Rayleigh, du coefficient de diffusion libre de translation des macromolecules en solution. Apres avoir justifie le choix d'une cellule de diffusion a ecoulement laminaire lateral et explique le principe de l'interferometre de Rayleigh, l'auteur decrit une technique semi-automatique d'enregistrement des cliches d'interference. Il introduit ensuite les equations differentielles de diffusion libre et propose des solutions pour les systemes a deux et trois composants applicables aux biopolymeres. L'article se termine par une esquisse concernant le traitement des donnees experimentales enregistrees au moyen du calcul electronique. (auteur)

Analytical solution to the 1D Lemaitre's isotropic damage model and plane stress projected implicit integration procedure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andriollo, Tito; Thorborg, Jesper; Hattel, Jesper Henri

2016-01-01

obtaining an integral relationship between total strain and effective stress. By means of the generalized binomial theorem, an expression in terms of infinite series is subsequently derived. The solution is found to simplify considerably existing techniques for material parameters identification based...... on optimization, as all issues associated with classical numerical solution procedures of the constitutive equations are eliminated. In addition, an implicit implementation of the plane stress projected version of Lemaitre's model is discussed, showing that the resulting algebraic system can be reduced...

Pre-learning stress that is temporally removed from acquisition exerts sex-specific effects on long-term memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Zoladz, Phillip R; Warnecke, Ashlee J; Woelke, Sarah A; Burke, Hanna M; Frigo, Rachael M; Pisansky, Julia M; Lyle, Sarah M; Talbot, Jeffery N

2013-02-01

We have examined the influence of sex and the perceived emotional nature of learned information on pre-learning stress-induced alterations of long-term memory. Participants submerged their dominant hand in ice cold (stress) or warm (no stress) water for 3 min. Thirty minutes later, they studied 30 words, rated the words for their levels of emotional valence and arousal and were then given an immediate free recall test. Twenty-four hours later, participants' memory for the word list was assessed via delayed free recall and recognition assessments. The resulting memory data were analyzed after categorizing the studied words (i.e., distributing them to "positive-arousing", "positive-non-arousing", "negative-arousing", etc. categories) according to participants' valence and arousal ratings of the words. The results revealed that participants exhibiting a robust cortisol response to stress exhibited significantly impaired recognition memory for neutral words. More interestingly, however, males displaying a robust cortisol response to stress demonstrated significantly impaired recall, overall, and a marginally significant impairment of overall recognition memory, while females exhibiting a blunted cortisol response to stress demonstrated a marginally significant impairment of overall recognition memory. These findings support the notion that a brief stressor that is temporally separated from learning can exert deleterious effects on long-term memory. However, they also suggest that such effects depend on the sex of the organism, the emotional salience of the learned information and the degree to which stress increases corticosteroid levels. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analytical solution for stress, strain and plastic instability of pressurized pipes with volumetric flaws

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cunha, Sergio B., E-mail: sbcunha@petrobras.com.br [PETROBRAS/TRANSPETRO, Av. Pres. Vargas 328 - 7th floor, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 20091-060 (Brazil); Netto, Theodoro A., E-mail: tanetto@lts.coppe.ufrj.br [COPPE, Federal University ot Rio de Janeiro, Ocean Engineering Department, PO BOX 68508, Rio de Janeiro - RJ (Brazil)

2012-01-15

The mechanical behavior of internally pressurized pipes with volumetric flaws is analyzed. The two possible modes of circumferentially straining the pipe wall are identified and associated to hypothesized geometries. The radial deformation that takes place by bending the pipe wall is studied by means of axisymmetric flaws and the membrane strain developed by unequal hoop deformation is analyzed with the help of narrow axial flaws. Linear elastic shell solutions for stress and strain are developed, the plastic behavior is studied and the maximum hoop stress at the flaw is related to the undamaged pipe hoop stress by means of stress concentration factors. The stress concentration factors are employed to obtain equations predicting the pressure at which the pipe fails by plastic instability for both types of flaw. These analytical solutions are validated by comparison with burst tests on 3 Double-Prime diameter pipes and finite element simulations. Forty-one burst tests were carried out and two materials with very dissimilar plastic behavior, carbon steel and austenitic stainless steel, were used in the experiments. Both the analytical and the numerical predictions showed good correlation with the experimentally observed burst pressures. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer An analytical model for the burst of a pipe with a volumetric flaw is developed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Deformation, strain and stress are modeled in the elastic and plastic domains. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The model is comprehensively validated by experiments and numerical simulations. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The burst pressure model's accuracy is equivalent to finite element simulations.

Ultrathin SnO2 nanorods: template- and surfactant-free solution phase synthesis, growth mechanism, optical, gas-sensing, and surface adsorption properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Xi, Guangcheng; Ye, Jinhua

2010-03-01

A novel template- and surfactant-free low temperature solution-phase method has been successfully developed for the controlled synthesis of ultrathin SnO(2) single-crystalline nanorods for the first time. The ultrathin SnO(2) single-crystalline nanorods are 2.0 +/- 0.5 nm in diameter, which is smaller than its exciton Bohr radius. The ultrathin SnO(2) nanorods show a high specific area (191.5 m(2) g(-1)). Such a thin SnO(2) single-crystalline nanorod is new in the family of SnO(2) nanostrucures and presents a strong quantum confinement effect. Its formation depends on the reaction temperature as well as on the concentration of the urea solution. A nonclassical crystallization process, Ostwald ripening process followed by an oriented attachment mechanism, is proposed based on the detailed observations from a time-dependent crystal evolution process. Importantly, such structured SnO(2) has shown a strong structure-induced enhancement of gas-sensing properties and has exhibited greatly enhanced gas-sensing property for the detection of ethanol than that of other structured SnO(2), such as the powders of nanobelts and microrods. Moreover, these ultrathin SnO(2) nanorods exhibit excellent ability to remove organic pollutant in wastewater by enormous surface adsorption. These properties are mainly attributed to its higher surface-to-volume ratio and ultrathin diameter. This work provides a novel low temperature, green, and inexpensive pathway to the synthesis of ultrathin nanorods, offering a new material form for sensors, solar cells, catalysts, water treatments, and other applications.

Review and synthesis of stress intensity factor solutions applicable to cracks in bolts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

James, L.A.; Mills, W.J.

1988-01-01

The available literature for stress intensity factor solutions for cracks in round bars, both threaded and unthreaded, subjected to either tension or bending, is reviewed. The results are synthesized into a form that is appropriate for the analysis of bolts and studs. (author)

Influence of microstructure on stress corrosion cracking of mild steel in synthetic caustic-nitrate nuclear waste solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarafian, P.G.

1975-12-01

The influence of alloy microstructure on stress corrosion cracking of mild steel in caustic-nitrate synthetic nuclear waste solutions was studied. An evaluation was made of the effect of heat treatment on a representative material (ASTM A 516 Grade 70) used in the construction of high activity radioactive waste storage tanks at Savannah River Plant. Several different microstructures were tested for susceptibility to stress corrosion cracking. Precracked fracture specimens loaded in either constant load or constant crack opening displacement were exposed to a variety of caustic-nitrate and nitrate solutions. Results were correlated with the mechanical and corrosion properties of the microstructures. Crack velocity and crack arrest stress intensity were found to be related to the yield strength of the steel microstructures. Fractographic evidence indicated pH depletion and corrosive crack tip chemistry conditions even in highly caustic solutions. Experimental results were compatible with crack growth by a strain-assisted anodic dissolution mechanism; however, hydrogen embrittlement also was considered possible

Non-classical solutions of a continuum model for rock descriptions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mikhail A. Guzev

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The strain-gradient and non-Euclidean continuum theories are employed for construction of non-classical solutions of continuum models. The linear approximation of both models' results in identical structures in terms of their kinematic and stress characteristics. The solutions obtained in this study exhibit a critical behaviour with respect to the external loading parameter. The conclusions are obtained based on an investigation of the solution for the scalar curvature in the non-Euclidean continuum theory. The proposed analysis enables us to use different theoretical approaches for description of rock critical behaviour under different loading conditions.

Delay in onset of metabolic alkalosis during regional citrate anti-coagulation in continous renal replacement therapy with calcium-free replacement solution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

See Kay

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Regional citrate anti-coagulation for continuous renal replacement therapy chelates calcium to produce the anti- coagulation effect. We hypothesise that a calcium-free replacement solution will require less citrate and produce fewer metabolic side effects. Fifty patients, in a Medical Intensive Care Unit of a tertiary teaching hospital (25 in each group, received continuous venovenous hemofiltration using either calcium-containing or calcium-free replacement solutions. Both groups had no significant differences in filter life, metabolic alkalosis, hypernatremia, hypocalcemia, and hypercalcemia. However, patients using calcium-containing solution developed metabolic alkalosis earlier, compared to patients using calcium-free solution (mean 24.6 hours,CI 0.8-48.4 vs. 37.2 hours, CI 9.4-65, P = 0.020. When calcium-containing replacement solution was used, more citrate was required (mean 280ml/h, CI 227.2-332.8 vs. 265ml/h, CI 203.4-326.6, P = 0.069, but less calcium was infused (mean 21.2 ml/h, CI 1.2-21.2 vs 51.6ml/h, CI 26.8-76.4, P ≤ 0.0001.

Chloride stress corrosion cracking of Alloy 600 in boric acid solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berge, Ph.; Noel, D.; Gras, J.M.; Prieux, B.

1997-10-01

The high nickel austenitic alloys are generally considered to have good resistance to chloride stress corrosion cracking. In the standard boiling magnesium chloride solution tests, alloys with more than 40% nickel are immune. Nevertheless, more recent data show that cracking can occur in both Alloys 600 and 690 if the solution is acidified. In other low pH media, such as boric acid solution at 100 deg C, transgranular and intergranular cracking are observed in Alloy 600 in the presence of minor concentrations of sodium chloride (2g/I). In concentrated boric acid at higher temperatures (250 and 290 deg C), intergranular cracking also occurs, either when the chloride concentration is high, or at low chloride contents and high oxygen levels. The role of pH and a possible specific action of boric acid are discussed, together with the influence of electrochemical potential. (author)

Inefficacy of marketed contact lens disinfection solutions against keratitis-causing Acanthamoeba castellanii belonging to the T4 genotype.

Science.gov (United States)

Lakhundi, Sahreena; Khan, Naveed Ahmed; Siddiqui, Ruqaiyyah

2014-06-01

The aim of this study was to assess the anti-amoebic effects of marketed contact lens disinfecting solutions. Using amoebistatic, amoebicidal, and cysticidal assays, nine different contact lens solutions were tested including: ReNu MultiPlus, DuraPlus, Ultimate Plus, OptiFree Replenish, OptiFree Express, Kontex Clean, Kontex Normal, Kontex Multisol extra+, Kontex Soak. In vitro growth inhibition (amoebistatic) assays were performed by incubating Acanthamoeba castellanii with aforementioned contact lens disinfection solutions as per manufacturer's instructions in the growth medium for up to 48h at 30°C. To determine amoebicidal and cysticidal effects, amoebae were incubated with contact lens solutions in phosphate buffered saline for 24h and viability was determined by haemocytometer counting as well as re-inoculating them in the growth medium. For controls, solutions were tested against bacterial corneal pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as well as amoebae were incubated with the solvent alone. Of the nine contact lens solutions tested, none of them showed potent amoebicidal effects. Only DuraPlus and OptiFree Replenish exhibited trophozoite lysis of 85.3% and 73.7% respectively. In contrast, all contact lens disinfection solutions except Kontex Clean, Kontex Normal, Kontex Multisol extra+, tested showed amoebistatic effects. Importantly, none of the contact lens disinfection solutions exhibited cysticidal effects using qualitative assays, i.e., cysts treated with aforementioned solutions re-emerged as viable amoebae upon inoculation in the growth medium. However, more than 3-log reduction was observed when ReNu MultiPlus, DuraPlus and OptiFree Express were tested against P. aeruginosa which is in accordance with the ISO Stand-Alone Primary acceptance criteria. These findings are of great concern for contact lens users. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Free vibration analysis of embedded magneto-electro-thermo-elastic cylindrical nanoshell based on the modified couple stress theory

Science.gov (United States)

Ghadiri, Majid; Safarpour, Hamed

2016-09-01

In this paper, size-dependent effect of an embedded magneto-electro-elastic (MEE) nanoshell subjected to thermo-electro-magnetic loadings on free vibration behavior is investigated. Also, the surrounding elastic medium has been considered as the model of Winkler characterized by the spring. The size-dependent MEE nanoshell is investigated on the basis of the modified couple stress theory. Taking attention to the first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT), the modeled nanoshell and its equations of motion are derived using principle of minimum potential energy. The accuracy of the presented model is validated with some cases in the literature. Finally, using the Navier-type method, an analytical solution of governing equations for vibration behavior of simply supported MEE cylindrical nanoshell under combined loadings is presented and the effects of material length scale parameter, temperature changes, external electric potential, external magnetic potential, circumferential wave numbers, constant of spring, shear correction factor and length-to-radius ratio of the nanoshell on natural frequency are identified. Since there has been no research about size-dependent analysis MEE cylindrical nanoshell under combined loadings based on FSDT, numerical results are presented to be served as benchmarks for future analysis of MEE nanoshells using the modified couple stress theory.

A study on the alkalimetric titration with gran plot in noncomplexing media for the determination of free acid in spent fuel solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suh, Moo Yul; Lee, Chang Heon; Sohn, Se Chul; Kim, Jung Suk; Kim, Won Ho; Eom, Tae Yoon

1999-01-01

Based on the study of hydrolysis behaviour of U(VI) ion and major fission product metal ions such as Cs(I), Ce(III), Nd(III), Mo(VI), Ru(II), and Zr(VI) in the titration media, the performance of noncomplexing-alkalimetric titration method for the determination of free acid in the presence of these metal ions was investigated and its results were compared to those from the complexing methods. The free acidities could be determined as low as 0.05 meq in uranium solutions in which the molar ratio of U(VI)/H + was less than 5, when the end-point of titration was estimated by Gran plot. The biases in the determinations were less than ±1% and about +3% respectively for 0.4 meq and 0.05 meq of free acid at the U(VI)/H + molar ratio of up to 5. Applicability of this method to the determination of free acid in spent fuel solutions was confirmed by the analysis of nitric acid content in simulated spent fuel solutions and in a real spent fuel solution

Numerical solution of quadratic matrix equations for free vibration analysis of structures

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, K. K.

1975-01-01

This paper is concerned with the efficient and accurate solution of the eigenvalue problem represented by quadratic matrix equations. Such matrix forms are obtained in connection with the free vibration analysis of structures, discretized by finite 'dynamic' elements, resulting in frequency-dependent stiffness and inertia matrices. The paper presents a new numerical solution procedure of the quadratic matrix equations, based on a combined Sturm sequence and inverse iteration technique enabling economical and accurate determination of a few required eigenvalues and associated vectors. An alternative procedure based on a simultaneous iteration procedure is also described when only the first few modes are the usual requirement. The employment of finite dynamic elements in conjunction with the presently developed eigenvalue routines results in a most significant economy in the dynamic analysis of structures.

A method of solution of the elastic-plastic thermal stress problem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rafalski, P.

1975-01-01

The purpose of the work is an improvement of the numerical technique for calculating the thermal stress distribution in an elastic-plastic structural element. The work consists of two parts. In the first a new method of solution of the thermal stress problem for the elastic-plastic body is presented. In the second a particular numerical technique, based on the above method, for calculating the stress and strain fields is proposed. A new mathematical approach consists in treating the stress and strain fields as mathematical objects defined in the space-time domain. The methods commonly applied use the stress and strain fields defined in the space domain and establish the relations between them at a given instant t. They reduce the problem to the system of ordinary differential equations with respect to time, which are usually solved with a step-by-step technique. The new method reduces the problem to the system of nonlinear algebraic equations. In the work the Hilbert space of admissible tensor fields is constructed. This space is the orthogonal sum of two subspaces: of statically admissible and kinematically admissible fields. Two alternative orthogonality conditions, which correspond to the equilibrium and compatibility equations with the appropriate boundary conditions, are derived. The results of the work are to be used for construction of the computer program for calculation the stress and strain fields in the elastic-plastic body with a prescribed temperature field in the interior and appropriate displacement and force conditions on the boundary

Posttraumatic stress disorder is associated with emotional eating.

Science.gov (United States)

Talbot, Lisa S; Maguen, Shira; Epel, Elissa S; Metzler, Thomas J; Neylan, Thomas C

2013-08-01

The present study investigated the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and emotional eating in a sample of medically healthy and medication-free adults. Participants with PTSD (n = 44) and control participants free of lifetime psychiatric history (n = 49) completed a measure of emotional eating. Emotional eating is the tendency to eat or overeat in response to negative emotions. PTSD participants exhibited greater emotional eating than control participants (η(2)  = .20) and emotional eating increased with higher PTSD symptom severity (R(2)  = .11). Results supported the stress-eating-obesity model whereby emotional eating is a maladaptive response to stressors. Over time, this could lead to weight gain, particularly abdominal stores, and contribute to higher risk for comorbid medical disorders. Findings suggest the importance of future longitudinal research to understand whether emotional eating contributes to the high rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease in PTSD. Copyright © 2013 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

Asymmetric split-ring resonator-based biosensor for detection of label-free stress biomarkers

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hee-Jo; Lee, Jung-Hyun; Choi, Suji; Jang, Ik-Soon; Choi, Jong-Soon; Jung, Hyo-Il

2013-07-01

In this paper, an asymmetric split-ring resonator, metamaterial element, is presented as a biosensing transducer for detection of highly sensitive and label-free stress biomarkers. In particular, the two biomarkers, cortisol and α-amylase, are used for evaluating the sensitivity of the proposed biosensor. In case of cortisol detection, the competitive reaction between cortisol-bovine serum albumin and free cortisol is employed, while alpha-amylase is directly detected by its antigen-antibody reaction. From the experimental results, we find that the limit of detection and sensitivity of the proposed sensing device are about 1 ng/ml and 1.155 MHz/ng ml-1, respectively.

ADRA2B deletion variant selectively predicts stress-induced enhancement of long-term memory in females.

Science.gov (United States)

Zoladz, Phillip R; Kalchik, Andrea E; Hoffman, Mackenzie M; Aufdenkampe, Rachael L; Lyle, Sarah M; Peters, David M; Brown, Callie M; Cadle, Chelsea E; Scharf, Amanda R; Dailey, Alison M; Wolters, Nicholas E; Talbot, Jeffery N; Rorabaugh, Boyd R

2014-10-01

Clarifying the mechanisms that underlie stress-induced alterations of learning and memory may lend important insight into susceptibility factors governing the development of stress-related psychological disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Previous work has shown that carriers of the ADRA2B Glu(301)-Glu(303) deletion variant exhibit enhanced emotional memory, greater amygdala responses to emotional stimuli and greater intrusiveness of traumatic memories. We speculated that carriers of this deletion variant might also be more vulnerable to stress-induced enhancements of long-term memory, which would implicate the variant as a possible susceptibility factor for traumatic memory formation. One hundred and twenty participants (72 males, 48 females) submerged their hand in ice cold (stress) or warm (no stress) water for 3min. Immediately afterwards, they studied a list of 42 words varying in emotional valence and arousal and then completed an immediate free recall test. Twenty-four hours later, participants' memory for the word list was examined via free recall and recognition assessments. Stressed participants exhibiting greater heart rate responses to the stressor had enhanced recall on the 24-h assessment. Importantly, this enhancement was independent of the emotional nature of the learned information. In contrast to previous work, we did not observe a general enhancement of memory for emotional information in ADRA2B deletion carriers. However, stressed female ADRA2B deletion carriers, particularly those exhibiting greater heart rate responses to the stressor, did demonstrate greater recognition memory than all other groups. Collectively, these findings implicate autonomic mechanisms in the pre-learning stress-induced enhancement of long-term memory and suggest that the ADRA2B deletion variant may selectively predict stress effects on memory in females. Such findings lend important insight into the physiological mechanisms underlying stress

A label free aptamer-based LPG sensor for detection of mercury in aquatic solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Nikbakht, Hamed; Latifi, Hamid; Ziaee, Farzaneh

2015-09-01

We demonstrate a label free fiber optic sensor for detection of mercury ions in aquatic solutions. This sensor utilizes aptamers as bio-recognition element which traps mercury ions and cause a refractive index change in the vicinity of the sensor. Refractive index variations lead to a change in the transmission spectrum that can be used to calculate the concentration of mercury ions in that solution. The concentration of 1 nM mercury ions was detected which is below the specific amount determined by the US environmental protection agency as the maximum authorized contaminant level of Hg2+ ions in drinking water.

Stress-free reference for neutron diffraction measurement of residual stress in butt-welded joints of austenitic stainless steel pipes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maekawa, Akira; Takahashi, Tsuneo; Tsuji, Takashi; Suzuki, Hiroshi; Moriai, Atsushi

2012-01-01

Stress-free lattice spacing d_0 has the most influence on reliability of neutron stress measurements made using an angle dispersive method. However, it is hard to evaluate the lattice spacing of welded structures and ductile materials such as stainless steel accurately. In this study, suitable measurement conditions for d_0 of welded pipe joints of austenitic stainless steel were discussed. The d_0 values derived from {311} and {111} reflections, which are often used in austenitic stainless steel for residual stress measurement, were examined. Comparison of the residual strains and stresses evaluated using the obtained d_0 and the finite element analysis showed that the way the d_0 values were chosen affected the measurement accuracy significantly. The stress measurement accuracy was remarkably improved when the {311} reflection was used and the proper d_0 value was chosen in the respective neutron diffraction measurements. For instance, for the axial diffraction measurements using the {311} reflection, it was recommended that only the axial d_0 value of the {311} reflection be used; the measurements using the {111} reflection were less accurate due to the large Young's modulus. Additionally, a lower diffraction angle was judged to be one of the factors leading to a decrease of the strain measurement accuracy. (author)

Gas Near a Wall: Shortened Mean Free Path, Reduced Viscosity, and the Manifestation of the Knudsen Layer in the Navier-Stokes Solution of a Shear Flow

Science.gov (United States)

Abramov, Rafail V.

2018-06-01

For the gas near a solid planar wall, we propose a scaling formula for the mean free path of a molecule as a function of the distance from the wall, under the assumption of a uniform distribution of the incident directions of the molecular free flight. We subsequently impose the same scaling onto the viscosity of the gas near the wall and compute the Navier-Stokes solution of the velocity of a shear flow parallel to the wall. Under the simplifying assumption of constant temperature of the gas, the velocity profile becomes an explicit nonlinear function of the distance from the wall and exhibits a Knudsen boundary layer near the wall. To verify the validity of the obtained formula, we perform the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo computations for the shear flow of argon and nitrogen at normal density and temperature. We find excellent agreement between our velocity approximation and the computed DSMC velocity profiles both within the Knudsen boundary layer and away from it.

Estimation of free acid content in lanthanide salt solution used for pH-potentiometric determination of their stability constants with organic ligands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheltvaj, I.I.; Tishchenko, M.A.

1985-01-01

To improve the pH-potentiometric method for determining complex stability constants the possibility of alkalimetric titration of a free acid in the lanthanide perchlorate solution after binding metal ions by disodium salt of ethylene-diamine-tetraacetic acid is studied. The stability constants were determined from the difference between the total acid content after complexon addition and doubled metal cation content in the solution which has been preliminarily determined by the complexonometric method. It is shown that the alkaline (NaOH) equivalent quantities spent for free acid titration either in the absence or presence of the complexon is different. With increase of free acid content in the solution the difference in determinations with complexon and without it is somewhat reduced. Thus, the use of complexon contributes to a higher accuracy in determining the free acid, and in the first place in case of minor contents

On the number of free energy extremums of a solid solution with two long-range order parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dateshidze, N.A.; Ratishvili, I.G.

1977-01-01

The free energy of ordering f.c.c. lattice solid solution is investigated. The ordering is regarded as homogeneous in the whole bulk of the crystal (i.e. resistant towards formation of antiphase domains). It is described by one of the appropriate distribution functions which contains two long-range order parameters. The calculations have revealed the extrema of the free energy function, and their shape and behaviour upon variations of temperature are analyzed. It is shown that under certain circumstances the system can display more than one minimum of free energy within the ordered phase

Interfacial free energy governs single polystyrene chain collapse in water and aqueous solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Isaac T S; Walker, Gilbert C

2010-05-12

The hydrophobic interaction is significantly responsible for driving protein folding and self-assembly. To understand it, the thermodynamics, the role of water structure, the dewetting process surrounding hydrophobes, and related aspects have undergone extensive investigations. Here, we examine the hypothesis that polymer-solvent interfacial free energy is adequate to describe the energetics of the collapse of a hydrophobic homopolymer chain at fixed temperature, which serves as a much simplified model for studying the hydrophobic collapse of a protein. This implies that changes in polymer-solvent interfacial free energy should be directly proportional to the force to extend a collapsed polymer into a bad solvent. To test this hypothesis, we undertook single-molecule force spectroscopy on a collapsed, single, polystyrene chain in water-ethanol and water-salt mixtures where we measured the monomer solvation free energy from an ensemble average conformations. Different proportions within the binary mixture were used to create solvents with different interfacial free energies with polystyrene. In these mixed solvents, we observed a linear correlation between the interfacial free energy and the force required to extend the chain into solution, which is a direct measure of the solvation free energy per monomer on a single chain at room temperature. A simple analytical model compares favorably with the experimental results. This knowledge supports a common assumption that explicit water solvent may not be necessary for cases whose primary concerns are hydrophobic interactions and hydrophobic hydration.

The Pursuit of K: Reflections on the Current State-of-the-Art in Stress Intensity Factor Solutions for Practical Aerospace Applications

Science.gov (United States)

CraigMcClung, R.; Lee, Yi-Der; Cardinal, Joseph W.; Guo, Yajun

2012-01-01

The elastic stress intensity factor (SIF, commonly denoted as K) is the foundation of practical fracture mechanics (FM) analysis for aircraft structures. This single parameter describes the first-order effects of stress magnitude and distribution as well as the geometry of both structure/component and crack. Hence, the calculation of K is often the most significant step in fatigue analysis based on FM. This presentation will provide several reflections on the current state-of-the-art in SIF solution methods used for practical aerospace applications, including a brief historical perspective, descriptions of some recent and ongoing advances, and comments on some remaining challenges. Newman and Raju made significant early contributions to practical structural analysis by developing closed-form SIF equations for surface and corner cracks in simplified geometries, often based on empirical fits of finite element (FE) solutions. Those solutions (and others like them) were sometimes revised as new analyses were conducted or limitations discovered. The foundational solutions have exhibited striking longevity, despite the relatively "coarse" FE models employed many decades ago. However, in recent years, the accumulation of different generations of solutions for the same nominal geometry has led to some confusion (which solution is correct?), and steady increases in computational capabilities have facilitated the discovery of inaccuracies in some (not all!) of the legacy solutions. Some examples of problems and solutions are presented and discussed, including the challenge of maintaining consistency with legacy design applications. As computational power has increased, the prospect of calculating large numbers of SIF solutions for specific complex geometries with advanced numerical methods has grown more attractive. Fawaz and Andersson, for example, have been generating literally millions of new SIF solutions for different combinations of multiple cracks under simplified

Editorial Management serials online: construction process, publication and administration with free software solutions

OpenAIRE

Andrés Vuotto; María Carolina Rojas; Gladys Vanesa Fernández

2013-01-01

Initially raised the main points to consider and develop the planning and construction of an online publication of a scientific nature, emphasizing the process and editorial functions, document preservation, access management, indexing and visibility. In the second part of the paper presents a proposed solution to every aspect previously described, highlighting the work of the information professional and optimizing time, cost and results offered free software, from a concrete experience with...

Performance of the SMD and SM8 models for predicting solvation free energy of neutral solutes in methanol, dimethyl sulfoxide and acetonitrile

Science.gov (United States)

Zanith, Caroline C.; Pliego, Josefredo R.

2015-03-01

The continuum solvation models SMD and SM8 were developed using 2,346 solvation free energy values for 318 neutral molecules in 91 solvents as reference. However, no solvation data of neutral solutes in methanol was used in the parametrization, while only few solvation free energy values of solutes in dimethyl sulfoxide and acetonitrile were used. In this report, we have tested the performance of the models for these important solvents. Taking data from literature, we have generated solvation free energy, enthalpy and entropy values for 37 solutes in methanol, 21 solutes in dimethyl sulfoxide and 19 solutes in acetonitrile. Both SMD and SM8 models have presented a good performance in methanol and acetonitrile, with mean unsigned error equal or less than 0.66 and 0.55 kcal mol-1 in methanol and acetonitrile, respectively. However, the correlation is worse in dimethyl sulfoxide, where the SMD and SM8 methods present mean unsigned error of 1.02 and 0.95 kcal mol-1, respectively. Our results point out the SMx family of models need be improved for dimethyl sulfoxide solvent.

Application of confocal Raman micro-spectroscopy for label-free monitoring of oxidative stress in living bronchial cells

Science.gov (United States)

Surmacki, Jakub M.; Quirós Gonzalez, Isabel; Bohndiek, Sarah E.

2018-02-01

Oxidative stress in cancer is implicated in tumor progression, being associated with increased therapy resistance and metastasis. Conventional approaches for monitoring oxidative stress in tissue such as high-performance liquid chromatography and immunohistochemistry are bulk measurements and destroy the sample, meaning that longitudinal monitoring of cancer cell heterogeneity remains elusive. Raman spectroscopy has the potential to overcome this challenge, providing a chemically specific, label free readout from single living cells. Here, we applied a standardized protocol for label-free confocal Raman micro-spectroscopy in living cells to monitor oxidative stress in bronchial cells. We used a quartz substrate in a commercial cell chamber contained within a microscope incubator providing culture media for cell maintenance. We studied the effect of a potent reactive oxygen species inducer, tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP), and antioxidant, N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) on living cells from a human bronchial epithelial cells (HBEC). We found that the Raman bands corresponding to nucleic acids, proteins and lipids were significantly different (pmicro-spectroscopy may be able to monitor the biological impact of oxidative and reductive processes in cells, hence enabling longitudinal studies of oxidative stress in therapy resistance and metastasis at the single cell level.

Analysis technology in the thick plate free drop impact, heat and thermal stress of the cask for radioactive material transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Dew Hey; Lee, Young Shin; Ryu, Chung Hyun; Kim, Hyun Su; Choi, Kyung Joo; Choi, Young Jin; Lee, Jae Hyung; Na, Jae Yun; Kim, Seong Jong

2002-03-01

In this study, The regulatory condition and analysis condition is analyzed for thick plate free drop, heat and thermal stress analysis to develop the safety assessment technology. Analysis is performed with finite element method which is one of the many analysis methods of the shipping cask. ANSYS, LS-DYNA3D and ABAQUS is suitable for thick plate free drop, heat and thermal stress analysis of the shipping cask. For the analysis model, the KSC-4 that is the shipping cask to transport spent nuclear fuel is investigated. The results of both LS-DYNA3D and ABAQUS for thick plate free drop and the results of ANSYS, LS-DYNA3D and ABAQUS for heat and thermal stress analysis is completely corresponded. And the integrity of the shipping cask is verified. Using this study, the reliable safety assessment technology is supplied to the staff. The efficient and reliable regulatory tasks is performed using the standard safety assessment technology

Analysis technology in the thick plate free drop impact, heat and thermal stress of the cask for radioactive material transport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Dew Hey [Korea Institute of Nuclear and Safety, Taejon (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Young Shin; Ryu, Chung Hyun; Kim, Hyun Su; Choi, Kyung Joo; Choi, Young Jin; Lee, Jae Hyung; Na, Jae Yun; Kim, Seong Jong [Chungnam National Univ., Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

2002-03-15

In this study, The regulatory condition and analysis condition is analyzed for thick plate free drop, heat and thermal stress analysis to develop the safety assessment technology. Analysis is performed with finite element method which is one of the many analysis methods of the shipping cask. ANSYS, LS-DYNA3D and ABAQUS is suitable for thick plate free drop, heat and thermal stress analysis of the shipping cask. For the analysis model, the KSC-4 that is the shipping cask to transport spent nuclear fuel is investigated. The results of both LS-DYNA3D and ABAQUS for thick plate free drop and the results of ANSYS, LS-DYNA3D and ABAQUS for heat and thermal stress analysis is completely corresponded. And the integrity of the shipping cask is verified. Using this study, the reliable safety assessment technology is supplied to the staff. The efficient and reliable regulatory tasks is performed using the standard safety assessment technology.

Solvent density inhomogeneities and solvation free energies in supercritical diatomic fluids: a density functional approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Husowitz, B; Talanquer, V

2007-02-07

Density functional theory is used to explore the solvation properties of a spherical solute immersed in a supercritical diatomic fluid. The solute is modeled as a hard core Yukawa particle surrounded by a diatomic Lennard-Jones fluid represented by two fused tangent spheres using an interaction site approximation. The authors' approach is particularly suitable for thoroughly exploring the effect of different interaction parameters, such as solute-solvent interaction strength and range, solvent-solvent long-range interactions, and particle size, on the local solvent structure and the solvation free energy under supercritical conditions. Their results indicate that the behavior of the local coordination number in homonuclear diatomic fluids follows trends similar to those reported in previous studies for monatomic fluids. The local density augmentation is particularly sensitive to changes in solute size and is affected to a lesser degree by variations in the solute-solvent interaction strength and range. The associated solvation free energies exhibit a nonmonotonous behavior as a function of density for systems with weak solute-solvent interactions. The authors' results suggest that solute-solvent interaction anisotropies have a major influence on the nature and extent of local solvent density inhomogeneities and on the value of the solvation free energies in supercritical solutions of heteronuclear molecules.

