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Sample records for structural plastics division

  1. Phenotypic plasticity and effects of selection on cell division symmetry in Escherichia coli.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Uttara N Lele

    Full Text Available Aging has been demonstrated in unicellular organisms and is presumably due to asymmetric distribution of damaged proteins and other components during cell division. Whether the asymmetry-induced aging is inevitable or an adaptive and adaptable response is debated. Although asymmetric division leads to aging and death of some cells, it increases the effective growth rate of the population as shown by theoretical and empirical studies. Mathematical models predict on the other hand, that if the cells divide symmetrically, cellular aging may be delayed or absent, growth rate will be reduced but growth yield will increase at optimum repair rates. Therefore in nutritionally dilute (oligotrophic environments, where growth yield may be more critical for survival, symmetric division may get selected. These predictions have not been empirically tested so far. We report here that Escherichia coli grown in oligotrophic environments had greater morphological and functional symmetry in cell division. Both phenotypic plasticity and genetic selection appeared to shape cell division time asymmetry but plasticity was lost on prolonged selection. Lineages selected on high nutrient concentration showed greater frequency of presumably old or dead cells. Further, there was a negative correlation between cell division time asymmetry and growth yield but there was no significant correlation between asymmetry and growth rate. The results suggest that cellular aging driven by asymmetric division may not be hardwired but shows substantial plasticity as well as evolvability in response to the nutritional environment.

  2. PLASTIC ANALYSIS OF STEEL FRAME STRUCTURE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Rogac

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the plastic analysis of steel frame structure loaded by gravity loads. By applying the cinematic theorem of ultimate analysis, the ultimate load for the case of elastic - ideally plastic material is calculated. The identical structure was treated in the computer program SAP2000 where the zone of material reinforcement in the plastic area was covered. Keywords: Steel frame structure, plastic analysis, ultimate gravity load, material reinforcement.

  3. Structural Plasticity Denoises Responses and Improves Learning Speed

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robin Spiess

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Despite an abundance of computational models for learning of synaptic weights, there has been relatively little research on structural plasticity, i.e. the creation and elimination of synapses. Especially, it is not clear how structural plasticity works in concert with spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP and what advantages their combination offers.Here we present a fairly large-scale functional model that uses leaky integrate-and-fire neurons, STDP, homeostasis, recurrent connections, and structural plasticity to learn the input encoding, the relation between inputs, and to infer missing inputs. Using this model, we compare the error and the amount of noise in the network's responses with and without structural plasticity and the influence of structural plasticity on the learning speed of the network.Using structural plasticity during learning shows good results for learning the representation of input values, i.e. structural plasticity strongly reduces the noise of the response by preventing spikes with a high error.For inferring missing inputs we see similar results, with responses having less noise if the network was trained using structural plasticity.Additionally, using structural plasticity with pruning significantly decreased the time to learn weights suitable for inference.Presumably, this is due to the clearer signal containing less spikes that misrepresent the desired value. Therefore, this work shows that structural plasticity is not only able to improve upon the performance using STDP without structural plasticity but also speeds up learning.Additionally, it addresses the practical problem of limited resources for connectivity that is not only apparent in the mammalian neocortex but also in computer hardware or neuromorphic (brain-inspired hardware by efficiently pruning synapses without losing performance.

  4. Reliability of Elasto-Plastic Structural Systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Delmar, M. V.; Sørensen, John Dalsgaard

    1990-01-01

    This paper proposes a method for generating safety margins and failure mode equations for elasto-plastic structures where interaction of load effects is taken into account. Structural failure is defined by large nodal displacements or plastic collapse. A branch-and-bound technique is used...

  5. Aging and demographic plasticity in response to experimental age structures in honeybees (Apis mellifera L).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rueppell, Olav; Linford, Robyn; Gardner, Preston; Coleman, Jennifer; Fine, Kari

    2008-08-01

    Honeybee colonies are highly integrated functional units characterized by a pronounced division of labor. Division of labor among workers is mainly age-based, with younger individuals focusing on in-hive tasks and older workers performing the more hazardous foraging activities. Thus, experimental disruption of the age composition of the worker hive population is expected to have profound consequences for colony function. Adaptive demography theory predicts that the natural hive age composition represents a colony-level adaptation and thus results in optimal hive performance. Alternatively, the hive age composition may be an epiphenomenon, resulting from individual life history optimization. We addressed these predictions by comparing individual worker longevity and brood production in hives that were composed of a single age cohort, two distinct age cohorts, and hives that had a continuous, natural age distribution. Four experimental replicates showed that colonies with a natural age composition did not consistently have a higher life expectancy and/or brood production than the single cohort or double cohort hives. Instead, a complex interplay of age structure, environmental conditions, colony size, brood production, and individual mortality emerged. A general trade-off between worker life expectancy and colony productivity was apparent, and the transition from in-hive tasks to foraging was the most significant predictor of worker lifespan irrespective of the colony age structure. We conclude that the natural age structure of honeybee hives is not a colony-level adaptation. Furthermore, our results show that honeybees exhibit pronounced demographic plasticity in addition to behavioral plasticity to react to demographic disturbances of their societies.

  6. Rigid-plastic seismic design of reinforced concrete structures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Costa, Joao Domingues; Bento, R.; Levtchitch, V.

    2007-01-01

    structural strength with respect to a pre-defined performance parameter using a rigid-plastic response spectrum, which is characteristic of the ground motion alone. The maximum strength demand at any point is solely dependent on the intensity of the ground motion, which facilitates the task of distributing......In this paper a new seismic design procedure for Reinforced Concrete (R/C) structures is proposed-the Rigid-Plastic Seismic Design (RPSD) method. This is a design procedure based on Non-Linear Time-History Analysis (NLTHA) for systems expected to perform in the non-linear range during a lifetime...... earthquake event. The theoretical background is the Theory of Plasticity (Rigid-Plastic Structures). Firstly, a collapse mechanism is chosen and the corresponding stress field is made safe outside the regions where plastic behaviour takes place. It is shown that this allows the determination of the required...

  7. Pathways to Academic Leadership in Plastic Surgery: A Nationwide Survey of Program Directors, Division Chiefs, and Department Chairs of Plastic Surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fishman, Jordan E; Pang, John Henry Y; Losee, Joseph E; Rubin, J Peter; Nguyen, Vu T

    2018-06-01

    Many aspire to leadership in academic plastic surgery yet there is no well-documented pathway. Information regarding plastic surgery residencies and program directors was obtained from the American Medical Association's FREIDA database. The division chief or department chair (academic head) of every academic plastic surgery program was identified. One Internet-based survey was distributed to academic heads; another, to program directors. Ninety academic heads were identified, 35 of whom also serve as program director. Sixty-seven unique program directors were identified. There was a 51 percent academic head response rate and a 65 percent program director response rate. Academic plastic surgery is overwhelmingly administered by midcareer men. The average program director was appointed at age 45 and has served for 7 years. She or he was trained through the independent track, completed additional training in hand surgery, and is a full professor. She or he publishes two or three peer-reviewed manuscripts per year and spends 9 hours per week in administration. The average academic head was appointed at age 45 and has held the position for 12 years. She or he was trained in the independent model, completed fellowship training, and is a full professor. She or he publishes five peer-reviewed manuscripts per year and spends 12 hours per week involved in administration. Program directors and academic heads serve nonoverlapping roles. Few program directors will advance to the role of academic head. Successful applicants to the program director position often serve as an associate program director and are seen as motivated resident educators. In contrast, those faculty members selected for the academic head role are academically accomplished administrators with business acumen.

  8. Elastic-plastic code in the static regime for two-dimensional structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giuliani, S.

    1976-07-01

    The finite-element computer code STEP-2D, which was conceived as a numerical tool for basic research in fracture mechanics presently under way in the Materials Division of JRC Ispra is described. The code employs 8-node isoparametric elements for calculating elastic-plastic stress and strain distributions in 2-D geometries. The von Mises yield criterion is used. Material strain hardening is described by means of either the isotropic or the so-called 'overlay' model. An incremental solution is employed in the plastic range. The program has been written in Fortran IV and compiled on an IBM 370-165

  9. Organization structure. Main activities of the Division

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2008-01-01

    In this chapter the organization structure as well as main activities of the Division for radiation safety, NPP decommissioning and radioactive waste management are presented. This Division of the VUJE, a.s. consists of the following sections and departments: Section for economic and technical services; Section for radiation protection of employees; Department for management of emergency situations and risk assessment; Department for implementation of nuclear power facilities decommissioning and RAW management; Department for personnel and environmental dosimetry; Department for preparation of NPP decommissioning; Department for RAW treatment technologies; Department for chemical regimes and physico-chemical analyses; Department for management of nuclear power facilities decommissioning and RAW management. Main activities of this Division are presented.

  10. Asymptotic techniques in elastic-plastic analysis of structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sayir, M.

    1983-01-01

    Elastic-plastic structures can nowadays be analyzed with the powerful numerical procedures of the finite element method. Nevertheless, in many engineering applications, analytical expressions capable of predicting with sufficient accuracy the stress distributions, the extent of the plastic zones and the load displacement behaviour could be of great practical value. For simple structures and loading stages not too far from the elastic limit, such analytical expressions may be obtained by using perturbation methods and asymptotic expansions. A small dimensionless parameter epsilon is defined as the ratio of a length characterizing the extent of the narrow plastic zone, to a conveniently chosen typical dimension of the structure. Stresses and displacements are formally expanded as asymptotic series in terms of powers of epsilon. For each order of magnitude, the exact basic relations lead to a separate set of simplified differential equations which can be integrated analytically or numerically by using standard procedures. The method is very general and can be applied to several classes of plastic behaviour and of structural problems. Three examples of very simple structures are chosen in particular to illustrate the applicability of the perturbation method to engineering problems. (orig./RW)

  11. An elastic-plastic contact model for line contact structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Haibin; Zhao, Yingtao; He, Zhifeng; Zhang, Ruinan; Ma, Shaopeng

    2018-06-01

    Although numerical simulation tools are now very powerful, the development of analytical models is very important for the prediction of the mechanical behaviour of line contact structures for deeply understanding contact problems and engineering applications. For the line contact structures widely used in the engineering field, few analytical models are available for predicting the mechanical behaviour when the structures deform plastically, as the classic Hertz's theory would be invalid. Thus, the present study proposed an elastic-plastic model for line contact structures based on the understanding of the yield mechanism. A mathematical expression describing the global relationship between load history and contact width evolution of line contact structures was obtained. The proposed model was verified through an actual line contact test and a corresponding numerical simulation. The results confirmed that this model can be used to accurately predict the elastic-plastic mechanical behaviour of a line contact structure.

  12. Influence of preliminary plastic deformation on plasticity characteristics and structure of armco-iron

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vergazov, A.N.; Rybin, V.V.; Meshkov, Yu.Ya.; Moskvina, V.A.; Serditova, T.N.

    1990-01-01

    Effect of preliminary plastic deformation (PPD) by drawing on the maximum plasticity characteristics (critical rupture strain) ε c , general δ and uniform δ p relative elongation and on the structure of armco-iron in a wide range of PPD degree change (e=0-4.6) is studied. It is ascertained that with e growth the metal plastic properties at T test =77 and 293 K change in a different way. In particular, the critical strain ε c increases monotonously at 77 K and reduces at 293 K. It is shown that all changes of mechanical characteristics observed with e increase are conditioned by the development of fragmentation process in armco-iron. The data obtained are discussed from the veiwpoint of the developed plastic deformation physics concepts

  13. [Structural plasticity associated with drugs addiction].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Jie; Cao, Guo-fen; Dang, Yong-hui; Chen, Teng

    2011-12-01

    An essential feature of drug addiction is that an individual continues to use drug despite the threat of severely adverse physical or psychosocial consequences. Persistent changes in behavior and psychological function that occur as a function of drugs of abuse are thought to be due to the reorganization of synaptic connections (structural plasticity) in relevant brain circuits (especially the brains reward circuits). In this paper we summarized evidence that, indeed, exposure to amphetamine, cocaine, nicotine or morphine produced persistent changes in the structure of dendrites and dendritic spines on cells in relevant brain regions. We also approached the potential molecular mechanisms of these changes. It is suggested that structural plasticity associated with exposure to drugs of abuse reflects a reorganization of patterns of synaptic connectivity in these neural systems, a reorganization that alters their operation, thus contributing to some of the persistent sequela associated with drug use-including addiction.

  14. The study of elastio-plastic seismic analysis for rigid-frame structures

    OpenAIRE

    陳, 珉; 青木, 徹彦

    2000-01-01

    Elastic and elastio-plastic earthquake-resistant analysis of frame construction is mainly studied in this paper. In elastic stage, response and vibrated characteristics of symmetrical and unsymmetrical structure are investigated by comparing the results of plane and space analysis. The effect of approaching angle of seismic wave to vibrated characteristics of structure under different column/beam rate are discussed. In elastio-plastic stage, four kinds of plastic mode with different plastic p...

  15. Characteristics of Structural Breakdown in Plastic Concrete and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Characteristics of Structural Breakdown in Plastic Concrete and Their Potentials for Quality Control. ... A typical trace has four such significant features which characterise the mix. The significance of these features are analysed in relation to the functional requirements of plastic concrete in practice. Finally, the potentials of ...

  16. The effects of hormones and physical exercise on hippocampal structural plasticity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Triviño-Paredes, Juan; Patten, Anna R; Gil-Mohapel, Joana; Christie, Brian R

    2016-04-01

    The hippocampus plays an integral role in certain aspects of cognition. Hippocampal structural plasticity and in particular adult hippocampal neurogenesis can be influenced by several intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Here we review how hormones (i.e., intrinsic modulators) and physical exercise (i.e., an extrinsic modulator) can differentially modulate hippocampal plasticity in general and adult hippocampal neurogenesis in particular. Specifically, we provide an overview of the effects of sex hormones, stress hormones, and metabolic hormones on hippocampal structural plasticity and adult hippocampal neurogenesis. In addition, we also discuss how physical exercise modulates these forms of hippocampal plasticity, giving particular emphasis on how this modulation can be affected by variables such as exercise regime, duration, and intensity. Understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the modulation of hippocampal structural plasticity by intrinsic and extrinsic factors will impact the design of new therapeutic approaches aimed at restoring hippocampal plasticity following brain injury or neurodegeneration. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Thermo-plastic finite element analysis for metal honeycomb structure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ji Zhanling

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper deals with thermal-plastic analysis for the metal honeycomb structure. The heat transfer equation and thermal elastoplastic constitutive equation of a multilayer panel are established and studied numerically using ANSYS software. The paper elucidates that only the outer skin produces easily plastic deformation, and the outer skin still exists some residual stress and residual deformation after cooling. The dynamic evolution of plastic deformation and material performance degradation under high energy thermal load are revealed.

  18. Psychedelics Promote Structural and Functional Neural Plasticity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Calvin Ly

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Summary: Atrophy of neurons in the prefrontal cortex (PFC plays a key role in the pathophysiology of depression and related disorders. The ability to promote both structural and functional plasticity in the PFC has been hypothesized to underlie the fast-acting antidepressant properties of the dissociative anesthetic ketamine. Here, we report that, like ketamine, serotonergic psychedelics are capable of robustly increasing neuritogenesis and/or spinogenesis both in vitro and in vivo. These changes in neuronal structure are accompanied by increased synapse number and function, as measured by fluorescence microscopy and electrophysiology. The structural changes induced by psychedelics appear to result from stimulation of the TrkB, mTOR, and 5-HT2A signaling pathways and could possibly explain the clinical effectiveness of these compounds. Our results underscore the therapeutic potential of psychedelics and, importantly, identify several lead scaffolds for medicinal chemistry efforts focused on developing plasticity-promoting compounds as safe, effective, and fast-acting treatments for depression and related disorders. : Ly et al. demonstrate that psychedelic compounds such as LSD, DMT, and DOI increase dendritic arbor complexity, promote dendritic spine growth, and stimulate synapse formation. These cellular effects are similar to those produced by the fast-acting antidepressant ketamine and highlight the potential of psychedelics for treating depression and related disorders. Keywords: neural plasticity, psychedelic, spinogenesis, synaptogenesis, depression, LSD, DMT, ketamine, noribogaine, MDMA

  19. Cyclic plastic hinges with degradation effects for frame structures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tidemann, Lasse; Krenk, Steen

    2017-01-01

    A model of cyclic plastic hinges in frame structures including degradation effects for stiffness and strength is developed. The model is formulated via potentials in terms of section forces. It consists of a yield surface, described in a generic format permitting representation of general convex...... shapes including corners, and a set of evolution equations based on an internal energy potential and a plastic flow potential. The form of these potentials is specified by five parameters for each generalized stress-strain component describing yield level, ultimate stress capacity, elastic...... and stiffness parameters. The cyclic plastic hinges are introduced into a six-component equilibrium-based beam element, using additive element and hinge flexibilities. When converted to stiffness format the plastic hinges are incorporated into the element stiffness matrix. The cyclic plastic hinge model...

  20. Elastic-plastic creep response of structures under composite time history

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zudans, Z [Franklin Inst. Research Labs., Philadelphia, Pa. (USA)

    1975-12-01

    High temperature nuclear reactor components are subject to a complex history of thermal and mechanical loading cycles. To evaluate the adequacy of such components, detailed information on the accumulated inelastic strains and strain cycling is required. This paper presents the theory, describes efficient numerical techniques accounting for plasticity, creep and overall equilibrium, describes the overall structure of the resulting computer program, and demonstrates the capability of the analysis method on a real three-dimensional structure. The new results of this work are the efficient handling of an arbitrary load history, introduction of the 'plastic stress' concept for inelastic computation, novel implementation of classical plasticity with recognition of incrementation conditions for the kinematic hardening, use of the load incrementation algorithm based on the 'plastic stress' concept, and development of a computer code capable of solving practical three-dimensional problems.

  1. Elastic-plastic creep response of structures under composite time history

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zudans, Z.

    1975-01-01

    High temperature nuclear reactor components are subject to a complex history of thermal and mechanical loading cycles. To evaluate the adequacy of such components, detailed information on the accumulated inelastic strains and strain cycling is required. This paper presents the theory, describes efficient numerical techniques accounting for plasticity, creep and overall equilibrium, describes the overall structure of the resulting computer program, and demonstrates the capability of the analysis method on a real three-dimensional structure. The new results of this work are the efficient handling of an arbitrary load history, introduction of the 'plastic stress' concept for inelastic computation, novel implementation of classical plasticity with recognition of incrementation conditions for the kinematic hardening, use of the load incrementation algorithm based on the 'plastic stress' concept, and development of a computer code capable of solving practical three-dimensional problems. (Auth.)

  2. Learning Structure of Sensory Inputs with Synaptic Plasticity Leads to Interference

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joseph eChrol-Cannon

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Synaptic plasticity is often explored as a form of unsupervised adaptationin cortical microcircuits to learn the structure of complex sensoryinputs and thereby improve performance of classification and prediction. The question of whether the specific structure of the input patterns is encoded in the structure of neural networks has been largely neglected. Existing studies that have analyzed input-specific structural adaptation have used simplified, synthetic inputs in contrast to complex and noisy patterns found in real-world sensory data.In this work, input-specific structural changes are analyzed forthree empirically derived models of plasticity applied to three temporal sensory classification tasks that include complex, real-world visual and auditory data. Two forms of spike-timing dependent plasticity (STDP and the Bienenstock-Cooper-Munro (BCM plasticity rule are used to adapt the recurrent network structure during the training process before performance is tested on the pattern recognition tasks.It is shown that synaptic adaptation is highly sensitive to specific classes of input pattern. However, plasticity does not improve the performance on sensory pattern recognition tasks, partly due to synaptic interference between consecutively presented input samples. The changes in synaptic strength produced by one stimulus are reversed by thepresentation of another, thus largely preventing input-specific synaptic changes from being retained in the structure of the network.To solve the problem of interference, we suggest that models of plasticitybe extended to restrict neural activity and synaptic modification to a subset of the neural circuit, which is increasingly found to be the casein experimental neuroscience.

  3. Shaping inhibition: activity dependent structural plasticity of GABAergic synapses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carmen E Flores

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Inhibitory transmission through the neurotransmitter Ɣ-aminobutyric acid (GABA shapes network activity in the mammalian cerebral cortex by filtering synaptic incoming information and dictating the activity of principal cells. The incredibly diverse population of cortical neurons that use GABA as neurotransmitter shows an equally diverse range of mechanisms that regulate changes in the strength of GABAergic synaptic transmission and allow them to dynamically follow and command the activity of neuronal ensembles. Similarly to glutamatergic synaptic transmission, activity-dependent functional changes in inhibitory neurotransmission are accompanied by alterations in GABAergic synapse structure that range from morphological reorganization of postsynaptic density to de novo formation and elimination of inhibitory contacts. Here we review several aspects of structural plasticity of inhibitory synapses, including its induction by different forms of neuronal activity, behavioral and sensory experience and the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways involved. We discuss the functional consequences of GABAergic synapse structural plasticity for information processing and memory formation in view of the heterogenous nature of the structural plasticity phenomena affecting inhibitory synapses impinging on somatic and dendritic compartments of cortical and hippocampal neurons.

  4. Structural and Functional Plasticity in the Maternal Brain Circuitry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pereira, Mariana

    2016-01-01

    Parenting recruits a distributed network of brain structures (and neuromodulators) that coordinates caregiving responses attuned to the young's affect, needs, and developmental stage. Many of these structures and connections undergo significant structural and functional plasticity, mediated by the interplay between maternal hormones and social…

  5. Psychedelics Promote Structural and Functional Neural Plasticity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ly, Calvin; Greb, Alexandra C; Cameron, Lindsay P; Wong, Jonathan M; Barragan, Eden V; Wilson, Paige C; Burbach, Kyle F; Soltanzadeh Zarandi, Sina; Sood, Alexander; Paddy, Michael R; Duim, Whitney C; Dennis, Megan Y; McAllister, A Kimberley; Ori-McKenney, Kassandra M; Gray, John A; Olson, David E

    2018-06-12

    Atrophy of neurons in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a key role in the pathophysiology of depression and related disorders. The ability to promote both structural and functional plasticity in the PFC has been hypothesized to underlie the fast-acting antidepressant properties of the dissociative anesthetic ketamine. Here, we report that, like ketamine, serotonergic psychedelics are capable of robustly increasing neuritogenesis and/or spinogenesis both in vitro and in vivo. These changes in neuronal structure are accompanied by increased synapse number and function, as measured by fluorescence microscopy and electrophysiology. The structural changes induced by psychedelics appear to result from stimulation of the TrkB, mTOR, and 5-HT2A signaling pathways and could possibly explain the clinical effectiveness of these compounds. Our results underscore the therapeutic potential of psychedelics and, importantly, identify several lead scaffolds for medicinal chemistry efforts focused on developing plasticity-promoting compounds as safe, effective, and fast-acting treatments for depression and related disorders. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Marine microbe with potential to adhere and degrade plastic structures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alka Kumari

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Extensive usages of plastics have led to their accumulation as a contaminant in natural environment worldwide. Plastic is an inert and non-biodegradable material, due to its complex structure and hydrophobic backbone [1]. Conventional methods for reduction of plastic waste such as burning, land-filling release unwanted toxic chemicals to the environment and harming living organism of land as well as the ocean. There is growing interest in development of strategies for the degradation of plastic wastes to clean the environment [2]. Marine bacteria have evolved with the capability to adapt and grow in the diverse environmental conditions [3]. We studied the ability of marine bacteria for destabilization and utilization of different plastic films (LDPE, HDPE, PVC and PET as a sole source of carbon. An active bacterial strain AIIW2 was selected based on the triphenyl tetrazolium chloride reduction assay, and it was identified as Bacillus species based on 16S rRNA gene sequence. The viability of the strain over the plastic surface was studied and confirmed by bacLight assay with fluorescent probes. Scanning Electron Microscope and Atomic Force Microscope images suggested that bacterial interaction over the plastic surface is causing deterioration and roughness with increasing bacterial incubation time. In Fourier transform infrared spectra of treated plastic film evidenced stretching of the (-CH alkane rock chain and (-CO carbonyl region, suggested the oxidative activities of the bacteria. The results revealed that ability of bacterial strain for instigating their colonization over plastic films and deteriorating the polymeric structure in the absence of other carbon sources [4]. Moreover, production of extracellular enzymes such as esterase, laccase, and dehalogenase which are reported to support utilization of plastics was confirmed by plate assays. In concise, our results suggested that the marine bacterial strain AIIW2 have the ability to utilize

  7. Extracellular proteolysis in structural and functional plasticity of mossy fiber synapses in hippocampus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Grzegorz eWiera

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Brain is continuously altered in response to experience and environmental changes. One of the underlying mechanisms is synaptic plasticity, which is manifested by modification of synapse structure and function. It is becoming clear that regulated extracellular proteolysis plays a pivotal role in the structural and functional remodeling of synapses during brain development, learning and memory formation. Clearly, plasticity mechanisms may substantially differ between projections. Mossy fiber synapses onto CA3 pyramidal cells display several unique functional features, including pronounced short-term facilitation, a presynaptically expressed LTP that is independent of NMDAR activation, and NMDA-dependent metaplasticity. Moreover, structural plasticity at mossy fiber synapses ranges from the reorganization of projection topology after hippocampus-dependent learning, through intrinsically different dynamic properties of synaptic boutons to pre- and postsynaptic structural changes accompanying LTP induction. Although concomitant functional and structural plasticity in this pathway strongly suggests a role of extracellular proteolysis, its impact only starts to be investigated in this projection. In the present report, we review the role of extracellular proteolysis in various aspects of synaptic plasticity in hippocampal mossy fiber synapses. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that among perisynaptic proteases, tPA/plasmin system, β-site amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1 and metalloproteinases play a crucial role in shaping plastic changes in this projection. We discuss recent advances and emerging hypotheses on the roles of proteases in mechanisms underlying mossy fiber target specific synaptic plasticity and memory formation.