Free Surface Flows and Extensional Rheology of Polymer Solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Dinic, Jelena; Jimenez, Leidy Nallely; Biagioli, Madeleine; Estrada, Alexandro; Sharma, Vivek

Free-surface flows - jetting, spraying, atomization during fuel injection, roller-coating, gravure printing, several microfluidic drop/particle formation techniques, and screen-printing - all involve the formation of axisymmetric fluid elements that spontaneously break into droplets by a surface-tension-driven instability. The growth of the capillary-driven instability and pinch-off dynamics are dictated by a complex interplay of inertial, viscous and capillary stresses for simple fluids. Additional contributions by elasticity, extensibility and extensional viscosity play a role for complex fluids. We show that visualization and analysis of capillary-driven thinning and pinch-off dynamics of the columnar neck in an asymmetric liquid bridge created by dripping-onto-substrate (DoS) can be used for characterizing the extensional rheology of complex fluids. Using a wide variety of complex fluids, we show the measurement of the extensional relaxation time, extensional viscosity, power-law index and shear viscosity. Lastly, we elucidate how polymer composition, flexibility, and molecular weight determine the thinning and pinch-off dynamics of polymeric complex fluids.

Stress Wave Propagation in Viscoelastic-Plastic Rock-Like Materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liu Lang

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Rock-like materials are composites that can be regarded as a mixture composed of elastic, plastic, and viscous components. They exhibit viscoelastic-plastic behavior under a high-strain-rate loading according to element model theory. This paper presents an analytical solution for stress wave propagation in viscoelastic-plastic rock-like materials under a high-strain-rate loading and verifies the solution through an experimental test. A constitutive equation of viscoelastic-plastic rock-like materials was first established, and then kinematic and kinetic equations were then solved to derive the analytic solution for stress wave propagation in viscoelastic-plastic rock-like materials. An experimental test using the SHPB (Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar for a concrete specimen was conducted to obtain a stress-strain curve under a high-strain-rate loading. Inverse analysis based on differential evolution was conducted to estimate undetermined variables for constitutive equations. Finally, the relationship between the attenuation factor and the strain rate in viscoelastic-plastic rock-like materials was investigated. According to the results, the frequency of the stress wave, viscosity coefficient, modulus of elasticity, and density play dominant roles in the attenuation of the stress wave. The attenuation decreases with increasing strain rate, demonstrating strongly strain-dependent attenuation in viscoelastic-plastic rock-like materials.

Analytical Solution of Tunnel Surrounding Rock for Stress and Displacement Based on Lade–Duncan Criterion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MingZheng Zhu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The deformation and failure of tunnel surrounding rock is the result of tunnel excavation disturbance and rock stress release. When the local stress of surrounding rock exceeds the elastic limit of rock mass, the plastic analysis of surrounding rock must be carried out to judge the stability of tunnel. In this study, the Lade–Duncan yield criterion is used to calculate the analytic solutions for the surrounding rock in a tunnel, and the radius and displacement of the plastic zone are deduced using an equilibrium equation. The plastic zone radius and displacement based on Lade–Duncan criterion and Mohr–Coulomb criterion were compared by using single-factor analysis method under the different internal friction angles, in situ stresses, and support resistances. The results show that the solutions of the radius and displacement of plastic zone calculated by the Lade–Duncan criterion are close to those of Mohr–Coulomb criterion under the high internal friction angle and support resistance or low in situ rock stress; however, the radius and displacement of the plastic zone calculated by the Lade–Duncan criterion are larger under normal circumstances, and the Lade–Duncan criterion is more applicable to the stability analysis of the surrounding rock in a tunnel.

Simulating a singularity-free universe outside the problem boundary in poisson

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halbach, K.; Schlueter, R.

1992-01-01

An exact analytical solution developed from the Dirichlet problem exterior to a circle is employed in the magnetostatics code POISSON to provide a boundary condition option which simulates a singularity-free universe external to the problem domain. Problems with domains of large unequal extents in perpendicular directions are treated by first conformally mapping the exterior of an ellipse onto the exterior of the unit circle. Problems exhibiting symmetry in one or two planes are modeled using a semi or quarter, respectively, in conjunction with the singularity-free rest-of-universe boundary condition

[Some complications of tension-free midurethral tapes for the treatment of stress incontinence in women

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heesakkers, J.P.F.A.; Vierhout, M.E.

2007-01-01

Complications occurred in two women of 45 and 54 years of age who were treated with tension-free midurethral sling procedures. The first woman was treated with transobturator tape due to stress incontinence and an overactive bladder. The procedure resulted in a worsening of the overactive bladder.

Angular correlations of photons from solution diffraction at a free-electron laser encode molecular structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendez, Derek; Watkins, Herschel; Qiao, Shenglan; Raines, Kevin S.; Lane, Thomas J.

2016-01-01

During X-ray exposure of a molecular solution, photons scattered from the same molecule are correlated. If molecular motion is insignificant during exposure, then differences in momentum transfer between correlated photons are direct measurements of the molecular structure. In conventional small- and wide-angle solution scattering, photon correlations are ignored. This report presents advances in a new biomolecular structural analysis technique, correlated X-ray scattering (CXS), which uses angular intensity correlations to recover hidden structural details from molecules in solution. Due to its intense rapid pulses, an X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) is an excellent tool for CXS experiments. A protocol is outlined for analysis of a CXS data set comprising a total of half a million X-ray exposures of solutions of small gold nanoparticles recorded at the Spring-8 Ångström Compact XFEL facility (SACLA). From the scattered intensities and their correlations, two populations of nanoparticle domains within the solution are distinguished: small twinned, and large probably non-twinned domains. Finally, it is shown analytically how, in a solution measurement, twinning information is only accessible via intensity correlations, demonstrating how CXS reveals atomic-level information from a disordered solution of like molecules.

Evidence for chronic stress in captive but not free-ranging cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) based on adrenal morphology and function.

Science.gov (United States)

Terio, Karen A; Marker, Laurie; Munson, Linda

2004-04-01

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is highly endangered because of loss of habitat in the wild and failure to thrive in captivity. Cheetahs in zoos reproduce poorly and have high prevalences of unusual diseases that cause morbidity and mortality. These diseases are rarely observed in free-ranging cheetahs but have been documented in cheetahs that have been captured and held in captive settings either temporarily or permanently. Because captivity may be stressful for this species and stress is suspected as contributing to poor health and reproduction, this study aimed to measure chronic stress by comparing baseline concentrations of fecal corticoid metabolites and adrenal gland morphology between captive and free-ranging cheetahs. Additionally, concentrations of estradiol and testosterone metabolites were quantified to determine whether concentrations of gonadal steroids correlated with corticoid concentration and to assure that corticosteroids in the free-ranging samples were not altered by environmental conditions. Concetntrations of fecal corticoids, estradiol, and testosterone were quantified by radioimmunoassay in 20 free-ranging and 20 captive cheetahs from samples collected between 1994 and 1999. Concentrations of baseline fecal corticoids were significantly higher (p = 0.005) in captive cheetahs (196.08 +/- 36.20 ng/g dry feces) than free-ranging cheetahs (71.40 +/- 14.35 ng/g dry feces). Testosterone concentrations were lower in captive male cheetahs (9.09 +/- 2.84 ng/g dry feces) than in free-ranging cheetahs (34.52 +/- 12.11 ng/g dry feces), which suggests suppression by elevated corticoids in the captive males. Evidence for similar sulppression of estradiol concentrations in females was not present. Adrenal corticomedullary ratios were determined on midsagittal sections of adrenal glands from 13 free-ranging and 13 captive cheetahs obtained between 1991 and 2002. The degree of vacuolation of cortical cells in the zona fasciculata was graded for each animal

In-vitro characterization of stress corrosion cracking of aluminium-free magnesium alloys for temporary bio-implant applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Choudhary, Lokesh; Singh Raman, R K; Hofstetter, Joelle; Uggowitzer, Peter J

2014-09-01

The complex interaction between physiological stresses and corrosive human body fluid may cause premature failure of metallic biomaterials due to the phenomenon of stress corrosion cracking. In this study, the susceptibility to stress corrosion cracking of biodegradable and aluminium-free magnesium alloys ZX50, WZ21 and WE43 was investigated by slow strain rate tensile testing in a simulated human body fluid. Slow strain rate tensile testing results indicated that each alloy was susceptible to stress corrosion cracking, and this was confirmed by fractographic features of transgranular and/or intergranular cracking. However, the variation in alloy susceptibility to stress corrosion cracking is explained on the basis of their electrochemical and microstructural characteristics. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Free radicals, oxidative stress and importance of antioxidants in human health

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K.I. Priyadarsini

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Reactive oxygen species (ROS is a collective term used for oxygen containing free radicals, depending on their reactivity and oxidizing ability. ROS participate in a variety of chemical reactions with biomolecules leading to a pathological condition known as oxidative stress. Antioxidants are employed to protect biomolecules from the damaging effects of such ROS. In the beginning, antioxidant research was mainly aimed at understanding free radical reactions of ROS with antioxidants employing biochemical assays and kinetic methods. Later on, studies began to be directed to monitor the ability of anti-oxidants to modulate cellular signaling proteins like receptors, secondary messengers, transcription factors, etc. Of late several studies have indicated that antioxidants can also have deleterious effects on human health depending on dosage and bio-availability. It is therefore, necessary to validate the utility of antioxidants in improvement of human health in order to take full advantage of their therapeutic potential.

Global-in-time smoothness of solutions to the vacuum free boundary problem for compressible isentropic Navier–Stokes equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeng, Huihui

2015-01-01

In this paper we establish the global existence of smooth solutions to vacuum free boundary problems of the one-dimensional compressible isentropic Navier–Stokes equations for which the smoothness extends all the way to the boundaries. The results obtained in this work include the physical vacuum for which the sound speed is C 1/2 -Hölder continuous near the vacuum boundaries when 1 < γ < 3. The novelty of this result is its global-in-time regularity which is in contrast to the previous main results of global weak solutions in the literature. Moreover, in previous studies of the one-dimensional free boundary problems of compressible Navier–Stokes equations, the Lagrangian mass coordinates method has often been used, but in the present work the particle path (flow trajectory) method is adopted, which has the advantage that the particle paths and, in particular, the free boundaries can be traced. (paper)

Stress corrosion cracking of 350 maraging steel in 3.5 Wt. % NaCl solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hussain, I.; Hussain, T.; Tauqir, A.; Hashmi, F.H.; Khan, A.Q.

1993-01-01

Stress corrosion behavior of 350 maraging steel in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution was investigated. The results suggest that the steel is susceptible to stress corrosion cracking as the time to failure was always considerably shorter, as compared to those in air at the same stress level. The fracture mode was nearly intergranular and occasionally transgranular. There was no definite trend for the different modes of failure. The strain rate effect was also considered and the results show that the stress corrosion cracks were absent at strain rate high than 1.97 x 10/sup -4/S/sup -1/ and lower than 1.29 x 10/sup -7/S/sup -1/. The critical strain rate range was found to be between 6.4 x 10/sup -7/ to 3.24 x10/sup -5/S /sup -1/. (author)

Effect of shear stress and free radicals induced by ultrasound on erythrocytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kondo, T.; Fukushima, Y.; Kon, H.; Riesz, P.

1989-01-01

The present study was undertaken to elucidate the mechanism of hemolysis induced by ultrasound. Ar or N2O gas was used to distinguish between cavitation with or without free radical formation (hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen atoms). Free radical formation was examined by the method of spin trapping combined with ESR. After sonication of erythrocyte suspensions, several structural and functional parameters of the erythrocyte membrane--hemolysis, membrane fluidity, membrane permeability, and membrane deformability--were examined. Although free radical formation was observed in the erythrocyte suspensions sonicated in the presence of Ar, no free radical formation was observed in the presence of N2O. However, the hemolysis behavior induced by ultrasound was similar in the presence of Ar or N2O. The membrane fluidity, permeability, and deformability of the remaining unlysed erythrocytes after sonication in the presence of Ar or N2O were unchanged and identical to those of the control cells. On the other hand, after gamma irradiation (700 Gy), the hemolysis behavior was quite different from that after sonication, and the membrane properties were significantly changed. These results suggest that hemolysis induced by sonication was due to mechanical shearing stress arising from cavitation, and that the membrane integrity of the remaining erythrocytes after sonication was the same as that of control cells without sonication. The triatomic gas, N2O, may be useful for ultrasonically disrupting cells without accompanying free radical formation

Stress-induced roughening instabilities along surfaces of piezoelectric materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chien, N.Y.; Gao, H.

1993-01-01

The possibility of using electric field to stabilize surfaces of piezoelectric solids against stress-induced morphological roughening is explored in this paper. Two types of idealized boundary conditions are considered: (1) a traction free and electrically insulating surface and (2) a traction free and electrically conducting surface. A perturbation solution for the energy variation associated with surface roughening suggests that the electric field can be used to suppress the roughening instability to various degrees. A completely stable state is possible in the insulating case, and kinetically more stable states can be attained in the conducting case. The stabilization has importance in reducing concentration of stress and electric fields due to microscopic surface roughness which might trigger failure processes involving dislocation, cracks and dielectric breakdown

Solution of quadratic matrix equations for free vibration analysis of structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, K. K.

1973-01-01

An efficient digital computer procedure and the related numerical algorithm are presented herein for the solution of quadratic matrix equations associated with free vibration analysis of structures. Such a procedure enables accurate and economical analysis of natural frequencies and associated modes of discretized structures. The numerically stable algorithm is based on the Sturm sequence method, which fully exploits the banded form of associated stiffness and mass matrices. The related computer program written in FORTRAN V for the JPL UNIVAC 1108 computer proves to be substantially more accurate and economical than other existing procedures of such analysis. Numerical examples are presented for two structures - a cantilever beam and a semicircular arch.

Stabilization of the Friedmann big bang by the shear stresses

Science.gov (United States)

Belinski, V. A.

2013-11-01

The window is found in the space of the free parameters of the theory of viscoelastic matter for which the Friedmann singularity is stable. By stability we mean that in the presence of the shear stresses, a generic solution of the equations of relativistic gravity possessing an isotropic singularity exists.

All-Solution-Processed, Ambient Method for ITO-Free, Roll-Coated Tandem Polymer Solar Cells using Solution- Processed Metal Films

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Angmo, Dechan; Dam, Henrik Friis; Andersen, Thomas Rieks

2014-01-01

A solution-processed silver film is employed in the processing of top-illuminated indium-tin-oxide (ITO)-free polymer solar cells in single- and double-junction (tandem) structures. The nontransparent silver film fully covers the substrate and serves as the bottom electrode whereas a PEDOT...... in terms of surface morphological and topographical properties and to ITO in terms of flexibility. The slot–die coated Ag film demonstrates extremely low roughness (a root-meansquare roughness of 3 nm was measured over 240_320 mm2 area), is highly conductive (

Solution phase and membrane immobilized iron-based free radical reactions: Fundamentals and applications for water treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Scott Romak

Membrane-based separation processes have been used extensively for drinking water purification, wastewater treatment, and numerous other applications. Reactive membranes synthesized through functionalization of the membrane pores offer enhanced reactivity due to increased surface area at the polymer-solution interface and low diffusion limitations. Oxidative techniques utilizing free radicals have proven effective for both the destruction of toxic organics and non-environmental applications. Most previous work focuses on reactions in the homogeneous phase; however, the immobilization of reactants in membrane pores offers several advantages. The use of polyanions immobilized in a membrane or chelates in solution prevents ferric hydroxide precipitation at near-neutral pH, a common limitation of iron(Fe(II/III))-catalyzed hydrogen peroxide (H 2O2) decomposition. The objectives of this research are to develop a membrane-based platform for the generation of free radicals, degrade toxic organic compounds using this and similar solution-based reactions, degrade toxic organic compounds in droplet form, quantify hydroxyl radical production in these reactions, and develop kinetic models for both processes. In this study, a functionalized membrane containing poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) was used to immobilize iron ions and conduct free radical reactions by permeating H2O2 through the membrane. The membrane's responsive behavior to pH and divalent cations was investigated and modeled. The conversion of Fe(II) to Fe(III) in the membrane and its effect on the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide were monitored and used to develop kinetic models for predicting H2O2 decomposition in these systems. The rate of hydroxyl radical production, and hence contaminant degradation can be varied by changing the residence time, H2O2 concentration, and/or iron loading. Using these membrane-immobilized systems, successful removal of toxic organic compounds, such as pentachlorophenol (PCP), from water

Retinal Diseases Associated with Oxidative Stress and the Effects of a Free Radical Scavenger (Edaravone)

Science.gov (United States)

Hara, Hideaki

2017-01-01

Oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in developing and accelerating retinal diseases including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy (DR), and retinal vein occlusion (RVO). An excess amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) can lead to functional and morphological impairments in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), endothelial cells, and retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Here we demonstrate that edaravone, a free radical scavenger, decreased apoptotic cell death, oxidative damage to DNA and lipids, and angiogenesis through inhibiting JNK and p38 MAPK pathways in AMD, glaucoma, DR, and RVO animal models. These data suggest that the therapeutic strategy for targeting oxidative stress may be important for the treatment of these ocular diseases, and edaravone may be useful for treating retinal diseases associated with oxidative stress. PMID:28194256

Detection of Free Polyamines in Plants Subjected to Abiotic Stresses by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Xiaoqing; Liu, Ji-Hong

2017-01-01

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is a sensitive, rapid, and accurate technique to detect and characterize various metabolites from plants. The metabolites are extracted with different solvents and eluted with appropriate mobile phases in a designed HPLC program. Polyamines are known to accumulate under abiotic stress conditions in various plant species and thought to provide protection against oxidative stress by scavenging reactive oxygen species. Here, we describe a common method to detect the free polyamines in plant tissues both qualitatively and quantitatively.

The method of determination of micro quantities of labeled iodide in carrier free Na125 solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kholbaev, A.Kh.; Shilin, E.A.

1996-01-01

The method of determination of microquantities of labelled iodide in Na 125 carrier-free solution was elaborated. This method permits to increase the sensitivity and radiation protection of the determination of labeled iodide. It includes oxidation of iodide by iodate in diluted sulphuric acid with molar concentration 0,03-0,04 mole/l. The extraction of I 2 is made by toluene. The coloured solution is made and optical density is measured at λ=640 nm at the 10 mm optical path .(A.A.D.)

Investigation of ALEGRA shock hydrocode algorithms using an exact free surface jet flow solution.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hanks, Bradley Wright.; Robinson, Allen C

2014-01-01

Computational testing of the arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian shock physics code, ALEGRA, is presented using an exact solution that is very similar to a shaped charge jet flow. The solution is a steady, isentropic, subsonic free surface flow with significant compression and release and is provided as a steady state initial condition. There should be no shocks and no entropy production throughout the problem. The purpose of this test problem is to present a detailed and challenging computation in order to provide evidence for algorithmic strengths and weaknesses in ALEGRA which should be examined further. The results of this work are intended to be used to guide future algorithmic improvements in the spirit of test-driven development processes.

Numerical solution of system of boundary value problems using B-spline with free parameter

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Yogesh

2017-01-01

This paper deals with method of B-spline solution for a system of boundary value problems. The differential equations are useful in various fields of science and engineering. Some interesting real life problems involve more than one unknown function. These result in system of simultaneous differential equations. Such systems have been applied to many problems in mathematics, physics, engineering etc. In present paper, B-spline and B-spline with free parameter methods for the solution of a linear system of second-order boundary value problems are presented. The methods utilize the values of cubic B-spline and its derivatives at nodal points together with the equations of the given system and boundary conditions, ensuing into the linear matrix equation.

Comparative study of ZnSe thin films deposited from modified chemical bath solutions with ammonia-containing and ammonia-free precursors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Liangyan; Zhang Daoli; Zhai Guangmei; Zhang Jianbing

2010-01-01

Ammonia is one of the complexing agents which are the most commonly used in the precursors of ZnSe thin films by chemical bath deposition, but its high volatility may be harmful to human beings and environments. In our experiments, ZnSe films were obtained from modified chemical solutions with ammonia-containing and ammonia-free precursors. X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscope (FSEM), and absorption spectrum were applied to investigate the microstructure, morphology and optical properties of the samples obtained from both growth conditions, which were investigated in this work. The ammonia-free chemical bath deposited ZnSe films showed comparable properties with the ammonia-containing ones, indicating that ZnSe films from ammonia-free chemical solution may be preferred buffer layer in thin film solar cells with less environmental contamination.

Ultraviolet A: Visible spectral absorbance of the human cornea after transepithelial soaking with dextran-enriched and dextran-free riboflavin 0.1% ophthalmic solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Lombardo, Marco; Micali, Norberto; Villari, Valentina; Serrao, Sebastiano; Pucci, Giuseppe; Barberi, Riccardo; Lombardo, Giuseppe

2015-10-01

To evaluate the stromal concentration of 2 commercially available transepithelial riboflavin 0.1% solutions in human donor corneas with the use of spectrophotometry. University of Calabria, Rende, Italy. Experimental study. The absorbance spectra of 12 corneal tissues were measured in the 330 to 700 nm wavelength range using a purpose-designed spectrophotometry setup before and after transepithelial corneal soaking with a 15% dextran-enriched riboflavin 0.1% solution (n = 6) or a hypotonic dextran-free riboflavin 0.1% solution (n = 6). Both ophthalmic solutions contained ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and trometamol as enhancers. In addition, 4 deepithelialized corneal tissues underwent stromal soaking with a 20% dextran-enriched riboflavin 0.1% solution and were used as controls. All the riboflavin solutions were applied topically for 30 minutes. The stromal concentration of riboflavin was quantified by analysis of absorbance spectra of the cornea collected before and after application of each solution. The mean stromal riboflavin concentration was 0.012% ± 0.003% (SD), 0.0005% ± 0.0003% (P dextran-enriched, 15% dextran-enriched, and hypotonic dextran-free solutions, respectively. The difference of stromal riboflavin concentration between the 2 transepithelial solutions was statistically significant (P Dextran-enriched solutions required complete corneal deepithelialization to permit effective stromal soaking with riboflavin. Nevertheless, riboflavin in hypotonic dextran-free solution with enhancers permeates across stroma through an intact epithelium. No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned. Copyright © 2015 ASCRS and ESCRS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PrECast: An Efficient Crypto-Free Solution for Broadcast-Based Attacks in IPv4 Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dalal Hanna

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Broadcasting is one of the essential features in the Internet Protocol Ver 4 (IPv4. Attackers often exploit this feature of the IP protocol to launch several attacks against a network or an individual host. Attackers may either be a part of a Local Area Network (LAN or outside a LAN to launch these attacks. There are numerous papers available in the literature to solve problems resulting from IP broadcasting. However, all these solutions target a specific problem that results from IP broadcasting. Furthermore, these solutions use either a computationally-intensive cryptographic scheme, the a priori relation between the host and the network or a modified protocol stack at every host. In this paper, we provide a seamless and transparent solution to eliminate IP broadcasting and thus eliminate all problems related to IP broadcasting. Our proposed solution is crypto-free and does not need any modification to the protocol stack.

EPR-Spin Trapping and Flow Cytometric Studies of Free Radicals Generated Using Cold Atmospheric Argon Plasma and X-Ray Irradiation in Aqueous Solutions and Intracellular Milieu.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hidefumi Uchiyama

Full Text Available Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR-spin trapping and flow cytometry were used to identify free radicals generated using argon-cold atmospheric plasma (Ar-CAP in aqueous solutions and intracellularly in comparison with those generated by X-irradiation. Ar-CAP was generated using a high-voltage power supply unit with low-frequency excitation. The characteristics of Ar-CAP were estimated by vacuum UV absorption and emission spectra measurements. Hydroxyl (·OH radicals and hydrogen (H atoms in aqueous solutions were identified with the spin traps 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO, 3,3,5,5-tetramethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (M4PO, and phenyl N-t-butylnitrone (PBN. The occurrence of Ar-CAP-induced pyrolysis was evaluated using the spin trap 3,5-dibromo-4-nitrosobenzene sulfonate (DBNBS in aqueous solutions of DNA constituents, sodium acetate, and L-alanine. Human lymphoma U937 cells were used to study intracellular oxidative stress using five fluorescent probes with different affinities to a number of reactive species. The analysis and quantification of EPR spectra revealed the formation of enormous amounts of ·OH radicals using Ar-CAP compared with that by X-irradiation. Very small amounts of H atoms were detected whereas nitric oxide was not found. The formation of ·OH radicals depended on the type of rare gas used and the yield correlated inversely with ionization energy in the order of krypton > argon = neon > helium. No pyrolysis radicals were detected in aqueous solutions exposed to Ar-CAP. Intracellularly, ·OH, H2O2, which is the recombination product of ·OH, and OCl- were the most likely formed reactive oxygen species after exposure to Ar-CAP. Intracellularly, there was no practical evidence for the formation of NO whereas very small amounts of superoxides were formed. Despite the superiority of Ar-CAP in forming ·OH radicals, the exposure to X-rays proved more lethal. The mechanism of free radical formation in aqueous solutions and

Novel label-free biosensing technology for monitoring of aqueous solutions (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Kehl, Florian; Bielecki, Robert; Follonier, Stephane; Dorokhin, Denis

2016-03-01

Waste water, drinking water and other industrial water sources are more and more/increasingly polluted with a large variety of contaminants, such as pesticides or residuals of pharmaceuticals. These compounds can impact human and animal organisms and lead to serious health issues. Today, in order to analyze the presence and quantity of the abovementioned micropollutants, samples are typically sent to specialized centralized laboratories and their processing may take up to several days. In order to meet the demand for continuous and consistent monitoring of aqueous solutions we propose a novel label-free technology system comprising proprietary chip and reader device designs. The core of the system is constituted by a planar-grated-waveguide (PGW) chip. Label-free biosensors, based on PGWs are sensitive to effective refractive index changes caused by the adsorption of biomolecules (micropollutants) onto the sensor surface or due to refractive index changes of the bulk solution. The presented reader device operates with a novel readout concept based on a scanning MEMS mirror for the angular interrogation of input grating couplers at a high repetition rate. The reader has fully integrated optics, electronics and fluidics and at the same time consumes limited energy (portable, field use ready). In the recent experiments, the effectiveness of the technology has been demonstrated with various liquids and bioassays showing (i) an excellent refractometric sensitivity with a limit of detection towards effective refractive index changes of ▵neff < 2 x 10-7, and (ii) the capability to perform affinity measurements for large (<150 kDa) and small (<250 Da) molecules.

Contributions of stress and oxidation on the formation of whiskers in Pb-free solders

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duncan, A. J. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Hoffman, E. N. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

2016-01-01

Understanding the environmental factors influencing formation of tin whiskers on electrodeposited lead free, tin coatings over copper (or copper containing) substrates is the topic of this study . An interim report* summarized initial observations as to the role of stress and oxide formation on whisker growth. From the initial results, two main areas were chosen to be the focus of additional research: the demonstration of effects of elastic stress state in the nucleation of whiskers and the confirmation of the effect of oxygen content in the formation of whiskers. Different levels of elastic stress were induced with the incorporation of a custom designed fixture that loaded the sample in a four-point bending configuration and were maintained in an environmental chamber under conditions deemed favorable for whisker growth. The effects of oxygen content were studied by aging substrates in gas vials of varying absolute pressure and different oxygen partial pressure.

Room-temperature solution-processed and metal oxide-free nano-composite for the flexible transparent bottom electrode of perovskite solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Haifei; Sun, Jingsong; Zhang, Hong; Lu, Shunmian; Choy, Wallace C. H.

2016-03-01

The exploration of low-temperature and solution-processed charge transporting and collecting layers can promote the development of low-cost and large-scale perovskite solar cells (PVSCs) through an all solution process. Here, we propose a room-temperature solution-processed and metal oxide-free nano-composite composed of a silver nano-network and graphene oxide (GO) flawless film for the transparent bottom electrode of a PVSC. Our experimental results show that the amount of GO flakes play a critical role in forming the flawless anti-corrosive barrier in the silver nano-network through a self-assembly approach under ambient atmosphere, which can effectively prevent the penetration of liquid or gaseous halides and their corrosion against the silver nano-network underneath. Importantly, we simultaneously achieve good work function alignment and surface wetting properties for a practical bottom electrode by controlling the degree of reduction of GO flakes. Finally, flexible PVSC adopting the room-temperature and solution-processed nano-composite as the flexible transparent bottom electrode has been demonstrated on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. As a consequence, the demonstration of our room-temperature solution-processed and metal oxide-free flexible transparent bottom electrode will contribute to the emerging large-area flexible PVSC technologies.The exploration of low-temperature and solution-processed charge transporting and collecting layers can promote the development of low-cost and large-scale perovskite solar cells (PVSCs) through an all solution process. Here, we propose a room-temperature solution-processed and metal oxide-free nano-composite composed of a silver nano-network and graphene oxide (GO) flawless film for the transparent bottom electrode of a PVSC. Our experimental results show that the amount of GO flakes play a critical role in forming the flawless anti-corrosive barrier in the silver nano-network through a self

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis reactivity to psychological stress and memory in middle-aged women: high responders exhibit enhanced declarative memory performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Domes, G; Heinrichs, M; Reichwald, U; Hautzinger, M

2002-10-01

According to recent studies, elevated cortisol levels are associated with impaired declarative memory performance. This specific effect of cortisol has been shown in several studies using pharmacological doses of cortisol. The present study was designed to determine the effects of endogenously stimulated cortisol secretion on memory performance in healthy middle-aged women. For psychological stress challenging, we employed the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Subjects were assigned to either the TSST or a non-stressful control condition. Declarative and non-declarative memory performance was measured by a combined priming-free-recall-task. No significant group differences were found for memory performance. Post hoc analyses of variance indicated that regardless of experimental condition the subjects with remarkably high cortisol increase in response to the experimental procedure (high responders) showed increased memory performance in the declarative task compared to subjects with low cortisol response (low responders). The results suggest that stress-induced cortisol failed to impair memory performance. The results are discussed with respect to gender-specific effects and modulatory effects of the sympathetic nervous system and psychological variables. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Retinal Diseases Associated with Oxidative Stress and the Effects of a Free Radical Scavenger (Edaravone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomomi Masuda

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in developing and accelerating retinal diseases including age-related macular degeneration (AMD, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy (DR, and retinal vein occlusion (RVO. An excess amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS can lead to functional and morphological impairments in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE, endothelial cells, and retinal ganglion cells (RGCs. Here we demonstrate that edaravone, a free radical scavenger, decreased apoptotic cell death, oxidative damage to DNA and lipids, and angiogenesis through inhibiting JNK and p38 MAPK pathways in AMD, glaucoma, DR, and RVO animal models. These data suggest that the therapeutic strategy for targeting oxidative stress may be important for the treatment of these ocular diseases, and edaravone may be useful for treating retinal diseases associated with oxidative stress.

The kinetics of free radical metathetical and addition reactions in silane solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aloni, R.

1976-12-01

In this work radiolytic technique was employed for the initiation of free radical chainreactions in silane solution. The kinetic analysis of the chain mechanism in various solutions enabled the determination of the Arrhenius parameters for metathesis, addition and unimolecular decomposition reactions which make up the chainpropagation sequence in the systems studied. The following radical reactions were investigated: chlorine atom abstraction from chloromethanes by SiCl 3 and Et 3 Si radicals, and chlorine atom abstraction from chloroethanes by Et 3 Si radicals; unimolecular decomposition reactions and hydrogen atom abstraction, *from the solvent, of chloroethyl radicals in triethylsilane solutions; addition and abstraction reactions of Et 3 Si radicals with chloroolefins. Arrhenius parameters were determined for abstraction of chlorine atom from CH 3 Cl, CH 2 Cl 2 , CHCl 3 and CCl 4 , by SiCl 3 radicals and from CCl 4 , CHCl 3 , CH 2 Cl 2 , CCl 3 CN, C 2 Cl 5 H, sym-C 2 Cl 4 H 2 , asym-C 2 Cl 4 H 2 , 1.1.1-C 2 Cl 3 H 3 , 1.1.1-C 2 Dl 3 F 3 and 1.1-C 2 Cl 2 H 4 by Et 3 Si radicals. (author)

Effect of plant-derived smoke solutions on physiological and biochemical attributes of maize (Zea mays L.) under salt stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waheed, M.A.; Shakir, S.K.; Rehman, S.U.; Khan, M.D.

2016-01-01

Among abiotic stresses, salinity is an important factor reducing crop yield. Plant-derived smoke solutions have been used as growth promoters since last two decades. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of Cymbopogon jwaracusa smoke extracts (1:100 and 1:400) on physiological and biochemical aspects of maize (Zea mays L.) under salt stress (100, 150, 200 and 250 mM). Results showed that seed germination percentage was improved up to 93% with smoke as compared to control (70%), while seedling vigor in term of root and shoot fresh weights and dry weights were also significantly increased in seeds primed with smoke extracts. Similarly, in case of alleviating solutions, there occurred a significant alleviation in the adverse effects of salt solutions when mixed smoke in all studied end points. Application of smoke solution has also increased the level of K+ and Ca+2 while reduced the level of Na+ content in maize. In addition, the levels of photosynthetic pigments, total nitrogen and protein contents were also alleviated with the application of smoke as compared to salt. There occurred an increase in the activities of Anti-oxidant in response of salt stress but overcome with the smoke application. It can be concluded that plant-derived smoke solution has the potential to alleviate the phytotoxic effects of saline condition and can increased the productivity in plants. (author)

Existence of global solutions to free boundary value problems for bipolar Navier-Stokes-Possion systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jian Liu

2013-09-01

Full Text Available In this article, we consider the free boundary value problem for one-dimensional compressible bipolar Navier-Stokes-Possion (BNSP equations with density-dependent viscosities. For general initial data with finite energy and the density connecting with vacuum continuously, we prove the global existence of the weak solution. This extends the previous results for compressible NS [27] to NSP.

Effect of couple-stress on the pure bending of a prismatic bar

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tzung, F.; Kao, B.; Ho, F.; Tang, P.