  8. Polarity, cell division, and out-of-equilibrium dynamics control the growth of epithelial structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cerruti, Benedetta; Puliafito, Alberto; Shewan, Annette M.; Yu, Wei; Combes, Alexander N.; Little, Melissa H.; Chianale, Federica; Primo, Luca; Serini, Guido; Mostov, Keith E.; Celani, Antonio

    2013-01-01

    The growth of a well-formed epithelial structure is governed by mechanical constraints, cellular apico-basal polarity, and spatially controlled cell division. Here we compared the predictions of a mathematical model of epithelial growth with the morphological analysis of 3D epithelial structures. In both in vitro cyst models and in developing epithelial structures in vivo, epithelial growth could take place close to or far from mechanical equilibrium, and was determined by the hierarchy of time-scales of cell division, cell–cell rearrangements, and lumen dynamics. Equilibrium properties could be inferred by the analysis of cell–cell contact topologies, and the nonequilibrium phenotype was altered by inhibiting ROCK activity. The occurrence of an aberrant multilumen phenotype was linked to fast nonequilibrium growth, even when geometric control of cell division was correctly enforced. We predicted and verified experimentally that slowing down cell division partially rescued a multilumen phenotype induced by altered polarity. These results improve our understanding of the development of epithelial organs and, ultimately, of carcinogenesis. PMID:24145168

  9. Structural Components of Synaptic Plasticity and Memory Consolidation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bailey, Craig H.; Kandel, Eric R.; Harris, Kristen M.

    2015-01-01

    Consolidation of implicit memory in the invertebrate Aplysia and explicit memory in the mammalian hippocampus are associated with remodeling and growth of preexisting synapses and the formation of new synapses. Here, we compare and contrast structural components of the synaptic plasticity that underlies these two distinct forms of memory. In both cases, the structural changes involve time-dependent processes. Thus, some modifications are transient and may contribute to early formative stages of long-term memory, whereas others are more stable, longer lasting, and likely to confer persistence to memory storage. In addition, we explore the possibility that trans-synaptic signaling mechanisms governing de novo synapse formation during development can be reused in the adult for the purposes of structural synaptic plasticity and memory storage. Finally, we discuss how these mechanisms set in motion structural rearrangements that prepare a synapse to strengthen the same memory and, perhaps, to allow it to take part in other memories as a basis for understanding how their anatomical representation results in the enhanced expression and storage of memories in the brain. PMID:26134321

  10. Dense-body aggregates as plastic structures supporting tension in smooth muscle cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jie; Herrera, Ana M; Paré, Peter D; Seow, Chun Y

    2010-11-01

    The wall of hollow organs of vertebrates is a unique structure able to generate active tension and maintain a nearly constant passive stiffness over a large volume range. These properties are predominantly attributable to the smooth muscle cells that line the organ wall. Although smooth muscle is known to possess plasticity (i.e., the ability to adapt to large changes in cell length through structural remodeling of contractile apparatus and cytoskeleton), the detailed structural basis for the plasticity is largely unknown. Dense bodies, one of the most prominent structures in smooth muscle cells, have been regarded as the anchoring sites for actin filaments, similar to the Z-disks in striated muscle. Here, we show that the dense bodies and intermediate filaments formed cable-like structures inside airway smooth muscle cells and were able to adjust the cable length according to cell length and tension. Stretching the muscle cell bundle in the relaxed state caused the cables to straighten, indicating that these intracellular structures were connected to the extracellular matrix and could support passive tension. These plastic structures may be responsible for the ability of smooth muscle to maintain a nearly constant tensile stiffness over a large length range. The finding suggests that the structural plasticity of hollow organs may originate from the dense-body cables within the smooth muscle cells.

  11. Prediction of elastic-plastic response of structural elements subjected to cyclic loading

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El Haddad, M.H.; Samaan, S.

    1985-01-01

    A simplified elastic-plastic analysis is developed to predict stress strain and force deformation response of structural metallic elements subjected to irregular cyclic loadings. In this analysis a simple elastic-plastic method for predicting the skeleton force deformation curve is developed. In this method, elastic and fully plastic solutions are first obtained for unknown quantities, such as deflection or local strains. Elastic and fully plastic contributions are then combined to obtain an elastic-plastic solution. The skeleton curve is doubled to establish the shape of the hysteresis loop. The complete force deformation response can therefore be simulated through reversal by reversal in accordance with hysteresis looping and material memory. Several examples of structural elements with various cross sections made from various materials and subjected to irregular cyclic loadings, are analysed. A close agreement is obtained between experimental results found in the literature and present predictions. (orig.)

  12. Cyclic plastic hinges with degradation effects for frame structures

    OpenAIRE

    Tidemann, Lasse; Krenk, Steen

    2017-01-01

    A model of cyclic plastic hinges in frame structures including degradation effects for stiffness and strength is developed. The model is formulated via potentials in terms of section forces. It consists of a yield surface, described in a generic format permitting representation of general convex shapes including corners, and a set of evolution equations based on an internal energy potential and a plastic flow potential. The form of these potentials is specified by five parameters for each gen...

  13. Global plastic models for computerized structural analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roche, R.L.; Hoffmann, A.

    1977-01-01

    In many types of structures, it is possible to use generalized stresses (like membrane forces, bending moment, torsion moment...) to define a yield surface for a part of the structure. Analysis can be achieved by using the HILL's principle and a hardening rule. The whole formulation is said 'Global Plastic Model'. Two different global models are used in the CEASEMT system for structural analysis, one for shell analysis and the other for piping analysis (in plastic or creep field). In shell analysis the generalized stresses chosen are the membrane forces and bending (including torsion) moments. There is only one yield condition for a normal to the middle surface and no integration along the thickness is required. In piping analysis, the choice of generalized stresses is bending moments, torsional moment, hoop stress and tension stress. There is only a set of stresses for a cross section and no integration over the cross section area is needed. Connected strains are axis curvature, torsion, uniform strains. The definition of the yield surface is the most important item. A practical way is to use a diagonal quadratic function of the stress components. But the coefficients are depending of the shape of the pipe element, especially for curved segments. Indications will be given on the yield functions used. Some examples of applications in structural analysis are added to the text

  14. Plastic

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeong Gi Hyeon

    1987-04-01

    This book deals with plastic, which includes introduction for plastic, chemistry of high polymers, polymerization, speciality and structure of a high molecule property of plastic, molding, thermosetting plastic, such as polyethylene, polyether, polyamide and polyvinyl acetyl, thermal plastic like phenolic resins, xylene resins, melamine resin, epoxy resin, alkyd resin and poly urethan resin, new plastic like ionomer and PPS resin, synthetic laminated tape and synthetic wood, mixed materials in plastic, reprocessing of waste plastic, polymer blend, test method for plastic materials and auxiliary materials of plastic.

  15. Filopodia: A Rapid Structural Plasticity Substrate for Fast Learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmet S. Ozcan

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Formation of new synapses between neurons is an essential mechanism for learning and encoding memories. The vast majority of excitatory synapses occur on dendritic spines, therefore, the growth dynamics of spines is strongly related to the plasticity timescales. Especially in the early stages of the developing brain, there is an abundant number of long, thin and motile protrusions (i.e., filopodia, which develop in timescales of seconds and minutes. Because of their unique morphology and motility, it has been suggested that filopodia can have a dual role in both spinogenesis and environmental sampling of potential axonal partners. I propose that filopodia can lower the threshold and reduce the time to form new dendritic spines and synapses, providing a substrate for fast learning. Based on this proposition, the functional role of filopodia during brain development is discussed in relation to learning and memory. Specifically, it is hypothesized that the postnatal brain starts with a single-stage memory system with filopodia playing a significant role in rapid structural plasticity along with the stability provided by the mushroom-shaped spines. Following the maturation of the hippocampus, this highly-plastic unitary system transitions to a two-stage memory system, which consists of a plastic temporary store and a long-term stable store. In alignment with these architectural changes, it is posited that after brain maturation, filopodia-based structural plasticity will be preserved in specific areas, which are involved in fast learning (e.g., hippocampus in relation to episodic memory. These propositions aim to introduce a unifying framework for a diversity of phenomena in the brain such as synaptogenesis, pruning and memory consolidation.

  16. Micro-Structural Evolution and Size-Effects in Plastically Deformed Single Crystals: Strain Gradient Continuum Modeling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    El-Naaman, Salim Abdallah

    the macroscopic effects related to strain gradients, most predict smooth micro-structures. The evolution of dislocation micro-structures, during plastic straining of ductile crystalline materials, is highly complex and nonuniform. Published experimental measurements on deformed metal crystals show distinct......An extensive amount of research has been devoted to the development of micro-mechanics based gradient plasticity continuum theories, which are necessary for modeling micron-scale plasticity when large spatial gradients of plastic strain appear. While many models have proven successful in capturing...... strain. It is clear that many challenges are associated with modeling dislocation structures, within a framework based on continuum fields, however, since the strain gradient effects are attributed to the dislocation micro-structure, it is a natural step, in the further development of gradient theories...

  17. [Independence in Plastic Surgery - Benefit or Barrier? Analysis of the Publication Performance in Academic Plastic Surgery Depending on Varying Organisational Structures].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schubert, C D; Leitsch, S; Haertnagl, F; Haas, E M; Giunta, R E

    2015-08-01

    Despite its recognition as an independent specialty, at German university hospitals the field of plastic surgery is still underrepresented in terms of independent departments with a dedicated research focus. The aim of this study was to analyse the publication performance within the German academic plastic surgery environment and to compare independent departments and dependent, subordinate organisational structures regarding their publication performance. Organisational structures and number of attending doctors in German university hospitals were examined via a website analysis. A pubmed analysis was applied to assess the publication performance (number of publications, cumulative impact factor, impact factor/publication, number of publications/MD, number of publications/unit) between 2009 and 2013. In a journal analysis the distribution of the cumulative impact factor and number of publications in different journals as well as the development of the impact factor in the top journals were analysed. Out of all 35 university hospitals there exist 12 independent departments for plastic surgery and 8 subordinate organisational structures. In 15 university hospitals there were no designated plastic surgery units. The number of attending doctors differed considerably between independent departments (3.6 attending doctors/unit) and subordinate organisational structures (1.1 attending doctors/unit). The majority of publications (89.0%) and of the cumulative impact factor (91.2%) as well as most of the publications/MD (54 publications/year) and publications/unit (61 publications/year) were created within the independent departments. Only in departments top publications with an impact factor > 5 were published. In general a negative trend regarding the number of publications (- 13.4%) and cumulative impact factor (- 28.9%) was observed. 58.4% of all publications were distributed over the top 10 journals. Within the latter the majority of articles were published in

  18. Formation of disorientations in dislocation structures during plastic deformation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pantleon, W.

    2002-01-01

    Disorientations developing during plastic deformation in dislocation structures are investigated. Based on expected mechanisms for the formation of different types of dislocation boundaries (statistical trapping of dislocations or differently activated slip systems) the formation of the disorient...

  19. Significance of Objective Structured Clinical Examinations to Plastic Surgery Residency Training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simmons, Brian J; Zoghbi, Yasmina; Askari, Morad; Birnbach, David J; Shekhter, Ilya; Thaller, Seth R

    2017-09-01

    Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) have proven to be a powerful tool. They possess more than a 30-year track record in assessing the competency of medical students, residents, and fellows. Objective structured clinical examinations have been used successfully in a variety of medical specialties, including surgery. They have recently found their way into the subspecialty of plastic surgery. This article uses a systematic review of the available literature on OSCEs and their recent use in plastic surgery. It incorporates survey results assessing program directors' views on the use of OSCEs. Approximately 40% of programs surveyed use OSCEs to assess the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education core competencies. We found that 40% use OSCEs to evaluate specific plastic surgery milestones. Objective structured clinical examinations are usually performed annually. They cost anywhere between $100 and more than $1000 per resident. Four milestones giving residents the most difficulties on OSCEs were congenital anomalies, noncancer breast surgery, breast reconstruction, and practice-based learning and improvement. It was determined that challenges with milestones were due to lack of adequate general knowledge and surgical ward patient care, as well as deficits in professionalism and system-based problems. Programs were able to remediate weakness found by OSCEs using a variety of methods. Objective structured clinical examinations offer a unique tool to objectively assess the proficiency of residents in key areas of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education core competencies. In addition, they can be used to assess the specific milestones that plastic surgery residents must meet. This allows programs to identify and improve identified areas of weakness.

  20. Structural defects in natural plastically deformed diamonds: Evidence from EPR spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mineeva, R. M.; Titkov, S. V.; Speransky, A. V.

    2009-06-01

    Structural defects formed as a result of plastic deformation in natural diamond crystals have been studied by EPR spectroscopy. The spectra of brown, pink-brown, black-brown, pink-purple, and gray plastically deformed diamonds of type Ia from deposits in Yakutia and the Urals were recorded. The results of EPR spectroscopy allowed us to identify various deformation centers in the structure of natural diamonds and to show that nitrogen centers were transformed under epigenetic mechanical loading. Abundant A centers, consisting of two isomorphic nitrogen atoms located in neighboring structural sites, were destroyed as a result of this process to form a series of N1, N4, W7, M2, and M3 nitrogen centers. Such centers are characterized by an anisotropic spatial distribution and a positive charge, related to the mechanism of their formation. In addition, N2 centers (probably, deformation-produced dislocations decorated by nitrogen) were formed in all plastically deformed diamonds and W10 and W35 centers (the models have not been finally ascertained) were formed in some of them. It has been established that diamonds with various types of deformation-induced color contain characteristic associations of these deformation centers. The diversity of associations of deformation centers indicates appreciable variations in conditions of disintegration of deep-seated rocks, transfer of diamonds to the Earth’s surface, and formation of kimberlitic deposits. Depending on the conditions of mechanical loading, the diamond crystals were plastically deformed by either dislocation gliding or mechanical twinning. Characteristic features of plastic deformation by dislocation gliding are the substantial prevalence of the N2 centers over other deformation centers and the occurrence of the high-spin W10 and W35 centers. The attributes of less frequent plastic deformation by mechanical twinning are unusual localization of the M2 centers and, in some cases, the N1 centers in microtwinned

  1. Structural Analysis of Basalt Fiber Reinforced Plastic Wind Turbine Blade

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mengal Ali Nawaz

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available In this study, Basalt fiber reinforced plastic (BFRP wind turbine blade was analyzed and compared with Glass fiber reinforced plastic blade (GFRP. Finite element analysis (FEA of blade was carried out using ANSYS. Data for FEA was obtained by using rule of mixture. The shell element in ANSYS was used to simulate the wind turbine blade and to conduct its strength analysis. The structural analysis and comparison of blade deformations proved that BFRP wind turbine blade has better strength compared to GFRP wind turbine blade.

  2. Plasticity theory

    CERN Document Server

    Lubliner, Jacob

    2008-01-01

    The aim of Plasticity Theory is to provide a comprehensive introduction to the contemporary state of knowledge in basic plasticity theory and to its applications. It treats several areas not commonly found between the covers of a single book: the physics of plasticity, constitutive theory, dynamic plasticity, large-deformation plasticity, and numerical methods, in addition to a representative survey of problems treated by classical methods, such as elastic-plastic problems, plane plastic flow, and limit analysis; the problem discussed come from areas of interest to mechanical, structural, and

  3. Lifetime Reliability Estimate and Extreme Permanent Deformations of Randomly Excited Elasto-Plastic Structures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Søren R.K.; Sørensen, John Dalsgaard; Thoft-Christensen, Palle

    1983-01-01

    plastic deformation during several loadings can be modelled as a filtered Poisson process. Using the Markov property of this quantity the considered first-passage problem as well as the related extreme distribution problems are then solved numerically, and the results are compared to simulation studies.......A method is presented for life-time reliability' estimates of randomly excited yielding systems, assuming the structure to be safe, when the plastic deformations are confined below certain limits. The accumulated plastic deformations during any single significant loading history are considered...

  4. Molecular motion and structure in plastics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doolan, K.R.; Baxter, M.

    2000-01-01

    Full text: When molten thermoplastics solidify, the polymeric chains form a completely amorphous structure or a mixture of crystalline and amorphous regions. Measurement of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) relaxation times provides information about the configuration and molecular motion of polymeric chains in solid plastics. We are currently measuring the NMR relaxation times T 1 , T 2 , T 2 and T 1p as a function of temperature using a Bruker High Power pulsed NMR Spectrometer for several different classes of thermoplastics containing varying concentrations of inorganic filler materials. We present data here for T 1 , and T 2 obtained for polyethylenes, polypropylenes, polystyrenes and acrylics in the temperature range 100 K to 450 K. At temperatures below 320 K, all of the polyethylenes and polypropylenes and some of the polystyrenes and acrylics produced NMR signals after a single radio frequency (RF) pulse with rapidly and slowly decaying components corresponding to the rigid and flexible regions within the plastic. From these results we have estimated using Mathematica the amount of crystallinity within the polyethylenes and polypropylenes. For the impact modified polystyrenes and acrylics studied we have estimated the amounts of elastomeric phases present. We find that the initial rapid decay signal produced by polyethylenes and polypropylenes is Gaussian while the long tail is Lorentzian. All of the signal components from the polystyrenes and the acrylics were fitted using Lorentzian functions indicating their structures are highly amorphous. Addition of CaCO 3 filler to polypropylene resins appears to reduce the crystallinity of the material. We also present data for the activation energy of the molecular motion inducing longitudinal relaxation, from T 1 measurements

  5. The elastic-plastic failure assessment diagram of surface cracked structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ning, J.; Gao, Q.

    1987-01-01

    The simplified NLSM is able to calculate the EPFM parameters and failure assessment curve for the surface cracked structure correctly and conveniently. The elastic-plastic failure assessment curve of surface crack is relevant to crack geometry, loading form and material deformation behaviour. It is necessary to construct the EPFM failure assessment curve of the surface crack for the failure assessment of surface cracked structure. (orig./HP)

  6. Structural plasticity in mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons produced by drugs of abuse: critical role of BDNF and dopamine.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ginetta eCollo

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons were suggested to be a critical physiopathology substrate for addiction disorders. Among neuroadaptive processes to addictive drugs, structural plasticity has attracted attention. While structural plasticity occurs at both pre- and post-synaptic levels in the mesolimbic dopaminergic system, the present review focuses only on dopaminergic neurons. Exposures to addictive drugs determine two opposite structural responses, hypothrophic plasticity produced by opioids and cannabinoids (in particular during the early withdrawal phase and hypertrophic plasticity, mostly driven by psychostimulants and nicotine. In vitro and in vivo studies indentified BDNF and extracellular dopamine as two critical factors in determining structural plasticity, the two molecules sharing similar intracellular pathways involved in cell soma and dendrite growth, the MEK-ERK1/2 and the PI3K-Akt-mTOR, via preferential activation of TrkB and dopamine D3 receptors, respectively. At present information regarding specific structural changes associated to the various stages of the addiction cycle is incomplete. Encouraging neuroimaging data in humans indirectly support the preclinical evidence of hypotrophic and hypertrophic effects, suggesting a possible differential engagement of dopamine neurons in parallel and partially converging circuits controlling motivation, stress and emotions.

  7. Operational factors influence on service life characteristics of structural carbon fiber-reinforced plastic

    OpenAIRE

    Борозенець, Григорій; Павлов, Віктор; Семак, Інна

    2013-01-01

    The nature of strength changing of aircraft structural carbon fiber-reinforced plastic under influence of water saturation after static preloading and mode changing of structural elements forming process pressure is considered.

  8. Thermo-visco-plasticity and creep in structural-material response of folded-plate structures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Milašinović Dragan D.

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Many structural parts are exposed to high temperatures and loading. It is then important to have data about material inelastic behaviour under such exploiting conditions. Influence of temperature on mechanical characteristics of a material may be inserted via the creep coefficient in the range of visco-elasto-plastic (VEP strains. This damage parameter is implemented in this paper in conjunction with mathematical material modelling approach named rheological-dynamical analogy (RDA in order to address structural stiffness reduction due to inelastic material behaviour. The aim of this paper is to define structural-material internal damping based on both the RDA dynamic modulus and modal damping ratio, by modelling critically damped dynamic systems in the steady-state response. These systems are credible base for explanation of the phenomenon of thermo-visco-plasticity and creep in structural-material response due to high temperatures and loading. Though elastic buckling information for folded-plate structures is not a direct predictor of capacity or collapse behaviour on its own, both the mode and the load (moment are important proxies for the actual behaviour. In current design codes, such as AISI S100, New Zealand/Australia, and European Union, the design formulae are calibrated through the calculation of elastic critical buckling loads (or moments to predict the ultimate strength, thus the ability to calculate the associated elastic buckling loads (or moments has great importance. Moreover, the buckling mode shapes are commonly employed into non-linear collapse modelling as initial geometric imperfections and thermal performance of folded-plate structures in fire. To examine the buckling behaviour of folded-plate structures, the main numerical solution methods are used such as the finite element method (FEM and finite strip method (FSM. This paper aims at providing a unified frame for quasi-static inelastic buckling and thermal loading of

  9. Plasmonic Structural Colors for Plastic Consumer Products

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Højlund-Nielsen, Emil; Mortensen, N. Asger; Kristensen, Anders

    2014-01-01

    Today colorants, such as pigments or dyes, are used to color plastic-based consumer products, either as base for solid colored bulk polymer or in inks for surface decoration. After usage, the products must be mechanically sorted by color before recycling, limiting any large-scale efficient...... can be avoided in the recycling state. Plasmon color technology based on aluminum has recently been firmly established as a route towards structural coloring of polymeric materials. We report on the fabrication of colors by localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR) using roll-to-roll printing...

  10. The application of endochronic plasticity theory in modeling the dynamic inelastic response of structural systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin, H.C.; Hsieh, B.J.; Valentin, R.A.

    1981-01-01

    The endochronic theory of plasticity proposed by Valanis has been applied in predicting the inelastic responses of structural systems. A recently developed convected coordinates finite-element program has been modified to use an endochronic constitutive law. A series of sample problems for a variety of dynamic loadings are presented. The calculations that have been performed comparing classical and endochronic plasticity theories have revealed that the endochronic approach can result in a substantial reduction in computer time for equivalent solution accuracy. This result, combined with the apparent accuracy of material representation indicate that the use of endochronic plasticity has great potential in evaluating the dynamic response of structural systems. (orig.)

  11. Application of fibre reinforced plastic sandwich structures for automotive crashworthiness applications

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lukaszewicz, D.; Blok, L.G.; Kratz, J.; Ward, C.; Kassapoglou, C.; Elmarakbi, A.; Araújo, A.L.

    2016-01-01

    In this work the application of fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) sandwich
    structures, with particular focus on aramid fibre tufted sandwiches is being studied for
    automotive crashworthiness applications using impact testing and numerical simulation.

  12. Homeostatic structural plasticity can account for topology changes following deafferentation and focal stroke.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Butz, Markus; Steenbuck, Ines D; van Ooyen, Arjen

    2014-01-01

    After brain lesions caused by tumors or stroke, or after lasting loss of input (deafferentation), inter- and intra-regional brain networks respond with complex changes in topology. Not only areas directly affected by the lesion but also regions remote from the lesion may alter their connectivity-a phenomenon known as diaschisis. Changes in network topology after brain lesions can lead to cognitive decline and increasing functional disability. However, the principles governing changes in network topology are poorly understood. Here, we investigated whether homeostatic structural plasticity can account for changes in network topology after deafferentation and brain lesions. Homeostatic structural plasticity postulates that neurons aim to maintain a desired level of electrical activity by deleting synapses when neuronal activity is too high and by providing new synaptic contacts when activity is too low. Using our Model of Structural Plasticity, we explored how local changes in connectivity induced by a focal loss of input affected global network topology. In accordance with experimental and clinical data, we found that after partial deafferentation, the network as a whole became more random, although it maintained its small-world topology, while deafferentated neurons increased their betweenness centrality as they rewired and returned to the homeostatic range of activity. Furthermore, deafferentated neurons increased their global but decreased their local efficiency and got longer tailed degree distributions, indicating the emergence of hub neurons. Together, our results suggest that homeostatic structural plasticity may be an important driving force for lesion-induced network reorganization and that the increase in betweenness centrality of deafferentated areas may hold as a biomarker for brain repair.

  13. Structural conditions of maximal plasticity of two-phase metal materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Movchan, B.A.

    1975-01-01

    Analysis is given of experimental values of the strength and plasticity of iron- and tungsten-based two-phase materials with the regulated amount of the second phase and the grain size. Specimens in the form of a 120 mm x 200 mm sheet with a thickness of 0.8-1.2 mm are prepared by means of the electron beam evaporation technique and subsequent condensation of the materials on a preheated support. The variable content of the second phase along the sheet in the range 0.5 volume per cent and more than a 10-fold change in the grain size of the metallic matrix are attained by a simultaneous evaporation of pure metal (99.98 per cent) and nonlmetallic material-niobium carbide or zirconium dioxide ZrO 2 -from two separate sources. The content of arbitrarily distributed spherical particles of the second phase corresponding to a maximum of the plasticity depends only on the structural parameter - the d/D ratio. The absolute falue of the plasticity and its dependence on the temperature is a complex function of many variables - mechanical properties of particles and the matrix, peculiarities of interphase interaction on the boundary particle - matrix, the size of particles, the rate of plastic deformation and relaxation processes

  14. Structure formation in binary mixtures of lipids and detergents: self-assembly and vesicle division.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noguchi, Hiroshi

    2013-01-14

    Self-assembly dynamics in binary surfactant mixtures and structure changes of lipid vesicles induced by detergent solution are studied using coarse-grained molecular simulations. Disk-shaped micelles, the bicelles, are stabilized by detergents surrounding the rim of a bilayer disk of lipids. The self-assembled bicelles are considerably smaller than bicelles formed from vesicle rupture, and their size is determined by the concentrations of lipids and detergents and the interactions between the two species. The detergent-adsorption induces spontaneous curvature of the vesicle bilayer and results in vesicle division into two vesicles or vesicle rupture into worm-like micelles. The division occurs mainly via the inverse pathway of the modified stalk model. For large spontaneous curvature of the monolayers of the detergents, a pore is often opened, thereby leading to vesicle division or worm-like micelle formation.

  15. Neutron scattering experiments of the ionic crystal deformed plastically with uniaxial compression under high temperature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tsuchiya, Yoshinori; Minakawa, Nobuaki; Aizawa, Kazuya; Ozawa, Kunio [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

    1996-04-01

    As an aim of huge growth of alkali halide (AH) single crystal, a mosaic structure of small size AH single crystal deformed plastically with uniaxial compression under high temperature was evaluated due to its neutron irradiation experiment. Using TAS-2 installed at JRR-3M guide hole of Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, locking curve at a representative face factor of the specimen was measured to observe the mosaic structure accompanied with expansion of the crystal due to compression. As a result, though the specimen before compression could be supposed to be divided to some parts already, the locking curve under 10 sec. of compression time showed already some fracture to divisions to suppose finer degradation of the crystal, and division of the locking curve at 600 sec. of compression time could be observed onto its 220 face. And, every compressed specimens showed some changes of crystallization method from standard sample. (G.K.)

  16. Effects of plasticization and shear stress on phase structure development and properties of soy protein blends.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Feng; Zhang, Jinwen

    2010-11-01

    In this study, soy protein concentrate (SPC) was used as a plastic component to blend with poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT). Effects of SPC plasticization and blend composition on its deformation during mixing were studied in detail. Influence of using water as the major plasticizer and glycerol as the co-plasticizer on the deformation of the SPC phase during mixing was explored. The effect of shear stress, as affected by SPC loading level, on the phase structure of SPC in the blends was also investigated. Quantitative analysis of the aspect ratio of SPC particles was conducted by using ImageJ software, and an empirical model predicting the formation of percolated structure was applied. The experimental results and the model prediction showed a fairly good agreement. The experimental results and statistic analysis suggest that both SPC loading level and its water content prior to compounding had significant influences on development of the SPC phase structure and were correlated in determining the morphological structures of the resulting blends. Consequently, physical and mechanical properties of the blends greatly depended on the phase morphology and PBAT/SPC ratio of the blends.

  17. Insights into the Mechanisms of Chloroplast Division

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yamato Yoshida

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The endosymbiosis of a free-living cyanobacterium into an ancestral eukaryote led to the evolution of the chloroplast (plastid more than one billion years ago. Given their independent origins, plastid proliferation is restricted to the binary fission of pre-existing plastids within a cell. In the last 25 years, the structure of the supramolecular machinery regulating plastid division has been discovered, and some of its component proteins identified. More recently, isolated plastid-division machineries have been examined to elucidate their structural and mechanistic details. Furthermore, complex studies have revealed how the plastid-division machinery morphologically transforms during plastid division, and which of its component proteins play a critical role in generating the contractile force. Identifying the three-dimensional structures and putative functional domains of the component proteins has given us hints about the mechanisms driving the machinery. Surprisingly, the mechanisms driving plastid division resemble those of mitochondrial division, indicating that these division machineries likely developed from the same evolutionary origin, providing a key insight into how endosymbiotic organelles were established. These findings have opened new avenues of research into organelle proliferation mechanisms and the evolution of organelles.

  18. Micro-structural evolution in plastically deformed crystalline materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nellemann, Christopher

    predictions for the two models to be obtained. Application of the two models to the pure shear boundary value problem is used to characterize plastic behavior, which also allows for the identification of inherent properties through closed form expressions. Single crystal Monazite containing a void is studied......Two rate-independent strain gradient crystal plasticity models are developed and applied in numerical studies designed to identify the properties inherent to model predictions of plastic deformation. The two models incorporate gradients of slip into the framework of conventional crystal plasticity...... in order to model size-dependent plasticity effects. This gradient dependence is achieved by relating a slip measure which combines both slip and their gradients to a shear hardening curve, as commonly done in conventional plasticity theories. Finite element codes are implemented which allow for numerical...

  19. Physics division annual report 2006.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Glover, J.; Physics

    2008-02-28

    This report highlights the activities of the Physics Division of Argonne National Laboratory in 2006. The Division's programs include the operation as a national user facility of ATLAS, the Argonne Tandem Linear Accelerator System, research in nuclear structure and reactions, nuclear astrophysics, nuclear theory, investigations in medium-energy nuclear physics as well as research and development in accelerator technology. The mission of nuclear physics is to understand the origin, evolution and structure of baryonic matter in the universe--the core of matter, the fuel of stars, and the basic constituent of life itself. The Division's research focuses on innovative new ways to address this mission.

  20. Effect of the conditions of prepreg preparation on the strength of structural plastics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaborskaya, L. V.; Yurkevich, O. R.

    1995-05-01

    A study is made of the effect of the temperature and duration of heat treatment of polymer composite prepregs on their strength. It is established that heat treatment under conditions ensuring close to maximal adhesive interaction between the components of the prepreg and subsequent shaping makes it possible to more than double the strength of the plastic (Table 1), A new approach is proposed to optimizing the conditions of formation of structural plastics.

  1. Division of Integrity and Materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zdarek, J.

    1995-01-01

    The organization structure is described of the Division of Integrity and Materials, Institute of Nuclear Research plc, Rez, and the main fields of their activities given. Listed are the major research projects of the Division in 1994. (Z.S.)

  2. A work criterion for plastic collapse

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muscat, Martin; Mackenzie, Donald; Hamilton, Robert

    2003-01-01

    A new criterion for evaluating limit and plastic loads in pressure vessel design by analysis is presented. The proposed criterion is based on the plastic work dissipated in the structure as loading progresses and may be used for structures subject to a single load or a combination of multiple loads. Example analyses show that limit and plastic loads given by the plastic work criterion are robust and consistent. The limit and plastic loads are determined purely by the inelastic response of the structure and are not influenced by the initial elastic response: a problem with some established plastic criteria

  3. Analysis of a ceramic filled bio-plastic composite sandwich structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Habib Ullah, M.; Islam, M. T.

    2013-01-01

    Design and analysis of a ceramic-filled bio-plastic composite sandwich structure is presented. This proposed high-dielectric structure is used as a substrate for patch antennas. A meandered-strip line-fed fractal-shape patch antenna is designed and fabricated on a copper-laminated sandwich-structured substrate. Measurement results of this antenna show 44% and 20% of bandwidths with maximum gains of 3.45 dBi and 5.87 dBi for the lower and upper bands, respectively. The half-power beam widths of 104° and 78° have been observed from the measured radiation pattern at the two resonance frequencies 0.9 GHz and 2.5 GHz

  4. Analysis of a ceramic filled bio-plastic composite sandwich structure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Habib Ullah, M. [Institute of Space Science (ANGKASA), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi Selangor 43600 (Malaysia); Department of Electrical, Electronic and System Engineering, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600 (Malaysia); Islam, M. T. [Institute of Space Science (ANGKASA), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi Selangor 43600 (Malaysia)

    2013-11-25

    Design and analysis of a ceramic-filled bio-plastic composite sandwich structure is presented. This proposed high-dielectric structure is used as a substrate for patch antennas. A meandered-strip line-fed fractal-shape patch antenna is designed and fabricated on a copper-laminated sandwich-structured substrate. Measurement results of this antenna show 44% and 20% of bandwidths with maximum gains of 3.45 dBi and 5.87 dBi for the lower and upper bands, respectively. The half-power beam widths of 104° and 78° have been observed from the measured radiation pattern at the two resonance frequencies 0.9 GHz and 2.5 GHz.

  5. Analysis of elastic-plastic dynamic response of reinforced concrete frame structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Zhongcheng

    2009-01-01

    Based on a set of data from seismic response test on an R/C frame, a force-based R/C beam fibre model with non-linear material properties and bond-slip effects are presented firstly in this paper, and then the applications to the tested R/C frame are presented to illustrate the model characteristics and to show the accuracy of seismic analysis including consideration of non-linear factors. It can be concluded that the elastic-plastic analysis is a potential step toward the accurate modelling for the dynamic analyses of R/C structures. Especially for the seismic safety re-evaluation of the existing NPPs, the elastic-plastic methodology with consideration of different non-linearities should be involved. (author)

  6. ANALYSIS OF DEPENDENCE OF THE FLOW TEMPERATURE OF THE PLASTICIZED POLYMER ON THE CHEMICAL STRUCTURE AND CONCENTRATION OF THE POLYMER AND THE PLASTICIZER

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Askadskiy Andrey Aleksandrovich

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Polymeric materials are widely used in construction. The properties of polymeric construction materials vary to a substantial extent; their durability, thermal stability, frost resistance, waterproof and dielectric properties are particularly pronounced. Their properties serve as the drivers of the high market demand for these products. These materials are applied as finishing materials, molded sanitary engineering products and effective thermal insulation and water proofing materials. The authors analyze the influence of the chemical structure and structural features of polymers on their properties. The authors consider flow and vitrification temperatures of polymers. These temperatures determine the parameters of polymeric products, including those important for the construction process. The analysis of influence of concentration of the plasticizer on the vitrification temperature is based on the two basic theories. In accordance with the first one, reduction of the vitrification temperature is proportionate to the molar fraction of the injected plasticizer. According to the second concept, reduction of the vitrification temperature is proportionate to the volume fraction of the injected solvent. Dependencies of the flow temperature on the molecular weight and the molar fraction of the plasticizer are derived for PVC. As an example, two plasticizers were considered, including dibutyl sebacate and dioctylftalatalate. The basic parameters of all mixtures were calculated through the employment of "Cascade" software programme (A.N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelemental Connections, Russian Academy of Sciences.

  7. Closed-form critical earthquake response of elastic-plastic structures on compliant ground under near-fault ground motions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kotaro eKojima

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The double impulse is introduced as a substitute of the fling-step near-fault ground motion. A closed-form solution of the elastic-plastic response of a structure on compliant (flexible ground by the ‘critical double impulse’ is derived for the first time based on the solution for the corresponding structure with fixed base. As in the case of fixed-base model, only the free-vibration appears under such double impulse and the energy approach plays an important role in the derivation of the closed-form solution of a complicated elastic-plastic response on compliant ground. It is remarkable that no iteration is needed in the derivation of the critical elastic-plastic response. It is shown via the closed-form expression that, in the case of a smaller input level of double impulse to the structural strength, as the ground stiffness becomes larger, the maximum plastic deformation becomes larger. On the other hand, in the case of a larger input level of double impulse to the structural strength, as the ground stiffness becomes smaller, the maximum plastic deformation becomes larger. The criticality and validity of the proposed theory are investigated through the comparison with the response analysis to the corresponding one-cycle sinusoidal input as a representative of the fling-step near-fault ground motion. The applicability of the proposed theory to actual recorded pulse-type ground motions is also discussed.

  8. Constitutive modeling and structural analysis considering simultaneous phase transformation and plastic yield in shape memory alloys

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartl, D. J.; Lagoudas, D. C.

    2009-10-01

    The new developments summarized in this work represent both theoretical and experimental investigations of the effects of plastic strain generation in shape memory alloys (SMAs). Based on the results of SMA experimental characterization described in the literature and additional testing described in this work, a new 3D constitutive model is proposed. This phenomenological model captures both the conventional shape memory effects of pseudoelasticity and thermal strain recovery, and additionally considers the initiation and evolution of plastic strains. The model is numerically implemented in a finite element framework using a return mapping algorithm to solve the constitutive equations at each material point. This combination of theory and implementation is unique in its ability to capture the simultaneous evolution of recoverable transformation strains and irrecoverable plastic strains. The consideration of isotropic and kinematic plastic hardening allows the derivation of a theoretical framework capturing the interactions between irrecoverable plastic strain and recoverable strain due to martensitic transformation. Further, the numerical integration of the constitutive equations is formulated such that objectivity is maintained for SMA structures undergoing moderate strains and large displacements. The implemented model has been used to perform 3D analysis of SMA structural components under uniaxial and bending loads, including a case of local buckling behavior. Experimentally validated results considering simultaneous transformation and plasticity in a bending member are provided, illustrating the predictive accuracy of the model and its implementation.

  9. Constitutive modeling and structural analysis considering simultaneous phase transformation and plastic yield in shape memory alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hartl, D J; Lagoudas, D C

    2009-01-01

    The new developments summarized in this work represent both theoretical and experimental investigations of the effects of plastic strain generation in shape memory alloys (SMAs). Based on the results of SMA experimental characterization described in the literature and additional testing described in this work, a new 3D constitutive model is proposed. This phenomenological model captures both the conventional shape memory effects of pseudoelasticity and thermal strain recovery, and additionally considers the initiation and evolution of plastic strains. The model is numerically implemented in a finite element framework using a return mapping algorithm to solve the constitutive equations at each material point. This combination of theory and implementation is unique in its ability to capture the simultaneous evolution of recoverable transformation strains and irrecoverable plastic strains. The consideration of isotropic and kinematic plastic hardening allows the derivation of a theoretical framework capturing the interactions between irrecoverable plastic strain and recoverable strain due to martensitic transformation. Further, the numerical integration of the constitutive equations is formulated such that objectivity is maintained for SMA structures undergoing moderate strains and large displacements. The implemented model has been used to perform 3D analysis of SMA structural components under uniaxial and bending loads, including a case of local buckling behavior. Experimentally validated results considering simultaneous transformation and plasticity in a bending member are provided, illustrating the predictive accuracy of the model and its implementation

  10. Structural plasticity in the dentate gyrus- revisiting a classic injury model.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julia V. Perederiy

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available The adult brain is in a continuous state of remodeling. This is nowhere more true than in the dentate gyrus, where competing forces such as neurodegeneration and neurogenesis dynamically modify neuronal connectivity, and can occur simultaneously. This plasticity of the adult nervous system is particularly important in the context of traumatic brain injury or deafferentation. In this review, we summarize a classic injury model, lesioning of the perforant path, which removes the main extrahippocampal input to the dentate gyrus. Early studies revealed that in response to deafferentation, axons of remaining fiber systems and dendrites of mature granule cells undergo lamina-specific changes, providing one of the first examples of structural plasticity in the adult brain. Given the increasing role of adult-generated new neurons in the function of the dentate gyrus, we also compare the response of newborn and mature granule cells following lesioning of the perforant path. These studies provide insights not only to plasticity in the dentate gyrus, but also to the response of neural circuits to brain injury.

  11. Biodegradability of plastics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tokiwa, Yutaka; Calabia, Buenaventurada P; Ugwu, Charles U; Aiba, Seiichi

    2009-08-26

    Plastic is a broad name given to different polymers with high molecular weight, which can be degraded by various processes. However, considering their abundance in the environment and their specificity in attacking plastics, biodegradation of plastics by microorganisms and enzymes seems to be the most effective process. When plastics are used as substrates for microorganisms, evaluation of their biodegradability should not only be based on their chemical structure, but also on their physical properties (melting point, glass transition temperature, crystallinity, storage modulus etc.). In this review, microbial and enzymatic biodegradation of plastics and some factors that affect their biodegradability are discussed.

  12. A study on structural changes in protein by time-division type Laue method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morimoto, Hideki

    1995-01-01

    In order to know the physiological roles of proteins, it is important to investigate the intermediate states of their structural changes. The sizes of proteins are generally several tens angstrom(A). Considering the resolution, only x-ray crystal analysis can be used in practice for the investigation of the mechanism of protein structural changes, though NMR is applicable only for small-sized proteins. However, x-ray analysis is not so suitable for analysis of their intermediate states. Thus, the author paid attention to the time-division type Laue method for the study of hemoglobin (Hb). Laser-flash induces to release carbonmonooxide (CO) from carboxyhemoglobin (Hb(CO) 4 ). Therefore, if an appropriate length of x-ray pulse (∼100 picosec) is available, the processes in the period from cleavage of the bond between a ligand (O 2 , CO or NO) and Hb to recombination of them might be monitored. Using DNA recombination and chemical modification techniques, recombinant Hb, of which T structure is stable was produced. An investigation on the conditions which allow to release CO from the Hb is undertaken using a single crystal of this Hb. The experimental systems applicable to time-division type Laue method are some protein molecules participating in chemical reactions inducible by light absorption, the electron-transfer system excited by light and so on. (M.N.)

  13. A study on structural changes in protein by time-division type Laue method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morimoto, Hideki [Osaka Univ., Toyonaka (Japan). Faculty of Engineering Science

    1995-11-01

    In order to know the physiological roles of proteins, it is important to investigate the intermediate states of their structural changes. The sizes of proteins are generally several tens angstrom(A). Considering the resolution, only x-ray crystal analysis can be used in practice for the investigation of the mechanism of protein structural changes, though NMR is applicable only for small-sized proteins. However, x-ray analysis is not so suitable for analysis of their intermediate states. Thus, the author paid attention to the time-division type Laue method for the study of hemoglobin (Hb). Laser-flash induces to release carbonmonooxide (CO) from carboxyhemoglobin (Hb(CO){sub 4}). Therefore, if an appropriate length of x-ray pulse ({approx}100 picosec) is available, the processes in the period from cleavage of the bond between a ligand (O{sub 2}, CO or NO) and Hb to recombination of them might be monitored. Using DNA recombination and chemical modification techniques, recombinant Hb, of which T structure is stable was produced. An investigation on the conditions which allow to release CO from the Hb is undertaken using a single crystal of this Hb. The experimental systems applicable to time-division type Laue method are some protein molecules participating in chemical reactions inducible by light absorption, the electron-transfer system excited by light and so on. (M.N.)

  14. Semantic modeling of the structural and process entities during plastic deformation of crystals and rocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babaie, Hassan; Davarpanah, Armita

    2016-04-01

    We are semantically modeling the structural and dynamic process components of the plastic deformation of minerals and rocks in the Plastic Deformation Ontology (PDO). Applying the Ontology of Physics in Biology, the PDO classifies the spatial entities that participate in the diverse processes of plastic deformation into the Physical_Plastic_Deformation_Entity and Nonphysical_Plastic_Deformation_Entity classes. The Material_Physical_Plastic_Deformation_Entity class includes things such as microstructures, lattice defects, atoms, liquid, and grain boundaries, and the Immaterial_Physical_Plastic_Deformation_Entity class includes vacancies in crystals and voids along mineral grain boundaries. The objects under the many subclasses of these classes (e.g., crystal, lattice defect, layering) have spatial parts that are related to each other through taxonomic (e.g., Line_Defect isA Lattice_Defect), structural (mereological, e.g., Twin_Plane partOf Twin), spatial-topological (e.g., Vacancy adjacentTo Atom, Fluid locatedAlong Grain_Boundary), and domain specific (e.g., displaces, Fluid crystallizes Dissolved_Ion, Void existsAlong Grain_Boundary) relationships. The dynamic aspect of the plastic deformation is modeled under the dynamical Process_Entity class that subsumes classes such as Recrystallization and Pressure_Solution that define the flow of energy amongst the physical entities. The values of the dynamical state properties of the physical entities (e.g., Chemical_Potential, Temperature, Particle_Velocity) change while they take part in the deformational processes such as Diffusion and Dislocation_Glide. The process entities have temporal parts (phases) that are related to each other through temporal relations such as precedes, isSubprocessOf, and overlaps. The properties of the physical entities, defined under the Physical_Property class, change as they participate in the plastic deformational processes. The properties are categorized into dynamical, constitutive

  15. Stochastic Finite Element Analysis of Non-Linear Structures Modelled by Plasticity Theory

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frier, Christian; Sørensen, John Dalsgaard

    2003-01-01

    A Finite Element Reliability Method (FERM) is introduced to perform reliability analyses on two-dimensional structures in plane stress, modeled by non-linear plasticity theory. FERM is a coupling between the First Order Reliability Method (FORM) and the Finite Element Method (FEM). FERM can be us...

  16. Subtractive, divisive and non-monotonic gain control in feedforward nets linearized by noise and delays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mejias, Jorge F; Payeur, Alexandre; Selin, Erik; Maler, Leonard; Longtin, André

    2014-01-01

    The control of input-to-output mappings, or gain control, is one of the main strategies used by neural networks for the processing and gating of information. Using a spiking neural network model, we studied the gain control induced by a form of inhibitory feedforward circuitry-also known as "open-loop feedback"-, which has been experimentally observed in a cerebellum-like structure in weakly electric fish. We found, both analytically and numerically, that this network displays three different regimes of gain control: subtractive, divisive, and non-monotonic. Subtractive gain control was obtained when noise is very low in the network. Also, it was possible to change from divisive to non-monotonic gain control by simply modulating the strength of the feedforward inhibition, which may be achieved via long-term synaptic plasticity. The particular case of divisive gain control has been previously observed in vivo in weakly electric fish. These gain control regimes were robust to the presence of temporal delays in the inhibitory feedforward pathway, which were found to linearize the input-to-output mappings (or f-I curves) via a novel variability-increasing mechanism. Our findings highlight the feedforward-induced gain control analyzed here as a highly versatile mechanism of information gating in the brain.

  17. Subtractive, divisive and non-monotonic gain control in feedforward nets linearized by noise and delays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge F Mejias

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available The control of input-to-output mappings, or gain control, is one of the main strategies used by neural networks for the processing and gating of information. Using a spiking neural network model, we studied the gain control induced by a form of inhibitory feedforward circuitry — also known as ’open-loop feedback’ —, which has been experimentally observed in a cerebellum-like structure in weakly electric fish. We found, both analytically and numerically, that this network displays three different regimes of gain control: subtractive, divisive, and non-monotonic. Subtractive gain control was obtained when noise is very low in the network. Also, it was possible to change from divisive to non-monotonic gain control by simply modulating the strength of the feedforward inhibition, which may be achieved via long-term synaptic plasticity. The particular case of divisive gain control has been previously observed in vivo in weakly electric fish. These gain control regimes were robust to the presence of temporal delays in the inhibitory feedforward pathway, which were found to linearize the input-to-output mappings (or f-I curves via a novel variability-increasing mechanism. Our findings highlight the feedforward-induced gain control analyzed here as a highly versatile mechanism of information gating in the brain.

  18. Theoretical physics division

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1980-01-01

    Research activities of the theoretical physics division for 1979 are described. Short summaries are given of specific research work in the following fields: nuclear structure, nuclear reactions, intermediate energy physics, elementary particles [fr

  19. Structural homeostasis in the nervous system: A balancing act for wiring plasticity and stability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jun eYin

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Experience-dependent modifications of neural circuits provide the cellular basis for functional adaptation and learning, while presenting significant challenges to the stability of neural networks. The nervous system copes with these perturbations through a variety of compensatory mechanisms with distinct spatial and temporal profiles. Mounting evidence suggests that structural plasticity, through modifications of the number and structure of synapses, or changes in local and long-range connectivity, might contribute to the stabilization of network activity and serve as an important component of the homeostatic regulation of the nervous system. Conceptually similar to the homeostatic regulation of synaptic strength and efficacy, homeostatic structural plasticity has a profound and lasting impact on the intrinsic excitability of the neuron and circuit properties, yet remains largely unexplored. In this review, we examine recent reports describing structural modifications associated with functional compensation in both developing and adult nervous systems, and discuss the potential role for structural homeostasis in maintaining network stability and its implications in physiological and pathological conditions of the nervous systems.

  20. Biodegradability of Plastics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yutaka Tokiwa

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available Plastic is a broad name given to different polymers with high molecular weight, which can be degraded by various processes. However, considering their abundance in the environment and their specificity in attacking plastics, biodegradation of plastics by microorganisms and enzymes seems to be the most effective process. When plastics are used as substrates for microorganisms, evaluation of their biodegradability should not only be based on their chemical structure, but also on their physical properties (melting point, glass transition temperature, crystallinity, storage modulus etc.. In this review, microbial and enzymatic biodegradation of plastics and some factors that affect their biodegradability are discussed.

  1. Elastic-plastic-creep response of structures under composite time history of loadings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zudans, Z.

    1975-01-01

    High temperature nuclear reactor components are subject to a complex history of thermal and mechanical loading cycles. To evaluate the adequacy of such components, detailed information on the accumulated inelastic strains and strain cycling is required. This work derives the theory, develops efficient numerical techniques accounting for plasticity, creep and overall equilibrium, describes the overall structure of the resulting computer program, and demonstrates the capability of this analysis on a real structure. (Auth.)

  2. The influences of soil and nearby structures on dispersion characteristics of wave propagating along buried plastic pipes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Shuyong; Jiang, J.; Parr, Nicola

    2016-09-01

    Water loss in distribution systems is a global problem for the water industry and governments. According to the international water supply association (IWSA), as a result of leaks from distribution pipes, 20% to 30% of water is lost while in transit from treatment plants to consumers. Although governments have tried to push the water industry to reduce the water leaks, a lot of experts have pointed out that a wide use of plastic pipes instead of metal pipes in recent years has caused difficulties in the detection of leaks using current acoustic technology. Leaks from plastic pipes are much quieter than traditional metal pipes and comparing to metal pipes the plastic pipes have very different coupling characteristics with soil, water and surrounding structures, such as other pipes, road surface and building foundations. The dispersion characteristics of wave propagating along buried plastic pipes are investigated in this paper using finite element and boundary element based models. Both empty and water- filled pipes were considered. Influences from nearby pipes and building foundations were carefully studied. The results showed that soil condition and nearby structures have significant influences on the dispersion characteristics of wave propagating along buried plastic pipes.

  3. Global plastic models for computerized structural analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roche, R.; Hoffmann, A.

    1977-01-01

    Two different global models are used in the CEASEMT system for structural analysis, one for the shells analysis and the other for piping analysis (in plastic or creep field). In shell analysis the generalized stresses choosed are the membrane forces Nsub(ij) and bending (including torsion) moments Msub(ij). There is only one yield condition for a normal (to the middle surface) and no integration along the thickness is required. In piping analysis, the choice of generalized stresses is: bending moments, torsional moments, Hoop stress and tension stress. There is only a set of stresses for a cross section and non integration over the cross section area is needed. Connected strains are axis curvature, torsion, uniform strains. The definition of the yield surface is the most important item. A practical way is to use a diagonal quadratic fonction of the stress components. But the coefficients are depending of the shape of the pipe element, especially for curved segments. Indications will be given on the yield fonctions used. Some examples of applications in structural analysis are added to the text [fr

  4. Length of Acupuncture Training and Structural Plastic Brain Changes in Professional Acupuncturists.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Minghao Dong

    Full Text Available The research on brain plasticity has fascinated researchers for decades. Use/training serves as an instrumental factor to influence brain neuroplasticity. Parallel to acquisition of behavioral expertise, extensive use/training is concomitant with substantial changes of cortical structure. Acupuncturists, serving as a model par excellence to study tactile-motor and emotional regulation plasticity, receive intensive training in national medical schools following standardized training protocol. Moreover, their behavioral expertise is corroborated during long-term clinical practice. Although our previous study reported functional plastic brain changes in the acupuncturists, whether or not structural plastic changes occurred in acupuncturists is yet elusive.Cohorts of acupuncturists (N = 22 and non-acupuncturists (N = 22 were recruited. Behavioral tests were delivered to assess the acupuncturists' behavioral expertise. The results confirmed acupuncturists' tactile-motor skills and emotion regulation proficiency compared to non-acupuncturists. Using the voxel-based morphometry technique, we revealed larger grey matter volumes in acupuncturists in the hand representation of the contralateral primary somatosensory cortex (SI, the right lobule V/VI and the bilateral ventral anterior cingulate cortex/ventral medial prefrontal cortex. Grey matter volumes of the SI and Lobule V/VI positively correlated with the duration of acupuncture practice.To our best knowledge, this study provides first evidence for the anatomical alterations in acupuncturists, which would possibly be the neural correlates underlying acupuncturists' exceptional skills. On one hand, we suggest our findings may have ramifications for tactile-motor rehabilitation. On the other hand, our results in emotion regulation domain may serve as a target for our future studies, from which we can understand how modulations of aversive emotions elicited by empathic pain develop in the context

  5. Elastic-plastic-creep response of structures under composite time history of loadings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zudans, Z.