1981-02-01

An evaluation of the applicability of the couple-stress theory to the stress analysis of graphite structures is performed by solving a pure bending problem. The differences between solutions from the couple-stress theory and from the classical theory of elasticity are compared. It is found that the differences are sufficient to account for the inconsistencies which have often been observed between the classical elasticity theory and actual behavior of graphite under bend and tensile loadings. An experimental procedure to measure the material constants in the couple-stress theory is also suggested. The linear couple-stress theory, the origins of which go back to the turn of the last century, adds linear relations between couple-stresses and rotation gradients to the classical stress-strain law. By adopting the classical assumption that the plane cross section remains plane after deformation, the pure-bending problem is reduced to a plane couple-stress problem with traction-free boundary conditions. A general solution for an isotropic elastic prismatic bar under pure bending is then obtained using the Airy stress function and another stress function wich accounts for the couple-stresss. For a cylindrical bar, it reduces to a simple series solution. The moment-curvature and stress-curvature relations derived for a cylindrical bar from the general solution are used to examine the effect of couple-stresses. Numerical compilation of relations indicates that the couple stress parameters can be practically determined by measuring the moment-curvature ratio of various diametered specimens under bending. Although there is not sufficient data for such evaluation at present, it appears that the theory is consistent with the limited bend and tensile strength data of cylindrical specimens for H-451 graphite

From static to rotating to conformal static solutions: rotating imperfect fluid wormholes with(out) electric or magnetic field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Azreg-Ainou, Mustapha [Baskent University, Department of Mathematics, Ankara (Turkey)

2014-05-15

We derive a shortcut stationary metric formula for generating imperfect fluid rotating solutions, in Boyer-Lindquist coordinates, from spherically symmetric static ones. We explore the properties of the curvature scalar and stress-energy tensor for all types of rotating regular solutions we can generate without restricting ourselves to specific examples of regular solutions (regular black holes or wormholes). We show through examples how it is generally possible to generate an imperfect fluid regular rotating solution via radial coordinate transformations. We derive rotating wormholes that are modeled as imperfect fluids and discuss their physical properties. These are independent on the way the stress-energy tensor is interpreted. A solution modeling an imperfect fluid rotating loop black hole is briefly discussed. We then specialize to the recently discussed stable exotic dust Ellis wormhole as emerged in a source-free radial electric or magnetic field, and we generate its, conjecturally stable, rotating counterpart. This turns out to be an exotic imperfect fluid wormhole, and we determine the stress-energy tensor of both the imperfect fluid and the electric or magnetic field. (orig.)

From static to rotating to conformal static solutions: rotating imperfect fluid wormholes with(out) electric or magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azreg-Ainou, Mustapha

2014-01-01

We derive a shortcut stationary metric formula for generating imperfect fluid rotating solutions, in Boyer-Lindquist coordinates, from spherically symmetric static ones. We explore the properties of the curvature scalar and stress-energy tensor for all types of rotating regular solutions we can generate without restricting ourselves to specific examples of regular solutions (regular black holes or wormholes). We show through examples how it is generally possible to generate an imperfect fluid regular rotating solution via radial coordinate transformations. We derive rotating wormholes that are modeled as imperfect fluids and discuss their physical properties. These are independent on the way the stress-energy tensor is interpreted. A solution modeling an imperfect fluid rotating loop black hole is briefly discussed. We then specialize to the recently discussed stable exotic dust Ellis wormhole as emerged in a source-free radial electric or magnetic field, and we generate its, conjecturally stable, rotating counterpart. This turns out to be an exotic imperfect fluid wormhole, and we determine the stress-energy tensor of both the imperfect fluid and the electric or magnetic field. (orig.)

Enhanced electrical stability of nitrate ligand-based hexaaqua complexes solution-processed ultrathin a-IGZO transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, C.; Baek, Y.; Lee, B. M.; Kim, K. H.; Rim, Y. S.

2017-12-01

We report solution-processed, amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide-based (a-IGZO-based) thin-film transistors (TFTs). Our proposed solution-processed a-IGZO films, using a simple spin-coating method, were formed through nitrate ligand-based metal complexes, and they were annealed at low temperature (250 °C) to achieve high-quality oxide films and devices. We investigated solution-processed a-IGZO TFTs with various thicknesses, ranging from 4 to 16 nm. The 4 nm-thick TFT films had smooth morphology and high-density, and they exhibited excellent performance, i.e. a high saturation mobility of 7.73  ±  0.44 cm2 V-1 s-1, a sub-threshold swing of 0.27 V dec-1, an on/off ratio of ~108, and a low threshold voltage of 3.10  ±  0.30 V. However, the performance of the TFTs degraded as the film thickness was increased. We further performed positive and negative bias stress tests to examine their electrical stability, and it was noted that the operating behavior of the devices was highly stable. Despite a small number of free charges, the high performance of the ultrathin a-IGZO TFTs was attributed to the small effect of the thickness of the channel, low bulk resistance, the quality of the a-IGZO/SiO2 interface, and high film density.

Constitutive analysis to predict the hot deformation behavior of 34CrMo4 steel with an optimum solution method for stress multiplier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Wujiao; Zou, Mingping; Zhang, Lei

2014-01-01

The hot deformation behaviors of steel 34CrMo4 is investigated by hot compression test with the temperature range of 1073–1373 K and the strain rate range of 0.01–10 s −1 . The flow behaviors of 34CrMo4 steel were characterized based on the true stress–true strain curves. The hyperbolic sine law in Arrhenius type is adopted in the constitutive modeling for 34CrMo4. Solving algorithm of the stress multiplier α in hyperbolic sine law is a key factor to guarantee the constitutive model accuracy. How to solve the stress multiplier α is investigated and an optimum solution method for α is proposed. Meanwhile, the influence of strain is incorporated in constitutive analysis by considering the effect of strain on material constants α, n, Q and A. With the optimum solution method for stress multiplier α proposed, the stress prediction is satisfactory with the higher correlation coefficient, R = 0.988 and the lower average absolute relative error, AARE = 3.44% for the entire strain rate-temperature domain. The optimum solution method for stress multiplier α can also be applied for other materials to predict the flow behavior more accurately. - Highlights: • Isothermal compression tests were conducted to study the flow behavior of 34CrMo4. • The influence of strain is incorporated in constitutive model. • An optimum solution method for stress multiplier α is proposed

Free energy correlation of rate constants for electron transfer between organic systems in aqueous solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meisel, D

1975-07-15

Recent experimental data concerning the rate constants for electron transfer reactions of organic systems in aqueous solutions and their equilibrium constants is examined for possible correlation. The data is correlated quite well by the Marcus theory, if a reorganization parameter, lambda, of 18 kcal/mole is used. Assuming that the only contribution to lambda is the free energy of rearrangement of the water molecules, an effective radius of 5 A for the reacting entities is estimated. For the zero free energy change reaction, i.e., electron exchange between a radical ion and its parent molecule, a rate constant of about 5 X 10/sup 7/ M/sup -1/ s/sup -1/ is predicted. (auth)

Oxidative stress status, antioxidant metabolism and polypeptide patterns in Juncus maritimus shoots exhibiting differential mercury burdens in Ria de Aveiro coastal lagoon (Portugal).

Science.gov (United States)

Anjum, Naser A; Duarte, Armando C; Pereira, Eduarda; Ahmad, Iqbal

2014-05-01

This study assessed the oxidative stress status, antioxidant metabolism and polypeptide patterns in salt marsh macrophyte Juncus maritimus shoots exhibiting differential mercury burdens in Ria de Aveiro coastal lagoon at reference and the sites with highest, moderate and the lowest mercury contamination. In order to achieve these goals, shoot-mercury burden and the responses of representative oxidative stress indices, and the components of both non-glutathione- and glutathione-based H2O2-metabolizing systems were analyzed and cross-talked with shoot-polypeptide patterns. Compared to the reference site, significant elevations in J. maritimus shoot mercury and the oxidative stress indices such as H2O2, lipid peroxidation, electrolyte leakage and reactive carbonyls were maximum at the site with highest followed by moderate and the lowest mercury contamination. Significantly elevated activity of non-glutathione-based H2O2-metabolizing enzymes such as ascorbate peroxidase and catalase accompanied the studied damage-endpoint responses, whereas the activity of glutathione-based H2O2-scavenging enzymes glutathione peroxidase and glutathione sulfo-transferase was inhibited. Concomitantly, significantly enhanced glutathione reductase activity and the contents of both reduced and oxidized glutathione were perceptible in high mercury-exhibiting shoots. It is inferred that high mercury-accrued elevations in oxidative stress indices were obvious, where non-glutathione-based H2O2-decomposing enzyme system was dominant over the glutathione-based H2O2-scavenging enzyme system. In particular, the glutathione-based H2O2-scavenging system failed to coordinate with elevated glutathione reductase which in turn resulted into increased pool of oxidized glutathione and the ratio of oxidized glutathione-to-reduced glutathione. The substantiation of the studied oxidative stress indices and antioxidant metabolism with approximately 53-kDa polypeptide warrants further studies.

Long-term blood glucose monitoring with implanted telemetry device in conscious and stress-free cynomolgus monkeys.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, B; Sun, G; Qiao, W; Liu, Y; Qiao, J; Ye, W; Wang, H; Wang, X; Lindquist, R; Wang, Y; Xiao, Y-F

2017-09-01

Continuous blood glucose monitoring, especially long-term and remote, in diabetic patients or research is very challenging. Nonhuman primate (NHP) is an excellent model for metabolic research, because NHPs can naturally develop Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) similarly to humans. This study was to investigate blood glucose changes in conscious, moving-free cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) during circadian, meal, stress and drug exposure. Blood glucose, body temperature and physical activities were continuously and simultaneously recorded by implanted HD-XG telemetry device for up to 10 weeks. Blood glucose circadian changes in normoglycemic monkeys significantly differed from that in diabetic animals. Postprandial glucose increase was more obvious after afternoon feeding. Moving a monkey from its housing cage to monkey chair increased blood glucose by 30% in both normoglycemic and diabetic monkeys. Such increase in blood glucose declined to the pre-procedure level in 30 min in normoglycemic animals and >2 h in diabetic monkeys. Oral gavage procedure alone caused hyperglycemia in both normoglycemic and diabetic monkeys. Intravenous injection with the stress hormones, angiotensin II (2 μg/kg) or norepinephrine (0.4 μg/kg), also increased blood glucose level by 30%. The glucose levels measured by the telemetry system correlated significantly well with glucometer readings during glucose tolerance tests (ivGTT or oGTT), insulin tolerance test (ITT), graded glucose infusion (GGI) and clamp. Our data demonstrate that the real-time telemetry method is reliable for monitoring blood glucose remotely and continuously in conscious, stress-free, and moving-free NHPs with the advantages highly valuable to diabetes research and drug discovery.

Kuala Namu Convention And Exhibition Centre

OpenAIRE

Gustriana, Trisna

2017-01-01

Aerotropolis area development that is expected to accommodate the development of business and commercial appeal and this is the chance for the designer to be able to take advantage of the situation and condition of land as well as possible. So that the revolutionary changes but is able to embrace all stakeholders is the solution needed to development Aerotropolis. Kuala Namu's Convention and Exhibition Center is expected to be a solution for regional development of Kuala Namu a...

Towards a Stress Free Education: International Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Sedere, Upali M.

2010-01-01

Stress is simply the body's response to changes that create taxing demands. When one cannot cope with it, these cause distresses. Stress is not always bad. The manageable stress motivates individuals to achieve what he/she wishes to achieve. When one can cope with stress it is called "eustress" which is good. Education in many countries…

Mechanical and environmental effects on stress corrosion cracking of low carbon pipeline steel in a soil solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Contreras, A.; Hernández, S.L.; Orozco-Cruz, R.; Galvan-Martínez, R.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Mechanical and environmental effects on SCC of X52 steel were investigated. ► Slow strain rate tests (SSRT) were performed in a soil solution (NS4). ► Different levels of polarization potentials were applied to mitigating SCC. ► SSRT results indicate that X52 pipeline steel was susceptible to SCC. ► SCC susceptibility increase as the yielding and ultimate tensile stress increase. -- Abstract: Mechanical and environmental effects on stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility of X52 pipeline steel were investigated using slow strain rate tests (SSRT) performed in a glass autoclave containing a soil solution at strain rate of 1 × 10 −6 in./s at room temperature. Polarization potentials of −100, −200 and −400 mV referred to open circuit potential (OCP) was applied in order to establish the effectiveness of cathodic protection in mitigating SCC of X52 pipeline steel. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations were done in order to analyze the SCC process. SSRT results indicate that X52 pipeline steel was susceptible to SCC. Susceptibility to SCC increase as the yielding stress (YS) and ultimate tensile stress (UTS) increase. The EIS results showed that the highest corrosion of the steel sample was obtained when the highest cathodic over potential was applied. SEM observations of these specimens showed a brittle type of fracture with transgranular appearance. The failure and SCC of X52 steel in soil solution was explained by hydrogen mechanism.

Influence of stress on passive behaviour of steel bars in concrete pore solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng Xingguo; Tang Yuming; Zuo Yu

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → The influence of load on passivity of steel in concrete pore solution is studied. → The passivity of steel in pore solution decreased as the load amplitude increased. → A micro-crack model is presented to explain passive behaviour of steel under loads. - Abstract: The influence of stress on passive behaviour of steel bars in concrete pore solution was studied with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The passive ability of steel decreased as the applied load increased and higher load had much greater influence on passivation than repeated loading of small magnitude. A micro-crack model was presented to explain the damage of passive layer by loads. Lower load caused micro-cracks in the passive film which might be completely recovered after unloading. Under higher load more micro-cracks were produced in the passive film and some may penetrate the film, leading to irreversible damages.

Extraversion and cardiovascular responses to recurrent social stress: Effect of stress intensity.

Science.gov (United States)

Lü, Wei; Xing, Wanying; Hughes, Brian M; Wang, Zhenhong

2017-10-28

The present study sought to establish whether the effects of extraversion on cardiovascular responses to recurrent social stress are contingent on stress intensity. A 2×5×1 mixed-factorial experiment was conducted, with social stress intensity as a between-subject variable, study phase as a within-subject variable, extraversion as a continuous independent variable, and cardiovascular parameter (HR, SBP, DBP, or RSA) as a dependent variable. Extraversion (NEO-FFI), subjective stress, and physiological stress were measured in 166 undergraduate students randomly assigned to undergo moderate (n=82) or high-intensity (n=84) social stress (a public speaking task with different levels of social evaluation). All participants underwent continuous physiological monitoring while facing two consecutive stress exposures distributed across five laboratory phases: baseline, stress exposure 1, post-stress 1, stress exposure 2, post-stress 2. Results indicated that under moderate-intensity social stress, participants higher on extraversion exhibited lesser HR reactivity to stress than participants lower on extraversion, while under high-intensity social stress, they exhibited greater HR, SBP, DBP and RSA reactivity. Under both moderate- and high-intensity social stress, participants higher on extraversion exhibited pronounced SBP and DBP response adaptation to repeated stress, and showed either better degree of HR recovery or greater amount of SBP and DBP recovery after stress. These findings suggest that individuals higher on extraversion exhibit physiological flexibility to cope with social challenges and benefit from adaptive cardiovascular responses. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Potentiometric determination of free nitric-acid in trilaurylamine solutions containing plutonium nitrate; Dosage potentiometrique de l'acidite nitrique libre dans les solutions organiques de trilaurylamine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perez, J J; Saey, J C [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1965-07-01

A potentiometric method of determination of the free nitric acid in trilaurylamine solutions containing plutonium or thorium nitrates is described. The potentiometric titration is carried out in a mixture of benzene and 1,2-dichloro ethane with a standard solution of trilaurylamine as the titrant. When thorium nitrate is present the metal complex is not dissociated then the titration has a single end-point. In the case of plutonium nitrate the partial dissociation of the plutonium complex corresponds to a second point. The experimental error in duplicate analyses of 50 samples is about 1 per cent for free acid concentrations in the range of 0,03 to 0,1 N and plutonium concentrations between 1 to 5 g/l. (authors) [French] Une methode potentiometrique de dosage de l'acidite nitrique libre dans les solutions de trilaurylamine contenant un complexe de plutonium ou de thorium est decrite. La potentiometrie est effectuee en prenant comme base titrante la trilaurylamine et comme milieu de dilution un melange de benzene et de 1,2 dichloroethane. Dans le cas du thorium, le complexe organometallique n'est pas deplace et la courbe de titrage presente un seul point d'inflexion. Dans le cas du plutonium le complexe est partiellement dissocie ce qui correspond a un second saut de potentiel. La moyenne des erreurs experimentales sur 50 echantillons doses a ete d'environ {+-} 1 pour cent sur l'acide libre. Les solutions experimentees contenaient de 0,03 a 0,1 N en acide et de 1 a 5 g/l en plutonium. (auteurs)

The Time Course of the Loss and Recovery of Contracture Ability in Frog Striated Muscle Following Exposure to Ca-Free Solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Milligan, J. V.

1965-01-01

Using area under the contracture curve to quantitate contractures, the diffusion coefficient of calcium ions within the frog toe muscle during washout in a calcium-free solution and subsequent recovery after reintroduction of calcium to the bathing solution was calculated to be about 2 x 10-6 cm2/sec. The diffusion coefficient measured during washout was found to be independent of temperature or initial calcium ion concentration. During recovery it was found to decrease if the temperature was lowered. This was likely due to the repolarization occurring after the depolarizing effect of the calcium-free solution. The relation between contracture area and [Ca]o was found to be useful over a wider range than that between maximum tension and [Ca]o. The normalized contracture areas were larger at lower calcium concentrations if the contractures were produced with cold potassium solutions or if NO3 replaced Cl in the bathing solutions. Decreasing the potassium concentration of the contracture solution to 50 mM from 115 mM did not change the relation between [Ca]o and the normalized area. If the K concentration of the bathing solution was increased, the areas were decreased at lower concentrations of Ca. PMID:14324991

Free space-planning solutions in the architecture of multi-storey buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ibragimov Alexander

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Here some aspects of the development of steel frame structure design from the standpoint of geometry and morphogenesis of bearing steel structures of civil engineering objects. An alternative approach to forming constructive schemes may be application of curved steel elements in the main load-bearing system. As an example, it may be circular and parabolic arches or segments of varying outline and orientation. The considered approach implies creating large internal volumes without loss in the load-bearing capacity of the frame. The basic concept makes possible a wide variety of layout and design solutions. The presence of free internal spaces of large volume in buildings of a "skyscraper" type contributes to resolving a great number of problems, including those of communicative nature.

Free space-planning solutions in the architecture of multi-storey buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Ibragimov, Alexander; Danilov, Alexander

2018-03-01

Here some aspects of the development of steel frame structure design from the standpoint of geometry and morphogenesis of bearing steel structures of civil engineering objects. An alternative approach to forming constructive schemes may be application of curved steel elements in the main load-bearing system. As an example, it may be circular and parabolic arches or segments of varying outline and orientation. The considered approach implies creating large internal volumes without loss in the load-bearing capacity of the frame. The basic concept makes possible a wide variety of layout and design solutions. The presence of free internal spaces of large volume in buildings of a "skyscraper" type contributes to resolving a great number of problems, including those of communicative nature.

Exact solution for heat transfer free convection flow of Maxwell nanofluids with graphene nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Aman, Sidra; Zuki Salleh, Mohd; Ismail, Zulkhibri; Khan, Ilyas

2017-09-01

This article focuses on the flow of Maxwell nanofluids with graphene nanoparticles over a vertical plate (static) with constant wall temperature. Possessing high thermal conductivity, engine oil is useful to be chosen as base fluid with free convection. The problem is modelled in terms of PDE’s with boundary conditions. Some suitable non-dimensional variables are interposed to transform the governing equations into dimensionless form. The generated equations are solved via Laplace transform technique. Exact solutions are evaluated for velocity and temperature. These solutions are significantly controlled by some parameters involved. Temperature rises with elevation in volume fraction while Velocity decreases with increment in volume fraction. A comparison with previous published results are established and discussed. Moreover, a detailed discussion is made for influence of volume fraction on the flow and heat profile.

Acute effects of intradialytic aerobic exercise on solute removal, blood gases and oxidative stress in patients with chronic kidney disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joseane Böhm

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction: Hemodialysis contributes to increased oxidative stress and induces transitory hypoxemia. Compartmentalization decreases the supply of solutes to the dialyzer during treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the acute effects of intradialytic aerobic exercise on solute removal, blood gases and oxidative stress in patients with chronic kidney disease during a single hemodialysis session. Methods: Thirty patients were randomized to perform aerobic exercise with cycle ergometer for lower limbs during 30 minutes with intensity between 60-70% of maximal heart rate, or control group (CG. Blood samples were collected prior to and immediately after exercise or the equivalent time in CG. Analysis of blood and dialysate biochemistry as well as blood gases were performed. Mass removal and solute clearance were calculated. Oxidative stress was determined by lipid peroxidation and by the total antioxidant capacity. Results: Serum concentrations of solutes increased with exercise, but only phosphorus showed a significant elevation (p = 0.035. There were no significant changes in solute removal and in the acid-base balance. Both oxygen partial pressure and saturation increased with exercise (p = 0.035 and p = 0.024, respectivelly, which did not occur in the CG. The total antioxidant capacity decreased significantly (p = 0.027. Conclusion: The acute intradialytic aerobic exercise increased phosphorus serum concentration and decreased total antioxidant capacity, reversing hypoxemia resulting from hemodialysis. The intradialytic exercise did not change the blood acid-base balance and the removal of solutes.

Acute effects of intradialytic aerobic exercise on solute removal, blood gases and oxidative stress in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Böhm, Joseane; Monteiro, Mariane Borba; Andrade, Francini Porcher; Veronese, Francisco Veríssimo; Thomé, Fernando Saldanha

2017-01-01

Hemodialysis contributes to increased oxidative stress and induces transitory hypoxemia. Compartmentalization decreases the supply of solutes to the dialyzer during treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the acute effects of intradialytic aerobic exercise on solute removal, blood gases and oxidative stress in patients with chronic kidney disease during a single hemodialysis session. Thirty patients were randomized to perform aerobic exercise with cycle ergometer for lower limbs during 30 minutes with intensity between 60-70% of maximal heart rate, or control group (CG). Blood samples were collected prior to and immediately after exercise or the equivalent time in CG. Analysis of blood and dialysate biochemistry as well as blood gases were performed. Mass removal and solute clearance were calculated. Oxidative stress was determined by lipid peroxidation and by the total antioxidant capacity. Serum concentrations of solutes increased with exercise, but only phosphorus showed a significant elevation (p = 0.035). There were no significant changes in solute removal and in the acid-base balance. Both oxygen partial pressure and saturation increased with exercise (p = 0.035 and p = 0.024, respectivelly), which did not occur in the CG. The total antioxidant capacity decreased significantly (p = 0.027). The acute intradialytic aerobic exercise increased phosphorus serum concentration and decreased total antioxidant capacity, reversing hypoxemia resulting from hemodialysis. The intradialytic exercise did not change the blood acid-base balance and the removal of solutes.

Molecular theory for nuclear magnetic relaxation in protein solutions and tissue; Surface diffusion and free-volume analogy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kimmich, R; Nusser, W; Gneiting, T [Ulm Universitaet (Federal Republic of Germany). Sektion Kernresonanzspektroskopie

1990-04-01

A model theory is presented explaining a series of striking phenomena observed with nuclear magnetic relaxation in protein systems such as solutions or tissue. The frequency, concentration and temperature dependences of proton or deuteron relaxation times of protein solutions and tissue are explained. It is concluded that the translational diffusion of water molecules along the rugged surfaces of proteins and, to a minor degree, protein backbone fluctuations are crucial processes. The rate limiting factor of macromolecular tumbling is assumed to be given by the free water content in a certain analogy to the free-volume model of Cohen ad Turnbull. There are two characteristic water mass fractions indicating the saturation of the hydration shells and the onset of protein tumbling. A closed and relatively simple set of relaxation formulas is presented. The potentially fractal nature of the diffusion of water molecules on the protein surface is discussed. (author). 43 refs.; 4 figs.

Role of enzymatic free radical scavengers in management of oxidative stress in autoimmune disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Srivastava, Shikha; Singh, Deependra; Patel, Satish; Singh, Manju R

2017-08-01

Autoimmune disorders are distinct with over production and accumulation of free radicals due to its undisclosed genesis. The cause of numerous disorders as cancer, arthritis, psoriasis, diabetes, alzheimer's, cardiovascular disease, Parkinson's, respiratory distress syndrome, colitis, crohn's, pulmonary fibrosis, obesity and ageing have been associated with immune dysfunction and oxidative stress. In an oxidative stress, reactive oxygen species generally provoke the series of oxidation at cellular level. The buildup of free radicals in turn triggers various inflammatory cells causing release of various inflammatory interleukins, cytokines, chemokines, and tumor necrosis factors which mediate signal transduction and transcription pathways as nuclear factor- kappa B (NF-κB), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1α) and nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2). The imbalance could only be combat by supplementing natural defensive antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and catalase. The efficiency of these enzymes is enhanced by use of colloidal carriers which include cellular carriers, vesicular and particulate systems like erythrocytes, leukocytes, platelets, liposomes, transferosomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, microspheres, emulsions. Thus this review provides a platform for understanding importance of antioxidant enzymes and its therapeutic applications in treatment of various autoimmune disorders. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Exact solutions to plaquette Ising models with free and periodic boundaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller, Marco; Johnston, Desmond A.; Janke, Wolfhard

2017-01-01

An anisotropic limit of the 3d plaquette Ising model, in which the plaquette couplings in one direction were set to zero, was solved for free boundary conditions by Suzuki (1972) , who later dubbed it the fuki-nuke, or “no-ceiling”, model. Defining new spin variables as the product of nearest-neighbour spins transforms the Hamiltonian into that of a stack of (standard) 2d Ising models and reveals the planar nature of the magnetic order, which is also present in the fully isotropic 3d plaquette model. More recently, the solution of the fuki-nuke model was discussed for periodic boundary conditions, which require a different approach to defining the product spin transformation, by Castelnovo et al. (2010) . We clarify the exact relation between partition functions with free and periodic boundary conditions expressed in terms of original and product spin variables for the 2d plaquette and 3d fuki-nuke models, noting that the differences are already present in the 1d Ising model. In addition, we solve the 2d plaquette Ising model with helical boundary conditions. The various exactly solved examples illustrate how correlations can be induced in finite systems as a consequence of the choice of boundary conditions.

SOLA-VOF: a solution algorithm for transient fluid flow with multiple free boundaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nichols, B.D.; Hirt, C.W.; Hotchkiss, R.S.

1980-08-01

In this report a simple, but powerful, computer program is presented for the solution of two-dimensional transient fluid flow with free boundaries. The SOLA-VOF program, which is based on the concept of a fractional volume of fluid (VOF), is more flexible and efficient than other methods for treating arbitrary free boundaries. SOLA-VOF has a variety of user options that provide capabilities for a wide range of applications. Its basic mode of operation is for single fluid calculations having multiple free surfaces. However, SOLA-VOF can also be used for calculations involving two fluids separated by a sharp interface. In either case, the fluids may be treated as incompressible or as having limited compressibility. Surface tension forces with wall adhesion are permitted in both cases. Internal obstacles may be defined by blocking out any desired combination of cells in the mesh, which is composed of rectangular cells of variable size. SOLA-VOF is an easy-to-use program. Its logical parts are isolated in separate subroutines, and numerous special features have been included to simplify its operation, such as an automatic time-step control, a flexible mesh generator, extensive output capabilities, a variety of optional boundary conditions, and instructive internal documentation

Solution of free-boundary problems using finite-element/Newton methods and locally refined grids - Application to analysis of solidification microstructure

Science.gov (United States)

Tsiveriotis, K.; Brown, R. A.

1993-01-01

A new method is presented for the solution of free-boundary problems using Lagrangian finite element approximations defined on locally refined grids. The formulation allows for direct transition from coarse to fine grids without introducing non-conforming basis functions. The calculation of elemental stiffness matrices and residual vectors are unaffected by changes in the refinement level, which are accounted for in the loading of elemental data to the global stiffness matrix and residual vector. This technique for local mesh refinement is combined with recently developed mapping methods and Newton's method to form an efficient algorithm for the solution of free-boundary problems, as demonstrated here by sample calculations of cellular interfacial microstructure during directional solidification of a binary alloy.

Real-time monitoring and manipulation of single bio-molecules in free solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Hung-Wing [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

2005-01-01

The observation and manipulation of single biomolecules allow their dynamic behaviors to be studied to provide insight into molecular genetics, biochip assembly, biosensor design, DNA biophysics. In a PDMS/glass microchannel, a nonuniform electroosmotic flow (EOF) was created. By using a scanning confocal fluorescence microscope and total internal-reflection fluorescence microscope (TIRFM), we demonstrated that negatively charged DNA molecules were focused by the nonuniform EOF into a thin layer at the glass surface. This phenomenon was applied to selectively detect target DNA molecules without requiring the separation of excessive probes and can be applied continuously to achieve high throughput. A variable-angle-TIRFM was constructed for imaging single DNA molecule dynamics at a solid/liquid interface. Implications we have are that the measured intensities cannot be used directly to determine the distances of molecules from the surface and the experimental counting results depict the distance-dependent dynamics of molecules near the surface; Molecules at low ionic strengths experience electrostatic repulsion at distances much further away from the surface than the calculated thickness of the electrical double layer. {delta}-DNA was employed as a nanoprobe for different functionalized surfaces to elucidate adsorption in chromatography. The 12-base unpaired ends of this DNA provide exposed purine and pyrimidine groups for adsorption. Patterns of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and patterns of metal oxides are generated. By recording the real-time dynamic motion of DNA molecules at the SAMs/aqueous interface, the various parameters governing the retention of an analyte during chromatographic separation can be studied. Even subtle differences among adsorptive forces can be revealed. Dynamic conformational changes of the prosthetic group, flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), in flavoprotein NADH peroxidase, in thioredoxin reductase, and in free solution were monitored

Stress corrosion cracking tests on electron beam welded carbon steel specimens in carbonate-bicarbonate solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parkins, R.N.

1985-04-01

Stress corrosion cracking tests have been performed on tapered carbon steel test pieces containing electron beam welds with a view to defining susceptibility to such cracking in a carbonate-bicarbonate solution at 90 C and an appropriate electrode potential. The tests involved applying cyclic loads to the specimens and it is shown that the threshold stress for cracking reduces linearly with increase in the magnitude of the cyclic load component. Extrapolation of these trends to zero fluctuating stress indicates static load threshold stresses in the vicinity of the yield stress (i.e. about 300 N/mm 2 for parent plate without a weld, 400 N/mm 2 for specimens with welds on one side only and 600 N/mm 2 for specimens having welds penetrating through the thickness of the specimen). The averages of the maximum crack velocities observed were least for parent plate material and greatest for weld metal, the former being essentially intergranular in morphology and the latter mostly transgranular, with heat affected zone material being intermediate between these extremes. (author)

Effect of osmotic stress and post-stress recovery on the content of phenolics and properties of antioxidants in germinating seeds of grapevine Vitis californica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stanisław Weidner

2011-05-01

Full Text Available The tested material consisted of grapevine Vitis californica stratified seeds germinated under optimum conditions (+25°C in water, under osmotic stress (-0.2 MPa in PEG solution and submitted to recovery after stress (+25°C in water. The germinating seeds were determined to contain tannins, catechins and the following phenolic acids: gallic, caffeic, p-coumaric and ferulic. The acids occurred in free, ester- and glycoside-bound forms. The dominant form of phenolic acids was the ester-bound fraction. Gallic acid was the most abundant phenolic acid in germinating seeds, while ferulic acid appeared in the smallest amounts. Our analysis of tannins demonstrated that osmotic stress depressed their concentration. Presence of catechin group compounds such as catechin and epicatechin was also determined. In each sample epicatechin was dominant. The total concentration of catechin increased under stress conditions and declined during post-stress recovery. Catechins are a constituent of tannins and their increase under osmotic stress is most probably caused by the breakdown of some tannins in seeds germinating under stress conditions. Samples submitted to osmotic stress were also found to contain less of total phenolic compounds, whereas in samples which underwent post-stress recovery the total level of phenolic compounds increased. Compared to extracts from seeds germinating under optimum conditions, osmotic stress depressed the capacity of extract to scavenge DPPH● (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and ABTS●+ – 2,2-Azino-bis (3-etylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid free radicals, but the antioxidant activity rose in seeds submitted to recovery after stress. Positive correlation was therefore demonstrated between the total content of phenolic acids in germinating grapevine seeds and the reducing power of extracts obtained from these seeds and their free radical scavenging activity. The results suggest that osmotic stress inhibits the activity of

Parameter-free method for the shape optimization of stiffeners on thin-walled structures to minimize stress concentration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Yang; Shibutan, Yoji [Osaka University, Osaka (Japan); Shimoda, Masatoshi [Toyota Technological Institute, Nagoya (Japan)

2015-04-15

This paper presents a parameter-free shape optimization method for the strength design of stiffeners on thin-walled structures. The maximum von Mises stress is minimized and subjected to the volume constraint. The optimum design problem is formulated as a distributed-parameter shape optimization problem under the assumptions that a stiffener is varied in the in-plane direction and that the thickness is constant. The issue of nondifferentiability, which is inherent in this min-max problem, is avoided by transforming the local measure to a smooth differentiable integral functional by using the Kreisselmeier-Steinhauser function. The shape gradient functions are derived by using the material derivative method and adjoint variable method and are applied to the H{sup 1} gradient method for shells to determine the optimal free-boundary shapes. By using this method, the smooth optimal stiffener shape can be obtained without any shape design parameterization while minimizing the maximum stress. The validity of this method is verified through two practical design examples.

FEM Analyses for T-H-M-M Coupling Processes in Dual-Porosity Rock Mass under Stress Corrosion and Pressure Solution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Jun Zhang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The models of stress corrosion and pressure solution established by Yasuhara et al. were introduced into the 2D FEM code of thermo-hydro-mechanical-migratory coupling analysis for dual-porosity medium developed by the authors. Aiming at a hypothetical model for geological disposal of nuclear waste in an unsaturated rock mass from which there is a nuclide leak, two computation conditions were designed. Then the corresponding two-dimensional numerical simulation for the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-migratory processes were carried out, and the states of temperatures, rates and magnitudes of aperture closure, pore and fracture pressures, flow velocities, nuclide concentrations and stresses in the rock mass were investigated. The results show: the aperture closure rates caused by stress corrosion are almost six orders higher than those caused by pressure solution, and the two kinds of closure rates climb up and then decline, furthermore tend towards stability; when the effects of stress corrosion and pressure solution are considered, the negative fracture pressures in near field rise very highly; the fracture aperture and porosity are decreases in the case 1, so the relative permeability coefficients reduce, therefore the nuclide concentrations in pore and fracture in this case are higher than those in case 2.