    1975-01-01

    The purpose of this work is to derive the theory, to develop efficient numerical techniques accounting for plasticity, creep and overall equilibrium, to describe the overall structure of the resulting computer program, and to demonstrate the capability of this analysis on a real structure. Classical plasticity theory is used to develop a novel method based on the concept of 'plastic stress' for consideration of inelastic behavior. It is shown that materials stres-strain curves can be followed to any desired degree of accuracy both for isotropic and kinematic hardening. It is further shown that for kinematic hardening it is necessary to base the incremental change on the state corresponding to the mean of the initial and the final states in order to satisfy the yield condition at the final state. The equation of state and strain hardening is used to describe the creep behavior. A novel numerical technique to describe a complex load history is developed by using time as a parameter, history breakpoint determination by scanning of various load vectors and by linear interpolation between any two breakpoints in the load history. The 'plastic stress' load vector concept is utilized with iteration and extrapolation to converge to the equilibrium states with simultaneous satisfaction of the stress-strain relations for each of the iterated states. The essential features of the computer program DYPLAS-FSH, based on the theory and techniques described above, and a postprocessor program POR-FSH, based on RDT F9-5T for ratcheting and fatigue evaluation, are identified and discussed. These computer programs are used to analyse the ellipsoidal pressure vessel head of the intermediate heat exchanger of EBR-II, penetrated by two closely spaced non-radial nozzles, subjected to four consecutive composite cycles of complex mechanical and thermal loads

  6. Vibration technique for non-destructive testing of carbon fiber reinforced plastic structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miller, W.G.

    1982-01-01

    For nondestructive testing of structures of KFK (carbon fiber reinforced plastics) Adams and a group at the English University of Bristol, Department of Mechanical Engineering have developed a vibrational testing method. It is based on the fact that the decreasing self-oscillations of a structure can be measured in connection with a dynamical analysis at only one particular location of that structure. This way a damage can be localized and be quantized rawly. The mathematical model is simple and for every tested structure only one analysis is needed. Many kinds of damages in structures can be determined and reproduced especially in structures that represent typical cases of application of KFK in air and aerospace industry. (orig.) [de

  7. Tailoring dislocation structures and mechanical properties of nanostructured metals produced by plastic deformation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Huang, Xiaoxu

    2009-01-01

    The presence of a dislocation structure associated with low-angle dislocation boundaries and interior dislocations is a common and characteristic feature in nanostructured metals produced by plastic deformation, and plays an important role in determining both the strength and ductility...

  8. The Modular need for the Division Signal Battalion

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-06-09

    Division Signal Battalion, Leader Development, Organizational Design, Modularity, Force Structure , Army Warfighting Challenge (AWFC) #20 16. SECURITY...Signal Corps men, equipment , and communications installations tailored to fit the situation.”47 In its initial conception, the cellular structure ...force structure than the Division-centric force of the day.”93 30 days after the issuance of this guidance, designs based on the pilot program began

  9. Fundamental structure of steady plastic shock waves in metals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molinari, A.; Ravichandran, G.

    2004-02-01

    The propagation of steady plane shock waves in metallic materials is considered. Following the constitutive framework adopted by R. J. Clifton [Shock Waves and the Mechanical Properties of Solids, edited by J. J. Burke and V. Weiss (Syracuse University Press, Syracuse, N.Y., 1971), p. 73] for analyzing elastic-plastic transient waves, an analytical solution of the steady state propagation of plastic shocks is proposed. The problem is formulated in a Lagrangian setting appropriate for large deformations. The material response is characterized by a quasistatic tensile (compression) test (providing the isothermal strain hardening law). In addition the elastic response is determined up to second order elastic constants by ultrasonic measurements. Based on this simple information, it is shown that the shock kinetics can be quite well described for moderate shocks in aluminum with stress amplitude up to 10 GPa. Under the later assumption, the elastic response is assumed to be isentropic, and thermomechanical coupling is neglected. The model material considered here is aluminum, but the analysis is general and can be applied to any viscoplastic material subjected to moderate amplitude shocks. Comparisons with experimental data are made for the shock velocity, the particle velocity and the shock structure. The shock structure is obtained by quadrature of a first order differential equation, which provides analytical results under certain simplifying assumptions. The effects of material parameters and loading conditions on the shock kinetics and shock structure are discussed. The shock width is characterized by assuming an overstress formulation for the viscoplastic response. The effects on the shock structure of strain rate sensitivity are analyzed and the rationale for the J. W. Swegle and D. E. Grady [J. Appl. Phys. 58, 692 (1985)] universal scaling law for homogeneous materials is explored. Finally, the ability to deduce information on the viscoplastic response of

  10. Fundamental structure of steady plastic shock waves in metals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Molinari, A.; Ravichandran, G.

    2004-01-01

    The propagation of steady plane shock waves in metallic materials is considered. Following the constitutive framework adopted by R. J. Clifton [Shock Waves and the Mechanical Properties of Solids, edited by J. J. Burke and V. Weiss (Syracuse University Press, Syracuse, N.Y., 1971), p. 73] for analyzing elastic-plastic transient waves, an analytical solution of the steady state propagation of plastic shocks is proposed. The problem is formulated in a Lagrangian setting appropriate for large deformations. The material response is characterized by a quasistatic tensile (compression) test (providing the isothermal strain hardening law). In addition the elastic response is determined up to second order elastic constants by ultrasonic measurements. Based on this simple information, it is shown that the shock kinetics can be quite well described for moderate shocks in aluminum with stress amplitude up to 10 GPa. Under the later assumption, the elastic response is assumed to be isentropic, and thermomechanical coupling is neglected. The model material considered here is aluminum, but the analysis is general and can be applied to any viscoplastic material subjected to moderate amplitude shocks. Comparisons with experimental data are made for the shock velocity, the particle velocity and the shock structure. The shock structure is obtained by quadrature of a first order differential equation, which provides analytical results under certain simplifying assumptions. The effects of material parameters and loading conditions on the shock kinetics and shock structure are discussed. The shock width is characterized by assuming an overstress formulation for the viscoplastic response. The effects on the shock structure of strain rate sensitivity are analyzed and the rationale for the J. W. Swegle and D. E. Grady [J. Appl. Phys. 58, 692 (1985)] universal scaling law for homogeneous materials is explored. Finally, the ability to deduce information on the viscoplastic response of

  11. Spike Train Auto-Structure Impacts Post-Synaptic Firing and Timing-Based Plasticity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scheller, Bertram; Castellano, Marta; Vicente, Raul; Pipa, Gordon

    2011-01-01

    Cortical neurons are typically driven by several thousand synapses. The precise spatiotemporal pattern formed by these inputs can modulate the response of a post-synaptic cell. In this work, we explore how the temporal structure of pre-synaptic inhibitory and excitatory inputs impact the post-synaptic firing of a conductance-based integrate and fire neuron. Both the excitatory and inhibitory input was modeled by renewal gamma processes with varying shape factors for modeling regular and temporally random Poisson activity. We demonstrate that the temporal structure of mutually independent inputs affects the post-synaptic firing, while the strength of the effect depends on the firing rates of both the excitatory and inhibitory inputs. In a second step, we explore the effect of temporal structure of mutually independent inputs on a simple version of Hebbian learning, i.e., hard bound spike-timing-dependent plasticity. We explore both the equilibrium weight distribution and the speed of the transient weight dynamics for different mutually independent gamma processes. We find that both the equilibrium distribution of the synaptic weights and the speed of synaptic changes are modulated by the temporal structure of the input. Finally, we highlight that the sensitivity of both the post-synaptic firing as well as the spike-timing-dependent plasticity on the auto-structure of the input of a neuron could be used to modulate the learning rate of synaptic modification. PMID:22203800

  12. The development of design method of nuclear piping system supported by elasto-plastic support structures (part 2)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Endo, R.; Murota, M.; Kawabata, J-I.; Hirose, J.; Nekomoto, Y.; Takayama, Y.; Kobayashi, H.

    1995-01-01

    The conventional seismic design method of nuclear piping system is very conservative because of the accumulation of various safety factors in the design process, and nuclear piping systems are thought to have a large safety margin. Considering this situations, research program was promoted to furthermore rationalize nuclear power plants by reducing the amount of support structures and reducing the piping's seismic response through vibration energy absorption resulting from the elasto-plastic behavior of piping support structures. The research had the following three stages. In the first stage, we selected conventional piping support structures in light-water reactors that exhibited elasto-plastic behavior, and studied the effect of displacement and the vibration frequency on the stiffness and on the energy absorption by testing these models. In the second stage, vibration tests were performed using piping models with support structures on shaking tables. The piping vibration characteristics were clarified by sinusoidal sweep tests and the piping response characteristics by seismic wave vibration tests when the support structures were in an elasto-plastic condition. In the third stage, a general method was developed to evaluate the characteristics of a variety of support structures in the tests. A simplified analysis method was also developed to evaluate the piping seismic response using the piping model test result. To expand the results mentioned above, we also established a new seismic design method of piping systems that allowed support structures to have elasto-plastic behavior. This paper reports the newly developed seismic design method based on the results of experiments conducted under the joint research program of Japanese electric power companies (The Japan Atomic Power Co., Hokkaido EPC, Tohoku EPC, Tokyo EPC, Chubu EPC, Hokuriku EPC, Kansai EPC, Chugoku EPC, Shikoku EPC, Kyushu EPC) and nuclear plant makers (Hitachi Ltd., Toshiba Co., MHI Ltd., HEC Ltd

  13. INJECTION MOLDING AND STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS IN METAL TO PLASTIC CONVERSION OF BOLTED FLANGE JOINT BY CAE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marian Blaško

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Many metal parts in various applications are being replaced by plastic parts. There are several reasons for that depending on actual application - minimize part cost, enhance corrosion resistance, integrating more components into one part etc. Most important steps of metal to plastic conversion are material selection and design of plastic part. Plastic part has to withstand the same load as metal part. To fulfill this requirement fiber reinforced engineering plastics are often used. Also it is convenient to substitute heavy wall sections with ribbed structure to increase load-carrying ability of part and decrease cycle time, eliminate voids, sink marks etc. Mechanical properties of such part could be highly affected by fiber orientation. Results of fiber orientation from injection molding filling analysis can be used in stress analysis for better prediction of part response to mechanical load. Such coupled analysis is performed here in this case study on bolted flange joint.

  14. Beneficial effects of benzodiazepine diazepam on chronic stress-induced impairment of hippocampal structural plasticity and depression-like behavior in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Yunan; Wang, Zhongli; Dai, Jianguo; Chen, Lin; Huang, Yufang; Zhan, Zhen

    2012-03-17

    Whether benzodiazepines (BZDs) have beneficial effects on the progress of chronic stress-induced impairment of hippocampal structural plasticity and major depression is uncertain. The present study designed four preclinical experiments to determine the effects of BZDs using chronic unpredictable stress model. In Experiment 1, several time course studies on behavior and hippocampus response to stress were conducted using the forced swim and tail suspension tests (FST and TST) as well as hippocampal structural plasticity markers. Chronic stress induced depression-like behavior in the FST and TST as well as decreased hippocampal structural plasticity that returned to normal within 3 wk. In Experiment 2, mice received p.o. administration of three diazepam dosages prior to each variate stress session for 4 wk. This treatment significantly antagonized the elevation of stress-induced corticosterone levels. Only low- (0.5mg/kg) and medium-dose (1mg/kg) diazepam blocked the detrimental effects of chronic stress. In Experiment 3, after 7 wk of stress sessions, daily p.o. diazepam administration during 1 wk recovery phase dose-dependently accelerated the recovery of stressed mice. In Experiment 4, 1 wk diazepam administration to control mice enhanced significantly hippocampal structural plasticity and induced an antidepressant-like behavioral effect, whereas 4 wk diazepam administration produced opposite effects. Hence, diazepam can slow the progress of chronic stress-induced detrimental consequences by normalizing glucocorticoid hormones. Considering the adverse effect of long-term diazepam administration on hippocampal plasticity, the preventive effects of diazepam may depend on the proper dose. Short-term diazepam treatment enhances hippocampal structural plasticity and is beneficial to recovery following chronic stress. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. A strategy to compute plastic post-buckling of structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Combescure, A.

    1983-08-01

    The paper gives a general framework to the different strategies used to compute the post-buckling of structures. Two particular strategies are studied in more details and it is shown how they can be applied in the plastic regime. All the methods suppose that the loads F are proportional to a simple parameter lambda; more precisely: eq (1) F = lambda F 0 . The paper shows how these methods can be implemented in a very simple way. In the elastic case we show the application of the method to the calculation of post buckling response of a clamped arch. The method is also applied to a very simple case of two bars which can be calculated analytically. In the plastic range, the method is applied to the post-buckling of an imperfect ring which can be calculated analytically. Another example is the comparison of the comparison of the computed post-buckling of a thin cylinder under axial compression, and of the experimental behavior on the same cylinder. The limitation of these types of strategies are also mentionned and the physical signifiance of calculations in the post-buckling regime are discussed

  16. Cell plasticity and heterogeneity in cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marjanovic, Nemanja D; Weinberg, Robert A; Chaffer, Christine L

    2013-01-01

    Heterogeneity within a given cancer arises from diverse cell types recruited to the tumor and from genetic and/or epigenetic differences amongst the cancer cells themselves. These factors conspire to create a disease with various phenotypes. There are 2 established models of cancer development and progression to metastatic disease. These are the clonal evolution and cancer stem cell models. The clonal evolution theory suggests that successive mutations accumulating in a given cell generate clonal outgrowths that thrive in response to microenvironmental selection pressures, dictating the phenotype of the tumor. The alternative cancer stem cell (CSC) model suggests that cancer cells with similar genetic backgrounds can be hierarchically organized according to their tumorigenic potential. Accordingly, CSCs reside at the apex of the hierarchy and are thought to possess the majority of a cancer's tumor-initiating and metastatic ability. A defining feature of this model is its apparent unidirectional nature, whereby CSCs undergo symmetric division to replenish the CSC pool and irreversible asymmetric division to generate daughter cells (non-CSCs) with low tumorigenic potential. However, evolving evidence supports a new model of tumorigenicity, in which considerable plasticity exists between the non-CSC and CSC compartments, such that non-CSCs can reacquire a CSC phenotype. These findings suggest that some tumors may adhere to a plastic CSC model, in which bidirectional conversions are common and essential components of tumorigenicity. Accumulating evidence surrounding the plasticity of cancer cells, in particular, suggests that aggressive CSCs can be created de novo within a tumor. Given the current focus on therapeutic targeting of CSCs, we discuss the implications of non-CSC-to-CSC conversions on the development of future therapies. © 2012 American Association for Clinical Chemistry

  17. Cortical and Subcortical Structural Plasticity Associated with the Glioma Volumes in Patients with Cerebral Gliomas Revealed by Surface-Based Morphometry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jinping Xu

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Postlesional plasticity has been identified in patients with cerebral gliomas by inducing a large functional reshaping of brain networks. Although numerous non-invasive functional neuroimaging methods have extensively investigated the mechanisms of this functional redistribution in patients with cerebral gliomas, little effort has been made to investigate the structural plasticity of cortical and subcortical structures associated with the glioma volume. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether the contralateral cortical and subcortical structures are able to actively reorganize by themselves in these patients. The compensation mechanism following contralateral cortical and subcortical structural plasticity is considered. We adopted the surface-based morphometry to investigate the difference of cortical and subcortical gray matter (GM volumes in a cohort of 14 healthy controls and 13 patients with left-hemisphere cerebral gliomas [including 1 patients with World Health Organization (WHO I, 8 WHO II, and 4 WHO III]. The glioma volume ranges from 5.1633 to 208.165 cm2. Compared to healthy controls, we found significantly increased GM volume of the right cuneus and the left thalamus, as well as a trend toward enlargement in the right globus pallidus in patients with cerebral gliomas. Moreover, the GM volumes of these regions were positively correlated with the glioma volumes of the patients. These results provide evidence of cortical and subcortical enlargement, suggesting the usefulness of surface-based morphometry to investigate the structural plasticity. Moreover, the structural plasticity might be acted as the compensation mechanism to better fulfill its functions in patients with cerebral gliomas as the gliomas get larger.

  18. Structural evaluation method for class 1 vessels by using elastic-plastic finite element analysis in code case of JSME rules on design and construction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Asada, Seiji; Hirano, Takashi; Nagata, Tetsuya; Kasahara, Naoto

    2008-01-01

    A structural evaluation method by using elastic-plastic finite element analysis has been developed and published as a code case of Rules on Design and Construction for Nuclear Power Plants (The First Part: Light Water Reactor Structural Design Standard) in the JSME Codes for Nuclear Power Generation Facilities. Its title is 'Alternative Structural Evaluation Criteria for Class 1 Vessels Based on Elastic-Plastic Finite Element Analysis' (NC-CC-005). This code case applies elastic-plastic analysis to evaluation of such failure modes as plastic collapse, thermal ratchet, fatigue and so on. Advantage of this evaluation method is free from stress classification, consistently use of Mises stress and applicability to complex 3-dimensional structures which are hard to be treated by the conventional stress classification method. The evaluation method for plastic collapse has such variation as the Lower Bound Approach Method, Twice-Elastic-Slope Method and Elastic Compensation Method. Cyclic Yield Area (CYA) based on elastic analysis is applied to screening evaluation of thermal ratchet instead of secondary stress evaluation, and elastic-plastic analysis is performed when the CYA screening criteria is not satisfied. Strain concentration factors can be directly calculated based on elastic-plastic analysis. (author)

  19. Structural plasticity: how intermetallics deform themselves in response to chemical pressure, and the complex structures that result.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berns, Veronica M; Fredrickson, Daniel C

    2014-10-06

    Interfaces between periodic domains play a crucial role in the properties of metallic materials, as is vividly illustrated by the way in which the familiar malleability of many metals arises from the formation and migration of dislocations. In complex intermetallics, such interfaces can occur as an integral part of the ground-state crystal structure, rather than as defects, resulting in such marvels as the NaCd2 structure (whose giant cubic unit cell contains more than 1000 atoms). However, the sources of the periodic interfaces in intermetallics remain mysterious, unlike the dislocations in simple metals, which can be associated with the exertion of physical stresses. In this Article, we propose and explore the concept of structural plasticity, the hypothesis that interfaces in complex intermetallic structures similarly result from stresses, but ones that are inherent in a defect-free parent structure, rather than being externally applied. Using DFT-chemical pressure analysis, we show how the complex structures of Ca2Ag7 (Yb2Ag7 type), Ca14Cd51 (Gd14Ag51 type), and the 1/1 Tsai-type quasicrystal approximant CaCd6 (YCd6 type) can all be traced to large negative pressures around the Ca atoms of a common progenitor structure, the CaCu5 type with its simple hexagonal 6-atom unit cell. Two structural paths are found by which the compounds provide relief to the Ca atoms' negative pressures: a Ca-rich pathway, where lower coordination numbers are achieved through defects eliminating transition metal (TM) atoms from the structure; and a TM-rich path, along which the addition of spacer Cd atoms provides the Ca coordination environments greater independence from each other as they contract. The common origins of these structures in the presence of stresses within a single parent structure highlights the diverse paths by which intermetallics can cope with competing interactions, and the role that structural plasticity may play in navigating this diversity.

  20. The development of the design method of nuclear piping system supported by elasto-plastic support structures (Part 1)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Endo, R.; Murota, M.; Kawahata, J.-I.; Sato, T.; Mekomoto, Y.; Takayama, Y.; Kobayashi, H.; Hirose, J.

    1993-01-01

    The conventional aseismic design method of nuclear piping system is very conservative because of the accumulation of various safety factors in the design process, and nuclear piping systems are thought to have a large safety margin. Considering this situation, we promoted research to further rationalize nuclear power plants by reducing the amount of support structures and reducing the piping seismic response through vibration energy absorption resulting from the elasto-plastic behavior of piping support structures. The research has the following three stages. In the first stage, we select conventional piping support structures in Japanese light-water reactors that exhibit elasto-plastic behavior, and study the displacement dependency and the vibration frequency dependency on the stiffness and the energy absorption by testing their model. In the second stage, we make a piping test model with support structures whose characteristics have already been obtained, and perform vibration tests on a shaking table. In this way, we analyze the piping vibration characteristics by sinusoidal wave sweep tests and the piping response characteristics by seismic wave vibration tests, when the support structures are in an elasto-plastic condition. In the third stage, a general method is developed to evaluate the characteristics of the support structures obtained in the tests and it is applied to the evaluation of the characteristics of general support structures. A simplified analysis method is developed to evaluate the piping seismic response using the piping model test result. To expand the results mentioned above, we are developing a seismic design method of piping systems that allows support structures to have elasto-plastic behaviour. This paper reports the results of experiments conducted under the joint research program of Japanese electric power companies with support elements in the first stage and those with piping models in the second stage

  1. Earthquake excited elasto-plastic structures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Randrup-thomsen, Søren; Heuer, R.

    1996-01-01

    Studies of the single degree of freedom elasto-plastic oscillator is well-known in the literature. Some of these works use an associated linear system to describe special features in non-linear domains. One very successful work of this kind uses the socalled Slepian model process related to the a...

  2. Consideration of plasticity within the design of timber structures due to connection ductility

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brühl, F.; Kuhlmann, U.; Jorissen, A.J.M.

    2011-01-01

    The plastic behavior of fasteners in timber structures has gained more and more interest within recent years. In particular, dowel type fasteners show a significant ductile behavior if a certain embedded length of the dowel is ensured. The embedded length is either found by using the formulas based

  3. Thermal degradation and plasticizing mechanism of poly(vinyl chloride) plasticized with a novel cardanol derived plasticizer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, J.; Nie, X. A.; Jiang, J. C.; Zhou, Y. H.

    2018-01-01

    A natural plasticizer cardanol derivatives glycidyl ether (CGE) was synthesized and employed as a plasticizer for the poly(vinyl chloride). The effect of CGE on thermal degradation of PVC films and its plasticizing mechanism were firstly reported. The molecular structure of CGE was characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Thermal properties, degradation properties and compatibility of the PVC films were investigated by Differential scanning calorimeter analysis (DSC), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and FTIR, respectively. Compared with the commercial plasticizers dioctylphthalate (DOP), CGE can endow PVC film with a decrease of 4.31 °C in glass transition temperature (Tg), an increase of 24.01 °C and 25.53 °C in 10% weight loss (T 10) and 50% weight loss (T 50) respectively, and a higher activetion energy of thermal degradation (Ea ).

  4. Molecular studies and plastic optical fiber device structures for nonlinear optical applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dirk, Carl W.; Nagarur, Aruna R.; Lu, Jin J.; Zhang, Lixia; Kalamegham, Priya; Fonseca, Joe; Gopalan, Saytha; Townsend, Scott; Gonzalez, Gabriel; Craig, Patrick; Rosales, Monica; Green, Leslie; Chan, Karen; Twieg, Robert J.; Ermer, Susan P.; Leung, Doris S.; Lovejoy, Steven M.; Lacroix, Suzanne; Godbout, Nicolas; Monette, Etienne

    1995-10-01

    Summarized are two project areas: First, the development of a quantitative structure property relationship for analyzing thermal decomposition differential scanning calorimetry data of electro-optic dyes is presented. The QSPR relationship suggest that thermal decomposition can be effectively correlated with structure by considering the kinds of atoms, their hybridization, and their nearest neighbor bonded atoms. Second, the simple preparation of clad plastic optical fibers (POF) is discussed with the intention of use for nonlinear optical applications. We discuss preparation techniques for single core and multiple core POF, and present some recent data on index profiles and the optimization of thermal stability in acrylate-based POF structures.

  5. Biology Division progress report, October 1, 1991--September 30, 1993

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hartman, F.C.; Cook, J.S.

    1993-10-01

    This Progress Report summarizes the research endeavors of the Biology Division of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory during the period October 1, 1991, through September 30, 1993. The report is structured to provide descriptions of current activities and accomplishments in each of the Division`s major organizational units. Lists of information to convey the entire scope of the Division`s activities are compiled at the end of the report.

  6. Solid State Division

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Green, P.H.; Watson, D.M.

    1989-08-01

    This report contains brief discussions on work done in the Solid State Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The topics covered are: Theoretical Solid State Physics; Neutron scattering; Physical properties of materials; The synthesis and characterization of materials; Ion beam and laser processing; and Structure of solids and surfaces

  7. Chemical Sciences Division annual report 1994

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1995-06-01

    The division is one of ten LBL research divisions. It is composed of individual research groups organized into 5 scientific areas: chemical physics, inorganic/organometallic chemistry, actinide chemistry, atomic physics, and chemical engineering. Studies include structure and reactivity of critical reaction intermediates, transients and dynamics of elementary chemical reactions, and heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis. Work for others included studies of superconducting properties of high-{Tc} oxides. In FY 1994, the division neared completion of two end-stations and a beamline for the Advanced Light Source, which will be used for combustion and other studies. This document presents summaries of the studies.

  8. Auxetic hexachiral structures with wavy ligaments for large elasto-plastic deformation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Yilin; Wang, Zhen-Pei; Hien Poh, Leong

    2018-05-01

    The hexachiral structure is in-plane isotropic in small deformation. When subjected to large elasto-plastic deformation, however, the hexachiral structure tends to lose its auxeticity and/or isotropy—properties which are desirable in many potential applications. The objective of this study is to improve these two mechanical properties, without significantly compromising the effective yield stress, in the regime with significant material and geometrical nonlinearity effects. It is found that the deformation mechanisms underlying the auxeticity and isotropy properties of a hexachiral structure are largely influenced by the extent of rotation of the central ring in a unit cell. To facilitate the development of this deformation mechanism, an improved design with wavy ligaments is proposed. The improved performance of the proposed hexachiral structure is demonstrated. An initial study on possible applications as a protective material is next carried out, where the improved hexachiral design is shown to exhibit higher specific energy absorption capacity compared to the original design, as well as standard honeycomb structures.

  9. Validity of a structured method of selecting abstracts for a plastic surgical scientific meeting

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Steen, LPE; Hage, JJ; Kon, M; Monstrey, SJ

    In 1999, the European Association of Plastic Surgeons accepted a structured method to assess and select the abstracts that are submitted for its yearly scientific meeting. The two criteria used to evaluate whether such a selection method is accurate were reliability and validity. The authors

  10. Solid State Division

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Green, P.H.; Watson, D.M. (eds.)

    1989-08-01

    This report contains brief discussions on work done in the Solid State Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The topics covered are: Theoretical Solid State Physics; Neutron scattering; Physical properties of materials; The synthesis and characterization of materials; Ion beam and laser processing; and Structure of solids and surfaces. (LSP)

  11. Cell Division and Evolution of Biological Tissues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rivier, Nicolas; Arcenegui-Siemens, Xavier; Schliecker, Gudrun

    A tissue is a geometrical, space-filling, random cellular network; it remains in this steady state while individual cells divide. Cell division (fragmentation) is a local, elementary topological transformation which establishes statistical equilibrium of the structure. Statistical equilibrium is characterized by observable relations (Lewis, Aboav) between cell shapes, sizes and those of their neighbours, obtained through maximum entropy and topological correlation extending to nearest neighbours only, i.e. maximal randomness. For a two-dimensional tissue (epithelium), the distribution of cell shapes and that of mother and daughter cells can be obtained from elementary geometrical and physical arguments, except for an exponential factor favouring division of larger cells, and exponential and combinatorial factors encouraging a most symmetric division. The resulting distributions are very narrow, and stationarity severely restricts the range of an adjustable structural parameter

  12. A unified approach to the analysis and design of elasto-plastic structures with mechanical contact

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bendsoe, Martin P.; Olhoff, Niels; Taylor, John E.

    1990-01-01

    With structural design in mind, a new unified variational model has been developed which represents the mechanics of deformation elasto-plasticity with unilateral contact conditions. For a design problem formulated as maximization of the load carrying capacity of a structure under certain constraints, the unified model allows for a simultaneous analysis and design synthesis for a whole range of mechanical behavior.

  13. Slepian Simulations of Plastic Displacements of Randomly Excited Hysteretic Structures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lazarov, Boyan Stefanov

    2003-01-01

    The object of the study is a fast simulation method for generation and analysis of the plastic response of a randomly excited MDOF oscillatro with several potential elements with elasto-plastic constitutive behavior. The oscillator is statically determinate with linear damping. The external...... approximately as a stationary Gaussian process. This requires that the standard deviation of the stationary response is not too large as compared to the plastic yield limits. The Slepian model process for the behavior of the linear response is then simply the conditional mean (linear regression) of the process...... noise excited linear oscillator obtained from the elasto-plastic oscillator by totally removing the plastic domain. Thus the key to the applicability of the method is that the oscillator has a linear domain within which the response stays for a sufficiently long time to make the random response behave...

  14. Plasticity characteristic obtained by indentation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mil'man, Yu.V.; Chugunova, S.I.; Goncharova, I.V.

    2011-01-01

    Methods for determination plasticity characteristic δH in the measurement of hardness and nanohardness are considered. Parameter δH characterizes the plasticity of a material by the part of plastic deformation in the total elastic-plastic deformation. The value of δH is defined for metals with different types of crystal lattice, covalent and partially covalent crystals, intermetallics, metallic glasses and quasicrystals. It is discussed the dependence of the plasticity characteristic δH on structural factors and temperature. Parameter δH allows to analyze and compare the plasticity of materials which are brittle at standard mechanical tests. The combination of hardness H, as the strength characteristic, and the plasticity characteristic δH makes possible the better characterization of mechanical behavior of materials than only the hardness H. The examples of plasticity characteristic δH application are represented.

  15. Determination of the structural changes by Raman and {sup 13}C CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy on native corn starch with plasticizers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cozar, O. [Academy of Romanian Scientists, Splaiul Independentei 54, 050094, Bucharest, Romania and National Institute of Research-Development for Machines and Installations Designed to Agriculture and Food Industry - INMA Bucureşti - Cluj-Napoca Branch (Romania); Filip, C.; Tripon, C. [National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, 65-103 Donath, 400293 Cluj-Napoca (Romania); Cioica, N.; Coţa, C.; Nagy, E. M. [National Institute of Research-Development for Machines and Installations Designed to Agriculture and Food Industry - INMA Bucureşti - Cluj-Napoca Branch, RO-400458 Cluj-Napoca (Romania)

    2013-11-13

    The plasticizing - antiplasticizing effect of water and glycerol contents on native corn starch samples is investigated by FT-Raman and {sup 13}C CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy. The presence of both amorphous and crystalline structural phases was evidenced in pure native corn starch and also in the samples containing plasticizers. Among the crystalline starch structures, the A- and V- types were suggested by CP/MAS NMR spectra.

  16. Atmospheric and Geophysical Sciences Division Program Report, 1988--1989

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1990-06-01

    In 1990, the Atmospheric and Geophysical Sciences Division begins its 17th year as a division. As the Division has grown over the years, its modeling capabilities have expanded to include a broad range of time and space scales ranging from hours to decades and from local to global. Our modeling is now reaching out from its atmospheric focus to treat linkages with the oceans and the land. In this report, we describe the Division's goal and organizational structure. We also provide tables and appendices describing the Division's budget, personnel, models, and publications. 2 figs., 1 tab.

  17. Z ring as executor of bacterial cell division.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dajkovic, Alex; Lutkenhaus, Joe

    2006-01-01

    It has become apparent that bacteria possess ancestors of the major eukaryotic cytoskeletal proteins. FtsZ, the ancestral homologue of tubulin, assembles into a cytoskeletal structure associated with cell division, designated the Z ring. Formation of the Z ring represents a major point of both spatial and temporal regulation of cell division. Here we discuss findings concerning the structure and the formation of the ring as well as its spatial and temporal regulation.

  18. Structural and functional characterizations of SsgB, a conserved activator of developmental cell division in morphologically complex actinomycetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Qingping; Traag, Bjørn A; Willemse, Joost; McMullan, Daniel; Miller, Mitchell D; Elsliger, Marc-André; Abdubek, Polat; Astakhova, Tamara; Axelrod, Herbert L; Bakolitsa, Constantina; Carlton, Dennis; Chen, Connie; Chiu, Hsiu-Ju; Chruszcz, Maksymilian; Clayton, Thomas; Das, Debanu; Deller, Marc C; Duan, Lian; Ellrott, Kyle; Ernst, Dustin; Farr, Carol L; Feuerhelm, Julie; Grant, Joanna C; Grzechnik, Anna; Grzechnik, Slawomir K; Han, Gye Won; Jaroszewski, Lukasz; Jin, Kevin K; Klock, Heath E; Knuth, Mark W; Kozbial, Piotr; Krishna, S Sri; Kumar, Abhinav; Marciano, David; Minor, Wladek; Mommaas, A Mieke; Morse, Andrew T; Nigoghossian, Edward; Nopakun, Amanda; Okach, Linda; Oommachen, Silvya; Paulsen, Jessica; Puckett, Christina; Reyes, Ron; Rife, Christopher L; Sefcovic, Natasha; Tien, Henry J; Trame, Christine B; van den Bedem, Henry; Wang, Shuren; Weekes, Dana; Hodgson, Keith O; Wooley, John; Deacon, Ashley M; Godzik, Adam; Lesley, Scott A; Wilson, Ian A; van Wezel, Gilles P

    2009-09-11

    SsgA-like proteins (SALPs) are a family of homologous cell division-related proteins that occur exclusively in morphologically complex actinomycetes. We show that SsgB, a subfamily of SALPs, is the archetypal SALP that is functionally conserved in all sporulating actinomycetes. Sporulation-specific cell division of Streptomyces coelicolor ssgB mutants is restored by introduction of distant ssgB orthologues from other actinomycetes. Interestingly, the number of septa (and spores) of the complemented null mutants is dictated by the specific ssgB orthologue that is expressed. The crystal structure of the SsgB from Thermobifida fusca was determined at 2.6 A resolution and represents the first structure for this family. The structure revealed similarities to a class of eukaryotic "whirly" single-stranded DNA/RNA-binding proteins. However, the electro-negative surface of the SALPs suggests that neither SsgB nor any of the other SALPs are likely to interact with nucleotide substrates. Instead, we show that a conserved hydrophobic surface is likely to be important for SALP function and suggest that proteins are the likely binding partners.

  19. Structural and Functional Characterizations of SsgB, a Conserved Activator of Developmental Cell Division in Morphologically Complex Actinomycetes*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Qingping; Traag, Bjørn A.; Willemse, Joost; McMullan, Daniel; Miller, Mitchell D.; Elsliger, Marc-André; Abdubek, Polat; Astakhova, Tamara; Axelrod, Herbert L.; Bakolitsa, Constantina; Carlton, Dennis; Chen, Connie; Chiu, Hsiu-Ju; Chruszcz, Maksymilian; Clayton, Thomas; Das, Debanu; Deller, Marc C.; Duan, Lian; Ellrott, Kyle; Ernst, Dustin; Farr, Carol L.; Feuerhelm, Julie; Grant, Joanna C.; Grzechnik, Anna; Grzechnik, Slawomir K.; Han, Gye Won; Jaroszewski, Lukasz; Jin, Kevin K.; Klock, Heath E.; Knuth, Mark W.; Kozbial, Piotr; Krishna, S. Sri; Kumar, Abhinav; Marciano, David; Minor, Wladek; Mommaas, A. Mieke; Morse, Andrew T.; Nigoghossian, Edward; Nopakun, Amanda; Okach, Linda; Oommachen, Silvya; Paulsen, Jessica; Puckett, Christina; Reyes, Ron; Rife, Christopher L.; Sefcovic, Natasha; Tien, Henry J.; Trame, Christine B.; van den Bedem, Henry; Wang, Shuren; Weekes, Dana; Hodgson, Keith O.; Wooley, John; Deacon, Ashley M.; Godzik, Adam; Lesley, Scott A.; Wilson, Ian A.; van Wezel, Gilles P.

    2009-01-01

    SsgA-like proteins (SALPs) are a family of homologous cell division-related proteins that occur exclusively in morphologically complex actinomycetes. We show that SsgB, a subfamily of SALPs, is the archetypal SALP that is functionally conserved in all sporulating actinomycetes. Sporulation-specific cell division of Streptomyces coelicolor ssgB mutants is restored by introduction of distant ssgB orthologues from other actinomycetes. Interestingly, the number of septa (and spores) of the complemented null mutants is dictated by the specific ssgB orthologue that is expressed. The crystal structure of the SsgB from Thermobifida fusca was determined at 2.6 Å resolution and represents the first structure for this family. The structure revealed similarities to a class of eukaryotic “whirly” single-stranded DNA/RNA-binding proteins. However, the electro-negative surface of the SALPs suggests that neither SsgB nor any of the other SALPs are likely to interact with nucleotide substrates. Instead, we show that a conserved hydrophobic surface is likely to be important for SALP function and suggest that proteins are the likely binding partners. PMID:19567872

  20. Hippocampal Structural Plasticity Accompanies the Resulting Contextual Fear Memory Following Stress and Fear Conditioning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giachero, Marcelo; Calfa, Gaston D.; Molina, Victor A.

    2013-01-01

    The present research investigated the resulting contextual fear memory and structural plasticity changes in the dorsal hippocampus (DH) following stress and fear conditioning. This combination enhanced fear retention and increased the number of total and mature dendritic spines in DH. Intra-basolateral amygdala (BLA) infusion of midazolam prior to…

  1. Plastic damage induced fracture behaviors of dental ceramic layer structures subjected to monotonic load.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Raorao; Lu, Chenglin; Arola, Dwayne; Zhang, Dongsheng

    2013-08-01

    The aim of this study was to compare failure modes and fracture strength of ceramic structures using a combination of experimental and numerical methods. Twelve specimens with flat layer structures were fabricated from two types of ceramic systems (IPS e.max ceram/e.max press-CP and Vita VM9/Lava zirconia-VZ) and subjected to monotonic load to fracture with a tungsten carbide sphere. Digital image correlation (DIC) and fractography technology were used to analyze fracture behaviors of specimens. Numerical simulation was also applied to analyze the stress distribution in these two types of dental ceramics. Quasi-plastic damage occurred beneath the indenter in porcelain in all cases. In general, the fracture strength of VZ specimens was greater than that of CP specimens. The crack initiation loads of VZ and CP were determined as 958 ± 50 N and 724 ± 36 N, respectively. Cracks were induced by plastic damage and were subsequently driven by tensile stress at the elastic/plastic boundary and extended downward toward to the veneer/core interface from the observation of DIC at the specimen surface. Cracks penetrated into e.max press core, which led to a serious bulk fracture in CP crowns, while in VZ specimens, cracks were deflected and extended along the porcelain/zirconia core interface without penetration into the zirconia core. The rupture loads for VZ and CP ceramics were determined as 1150 ± 170 N and 857 ± 66 N, respectively. Quasi-plastic deformation (damage) is responsible for crack initiation within porcelain in both types of crowns. Due to the intrinsic mechanical properties, the fracture behaviors of these two types of ceramics are different. The zirconia core with high strength and high elastic modulus has better resistance to fracture than the e.max core. © 2013 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

  2. NMDA Receptors Regulate the Structural Plasticity of Spines and Axonal Boutons in Hippocampal Interneurons

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marta Perez-Rando

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs are present in both pyramidal neurons and interneurons of the hippocampus. These receptors play an important role in the adult structural plasticity of excitatory neurons, but their impact on the remodeling of interneurons is unknown. Among hippocampal interneurons, somatostatin-expressing cells located in the stratum oriens are of special interest because of their functional importance and structural characteristics: they display dendritic spines, which change density in response to different stimuli. In order to understand the role of NMDARs on the structural plasticity of these interneurons, we have injected acutely MK-801, an NMDAR antagonist, to adult mice which constitutively express enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP in these cells. We have behaviorally tested the animals, confirming effects of the drug on locomotion and anxiety-related behaviors. NMDARs were expressed in the somata and dendritic spines of somatostatin-expressing interneurons. Twenty-four hours after the injection, the density of spines did not vary, but we found a significant increase in the density of their en passant boutons (EPB. We have also used entorhino-hippocampal organotypic cultures to study these interneurons in real-time. There was a rapid decrease in the apparition rate of spines after MK-801 administration, which persisted for 24 h and returned to basal levels afterwards. A similar reversible decrease was detected in spine density. Our results show that both spines and axons of interneurons can undergo remodeling and highlight NMDARs as regulators of this plasticity. These results are specially relevant given the importance of all these players on hippocampal physiology and the etiopathology of certain psychiatric disorders.

  3. Structural test and analysis of a model of a BWR suppression chamber support in the plastic regime

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blumer, U.R.; Klaeui, E.; Bosshard, E.P.

    1991-01-01

    A BWR Mark I suppression pool support has been analysed and tested in the laboratory. The aim was the demonstration of the acceptability of hypothetical dynamic loadings resulting from simultaneous steam blowdown through all safety relief valves. The analysis has shown that plastic deformation will locally occur, which is difficult to assess purely theoretical. Therefore tests in reduced scale were performed that show the amount and distribution of plastic flow in the supports. The paper describes the elastic analysis, the theory of the scaling laws for the reduced scale test, the test and its results. It also shows the thermographical method that has been used to determine the plastic material flow in the support structure. (author)

  4. Modeling elasto-plastic behavior of polycrystalline grain structure of steels at mesoscopic level

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kovac, Marko; Cizelj, Leon

    2005-01-01

    The multiscale model is proposed to explicitly account for the inhomogeneous structure of polycrystalline materials. Grains and grain boundaries are modeled explicitly using Voronoi tessellation. The constitutive model of crystal grains utilizes anisotropic elasticity and crystal plasticity. Commercially available finite element code is applied to solve the boundary value problem defined at the macroscopic scale. No assumption regarding the distribution of the mesoscopic strain and stress fields is used, apart the finite element discretization. The proposed model is then used to estimate the minimum size of polycrystalline aggregate of selected reactor pressure vessel steel (22 NiMoCr 3 7), above which it can be considered macroscopically homogeneous. Elastic and rate-independent plastic deformation modes are considered. The results are validated by the experimental and simulation results from the literature

  5. Translational control of auditory imprinting and structural plasticity by eIF2α

    Science.gov (United States)

    Batista, Gervasio; Johnson, Jennifer Leigh; Dominguez, Elena; Costa-Mattioli, Mauro; Pena, Jose L

    2016-01-01

    The formation of imprinted memories during a critical period is crucial for vital behaviors, including filial attachment. Yet, little is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms. Using a combination of behavior, pharmacology, in vivo surface sensing of translation (SUnSET) and DiOlistic labeling we found that, translational control by the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2α) bidirectionally regulates auditory but not visual imprinting and related changes in structural plasticity in chickens. Increasing phosphorylation of eIF2α (p-eIF2α) reduces translation rates and spine plasticity, and selectively impairs auditory imprinting. By contrast, inhibition of an eIF2α kinase or blocking the translational program controlled by p-eIF2α enhances auditory imprinting. Importantly, these manipulations are able to reopen the critical period. Thus, we have identified a translational control mechanism that selectively underlies auditory imprinting. Restoring translational control of eIF2α holds the promise to rejuvenate adult brain plasticity and restore learning and memory in a variety of cognitive disorders. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.17197.001 PMID:28009255

  6. Many Activities, One Structure: Functional Plasticity of Ribozyme Folds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew W.L. Lau

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Catalytic RNAs, or ribozymes, are involved in a number of essential biological processes, such as replication of RNA genomes and mobile genetic elements, RNA splicing, translation, and RNA degradation. The function of ribozymes requires the formation of active sites decorated with RNA functional groups within defined three-dimensional (3D structures. The genotype (sequence of RNAs ultimately determines what 3D structures they adopt (as a function of their environmental conditions. These 3D structures, in turn, give rise to biochemical activity, which can further elaborate them by catalytic rearrangements or association with other molecules. The fitness landscape of a non-periodic linear polymer, such as RNA, relates its primary structure to a phenotype. Two major challenges in the analysis of ribozymes is to map all possible genotypes to their corresponding catalytic activity (that is, to determine their fitness landscape experimentally, and to understand whether their genotypes and three-dimensional structures can support multiple different catalytic functions. Recently, the combined results of experiments that employ in vitro evolution methods, high-throughput sequencing and crystallographic structure determination have hinted at answers to these two questions: while the fitness landscape of ribozymes is rugged, meaning that their catalytic activity cannot be optimized by a smooth trajectory in sequence space, once an RNA achieves a stable three-dimensional fold, it can be endowed with distinctly different biochemical activities through small changes in genotype. This functional plasticity of highly structured RNAs may be particularly advantageous for the adaptation of organisms to drastic changes in selective pressure, or for the development of new biotechnological tools.

  7. Finite element elasto-plastic analysis of thin walled structures of reinforced concrete as applied to reactor facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujita, F.; Tsuboi, Y.

    1981-01-01

    The authors developed a new program of elasto-plastic analysis of reinforced concrete shells, in which the simplest model of shell element and an orthotropic constitutive relation are adopted, and verified its validity with reference to the results of model experiments of containers and box-wall structures with various loading conditions. For the two-dimensional stress-strain relationship of concrete, an orthotropic nonlinear formula proposed by one of the authors was adopted. For concrete, the octahedral shear failure and tension cut-off criteria were also imposed. The Kirchhoff-Love's assumptions were assumed to be valid for the whole range of the analysis and the layered approach of elasto-plastic stiffness evaluation. Derivation of the shell element is outlined with examination of its accuracy in elastic range and the assumption of elasto-plastic material property and the procedure of nonlinear analysis are described. As examples, the method is applied to the analysis of a cylindrical container and a box-wall structure. Comparison of the computed results with the corresponding experimental data indicates the applicability of the proposed method. (orig./HP)

  8. Biology Division progress report, October 1, 1993--September 30, 1995

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1995-10-01

    This Progress Report summarizes the research endeavors of the Biology Division of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory during the period October 1, 1993, through September 30, 1995. The report is structured to provide descriptions of current activities and accomplishments in each of the Division`s major organizational units. Lists of information to convey the entire scope of the Division`s activities are compiled at the end of the report. Attention is focused on the following research activities: molecular, cellular, and cancer biology; mammalian genetics and development; genome mapping program; and educational activities.

  9. Learning to Perceive Structure from Motion and Neural Plasticity in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Nam-Gyoon; Park, Jong-Hee

    2010-01-01

    Recent research has demonstrated that Alzheimer's disease (AD) affects the visual sensory pathways, producing a variety of visual deficits, including the capacity to perceive structure-from-motion (SFM). Because the sensory areas of the adult brain are known to retain a large degree of plasticity, the present study was conducted to explore whether…

  10. Studies of elastic-plastic instabilities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tvergaard, Viggo

    1999-01-01

    Analyses of plastic instabilities are reviewed, with focus on results in structural mechanics as well as continuum mechanics. First the basic theories for bifurcation and post-bifurcation behavior are briefly presented. Then, localization of plastic flow is discussed, including shear band formati...

  11. Elastic plastic fracture mechanics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simpson, L.A.

    1978-07-01

    The application of linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) to crack stability in brittle structures is now well understood and widely applied. However, in many structural materials, crack propagation is accompanied by considerable crack-tip plasticity which invalidates the use of LEFM. Thus, present day research in fracture mechanics is aimed at developing parameters for predicting crack propagation under elastic-plastic conditions. These include critical crack-opening-displacement methods, the J integral and R-curve techniques. This report provides an introduction to these concepts and gives some examples of their applications. (author)

  12. Modeling and Analysis of Size-Dependent Structural Problems by Using Low- Order Finite Elements with Strain Gradient Plasticity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Moon Shik; Suh, Yeong Sung; Song, Seung

    2011-01-01

    An elasto-plastic finite element method using the theory of strain gradient plasticity is proposed to evaluate the size dependency of structural plasticity that occurs when the configuration size decreases to micron scale. For this method, we suggest a low-order plane and three-dimensional displacement-based elements, eliminating the need for a high order, many degrees of freedom, a mixed element, or super elements, which have been considered necessary in previous researches. The proposed method can be performed in the framework of nonlinear incremental analysis in which plastic strains are calculated and averaged at nodes. These strains are then interpolated and differentiated for gradient calculation. We adopted a strain-gradient-hardening constitutive equation from the Taylor dislocation model, which requires the plastic strain gradient. The developed finite elements are tested numerically on the basis of typical size-effect problems such as micro-bending, micro-torsion, and micro-voids. With respect to the strain gradient plasticity, i.e., the size effects, the results obtained by using the proposed method, which are simple in their calculation, are in good agreement with the experimental results cited in previously published papers

  13. Nuclear Science Division: 1993 Annual report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Myers, W.D.

    1994-06-01

    This report describes the activities of the Nuclear Science Division for the 1993 calendar year. This was another significant year in the history of the Division with many interesting and important accomplishments. Activities for the following programs are covered here: (1) nuclear structure and reactions program; (2) the Institute for Nuclear and Particle Astrophysics; (3) relativistic nuclear collisions program; (4) nuclear theory program; (5) nuclear data evaluation program, isotope project; and (6) 88-inch cyclotron operations

  14. Nuclear Science Division: 1993 Annual report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Myers, W.D. [ed.

    1994-06-01

    This report describes the activities of the Nuclear Science Division for the 1993 calendar year. This was another significant year in the history of the Division with many interesting and important accomplishments. Activities for the following programs are covered here: (1) nuclear structure and reactions program; (2) the Institute for Nuclear and Particle Astrophysics; (3) relativistic nuclear collisions program; (4) nuclear theory program; (5) nuclear data evaluation program, isotope project; and (6) 88-inch cyclotron operations.

  15. Isotope and Nuclear Chemistry Division annual report, FY 1988

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1989-06-01

    This report describes some of the major research and development programs of the Isotope and Nuclear Chemistry Division during FY 1988. The report includes articles on weapons chemistry, biochemistry and nuclear medicine, nuclear structure and reactions, and the INC Division facilities and laboratories

  16. Hydraulic pressure pulses with elastic and plastic structural flexibility: test and analysis (LWBR Development Program)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwirian, R.E.

    1978-03-01

    Pressure pulse tests were conducted with a flexible test section in a test vessel filled with room temperature water. The pressure pulses were generated with a drop hammer and piston pulse generator and were of a sufficient magnitude to cause plastic deformation of the test section. Because of the strong pressure relief effect of the deforming test section, pressure pulse magnitudes were below 265 psig in magnitude and had durations of 50 to 55 msecs. Calculations performed with the FLASH-35 bi-linear hysteresis model of structural deformation show good agreement with experiment. In particular, FLASH 35 adequately predicts the decrease in peak pressure and the increase in pulse duration due to elastic and plastic deformation of the test section. Predictions of flexible member motion are good, but are less satisfactory than the pressure pulse results due to uncertainties in the values of yield point and beyond yield stiffness used to model the various flexible members. Coupled with this is a strong sensitivity of the FLASH 35 predictions to the values of yield point and beyond yield stiffness chosen for the various flexible members. The test data versus calculation comparisons presented here provide preliminary qualification for FLASH 35 calculations of transient hydraulic pressures and pressure differentials in the presence of flexible structural members which deform both elastically and plastically

  17. Theoretical Physics Division

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    This report is a survey of the studies done in the Theoretical Physics Division of the Nuclear Physics Institute; the subjects studied in theoretical nuclear physics were the few-nucleon problem, nuclear structure, nuclear reactions, weak interactions, intermediate energy and high energy physics. In this last field, the subjects studied were field theory, group theory, symmetry and strong interactions [fr

  18. Rheological and structural characterisation of film-forming solutions and biodegradable edible film made from kefiran as affected by various plasticizer types.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghasemlou, Mehran; Khodaiyan, Faramarz; Oromiehie, Abdulrasoul

    2011-11-01

    The rheological properties of kefiran film-forming solutions, as well as the structural characterisation of the resulting films, were investigated as a function of various plasticizer types. The behaviours of the storage (G') and loss (G″) moduli as a function of frequency were typical of gel-like material, with the G' higher than the G″. Kefiran-based films, which may find application as edible films, were prepared by a casting and solvent-evaporation method. Possible interaction between the adjacent chains in the kefiran polymer and various plasticizers was proven by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The crystallinity of plasticized kefiran film was also analysed using X-ray diffraction (XRD); this revealed an amorphous-crystalline structure. These results were explained by the film's microstructure, which was analysed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The present study has helped determine possible interactions of kefiran, plasticizer and water molecules in determining film properties. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Evolutionary dynamics of division of labor games with selfish agents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jianlei; Li, Qiaoyu; Zhang, Chunyan

    2017-11-01

    The division of labor is one of the most basic and widely studied aspects of collective behavior in natural systems. Studies of division of labor are concerned with the integration of the individual worker behavior into a colony level task organization and with the question of how the regulation of the division of labor may contribute to the colony efficiency. This paper investigates the evolution of the division of labor with three strategies by employing the evolutionary game theory. Thus, these available strategies are, respectively, strategy A (performing task A), strategy B (performing task B), and strategy D (not performing any task but only free riding others' contributions). And, two typical networks (i.e., BA scale-free network and lattice network) are employed here for describing the interaction structure among agents. The theoretical analysis together with simulation results reveal that the division of labor can evolve and leads to players that differ in their tendency to take on a given task. The conditions under which the division of labor evolves depend on the costs for performing the task, the benefits led by performing the task, and the interaction structures among the players who are involved with division of labor games.