Glycinebetaine synthesizing transgenic potato plants exhibit enhanced tolerance to salt and cold stresses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, R.; Hussain, J.

2014-01-01

Abiotic stresses are the most important contributors towards low productivity of major food crops. Various attempts have been made to enhance abiotic stress tolerance of crop plants by classical breeding and genetic transformation. Genetic transformation with glycinebetaine (GB) synthesizing enzymes' gene(s) in naturally non accumulating plants has resulted in enhanced tolerance against variety of abiotic stresses. Present study was aimed to evaluate the performance of GB synthesizing transgenic potato plants against salt and cold stresses. Transgenic potato plants were challenged against salt and cold stresses at whole plant level. Transgenic lines were characterized to determine the transgene copy number. Different parameters like integrity, chlorophyll contents, tuber yield and vegetative biomass were studied to monitor the stress tolerance of transgenic potato plants. The results were compared with Non-transgenic (NT) plants and statistically analyzed to evaluate significant differences. Multi-copy insertion of expression cassette was found in both transgenic lines. Upon salt stress, transgenic plants maintained better growth as compared to NT plants. The tuber yield of transgenic plants was significantly greater than NT plants in salt stress. Transgenic plants showed improved membrane integrity against cold stress by depicting appreciably reduced ion leakage as compared to NT plants. Moreover, transgenic plants showed significantly less chlorophyll bleaching than NT plants upon cold stress. In addition, NT plants accumulated significantly less biomass, and yielded fewer tubers as compared to transgenic plants after cold stress treatment. The study will be a committed step for field evaluation of transgenic plants with the aim of commercialization. (author)

Two-dimensional interaction of a shear flow with a free surface in a stratified fluid and its solitary-wave solutions via mathematical methods

Science.gov (United States)

Seadawy, Aly R.

2017-12-01

In this study, we presented the problem formulations of models for internal solitary waves in a stratified shear flow with a free surface. The nonlinear higher order of extended KdV equations for the free surface displacement is generated. We derived the coefficients of the nonlinear higher-order extended KdV equation in terms of integrals of the modal function for the linear long-wave theory. The wave amplitude potential and the fluid pressure of the extended KdV equation in the form of solitary-wave solutions are deduced. We discussed and analyzed the stability of the obtained solutions and the movement role of the waves by making graphs of the exact solutions.

Determination of free acid in highly concentrated organic and aqueous solutions of plutonium (IV) and uranium (VI) nitrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagner, J.F.; Lacour, J.L.

1989-01-01

Free acidity is an important parameter in the nuclear reprocessing control. The accuracy on the determination of free acidity is not really required in the nuclear reprocessing control itself but is necessary for certain types of analysis such as spectrophotometry (Pu (VI), Am (III),...), density determinations. A new titripotentiometric method for free acidity determination in concentrated U(VI) and Pu(IV) solutions is presented. This method is based on the complexing properties of dipicolinic acid (pyridine 2.6 dicarboxylic acid) and medium effect with H 2 O/DMSO mixture. This method can be used either in organic or aqueous phases with ratio /H + I/ metal ≥ 5.10 -2 and a relative standard deviation of 1%

Stress concentration during pellet cladding interaction: Comparison of closed-form solutions with 2D(r,θ) finite element simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sercombe, Jérôme; Masson, Renaud; Helfer, Thomas

2013-01-01

Highlights: • This paper presents closed-formed solutions concerning pellet cladding interaction. • First, the opening of a radial crack in a pellet fragment is estimated. • Second, the stresses in the cladding in front of the pellet crack are calculated. • The closed-formed solutions are found in good agreement with 2D FE simulations. • They are then used in the fuel code ALCYONE to model PCI during power ramps. -- Abstract: This paper presents two closed-form solutions that can be used to enrich the mechanical description of fuel pellets and cladding behavior in standard one-dimensional based fuel performance codes. The first one is concerned with the estimation of the opening of a radial crack in a pellet fragment induced by the radial thermal gradient in the pellet and limited by the pellet-clad contact pressure. The second one describes the stress distribution in a cladding bore in front of an opening pellet crack. A linear angular variation of the pellet-clad contact pressure and a constant prescribed radial displacement are considered. The closed-form solutions are checked by comparison to independent finite element models of the pellet fragment and of the cladding. Their ability to describe non-axisymmetric displacement and stress fields during loading histories representative of base irradiation and power ramps is then demonstrated by cross-comparison with the 2D pellet fragment-cladding model of the multi-dimensional fuel performance code ALCYONE. The calculated radial crack opening profiles at different times and the hoop stress concentration in the cladding at the top of the ramp are found in good agreement with ALCYONE

Geometrically Nonlinear Shell Analysis of Wrinkled Thin-Film Membranes with Stress Concentrations

Science.gov (United States)

Tessler, Alexander; Sleight, David W.

2006-01-01

Geometrically nonlinear shell finite element analysis has recently been applied to solar-sail membrane problems in order to model the out-of-plane deformations due to structural wrinkling. Whereas certain problems lend themselves to achieving converged nonlinear solutions that compare favorably with experimental observations, solutions to tensioned membranes exhibiting high stress concentrations have been difficult to obtain even with the best nonlinear finite element codes and advanced shell element technology. In this paper, two numerical studies are presented that pave the way to improving the modeling of this class of nonlinear problems. The studies address the issues of mesh refinement and stress-concentration alleviation, and the effects of these modeling strategies on the ability to attain converged nonlinear deformations due to wrinkling. The numerical studies demonstrate that excessive mesh refinement in the regions of stress concentration may be disadvantageous to achieving wrinkled equilibrium states, causing the nonlinear solution to lock in the membrane response mode, while totally discarding the very low-energy bending response that is necessary to cause wrinkling deformation patterns.

Enhanced piezoelectricity in A B O3 ferroelectrics via intrinsic stress-driven flattening of the free-energy profile

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Yu; Li, Wei-Li; Yu, Yang; Jia, He-Nan; Qiao, Yu-Long; Fei, Wei-Dong

2017-11-01

An approach to greatly enhance the piezoelectric properties (˜4 00 pC/N) of the tetragonal BaTi O3 polycrystal using a small number of A -site acceptor-donor substitutions [D. Xu et al., Acta Mater. 79, 84 (2014), 10.1016/j.actamat.2014.07.023] has been proposed. In this study, Pb (ZrTi ) O3 (PZT) based polycrystals with various crystal symmetries (tetragonal, rhombohedral, and so on) were chosen to investigate the piezoelectricity enhancement mechanism. X-ray diffraction results show that doping generates an intrinsic uniaxial compressive stress along the [001] pc direction in the A B O3 lattices. Piezoelectric maps in the parameter space of temperature and Ti concentration in the PZT and doped system show a more significant enhancement effect of L i+-A l3 + codoping in tetragonal PZT than in the rhombohedral phase. Phenomenological thermodynamic analysis indicates that the compressive stress results in more serious flattening of the free-energy profile in tetragonal PZT, compared with that in the rhombohedral phase. The chemical stress obtained by this acceptor-donor codoping can be utilized to optimize the piezoelectric performance on the tetragonal-phase site of the morphotropic phase boundary in the PZT system. The present study provides a promising route to the large piezoelectric effect induced by chemical-stress-driven flattening of the free-energy profile.

Influence of stress on the structural and dielectric properties of rf magnetron sputtered zinc oxide thin film

Science.gov (United States)

Menon, Rashmi; Sreenivas, K.; Gupta, Vinay

2008-05-01

Highly c axis oriented zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films have been prepared on 1737 Corning glass substrate by planar rf magnetron sputtering under varying pressure (10-50mTorr) and different oxygen percentage (40%-100%) in reactive gas mixtures. The as-grown ZnO thin films were found to have stress over a wide range from -6×1010to-9×107dynes/cm2. The presence of stress depends strongly on processing conditions, and films become almost stress free under a unique combination of sputtering pressure and reactive gas composition. The studies show a correlation of stress with structural and electrical properties of the ZnO thin film. The stressed films possess high electrical conductivity and exhibits strong dielectric dispersion over a wide frequency (1kHz-1MHz). The dielectric constant ɛ'(ω) of stress free ZnO film was almost frequency independent and was close to the bulk value. The measured value of dc conductivity, σdc(ω) and ac conductivity σac(ω) of stress free ZnO film was 1.3×10-9 and 6.8×10-5Ω-1cm-1, respectively. The observed variation in the structural and electrical properties of ZnO thin film with stress has been analyzed in the light of growth kinetics.

Editorial Management serials online: construction process, publication and administration with free software solutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrés Vuotto

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Initially raised the main points to consider and develop the planning and construction of an online publication of a scientific nature, emphasizing the process and editorial functions, document preservation, access management, indexing and visibility. In the second part of the paper presents a proposed solution to every aspect previously described, highlighting the work of the information professional and optimizing time, cost and results offered free software, from a concrete experience with the system Open Journal System under the journal portal of the Faculty of Humanities at the Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata.

Free Energies by Thermodynamic Integration Relative to an Exact Solution, Used to Find the Handedness-Switching Salt Concentration for DNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Berryman, Joshua T; Schilling, Tanja

2013-01-08

Sets of free energy differences are useful for finding the equilibria of chemical reactions, while absolute free energies have little physical meaning. However finding the relative free energy between two macrostates by subtraction of their absolute free energies is a valuable strategy in certain important cases. We present calculations of absolute free energies of biomolecules, using a combination of the well-known Einstein molecule method (for treating the solute) with a conceptually related method of recent genesis for computing free energies of liquids (to treat the solvent and counterions). The approach is based on thermodynamic integration from a detailed atomistic model to one which is simplified but analytically solvable, thereby giving the absolute free energy as that of the tractable model plus a correction term found numerically. An example calculation giving the free energy with respect to salt concentration for the B- and Z-isomers of all-atom duplex DNA in explicit solvent and counterions is presented. The coexistence salt concentration is found with unprecedented accuracy.

Rate constants for the reactions of free radicals with oxygen in solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maillard, B.; Ingold, K.U.; Scaiano, J.C.

1983-01-01

The kinetics of the rections of several free radicals with oxygen have been examined in solution at 300 K using laser flash photolysis techniques. The reactions of resonance-stabilized radicals are only slightly slower than those of nonstabilized radicals: for example, for tert-butyl (in cyclohexane), 4.93 x 10 9 ; benzyl, 2.36 x 10 9 (in cyclohexane); cyclohexadienyl (in benzene), 1.64 x 10 9 M -1 s -1 . The reaction of butyl-tin (n-Bu 3 Sn.) radicals is unusually fast (7.5 x 10 9 M -1 s -1 ), a fact that has been tentatively attributed to a relaxation of spin selection rules due to heavy atom effects. 1 table

Theoretical analysis of surface stress for a microcantilever with varying widths

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Xianfang; Peng Xulong

2008-01-01

A theoretical model of surface stress is developed in this paper for a microcantilever with varying widths, and a method for calculating the surface stress via static deflection, slope angle or radius at curvature of the cantilever beam is presented. This model assumes that surface stresses are uniformly distributed on one surface of the cantilever beam. Based on this stressor model and using the small deformation Euler-Bernoulli beam theory, a fourth-order ordinary differential governing equation with varying coefficients or an equivalent second-order integro-differential equation is derived. A simple approach is then proposed to determine the solution of the resulting equation, and a closed-form approximate solution with high accuracy can be obtained. For rectangular and V-shaped microfabricated cantilevers, the dependences of transverse deflection, slope and curvature of the beam on the surface stresses are given explicitly. The obtained results indicate that the zeroth order approximation of the stressor model reduces to the end force model with a linear curvature for a rectangular cantilever. For larger surface stresses, the curvature exhibits a non-linear behaviour. The predictions through the stressor model give higher accuracy than those from the end moment and end force models and satisfactorily agree with experimental data. The derived closed-form solution can serve as a theoretical benchmark for verifying numerically obtained results for microcantilevers as atomic force microscopy and micromechanical sensors

Creep properties of phosphorus alloyed oxygen free copper under multiaxial stress state

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rui Wu; Sandstroem, Rolf; Seitisleam, Facredin

2009-10-01

Phosphorus alloyed oxygen free copper (Cu-OFP) canisters are planned to be used for spent nuclear fuel in Sweden. The copper canisters will be subjected to creep under multiaxial stress states in the repository. Creep tests have therefore been carried out at 75 deg C using double notch specimens with notch acuities of 0.5, 2, 5, and 18.8, respectively. The creep lifetime for notched specimens is considerably longer than that for the smooth one at a given net section stress, indicating that the investigated Cu-OFP is notch insensitive (notch strengthening). The notch strengthening factor in time is, for instance, greater than 70 at 180 MPa for the bluntest notch (notch acuity = 0.5). The creep lifetime is notch acuity dependent. The sharper the notch, the longer the creep lifetime is. The creep deformation is to a significant extent concentrated to the region around the notches. Different deformation on the two notches is observed. Both axial and radial strains on the failed notch are several times larger than those on the unbroken one. Linear relation between the axial and the radial strains on the notches is found. Transgranular failure is predominant, independent of stress, rupture time, and notch acuity. Adjacent to fracture, elongated grains along the stress direction, separate pores and cavities are often visible. On the unbroken notch, fewer separate cavities and cracks are only seen intergranularly for the sharper notches (notch acuity > 2). To interpret the tests for the notched creep specimens, finite element computations have been performed. A fundamental model for primary and secondary creep without fitting parameters has been used as constitutive equation. The FEM-modelling could represent the creep strain versus time curves for the notched specimens in a satisfactory way. In these curves the strain on loading is included. From the FEM-computations a stationary creep stress could be assessed, which is close to the reference stress. For a given

Orfeo Toolbox: A Free And Open Source Solution For Research And Operational Remote Sensing Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Savinaud, Mickael; OTB-CS Team

2013-12-01

The free and open source solution, Orfeo ToolBox (OTB), offers the possibility to deal with large data processing. This library designed by CNES in the frame of the ORFEO accompaniment program to promote use of Pleiades data and other VHR data offers now a larger number of applications designed to end users. Due to its modular design, OTB is now used in different context from R&D studies to operational chain.

Wafer bowing control of free-standing heteroepitaxial diamond (100) films grown on Ir(100) substrates via patterned nucleation growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshikawa, Taro; Kodama, Hideyuki; Kono, Shozo; Suzuki, Kazuhiro; Sawabe, Atsuhito

2015-01-01

The potential of patterned nucleation growth (PNG) technique to control the wafer bowing of free-standing heteroepitaxial diamond films was investigated. The heteroepitaxial diamond (100) films were grown on an Ir(100) substrate via PNG technique with different patterns of nucleation regions (NRs), which were dot-arrays with 8 or 13 μm pitch aligned to < 100 > or < 110 > direction of the Ir(100) substrate. The wafer bows and the local stress distributions of the free-standing films were measured using a confocal micro-Raman spectrometer. For each NR pattern, the stress evolutions within the early stage of diamond growth were also studied together with a scanning electron microscopic observation of the coalescing diamond particles. These investigations revealed that the NR pattern, in terms of pitch and direction of dot-array, strongly affects the compressive stress on the nucleation side of the diamond film and dominantly contributes to the elastic deformation of the free-standing film. This indicates that the PNG technique with an appropriate NR pattern is a promising solution to fabricate free-standing heteroepitaxial diamond films with extremely small bows. - Highlights: • Wafer bowing control of free-standing heteroepitaxial diamond (100) films • Effect of patterned nucleation and growth (PNG) technique on wafer bowing reduction • Influence of nucleation region patterns of PNG on wafer bowing • Internal stress analysis of PNG films via confocal micro-Raman spectroscopy

Flavour fields in steady state: stress tensor and free energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banerjee, Avik; Kundu, Arnab; Kundu, Sandipan

2016-01-01

The dynamics of a probe brane in a given gravitational background is governed by the Dirac-Born-Infeld action. The corresponding open string metric arises naturally in studying the fluctuations on the probe. In Gauge-String duality, it is known that in the presence of a constant electric field on the worldvolume of the probe, the open string metric acquires an event horizon and therefore the fluctuation modes on the probe experience an effective temperature. In this article, we bring together various properties of such a system to a formal definition and a subsequent narration of the effective thermodynamics and the stress tensor of the corresponding flavour fields, also including a non-vanishing chemical potential. In doing so, we point out a potentially infinitely-degenerate scheme-dependence of regularizing the free energy, which nevertheless yields a universal contribution in certain cases. This universal piece appears as the coefficient of a log-divergence in free energy when a space-filling probe brane is embedded in AdS d+1 -background, for d=2,4, and is related to conformal anomaly. For the special case of d=2, the universal factor has a striking resemblance to the well-known heat current formula in (1+1)-dimensional conformal field theory in steady-state, which endows a plausible physical interpretation to it. Interestingly, we observe a vanishing conformal anomaly in d=6.

On the asymptotic of solutions of elliptic boundary value problems in domains with edges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nkemzi, B.

2005-10-01

Solutions of elliptic boundary value problems in three-dimensional domains with edges may exhibit singularities. The usual procedure to study these singularities is by the application of the classical Mellin transformation or continuous Fourier transformation. In this paper, we show how the asymptotic behavior of solutions of elliptic boundary value problems in general three-dimensional domains with straight edges can be investigated by means of discrete Fourier transformation. We apply this approach to time-harmonic Maxwell's equations and prove that the singular solutions can fully be described in terms of Fourier series. The representation here can easily be used to approximate three-dimensional stress intensity factors associated with edge singularities. (author)

Cows exposed to heat stress during fetal life exhibit improved thermal tolerance.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, B M S; Younas, U; Asar, T O; Dikmen, S; Hansen, P J; Dahl, G E

2017-08-01

Maternal heat stress during late gestation affects calf function during postnatal life. The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether calves that experience heat stress in utero have altered thermoregulatory responses to acute heat stress later in life. Specifically, the hypothesis was that heat stress in utero would improve the response to acute heat stress at maturity. Females were born to dams exposed to heat stress or cooled during late gestation preceding their birth. All animals were raised postnatally under identical management. Twelve lactating Holstein cows that were exposed to in utero heat stress (HT) and 12 that were exposed to in utero control (CON) were used. A heat stress challenge was conducted in 3 blocks using 4 HT and 4 CON cows matched according to milk yield, stage of lactation, and parity. Each challenge consisted of transfer from a barn with shade and evaporative cooling to one with shade but no additional cooling for 48 h. The challenge was replicated twice for each block. Sweating rate, respiration rate, rectal temperature (RT), and skin temperature were measured on each cow at 0900, 1100, 1300, 1500, and 1700 h for 2 consecutive days. Mean ambient temperature across 6 challenge days was 26.15 ± 4.75°C. Tendencies for differences at 1700 h were observed between treatments for RT (HT: 39.5 ± 0.1; CON: 39.6 ± 0.1°C; = 0.065), however, there was no difference in respiration rate (HT: 77.6 ± 1.6; CON: 79.5 ± 1.6 bpm; = 0.85). Sweating rate for shaved skin (HT: 29.4 ± 2.0; CON: 36.0 ± 2.0 g/mh; = 0.057) and for non-shaved skin (HT: 22.5 ± 1.5; CON: 29.2 ± 1.2 g/mh; = 0.01) differed between groups. However, there was no effect on skin temperature at the shaved location (HT: 36.2 ± 0.2; CON: 36.0 ± 0.2°C; = 0.81), but there was a tendency for differences for the non-shaved area (HT: 35.4 ± 0.2; CON: 34.9 ± 0.2°C; = 0.097). Cows that underwent in utero heat stress had greater skin temperature at 1700 h vs. in utero

Existence of solutions for the anti-plane stress for a new class of “strain-limiting” elastic bodies

KAUST Repository

Bulí ček, Miroslav; Má lek, Josef; Rajagopal, K. R.; Walton, Jay R.

2015-01-01

© 2015, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. The main purpose of this study is to establish the existence of a weak solution to the anti-plane stress problem on V-notch domains for a class of recently proposed new models that could describe elastic materials in which the stress can increase unboundedly while the strain yet remains small. We shall also investigate the qualitative properties of the solution that is established. Although the equations governing the deformation that are being considered share certain similarities with the minimal surface problem, the boundary conditions and the presence of an additional model parameter that appears in the equation and its specific range makes the problem, as well as the result, different from those associated with the minimal surface problem.

Existence of solutions for the anti-plane stress for a new class of “strain-limiting” elastic bodies

KAUST Repository

Bulíček, Miroslav

2015-04-21

© 2015, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. The main purpose of this study is to establish the existence of a weak solution to the anti-plane stress problem on V-notch domains for a class of recently proposed new models that could describe elastic materials in which the stress can increase unboundedly while the strain yet remains small. We shall also investigate the qualitative properties of the solution that is established. Although the equations governing the deformation that are being considered share certain similarities with the minimal surface problem, the boundary conditions and the presence of an additional model parameter that appears in the equation and its specific range makes the problem, as well as the result, different from those associated with the minimal surface problem.

Burnout and stress amongst interns in Irish hospitals: contributing factors and potential solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Hannan, E; Breslin, N; Doherty, E; McGreal, M; Moneley, D; Offiah, G

2018-05-01

The transition from medical school to internship can be daunting for newly qualified doctors. High rates of stress and burnout have been reported, with negative impacts on patient care and physician wellbeing. We surveyed interns in our hospital group to evaluate rates of stress and burnout, as well as identify the causative factors and propose potential solutions to these. A hundred and one interns working in four different hospitals over a 2-year period were invited to participate in an anonymous survey. The survey collected basic demographic details and surveyed aspects of mental health using the burnout scale, Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the stress scale and 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Interns were also asked to rate a variety of workplace factors on a Likert scale based on the degree of stress caused. Finally, they were surveyed on their awareness of support services available to them. Our results showed that 37% of interns met the criteria for psychological distress, high levels of emotional exhaustion, high depersonalisation and a low sense of personal accomplishment were reported in 55.4, 51.5 and 41.6%, respectively. Inadequate preparation for practice, financial worries, poor role definition and sleep deprivation were reported as significant stressors. Most were unaware of available support services and expressed interest in leaving Ireland after internship. Burnout and stress are significant problems amongst doctors in Irish hospitals. Ensuring better preparation for clinical practice and awareness of support services is vital to tackle this issue.

Age-related effects of chronic restraint stress on ethanol drinking, ethanol-induced sedation, and on basal and stress-induced anxiety response.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández, Macarena Soledad; Fabio, María Carolina; Miranda-Morales, Roberto Sebastián; Virgolini, Miriam B; De Giovanni, Laura N; Hansen, Cristian; Wille-Bille, Aranza; Nizhnikov, Michael E; Spear, Linda P; Pautassi, Ricardo Marcos

2016-03-01

Adolescents are sensitive to the anxiolytic effect of ethanol, and evidence suggests that they may be more sensitive to stress than adults. Relatively little is known, however, about age-related differences in stress modulation of ethanol drinking or stress modulation of ethanol-induced sedation and hypnosis. We observed that chronic restraint stress transiently exacerbated free-choice ethanol drinking in adolescent, but not in adult, rats. Restraint stress altered exploration patterns of a light-dark box apparatus in adolescents and adults. Stressed animals spent significantly more time in the white area of the maze and made significantly more transfers between compartments than their non-stressed peers. Behavioral response to acute stress, on the other hand, was modulated by prior restraint stress only in adults. Adolescents, unlike adults, exhibited ethanol-induced motor stimulation in an open field. Stress increased the duration of loss of the righting reflex after a high ethanol dose, yet this effect was similar at both ages. Ethanol-induced sleep time was much higher in adult than in adolescent rats, yet stress diminished ethanol-induced sleep time only in adults. The study indicates age-related differences that may increase the risk for initiation and escalation in alcohol drinking. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Deposition of stress free c-axis oriented LiNbO3 thin film grown on (002) ZnO coated Si substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shandilya, Swati; Gupta, Vinay; Tomar, Monika

2012-01-01

C-axis oriented lithium niobate thin films have been deposited on Si substrate using RF sputtering technique. A thin buffer layer of c-axis (002) oriented ZnO on Si substrate has been used as a nucleating layer to promote the growth of (006) oriented LiNbO 3 film. The processing gas composition and pressure are found to be very critical in obtaining stress free LiNbO 3 film having desired (006) orientation. The LiNbO 3 films deposited under unique combination of sputtering pressure (10 mTorr) and argon percentage (80%) in reactive gas (Ar + O 2 ) composition become almost stress free having lattice parameter (1.3867 A) close to the bulk value. The observed variation in the structural properties and optical phonon modes observed by Raman spectroscopic studies of the oriented LiNbO 3 thin film with stress has been correlated with growth kinetics.

Comparative study of solute trapping and Gibbs free energy changes at the phase interface during alloy solidification under local nonequilibrium conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sobolev, S. L., E-mail: sobolev@icp.ac.ru [Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Problems of Chemical Physics (Russian Federation)

2017-03-15

An analytical model has been developed to describe the influence of solute trapping during rapid alloy solidification on the components of the Gibbs free energy change at the phase interface with emphasis on the solute drag energy. For relatively low interface velocity V < V{sub D}, where V{sub D} is the characteristic diffusion velocity, all the components, namely mixing part, local nonequilibrium part, and solute drag, significantly depend on solute diffusion and partitioning. When V ≥ V{sub D}, the local nonequilibrium effects lead to a sharp transition to diffusionless solidification. The transition is accompanied by complete solute trapping and vanishing solute drag energy, i.e. partitionless and “dragless” solidification.

Efficient Computational Research Protocol to Survey Free Energy Surface for Solution Chemical Reaction in the QM/MM Framework: The FEG-ER Methodology and Its Application to Isomerization Reaction of Glycine in Aqueous Solution.

Science.gov (United States)

Takenaka, Norio; Kitamura, Yukichi; Nagaoka, Masataka

2016-03-03

In solution chemical reaction, we often need to consider a multidimensional free energy (FE) surface (FES) which is analogous to a Born-Oppenheimer potential energy surface. To survey the FES, an efficient computational research protocol is proposed within the QM/MM framework; (i) we first obtain some stable states (or transition states) involved by optimizing their structures on the FES, in a stepwise fashion, finally using the free energy gradient (FEG) method, and then (ii) we directly obtain the FE differences among any arbitrary states on the FES, efficiently by employing the QM/MM method with energy representation (ER), i.e., the QM/MM-ER method. To validate the calculation accuracy and efficiency, we applied the above FEG-ER methodology to a typical isomerization reaction of glycine in aqueous solution, and reproduced quite satisfactorily the experimental value of the reaction FE. Further, it was found that the structural relaxation of the solute in the QM/MM force field is not negligible to estimate correctly the FES. We believe that the present research protocol should become prevailing as one computational strategy and will play promising and important roles in solution chemistry toward solution reaction ergodography.

Chemicals having estrogenic activity can be released from some bisphenol A-free, hard and clear, thermoplastic resins.

Science.gov (United States)

Bittner, George D; Denison, Michael S; Yang, Chun Z; Stoner, Matthew A; He, Guochun

2014-12-04

Chemicals that have estrogenic activity (EA) can potentially cause adverse health effects in mammals including humans, sometimes at low doses in fetal through juvenile stages with effects detected in adults. Polycarbonate (PC) thermoplastic resins made from bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical that has EA, are now often avoided in products used by babies. Other BPA-free thermoplastic resins, some hypothesized or advertised to be EA-free, are replacing PC resins used to make reusable hard and clear thermoplastic products such as baby bottles. We used two very sensitive and accurate in vitro assays (MCF-7 and BG1Luc human cell lines) to quantify the EA of chemicals leached into ethanol or water/saline extracts of fourteen unstressed or stressed (autoclaving, microwaving, UV radiation) thermoplastic resins. Estrogen receptor (ER)-dependent agonist responses were confirmed by their inhibition with the ER antagonist ICI 182,780. Our data showed that some (4/14) unstressed and stressed BPA-free thermoplastic resins leached chemicals having significant levels of EA, including one polystyrene (PS), and three Tritan™ resins, the latter reportedly EA-free. Exposure to UV radiation in natural sunlight resulted in an increased release of EA from Tritan™ resins. Triphenyl-phosphate (TPP), an additive used to manufacture some thermoplastic resins such as Tritan™, exhibited EA in both MCF-7 and BG1Luc assays. Ten unstressed or stressed glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (PETG), cyclic olefin polymer (COP) or copolymer (COC) thermoplastic resins did not release chemicals with detectable EA under any test condition. This hazard survey study assessed the release of chemicals exhibiting EA as detected by two sensitive, widely used and accepted, human cell line in vitro assays. Four PC replacement resins (Tritan™ and PS) released chemicals having EA. However, ten other PC-replacement resins did not leach chemicals having EA (EA-free-resins). These results indicate that PC

Blubber cortisol: a potential tool for assessing stress response in free-ranging dolphins without effects due to sampling.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicholas M Kellar

Full Text Available When paired with dart biopsying, quantifying cortisol in blubber tissue may provide an index of relative stress levels (i.e., activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis in free-ranging cetacean populations while minimizing the effects of the act of sampling. To validate this approach, cortisol was extracted from blubber samples collected from beach-stranded and bycaught short-beaked common dolphins using a modified blubber steroid isolation technique and measured via commercially available enzyme immunoassays. The measurements exhibited appropriate quality characteristics when analyzed via a bootstraped stepwise parallelism analysis (observed/expected = 1.03, 95%CI: 99.6 - 1.08 and showed no evidence of matrix interference with increasing sample size across typical biopsy tissue masses (75-150 mg; r(2 = 0.012, p = 0.78, slope = 0.022 ng(cortisol deviation/ul(tissue extract added. The relationships between blubber cortisol and eight potential cofactors namely, 1 fatality type (e.g., stranded or bycaught, 2 specimen condition (state of decomposition, 3 total body length, 4 sex, 5 sexual maturity state, 6 pregnancy status, 7 lactation state, and 8 adrenal mass, were assessed using a Bayesian generalized linear model averaging technique. Fatality type was the only factor correlated with blubber cortisol, and the magnitude of the effect size was substantial: beach-stranded individuals had on average 6.1-fold higher cortisol levels than those of bycaught individuals. Because of the difference in conditions surrounding these two fatality types, we interpret this relationship as evidence that blubber cortisol is indicative of stress response. We found no evidence of seasonal variation or a relationship between cortisol and the remaining cofactors.

Transient thermal stresses in a circular cylinder with constrained ends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goshima, Takahito; Miyao, Kaju

1986-01-01

This paker deals with the transient thermal stresses in a finite circular cylinder constrained at both end surfaces and subjected to axisymmetric temperature distribution on the lateral surface. The thermoelastic problem is formulated in terms of a thermoelastic displacement potential and three harmonic stress functions. Numerical calculations are carried out for the case of the uniform temperature distribution on the lateral surface. The stress distributions on the constrained end and the free suface are shown graphically, and the singularity in stresses appearing at the circumferencial edge is considered. Moreover, the approximate solution based upon the plane strain theory is introduced in order to compare the rigorous one, and it is considered how the length of the cylinder and the time proceeds affect on the accuracy of the approximation. (author)

Rapid and selective determination of free chlorine in aqueous solution using electrophilic addition to styrene by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Wakigawa, Kengo; Gohda, Akinaga; Fukushima, Sunao; Mori, Takeshi; Niidome, Takuro; Katayama, Yoshiki

2013-01-15

We developed a rapid and selective method for determination of free chlorine in aqueous solution by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry for the first time. Free chlorine was converted to styrene chlorohydrin using electrophilic addition to styrene in sodium acetate buffer solution (pH 5). The chlorine derivative obtained was extracted with chloroform, and then analyzed by GC/MS. The calibration curve showed good linearity from 0.2-100 μg/mL (as available chlorine). The detection limit was 0.1 μg/mL, and the intra- and interday accuracy were measured at concentrations of 10, 50, and 75 μg/mL to be -1.3 to 6.9% (intraday) and 3.8-8.0% (interday) as % Bias. The precision was between 1.4 and 4.5% as % RSD. These results indicate that this method is a superior technique for the identification of free chlorine. This method was successfully applied to quantification in commercial samples and in samples of a criminal case. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Solving free-plasma-boundary problems with the SIESTA MHD code

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez, R.; Peraza-Rodriguez, H.; Reynolds-Barredo, J. M.; Tribaldos, V.; Geiger, J.; Hirshman, S. P.; Cianciosa, M.

2017-10-01

SIESTA is a recently developed MHD equilibrium code designed to perform fast and accurate calculations of ideal MHD equilibria for 3D magnetic configurations. It is an iterative code that uses the solution obtained by the VMEC code to provide a background coordinate system and an initial guess of the solution. The final solution that SIESTA finds can exhibit magnetic islands and stochastic regions. In its original implementation, SIESTA addressed only fixed-boundary problems. This fixed boundary condition somewhat restricts its possible applications. In this contribution we describe a recent extension of SIESTA that enables it to address free-plasma-boundary situations, opening up the possibility of investigating problems with SIESTA in which the plasma boundary is perturbed either externally or internally. As an illustration, the extended version of SIESTA is applied to a configuration of the W7-X stellarator.