  20. Plastic deformation of 2D crumpled wires

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gomes, M A F; Donato, C C; Brito, V P; Coelho, A S O

    2008-01-01

    When a single long piece of elastic wire is injected through channels into a confining two-dimensional cavity, a complex structure of hierarchical loops is formed. In the limit of maximum packing density, these structures are described by several scaling laws. In this paper this packing process is investigated but using plastic wires which give rise to completely irreversible structures of different morphology. In particular, the plastic deformation from circular to oblate configurations of crumpled wires is experimentally studied, obtained by the application of an axial strain. Among other things, it is shown that in spite of plasticity, irreversibility and very large deformations, scaling is still observed.

  1. Clarification on shear transformation zone size and its correlation with plasticity for Zr-based bulk metallic glass in different structural states

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Z.Q.; Huang, L. [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Material, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Huang, P., E-mail: huangping@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Material, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Xu, K.W. [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Material, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Wang, F., E-mail: wangfei@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Lu, T.J. [State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); MOE Key Laboratory for Multifunctional Materials and Structures Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China)

    2016-11-20

    To clarify the real size of shear transformation zone (STZ) and its correlation with the plasticity of metallic glass, STZ sizes of a Zr-based bulk metallic glass (BMG) in three different structural states (as-cast, annealed and confining annealed) were examined using both rate-change and statistical methods upon nanoindentation. STZ sizes (less than 24 atoms) obtained by the statistical method approached the real STZ size of very few atoms, and showed no correlation with BMG plasticity. In sharp contrast, STZ sizes (hundreds of atoms) obtained by the rate-change method not only were much larger than the real STZ size but also exhibited a positive correlation with BMG plasticity. These discrepancies were discussed in terms of the structural evolution of BMGs upon nanoindentation.

  2. Computational strain gradient crystal plasticity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Niordson, Christian Frithiof; Kysar, Jeffrey W.

    2014-01-01

    A numerical method for viscous strain gradient crystal plasticity theory is presented, which incorporates both energetic and dissipative gradient effects. The underlying minimum principles are discussed as well as convergence properties of the proposed finite element procedure. Three problems...... of plane crystal plasticity are studied: pure shear of a single crystal between rigid platens as well as plastic deformation around cylindrical voids in hexagonal close packed and face centered cubic crystals. Effective in-plane constitutive slip parameters for plane strain deformation of specifically...... oriented face centered cubic crystals are developed in terms of the crystallographic slip parameters. The effect on geometrically necessary dislocation structures introduced by plastic deformation is investigated as a function of the ratio of void radius to plasticity length scale....

  3. Imaging brain plasticity after trauma

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Zhifeng Kou; Armin Iraji

    2014-01-01

    The brain is highly plastic after stroke or epilepsy;however, there is a paucity of brain plasticity investigation after traumatic brain injury (TBI). This mini review summarizes the most recent evidence of brain plasticity in human TBI patients from the perspective of advanced magnetic resonance imaging. Similar to other forms of acquired brain injury, TBI patients also demonstrat-ed both structural reorganization as well as functional compensation by the recruitment of other brain regions. However, the large scale brain network alterations after TBI are still unknown, and the ifeld is still short of proper means on how to guide the choice of TBI rehabilitation or treat-ment plan to promote brain plasticity. The authors also point out the new direction of brain plas-ticity investigation.

  4. Materials division facilities and equipment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Biest, O. v.d.

    1984-01-01

    The research activities of the Division at the Petten Establishment have the aims of characterising the properties of high temperature materials in industrial process environments and of understanding the structures involved in order to gain an insight into behavioural mechanisms. Metallic materials fall within the scope of the programme; the activities are, at present, almost entirely concerned with austenitic steels and nickel based alloys. Starting in 1984, advanced ceramic materials will be studied as well. The equipment available permits the study of mechanical properties in controlled gaseous environments, of the rates and mechanisms of corrosive reactions between materials and those environments, and of the surface and bulk structures by advanced physical techniques. Special preparation and treatment techniques are available. The Division has developed a Data Bank on high temperature alloys. It also operates an information Centre, the activities of which include the organisation of scientific meetings, the commissioning of ''state of the art'' studies on topics in the field of high temperature materials and their applications and the development of a inventory of current research activities in the field in Europe. This booklet is intended to present the facilities and services of the Division to the organizations which are interested in its programmes of work

  5. Optimizing The Organic/Inorganic Barrier Structure For Flexible Plastic Substrate Encapsulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi-Chiuan Lin

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available A multilayered barrier structure stacked with organosilicon and silicon oxide (SiOx films consecutively prepared using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD was developed to encapsulate flexible plastic substrate. The evolution on the residual internal stress, structural quality of the organosilicon/SiOx multilayered structure as well as its adhesion to the substrate were found to correlate closely with the thickness of the inset organosilicon layer. Due to the significant discrepancy in the thermal expansion coefficient between the substrate and SiOx film, the thickness of the organosilicon layer deposited onto the substrate and SiOx film thus was crucial to optimize the barrier property of the organosilicon/SiOx structure. The organosilicon/SiOx barrier structure possessed a lowest residual compressive stress and quality adhesion to the substrate was achieved from engineering the organosilicon layer thickness in the multilayered structure. The relaxation of the residual internal stress in the barrier structure led to a dense SiOx film as a consequence of the enhancement in the Si-O-Si networks and thereby resulted in the reduction of the water vapor permeation. Accordingly, a water vapor transmission rate (WVTR below 1 × 10-2 g/m2 /day being potential for the application on the flexible optoelectronic device packaging was achievable from the 3-pairs organosilicon/SiOx multilayered structure deposited onto the polyethylene terephthalate (PET substrate.

  6. Methodology for plastic fracture - a progress report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilkinson, J.P.D.; Smith, R.E.E.

    1977-01-01

    This paper describes the progress of a study to develop a methodology for plastic fracture. Such a fracture mechanics methodology, having application in the plastic region, is required to assess the margin of safety inherent in nuclear reactor pressure vessels. The initiation and growth of flaws in pressure vessels under overload conditions is distinguished by a number of unique features, such as large scale yielding, three-dimensional structural and flaw configurations, and failure instabilities that may be controlled by either toughness or plastic flow. In order to develop a broadly applicable methodology of plastic fracture, these features require the following analytical and experimental studies: development of criteria for crack initiation and growth under large scale yielding; the use of the finite element method to describe elastic-plastic behaviour of both the structure and the crack tip region; and extensive experimental studies on laboratory scale and large scale specimens, which attempt to reproduce the pertinent plastic flow and crack growth phenomena. This discussion centers on progress to date on the selection, through analysis and laboratory experiments, of viable criteria for crack initiation and growth during plastic fracture. (Auth.)

  7. Activity-Dependent Exocytosis of Lysosomes Regulates the Structural Plasticity of Dendritic Spines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Padamsey, Zahid; McGuinness, Lindsay; Bardo, Scott J; Reinhart, Marcia; Tong, Rudi; Hedegaard, Anne; Hart, Michael L; Emptage, Nigel J

    2017-01-04

    Lysosomes have traditionally been viewed as degradative organelles, although a growing body of evidence suggests that they can function as Ca 2+ stores. Here we examined the function of these stores in hippocampal pyramidal neurons. We found that back-propagating action potentials (bpAPs) could elicit Ca 2+ release from lysosomes in the dendrites. This Ca 2+ release triggered the fusion of lysosomes with the plasma membrane, resulting in the release of Cathepsin B. Cathepsin B increased the activity of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), an enzyme involved in extracellular matrix (ECM) remodelling and synaptic plasticity. Inhibition of either lysosomal Ca 2+ signaling or Cathepsin B release prevented the maintenance of dendritic spine growth induced by Hebbian activity. This impairment could be rescued by exogenous application of active MMP-9. Our findings suggest that activity-dependent exocytosis of Cathepsin B from lysosomes regulates the long-term structural plasticity of dendritic spines by triggering MMP-9 activation and ECM remodelling. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Division V: Commission 42: Close Binaries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ribas, Ignasi; Richards, Mercedes T.; Rucinski, Slavek; Bradstreet, David H.; Harmanec, Petr; Kaluzny, Janusz; Mikolajewska, Joanna; Munari, Ulisse; Niarchos, Panagiotis; Olah, Katalin; Pribulla, Theodor; Scarfe, Colin D.; Torres, Guillermo

    2015-08-01

    Commission 42 (C42) co-organized, together with Commission 27 (C27) and Division V (Div V) as a whole, a full day of science and business sessions that were held on 24 August 2012. The program included time slots for discussion of business matters related to Div V, C27 and C42, and two sessions of 2 hours each devoted to science talks of interest to both C42 and C27. In addition, we had a joint session between Div IV and Div V motivated by the proposal to reformulate the division structure of the IAU and the possible merger of the two divisions into a new Div G. The current report gives an account of the matters discussed during the business session of C42.

  9. Division site selection in Escherichia coli involves dynamic redistribution of Min proteins within coiled structures that extend between the two cell poles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shih, Yu-Ling; Le, Trung; Rothfield, Lawrence

    2003-06-01

    The MinCDE proteins of Escherichia coli are required for proper placement of the division septum at midcell. The site selection process requires the rapid oscillatory redistribution of the proteins from pole to pole. We report that the three Min proteins are organized into extended membrane-associated coiled structures that wind around the cell between the two poles. The pole-to-pole oscillation of the proteins reflects oscillatory changes in their distribution within the coiled structure. We also report that the E. coli MreB protein, which is required for maintaining the rod shape of the cell, also forms extended coiled structures, which are similar to the MreB structures that have previously been reported in Bacillus subtilis. The MreB and MinCDE coiled arrays do not appear identical. The results suggest that at least two functionally distinct cytoskeletal-like elements are present in E. coli and that structures of this type can undergo dynamic changes that play important roles in division site placement and possibly other aspects of the life of the cell.

  10. Cell division factors from crown gall tumors: a strategy for structural elucidation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manning, K.S.

    1985-01-01

    Mitogenic compounds present in extracts of Vinca rosea crown gall tumor tissue were investigated. An isolation procedure, consisting of solvent partitions and reverse phase chromatography, has yielded a group of isomeric compounds which show activity in the tobacco pith bioassay. Initial characterizations revealed an unsaturated base, a sugar residue, a β-linked glucose, an allylic alcohol, and two methyl groups. A two part strategy of mass spectrometry (MS) in combination with proton nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H NMR) was envisioned. The aglycone structure would be determined by MS and the regiochemical relationships among the structural units would be defined by 1 H NMR data. The utility of this approach was demonstrated by the structure assignment of a specific inhibitor of β-D-glucuronidase, 2(S)-carboxy-3(R),4(R),5(S)-trihydroxypiperidine. The relative stereochemistry of the hydroxyls was revealed by 1 H NMR and the absolute configuration was deduced by a comparison of Cotton effects with a model compound. The use of 1 H NMR to establish regiochemical relationships was investigated. Terpenes containing quaternary carbons and methyl groups were excellent models for the regiochemical problems presented by the mitogenic factors. This 1 H NMR spectroscopy has been applied to the cell division factor structure problem. These data, with information from two dimensional nOe experiments, have defined some of the regio-relationships among the structural units present in the isolated factors

  11. [Application of biodegradable plastic film to reduce plastic film residual pollution in Chinese agriculture].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Changrong; He, Wenqing; Xue, Yinghao; Liu, Enke; Liu, Qin

    2016-06-25

    Plastic film has become an important agriculture production material in recent years. Over the past three decades, the amount and application area of plastic film have increased steadily, and in 2014, which are 1.4 million tons and more than 180 million hm² respectively. It plays a key role for ensuring the supply of agricultural goods in China. Meanwhile, plastic film residual pollution becomes more and more serious, and in some regions, the amount of plastic film residues has reached over 250 kg/hm². In part of the Northwest region, soil structure of farmland has been destroyed by plastic film residues and then crop growth and farming operations were suppressed. It is recognized as a good choice to replace plastic film with biodegradable plastic film, an effective measure to solve the plastic film residue pollution. Now, it is in a critical stage of study and assessment of biodegradable plastic film in China and fortunately some biodegradable plastic films show effects in the production of potatoes, peanuts and tobacco. Overall, a series of challenges has still been faced by the biodegradable plastic film, mainly including improving the quality of biodegradable plastic products, such as tensile strength, flexibility, improving the controllability of rupture and degradation, enhancing the ability of increasing soil temperature and preserving soil moisture, and to satisfy the demand of crops production with mulching. In addition, it is essential to reduce the cost of the biodegradable film and promote the application of biodegradable film on large-scale. With the development of biodegradable plastic technology and agricultural production environment, the application of the biodegradable film will have a good future.

  12. Evidence for cortical structural plasticity in humans after a day of waking and sleep deprivation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elvsåshagen, Torbjørn; Zak, Nathalia; Norbom, Linn B; Pedersen, Per Ø; Quraishi, Sophia H; Bjørnerud, Atle; Alnæs, Dag; Doan, Nhat Trung; Malt, Ulrik F; Groote, Inge R; Westlye, Lars T

    2017-08-01

    Sleep is an evolutionarily conserved process required for human health and functioning. Insufficient sleep causes impairments across cognitive domains, and sleep deprivation can have rapid antidepressive effects in mood disorders. However, the neurobiological effects of waking and sleep are not well understood. Recently, animal studies indicated that waking and sleep are associated with substantial cortical structural plasticity. Here, we hypothesized that structural plasticity can be observed after a day of waking and sleep deprivation in the human cerebral cortex. To test this hypothesis, 61 healthy adult males underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at three time points: in the morning after a regular night's sleep, the evening of the same day, and the next morning, either after total sleep deprivation (N=41) or a night of sleep (N=20). We found significantly increased right prefrontal cortical thickness from morning to evening across all participants. In addition, pairwise comparisons in the deprived group between the two morning scans showed significant thinning of mainly bilateral medial parietal cortices after 23h of sleep deprivation, including the precuneus and posterior cingulate cortex. However, there were no significant group (sleep vs. sleep deprived group) by time interactions and we can therefore not rule out that other mechanisms than sleep deprivation per se underlie the bilateral medial parietal cortical thinning observed in the deprived group. Nonetheless, these cortices are thought to subserve wakefulness, are among the brain regions with highest metabolic rate during wake, and are considered some of the most sensitive cortical regions to a variety of insults. Furthermore, greater thinning within the left medial parietal cluster was associated with increased sleepiness after sleep deprivation. Together, these findings add to a growing body of data showing rapid structural plasticity within the human cerebral cortex detectable with

  13. Fundamental structure of steady plastic shock waves in metals

    OpenAIRE

    Molinari, A.; Ravichandran, G.

    2004-01-01

    The propagation of steady plane shock waves in metallic materials is considered. Following the constitutive framework adopted by R. J. Clifton [Shock Waves and the Mechanical Properties of Solids, edited by J. J. Burke and V. Weiss (Syracuse University Press, Syracuse, N.Y., 1971), p. 73] for analyzing elastic–plastic transient waves, an analytical solution of the steady state propagation of plastic shocks is proposed. The problem is formulated in a Lagrangian setting appropriate for large de...

  14. Low among-provenance differences in structural and functional plasticity in response to nutrients in saplings of the circum-Mediterranean tree Arbutus unedo L.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santiso, Xabier; Retuerto, Rubén

    2015-10-01

    The Mediterranean region is an area of special interest for conservation where the incidence of multiple drivers of global change is expected to increase. One of the factors predicted to change is soil-nutrient availability, an essential factor for plant growth. Thus, study of the effects of variation in this parameter is especially relevant in species with a circum-Mediterranean distribution, such as Arbutus unedo L., in which the different provenances grow in different habitats, which must differ in nutritional conditions. We aimed to determine the effect of provenance on plasticity, to establish whether structural and morphological traits differ in the level of plasticity and to assess how nutrients affect the photosynthetic light response. In a common garden experiment, we studied seven provenances from the circum-Mediterranean range of A. unedo and established two nutrient treatments (low and high nutrient availability). We measured physiological and structural traits in 1-year-old sapling and determined a phenotypic plasticity index (PPI) to quantify the level of plasticity, whereas the radiation effects were tested by construction and analysis of light response curves. Interestingly, provenance did not explain a significant amount of variance, but the plasticity was four times higher for the structural traits than for the physiological traits. Therefore, the plasticity to nutrient availability will not favour or prevent the expansion or contraction of the range of any of these provenances of A. unedo. Furthermore, the structural plasticity demonstrated the ability of the strawberry tree to optimize resource allocation, whereas the physiology remained stable, thus avoiding extra expenditure. The study findings also suggest that increased availability of nutrients would improve the performance of the species during the Mediterranean summer, characterized by high irradiance. These abilities will be key to the survival of saplings of the species under the future

  15. GREEN PLASTIC: A NEW PLASTIC FOR PACKAGING

    OpenAIRE

    Mr. Pankaj Kumar*, Sonia

    2016-01-01

    This paper gives a brief idea about a new type of plastic called as bio-plastic or green plastic. Plastic is used as a packaging material for various products, but this plastic is made up of non renewable raw materials. There are various disadvantages of using conventional plastic like littering, CO2 production, non-degradable in nature etc. To overcome these problems a new type of plastic is discovered called bio-plastic or green plastic. Bio-plastic is made from renewable resources and also...

  16. Fielding a Division Staff in the Modern Day

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-06-10

    Team CGSC Command and General Staff College CSA Chief of Staff of the Army DART Domestic All-Hazards Response Team EOD Explosive Ordnance Disposal...located at Fort Leavenworth. Conclusion This paper reviewed the current purpose, size, training, and structure of division staffs in the active duty...Response Team ( DART ), both supported by the National Guard division headquarters. Coordinated with the Department of Defense and Department of State

  17. Elastic-plastic analysis using an efficient formulation of the finite element method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aamodt, B.; Mo, O.

    1975-01-01

    Based on the flow theory of plasticity, the von Mises or the Tresca yield criterion and the isotropic hardening law, an incremental stiffness relationship can be established for a finite element model of the elasto-plastic structure. However, instead of including all degrees of freedom and all finite elements of the total model in a nonlinear solution process, a separation of elastic and plastic parts of the structure can be carried out. Such a separation can be obtained by identifying elastic parts of the structure as 'elastic' superelements and elasto-plastic parts of the structure as 'elasto-plastic' superelements. Also, it may be of advantage to use several levels of superelements in modelling the elastic parts of the structure. For the 'elasto-plastic' superelements the specific plastic computations such as updating of the incremental stiffness matrix and subsequent reduction (i.e. static condensation of all degrees of freedom being local to the superelements) have to be carried out repeatedly during the nonlinear solution process. The solution of the nonlinear equations is performed utilizing a combination of load incrementation and equilibrium interations. The present method of analysis is demonstrated for two larger examples of elasto-plastic analysis. (Auth.)

  18. A review of plastic waste biodegradation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Ying; Yanful, Ernest K; Bassi, Amarjeet S

    2005-01-01

    With more and more plastics being employed in human lives and increasing pressure being placed on capacities available for plastic waste disposal, the need for biodegradable plastics and biodegradation of plastic wastes has assumed increasing importance in the last few years. This review looks at the technological advancement made in the development of more easily biodegradable plastics and the biodegradation of conventional plastics by microorganisms. Additives, such as pro-oxidants and starch, are applied in synthetic materials to modify and make plastics biodegradable. Recent research has shown that thermoplastics derived from polyolefins, traditionally considered resistant to biodegradation in ambient environment, are biodegraded following photo-degradation and chemical degradation. Thermoset plastics, such as aliphatic polyester and polyester polyurethane, are easily attacked by microorganisms directly because of the potential hydrolytic cleavage of ester or urethane bonds in their structures. Some microorganisms have been isolated to utilize polyurethane as a sole source of carbon and nitrogen source. Aliphatic-aromatic copolyesters have active commercial applications because of their good mechanical properties and biodegradability. Reviewing published and ongoing studies on plastic biodegradation, this paper attempts to make conclusions on potentially viable methods to reduce impacts of plastic waste on the environment.

  19. Plasticity in the Human Visual Cortex: An Ophthalmology-Based Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosa, Andreia Martins; Silva, Maria Fátima; Murta, Joaquim

    2013-01-01

    Neuroplasticity refers to the ability of the brain to reorganize the function and structure of its connections in response to changes in the environment. Adult human visual cortex shows several manifestations of plasticity, such as perceptual learning and adaptation, working under the top-down influence of attention. Plasticity results from the interplay of several mechanisms, including the GABAergic system, epigenetic factors, mitochondrial activity, and structural remodeling of synaptic connectivity. There is also a downside of plasticity, that is, maladaptive plasticity, in which there are behavioral losses resulting from plasticity changes in the human brain. Understanding plasticity mechanisms could have major implications in the diagnosis and treatment of ocular diseases, such as retinal disorders, cataract and refractive surgery, amblyopia, and in the evaluation of surgical materials and techniques. Furthermore, eliciting plasticity could open new perspectives in the development of strategies that trigger plasticity for better medical and surgical outcomes. PMID:24205505

  20. Plasticity in the Human Visual Cortex: An Ophthalmology-Based Perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andreia Martins Rosa

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Neuroplasticity refers to the ability of the brain to reorganize the function and structure of its connections in response to changes in the environment. Adult human visual cortex shows several manifestations of plasticity, such as perceptual learning and adaptation, working under the top-down influence of attention. Plasticity results from the interplay of several mechanisms, including the GABAergic system, epigenetic factors, mitochondrial activity, and structural remodeling of synaptic connectivity. There is also a downside of plasticity, that is, maladaptive plasticity, in which there are behavioral losses resulting from plasticity changes in the human brain. Understanding plasticity mechanisms could have major implications in the diagnosis and treatment of ocular diseases, such as retinal disorders, cataract and refractive surgery, amblyopia, and in the evaluation of surgical materials and techniques. Furthermore, eliciting plasticity could open new perspectives in the development of strategies that trigger plasticity for better medical and surgical outcomes.

  1. Spatial and seasonal variation in diversity and structure of microbial biofilms on marine plastics in Northern European waters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oberbeckmann, Sonja; Loeder, Martin G J; Gerdts, Gunnar; Osborn, A Mark

    2014-11-01

    Plastic pollution is now recognised as a major threat to marine environments and marine biota. Recent research highlights that diverse microbial species are found to colonise plastic surfaces (the plastisphere) within marine waters. Here, we investigate how the structure and diversity of marine plastisphere microbial community vary with respect to season, location and plastic substrate type. We performed a 6-week exposure experiment with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles in the North Sea (UK) as well as sea surface sampling of plastic polymers in Northern European waters. Scanning electron microscopy revealed diverse plastisphere communities comprising prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and sequencing analysis revealed that plastisphere microbial communities on PET fragments varied both with season and location and comprised of bacteria belonging to Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria and members of the eukaryotes Bacillariophyceae and Phaeophyceae. Polymers sampled from the sea surface mainly comprised polyethylene, polystyrene and polypropylene particles. Variation within plastisphere communities on different polymer types was observed, but communities were primarily dominated by Cyanobacteria. This research reveals that the composition of plastisphere microbial communities in marine waters varies with season, geographical location and plastic substrate type. © 2014 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Cell-Division Behavior in a Heterogeneous Swarm Environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erskine, Adam; Herrmann, J Michael

    2015-01-01

    We present a system of virtual particles that interact using simple kinetic rules. It is known that heterogeneous mixtures of particles can produce particularly interesting behaviors. Here we present a two-species three-dimensional swarm in which a behavior emerges that resembles cell division. We show that the dividing behavior exists across a narrow but finite band of parameters and for a wide range of population sizes. When executed in a two-dimensional environment the swarm's characteristics and dynamism manifest differently. In further experiments we show that repeated divisions can occur if the system is extended by a biased equilibrium process to control the split of populations. We propose that this repeated division behavior provides a simple model for cell-division mechanisms and is of interest for the formation of morphological structure and to swarm robotics.

  3. The CEASEMT system (Calculation and Analysis of Structures in Mechanics and Thermics). Program TRICO. Analysis of tridimensionnal structures made of shells and beams. Statics - Dynamics - Elasticity - Plasticity - Collapse - Large displacements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoffmann, Alain; Jeanpierre, Francoise.

    1976-01-01

    The TRICO subroutine of the CEASEMT system is especially intended for elastic or plastic computation of structures made of thin shells and beams. TRICO involves the finite element method for shells and beams, and is also suitable for a dynamic structural analysis: eigenmode and eigenfrequency analysis, and analysis of the response to various sinusoidal excitations, or time dependent elastic and plastic loading. Structures may have various shapes composed of a number of materials. Data are distributed between different optional commands having a precise physical sense, corresponding to a sequential program. A dynamic memory control provides the adaptation of the size of the program to that of the problem to be solved [fr

  4. Plastic crystal phases of simple water models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aragones, J. L.; Vega, C.

    2009-01-01

    We report the appearance of two plastic crystal phases of water at high pressure and temperature using computer simulations. In one of them the oxygen atoms form a body centered cubic structure (bcc) and in the other they form a face centered cubic structure (fcc). In both cases the water molecules were able to rotate almost freely. We have found that the bcc plastic crystal transformed into a fcc plastic crystal via a Martensitic phase transition when heated at constant pressure. We have performed the characterization and localization in the phase diagram of these plastic crystal phases for the SPC/E, TIP4P, and TIP4P/2005 water potential models. For TIP4P/2005 model free energy calculations were carried out for the bcc plastic crystal and fcc plastic crystal using a new method (which is a slight variation of the Einstein crystal method) proposed for these types of solid. The initial coexistence points for the SPC/E and TIP4P models were obtained using Hamiltonian Gibbs–Duhem integration. For all of these models these two plastic crystal phases appear in the high pressure and temperature region of the phase diagram. It would be of interest to study if such plastic crystal phases do indeed exist for real water. This would shed some light on the question of whether these models can describe satisfactorily the high pressure part of the phase diagram of water, and if not, where and why they fail.

  5. An experimental study of plastic deformation of materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Knudsen, Tine

    The thesis falls in three parts, focusing on different aspects of plastic deformation of metals. Part I investigates the dislocation structures induced by hot deformation and compares these with the structures after cold deformation. In particular, it is shown that the dislocation structures...... after cold deformation by calorimetry and by analysis of the dislocation structure. The stored energy measured by calorimetry is found to be larger than that determined from the dislocation structure by a factor between 1.9 and 2.7, and this factor decreases with the plastic strain. Part III aimed...

  6. Intensely irradiated steel components: Plastic and fracture properties, and a new concept of structural design criteria for assuring the structural integrity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, Kazuhiko; Jitsukawa, Shiro; Okubo, Nariaki; Takada, Fumiki

    2010-01-01

    In order to develop a systematic and reasonable concept assuring the structural integrity of components under intense neutron irradiation, two basic tensile properties, true stress-true strain (TS-TS) curves and fracture strain, were investigated on an austenitic stainless steel and martensitic steel. Application of Swift equation is confirmed to a large plastic strain range of TS-TS curves. Fracture strain ε f data were well correlated as ε f + ε 0 = const. where ε 0 is the pre-strain representing the irradiation hardening. Based on those formulations and available experimental information, several critical issues to be dealt with in developing the concept were identified possible reduction in ductility, significant change in mechanical properties, remarkable cyclic softening and other unique cyclic properties observed during a high-cycle fatigue testing, and the redundancy of the plastic collapse concept to bending. Existing structural codes are all based on the assumption that there will be no significant changes in mechanical properties during operation, and of high ductility. Therefore, a new concept for assuring structural integrity is required for application not only to components with high ductility but also components with reduced ductility. First, potential failure modes were identified, and a new and systematic concept was proposed for preventing these modes of failure, introducing a new concept of categorizing the loadings by stability of deformation process to fracture (as type F and M loadings). Based on the basic concept, a detailed concept of how to protect against ductile fracture was given, and loading type-dependent limiting parameters were set. Finally, application of the detailed concept was presented, especially on determination of loading type (in numerical approach, the formulation of TS-TS curves and fracture strain derived above are needed), and on how to determine the limiting parameters as allowable limits. Experiments were done to

  7. Intensely irradiated steel components: Plastic and fracture properties, and a new concept of structural design criteria for assuring the structural integrity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Suzuki, Kazuhiko, E-mail: suzuki.kazuhiko@jaea.go.j [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Nuclear Science and Engineering Directorate, 2-4 Shirane, Shirakata, Tokai-mura, Naka-gun, Ibaraki-ken 319-1195 (Japan); Jitsukawa, Shiro; Okubo, Nariaki [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Nuclear Science and Engineering Directorate, 2-4 Shirane, Shirakata, Tokai-mura, Naka-gun, Ibaraki-ken 319-1195 (Japan); Takada, Fumiki [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Department of JMTR Operation, Narita-cho, Oarai-machi, Higashi-ibaraki-gun, Ibaraki-ken 311-1393 (Japan)

    2010-06-15

    In order to develop a systematic and reasonable concept assuring the structural integrity of components under intense neutron irradiation, two basic tensile properties, true stress-true strain (TS-TS) curves and fracture strain, were investigated on an austenitic stainless steel and martensitic steel. Application of Swift equation is confirmed to a large plastic strain range of TS-TS curves. Fracture strain epsilon{sub f} data were well correlated as epsilon{sub f} + epsilon{sub 0} = const. where epsilon{sub 0} is the pre-strain representing the irradiation hardening. Based on those formulations and available experimental information, several critical issues to be dealt with in developing the concept were identified possible reduction in ductility, significant change in mechanical properties, remarkable cyclic softening and other unique cyclic properties observed during a high-cycle fatigue testing, and the redundancy of the plastic collapse concept to bending. Existing structural codes are all based on the assumption that there will be no significant changes in mechanical properties during operation, and of high ductility. Therefore, a new concept for assuring structural integrity is required for application not only to components with high ductility but also components with reduced ductility. First, potential failure modes were identified, and a new and systematic concept was proposed for preventing these modes of failure, introducing a new concept of categorizing the loadings by stability of deformation process to fracture (as type F and M loadings). Based on the basic concept, a detailed concept of how to protect against ductile fracture was given, and loading type-dependent limiting parameters were set. Finally, application of the detailed concept was presented, especially on determination of loading type (in numerical approach, the formulation of TS-TS curves and fracture strain derived above are needed), and on how to determine the limiting parameters as

  8. Melt rheology and its applications in the plastics industry

    CERN Document Server

    Dealy, John M

    2013-01-01

    This is the second edition of Melt Rheology and its Role in Plastics Processing, although the title has changed to reflect its broadened scope. Advances in the recent years in rheometer technology and polymer science have greatly enhanced the usefulness of rheology in the plastics industry. It is now possible to design polymers having specific molecular structures and to predict the flow properties of melts having those structures. In addition, rheological properties now provide more precise information about molecular structure. This book provides all the information that is needed for the intelligent application of rheology in the development of new polymers, the determination of molecular structure and the correlation of processability with laboratory test data. Theory and equations are limited to what is essential for the use of rheology in the characterization of polymers, the development of new plastics materials and the prediction of plastics processing behavior. The emphasis is on information that wil...

  9. The extrinsic influence of carbon fibre reinforced plastic laminates to ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    The extrinsic influence of carbon fibre reinforced plastic laminates to strengthen steel structures ... The intrinsic advantages of strengthening the steel-based structures by the use of fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) material have ... Sadhana | News.

  10. Plasticity of pressure-sensitive materials

    CERN Document Server

    Ochsner, Andreas

    2014-01-01

    Classical plasticity theory of metals is independent of the hydrostatic pressure. However, if the metal contains voids or pores or if the structure is composed of cells, this classical assumption is no more valid and the influence of the hydrostatic pressure must be incorporated in the constitutive description. Looking at the microlevel, metal plasticity is connected with the uniform planes of atoms organized with long-range order. Planes may slip past each other along their close-packed directions. The result is a permanent change of shape within the crystal and plastic deformation. The presence of dislocations increases the likelihood of planes slipping. Nowadays, the theory of pressure sensitive plasticity is successfully applied to many other important classes of materials (polymers, concrete, bones etc.) even if the phenomena on the micro-level are different to classical plasticity of metals. The theoretical background of this phenomenological approach based on observations on the macro-level is describe...

  11. Progress report 1979 July 01 to September 30, Health Sciences Division

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1979-12-01

    In September 1979, the Biology and Health Physics Division and the Medical Division were amalgamated to form the Health Sciences Division. This is the first progress report of the new division. A new TLD reader for semi-automatic handling of individual TLD chips has been commissioned. As high range radiation detectors for spent fuel monitoring, optical photo-diodes show performance similar to that of silicon rectifiers. Studies continue on the use of water-permeable plastic membranes in tritium monitoring, particularly where it is important to distinguish between 3 H in elemental form and combined as water. The first of a series of radionuclide injection experiments was made in the sand aquifer near Perch Lake. These experiments are to develop methods for studying radionuclide transport in fractured rock. Investigations of soil and groundwater in the vicinity of waste management areas have shown that tritium is the only radionuclide present in significant quantities. Radiation damage to DNA and subsequent repair is being studied by observing both somatic and genetic effcts. Rare hereditary human diseases that present clinical or laboratory features indicative of defects in the DNA repair mechanism are being studied. Work on various metabolic models that describe retention and distribution of radionuclides in humans has continued with emphasis on tritium as HT, carbon as CO2, and compounds of the alkaline earth and actinide elements. Committed effective dose equivalent conversion factors for infants and adults have been calculated for 380 classes of compounds of radionuclide and intake routes, for 65 elements. (OT)

  12. Three-legged platform in a plastic limit state

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lagoni, P

    1990-06-01

    This document provides structural description, formulars and a sample analysis of a platform supported by three piles and subject to loads that causes plastic deformation of the foundation (plastic limit state analysis). (au)

  13. Repeated social stress leads to contrasting patterns of structural plasticity in the amygdala and hippocampus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, D; Anilkumar, S; Chattarji, S; Buwalda, B

    2018-03-23

    Previous studies have demonstrated that repeated immobilization and restraint stress cause contrasting patterns of dendritic reorganization as well as alterations in spine density in amygdalar and hippocampal neurons. Whether social and ethologically relevant stressors can induce similar patterns of morphological plasticity remains largely unexplored. Hence, we assessed the effects of repeated social defeat stress on neuronal morphology in basolateral amygdala (BLA), hippocampal CA1 and infralimbic medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Male Wistar rats experienced social defeat stress on 5 consecutive days during confrontation in the resident-intruder paradigm with larger and aggressive Wild-type Groningen rats. This resulted in clear social avoidance behavior one day after the last confrontation. To assess the morphological consequences of repeated social defeat, 2 weeks after the last defeat, animals were sacrificed and brains were stained using a Golgi-Cox procedure. Morphometric analyses revealed that, compared to controls, defeated Wistar rats showed apical dendritic decrease in spine density on CA1 but not BLA. Sholl analysis demonstrated a significant dendritic atrophy of CA1 basal dendrites in defeated animals. In contrast, basal dendrites of BLA pyramidal neurons exhibited enhanced dendritic arborization in defeated animals. Social stress failed to induce lasting structural changes in mPFC neurons. Our findings demonstrate for the first time that social defeat stress elicits divergent patterns of structural plasticity in the hippocampus versus amygdala, similar to what has previously been reported with repeated physical stressors. Therefore, brain region specific variations may be a universal feature of stress-induced plasticity that is shared by both physical and social stressors. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Structural plasticity of the social brain: Differential change after socio-affective and cognitive mental training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valk, Sofie L; Bernhardt, Boris C; Trautwein, Fynn-Mathis; Böckler, Anne; Kanske, Philipp; Guizard, Nicolas; Collins, D Louis; Singer, Tania

    2017-10-01

    Although neuroscientific research has revealed experience-dependent brain changes across the life span in sensory, motor, and cognitive domains, plasticity relating to social capacities remains largely unknown. To investigate whether the targeted mental training of different cognitive and social skills can induce specific changes in brain morphology, we collected longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data throughout a 9-month mental training intervention from a large sample of adults between 20 and 55 years of age. By means of various daily mental exercises and weekly instructed group sessions, training protocols specifically addressed three functional domains: (i) mindfulness-based attention and interoception, (ii) socio-affective skills (compassion, dealing with difficult emotions, and prosocial motivation), and (iii) socio-cognitive skills (cognitive perspective-taking on self and others and metacognition). MRI-based cortical thickness analyses, contrasting the different training modules against each other, indicated spatially diverging changes in cortical morphology. Training of present-moment focused attention mostly led to increases in cortical thickness in prefrontal regions, socio-affective training induced plasticity in frontoinsular regions, and socio-cognitive training included change in inferior frontal and lateral temporal cortices. Module-specific structural brain changes correlated with training-induced behavioral improvements in the same individuals in domain-specific measures of attention, compassion, and cognitive perspective-taking, respectively, and overlapped with task-relevant functional networks. Our longitudinal findings indicate structural plasticity in well-known socio-affective and socio-cognitive brain networks in healthy adults based on targeted short daily mental practices. These findings could promote the development of evidence-based mental training interventions in clinical, educational, and corporate settings aimed at

  15. Peptidoglycan architecture can specify division planes in Staphylococcus aureus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turner, Robert D; Ratcliffe, Emma C; Wheeler, Richard; Golestanian, Ramin; Hobbs, Jamie K; Foster, Simon J

    2010-06-15

    Division in Staphylococci occurs equatorially and on specific sequentially orthogonal planes in three dimensions, resulting, after incomplete cell separation, in the 'bunch of grapes' cluster organization that defines the genus. The shape of Staphylococci is principally maintained by peptidoglycan. In this study, we use Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and fluorescence microscopy with vancomycin labelling to examine purified peptidoglycan architecture and its dynamics in Staphylococcus aureus and correlate these with the cell cycle. At the presumptive septum, cells were found to form a large belt of peptidoglycan in the division plane before the centripetal formation of the septal disc; this often had a 'piecrust' texture. After division, the structures remain as orthogonal ribs, encoding the location of past division planes in the cell wall. We propose that this epigenetic information is used to enable S. aureus to divide in sequentially orthogonal planes, explaining how a spherical organism can maintain division plane localization with fidelity over many generations.

  16. Current research in Radiation Biology and Biochemistry Division

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tarachand, U.; Singh, B.B.

    1995-01-01

    The Radiation Biology and Biochemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay has been engaged in research in the frontier areas of (i) radiation biology related to tumour therapy and injury caused by free radicals; (ii) molecular basis of diseases of physiological origin; (iii) molecular aspects of chemical carcinogenesis and (iv) structure of genome and genome related functions. The gist of research and development activities carried out in the Division during the last two years are documented

  17. Current research in Radiation Biology and Biochemistry Division

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tarachand, U; Singh, B B [eds.; Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay (India). Radiation Biology and Biochemistry Div.

    1996-12-31

    The Radiation Biology and Biochemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay has been engaged in research in the frontier areas of (i) radiation biology related to tumour therapy and injury caused by free radicals; (ii) molecular basis of diseases of physiological origin; (iii) molecular aspects of chemical carcinogenesis and (iv) structure of genome and genome related functions. The gist of research and development activities carried out in the Division during the last two years are documented.

  18. Chlamydia trachomatis protein CT009 is a structural and functional homolog to the key morphogenesis component RodZ and interacts with division septal plane localized MreB.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kemege, Kyle E; Hickey, John M; Barta, Michael L; Wickstrum, Jason; Balwalli, Namita; Lovell, Scott; Battaile, Kevin P; Hefty, P Scott

    2015-02-01

    Cell division in Chlamydiae is poorly understood as apparent homologs to most conserved bacterial cell division proteins are lacking and presence of elongation (rod shape) associated proteins indicate non-canonical mechanisms may be employed. The rod-shape determining protein MreB has been proposed as playing a unique role in chlamydial cell division. In other organisms, MreB is part of an elongation complex that requires RodZ for proper function. A recent study reported that the protein encoded by ORF CT009 interacts with MreB despite low sequence similarity to RodZ. The studies herein expand on those observations through protein structure, mutagenesis and cellular localization analyses. Structural analysis indicated that CT009 shares high level of structural similarity to RodZ, revealing the conserved orientation of two residues critical for MreB interaction. Substitutions eliminated MreB protein interaction and partial complementation provided by CT009 in RodZ deficient Escherichia coli. Cellular localization analysis of CT009 showed uniform membrane staining in Chlamydia. This was in contrast to the localization of MreB, which was restricted to predicted septal planes. MreB localization to septal planes provides direct experimental observation for the role of MreB in cell division and supports the hypothesis that it serves as a functional replacement for FtsZ in Chlamydia. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Chlamydia trachomatis protein CT009 is a structural and functional homolog to the key morphogenesis component RodZ and interacts with division septal plane localized MreB

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kemege, Kyle E.; Hickey, John M.; Barta, Michael L.; Wickstrum, Jason; Balwalli, Namita; Lovell, Scott; Battaile, Kevin P.; Hefty, P. Scott

    2015-01-01

    Summary Cell division in Chlamydiae is poorly understood as apparent homologs to most conserved bacterial cell division proteins are lacking and presence of elongation (rod shape) associated proteins indicate non-canonical mechanisms may be employed. The rod-shape determining protein MreB has been proposed as playing a unique role in chlamydial cell division. In other organisms, MreB is part of an elongation complex that requires RodZ for proper function. A recent study reported that the protein encoded by ORF CT009 interacts with MreB despite low sequence similarity to RodZ. The studies herein expand on those observations through protein structure, mutagenesis, and cellular localization analyses. Structural analysis indicated that CT009 shares high level of structural similarity to RodZ, revealing the conserved orientation of two residues critical for MreB interaction. Substitutions eliminated MreB protein interaction and partial complementation provided by CT009 in RodZ deficient E. coli. Cellular localization analysis of CT009 showed uniform membrane staining in Chlamydia. This was in contrast to the localization of MreB, which was restricted to predicted septal planes. MreB localization to septal planes provides direct experimental observation for the role of MreB in cell division and supports the hypothesis that it serves as a functional replacement for FtsZ in Chlamydia. PMID:25382739

  20. Elasto-plastic analysis using an efficient formulation of the finite element method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aamodt, B.; Mo, O.

    1975-01-01

    Based on the flow theory of plasticity, the von Mises or the Tresca yield criterion and the isotropic hardening law, an incremental stiffness relationship can be established for a finite element model of the elasto-plastic structure. However, instead of including all degrees of freedom and all finite elements of the total model in a nonlinear solution process, a separation of elastic and plastic parts of the structure can be carried out. Such a separation can be obtained by identifying elastic parts of the structure as 'elastic' superelements and elasto-plastic parts of the structure as 'elasto-plastic' superelements. Also, it may be of advantage to use several levels of superelements in modelling the elastic parts of the structure. The solution of the nonlinear equations is performed utilizing a combination of load incrementation and equilibrium iterations. In this connection, a comparative numerical study of the Newton-Raphson iteration scheme, the initial stress method, and modified Newton-Raphson iteration schemes is presented. The present method of analysis is demonstrated for two larger examples of elasto-plastic analysis. Firstly, an elasto-plastic analysis of a plate with a central hole and subjected to tensile forces is carried out. The results are compared with experimental values. Secondly, a three dimensional analysis of a thick plate with a central through-crack subjected to tensile forces is considered. The variation through the plate thickness of the size of the plastic zones at the crack tip is studied. The numerical examples show that the present method is a powerful and efficient tool in elasto-plastic analysis

  1. Polymerization and Structure of Bio-Based Plastics: A Computer Simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khot, Shrikant N.; Wool, Richard P.

    2001-03-01

    We recently examined several hundred chemical pathways to convert chemically functionalized plant oil triglycerides, monoglycerides and reactive diluents into high performance plastics with a broad range of properties (US Patent No. 6,121,398). The resulting polymers had linear, branched, light- and highly-crosslinked chain architectures and could be used as pressure sensitive adhesives, elastomers and high performance rigid thermoset composite resins. To optimize the molecular design and minimize the number of chemical trials in this system with excess degrees of freedom, we developed a computer simulation of the free radical polymerization process. The triglyceride structure, degree of chemical substitution, mole fractions, fatty acid distribution function, and reaction kinetic parameters were used as initial inputs on a 3d lattice simulation. The evolution of the network fractal structure was computed and used to measure crosslink density, dangling ends, degree of reaction and defects in the lattice. The molecular connectivity was used to determine strength via a vector percolation model of fracture. The simulation permitted the optimal design of new bio-based materials with respect to monomer selection, cure reaction conditions and desired properties. Supported by the National Science Foundation

  2. Nuclear Power Division

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1981-01-01

    The 1981-85 research program planned by the Nuclear Power Division of EPRI places major emphasis on the assurance of safety and realiability of light water reactors (LWRs). Of high priority is a better knowledge of LWR-system behavior undeer abnormal conditions and the behavior of structural materials used for pressure vessels, piping, and large nuclear-plant components. Strong emphasis is also placed on achieving the most-effective performance and utilization of nuclear fuels and improving the corrosion resistance of pressurized-water-reactor steam generators. Efforts are underway to reduce radiation exposure and outage duration and to investigate the human factors involved in plant operation and maintenance. Substantial emphasis is placed on short-range goals designed to achieve useful results in the next two to seven years. The Division's mid- and long-range goal is to improve the use of fissionable and fertile materials and aid in the realization of other reactor systems. A series of general goals, categorized into three time frames and planned expenditures shows the trend of work to be undertaken. 53 figures

  3. Plasticity Detection and Quantification in Monopile Support Structures Due to Axial Impact Loading

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meijers P.C.

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Recent developments in the construction of offshore wind turbines have created the need for a method to detect whether a monopile foundation is plastically deformed during the installation procedure. Since measurements at the pile head are difficult to perform, a method based on measurements at a certain distance below the pile head is proposed in this work for quantification of the amount of plasticity. By considering a onedimensional rod model with an elastic-perfectly plastic constitutive relation, it is shown that the occurrence of plastic deformation caused by an impact load can be detected from these measurements. Furthermore, this plastic deformation can be quantified by the same measurement with the help of an energy balance. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated via a numerical example.

  4. Plastic Deformation of Pressured Metallic Glass

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yun Cheng

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Although pressured metallic glass (MG has been reported in the literature; there are few studies focusing on pressure effects on the structure; dynamics and its plastic deformation. In this paper; we report on and characterize; via molecular dynamics simulation, the structure and dynamics heterogeneity of pressured MGs, and explore a causal link between local structures and plastic deformation mechanism of pressured glass. The results exhibit that the dynamical heterogeneity of metallic liquid is more pronounced at high pressure, while the MGs were less fragile after the release of external pressure, reflected by the non-Gaussian parameter (NGP. High pressure glass shows better plastic deformation; and the local strain zone distributed more uniformly than of in normal glass. Further research indicates that although the number of icosahedrons in pressured glass was much larger than that in normal glass, while the interpenetrating connections of icosahedra (ICOI exhibited spatial correlations were rather poor; In addition, the number of ‘fast’ atoms indexed by the atoms’ moving distance is larger than that in normal glass; leading to the sharp decreasing in number of icosahedrons during deformation. An uniform distribution of ‘fast’ atoms also contributed to better plastic deformation ability in the pressured glass. These findings may suggest a link between the deformation and destruction of icosahedra with short-range order.

  5. Solid State Division progress report for period ending March 31, 1997

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Green, P.H.; Hinton, L.W. [eds.

    1997-12-01

    This report covers research progress in the Solid State Division from April 1, 1995, through March 31, 1997. During this period, the division conducted a broad, interdisciplinary materials research program in support of Department of Energy science and technology missions. The report includes brief summaries of research activities in condensed matter theory, neutron scattering, synthesis and characterization of materials, ion beam and laser processing, and the structure of solids and surfaces. An addendum includes listings of division publications and professional activities.

  6. Biology Division. Progress report, August 1, 1982-September 30, 1983

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1984-01-01

    The Biology Division is the component of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory that investigates the potential adverse health effects of energy-related substances. The body of this report provides summaries of the aims, scope and progress of the research of groups of investigators in the Division during the period of August 1, 1982, through September 30, 1983. At the end of each summary is a list of publications covering the same period (published or accepted for publication). For convenience, the summaries are assembled under Sections in accordance with the current organizational structure of the Biology Division; each Section begins with an overview. It will be apparent, however, that currents run throughout the Division and that the various programs support and interact with each other

  7. Biology Division. Progress report, August 1, 1982-September 30, 1983

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1984-01-01

    The Biology Division is the component of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory that investigates the potential adverse health effects of energy-related substances. The body of this report provides summaries of the aims, scope and progress of the research of groups of investigators in the Division during the period of August 1, 1982, through September 30, 1983. At the end of each summary is a list of publications covering the same period (published or accepted for publication). For convenience, the summaries are assembled under Sections in accordance with the current organizational structure of the Biology Division; each Section begins with an overview. It will be apparent, however, that currents run throughout the Division and that the various programs support and interact with each other.

  8. Plasticity characteristic obtained by indentation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Milman, Yu V

    2008-01-01

    A dimensionless parameter δ H = ε p /ε t (where ε p and ε t are the average values of plastic and total deformation of material on the contact area indenter-specimen) may be used as the plasticity characteristic of materials, which made it possible to characterize the plasticity of materials that are brittle in standard mechanical tests. δ H may be calculated from the values of microhardness HM, Young's modulus E and Poisson's ratio ν. In instrumented indentation the plasticity characteristic δ A = A p /A t (A p and A t are the work of plastic and total deformation during indentation) may be calculated. δ A ∼ δ H for materials with δ H > 0.5, i.e. for all metals and the majority of ceramic materials. In this case, the theoretical equation δ A ∼ δ H = 1-10.2 · (1 - ν - 2ν 2 )(HM/E) is satisfied in experiments with the Berkovich indenter. The influence of the temperature and structural parameters (dislocation density and grain size including nanostructured materials) on δ H is discussed

  9. Influence of Severe Plastic Deformation on Mechanical Properties and Structure of Aluminium Alloys

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ondřej Hilšer

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Article is devoted to analysis of ECAP (Equal Channel Angular Pressing method, which uses a high degree of deformation to achieve a very fine-grained structure of formed material. Utilization of The ECAP technology enables attainment of required properties of selected materials by using of severe plastic deformation (SPD methods. In the experimental part the influence of the number of passes through forming tool with classical geometry (angle of 90° between channels was studied to achieve maximum hardening (expressed by deformation resistance and achieved value of hardness HV10. Also the metallographic analysis (detection of achieved grain refinement was carried out. From comparison of results achieved at both alloys it can be stated that for given forming by ECAP method the EN AW-8006 alloy is preferable, because higher strength degree was obtained by achieving of very fine grained structure. When using the same method of forming by ECAP method the EN AW-2024 alloy has lower hardening and structure refinement.

  10. The plastic brain: neoliberalism and the neuronal self.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pitts-Taylor, Victoria

    2010-11-01

    Neuroscience-based representations and practices of the brain aimed at lay populations present the brain in ways that both affirm biological determinism and also celebrate plasticity, or the brain's ability to change structure and function. Popular uses of neuroscientific theories of brain plasticity are saturated with a neoliberal vision of the subject. Against more optimistic readings of plasticity, I view the popular deployment of plasticity through the framework of governmentality. I describe how popular brain discourse on plasticity opens up the brain to personal techniques of enhancement and risk avoidance, and how it promotes a neuronal self. I situate brain plasticity in a context of biomedical neoliberalism, where the engineering and modification of biological life is positioned as essential to selfhood and citizenship.