Atomistically informed solute drag in Al–Mg

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, F; Curtin, W A

2008-01-01

Solute drag in solute-strengthened alloys, caused by diffusion of solute atoms around moving dislocations, controls the stress at deformation rates and temperatures useful for plastic forming processes. In the technologically important Al–Mg alloys, the solute drag stresses predicted by classical theories are much larger than experiments, which is resolved in general by eliminating the singularity of the dislocation core via Peierls–Nabarro-type models. Here, the drag stress versus dislocation velocity is computed numerically using a realistic dislocation core structure obtained from an atomistic model to investigate the role of the core and obtain quantitative stresses for comparison with experiment. The model solves a discrete diffusion equation in a reference frame moving with the dislocation, with input solute enthalpies and diffusion activation barriers in the core computed by or estimated from atomistic studies. At low dislocation velocities, the solute drag stress is controlled by bulk solute diffusion because the core diffusion occurs too quickly. In this regime, the drag stress can be obtained using a Peierls–Nabarro model with a core spreading parameter tuned to best match the atomistic models. At intermediate velocities, both bulk and core diffusion can contribute to the drag, leading to a complex stress–velocity relationship showing two peaks in stress. At high velocities, the drag stress is controlled solely by diffusion within and across the core. Like the continuum models, the drag stress is nearly linear in solute concentration. The Orowan relationship is used to connect dislocation velocity to deformation strain rate. Accounting for the dependence of mobile dislocation density on stress, the simulations are in good agreement with experiments on Al–Mg alloys over a range of concentrations and temperatures

A Short-Term Follow-Up Of Tension-Free Vaginal Tape For Surgical Treatment Of Stress Urinary Incontinence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.S. Moosavi

2006-05-01

Full Text Available Background and Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Tension-free Tape for the surgical treatment of female stress urinary incontinence. Materials and Methods: In a prospective open study for pre and post operative, we followed 36 patients at least 1.5 years after surgery (18-28 months; all patients underwent the operation under local anesthesia, allowing the surgeon to check intra-operatively that continence has been obtained. Results: Mean operation time was 36 minutes (range 20-45 minutes. 32(89% of the patients was cured according to the protocol, another 3(8.3% were significantly improved and there was 1(2.7% failure. Mast of patients (about 91% were operated on a one day-care basis, which implies that they were released from the hospital the day after the procedure, and no post operative catheterization, defect healing and tape rejection occurred. Pain free recovery time without any analgesic was another benefit. Five patients needed an indwelling catheter for 3 days and two uncomplicated hematoma occurred. Conclusion: Based on the results, we conclude that Tension-free Vaginal Tape is a safe and effective ambulatory procedure for surgical treatment of genuine stress urinary incontinence, which allows the majority of the women to be discharged from the clinic the day after the procedure and start their works in the second week.

Determination of the free ion concentration of trace metals in soil solution using a soil column Donnan membrane technique

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Weng, L.; Temminghoff, E.J.M.; Riemsdijk, van W.H.

2001-01-01

Accurate measurement of the free metal ion is difficult, especially for trace metals present in very small concentrations (less than micromolar) in natural systems. The recently developed Donnan membrane technique can measure the concentrations in solution in the presence of inorganic and organic

Standard practice for exposure of metals and alloys by alternate immersion in neutral 3.5% Sodium Chloride solution

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

1999-01-01

1.1 This practice covers procedures for making alternate immersion stress corrosion tests in 3.5 % sodium chloride (NaCl) (). It is primarily for tests of aluminum alloys (Test Method G 47) and ferrous alloys, but may be used for other metals exhibiting susceptibility to chloride ions. It sets forth the environmental conditions of the test and the means for controlling them. Note 1 Alternate immersion stress corrosion exposures are sometimes made in substitute ocean water (without heavy metals) prepared in accordance with Specification D 1141. The general requirements of this present practice are also applicable to such exposures except that the reagents used, the solution concentration, and the solution pH should be as specified in Specification D 1141. 1.2 This practice can be used for both stressed and unstressed corrosion specimens. Historically, it has been used for stress-corrosion cracking testing, but is often used for other forms of corrosion, such as uniform, pitting, intergranular, and galvanic. ...

Topological and statistical properties of nonlinear force-free fields

Science.gov (United States)

Mangalam, A.; Prasad, A.

2018-01-01

We use our semi-analytic solution of the nonlinear force-free field equation to construct three-dimensional magnetic fields that are applicable to the solar corona and study their statistical properties for estimating the degree of braiding exhibited by these fields. We present a new formula for calculating the winding number and compare it with the formula for the crossing number. The comparison is shown for a toy model of two helices and for realistic cases of nonlinear force-free fields; conceptually the formulae are nearly the same but the resulting distributions calculated for a given topology can be different. We also calculate linkages, which are useful topological quantities that are independent measures of the contribution of magnetic braiding to the total free energy and relative helicity of the field. Finally, we derive new analytical bounds for the free energy and relative helicity for the field configurations in terms of the linking number. These bounds will be of utility in estimating the braided energy available for nano-flares or for eruptions.

Arbutin increases Caenorhabditis elegans longevity and stress resistance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lin Zhou

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Arbutin (p-hydroxyphenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside, a well-known tyrosinase inhibitor, has been widely used as a cosmetic whitening agent. Although its natural role is to scavenge free radicals within cells, it has also exhibited useful activities for the treatment of diuresis, bacterial infections and cancer, as well as anti-inflammatory and anti-tussive activities. Because function of free radical scavenging is also related to antioxidant and the effects of arbutin on longevity and stress resistance in animals have not yet been confirmed, here the effects of arbutin on Caenorhabditis elegans were investigated. The results demonstrated that optimal concentrations of arbutin could extend lifespan and enhance resistance to oxidative stress. The underlying molecular mechanism for these effects involves decreased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS, improvement of daf-16 nuclear localization, and up-regulated expression of daf-16 and its downstream targets, including sod-3 and hsp16.2. In this work the roles of arbutin in lifespan and health are studied and the results support that arbutin is an antioxidant for maintaining overall health.

Solution-processed organic thermoelectric materials exhibiting doping-concentration-dependent polarity.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Sunbin; Potscavage, William J; Yang, Yu Seok; Park, In Seob; Matsushima, Toshinori; Adachi, Chihaya

2016-10-26

Recent progress in conducting polymer-based organic thermoelectric generators (OTEGs) has resulted in high performance due to high Seebeck coefficient, high electrical conductivity (σ), and low thermal conductivity obtained by chemically controlling the materials's redox levels. In addition to improving the properties of individual OTEGs to obtain high performance, the development of solution processes for the fabrication of OTEG modules is necessary to realize large thermoelectric voltage and low-cost mass production. However, the scarcity of good candidates for soluble organic n-type materials limits the use of π-leg module structures consisting of complementary elements of p- and n-type materials because of unbalanced transport coefficients that lead to power losses. In particular, the extremely low σ of n-type materials compared with that of p-type materials is a serious challenge. In this study, poly(pyridinium phenylene) (P(PymPh)) was tested as an n-type semiconductor in solution-processed OTEGs, and the carrier density was controlled by a solution-based chemical doping process using the dopant sodium naphthalenide, a well-known reductant. The electronic structures and doping mechanism of P(PymPh) were explored based on the changes in UV-Vis-IR absorption, ultraviolet photoelectron, and X-ray photoelectron spectra. By controlling the dopant concentration, we demonstrate a maximum n-type power factor of 0.81 μW m -1 K -2 with high σ, and at higher doping concentrations, a switch from n-type to p-type TE operation. This is one of the first cases of a switch in polarity just by increasing the concentration of the reductant and may open a new route for simplified fabrication of complementary organic layers.

Unsupervised Calculation of Free Energy Barriers in Large Crystalline Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Swinburne, Thomas D.; Marinica, Mihai-Cosmin

2018-03-01

The calculation of free energy differences for thermally activated mechanisms in the solid state are routinely hindered by the inability to define a set of collective variable functions that accurately describe the mechanism under study. Even when possible, the requirement of descriptors for each mechanism under study prevents implementation of free energy calculations in the growing range of automated material simulation schemes. We provide a solution, deriving a path-based, exact expression for free energy differences in the solid state which does not require a converged reaction pathway, collective variable functions, Gram matrix evaluations, or probability flux-based estimators. The generality and efficiency of our method is demonstrated on a complex transformation of C 15 interstitial defects in iron and double kink nucleation on a screw dislocation in tungsten, the latter system consisting of more than 120 000 atoms. Both cases exhibit significant anharmonicity under experimentally relevant temperatures.

Work-related stress: A survey of Indian anesthesiologists.

Science.gov (United States)

Bakshi, Sumitra Ganesh; Divatia, Jigeeshu Vasishtha; Kannan, Sadhana; Myatra, Sheila Nainan

2017-01-01

Work-related stress is common among medical caregivers and concerns all perioperative care providers. Although anesthesiologists are known to experience stress, there are limited Indian data addressing this issue. This survey was conducted among Indian anesthesiologists to determine their awareness about work stress and views regarding prevention programs. A survey questionnaire was distributed to delegates visiting the exhibits at the national anesthesiology conference in 2011. The questionnaire had ten questions on the work pattern, five on work-related stress, nine on opinion regarding the need and willingness to participate in stress-related programs. There were 1178 responders. Forty-three percent were faculty in medical institutions, 26% were residents and 25% were in free-lance practice. Ninety-one percent of participants rated their stress as moderate-extreme. There was a significant correlation between the amount of stress and working for more than 8 h ( P working on weekends ( P = 0.002), and carrying work back home ( P work stress. Eighty-four percent of participants felt the need for stress management programs and 69% expressed their willingness to participate in the same. The majority of participants rated their stress as moderate-extreme and was higher in anesthesiologists working long hours, over the weekend and those handling high-risk patients. A majority of participants felt the survey made them think about work-related stress and expressed their willingness to participate in stress management programs.

Organ-specific proteomics of soybean seedlings under flooding and drought stresses.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xin; Khodadadi, Ehsaneh; Fakheri, Baratali; Komatsu, Setsuko

2017-06-06

Organ-specific analyses enrich the understanding of plant growth and development under abiotic stresses. To elucidate the cellular responses in soybean seedlings exposed to flooding and drought stresses, organ-specific analysis was performed using a gel-free/label-free proteomic technique. Physiological analysis indicated that enzyme activities of alcohol dehydrogenase and delta-1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase were markedly increased in leaf and root of plants treated with 6days of flooding and drought stresses, respectively. Proteins related to photosynthesis, RNA, DNA, signaling, and the tricarboxylic acid cycle were predominately affected in leaf, hypocotyl, and root in response to flooding and drought. Notably, the tricarboxylic acid cycle was suppressed in leaf and root under both stresses. Moreover, 17 proteins, including beta-glucosidase 31 and beta-amylase 5, were identified in soybean seedlings under both stresses. The protein abundances of beta-glucosidase 31 and beta-amylase 5 were increased in leaf and root under both stresses. Additionally, the gene expression of beta-amylase 5 was upregulated in leaf exposed to the flooding and drought, and the expression level was highly correlated with the protein abundance. These results suggest that beta-amylase 5 may be involved in carbohydrate mobilization to provide energy to the leaf of soybean seedlings exposed to flooding and drought. This study examined the effects of flooding and drought on soybean seedlings in different organs using a gel-free/label-free proteomic approach. Physiological responses indicated that enzyme activities of alcohol dehydrogenase and delta-1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase were increased in leaf and root of soybean seedlings exposed to flooding and drought for 6days. Functional analysis of acquired protein profiles exhibited that proteins related to photosynthesis, RNA, DNA, signaling, and the tricarboxylic acid cycle were predominated affected in leaf, hypocotyl, and root

Estimation of stress intensity factors for circumferential cracked pipes under welding residual stress filed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Chang Young; Kim, Yun Jae; Oh, Young Jin; Song, Tae Kwang; Kim, Yong Beum; Oh, Young Jin; Song, Tae Kwang; Kim, Yong Beum

2012-01-01

Recently, stress corrosion cracking(SCC) have been found in dissimilar metal welds of nozzles in some pressurized water reactors and on low carbon stainless steel piping systems of boiling water reactors. The important factor of SCC is the residual stress field caused by weld. For the evaluation of crack growth analysis due to SCC, stress intensity factor under a residual stress field should be estimated. Several solutions for stress intensity factor under residual stress field were recommended in flaw assessment codes such as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Section XI, R6, American Petroleum Institute (API579). Some relevant works have been studied. Dong et al. evaluated stress intensity factors in welded structures. Miyazaki et al. estimated stress intensity factors of surface crack in simple stress fields. This paper presents a simple method to estimate stress intensity factors in welding residual stress field. For general application, results of structure integrity assessment codes KI solutions were compared Finite element analyses of welding simulation and cracked pipes are described. Comparison results of KI solutions and proposed simplified solution are presented in the works

Exact and grid-free solutions to the Lighthill-Whitham-Richards traffic flow model with bounded acceleration for a class of fundamental diagrams

KAUST Repository

Qiu, Shanwen

2013-09-01

In this article, we propose a new exact and grid-free numerical scheme for computing solutions associated with an hybrid traffic flow model based on the Lighthill-Whitham-Richards (LWR) partial differential equation, for a class of fundamental diagrams. In this hybrid flow model, the vehicles satisfy the LWR equation whenever possible, and have a constant acceleration otherwise. We first propose a mathematical definition of the solution as a minimization problem. We use this formulation to build a grid-free solution method for this model based on the minimization of component function. We then derive these component functions analytically for triangular fundamental diagrams, which are commonly used to model traffic flow. We also show that the proposed computational method can handle fixed or moving bottlenecks. A toolbox implementation of the resulting algorithm is briefly discussed, and posted at https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1318701/Toolbox.zip. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Impressive nonlinear optical response exhibited by Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanocomposite films

Science.gov (United States)

Sabira, K.; Saheeda, P.; Divyasree, M. C.; Jayalekshmi, S.

2017-12-01

In the present work, the nonlinear optical properties of free-standing films of Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanocomposite are investigated to assess their suitability as efficient optical limiters. The PVDF/RGO nanocomposite films are generated by mixing different concentrations of RGO as the filler, with PVDF, using solution casting method. The XRD and FTIR data of these nanocomposite films confirm the enhancement in the β phase of PVDF when RGO is added to PVDF, which is one of the prime factors, enhancing the nonlinear response of the nanocomposite. The open aperture and closed aperture Z-scan technique under nanosecond excitation (532 nm, 7 ns) is used to investigate the nonlinear optical characteristics of the PVDF/RGO nanocomposite films. These films are found to exhibit two photon absorption assisted optical non linearity in the nanosecond regime. The highlight of the present work is the observation of quite low values of the normalized transmittance and low optical limiting threshold power in free standing films of PVDF/RGO nanocomposite. These flexible, free-standing and stable nanocomposite films offer high application prospects in the design of efficient optical limiting devices of any desired size or shape.

Free vibration of geometrically nonlinear micro-switches under electrostatic and Casimir forces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jia, X L; Kitipornchai, S; Lim, C W; Yang, J

2010-01-01

This paper investigates the free vibration characteristics of micro-switches under combined electrostatic, intermolecular forces and axial residual stress, with an emphasis on the effect of geometric nonlinear deformation due to mid-plane stretching and the influence of Casimir force. The micro-switch considered in this study is made of either homogeneous material or non-homogeneous functionally graded material with two material phases. The Euler–Bernoulli beam theory with von Karman type nonlinear kinematics is applied in the theoretical formulation. The principle of virtual work is used to derive the nonlinear governing differential equation. The eigenvalue problem which describes free vibration of the micro-beam at its statically deflected state is then solved using the differential quadrature method. The natural frequencies and mode shapes of micro-switches for four different boundary conditions (i.e. clamped–clamped, clamped–simply supported, simply supported and clamped–free) are obtained. The solutions are validated through direct comparisons with experimental and other existing results reported in previous studies. A parametric study is conducted to show the significant effects of geometric nonlinearity, Casimir force, axial residual stress and material composition for the natural frequencies

Comparison of two experimental speciation methods with a theoretical approach to monitor free and labile Cd fractions in soil solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parat, C.; Cornu, J.-Y.; Schneider, A.; Authier, L.; Sapin-Didier, V.; Denaix, L.; Potin-Gautier, M.

2009-01-01

This work focused on the suitability of two techniques to monitor cadmium speciation in soil solutions collected during a 7-day incubation of a contaminated soil. Anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) and ion exchange were performed on soil solutions collected daily and results were compared with calculations obtained with the speciation software Visual MINTEQ. The electrochemically labile Cd fraction was greater than the exchange-estimated free Cd fraction during the first 6 days, after which it decreased sharply during the last 2 days to reach values close to the exchange-estimated free Cd fraction. Further investigations showed that the increase in pH was mainly responsible for the reduction. However, calculations performed with Visual MINTEQ software clearly demonstrated that a change in the nature of organic matter and/or its complexing capacity also needed to be taken into consideration.

Celecoxib and GABA cooperatively prevent the progression of pancreatic cancer in vitro and in xenograft models of stress-free and stress-exposed mice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hussein A N Al-Wadei

Full Text Available Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC has a poor prognosis and is associated with high levels of psychological distress. We have shown that beta-adrenergic receptors (β-ARs, which are activated by stress neurotransmitters, regulate PDAC cells via cyclic AMP (cAMP-dependent signaling in vitro, that social stress promotes PDAC progression in mouse xenografts and that γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA inhibits these responses in vitro and in vivo. The targeted inhibition of stress-induced regulatory pathways may abolish the potentially negative impact of psychological stress on clinical outcomes. Our current data show that chronic exposure of PDAC cell lines Panc-1 (activating point mutations in K-ras and BXPC-3 (no mutations in K-ras in vitro to the stress neurotransmitter epinephrine at the concentration (15 nM previously measured in the serum of mice exposed to social stress significantly increased proliferation and migration. These responses were inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner by celecoxib. The effects of celecoxib alone and in combination with γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA on the progression of subcutaneous mouse xenografts from the cell line (BXPC-3 most responsive to epinephrine were then investigated in the presence and absence of social stress. Cancer-stimulating factors (VEGF & prostaglandin E(2 [PGE(2] and levels of cAMP were measured by immunoassays in blood and xenograft tissue. Phosphorylation of the signaling proteins ERK, CREB, Src, and AKT was assessed by ELISA assays and Western blotting. Expression of COX-2, 5-lipoxygenase, and p-5-LOX were determined by semi-quantitative Western blotting. Celecoxib alone significantly inhibited xenograft progression and decreased systemic and tumor VEGF, PGE2, and cAMP as well as phosphorylated signaling proteins in stress-exposed and stress-free mice. These responses were significantly enhanced by co-treatment with GABA. The celecoxib-induced downregulation of COX-2 protein and p-5-LOX

Effects of retained austenite and hydrogen on the rolling contact fatigue behaviours of carbide-free bainitic steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, Chunlei; Dan, Rui [State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Zhang, Fucheng, E-mail: zfc@ysu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Lv, Bo [School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Yan, Zhigang; Shan, Jun; Long, Xiaoyan [State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China)

2014-01-31

The effects of retained austenite and hydrogen on the rolling contact fatigue (RCF) behaviours of a new carbide-free bainitic steel (CFBS) were studied by means of the RCF testing, electrolytic hydrogen charging, transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that the new carbide-free bainitic steels (CFBSs) exhibited very good RCF performance under the high contact stress of 1.7 GPa, and pitting and spalling were the main mode of the RCF failure. The RCF performance of the new CFBS was improved by the retained austenite content increasing, while obviously decreased by hydrogen.

Usefulness of perineal ultrasonography after tension-free vaginal tape procedure for stress urinary incontinence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Seong Kuk

2005-01-01

To evaluate the usefulness of perineal ultrasonography after a tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) procedure in women with stress urinary incontinence. Thirty-four patients with stress urinary incontinence who underwent the TVT procedure were included in this study. We compared the perineal ultrasonography findings before and after the procedure. The mean age was 49 years (rang: 32-75 years) and the mean follow-up time was 9.5 days (range: 5-19 days). We obtained the entire sagittal image of the bladder neck, urethra, urethrovesical junction and symphysis pubis. The posterior urethrovesical angle (PUVA) and descent of the bladder neck at rest and during stress, and the diameter of proximal urethra at rest were all evaluated. We compared these ultrasonographic changes before and after the procedure. Before the TVT procedure, the PUVA was 134.7 ± 5.9 .deg. at rest and 146.8 ± 8.5 .deg. during stress, and the difference between PUVA at rest and during stress was 12.2 ± 7.3 .deg. . After the TVT procedure, the PUVA significantly decreased to 125.6 ± 7.5 .deg. at rest and 132.5 ± 8.3 .deg. during stress, and the difference also significantly decreased to 7.0 ± 5.0 .deg. (ρ < 0.01). Before the procedure, the descent of the bladder neck was 17 ± 7.0 mm, while the descent significantly decreased to 7.7 ± 4.1 mm after the procedure (ρ < 0.01). Before the procedure, the diameter of the proximal urethra was 5.6 ± 1.4 mm at rest, but the diameter was 5.5 ± 1.1 mm, without significant change, after the procedure. Follow-up perineal ultrasonography after the TVT procedure may be useful for evaluating changes including the PUVA, descent and appearance of the bladder neck

Usefulness of perineal ultrasonography after tension-free vaginal tape procedure for stress urinary incontinence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoon, Seong Kuk [Donga University College of Medicine, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2005-07-15

To evaluate the usefulness of perineal ultrasonography after a tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) procedure in women with stress urinary incontinence. Thirty-four patients with stress urinary incontinence who underwent the TVT procedure were included in this study. We compared the perineal ultrasonography findings before and after the procedure. The mean age was 49 years (rang: 32-75 years) and the mean follow-up time was 9.5 days (range: 5-19 days). We obtained the entire sagittal image of the bladder neck, urethra, urethrovesical junction and symphysis pubis. The posterior urethrovesical angle (PUVA) and descent of the bladder neck at rest and during stress, and the diameter of proximal urethra at rest were all evaluated. We compared these ultrasonographic changes before and after the procedure. Before the TVT procedure, the PUVA was 134.7 {+-} 5.9 .deg. at rest and 146.8 {+-} 8.5 .deg. during stress, and the difference between PUVA at rest and during stress was 12.2 {+-} 7.3 .deg. . After the TVT procedure, the PUVA significantly decreased to 125.6 {+-} 7.5 .deg. at rest and 132.5 {+-} 8.3 .deg. during stress, and the difference also significantly decreased to 7.0 {+-} 5.0 .deg. ({rho} < 0.01). Before the procedure, the descent of the bladder neck was 17 {+-} 7.0 mm, while the descent significantly decreased to 7.7 {+-} 4.1 mm after the procedure ({rho} < 0.01). Before the procedure, the diameter of the proximal urethra was 5.6 {+-} 1.4 mm at rest, but the diameter was 5.5 {+-} 1.1 mm, without significant change, after the procedure. Follow-up perineal ultrasonography after the TVT procedure may be useful for evaluating changes including the PUVA, descent and appearance of the bladder neck.

Maxwell, Yang-Mills, Weyl and eikonal fields defined by any null shear-free congruence

Science.gov (United States)

Kassandrov, Vladimir V.; Rizcallah, Joseph A.

We show that (specifically scaled) equations of shear-free null geodesic congruences on the Minkowski space-time possess intrinsic self-dual, restricted gauge and algebraic structures. The complex eikonal, Weyl 2-spinor, SL(2, ℂ) Yang-Mills and complex Maxwell fields, the latter produced by integer-valued electric charges (“elementary” for the Kerr-like congruences), can all be explicitly associated with any shear-free null geodesic congruence. Using twistor variables, we derive the general solution of the equations of the shear-free null geodesic congruence (as a modification of the Kerr theorem) and analyze the corresponding “particle-like” field distributions, with bounded singularities of the associated physical fields. These can be obtained in a straightforward algebraic way and exhibit nontrivial collective dynamics simulating physical interactions.

Senescence marker protein-30/superoxide dismutase 1 double knockout mice exhibit increased oxidative stress and hepatic steatosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoshitaka Kondo

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1 is an antioxidant enzyme that converts superoxide anion radicals into hydrogen peroxide and molecular oxygen. The senescence marker protein-30 (SMP30 is a gluconolactonase that functions as an antioxidant protein in mammals due to its involvement in ascorbic acid (AA biosynthesis. SMP30 also participates in Ca2+ efflux by activating the calmodulin-dependent Ca2+-pump. To reveal the role of oxidative stress in lipid metabolism defects occurring in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease pathogenesis, we generated SMP30/SOD1-double knockout (SMP30/SOD1-DKO mice and investigated their survival curves, plasma and hepatic lipid profiles, amounts of hepatic oxidative stress, and hepatic protein levels expressed by genes related to lipid metabolism. While SMP30/SOD1-DKO pups had no growth retardation by 14 days of age, they did have low plasma and hepatic AA levels. Thereafter, 39% and 53% of male and female pups died by 15–24 and 89 days of age, respectively. Compared to wild type, SMP30-KO and SOD1-KO mice, by 14 days SMP30/SOD1-DKO mice exhibited: (1 higher plasma levels of triglyceride and aspartate aminotransferase; (2 severe accumulation of hepatic triglyceride and total cholesterol; (3 higher levels of superoxide anion radicals and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in livers; and (4 decreased mRNA and protein levels of Apolipoprotein B (ApoB in livers – ApoB is an essential component of VLDL secretion. These results suggest that high levels of oxidative stress due to concomitant deficiency of SMP30 and/or AA, and SOD1 cause abnormal plasma lipid metabolism, hepatic lipid accumulation and premature death resulting from impaired VLDL secretion.

Effect of benzalkonium chloride-free latanoprost ophthalmic solution on ocular surface in patients with glaucoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Walimbe, Tejaswini; Chelerkar, Vidya; Bhagat, Purvi; Joshi, Abhijeet; Raut, Atul

2016-01-01

Benzalkonium chloride (BAK), included as a preservative in many topical treatments for glaucoma, induces significant toxicity and alters tear breakup time (TBUT). BAK-containing latanoprost, an ester prodrug of prostaglandin F2α, can cause ocular adverse events (AEs) associated with BAK. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of BAK-free latanoprost. A prospective, open-label, single-arm, multicenter, 8-week study in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension taking BAK-containing latanoprost for ≥12 months was performed. Patients were switched to BAK-free latanoprost ophthalmic solution 0.005% administered once daily, and eyes were assessed after 28 and 56 days. Primary efficacy and safety variables were TBUT and treatment-emergent AEs, respectively. At day 56, 40 eyes were evaluable. Mean TBUT increased significantly from baseline (3.67±1.60 seconds) to 5.03±2.64 and 6.06±3.39 seconds after 28 and 56 days of treatment with BAK-free latanoprost (Preduction in conjunctival hyperemia and intraocular pressure was observed at both time points. No treatment-related serious AEs were evident and 12 (26.08%) treatment-emergent AEs occurred in seven patients, with eye pain and irritation being the most frequent. No clinically significant changes in vital signs or slit lamp examinations were observed. Results indicate that switching from BAK-containing latanoprost to BAK-free latanoprost resulted in significant improvements in TBUT, OSDI(©) score, and inferior corneal staining score, and measurable reductions in conjunctival hyperemia score. Furthermore, BAK-free latanoprost was well tolerated with only mild-to-moderate and self-limiting AEs. BAK-free latanoprost appears to be effective in protecting ocular surface integrity in glaucoma patients but further studies are needed to confirm this beneficial effect.

Numerical Solution of Stokes Flow in a Circular Cavity Using Mesh-free Local RBF-DQ

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kutanaai, S Soleimani; Roshan, Naeem; Vosoughi, A

2012-01-01

This work reports the results of a numerical investigation of Stokes flow problem in a circular cavity as an irregular geometry using mesh-free local radial basis function-based differential quadrature (RBF-DQ) method. This method is the combination of differential quadrature approximation of der...... in solution of partial differential equations (PDEs).......This work reports the results of a numerical investigation of Stokes flow problem in a circular cavity as an irregular geometry using mesh-free local radial basis function-based differential quadrature (RBF-DQ) method. This method is the combination of differential quadrature approximation...... is applied on a two-dimensional geometry. The obtained results from the numerical simulations are compared with those gained by previous works. Outcomes prove that the current technique is in very good agreement with previous investigations and this fact that RBF-DQ method is an accurate and flexible method...

Post-flight trajectory reconstruction of suborbital free-flyers using GPS raw data

Science.gov (United States)

Ivchenko, N.; Yuan, Y.; Linden, E.

2017-08-01

This paper describes the reconstruction of postflight trajectories of suborbital free flying units by using logged GPS raw data. We took the reconstruction as a global least squares optimization problem, using both the pseudo-range and Doppler observables, and solved it by using the trust-region-reflective algorithm, which enabled navigational solutions of high accuracy. The code tracking was implemented with a large number of correlators and least squares curve fitting, in order to improve the precision of the code start times, while a more conventional phased lock loop was used for Doppler tracking. We proposed a weighting scheme to account for fast signal strength variation due to free-flier fast rotation, and a penalty for jerk to achieve a smooth solution. We applied these methods to flight data of two suborbital free flying units launched on REXUS 12 sounding rocket, reconstructing the trajectory, receiver clock error and wind up rates. The trajectory exhibits a parabola with the apogee around 80 km, and the velocity profile shows the details of payloadwobbling. The wind up rates obtained match the measurements from onboard angular rate sensors.

Post-flight trajectory reconstruction of suborbital free-flyers using GPS raw data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivchenko N.

2017-08-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the reconstruction of postflight trajectories of suborbital free flying units by using logged GPS raw data. We took the reconstruction as a global least squares optimization problem, using both the pseudo-range and Doppler observables, and solved it by using the trust-region-reflective algorithm, which enabled navigational solutions of high accuracy. The code tracking was implemented with a large number of correlators and least squares curve fitting, in order to improve the precision of the code start times, while a more conventional phased lock loop was used for Doppler tracking. We proposed a weighting scheme to account for fast signal strength variation due to free-flier fast rotation, and a penalty for jerk to achieve a smooth solution. We applied these methods to flight data of two suborbital free flying units launched on REXUS 12 sounding rocket, reconstructing the trajectory, receiver clock error and wind up rates. The trajectory exhibits a parabola with the apogee around 80 km, and the velocity profile shows the details of payloadwobbling. The wind up rates obtained match the measurements from onboard angular rate sensors.

Heart rate variability reveals that a decrease in parasympathetic ('rest-and-digest') activity dominates autonomic stress responses in a free-living seabird.

Science.gov (United States)

Müller, Martina S; Vyssotski, Alexei L; Yamamoto, Maki; Yoda, Ken

2017-10-01

The autonomic stress response, often referred to as the 'fight-or-flight' response, is a highly conserved physiological reaction to stress in vertebrates that occurs via a decrease in parasympathetic (PNS) activity, which promotes self-maintenance 'rest and digest' processes, and an increase in sympathetic (SNS) activity, which prepares an animal for danger ('fight-or-flight'). Though the PNS and SNS both innervate most organs, they often control different tissues and functions within those organs (though the pacemaker of the heart is controlled by both). Moreover the PNS and SNS are regulated independently. Yet until now, most studies of autonomic stress responses in non-model species focused only on the SNS response. We used external electrocardiogram loggers to measure heart rate and heart rate variability indexes that reflect PNS and SNS activity in a seabird, the Streaked Shearwater (Calonectris leucomelas), during the stress of handling, and during recovery in the nest burrow or during restraint in a cloth bag. We show for the first time in a free-living animal that the autonomic stress response is mediated primarily by a rapid decrease in PNS activity: handling stress induced a large and long-lasting depression of PNS 'rest-and-digest' activity that required two hours to recover. We also found evidence for a substantially smaller and shorter-lasting SNS 'fight-or-flight' response. Confinement in a cloth bag was less stressful for birds than handling, but more stressful than recovering in nest burrows. We show that quantifying autonomic activity from heart rate variability is effective for non-invasively studying stress physiology in free-living animals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Solutions of dissimilar material singularity and contact problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Y.

2003-09-01

Due to the mismatch of the material properties of joined components, after a homogeneous temperature change or under a mechanical loading, very high stresses occur near the intersection of the interface and the outer surface, or near the intersection of two interfaces. For most material combinations and joint geometries, there exists even a stress singularity. These high stresses may cause fracture of the joint. The investigation of the stress situation near the singular point, therefore, is of great interest. Especially, the relationship between the singular stress exponent, the material data and joint geometry is important for choosing a suitable material combination and joint geometry. In this work, the singular stress field is described analytically in case of the joint having a real and a complex eigenvalue. Solutions of different singularity problems are given, which are two dissimilar materials joint with free edges; dissimilar materials joint with edge tractions; joint with interface corner; joint with a given displacement at one edge; cracks in dissimilar materials joint; contact problem in dissimilar materials and logarithmic stress singularity. For an arbitrary joint geometry and material combination, the stress singular exponent, the angular function and the regular stress term can be calculated analytically. The stress intensity factors for a finite joint can be determined applying numerical methods, e.g. the finite element method (FEM). The method to determine more than one stress intensity factor is presented. The characteristics of the eigenvalues and the stress intensity factors are shown for different joint conditions. (orig.)

Determination of halogens, silicon, phosphorus, carbon, sulfur, tributyl phosphate and of free acid in uranyl nitrate solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chu Van Vinh

2003-01-01

High-purity uranium compounds are widely used in nuclear field in the form of uranyl nitrate or uranium oxides. In production of uranium material the estimation and the control of products quality is necessary and very important. Halogens was separated from uranium compounds by steam distillation and they were later determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for Cl - , Br - , I - ions. Br - was also determined by spectrophotometric and iodide by the individual pulse polarography. Silicon and phosphorus in uranyl nitrate solutions were determined by the photometric method. Sulfur was determined as sulfate form by the measurement of turbidity by the titrimetry. TBP in kerosene and free acid in aqueous solution were determined by the titration. (author)

Stressing Academia? Stress-as-Offence-to-Self at Danish Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Opstrup, Niels; Pihl-Thingvad, Signe

2016-01-01

Academic work has traditionally been seen as relatively stress free. However, a growing number of studies have reported increases in occupational stress experienced by university researchers. In order to explain stress among this group, we build on a new perspective in occupational stress research: the so-called stress-as-offence-to-self…

Stress, strain, and structural dynamics an interactive handbook of formulas, solutions, and Matlab toolboxes

CERN Document Server

Yang, Bingen

2005-01-01

Stress, Strain, and Structural Dynamics is a comprehensive and definitive reference to statics and dynamics of solids and structures, including mechanics of materials, structural mechanics, elasticity, rigid-body dynamics, vibrations, structural dynamics, and structural controls. This text integrates the development of fundamental theories, formulas and mathematical models with user-friendly interactive computer programs, written in the powerful and popular MATLAB. This unique merger of technical referencing and interactive computing allows instant solution of a variety of engineering problems

Two Hymenophyllaceae species from contrasting natural environments exhibit a homoiochlorophyllous strategy in response to desiccation stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Flores-Bavestrello, Alejandra; Król, Marianna; Ivanov, Alexander G; Hüner, Norman P A; García-Plazaola, José Ignacio; Corcuera, Luis J; Bravo, León A

2016-02-01

Hymenophyllaceae is a desiccation tolerant family of Pteridophytes which are poikilohydric epiphytes. Their fronds are composed by a single layer of cells and lack true mesophyll cells and stomata. Although they are associated with humid and shady environments, their vertical distribution varies along the trunk of the host plant with some species inhabiting the drier sides with a higher irradiance. The aim of this work was to compare the structure and function of the photosynthetic apparatus during desiccation and rehydration in two species, Hymenophyllum dentatum and Hymenoglossum cruentum, isolated from a contrasting vertical distribution along the trunk of their hosts. Both species were subjected to desiccation and rehydration kinetics to analyze frond phenotypic plasticity, as well as the structure, composition and function of the photosynthetic apparatus. Minimal differences in photosynthetic pigments were observed upon dehydration. Measurements of ϕPSII (effective quantum yield of PSII), ϕNPQ (quantum yield of the regulated energy dissipation of PSII), ϕNO (quantum yield of non-regulated energy dissipation of PSII), and TL (thermoluminescence) indicate that both species convert a functional photochemical apparatus into a structure which exhibits maximum quenching capacity in the dehydrated state with minimal changes in photosynthetic pigments and polypeptide compositions. This dehydration-induced conversion in the photosynthetic apparatus is completely reversible upon rehydration. We conclude that H. dentatum and H. cruentum are homoiochlorophyllous with respect to desiccation stress and exhibited no correlation between inherent desiccation tolerance and the vertical distribution along the host tree trunk. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Unusual Salt and pH Induced Changes in Polyethylenimine Solutions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kimberly A Curtis

Full Text Available Linear PEI is a cationic polymer commonly used for complexing DNA into nanoparticles for cell-transfection and gene-therapy applications. The polymer has closely-spaced amines with weak-base protonation capacity, and a hydrophobic backbone that is kept unaggregated by intra-chain repulsion. As a result, in solution PEI exhibits multiple buffering mechanisms, and polyelectrolyte states that shift between aggregated and free forms. We studied the interplay between the aggregation and protonation behavior of 2.5 kDa linear PEI by pH probing, vapor pressure osmometry, dynamic light scattering, and ninhydrin assay. Our results indicate that: At neutral pH, the PEI chains are associated and the addition of NaCl initially reduces and then increases the extent of association.The aggregate form is uncollapsed and co-exists with the free chains.PEI buffering occurs due to continuous or discontinuous charging between stalled states.Ninhydrin assay tracks the number of unprotonated amines in PEI.The size of PEI-DNA complexes is not significantly affected by the free vs. aggregated state of the PEI polymer. Despite its simple chemical structure, linear PEI displays intricate solution dynamics, which can be harnessed for environment-sensitive biomaterials and for overcoming current challenges with DNA delivery.

Deposition of stress free c-axis oriented LiNbO{sub 3} thin film grown on (002) ZnO coated Si substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shandilya, Swati; Gupta, Vinay [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India); Tomar, Monika [Miranda House, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India)

2012-05-15

C-axis oriented lithium niobate thin films have been deposited on Si substrate using RF sputtering technique. A thin buffer layer of c-axis (002) oriented ZnO on Si substrate has been used as a nucleating layer to promote the growth of (006) oriented LiNbO{sub 3} film. The processing gas composition and pressure are found to be very critical in obtaining stress free LiNbO{sub 3} film having desired (006) orientation. The LiNbO{sub 3} films deposited under unique combination of sputtering pressure (10 mTorr) and argon percentage (80%) in reactive gas (Ar + O{sub 2}) composition become almost stress free having lattice parameter (1.3867 A) close to the bulk value. The observed variation in the structural properties and optical phonon modes observed by Raman spectroscopic studies of the oriented LiNbO{sub 3} thin film with stress has been correlated with growth kinetics.

The effect of tensile stress on the conformational free energy landscape of disulfide bonds.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Padmesh Anjukandi

Full Text Available Disulfide bridges are no longer considered to merely stabilize protein structure, but are increasingly recognized to play a functional role in many regulatory biomolecular processes. Recent studies have uncovered that the redox activity of native disulfides depends on their C-C-S-S dihedrals, χ2 and χ'2. Moreover, the interplay of chemical reactivity and mechanical stress of disulfide switches has been recently elucidated using force-clamp spectroscopy and computer simulation. The χ2 and χ'2 angles have been found to change from conformations that are open to nucleophilic attack to sterically hindered, so-called closed states upon exerting tensile stress. In view of the growing evidence of the importance of C-C-S-S dihedrals in tuning the reactivity of disulfides, here we present a systematic study of the conformational diversity of disulfides as a function of tensile stress. With the help of force-clamp metadynamics simulations, we show that tensile stress brings about a large stabilization of the closed conformers, thereby giving rise to drastic changes in the conformational free energy landscape of disulfides. Statistical analysis shows that native TDi, DO and interchain Ig protein disulfides prefer open conformations, whereas the intrachain disulfide bridges in Ig proteins favor closed conformations. Correlating mechanical stress with the distance between the two a-carbons of the disulfide moiety reveals that the strain of intrachain Ig protein disulfides corresponds to a mechanical activation of about 100 pN. Such mechanical activation leads to a severalfold increase of the rate of the elementary redox S(N2 reaction step. All these findings constitute a step forward towards achieving a full understanding of functional disulfides.

Gauge field theoretic solution of a uniformly moving screw dislocation and admissibility of supersonic speeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, P.; Zhang, X.

2006-01-01

The failure of classical elasticity to address dislocation behavior spatially close to its core and (in Lorentz-type fashion) near the speed of sound is well known. In gauge field theory of defects, the latter are not postulated a priori in an ad hoc fashion rather defects such as dislocations arise naturally as a consequence of broken translational symmetry exhibiting solutions that are physically meaningful (e.g., removal of divergence of stress and the natural emergence of a core making redundant the artificial cut-off radius). In the present work we present the gauge field theoretic solution to the problem of a uniformly moving screw dislocation. Apart from the formal derivations, we show that stress divergence at the core of the dislocation is removed at all time and (consistent with atomistic simulations), supersonic states are found to be admissible

Bias-stress characterization of solution-processed organic field-effect transistor based on highly ordered liquid crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Kunii, M.; Iino, H.; Hanna, J.

2017-06-01

Bias-stress effects in solution-processed, 2-decyl-7-phenyl-[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (Ph-BTBT-10) field effect transistors (FETs) are studied under negative and positive direct current bias. The bottom gate, bottom contact polycrystalline Ph-BTBT-10 FET with a hybrid gate dielectric of polystyrene and SiO2 shows high field effect mobility as well as a steep subthreshold slope when fabricated with a highly ordered smectic E liquid crystalline (SmE) film as a precursor. Negative gate bias-stress causes negative threshold voltage shift (ΔVth) for Ph-BTBT-10 FET in ambient air, but ΔVth rapidly decreases as the gate bias decreases and approaches to near zero when the gate bias goes down to 9 V in amplitude. In contrast, positive gate bias-stress causes negligible ΔVth even with a relatively high bias voltage. These results conclude that Ph-BTBT-10 FET has excellent bias-stress stability in ambient air in the range of low to moderate operating voltages.

Analysis of Zero Reynolds Shear Stress Appearing in Dilute Surfactant Drag-Reducing Flow

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weiguo Gu

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Dilute surfactant solution of 25 ppm in the two-dimensional channel is investigated experimentally compared with water flow. Particle image velocimetry (PIV system is used to take 2D velocity frames in the streamwise and wall-normal plane. Based on the frames of instantaneous vectors and statistical results, the phenomenon of zero Reynolds shear stress appearing in the drag-reducing flow is discussed. It is found that 25 ppm CTAC solution exhibits the highest drag reduction at Re = 25000 and loses drag reduction completely at Re = 40000. When drag reduction lies in the highest, Reynolds shear stress disappears and reaches zero although the RMS of the velocity fluctuations is not zero. By the categorization in four quadrants, the fluctuations of 25 ppm CTAC solution are distributed in all four quadrants equally at Re = 25000, which indicates that turnaround transportation happens in drag-reducing flow besides Reynolds shear stress transportation. Moreover, the contour distribution of streamwise velocity and the fluctuations suggests that turbulence transportation is depressed in drag-reducing flow. The viscoelasticity is possible to decrease the turbulence transportation and cause the turnaround transportation.

Weight functions for the determination of stress intensity factor and T-stress for edge-cracked plates with built-in ends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, J.; Wang, X.; Tan, C.L.

2004-01-01

This paper presents the weight functions for the determination of the stress intensity factor and T-stress solutions for edge-cracked plates with built-in ends under complex stress distributions. First, a compliance analysis approach is used to calculate stress intensity factor and T-stress for edge cracks in finite width plates with built-in ends with uniform or linear stress distributions acting on the crack face. The results serve as the reference solutions for the next step in which the approaches of deriving weight functions from reference stress intensity factor and T-stress solutions developed for stress boundary conditions are extended to obtain the corresponding weight functions for edge-cracked plates with built-in ends. Finite element analysis is conducted to validate the derived solutions. The weight functions derived are suitable for obtaining stress intensity factors and T-stress solutions under any complex stress field

Relating Structure to Efficiency in Surfactant-Free Polymer/Fullerene Nanoparticle-Based Organic Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Gärtner, Stefan; Clulow, Andrew J; Howard, Ian A; Gilbert, Elliot P; Burn, Paul L; Gentle, Ian R; Colsmann, Alexander

2017-12-13

Nanoparticle dispersions open up an ecofriendly route toward printable organic solar cells. They can be formed from a variety of organic semiconductors by using miniemulsions that employ surfactants to stabilize the nanoparticles in dispersion and to prevent aggregation. However, whenever surfactant-based nanoparticle dispersions have been used to fabricate solar cells, the reported performances remain moderate. In contrast, solar cells from nanoparticle dispersions formed by precipitation (without surfactants) can exhibit power conversion efficiencies close to those of state-of-the-art solar cells processed from blend solutions using chlorinated solvents. In this work, we use small-angle neutron scattering measurements and transient absorption spectroscopy to investigate why surfactant-free nanoparticles give rise to efficient organic solar cells. We show that surfactant-free nanoparticles comprise a uniform distribution of small semiconductor domains, similar to that of bulk-heterojunction films formed using traditional solvent processing. This observation differs from surfactant-based miniemulsion nanoparticles that typically exhibit core-shell structures. Hence, the surfactant-free nanoparticles already possess the optimum morphology for efficient energy conversion before they are assembled into the photoactive layer of a solar cell. This structural property underpins the superior performance of the solar cells containing surfactant-free nanoparticles and is an important design criterion for future nanoparticle inks.

Studying the Super-cooled Solid Solution Breakdown of V-1341 Aluminum Alloy

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Yu. A. Puchkov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Deformable alloys of the Al-Mg-Si system are widely used in aviation industry, rocket engineering, shipbuilding, as well as on railway and highway transport. These alloys are characterized by high stamping ability, weld-ability, and machinability with a comparatively high strength and corrosion resistance in a heat-strengthened state. A promising alloy of the Al-Mg-Si system with increased structural strength and manufacturability is on par with foreign analogues in properties is the V-1341 alloy [1, 2].The properties of heat-treatable aluminum alloys strongly depend on the cooling rate of the product during quenching [3-12], which determines the structure and level of residual stresses. Decrease in structural strength, tendency to pitting and inter-crystalline corrosion with slow cooling from the quenching temperature is caused by formation of coarse unequiaxed precipitate, precipitates-free zones, and also by decreasing proportion of inclusions of the strengthening phase [3-12].Thus, the relevant task is to study the effect of isothermal quenching modes on the structure of deformable V-1341 aluminum alloy thermally hardened.The paper studies the impact of isothermal time in quenching on the composition and morphology of breakdown products of the V-1341 alloy solid solution. It is shown that at isothermal time under the solid solution breakdown, at first on the dispersoid surface and then in the solid solution are formed and grow large needle-like crystals of the β'-phase which are structural concentrators of stresses. An increasing isothermal time leads to decreasing solid solution super-saturation by doping elements and vacancies. This leads to a decrease in the fraction of the coherent finely dispersed hardening β '' phase, and also to an increase in the width of the precipitates-free zone.

Asymptotic stability of shear-flow solutions to incompressible viscous free boundary problems with and without surface tension

Science.gov (United States)

Tice, Ian

2018-04-01

This paper concerns the dynamics of a layer of incompressible viscous fluid lying above a rigid plane and with an upper boundary given by a free surface. The fluid is subject to a constant external force with a horizontal component, which arises in modeling the motion of such a fluid down an inclined plane, after a coordinate change. We consider the problem both with and without surface tension for horizontally periodic flows. This problem gives rise to shear-flow equilibrium solutions, and the main thrust of this paper is to study the asymptotic stability of the equilibria in certain parameter regimes. We prove that there exists a parameter regime in which sufficiently small perturbations of the equilibrium at time t=0 give rise to global-in-time solutions that return to equilibrium exponentially in the case with surface tension and almost exponentially in the case without surface tension. We also establish a vanishing surface tension limit, which connects the solutions with and without surface tension.

Ergodicity, configurational entropy and free energy in pigment solutions and plant photosystems: influence of excited state lifetime.

Science.gov (United States)

Jennings, Robert C; Zucchelli, Giuseppe

2014-01-01

We examine ergodicity and configurational entropy for a dilute pigment solution and for a suspension of plant photosystem particles in which both ground and excited state pigments are present. It is concluded that the pigment solution, due to the extreme brevity of the excited state lifetime, is non-ergodic and the configurational entropy approaches zero. Conversely, due to the rapid energy transfer among pigments, each photosystem is ergodic and the configurational entropy is positive. This decreases the free energy of the single photosystem pigment array by a small amount. On the other hand, the suspension of photosystems is non-ergodic and the configurational entropy approaches zero. The overall configurational entropy which, in principle, includes contributions from both the single excited photosystems and the suspension which contains excited photosystems, also approaches zero. Thus the configurational entropy upon photon absorption by either a pigment solution or a suspension of photosystem particles is approximately zero. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Solute strengthening of both mobile and forest dislocations: The origin of dynamic strain aging in fcc metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soare, M.A.; Curtin, W.A.

2008-01-01

A full rate-dependent constitutive theory for dynamic strain aging is developed based on two key ideas. The first idea is that both solute strengthening and forest strengthening must exist and must exhibit aging phenomena. The second idea is that a single physical aging mechanism, cross-core diffusion within a dislocation core, controls the aging of both the solute and forest strengthening mechanisms. All the material parameters in the model, apart from forest dislocation density evolution parameters, are derivable from atomistic-scale studies so that the theory contains essentially no adjustable parameters. The model predicts the steady-state stress/strain/strain-rate/temperature/concentration dependent material response for a variety of Al-Mg alloys, including negative strain-rate sensitivity, in qualitative and quantitative agreement with available experiments. The model also reveals the origin of non-additivity of solute and forest strengthening, and explains observed non-standard transient stress behavior in strain-rate jump tests

Determination of free acid in U(VI)-Al(III) solution by Gran plot titration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suh, Moo Yul; Lee, Chang Heon; Sohn, Se Chul; Kim, Jung Suk; Kim, Won Ho; Eom, Tae Yoon

1999-01-01

The determination method of free acid in spent U-Al nuclear fuel solutions by Gran plot titration was described. Effect of U(VI) and Al(III) on the alkalimetric titration of nitric acid was investigation in oxalate complexing media as well as in noncomplexing media. Positive biases were observed in both titration media when the end-point was estimated by the Gran plot method. It was found that the cause of the bias was U(VI) in the oxalate complexing media, but Al(III) in the noncomplexing media. The relative error was less than 1% in the titration of 0.1 M HNO 3 at a U(VI):Al(III):H + mole ratio of up to 2:12:1 as long as the pH of the oxalate titration media was sustained to be below 5.0 at the beginning of titration. The method was successfully applied to the determination of nitric acid in a solution of HANARO reactor fuel with U:Al mole ratio of 1:6

Analytical Solution for Stress Field and Intensity Factor in CSTBD under Mixed Mode Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Najaf Ali Ghavidel

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Considering the fact that rocks fail faster under tensile stress, rock tensile strength is of greatimportance in applications such as blasting, rock fragmentation, slope stability, hydraulic fracturing,caprock integrity, and geothermal energy extraction. There are two direct and indirect methods tomeasure tensile strength. Since direct methods always encompass difficulties in test setup, indirectmethods, specifically the Brazilian test, have often been employed for tensile strength measurement.Tensile failure is technically attributed to crack propagation in rock. Fracture mechanics hassignificant potential for the determination of crack behaviour as well as propagation pattern. To applyBrazilian tests, cracked disc geometry has been suggested by the International Society for RockMechanics ISRM. Accordingly, a comprehensive study is necessary to evaluate stress field and stressintensity factor (SIF around the crack in the centre of the specimen. In this paper, superpositionprinciple is employed to solve the problem of cracked straight-through Brazilian disc (CSTBD, usingtwo methods of dislocation and complex stress function. Stress field and SIF in the vicinity of thecrack tip are then calculated. With the proposed method, the magnitude of critical load for crackinitiation in structures can be predicted. This method is valid for any crack of any arbitrary length andangle. In addition, numerical modelling has been carried out for the Brazilian disc. Finally, theanalytical solution has been compared with numerical modelling results showing the same outcomefor both methods.

Fundamental solutions in piezoelectricity. Penny-shaped crack solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dyka, Ewa; Rogowski, Bogdan

2006-01-01

The problem of electroelasticity for piezoelectric materials is considered. For axially symmetric states three potentials are introduced, which determine the displacements, the electric potentials, the stresses, the components of the electric field vector and the electric displacements in a piezoelectric body. These fundamental solutions are utilized to solve the penny-shaped crack problem. Two cases of boundary-value problems are considered, namely the permeable and impermeable crack boundary conditions. Exact solutions are obtained for elastic and electric fields. The main results are the stress intensity factor for singular stress and the electric displacement intensity factor. The numerical results are presented graphically to show the influence of applied mechanical and electrical loading on the analyzed quantities and to clarify the effect of anisotropy of piezoelectric materials. It is show that the influence of anisotropy of the materials on these fields is significant

Analysis of initial changes in the proteins of soybean root tip under flooding stress using gel-free and gel-based proteomic techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Xiaojian; Sakata, Katsumi; Nanjo, Yohei; Komatsu, Setsuko

2014-06-25

Flooding has a severe negative effect on soybean cultivation in the early stages of growth. To obtain a better understanding of the response mechanisms of soybean to flooding stress, initial changes in root tip proteins under flooding were analyzed using two proteomic techniques. Two-day-old soybeans were treated with flooding for 3, 6, 12, and 24h. The weight of soybeans increased during the first 3h of flooding, but root elongation was not observed. Using gel-based and gel-free proteomic techniques, 115 proteins were identified in root tips, of which 9 proteins were commonly detected by both methods. The 71 proteins identified by the gel-free proteomics were analyzed by a hierarchical clustering method based on induction levels during the flooding, and the proteins were divided into 5 clusters. Additional interaction analysis of the proteins revealed that ten proteins belonging to cluster I formed the center of a protein interaction network. mRNA expression analysis of these ten proteins showed that citrate lyase and heat shock protein 70 were down-regulated, whereas calreticulin was up-regulated in initial phase of flooding. These results suggest that flooding stress to soybean induces calcium-related signal transduction, which might play important roles in the early responses to flooding. Flooding has a severe negative effect on soybean cultivation, particularly in the early stages of growth. To better understand the response mechanisms of soybean to the early stages of flooding stress, two proteomic techniques were used. Two-day-old soybeans were treated without or with flooding for 3, 6, 12, and 24h. The fresh weight of soybeans increased during the first 3h of flooding stress, but the growth then slowed and no root elongation was observed. Using gel-based and gel-free proteomic techniques, 115 proteins were identified in root tips, of which 9 proteins were commonly detected by both methods. The 71 proteins identified by the gel-free proteomics were analyzed

Ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of lead-free BaTiO{sub 3} doped Bi{sub 0.5}Na{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3} thin films from metal-organic solution deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Acharya, Susant Kumar [Division of Advanced Materials Engineering, Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Research Center, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561-756 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Semiconductor Science and Technology, Basic Research Laboratory (BRL), Semiconductor Physics Research Center (SPRC), Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561-756 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Sang-Kwon; Hyung, Jung-Hwan [Department of Semiconductor Science and Technology, Basic Research Laboratory (BRL), Semiconductor Physics Research Center (SPRC), Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561-756 (Korea, Republic of); Yang, Yun-Ho; Kim, Bok-Hee [Division of Advanced Materials Engineering, Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Research Center, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561-756 (Korea, Republic of); Ahn, Byung-Guk, E-mail: bkahn@jbnu.ac.kr [Division of Advanced Materials Engineering, Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Research Center, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561-756 (Korea, Republic of)

2012-11-05

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Lead-free BNT-BT thin films from an optimized metal-organic solution deposition. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Phase and microstructure evolution with annealing temperature. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A relatively low leakage current density. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Good dielectric constant of 613 at a frequency of 1 kHz. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer High remanent polarization and piezoelectric constant comparable to PZT thin films. - Abstract: Lead-free 0.94Bi{sub 0.5}Na{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3}-0.06BaTiO{sub 3} (BNT-BT) piezoelectric thin films were prepared by metal-organic solution deposition onto a Pt/Ti/SiO{sub 2}/Si substrate. A dense and well crystallized thin film with a perovskite phase was obtained by annealing these films at 700 Degree-Sign C. Atomic force microscopy showed that these films were smooth and crack-free with an average grain size on the order of 200 nm. Thin films of 356 nm thickness exhibited a small signal dielectric constant and a loss tangent at 1 kHz of 613 and 0.044, respectively. Ferroelectric hysteresis measurements indicated a remanent polarization value of 21.5 {mu}C/cm{sup 2} with a coercive field of 164.5 kV/cm. The leakage current density of the thin film was 4.08 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -4} A/cm{sup 2} at an applied electric field of 200 kV/cm. A typical butterfly-shaped piezoresponse loop was observed and the effective piezoelectric coefficient (d{sub 33}) of the BNT-BT thin film was approximately 51.6 pm/V.

Transient thermal stresses in multiple connected region exhibiting temperature dependence of material properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugano, Yoshihiro; Maekawa, Toshiya.

1983-01-01

The examples of the analysis of thermal stress in multiple connection regions such as heat exchangers, nuclear reactor cores, ingot cases and polygonal region with elliptic holes are not few, but the temperature dependence of material constants was neglected in these researches because of the difficulty of analysis though the industrial problems related to thermal stress are apt to occur in the condition of relatively large temperature gradient. Also, the analysis of heat conduction problems taking the temperature dependence of material constants into account was limited to one-dimensional problems for which Kirchhoff's transmission can be used. The purpose of this study is to derive the equation of condition which assures the one-value property of rotation and displacement, taking the temperature dependence of material constants into account, and to complete the formulation of the plane thermal stress problems in multiple connection regions by stress function method. Also the method of numerical analysis using difference method is shown to examine the effectiveness of various formulated equations and the effect of the temperature dependence of material constants on temperature and thermal stress. The example of numerical calculation on a thin rectangular plate with a rectangular hole is shown. (Kako, I.)

Metal-free, single-polymer device exhibits resistive memory effect

KAUST Repository

Bhansali, Unnat Sampatraj; Khan, Yasser; Cha, Dong Kyu; Almadhoun, Mahmoud N.; Li, Ruipeng; Chen, Long; Amassian, Aram; Odeh, Ihab N.; Alshareef, Husam N.

2013-01-01

All-polymer, write-once-read-many times resistive memory devices have been fabricated on flexible substrates using a single polymer, poly(3,4- ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS). Spin-cast or inkjet-printed films of solvent-modified PEDOT:PSS are used as electrodes, while the unmodified or as-is PEDOT:PSS is used as the semiconducting active layer. The all-polymer devices exhibit an irreversible but stable transition from a low resistance state (ON) to a high resistance state (OFF) at low voltages caused by an electric-field-induced morphological rearrangement of PEDOT and PSS at the electrode interface. However, in the metal-PEDOT:PSS-metal devices, we have shown a metal filament formation switching the device from an initial high resistance state (OFF) to the low resistance state (ON). The all-PEDOT:PSS memory device has low write voltages (<3 V), high ON/OFF ratio (>10 3), good retention characteristics (>10 000 s), and stability in ambient storage (>3 months). © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Metal-free, single-polymer device exhibits resistive memory effect

KAUST Repository

Bhansali, Unnat Sampatraj

2013-12-23

All-polymer, write-once-read-many times resistive memory devices have been fabricated on flexible substrates using a single polymer, poly(3,4- ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS). Spin-cast or inkjet-printed films of solvent-modified PEDOT:PSS are used as electrodes, while the unmodified or as-is PEDOT:PSS is used as the semiconducting active layer. The all-polymer devices exhibit an irreversible but stable transition from a low resistance state (ON) to a high resistance state (OFF) at low voltages caused by an electric-field-induced morphological rearrangement of PEDOT and PSS at the electrode interface. However, in the metal-PEDOT:PSS-metal devices, we have shown a metal filament formation switching the device from an initial high resistance state (OFF) to the low resistance state (ON). The all-PEDOT:PSS memory device has low write voltages (<3 V), high ON/OFF ratio (>10 3), good retention characteristics (>10 000 s), and stability in ambient storage (>3 months). © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Low-cost label-free electrical detection of artificial DNA nanostructures using solution-processed oxide thin-film transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Si Joon; Jung, Joohye; Lee, Keun Woo; Yoon, Doo Hyun; Jung, Tae Soo; Dugasani, Sreekantha Reddy; Park, Sung Ha; Kim, Hyun Jae

2013-11-13

A high-sensitivity, label-free method for detecting deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) using solution-processed oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs) was developed. Double-crossover (DX) DNA nanostructures with different concentrations of divalent Cu ion (Cu(2+)) were immobilized on an In-Ga-Zn-O (IGZO) back-channel surface, which changed the electrical performance of the IGZO TFTs. The detection mechanism of the IGZO TFT-based DNA biosensor is attributed to electron trapping and electrostatic interactions caused by negatively charged phosphate groups on the DNA backbone. Furthermore, Cu(2+) in DX DNA nanostructures generates a current path when a gate bias is applied. The direct effect on the electrical response implies that solution-processed IGZO TFTs could be used to realize low-cost and high-sensitivity DNA biosensors.

Evolution of material properties during free radical photopolymerization

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jiangtao; Zhao, Zeang; Hamel, Craig M.; Mu, Xiaoming; Kuang, Xiao; Guo, Zaoyang; Qi, H. Jerry

2018-03-01

Photopolymerization is a widely used polymerization method in many engineering applications such as coating, dental restoration, and 3D printing. It is a complex chemical and physical process, through which a liquid monomer solution is rapidly converted to a solid polymer. In the most common free-radical photopolymerization process, the photoinitiator in the solution is exposed to light and decomposes into active radicals, which attach to monomers to start the polymerization reaction. The activated monomers then attack Cdbnd C double bonds of unsaturated monomers, which leads to the growth of polymer chains. With increases in the polymer chain length and the average molecular weight, polymer chains start to connect and form a network structure, and the liquid polymer solution becomes a dense solid. During this process, the material properties of the cured polymer change dramatically. In this paper, experiments and theoretical modeling are used to investigate the free-radical photopolymerization reaction kinetics, material property evolution and mechanics during the photopolymerization process. The model employs the first order chemical reaction rate equations to calculate the variation of the species concentrations. The degree of monomer conversion is used as an internal variable that dictates the mechanical properties of the cured polymer at different curing states, including volume shrinkage, glass transition temperature, and nonlinear viscoelastic properties. To capture the nonlinear behavior of the cured polymer under low temperature and finite deformation, a multibranch nonlinear viscoelastic model is developed. A phase evolution model is used to describe the mechanics of the coupling between the crosslink network evolution and mechanical loading during the curing process. The comparison of the model and the experimental results indicates that the model can capture property changes during curing. The model is further applied to investigate the internal stress

Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command exhibit

Science.gov (United States)

2000-01-01

Designed to entertain while educating, StenniSphere at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, Miss., includes informative displays and exhibits from NASA and other agencies located at Stennis, such as this one from the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. Visitors can 'travel' three-dimensionally under the sea and check on the weather back home in the Weather Center. StenniSphere is open free of charge from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Development of three-dimensional ENRICHED FREE MESH METHOD and its application to crack analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Hayato; Matsubara, Hitoshi; Ezawa, Yoshitaka; Yagawa, Genki

2010-01-01

In this paper, we describe a method for three-dimensional high accurate analysis of a crack included in a large-scale structure. The Enriched Free Mesh Method (EFMM) is a method for improving the accuracy of the Free Mesh Method (FMM), which is a kind of meshless method. First, we developed an algorithm of the three-dimensional EFMM. The elastic problem was analyzed using the EFMM and we find that its accuracy compares advantageously with the FMM, and the number of CG iterations is smaller. Next, we developed a method for calculating the stress intensity factor by employing the EFMM. The structure with a crack was analyzed using the EFMM, and the stress intensity factor was calculated by the developed method. The analysis results were very well in agreement with reference solution. It was shown that the proposed method is very effective in the analysis of the crack included in a large-scale structure. (author)

Giant piezoelectricity in potassium-sodium niobate lead-free ceramics.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiaopeng; Wu, Jiagang; Xiao, Dingquan; Zhu, Jianguo; Cheng, Xiaojing; Zheng, Ting; Zhang, Binyu; Lou, Xiaojie; Wang, Xiangjian

2014-02-19

Environment protection and human health concern is the driving force to eliminate the lead from commercial piezoelectric materials. In 2004, Saito et al. [ Saito et al., Nature , 2004 , 432 , 84 . ] developed an alkali niobate-based perovskite solid solution with a peak piezoelectric constant d33 of 416 pC/N when prepared in the textured polycrystalline form, intriguing the enthusiasm of developing high-performance lead-free piezoceramics. Although much attention has been paid on the alkali niobate-based system in the past ten years, no significant breakthrough in its d33 has yet been attained. Here, we report an alkali niobate-based lead-free piezoceramic with the largest d33 of ∼490 pC/N ever reported so far using conventional solid-state method. In addition, this material system also exhibits excellent integrated performance with d33∼390-490 pC/N and TC∼217-304 °C by optimizing the compositions. This giant d33 of the alkali niobate-based lead-free piezoceramics is ascribed to not only the construction of a new rhombohedral-tetragonal phase boundary but also enhanced dielectric and ferroelectric properties. Our finding may pave the way for "lead-free at last".

Stress corrosion cracking of nickel alloys in bicarbonate and chloride solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ares, A. E.; Carranza, R. M.; Giordano, C. M.; Zadorozne, N. S.; Rebak, R.B.

2013-01-01

Alloy 22 is one of the candidates for the manufacture of high level radioactive waste containers. These containers provide services in natural environments characterized by multi-ionics solutions, it is estimated they could suffer three types of deterioration: general corrosion, localized corrosion (crevice corrosion) and stress corrosion cracking (SCC). It has been confirmed that the presence of bicarbonate at temperatures above 60°C and applied potentials around +400 mVSCE are necessary in order to produce cracking, . This susceptibility may be associated to the instability of the passive film formed and to the formation of an anodic current peak in the polarization curves in these media. Until now, it is unclear the role played by each alloying element (Ni, Cr or Mo) in the SCC susceptibility of Alloy 22 in these media The aim of this work is to evaluate the SCC susceptibility of nickel-based alloys in media containing bicarbonate and chloride ions, at high temperature. Slow Strain Rate Testing (SSRT) was conducted to samples of different alloys: 22 (Ni-Cr-Mo), 600 (Ni-Cr-Fe), 800H (Ni-Fe-Cr) y 201 (99.5% Ni).This tests were conducted in 1.1 mol/L NaHCO 3 +1.5 mol/L NaCl a 90°C and different applied potentials (+200mVSCE,+300 mVSCE, +400 mVSCE). These results were complemented with those obtained in a previous work, where we studied the anodic electrochemical behavior of nickel base alloys under the same conditions. It was found that alloy 22 showed a current peak in a potential range between +200 mVSCE and +300 mVSCE when immersed in bicarbonate ions containing solutions. This peak was attributed to the presence of chromium in the alloys. The SSRT showed that only alloy 22 has a clear indication of stress corrosion cracking. The current results suggested that the presence of an anodic peak in the polarization curves was not a sufficient condition for cracking. (author)

Efficient multiscale magnetic-domain analysis of iron-core material under mechanical stress

Science.gov (United States)

Nishikubo, Atsushi; Ito, Shumpei; Mifune, Takeshi; Matsuo, Tetsuji; Kaido, Chikara; Takahashi, Yasuhito; Fujiwara, Koji

2018-05-01

For an efficient analysis of magnetization, a partial-implicit solution method is improved using an assembled domain structure model with six-domain mesoscopic particles exhibiting pinning-type hysteresis. The quantitative analysis of non-oriented silicon steel succeeds in predicting the stress dependence of hysteresis loss with computation times greatly reduced by using the improved partial-implicit method. The effect of cell division along the thickness direction is also evaluated.

A thin rivulet or ridge subject to a uniform transverse shear stress at its free surface due to an external airflow

KAUST Repository

Sullivan, J. M.; Paterson, C.; Wilson, S. K.; Duffy, B. R.

2012-01-01

We use the lubrication approximation to analyze three closely related problems involving a thin rivulet or ridge (i.e., a two-dimensional droplet) of fluid subject to a prescribed uniform transverse shear stress at its free surface due

Cells exposed to nanosecond electrical pulses exhibit biomarkers of mechanical stress

Science.gov (United States)

Roth, Caleb C.; Barnes, Ronald A.; Ibey, Bennett L.; Beier, Hope T.; Moen, Erick K.; Glickman, Randolph D.

2015-03-01

Exposure of cells to very short (stressors on a cell, including electrical, electro-chemical, and mechanical stress. Thus, nsEP exposure is not a "clean" insult, making determination of the mechanism of nanoporation quite difficult. We hypothesize that nsEP exposure creates acoustic shock waves capable of causing nanoporation. Microarray analysis of primary adult human dermal fibroblasts (HDFa) exposed to nsEP, indicated several genes associated with mechanical stress were selectively upregulated 4 h post exposure. The idea that nanoporation is caused by external mechanical force from acoustic shock waves has, to our knowledge, not been investigated. This work will critically challenge the existing paradigm that nanoporation is caused solely by an electric-field driven event and could provide the basis for a plausible explanation for electroporation.

Deformation behavior, corrosion resistance, and cytotoxicity of Ni-free Zr-based bulk metallic glasses.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, L; Qiu, C L; Chen, Q; Chan, K C; Zhang, S M

2008-07-01

Two Ni-free bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) of Zr(60)Nb(5)Cu(22.5)Pd(5)Al(7.5) and Zr(60)Nb(5)Cu(20)Fe(5)Al(10) were successfully prepared by arc-melting and copper mold casting. The thermal stability and crystallization were studied using differential scanning calorimetry. It demonstrates that the two BMGs exhibit very good glass forming ability with a wide supercooled liquid region. A multi-step process of crystallization with a preferential formation of quasicrystals occurred in both BMGs under continuous heating. The deformation behavior of the two BMGs was investigated using quasi-static compression testing. It reveals that the BMGs exhibit not only superior strength but also an extended plasticity. Corrosion behaviors of the BMGs were investigated in phosphate buffered solution by electrochemical polarization. The result shows that the two BMGs exhibit excellent corrosion resistance characterized by low corrosion current densities and wide passive regions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis revealed that the passive film formed after anodic polarization was highly enriched in zirconium, niobium, and aluminum oxides. This is attributed to the excellent corrosion resistance. Additionally, the potential cytotoxicity of the two Ni-free BMGs was evaluated through cell culture for 1 week followed by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl-)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and SEM observation. The results indicate that the two Ni-free BMGs exhibit as good biocompatibility as Ti-6Al-4V alloy, and thus show a promising potential for biomedical applications. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Targeting DNA Replication Stress for Cancer Therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun Zhang

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The human cellular genome is under constant stress from extrinsic and intrinsic factors, which can lead to DNA damage and defective replication. In normal cells, DNA damage response (DDR mediated by various checkpoints will either activate the DNA repair system or induce cellular apoptosis/senescence, therefore maintaining overall genomic integrity. Cancer cells, however, due to constitutive growth signaling and defective DDR, may exhibit “replication stress” —a phenomenon unique to cancer cells that is described as the perturbation of error-free DNA replication and slow-down of DNA synthesis. Although replication stress has been proven to induce genomic instability and tumorigenesis, recent studies have counterintuitively shown that enhancing replicative stress through further loosening of the remaining checkpoints in cancer cells to induce their catastrophic failure of proliferation may provide an alternative therapeutic approach. In this review, we discuss the rationale to enhance replicative stress in cancer cells, past approaches using traditional radiation and chemotherapy, and emerging approaches targeting the signaling cascades induced by DNA damage. We also summarize current clinical trials exploring these strategies and propose future research directions including the use of combination therapies, and the identification of potential new targets and biomarkers to track and predict treatment responses to targeting DNA replication stress.

The influence of quench sensitivity on residual stresses in the aluminium alloys 7010 and 7075

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinson, J.S.; Tanner, D.A.; Truman, C.E.; Paradowska, A.M.; Wimpory, R.C.

2012-01-01

The most critical stage in the heat treatment of high strength aluminium alloys is the rapid cooling necessary to form a supersaturated solid solution. A disadvantage of quenching is that the thermal gradients can be sufficient to cause inhomogeneous plastic deformation which in turn leads to the development of large residual stresses. Two 215 mm thick rectilinear forgings have been made from 7000 series alloys with widely different quench sensitivity to determine if solute loss in the form of precipitation during quenching can significantly affect residual stress magnitudes. The forgings were heat treated and immersion quenched using cold water to produce large magnitude residual stresses. The through thickness residual stresses were measured by neutron diffraction and incremental deep hole drilling. The distribution of residual stresses was found to be similar for both alloys varying from highly triaxial and tensile in the interior, to a state of biaxial compression in the surface. The 7010 forging exhibited larger tensile stresses in the interior. The microstructural variation from surface to centre for both forgings was determined using optical and transmission electron microscopy. These observations were used to confirm the origin of the hardness variation measured through the forging thickness. When the microstructural changes were accounted for in the through thickness lattice parameter, the residual stresses in the two forgings were found to be very similar. Solute loss in the 7075 forging appeared to have no significant effect on the residual stress magnitudes when compared to 7010. - Highlights: ► Through thickness residual stress measurements made on large Al alloy forgings. ► Residual stress characterised using neutron diffraction and deep hole drilling. ► Biaxial compressive surface and triaxial subsurface residual stresses. ► Quench sensitivity of 7075 promotes significant microstructural differences to 7010. ► When precipitation is

Transfer functions for solid-solution partitioning of cadmium, copper, nickel, lead and zinc in soils. Derivation of relationships for free metal ion activities and validation with independent data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Groenenberg, J.E.; Roemkens, P.F.A.M.; De Vries, W. [Soil Science Centre, Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen (Netherlands); Comans, R.N.J. [Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands, P.O. Box 1, 1755 ZG Petten (Netherlands); Luster, J. [Research Unit Soil Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Zuercherstrasse 111 CH-8903 Birmensdorf (Switzerland); Pampura, T. [Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Soils, Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science RAS, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290 (Russian Federation); Shotbolt, L. [Department of Geography, Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS (United Kingdom); Tipping, E. [Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4AP (United Kingdom)

2010-07-01

Models to predict the solid-solution partitioning of trace metals are important tools in risk assessment, providing information on the biological availability of metals and their leaching. Empirically based models, or transfer functions, published to date differ with respect to the mathematical model used, the optimization method, the methods used to determine metal concentrations in the solid and solution phases and the soil properties accounted for. Here we review these methodological aspects before deriving our own transfer functions that relate free metal ion activities to reactive metal contents in the solid phase. One single function was able to predict free-metal ion activities estimated by a variety of soil solution extraction methods. Evaluation of the mathematical formulation showed that transfer functions derived to optimize the Freundlich adsorption constant (Kf ), in contrast to functions derived to optimize either the solid or solution concentration, were most suitable for predicting concentrations in solution from solid phase concentrations and vice versa. The model was shown to be generally applicable on the basis of a large number of independent data, for which predicted free metal activities were within one order of magnitude of the observations. The model only over-estimated free-metal ion activities at alkaline pH (>7). The use of the reactive metal content measured by 0.43 m HNO3 rather than the total metal content resulted in a close correlation with measured data, particularly for nickel and zinc.

Glass Transition Temperature of Saccharide Aqueous Solutions Estimated with the Free Volume/Percolation Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Constantin, Julian Gelman; Schneider, Matthias; Corti, Horacio R

2016-06-09

The glass transition temperature of trehalose, sucrose, glucose, and fructose aqueous solutions has been predicted as a function of the water content by using the free volume/percolation model (FVPM). This model only requires the molar volume of water in the liquid and supercooled regimes, the molar volumes of the hypothetical pure liquid sugars at temperatures below their pure glass transition temperatures, and the molar volumes of the mixtures at the glass transition temperature. The model is simplified by assuming that the excess thermal expansion coefficient is negligible for saccharide-water mixtures, and this ideal FVPM becomes identical to the Gordon-Taylor model. It was found that the behavior of the water molar volume in trehalose-water mixtures at low temperatures can be obtained by assuming that the FVPM holds for this mixture. The temperature dependence of the water molar volume in the supercooled region of interest seems to be compatible with the recent hypothesis on the existence of two structure of liquid water, being the high density liquid water the state of water in the sugar solutions. The idealized FVPM describes the measured glass transition temperature of sucrose, glucose, and fructose aqueous solutions, with much better accuracy than both the Gordon-Taylor model based on an empirical kGT constant dependent on the saccharide glass transition temperature and the Couchman-Karasz model using experimental heat capacity changes of the components at the glass transition temperature. Thus, FVPM seems to be an excellent tool to predict the glass transition temperature of other aqueous saccharides and polyols solutions by resorting to volumetric information easily available.

Oxidative stress physiology in relation to life history traits of a free-living vertebrate : the spotted snow skink, Niveoscincus ocellatus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Isaksson, Caroline; While, Geoffrey M.; Olsson, Mats; Komdeur, Jan; Wapstra, Erik

Recent research suggests that oxidative stress, via its links to metabolism and senescence, is a key mechanism linking life history traits such as fecundity and growth with survival; however, this has rarely been put under empirical scrutiny within free-living populations. Using a wild population of

Process-induced viscoelastic stress in composite laminates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stango, R.J.

1985-01-01

In recent years, considerable interest has developed in evaluating the stress response of composite laminates which is associated with cooling the material system from the cure temperature to room temperature. This research examines the fundamental nature of time-dependent residual-thermal stresses in composite laminates which are caused by the extreme temperature reduction encountered during the fabrication process. Viscoelastic stress in finite-width, symmetric composite laminates is examined on the basis of a formulation that employs an incremental hereditary integral approach in conjunction with a quasi-three dimensional finite element analysis. A consistent methodology is developed and employed for the characterization of lamina material properties. Special attention is given to the time-dependent stress response at ply-interface locations near the free-edge. In addition, the influence of cooling path on stress history is examined. Recently published material property data for graphite-epoxy lamina is employed in the analysis. Results of the investigation generally indicate that nominal differences between the thermoelastic and viscoelastic solutions are obtained. Slight changes of the final stress state are observed to result when different cooling paths are selected for the temperature history. The methodology employed is demonstrated to result in an accurate, efficient, and consistent approach for the viscoelastic analysis of advanced composite laminates

Selectable antibiotic resistance marker gene-free transgenic rice harbouring the garlic leaf lectin gene exhibits resistance to sap-sucking planthoppers.

Science.gov (United States)

Sengupta, Subhadipa; Chakraborti, Dipankar; Mondal, Hossain A; Das, Sampa

2010-03-01

Rice, the major food crop of world is severely affected by homopteran sucking pests. We introduced coding sequence of Allium sativum leaf agglutinin, ASAL, in rice cultivar IR64 to develop sustainable resistance against sap-sucking planthoppers as well as eliminated the selectable antibiotic-resistant marker gene hygromycin phosphotransferase (hpt) exploiting cre/lox site-specific recombination system. An expression vector was constructed containing the coding sequence of ASAL, a potent controlling agent against green leafhoppers (GLH, Nephotettix virescens) and brown planthopper (BPH, Nilaparvata lugens). The selectable marker (hpt) gene cassette was cloned within two lox sites of the same vector. Alongside, another vector was developed with chimeric cre recombinase gene cassette. Reciprocal crosses were performed between three single-copy T(0) plants with ASAL- lox-hpt-lox T-DNA and three single-copy T(0) plants with cre-bar T-DNA. Marker gene excisions were detected in T(1) hybrids through hygromycin sensitivity assay. Molecular analysis of T(1) plants exhibited 27.4% recombination efficiency. T(2) progenies of L03C04(1) hybrid parent showed 25% cre negative ASAL-expressing plants. Northern blot, western blot and ELISA showed significant level of ASAL expression in five marker-free T(2) progeny plants. In planta bioassay of GLH and BPH performed on these T(2) progenies exhibited radical reduction in survivability and fecundity compared with the untransformed control plants.

An investigation to compare the performance of methods for the determination of free acid in highly concentrated solutions of plutonium and uranium nitrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crossley, D.

1980-08-01

An investigation has been carried out to compare the performance of the direct titration method and the indirect mass balance method, for the determination of free acid in highly concentrated solutions of uranium nitrate and plutonium nitrate. The direct titration of free acid with alkali is carried out in a fluoride medium to avoid interference from the hydrolysis of uranium or plutonium, while free acid concentration by the mass balance method is obtained by calculation from the metal concentration, metal valency state, and total nitrate concentration in a sample. The Gran plot end-point prediction technique has been used extensively in the investigation to gain information concerning the hydrolysis of uranium and plutonium in fluoride media and in other complexing media. The use of the Gran plot technique has improved the detection of the end-point of the free acid titration which gives an improvement in the precision of the determination. The experimental results obtained show that there is good agreement between the two methods for the determination of free acidity, and that the precision of the direct titration method in a fluoride medium using the Gran plot technique to detect the end-point is 0.75% (coefficient of variation), for a typical separation plant plutonium nitrate solution. The performance of alternative complexing agents in the direct titration method has been studied and is discussed. (author)

A solution approach for non-linear analysis of concrete members

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hadi, N. M.; Das, S.

1999-01-01

Non-linear solution of reinforced concrete structural members, at and beyond its maximum strength poses complex numerical problems. This is due to the fact that concrete exhibits strain softening behaviour once it reaches its maximum strength. This paper introduces an improved non-linear solution capable to overcome the numerical problems efficiently. The paper also presents a new concept of modeling discrete cracks in concrete members by using gap elements. Gap elements are placed in between two adjacent concrete elements in tensile zone. The magnitude of elongation of gap elements, which represents the width of the crack in concrete, increases edith the increase of tensile stress in those elements. As a result, transfer of local from one concrete element to adjacent elements reduces. Results of non-linear finite element analysis of three concrete beams using this new solution strategy are compared with those obtained by other researchers, and a good agreement is achieved. (authors). 13 refs. 9 figs.,

Hormonal contraception use alters stress responses and emotional memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Nielsen, Shawn E; Segal, Sabrina K; Worden, Ian V; Yim, Ilona S; Cahill, Larry

2013-02-01

Emotionally arousing material is typically better remembered than neutral material. Since norepinephrine and cortisol interact to modulate emotional memory, sex-related influences on stress responses may be related to sex differences in emotional memory. Two groups of healthy women - one naturally cycling (NC women, n=42) and one using hormonal contraceptives (HC women, n=36) - viewed emotionally arousing and neutral images. Immediately after, they were assigned to Cold Pressor Stress (CPS) or a control procedure. One week later, participants received a surprise free recall test. Saliva samples were collected and later assayed for salivary alpha-amylase (biomarker for norepinephrine) and cortisol. Compared to NC women, HC women exhibited significantly blunted stress hormone responses to the images and CPS. Recall of emotional images differed between HC and NC women depending on noradrenergic and cortisol responses. These findings may have important implications for understanding the neurobiology of emotional memory disorders, especially those that disproportionately affect women. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Free energy analysis of cell spreading.

Science.gov (United States)

McEvoy, Eóin; Deshpande, Vikram S; McGarry, Patrick

2017-10-01

In this study we present a steady-state adaptation of the thermodynamically motivated stress fiber (SF) model of Vigliotti et al. (2015). We implement this steady-state formulation in a non-local finite element setting where we also consider global conservation of the total number of cytoskeletal proteins within the cell, global conservation of the number of binding integrins on the cell membrane, and adhesion limiting ligand density on the substrate surface. We present a number of simulations of cell spreading in which we consider a limited subset of the possible deformed spread-states assumed by the cell in order to examine the hypothesis that free energy minimization drives the process of cell spreading. Simulations suggest that cell spreading can be viewed as a competition between (i) decreasing cytoskeletal free energy due to strain induced assembly of cytoskeletal proteins into contractile SFs, and (ii) increasing elastic free energy due to stretching of the mechanically passive components of the cell. The computed minimum free energy spread area is shown to be lower for a cell on a compliant substrate than on a rigid substrate. Furthermore, a low substrate ligand density is found to limit cell spreading. The predicted dependence of cell spread area on substrate stiffness and ligand density is in agreement with the experiments of Engler et al. (2003). We also simulate the experiments of Théry et al. (2006), whereby initially circular cells deform and adhere to "V-shaped" and "Y-shaped" ligand patches. Analysis of a number of different spread states reveals that deformed configurations with the lowest free energy exhibit a SF distribution that corresponds to experimental observations, i.e. a high concentration of highly aligned SFs occurs along free edges, with lower SF concentrations in the interior of the cell. In summary, the results of this study suggest that cell spreading is driven by free energy minimization based on a competition between decreasing

Approximate solution of oil film load-carrying capacity of turbulent journal bearing with couple stress flow

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yongfang; Wu, Peng; Guo, Bo; Lü, Yanjun; Liu, Fuxi; Yu, Yingtian

2015-01-01

The instability of the rotor dynamic system supported by oil journal bearing is encountered frequently, such as the half-speed whirl of the rotor, which is caused by oil film lubricant with nonlinearity. Currently, more attention is paid to the physical characteristics of oil film due to an oil-lubricated journal bearing being the important supporting component of the bearing-rotor systems and its nonlinear nature. In order to analyze the lubrication characteristics of journal bearings efficiently and save computational efforts, an approximate solution of nonlinear oil film forces of a finite length turbulent journal bearing with couple stress flow is proposed based on Sommerfeld and Ocvirk numbers. Reynolds equation in lubrication of a finite length turbulent journal bearing is solved based on multi-parametric principle. Load-carrying capacity of nonlinear oil film is obtained, and the results obtained by different methods are compared. The validation of the proposed method is verified, meanwhile, the relationships of load-carrying capacity versus eccentricity ratio and width-to-diameter ratio under turbulent and couple stress working conditions are analyzed. The numerical results show that both couple stress flow and eccentricity ratio have obvious influence on oil film pressure distribution, and the proposed method approximates the load-carrying capacity of turbulent journal bearings efficiently with various width-to-diameter ratios. This research proposes an approximate solution of oil film load-carrying capacity of turbulent journal bearings with different width-to-diameter ratios, which are suitable for high eccentricity ratios and heavy loads.

Changes in the free amino acid composition of Capsicum annuum (pepper) leaves in response to Myzus persicae (green peach aphid) infestation. A comparison with water stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Florencio-Ortiz, Victoria; Sellés-Marchart, Susana; Zubcoff-Vallejo, José; Jander, Georg; Casas, José L

2018-01-01

Amino acids play a central role in aphid-plant interactions. They are essential components of plant primary metabolism, function as precursors for the synthesis of defense-related specialized metabolites, and are major growth-limiting nutrients for aphids. To quantify changes in the free amino acid content of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) leaves in response to green peach aphid (Myzus persicae Sulzer) feeding, plants were infested with a low (20 aphids/plant) or a high (200 aphids/plant) aphid density in time-course experiments ranging from 3 hours to 7 days. A parallel experiment was conducted with pepper plants that had been subjected to water stress. Factor Analysis of Mixed Data revealed a significant interaction of time x density in the free amino acid response of aphid-infested leaves. At low aphid density, M. persicae did not trigger a strong response in pepper leaves. Conversely, at high density, a large increase in total free amino acid content was observed and specific amino acids peaked at different times post-infestation. Comparing aphid-infested with water-stressed plants, most of the observed differences were quantitative. In particular, proline and hydroxyproline accumulated dramatically in response to water stress, but not in response to aphid infestation. Some additional differences and commonalities between the two stress treatments are discussed.

Inhibition of stress corrosion cracking of alloy 600 in 10% NaOH solutions with and with lead oxide at 315 C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hur, D.H.; Kim, J.S.; Baek, J.S.; Kim, J.G.

2002-01-01

Alloy 600 steam generator tube materials have experienced various degradations by corrosion such as stress corrosion cracking (SCC) on the inner and outer diameter surface of tube, intergranular attack and pitting, and by mechanical damage such as fretting-wear and fatigue. These tube degradations not only increase the costs for tube inspection, maintenance and repair but also reduce the operation safety and the efficiency of plants. Therefore, the methodologies have been extensively developed to mitigate them. The addition of inhibitors to the coolant is a feasible method to mitigate tube degradations in operating plants. In this paper, a new inhibitor is proposed to mitigate the secondary side stress corrosion cracking of alloy 600 tubes. The effect of inhibitors on the electrochemical behavior and the stress corrosion cracking resistance of alloy 600 was evaluated in 10% sodium hydroxide solution with and without lead oxide at 315 C. The specimens of a C-ring type for stress corrosion cracking test were polarized at 150 mV above the corrosion potential for 120 hours without and with inhibitors such as titanium oxide, titanium boride, cerium boride. The chemical compositions of the films formed on the crack tip in the C-ring specimens were analyzed using a scanning Auger electron spectroscopy. The cerium boride, the most effective inhibitors, was observed to decrease the crack propagation rate more than a factor of three compared with that obtained in pure 10% NaOH solution. Furthermore, no SCC was observed in lead contaminated 10% NaOH solution by the addition of the cerium boride. (authors)

Do stress fractures induce hypertrophy of the grafted fibula? A report of three cases received free vascularized fibular graft treatment for tibial defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Yong; Sun, Hong-Tao; Fan, Yue-Guang; Li, Fei-Meng; Lin, Zhou-Sheng

2016-06-01

The presence of large segmental defects of the diaphyseal bone is challenging for orthopedic surgeons. Free vascularized fibular grafting (FVFG) is considered to be a reliable reconstructive procedure. Stress fractures are a common complication following this surgery, and hypertrophy is the main physiological change of the grafted fibula. The exact mechanism of hypertrophy is not completely known. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have examined the possible relationship between stress fractures and hypertrophy. We herein report three cases of patients underwent FVFG. Two of them developed stress fractures and significant hypertrophy, while the remaining patient developed neither stress fractures nor significant hypertrophy. This phenomenon indicates that a relationship may exist between stress fractures and hypertrophy of the grafted fibula, specifically, that the presence of a stress fracture may initiate the process of hypertrophy.

Validation of Transfer Functions Predicting Cd and Pb Free Metal Ion Activity in Soil Solution as a Function of Soil Characteristics and Reactive Metal Content

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pampura, T.; Groenenberg, J.E.; Lofts, S.; Priputina, I.

2007-01-01

According to recent insight, the toxicity of metals in soils is better related to the free metal ion (FMI) activity in the soil solution than to the total metal concentration in soil. However, the determination of FMI activities in soil solution is a difficult and time-consuming task. An alternative

FreeSWITCH Cookbook

CERN Document Server

Minessale, Anthony

2012-01-01

This is a problem-solution approach to take your FreeSWITCH skills to the next level, where everything is explained in a practical way. If you are a system administrator, hobbyist, or someone who uses FreeSWITCH on a regular basis, this book is for you. Whether you are a FreeSWITCH expert or just getting started, this book will take your skills to the next level.

Contrasting Changes Caused by Drought and Submergence Stresses in Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon)

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Tiantian; Shi, Haitao; Wang, Yanping; Chan, Zhulong

2015-01-01

In this study, we investigated the mechanisms by which bermudagrass withstands the drought and submergence stresses through physiological, proteomic and metabolomic approaches. The results showed that significant physiological changes were observed after drought treatment, while only slight changes after submergence treatment, including compatible solute contents, ROS levels and antioxidant enzyme activities. Proteomics results showed that 81 proteins regulated by drought or submergence treatment were identified by MALDI-TOF-MS. Among them, 76 proteins were modulated by drought stress with 46 increased abundance and 30 decreased abundance. Forty-five showed abundance changes after submergence treatment with 10 increased and 35 decreased. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed that pathways of amino acid metabolism and mitochondrial electron transport/ATP synthesis were only enriched by drought treatment, while other pathways including photosynthesis, biodegradation of xenobiotics, oxidative pentose phosphate, glycolysis and redox were commonly over-represented after both drought and submergence treatments. Metabolomic analysis indicated that most of the metabolites were up-regulated by drought stress, while 34 of 40 metabolites contents exhibited down-regulation or no significant changes when exposed to submergence stress, including sugars and sugar alcohols. These data indicated that drought stress extensively promoted photosynthesis and redox metabolisms while submergence stress caused declined metabolisms and dormancy in Cynodon dactylon. Taken together, the quiescence strategy with retarded growth might allow bermudagrass to be adaptive to long-term submerged environment, while activation of photosynthesis and redox, and accumulation of compatible solutes and molecular chaperones increased bermudagrass tolerance to drought stress. PMID:26617615

Dimethylglycine provides salt and temperature stress protection to Bacillus subtilis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bashir, Abdallah; Hoffmann, Tamara; Smits, Sander H J; Bremer, Erhard

2014-05-01

Glycine betaine is a potent osmotic and thermal stress protectant of many microorganisms. Its synthesis from glycine results in the formation of the intermediates monomethylglycine (sarcosine) and dimethylglycine (DMG), and these compounds are also produced when it is catabolized. Bacillus subtilis does not produce sarcosine or DMG, and it cannot metabolize these compounds. Here we have studied the potential of sarcosine and DMG to protect B. subtilis against osmotic, heat, and cold stress. Sarcosine, a compatible solute that possesses considerable protein-stabilizing properties, did not serve as a stress protectant of B. subtilis. DMG, on the other hand, proved to be only moderately effective as an osmotic stress protectant, but it exhibited good heat stress-relieving and excellent cold stress-relieving properties. DMG is imported into B. subtilis cells primarily under osmotic and temperature stress conditions via OpuA, a member of the ABC family of transporters. Ligand-binding studies with the extracellular solute receptor (OpuAC) of the OpuA system showed that OpuAC possesses a moderate affinity for DMG, with a Kd value of approximate 172 μM; its Kd for glycine betaine is about 26 μM. Docking studies using the crystal structures of the OpuAC protein with the sulfur analog of DMG, dimethylsulfonioacetate, as a template suggest a model of how the DMG molecule can be stably accommodated within the aromatic cage of the OpuAC ligand-binding pocket. Collectively, our data show that the ability to acquire DMG from exogenous sources under stressful environmental conditions helps the B. subtilis cell to cope with growth-restricting osmotic and temperature challenges.

Stress corrosion cracks initiation of recrystallized Zircaloy-4 in iodine-methanol solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mozzani, N.

2013-01-01

During the pellet-cladding interaction, Zirconium-alloy fuel claddings might fail when subjected to incidental power transient in nuclear Pressurized Water Reactors, by Iodine-induced Stress Corrosion Cracking (I-SCC). This study deals with the intergranular initiation of I-SCC cracks in fully recrystallized Zircaloy-4, in methyl alcohol solution of iodine at room temperature, with the focus on critical mechanical parameters and iodine concentration. It was carried out with an approach mixing experiments and numerical simulations. An anisotropic and viscoplastic mechanical behavior model was established and validated over a wide range of loadings. With numerous constant elongation rate tensile tests and four points bending creep tests, the existence of a threshold iodine concentration I0 close to 10 -6 g.g -1 was highlighted, necessary to the occurrence of I-SCC damage, along with a transition concentration I1 close to 2.10 -4 g.g -1 . Above I1 the mechanism changes, leading to a sped up crack initiation and a loss of sensitivity towards mechanical parameters. The importance of concentration on parameters such as crack density, crack average length and intergranular and transgranular crack velocities was evidenced. Experimental results show that plastic strain is not required for I-SCC crack initiation, if the test time is long enough in the presence of stress. Its main influence is to rush the occurrence of cracking by creating initiation sites, by way of breaking the oxide layer and building up intergranular stress. Below I1, the critical strains at initiation show a substantial strain rate sensitivity. In this domain, a threshold stress of 100 MPa was found, well below the yield stress. Thanks to the combined use of notched specimens and numerical simulations, a strong protective effect of an increasing stress bi-axiality ratio was found, both in the elastic and plastic domains. Proton-irradiated samples, up to a dose of 2 dpa, were tested in the same conditions

Energy-Based Yield Criteria for Orthotropic Materials, Exhibiting Strength-Differential Effect. Specification for Sheets under Plane Stress State

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Szeptyński P.

2017-06-01

Full Text Available A general proposition of an energy-based limit condition for anisotropic materials exhibiting strength-differential effect (SDE based on spectral decomposition of elasticity tensors and the use of scaling pressure-dependent functions is specified for the case of orthotropic materials. A detailed algorithm (based on classical solutions of cubic equations for the determination of elastic eigenstates and eigenvalues of the orthotropic stiffness tensor is presented. A yield condition is formulated for both two-dimensional and three-dimensional cases. Explicit formulas based on simple strength tests are derived for parameters of criterion in the plane case. The application of both criteria for the description of yielding and plastic deformation of metal sheets is discussed in detail. The plane case criterion is verified with experimental results from the literature.

Mapping the conformational free energy of aspartic acid in the gas phase and in aqueous solution.

Science.gov (United States)

Comitani, Federico; Rossi, Kevin; Ceriotti, Michele; Sanz, M Eugenia; Molteni, Carla

2017-04-14

The conformational free energy landscape of aspartic acid, a proteogenic amino acid involved in a wide variety of biological functions, was investigated as an example of the complexity that multiple rotatable bonds produce even in relatively simple molecules. To efficiently explore such a landscape, this molecule was studied in the neutral and zwitterionic forms, in the gas phase and in water solution, by means of molecular dynamics and the enhanced sampling method metadynamics with classical force-fields. Multi-dimensional free energy landscapes were reduced to bi-dimensional maps through the non-linear dimensionality reduction algorithm sketch-map to identify the energetically stable conformers and their interconnection paths. Quantum chemical calculations were then performed on the minimum free energy structures. Our procedure returned the low energy conformations observed experimentally in the gas phase with rotational spectroscopy [M. E. Sanz et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 12, 3573 (2010)]. Moreover, it provided information on higher energy conformers not accessible to experiments and on the conformers in water. The comparison between different force-fields and quantum chemical data highlighted the importance of the underlying potential energy surface to accurately capture energy rankings. The combination of force-field based metadynamics, sketch-map analysis, and quantum chemical calculations was able to produce an exhaustive conformational exploration in a range of significant free energies that complements the experimental data. Similar protocols can be applied to larger peptides with complex conformational landscapes and would greatly benefit from the next generation of accurate force-fields.

Mapping the conformational free energy of aspartic acid in the gas phase and in aqueous solution

Science.gov (United States)

Comitani, Federico; Rossi, Kevin; Ceriotti, Michele; Sanz, M. Eugenia; Molteni, Carla

2017-04-01

The conformational free energy landscape of aspartic acid, a proteogenic amino acid involved in a wide variety of biological functions, was investigated as an example of the complexity that multiple rotatable bonds produce even in relatively simple molecules. To efficiently explore such a landscape, this molecule was studied in the neutral and zwitterionic forms, in the gas phase and in water solution, by means of molecular dynamics and the enhanced sampling method metadynamics with classical force-fields. Multi-dimensional free energy landscapes were reduced to bi-dimensional maps through the non-linear dimensionality reduction algorithm sketch-map to identify the energetically stable conformers and their interconnection paths. Quantum chemical calculations were then performed on the minimum free energy structures. Our procedure returned the low energy conformations observed experimentally in the gas phase with rotational spectroscopy [M. E. Sanz et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 12, 3573 (2010)]. Moreover, it provided information on higher energy conformers not accessible to experiments and on the conformers in water. The comparison between different force-fields and quantum chemical data highlighted the importance of the underlying potential energy surface to accurately capture energy rankings. The combination of force-field based metadynamics, sketch-map analysis, and quantum chemical calculations was able to produce an exhaustive conformational exploration in a range of significant free energies that complements the experimental data. Similar protocols can be applied to larger peptides with complex conformational landscapes and would greatly benefit from the next generation of accurate force-fields.

Pre-learning stress differentially affects long-term memory for emotional words, depending on temporal proximity to the learning experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Zoladz, Phillip R; Clark, Brianne; Warnecke, Ashlee; Smith, Lindsay; Tabar, Jennifer; Talbot, Jeffery N

2011-07-06

Stress exerts a profound, yet complex, influence on learning and memory and can enhance, impair or have no effect on these processes. Here, we have examined how the administration of stress at different times before learning affects long-term (24-hr) memory for neutral and emotional information. Participants submerged their dominant hand into a bath of ice cold water (Stress) or into a bath of warm water (No stress) for 3 min. Either immediately (Exp. 1) or 30 min (Exp. 2) after the water bath manipulation, participants were presented with a list of 30 words varying in emotional valence. The next day, participants' memory for the word list was assessed via free recall and recognition tests. In both experiments, stressed participants exhibited greater blood pressure, salivary cortisol levels, and subjective pain and stress ratings than non-stressed participants in response to the water bath manipulation. Stress applied immediately prior to learning (Exp. 1) enhanced the recognition of positive words, while stress applied 30 min prior to learning (Exp. 2) impaired free recall of negative words. Participants' recognition of positive words in Experiment 1 was positively associated with their heart rate responses to the water bath manipulation, while participants' free recall of negative words in Experiment 2 was negatively associated with their blood pressure and cortisol responses to the water bath manipulation. These findings indicate that the differential effects of pre-learning stress on long-term memory may depend on the temporal proximity of the stressor to the learning experience and the emotional nature of the to-be-learned information. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Flexible ITO-free organic solar cells applying aqueous solution-processed V2O5 hole transport layer: An outdoor stability study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Anderson S. Lima

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Solution processable semiconductor oxides have opened a new paradigm for the enhancement of the lifetime of thin film solar cells. Their fabrication by low-cost and environmentally friendly solution-processable methods makes them ideal barrier (hole and electron transport layers. In this work, we fabricate flexible ITO-free organic solar cells (OPV by printing methods applying an aqueous solution-processed V2O5 as the hole transport layer (HTL and compared them to devices applying PEDOT:PSS. The transparent conducting electrode was PET/Ag/PEDOT/ZnO, and the OPV configuration was PET/Ag/PEDOT/ZnO/P3HT:PC60BM/HTL/Ag. Outdoor stability analyses carried out for more than 900 h revealed higher stability for devices fabricated with the aqueous solution-processed V2O5.

Exact and grid-free solutions to the Lighthill-Whitham-Richards traffic flow model with bounded acceleration for a class of fundamental diagrams

KAUST Repository

Qiu, Shanwen; Abdelaziz, Mohamed Ewis; Abdel Latif, Fadl Hicham Fadl; Claudel, Christian G.

2013-01-01

In this article, we propose a new exact and grid-free numerical scheme for computing solutions associated with an hybrid traffic flow model based on the Lighthill-Whitham-Richards (LWR) partial differential equation, for a class of fundamental

Analysis of a plane stress wave by the moving least squares method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wojciech Dornowski

2014-08-01

Full Text Available A meshless method based on the moving least squares approximation is applied to stress wave propagation analysis. Two kinds of node meshes, the randomly generated mesh and the regular mesh are used. The nearest neighbours’ problem is developed from a triangulation that satisfies minimum edges length conditions. It is found that this method of neighbours’ choice significantly improves the solution accuracy. The reflection of stress waves from the free edge is modelled using fictitious nodes (outside the plate. The comparison with the finite difference results also demonstrated the accuracy of the proposed approach.[b]Keywords[/b]: civil engineering, meshless method, moving least squares method, elastic waves

Hydrogen sulfide metabolism regulates endothelial solute barrier function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuai Yuan

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Hydrogen sulfide (H2S is an important gaseous signaling molecule in the cardiovascular system. In addition to free H2S, H2S can be oxidized to polysulfide which can be biologically active. Since the impact of H2S on endothelial solute barrier function is not known, we sought to determine whether H2S and its various metabolites affect endothelial permeability. In vitro permeability was evaluated using albumin flux and transendothelial electrical resistance. Different H2S donors were used to examine the effects of exogenous H2S. To evaluate the role of endogenous H2S, mouse aortic endothelial cells (MAECs were isolated from wild type mice and mice lacking cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE, a predominant source of H2S in endothelial cells. In vivo permeability was evaluated using the Miles assay. We observed that polysulfide donors induced rapid albumin flux across endothelium. Comparatively, free sulfide donors increased permeability only with higher concentrations and at later time points. Increased solute permeability was associated with disruption of endothelial junction proteins claudin 5 and VE-cadherin, along with enhanced actin stress fiber formation. Importantly, sulfide donors that increase permeability elicited a preferential increase in polysulfide levels within endothelium. Similarly, CSE deficient MAECs showed enhanced solute barrier function along with reduced endogenous bound sulfane sulfur. CSE siRNA knockdown also enhanced endothelial junction structures with increased claudin 5 protein expression. In vivo, CSE genetic deficiency significantly blunted VEGF induced hyperpermeability revealing an important role of the enzyme for barrier function. In summary, endothelial solute permeability is critically regulated via exogenous and endogenous sulfide bioavailability with a prominent role of polysulfides.

Stress Analysis of a TRISO Coated Particle Fuel by Using ABAQUS Finite Element Visco-Elastoplastic Solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Moon Sung; Kim, Y. M.; Lee, Y. W.

2006-01-01

The fundamental design for a gas-cooled reactor relies on an understanding of the behavior of a coated particle fuel. KAERI, which has been carrying out the Korean VHTR (Very High Temperature modular gas cooled Reactor) Project since 2004, is developing a fuel performance analysis code for a VHTR named COPA (COated Particle fuel Analysis). A validation of COPA was attempted by comparing its benchmark results with the visco-elastic solutions obtained from the ABAQUS code calculations for the IAEA-CRP-6 TRISO coated particle benchmark problems involving a creep, swelling, and pressure. However, the ABAQUS finite element model used for the above-mentioned analysis did not consider the material nonlinearity of the SiC coating layer that showed stress levels higher than the assumed yield point of the material. In this study, a consideration of the material nonlinearity is included in the ABAQUS model to obtain the visco-elastoplastic solutions and the results are compared with the visco-elastic solutions obtained from the previous ABAQUS model

Generation of hydrogen peroxide from San Joaquin Valley particles in a cell-free solution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Shen

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Epidemiological studies have shown a correlation between exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM and adverse health effects. One proposed mechanism of PM-mediated health effects is the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS – e.g., superoxide (^•O₂⁻, hydrogen peroxide (HOOH, and hydroxyl radical (^•OH – followed by oxidative stress. There are very few quantitative, specific measures of individual ROS generated from PM, but this information would help to more quantitatively address the link between ROS and the health effects of PM. To address this gap, we quantified the generation of HOOH by PM collected at an urban (Fresno and rural (Westside site in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV of California during summer and winter from 2006 to 2009. HOOH was quantified by HPLC after extracting the PM in a cell-free, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS solution with or without 50 μM ascorbate (Asc. Our results show that the urban PM generally generates much more HOOH than the rural PM but that there is no apparent seasonal difference in HOOH generation. In nearly all of the samples the addition of a physiologically relevant concentration of Asc greatly enhances HOOH formation, but a few of the coarse PM samples were able to generate a considerable amount of HOOH in the absence of added Asc, indicating the presence of unknown reductants. Normalized by air volume, the fine PM (PM_2.5 generally makes more HOOH than the corresponding coarse PM (PM_cf, i.e., 2.5 to 10 μm, primarily because the mass concentration of PM_2.5 is much higher than that of PM_cf. However, normalized by PM mass, the coarse PM typically generates more HOOH than the fine PM. The amount of HOOH produced by SJV PM is reduced on average by (78 ± 15% when the transition metal chelator desferoxamine (DSF is added to the extraction solution, indicating that transition metals play a dominant role in HOOH

Chromate-free Hybrid Coating for Corrosion Protection of Electrogalvanized Steel Sheets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jo, Duhwan; Kwon, Moonjae; Kim, Jongsang

2012-01-01

Both electrogalvanized and hot-dip galvanized steel sheets have been finally produced via organic-inorganic surface coating process on the zinc surface to enhance corrosion resistance and afford additional functional properties. Recently, POSCO has been developed a variety of chromate-free coated steels that are widely used in household, construction and automotive applications. New organic-inorganic hybrid coating solutions as chromate alternatives are comprised of surface modified silicate with silane coupling agent and inorganic corrosion inhibitors as an aqueous formulation. In this paper we have prepared new type of hybrid coatings and evaluated quality performances such as corrosion resistance, spot weldability, thermal tolerance, and paint adhesion property etc. The electrogalvanized steels with these coating solutions exhibit good anti-corrosion property compared to those of chromate coated steels. Detailed components composition of coating solutions and experimental results suggest that strong binding between organic-inorganic hybrid coating layer and zinc surface plays a key role in the advanced quality performances

Tension free vaginal tape in the management of genuine stress incontinence in women - the Indian experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N Rajamaheswari

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives: To study retrospectively the results of the Tension Free Vaginal Tape (TVT, a new ambulatory sur-gical procedure for the treatment of stress urinary incon-tinence (SUI among Indian women. Methods: TVT implies the implantation of a prolene tape around the mid-uretha via a minimal vaginal incision. TVT was done on 54 patients diagnosed to have Genuine Stress Incontinence (GSI. The procedure was done either under regional anaesthesia (RA or under local anaesthesia (LA with IV analgesics. Results: Thirty-eight patients underwent only the TVT procedure and in 16 patients concomitant procedures were done along with the TVT The TVT was done as the pri-mary procedure for GSI in 46 patients. Eight patients had prior surgery for stress incontinence. All patients were followed up from 6 months to 2 years. Forty-eight (88% patients reported complete cure. There was significant improvement of symptoms in 4(7.4% patients and in 2(3.7% the surgery failed. Conclusions: These results prove that the TVT proce-dure is a minimally invasive, safe and effective method for the treatment of SUI in women.

Simple solution-processed titanium oxide electron transport layer for efficient inverted polymer solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Liang [CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-based Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Shen, Wenfei [CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-based Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101 (China); Institute of Hybrid Materials, Laboratory of New Fiber Materials and Modern Textile—The Growing Base for State Key Laboratory, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071 (China); Chen, Weichao [CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-based Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101 (China); Bao, Xichang, E-mail: baoxc@qibebt.ac.cn [CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-based Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101 (China); Wang, Ning; Dou, Xiaowei; Han, Liangliang; Wen, Shuguang [CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-based Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101 (China)

2014-12-31

Titanium oxide (TiO{sub X}) is an effective electron transport layer (ETL) in polymer solar cells (PSCs). We report efficient inverted PSCs with a simple solution-processed amorphous TiO{sub X} (s-TiO{sub X}) film as an ETL. The s-TiO{sub X} film with high light transmittance was prepared by spin-coating titanium (IV) isopropoxide isopropanol solution on indium tin oxide coated glass in inert and then placed in air under room temperature for 60 min. The introduction of s-TiO{sub X} ETL greatly improved the short circuit current density of the devices. PSCs based on poly(3-hexylthiophene):[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester and poly(4,8-bis-alkyloxy-benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-alt-alkylcarbonyl -thieno[3,4-b]thiophene):[6,6]-phenyl- C71-butyric acid methyl ester using s-TiO{sub X} film as ETL shows high power conversion efficiency of 4.29% and 6.7% under the illumination of AM 1.5G, 100 mW/cm{sup 2}, which shows enhancements compared to the conventional PSCs with poly(styrenesulfonate)-doped poly(ethylenedioxythiophene) as anode buffer layer. In addition, the device exhibits good stability in a humid ambient atmosphere without capsulation. The results indicate that the annealing-free, simple solution processed s-TiO{sub X} film is an efficient ETL for high-performance PSCs. - Highlights: • High quality s-TiO{sub X} films were prepared by a simple, solution method without thermal treatment. • The s-TiO{sub X} films with high transmittance are very smooth. • The organic photovoltaic performance with s-TiO{sub X} film improved greatly and exhibited good stability. • The annealing-free, simple prepared s-TiO{sub X} film will be much compatible with flexible substrates.

Exhibition: Women and Sciences by Fiami

CERN Multimedia

Globe Info

2011-01-01

The 19-panel exhibition is on display at CERN's Microcosm from Monday to Saturday from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.   Marie Curie won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry one hundred years ago. She is the only woman ever to win two Nobel Prizes, which is a testament to her remarkable work. But throughout history, women have played a role in science either in their own right or alongside other scientists. In this special exhibition, the comic-strip artist Fiami takes a look back at the relationship between women and science through his portraits of Mileva Einstein, Marie-Anne Lavoisier and, of course, Marie Curie. Fiami has recently published an entire album devoted to Marie Curie. Texts in French All ages - Entrance free Femmes et Sciences is on display at Microcosm: From Wednesday 21 September 2011 to Tuesday 20 December 2011.

Well-posedness for the compressible Navier–Stokes–Lamé system with a free interface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kukavica, Igor; Tuffaha, Amjad

2012-01-01

We address the system of fluid–structure interaction consisting of a compressible Navier–Stokes equation coupled with an elasticity equation, with the velocity and stress continuity requirements across the free moving interface. We prove the a priori estimates for existence of solutions when the initial velocity belongs to H 3 , the initial density is bounded from below and belongs to H 3/2+r , where r > 0, and the initial velocity of the displacement is in H 3/2+r . (paper)

Evaluation of oxidative stress biomarkers in Zosterisessor ophiocephalus from the Venice Lagoon, Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Pascoli, Francesco; Negrato, Elena; Di Giancamillo, Alessia; Bertotto, Daniela; Domeneghini, Cinzia; Simontacchi, Claudia; Mutinelli, Franco; Radaelli, Giuseppe

2011-02-01

Several studies carried out in the last years have demonstrated the presence of a wide range of contaminants in some areas of the Venice Lagoon. Many of these contaminants are able to drive free radical reactions, which lead to oxidative stress and can potentially affect fish health. In the present study, oxidative stress biomarkers were examined in three different sites (Porto Marghera, Val di Brenta and Caroman) of the Venice Lagoon and their levels monitored in Zosterisessor ophiocephalus, one of the most common fish species present in the lagoon. Schmorl's staining revealed the presence of melanomacrophage centres in spleen and head kidney, and the highest number of melanomacrophage centres was observed in the animals sampled at the Porto Marghera (Porto Marghera vs Val di brenta and Caroman: p<0.01). The cellular localization of HNE and NT, investigated through an immunohistochemical approach, showed that immunopositivity was mainly localized in melanomacrophage centres of spleen and kidney. It is relevant that the animals of the detoxified control group did not exhibit any immunoreactivity. By Western blot, the antibodies against HNE and NT recognized in the liver polypeptides damaged by oxidative stress with molecular weights under 66kDa. Comparing the relative densities, animals from the Val di Brenta site exhibited the lowest levels of HNE adducts (p<0.05), whereas animals from the Porto Marghera site exhibited the highest levels of NT adducts (p<0.05). MDA levels, measured spectrophotometrically by TBARS assay did not exhibit any statistical difference among sites. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Full-field stress determination in photoelasticity with phase shifting technique

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Enhai; Liu, Yonggang; Han, Yongsheng; Arola, Dwayne; Zhang, Dongsheng

2018-04-01

Photoelasticity is an effective method for evaluating the stress and its spatial variations within a stressed body. In the present study, a method to determine the stress distribution by means of phase shifting and a modified shear-difference is proposed. First, the orientation of the first principal stress and the retardation between the principal stresses are determined in the full-field through phase shifting. Then, through bicubic interpolation and derivation of a modified shear-difference method, the internal stress is calculated from the point with a free boundary along its normal direction. A method to reduce integration error in the shear difference scheme is proposed and compared to the existing methods; the integration error is reduced when using theoretical photoelastic parameters to calculate the stress component with the same points. Results show that when the value of Δx/Δy approaches one, the error is minimum, and although the interpolation error is inevitable, it has limited influence on the accuracy of the result. Finally, examples are presented for determining the stresses in a circular plate and ring subjected to diametric loading. Results show that the proposed approach provides a complete solution for determining the full-field stresses in photoelastic models.

Curcumin-Free Turmeric Exhibits Activity against Human HCT-116 Colon Tumor Xenograft: Comparison with Curcumin and Whole Turmeric

Science.gov (United States)

Prasad, Sahdeo; Tyagi, Amit K.; Siddik, Zahid H.; Aggarwal, Bharat B.

2017-01-01

Extensive research within last two decades has indicated that curcumin extracted from turmeric (Curcuma longa), exhibits anticancer potential, in part through the modulation of inflammatory pathways. However, the residual antitumor activity of curcumin-free turmeric (CFT) relative to curcumin or turmeric is not well-understood. In the present study, therefore, we determined activities of these agents in both in vitro and in vivo models of human HCT-116 colorectal cancer (CRC). When examined in an in vitro antiproliferative, clonogenic or anti-inflammatory assay system, we found that curcumin was highly active whereas turmeric and CFT had relatively poor activity against CRC cells. However, when examined in vivo at an oral dose of either 100 or 500 mg/kg given to nude mice bearing CRC xenografts, all three preparations of curcumin, turmeric, and CFT similarly suppressed the growth of the xenograft. The effect of CFT on suppression of tumor growth was dose-dependent, with 500 mg/kg tending to be more effective than 100 mg/kg. Interestingly, 100 mg/kg curcumin or turmeric was found to be more effective than 500 mg/kg. When examined in vivo for the expression of biomarkers associated with cell survival (cIAP-1, Bcl-2, and survivin), proliferation (Ki-67 and cyclin D1) and metastasis (ICAM-1 and VEGF), all were down-modulated. These agents also suppressed inflammatory transcription factors (NF-κB and STAT3) in tumor cells. Overall, our results with CFT provide evidence that turmeric must contain additional bioactive compounds other than curcumin that, in contrast to curcumin, exhibit greater anticancer potential in vivo than in vitro against human CRC. Moreover, our study highlights the fact that the beneficial effects of turmeric and curcumin in humans may be more effectively realized at lower doses, whereas CFT could be given at higher doses without loss in favorable activity. PMID:29311914

Curcumin-Free Turmeric Exhibits Activity against Human HCT-116 Colon Tumor Xenograft: Comparison with Curcumin and Whole Turmeric

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sahdeo Prasad

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Extensive research within last two decades has indicated that curcumin extracted from turmeric (Curcuma longa, exhibits anticancer potential, in part through the modulation of inflammatory pathways. However, the residual antitumor activity of curcumin-free turmeric (CFT relative to curcumin or turmeric is not well-understood. In the present study, therefore, we determined activities of these agents in both in vitro and in vivo models of human HCT-116 colorectal cancer (CRC. When examined in an in vitro antiproliferative, clonogenic or anti-inflammatory assay system, we found that curcumin was highly active whereas turmeric and CFT had relatively poor activity against CRC cells. However, when examined in vivo at an oral dose of either 100 or 500 mg/kg given to nude mice bearing CRC xenografts, all three preparations of curcumin, turmeric, and CFT similarly suppressed the growth of the xenograft. The effect of CFT on suppression of tumor growth was dose-dependent, with 500 mg/kg tending to be more effective than 100 mg/kg. Interestingly, 100 mg/kg curcumin or turmeric was found to be more effective than 500 mg/kg. When examined in vivo for the expression of biomarkers associated with cell survival (cIAP-1, Bcl-2, and survivin, proliferation (Ki-67 and cyclin D1 and metastasis (ICAM-1 and VEGF, all were down-modulated. These agents also suppressed inflammatory transcription factors (NF-κB and STAT3 in tumor cells. Overall, our results with CFT provide evidence that turmeric must contain additional bioactive compounds other than curcumin that, in contrast to curcumin, exhibit greater anticancer potential in vivo than in vitro against human CRC. Moreover, our study highlights the fact that the beneficial effects of turmeric and curcumin in humans may be more effectively realized at lower doses, whereas CFT could be given at higher doses without loss in favorable activity.

Reactions of organic free radicals at colloidal silver in aqueous solution. Electron pool effect and water decomposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henglein, A.

1979-01-01

Organic free radicals of high negative redox potential such as α-alcohol radicals were found to transfer electrons to colloidal silver particles stabilized by sodium dodecyl sulfate in aqueous solution. The colloidal particles thus became a pool of stored electrons that could reduce water to form hydrogen or react with suitable acceptors in solution. The organic radicals were produced by irradiation, using suitable scavengers for the primary radicals from the radiolysis of the aqueous solvent. The solutions initially contained silver ions at 1 x 10 -4 - 2 x 10 -3 M. At doses below 10 5 rd, the silver ions were completely reduced to form the colloidal catalyst. In this dose range, the corresponding hydrogen yield amounted to 1 molecule per 100 eV. It increased steeply at higher doses up to 3 molecules per 100 eV. The H 2 yield decreased with increasing dose rate and with increasing pH in alkaline solutions. It was highest at a concentration of sodium dodecyl sulfate of 1 x 10 -3 M, i.e., far below the critical micelle concentration of this surfactant. Changes in the absorption spectrum of the colloid are attributed to changes in the size of the silver particles upon charging up with electrons. The competition of radical-colloid reactions with radical-radical deactivation in the bulk of solution or at the surface of the colloidal particles is also discussed. 11 figures

Electrochemical studies on stress corrosion cracking of incoloy-800 in caustic solution. Part II: Precracking samples

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Dinu Alice

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Stress corrosion cracking (SCC in a caustic medium may affect the secondary circuit tubing of a CANDU NPP cooled with river water, due to an accidental formation of a concentrated alkaline environment in the areas with restricted circulation, as a result of a leakage of cooling water from the condenser. To evaluate the susceptibility of Incoloy-800 (used to manufacture steam generator tubes for CANDU NPP to SCC, some accelerated corrosion tests were conducted in an alkaline solution (10% NaOH, pH = 13. These experiments were performed at ambient temperature and 85 °C. We used the potentiodynamic method and the potentiostatic method, simultaneously monitoring the variation of the open circuit potential during a time period (E corr/time curve. The C-ring method was used to stress the samples. In order to create stress concentrations, mechanical precracks with a depth of 100 or 250 μm were made on the outer side of the C-rings. Experimental results showed that the stressed samples were more susceptible to SCC than the unstressed samples whereas the increase in temperature and crack depth lead to an increase in SCC susceptibility. Incipient micro cracks of a depth of 30 μm were detected in the area of the highest peak of the mechanical precrack.

The Influence of Oral Carbohydrate Solution Intake on Stress Response before Total Hip Replacement Surgery during Epidural and General Anaesthesia.

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Çeliksular, M Cem; Saraçoğlu, Ayten; Yentür, Ercüment

2016-06-01

The effects of oral carbohydrate solutions, ingested 2 h prior to operation, on stress response were studied in patients undergoing general or epidural anaesthesia. The study was performed on 80 ASA I-II adult patients undergoing elective total hip replacement, which were randomized to four groups (n=20). Group G patients undergoing general anaesthesia fasted for 8 h preoperatively; Group GN patients undergoing general anaesthesia drank oral carbohydrate solutions preoperatively; Group E patients undergoing epidural anaesthesia fasted for 8 h and Group EN patients undergoing epidural anaesthesia drank oral carbohydrate solutions preoperatively. Groups GN and EN drank 800 mL of 12.5% oral carbohydrate solution at 24:00 preoperatively and 400 mL 2 h before the operation. Blood samples were taken for measurements of glucose, insulin, cortisol and IL-6 levels. The effect of preoperative oral carbohydrate ingestion on blood glucose levels was not significant. Insulin levels 24 h prior to surgery were similar; however, insulin levels measured just before surgery were 2-3 times higher in groups GN and EN than in groups G and E. Insulin levels at the 24(th) postoperative hour in epidural groups were increased compared to those at basal levels, although general anaesthesia groups showed a decrease. From these measurements, only the change in Group EN was statistically significant (poral carbohydrate nutrition did not reveal a significant effect on surgical stress response.

Stress field of a near-surface basal screw dislocation in elastically anisotropic hexagonal crystals

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Valeri S. Harutyunyan

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In this study, we derive and analyze the analytical expressions for stress components of the dislocation elastic field induced by a near-surface basal screw dislocation in a semi-infinite elastically anisotropic material with hexagonal crystal lattice. The variation of above stress components depending on “free surface–dislocation” distance (i.e., free surface effect is studied by means of plotting the stress distribution maps for elastically anisotropic crystals of GaN and TiB2 that exhibit different degrees of elastic anisotropy. The dependence both of the image force on a screw dislocation and the force of interaction between two neighboring basal screw dislocations on the “free surface–dislocation” distance is analyzed as well. The influence of elastic anisotropy on the latter force is numerically analyzed for GaN and TiB2 and also for crystals of such highly elastically-anisotropic materials as Ti, Zn, Cd, and graphite. The comparatively stronger effect of the elastic anisotropy on dislocation-induced stress distribution quantified for TiB2 is attributed to the higher degree of elastic anisotropy of this compound in comparison to that of the GaN. For GaN and TiB2, the dislocation stress distribution maps are highly influenced by the free surface effect at “free surface–dislocation” distances roughly smaller than ≈15 and ≈50 nm, respectively. It is found that, for above indicated materials, the relative decrease of the force of interaction between near-surface screw dislocations due to free surface effect is in the order Ti > GaN > TiB2 > Zn > Cd > Graphite that results from increase of the specific shear anisotropy parameter in the reverse order Ti < GaN < TiB2 < Zn < Cd < Graphite. The results obtained in this study are also applicable to the case when a screw dislocation is situated in the “thin film–substrate” system at a (0001 basal interface between the film and substrate provided that the elastic constants

Exact solution of nonsteady thermal boundary layer equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dorfman, A.S.

1995-01-01

There are only a few exact solutions of the thermal boundary layer equation. Most of them are derived for a specific surface temperature distribution. The first exact solution of the steady-state boundary layer equation was given for a plate with constant surface temperature and free-stream velocity. The same problem for a plate with polynomial surface temperature distribution was solved by Chapmen and Rubesin. Levy gave the exact solution for the case of a power law distribution of both surface temperature and free-stream velocity. The exact solution of the steady-state boundary layer equation for an arbitrary surface temperature and a power law free-stream velocity distribution was given by the author in two forms: of series and of the integral with an influence function of unheated zone. A similar solution of the nonsteady thermal boundary layer equation for an arbitrary surface temperature and a power law free-stream velocity distribution is presented here. In this case, the coefficients of series depend on time, and in the limit t → ∞ they become the constant coefficients of a similar solution published before. This solution, unlike the one presented here, does not satisfy the initial conditions at t = 0, and, hence, can be used only in time after the beginning of the process. The solution in the form of a series becomes a closed-form exact solution for polynomial surface temperature and a power law free-stream velocity distribution. 7 refs., 2 figs

Free radicals, reactive oxygen species, oxidative stress and its classification.

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Lushchak, Volodymyr I

2014-12-05

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) initially considered as only damaging agents in living organisms further were found to play positive roles also. This paper describes ROS homeostasis, principles of their investigation and technical approaches to investigate ROS-related processes. Especial attention is paid to complications related to experimental documentation of these processes, their diversity, spatiotemporal distribution, relationships with physiological state of the organisms. Imbalance between ROS generation and elimination in favor of the first with certain consequences for cell physiology has been called "oxidative stress". Although almost 30years passed since the first definition of oxidative stress was introduced by Helmut Sies, to date we have no accepted classification of oxidative stress. In order to fill up this gape here classification of oxidative stress based on its intensity is proposed. Due to that oxidative stress may be classified as basal oxidative stress (BOS), low intensity oxidative stress (LOS), intermediate intensity oxidative stress (IOS), and high intensity oxidative stress (HOS). Another classification of potential interest may differentiate three categories such as mild oxidative stress (MOS), temperate oxidative stress (TOS), and finally severe (strong) oxidative stress (SOS). Perspective directions of investigations in the field include development of sophisticated classification of oxidative stresses, accurate identification of cellular ROS targets and their arranged responses to ROS influence, real in situ functions and operation of so-called "antioxidants", intracellular spatiotemporal distribution and effects of ROS, deciphering of molecular mechanisms responsible for cellular response to ROS attacks, and ROS involvement in realization of normal cellular functions in cellular homeostasis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stress analysis in curved composites due to thermal loading

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Polk, Jared Cornelius

Many structures in aircraft, cars, trucks, ships, machines, tools, bridges, and buildings, consist of curved sections. These sections vary from straight line segments that have curvature at either one or both ends, segments with compound curvatures, segments with two mutually perpendicular curvatures or Gaussian curvatures, and segments with a simple curvature. With the advancements made in multi-purpose composites over the past 60 years, composites slowly but steadily have been appearing in these various vehicles, compound structures, and buildings. These composite sections provide added benefits over isotropic, polymeric, and ceramic materials by generally having a higher specific strength, higher specific stiffnesses, longer fatigue life, lower density, possibilities in reduction of life cycle and/or acquisition cost, and greater adaptability to intended function of structure via material composition and geometry. To be able to design and manufacture a safe composite laminate or structure, it is imperative that the stress distributions, their causes, and effects are thoroughly understood in order to successfully accomplish mission objectives and manufacture a safe and reliable composite. The objective of the thesis work is to expand upon the knowledge of simply curved composite structures by exploring and ascertaining all pertinent parameters, phenomenon, and trends in stress variations in curved laminates due to thermal loading. The simply curved composites consist of composites with one radius of curvature throughout the span of the specimen about only one axis. Analytical beam theory, classical lamination theory, and finite element analysis were used to ascertain stress variations in a flat, isotropic beam. An analytical method was developed to ascertain the stress variations in an isotropic, simply curved beam under thermal loading that is under both free-free and fixed-fixed constraint conditions. This is the first such solution to Author's best knowledge

Studies on the influence of metallurgical variables on the stress corrosion behavior of AISI 304 stainless steel in sodium chloride solution using the fracture mechanics approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khatak, H.S.; Gnanamoorthy, J.B.; Rodriguez, P.

1996-01-01

Stress corrosion data on a nuclear grade AISI type 304 stainless steel in a boiling solution of 5M NaCl + 0.15M Na 2 SO 4 + 3 mL/L HCl (bp 381 K) for various metallurgical conditions of the steel are presented in this article. The metallurgical conditions used are solution annealing, sensitization, 10 pct cold work, 20 pct cold work, solution annealing + sensitization, 10 pct cold work + sensitization, and 20 pct cold work + sensitization. The fracture mechanics approach has been used to obtain quantitative data on the stress corrosion crack growth rates. The stress intensity factor, K I , and J integral, J I , have been used as evaluation parameters. The crack growth rates have been measured using compact tension type samples under both increasing and decreasing stress intensity factors. A crack growth rate of 5 x 10 -11 m/s was chosen for the determination of threshold parameters. Results of the optical microscopic and fractographic examinations are presented. Acoustic signals were recorded during crack growth. Data generated from acoustic emissions, activation energy measurements, and fractographic features indicate hydrogen embrittlement as the possible mechanism of cracking

Calibration-free optical chemical sensors

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DeGrandpre, Michael D.

2006-04-11

An apparatus and method for taking absorbance-based chemical measurements are described. In a specific embodiment, an indicator-based pCO2 (partial pressure of CO2) sensor displays sensor-to-sensor reproducibility and measurement stability. These qualities are achieved by: 1) renewing the sensing solution, 2) allowing the sensing solution to reach equilibrium with the analyte, and 3) calculating the response from a ratio of the indicator solution absorbances which are determined relative to a blank solution. Careful solution preparation, wavelength calibration, and stray light rejection also contribute to this calibration-free system. Three pCO2 sensors were calibrated and each had response curves which were essentially identical within the uncertainty of the calibration. Long-term laboratory and field studies showed the response had no drift over extended periods (months). The theoretical response, determined from thermodynamic characterization of the indicator solution, also predicted the observed calibration-free performance.

Mechano-electrochemical study of stress corrosion crack tip area: Case of Zircaloy-4 in halide solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Durif, E.

2012-01-01

Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is a damage phenomenon which results from the synergy between corrosion process (dissolution, adsorption) and mechanical fracture (crack propagation). Although this phenomenon is well known, its modelling is still a challenging issue, especially concerning mechano-electrochemical coupling mechanisms at crack tip, because it depends on model system (metal/aggressive media) and large number of mechanical and electrochemical factors. In this thesis, mutual interactions between dissolution and the stress state around the crack tip (stress intensity factor) are studied in the case of Zircaloy-4 in aqueous halide solution. Samples are first pre-cracked in air by using fatigue load-shedding procedure to control the stress intensity factor. Then, pre-oxidation is used to produce a thin protective passive layer on their surface. The electro-chemical reactions are thus concentrated at the crack tip which also induces a concentration of the mechanical effect. During the test, digital images of the sample surface are acquired. Digital Image Correlation is performed a posteriori in order to obtain the evolution of the crack length and the stress intensity factors. Further, a specific procedure is developed in order to perform the DIC analysis while the test is running. This allows to control the load so that a given value of the stress intensity factor is prescribed. With this innovative experimental technique, we perform experimental tests that allow to discriminate the effects between different stress corrosion cracking mechanisms. It is suggested that once a critical anodic polarization is exceeded, the crack growth rate depends on the stress intensity factor but also on its time derivative. Indeed, a threshold effect is obtained on the stress intensity factor, meaning that plasticity must increase for the dissolution reaction to occur, but also on its rate meaning that time for plasticity to produce new dislocations must not exceed the

Despite higher glucocorticoid levels and stress responses in female rats, both sexes exhibit similar stress-induced changes in hippocampal neurogenesis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hulshof, Henriette J.; Novati, Arianna; Luiten, Paul G. M.; den Boer, Johan A.; Meerlo, Peter

2012-01-01

Sex differences in stress reactivity may be one of the factors underlying the increased sensitivity for the development of psychopathologies in women. Particularly, an increased hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity in females may exacerbate stress-induced changes in neuronal

Cellular packing, mechanical stress and the evolution of multicellularity

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Jacobeen, Shane; Pentz, Jennifer T.; Graba, Elyes C.; Brandys, Colin G.; Ratcliff, William C.; Yunker, Peter J.

2018-03-01

The evolution of multicellularity set the stage for sustained increases in organismal complexity1-5. However, a fundamental aspect of this transition remains largely unknown: how do simple clusters of cells evolve increased size when confronted by forces capable of breaking intracellular bonds? Here we show that multicellular snowflake yeast clusters6-8 fracture due to crowding-induced mechanical stress. Over seven weeks ( 291 generations) of daily selection for large size, snowflake clusters evolve to increase their radius 1.7-fold by reducing the accumulation of internal stress. During this period, cells within the clusters evolve to be more elongated, concomitant with a decrease in the cellular volume fraction of the clusters. The associated increase in free space reduces the internal stress caused by cellular growth, thus delaying fracture and increasing cluster size. This work demonstrates how readily natural selection finds simple, physical solutions to spatial constraints that limit the evolution of group size—a fundamental step in the evolution of multicellularity.

Investigation of the main chemical properties of water-magnesium chloride solutions. Application to the understanding of stress corrosion phenomena in 17.12 Mo stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasni, Abdellatif

1988-01-01

This research thesis reports the investigation of the main chemical properties of concentrated aqueous solutions of MgCl 2 and of their influence of stress corrosion of 17Cr-12Ni-2Mo stainless steel. It shows that the most important chemical properties are the equilibrium pH and the acidity range of MgCl 2 aqueous solutions, and that they strongly depend on solution temperature and concentration. The medium pH is governed by the increased acidity of water in presence of Mg ++ ions, while the acidity range is determined by a hydrolysis reaction of these ions which results in a precipitation of magnesium hydroxyl-chlorides. The investigation of stress corrosion behaviour of the steel in MgCl 2 solutions with varying temperature and concentration shows that this behaviour comes down to a prevailing pH effect which results from the variation of these both parameters, with a not negligible but less important effect of temperature. A study of cracking surfaces indicates that it is possible to pass from a transgranular to an intergranular mode by a variation of either media aggressiveness (pH, temperature, voltage) or strain rate. These results are explained by a concept of kinetic factor which limits stress corrosion [fr

Solution hardening and strain hardening at elevated temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kocks, U.F.

1982-10-01

Solutes can significantly increase the rate of strain hardening; as a consequence, the saturation stress, at which strain hardening tends to cease for a given temperature and strain rate, is increased more than the yield stress: this is the major effect of solutes on strength at elevated temperatures, especially in the regime where dynamic strain-aging occurs. It is shown that local solute mobility can affect both the rate of dynamic recovery and the dislocation/dislocation interaction strength. The latter effect leads to multiplicative solution strengthening. It is explained by a new model based on repeated dislocation unlocking, in a high-temperature limit, which also rationalizes the stress dependence of static and dynamic strain-aging, and may help explain the plateau of the yield stress at elevated temperatures. 15 figures

Stress corrosion inhibitors for type 18-10 stainless steels with low carbon content in hot and concentrated solutions of MgCl2. Study of some inorganic iodides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinard, J.-L.

1974-01-01

Stress corrosion inhibitors for type Z2CN18-10 austenitic stainless steels with low carbon content in a solution of Cl 2 Mg at 105 deg C were investigated. It was established that iodides are the most adequate corrosion inhibitors because they react simultaneously upon the three main components of the alloy (Fe, Ni, Cr). A difference of behavior between I 2 Mg and the other iodides was observed (in electrochemistry and in simple stress corrosion experiments) and the influence of the metallic cation associated to I - was studied. The formation of the superficial film and the phenomena liable to occur at the interface film-corrosive solution were examined: film growth in MgCl 2 ; influence of certain substances added to the solution. A mechanism of inhibition by I - is suggested. It is similar to the mechanism proposed by BERGEN for the stress corrosion cracking by Cl - [fr

Despite higher glucocorticoid levels and stress responses in female rats, both sexes exhibit similar stress-induced changes in hippocampal neurogenesis.

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