  11. Severe plastic deformation effect on structure and mechanical properties of Al-Mg-Li system alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kolobov, Yu.R.; Najdenkin, E.V.; Dudarev, E.F.; Bakach, G.P.; Pochivalov, Yu.I.; Girsova, N.V.; Ivanov, M.B.

    2002-01-01

    The study on the structural-phase states and mechanical properties of the industrial aluminium alloys Al - 5.5% Mg - 2.2% Li - 0.12% Zr, percent by weight and Al - 5% Mg - 2.2% Li -0.12% Zr - 0.2% Sc percent by weight, obtained by the impact of the intensive plastic deformation, is carried out in comparison with the initial polycrystalline state. It is established that the homogeneous ultrafine-grained structure with the second phase particles, located primarily by the grain boundaries, is formed in the studied samples by the above-mentioned treatment. Such a character of the structure leads to the shift of the temperature-velocity interval of the superplastic properties to the area of lower temperatures and higher deformation velocities [ru

  12. The use of standardized patients in the plastic surgery residency curriculum: teaching core competencies with objective structured clinical examinations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Drew; Lee, Gordon

    2011-07-01

    As of 2006, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education had defined six "core competencies" of residency education: interpersonal communication skills, medical knowledge, patient care, professionalism, practice-based learning and improvement, and systems-based practice. Objective structured clinical examinations using standardized patients are becoming effective educational tools, and the authors developed a novel use of the examinations in plastic surgery residency education that assesses all six competencies. Six plastic surgery residents, two each from postgraduate years 4, 5, and 6, participated in the plastic surgery-specific objective structured clinical examination that focused on melanoma. The examination included a 30-minute videotaped encounter with a standardized patient actor and a postencounter written exercise. The residents were scored on their performance in all six core competencies by the standardized patients and faculty experts on a three-point scale (1 = novice, 2 = moderately skilled, and 3 = proficient). Resident performance was averaged for each postgraduate year, stratified according to core competency, and scored from a total of 100 percent. Residents overall scored well in interpersonal communications skills (84 percent), patient care (83 percent), professionalism (86 percent), and practice-based learning (84 percent). Scores in medical knowledge showed a positive correlation with level of training (86 percent). All residents scored comparatively lower in systems-based practice (65 percent). The residents reported unanimously that the objective structured clinical examination was realistic and educational. The objective structured clinical examination provided comprehensive and meaningful feedback and identified areas of strengths and weakness for the residents and for the teaching program. The examination is an effective assessment tool for the core competencies and a valuable adjunct to residency training.

  13. Control of the proportion of inner cells by asymmetric divisions and the ensuing resilience of cloned rabbit embryos

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duranthon, Véronique

    2018-01-01

    ABSTRACT Mammalian embryo cloning by nuclear transfer has a low success rate. This is hypothesized to correlate with a high variability of early developmental steps that segregate outer cells, which are fated to extra-embryonic tissues, from inner cells, which give rise to the embryo proper. Exploring the cell lineage of wild-type embryos and clones, imaged in toto until hatching, highlights the respective contributions of cell proliferation, death and asymmetric divisions to phenotypic variability. Preferential cell death of inner cells in clones, probably pertaining to the epigenetic plasticity of the transferred nucleus, is identified as a major difference with effects on the proportion of inner cell. In wild type and clones, similar patterns of outer cell asymmetric divisions are shown to be essential to the robust proportion of inner cells observed in wild type. Asymmetric inner cell division, which is not described in mice, is identified as a regulator of the proportion of inner cells and likely gives rise to resilient clones. PMID:29567671

  14. 3. Theoretical Physics Division

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    For the period September 1980 - Aug 1981, the studies in theoretical physics divisions have been compiled under the following headings: in nuclear physics, nuclear structure, nuclear reactions and intermediate energies; in particle physics, NN and NantiN interactions, dual topological unitarization, quark model and quantum chromodynamics, classical and quantum field theories, non linear integrable equations and topological preons and Grand unified theories. A list of publications, lectures and meetings is included [fr

  15. Environmental Sciences Division annual progress report for period ending September 30, 1992

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-04-01

    This progress report summarizes the research and development activities conducted in the Environmental Sciences Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory during fiscal year (FY) 1992, which which extended from October 1, 1991, through September 30, 1992. This report is structured to provide descriptions of current activities and accomplishments in each of the division's major organizational units. Section activities are described in the Earth and Atmospheric sciences, ecosystem studies, Environmental analysis, environmental biotechnology, and division operations

  16. Plasticity between Epithelial and Mesenchymal States Unlinks EMT from Metastasis-Enhancing Stem Cell Capacity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Evelyne Beerling

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Forced overexpression and/or downregulation of proteins regulating epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT has been reported to alter metastasis by changing migration and stem cell capacity of tumor cells. However, these manipulations artificially keep cells in fixed states, while in vivo cells may adapt transient and reversible states. Here, we have tested the existence and role of epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity in metastasis of mammary tumors without artificially modifying EMT regulators. In these tumors, we found by intravital microscopy that the motile tumor cells have undergone EMT, while their epithelial counterparts were not migratory. Moreover, we found that epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity renders any EMT-induced stemness differences, as reported previously, irrelevant for metastatic outgrowth, because mesenchymal cells that arrive at secondary sites convert to the epithelial state within one or two divisions, thereby obtaining the same stem cell potential as their arrived epithelial counterparts. We conclude that epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity supports migration but additionally eliminates stemness-enhanced metastatic outgrowth differences.

  17. A developmentally plastic adult mouse kidney cell line spontaneously generates multiple adult kidney structures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Webb, Carol F., E-mail: carol-webb@omrf.org [Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK (United States); Immunobiology and Cancer Research, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK (United States); Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK (United States); Ratliff, Michelle L., E-mail: michelle-ratliff@omrf.org [Immunobiology and Cancer Research, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK (United States); Powell, Rebecca, E-mail: rebeccapowell@gmail.com [Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK (United States); Wirsig-Wiechmann, Celeste R., E-mail: celeste-wirsig@ouhsc.edu [Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK (United States); Lakiza, Olga, E-mail: olga-lakiza@ouhsc.edu [Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK (United States); Obara, Tomoko, E-mail: tomoko-obara@ouhsc.edu [Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK (United States)

    2015-08-07

    Despite exciting new possibilities for regenerative therapy posed by the ability to induce pluripotent stem cells, recapitulation of three-dimensional kidneys for repair or replacement has not been possible. ARID3a-deficient mouse tissues generated multipotent, developmentally plastic cells. Therefore, we assessed the adult mouse ARID3a−/− kidney cell line, KKPS5, which expresses renal progenitor surface markers as an alternative cell source for modeling kidney development. Remarkably, these cells spontaneously developed into multicellular nephron-like structures in vitro, and engrafted into immunocompromised medaka mesonephros, where they formed mouse nephron structures. These data implicate KKPS5 cells as a new model system for studying kidney development. - Highlights: • An ARID3a-deficient mouse kidney cell line expresses multiple progenitor markers. • This cell line spontaneously forms multiple nephron-like structures in vitro. • This cell line formed mouse kidney structures in immunocompromised medaka fish kidneys. • Our data identify a novel model system for studying kidney development.

  18. Structural plasticity in Mycobacterium tuberculosis uracil-DNA glycosylase (MtUng) and its functional implications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arif, S M; Geethanandan, K; Mishra, P; Surolia, A; Varshney, U; Vijayan, M

    2015-07-01

    17 independent crystal structures of family I uracil-DNA glycosylase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MtUng) and its complexes with uracil and its derivatives, distributed among five distinct crystal forms, have been determined. Thermodynamic parameters of binding in the complexes have been measured using isothermal titration calorimetry. The two-domain protein exhibits open and closed conformations, suggesting that the closure of the domain on DNA binding involves conformational selection. Segmental mobility in the enzyme molecule is confined to a 32-residue stretch which plays a major role in DNA binding. Uracil and its derivatives can bind to the protein in two possible orientations. Only one of them is possible when there is a bulky substituent at the 5' position. The crystal structures of the complexes provide a reasonable rationale for the observed thermodynamic parameters. In addition to providing fresh insights into the structure, plasticity and interactions of the protein molecule, the results of the present investigation provide a platform for structure-based inhibitor design.

  19. A developmentally plastic adult mouse kidney cell line spontaneously generates multiple adult kidney structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Webb, Carol F.; Ratliff, Michelle L.; Powell, Rebecca; Wirsig-Wiechmann, Celeste R.; Lakiza, Olga; Obara, Tomoko

    2015-01-01

    Despite exciting new possibilities for regenerative therapy posed by the ability to induce pluripotent stem cells, recapitulation of three-dimensional kidneys for repair or replacement has not been possible. ARID3a-deficient mouse tissues generated multipotent, developmentally plastic cells. Therefore, we assessed the adult mouse ARID3a−/− kidney cell line, KKPS5, which expresses renal progenitor surface markers as an alternative cell source for modeling kidney development. Remarkably, these cells spontaneously developed into multicellular nephron-like structures in vitro, and engrafted into immunocompromised medaka mesonephros, where they formed mouse nephron structures. These data implicate KKPS5 cells as a new model system for studying kidney development. - Highlights: • An ARID3a-deficient mouse kidney cell line expresses multiple progenitor markers. • This cell line spontaneously forms multiple nephron-like structures in vitro. • This cell line formed mouse kidney structures in immunocompromised medaka fish kidneys. • Our data identify a novel model system for studying kidney development

  20. Computer simulation of model cohesive powders: Plastic consolidation, structural changes and elasticity under isotropic loads

    OpenAIRE

    Gilabert, Francisco; Roux, Jean-Noël; Castellanos, Antonio

    2008-01-01

    International audience; The quasistatic behavior of a simple 2D model of a cohesive powder under isotropic loads is investigated by Discrete Element simulations. The loose packing states, as studied in a previous paper, undergo important structural changes under growing confining pressure P, while solid fraction \\Phi irreversibly increases by large amounts. The system state goes through three stages, with different forms of the plastic consolidation curve \\Phi(P*), under growing reduced press...

  1. Crystal structures reveal metal-binding plasticity at the metallo-β-lactamase active site of PqqB from Pseudomonas putida

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tu, Xiongying; Latham, John A.; Klema, Valerie J.; Evans III, Robert L.; Li, Chao; Klinman, Judith P.; Wilmot, Carrie M. (UMM); (UCB)

    2017-08-19

    PqqB is an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of pyrroloquinoline quinone and a distal member of the metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) superfamily. PqqB lacks two residues in the conserved signature motif HxHxDH that makes up the key metal-chelating elements that can bind up to two metal ions at the active site of MBLs and other members of its superfamily. Here, we report crystal structures of PqqB bound to Mn2+, Mg2+, Cu2+, and Zn2+. These structures demonstrate that PqqB can still bind metal ions at the canonical MBL active site. The fact that PqqB can adapt its side chains to chelate a wide spectrum of metal ions with different coordination features on a uniform main chain scaffold demonstrates its metal-binding plasticity. This plasticity may provide insights into the structural basis of promiscuous activities found in ensembles of metal complexes within this superfamily. Furthermore, PqqB belongs to a small subclass of MBLs that contain an additional CxCxxC motif that binds a structural Zn2+. Our data support a key role for this motif in dimerization.

  2. Role of synaptic structural plasticity in impairments of spatial learning and memory induced by developmental lead exposure in Wistar rats.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yongmei Xiao

    Full Text Available Lead (Pb is found to impair cognitive function. Synaptic structural plasticity is considered to be the physiological basis of synaptic functional plasticity and has been recently found to play important roles in learning and memory. To study the effect of Pb on spatial learning and memory at different developmental stages, and its relationship with alterations of synaptic structural plasticity, postnatal rats were randomly divided into three groups: Control; Pre-weaning Pb (Parents were exposed to 2 mM PbCl2 3 weeks before mating until weaning of pups; Post-weaning Pb (Weaned pups were exposed to 2 mM PbCl2 for 9 weeks. The spatial learning and memory of rats was measured by Morris water maze (MWM on PND 85-90. Rat pups in Pre-weaning Pb and Post-weaning Pb groups performed significantly worse than those in Control group (p<0.05. However, there was no significant difference in the performance of MWM between the two Pb-exposure groups. Before MWM (PND 84, the number of neurons and synapses significantly decreased in Pre-weaning Pb group, but not in Post-weaning Pb group. After MWM (PND 91, the number of synapses in Pre-weaning Pb group increased significantly, but it was still less than that of Control group (p<0.05; the number of synapses in Post-weaning Pb group was also less than that of Control group (p<0.05, although the number of synapses has no differences between Post-weaning Pb and Control groups before MWM. In both Pre-weaning Pb and Post-weaning Pb groups, synaptic structural parameters such as thickness of postsynaptic density (PSD, length of synaptic active zone and synaptic curvature increased significantly while width of synaptic cleft decreased significantly compared to Control group (p<0.05. Our data demonstrated that both early and late developmental Pb exposure impaired spatial learning and memory as well as synaptic structural plasticity in Wistar rats.

  3. Biennial activity report of Metallurgy Division for 1989 and 1990

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kamachi Mudali, U.; Muraleedharan, P.; Parameswaran, P.; Swaminathan, K.; Sreedharan, O.M.

    1993-01-01

    This is the first divisional biennial report of the Metallurgy Division of Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, for the year 1989-1990, after formation of the Metallurgy Division in September 1988. Major areas of work in the Division relate to aqueous corrosion and localised corrosion, stress corrosion cracking and liquid metal corrosion, high temperature oxidation, thermodynamic studies, physical metallurgy studies for structure-property correlations and failure analyses. The principal materials of studies have been the austenitic stainless steels, the current materials of construction in the Fast Breeder Test Reactor and the candidate materials for the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor

  4. Division of solid state physics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beckman, O.

    1983-09-01

    This report gives a survey of the present research projects at the division of solid state physics, Inst. of Technology, Uppsala University. The projects fall within the fields of magnetism, i.e. spin glasses, ordered magnetic structures and itinerant electron magnetism, and optics, i.e. properties of crystalline and amorphous materials for selective transmission and absorption in connection with energy-related research. (author)

  5. Plastic waste associated with disease on coral reefs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamb, Joleah B; Willis, Bette L; Fiorenza, Evan A; Couch, Courtney S; Howard, Robert; Rader, Douglas N; True, James D; Kelly, Lisa A; Ahmad, Awaludinnoer; Jompa, Jamaluddin; Harvell, C Drew

    2018-01-26

    Plastic waste can promote microbial colonization by pathogens implicated in outbreaks of disease in the ocean. We assessed the influence of plastic waste on disease risk in 124,000 reef-building corals from 159 reefs in the Asia-Pacific region. The likelihood of disease increases from 4% to 89% when corals are in contact with plastic. Structurally complex corals are eight times more likely to be affected by plastic, suggesting that microhabitats for reef-associated organisms and valuable fisheries will be disproportionately affected. Plastic levels on coral reefs correspond to estimates of terrestrial mismanaged plastic waste entering the ocean. We estimate that 11.1 billion plastic items are entangled on coral reefs across the Asia-Pacific and project this number to increase 40% by 2025. Plastic waste management is critical for reducing diseases that threaten ecosystem health and human livelihoods. Copyright © 2018, The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

  6. [Survey of plasticizers in polyvinyl chloride toys].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abe, Yutaka; Yamaguchi, Miku; Mutsuga, Motoh; Hirahara, Yoshichika; Kawamura, Yoko

    2012-01-01

    Plasticizers in 101 samples of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) toys on the Japanese market were surveyed. No phthalates were detected in designated toys, though bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, diisononyl phthalate, diisobutyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, diisodecyl phthalate and benzyl butyl phthalate were detected in more than half of other toys. 2,2,4-Tributyl-1,3-pentanediol diisobutylate, o-acetyl tributyl citrate, adipates and diacetyl lauroyl glycerol, which are alternative plasticizers to phthalates, were detected. The results of structural analysis confirmed the presence of di(2-ethylhexyl)terephthalate, tributyl citrate, diisononyl 1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylate and neopentyl glycol esters; these have not previonsly been reported in Japan. There appears to be a shift in plasticizers used for designated toys from phthalates to new plasticizers, and the number of different plasticizers is increasing.

  7. Biology Division progress report, October 1, 1984-September 30, 1985

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1986-01-01

    The body of this report provides summaries of the aims, scope and progress of the research by groups of investigators in the Division during the period of October 1, 1984, through September 30, 1985. At the end of each summary is a list of publications covering the same period. For convenience, the summaries are assembled under Sections in accordance with the current organizational structure of the Biology Division; each Section begins with an overview. It will be apparent, however, tha crosscurrents run throughout the Division and that the various programs support and interact with each other. In addition, this report includes information on the Division's educational activities, Advisory Committee, seminar program, and international interactions, as well as extramural activities of staff members, abstracts for technical meetings, and funding and personnel levels.

  8. Biology Division progress report, October 1, 1984-September 30, 1985

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1986-01-01

    The body of this report provides summaries of the aims, scope and progress of the research by groups of investigators in the Division during the period of October 1, 1984, through September 30, 1985. At the end of each summary is a list of publications covering the same period. For convenience, the summaries are assembled under Sections in accordance with the current organizational structure of the Biology Division; each Section begins with an overview. It will be apparent, however, tha crosscurrents run throughout the Division and that the various programs support and interact with each other. In addition, this report includes information on the Division's educational activities, Advisory Committee, seminar program, and international interactions, as well as extramural activities of staff members, abstracts for technical meetings, and funding and personnel levels

  9. Hippocampal structural plasticity accompanies the resulting contextual fear memory following stress and fear conditioning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giachero, Marcelo; Calfa, Gaston D; Molina, Victor A

    2013-10-15

    The present research investigated the resulting contextual fear memory and structural plasticity changes in the dorsal hippocampus (DH) following stress and fear conditioning. This combination enhanced fear retention and increased the number of total and mature dendritic spines in DH. Intra-basolateral amygdala (BLA) infusion of midazolam prior to stress prevented both the enhancement of fear retention and an increase in the density of total and mature dendritic spines in DH. These findings emphasize the role of the stress-induced attenuation of GABAergic neurotransmission in BLA in the promoting influence of stress on fear memory and on synaptic remodeling in DH. In conclusion, the structural remodeling in DH accompanied the facilitated fear memory following a combination of fear conditioning and stressful stimulation.

  10. Parameter Identification of Piecewise Linear Plasticity Metal Models Used in Numerical Modeling of Structures Under Plastic Deformation and Failure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. V. Shmeliov

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The article describes the models of metallic materials used in the calculation of deformation and destruction of engineering structures. The reliability of material models can adequately assess the strength characteristics of the designs of new technology in its designing and certification.The article deals with contingencies and true mechanical properties of materials and presents equations of their relationship. It notes that in the software systems mechanical characteristics of materials are given in the true sense.The paper considers the linear and exponential models of materials, their characteristics, and methods to implement them. It considers the models of Johnson-Cook Steinberg-Guinan, Zerilli-Armstrong, Cowper-Symonds, Gurson-Tvergaard that take into account the strain rate and temperature of the material. Describes their applications, advantages and disadvantages. Considers single- and multi-parameter criteria of materials fracture, the prospects for their use. Gives a rational justification for using a piecewise linear plasticity material model *MAT_PIECEWISE_LINEAR_PLASTICITY (024, LS-DYNA software package for the engineering industry, and presents its main parameters.A technique to identify parameters of piecewise linear plasticity metal material models has been developed. The technique consists of the stages, based on the equations of transition from the conventional stress and strain values to the true ones. Taking into consideration the stressstrain state in the neck of the sample is a distinctive feature of the technique.Tensile tests of the round material samples have been conducted. To test the developed technique in the software package ANSYS LS-DYNA PC have been made tensile sample modeling and results comparison to show high convergence.Further improvement of the technique can be achieved through the development of a statistical approach to the analysis of the results of a series of tests. This will allow a kind of

  11. Environmental Sciences Division annual progress report for period ending September 30, 1992

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Van Hook, R. I.; Hildebrand, S. G.; Gehrs, C. W.; Sharples, F. E.; Shriner, D. S.; Stow, S. H.; Cushman, J. H.; Kanciruk, P.

    1993-04-01

    This progress report summarizes the research and development activities conducted in the Environmental Sciences Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory during fiscal year (FY) 1992, which which extended from October 1, 1991, through September 30, 1992. This report is structured to provide descriptions of current activities and accomplishments in each of the division's major organizational units. Section activities are described in the Earth and Atmospheric sciences, ecosystem studies, Environmental analysis, environmental biotechnology, and division operations.

  12. Percutaneous tenotomy: development of a novel, percutaneous, ultrasound-guided needle-cutting technique for division of tendons and other connective tissue structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hopkins, James; Sampson, Matthew

    2014-01-01

    A variety of surgical procedures derive therapeutic benefit from the division of retinacular, ligamentous or tendinous structures. Examples include carpal tunnel release for median nerve impingement, annular pulley release for trigger finger and tendon division for spastic muscular contractures. Here, using an animal cadaveric model, we describe the first steps in determining the feasibility of a novel, percutaneous, ultrasound-guided needle-cutting technique to achieve the same ends. The technique we describe involves the creation of an effective needle tenotomy device via a simple modification to an 18G coaxial, beveled needle. The technique holds promise for the development of a minimally invasive alternative approach that utilises readily available technology and equipment with minimisation of morbidity and cost associated with open procedures.

  13. Computational Fair Division

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Branzei, Simina

    Fair division is a fundamental problem in economic theory and one of the oldest questions faced through the history of human society. The high level scenario is that of several participants having to divide a collection of resources such that everyone is satisfied with their allocation -- e.g. two...... heirs dividing a car, house, and piece of land inherited. The literature on fair division was developed in the 20th century in mathematics and economics, but computational work on fair division is still sparse. This thesis can be seen as an excursion in computational fair division divided in two parts....... The first part tackles the cake cutting problem, where the cake is a metaphor for a heterogeneous divisible resource such as land, time, mineral deposits, and computer memory. We study the equilibria of classical protocols and design an algorithmic framework for reasoning about their game theoretic...

  14. Religious Support in the Division XXI Heavy Brigade

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Keller, Eric

    2001-01-01

    Force XXI technology changes the war-fighting doctrine of the US Army. The new digital technology combined with changes in the design of the force structure created a new mechanized infantry or armor division...

  15. Smart film actuators using biomass plastic

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoneyama, Satoshi; Tanaka, Nobuo

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents a novel smart film actuator based on the use of a biomass plastic as a piezoelectric film. Conventional polymeric smart sensors and actuators have been based upon synthetic piezoelectric polymer films such as PVDF. Almost all synthetic polymers are made from nearly depleted oil resources. In addition combustion of their materials releases carbon dioxide, thereby contributing to global warming. Thus at least two important sustainability principles are violated when employing synthetic polymers: avoiding depletable resources and avoiding ecosystem destruction. To overcome such problems, industrial plastic products made from synthetic polymers were developed to replace oil-based plastics with biomass plastics. This paper applies a biomass plastic with piezoelectricity such as poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA). As a result, PLLA film becomes a distributed parameter actuator per se, hence an environmentally conscious smart film actuator is developed. Firstly, this paper overviews the fundamental properties of piezoelectric synthetic polymers and biopolymers. The concept of carbon neutrality using biopolymers is mentioned. Then a two-dimensional modal actuator for exciting a specific structural mode is proposed. Furthermore, a biomass plastic-based cantilever beam with the capability of modal actuation is developed, the validity of the proposed smart film actuator based upon a biomass plastic being analytically as well as experimentally verified

  16. On infinitely divisible semimartingales

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Basse-O'Connor, Andreas; Rosiński, Jan

    2015-01-01

    to non Gaussian infinitely divisible processes. First we show that the class of infinitely divisible semimartingales is so large that the natural analog of Stricker's theorem fails to hold. Then, as the main result, we prove that an infinitely divisible semimartingale relative to the filtration generated...... by a random measure admits a unique decomposition into an independent increment process and an infinitely divisible process of finite variation. Consequently, the natural analog of Stricker's theorem holds for all strictly representable processes (as defined in this paper). Since Gaussian processes...... are strictly representable due to Hida's multiplicity theorem, the classical Stricker's theorem follows from our result. Another consequence is that the question when an infinitely divisible process is a semimartingale can often be reduced to a path property, when a certain associated infinitely divisible...

  17. Effect of anolyte on growth and division of Chinese hamster cancerous cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    saeed Mohammadzadeh

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: At present, cancer can be controlled by chemotherapy, but unfortunately, this method has strong side effects and scientist try to reduce them using different substances. 2 kinds of activated water called anolyte and catholyte have electrochemical property and antibacterial and oxidative properties respectively. The aim of this research is to study the effect of anolyte on growth and division of cancerous cells. Materials and Methods: In this research, different concentration of anolyte, 1 . 7, 2, 5,8.3 and 10 percent of anolyte and control with 2 and 5 percent of serum physiologic were added on converted cell of Chinese hamster (line b11dii-FAF28 clone 237 in 12 plastic and 15 glass flasks. After adding, converted cell was counted with the help of hoemocytometer and microscope. Data of experiment analyzed and results compared by t test, as well as using Excell software their diagrams were drawn. Results: The results indicated that anolyte had significant effect on cancer cells. In concentration of 1.7% cell division was decreased but in concentration of 8.3 %, division of cancerous cells was blocked and cells were fixed. Conclusion: Considering the low amount of sodium chloride in anolyte, it seems that, this solution (Anolyte hasn’t side effects and advers effect on the cells body.

  18. Nonlinear Progressive Collapse Analysis Including Distributed Plasticity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed Osama Ahmed

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper demonstrates the effect of incorporating distributed plasticity in nonlinear analytical models used to assess the potential for progressive collapse of steel framed regular building structures. Emphasis on this paper is on the deformation response under the notionally removed column, in a typical Alternate Path (AP method. The AP method employed in this paper is based on the provisions of the Unified Facilities Criteria – Design of Buildings to Resist Progressive Collapse, developed and updated by the U.S. Department of Defense [1]. The AP method is often used for to assess the potential for progressive collapse of building structures that fall under Occupancy Category III or IV. A case study steel building is used to examine the effect of incorporating distributed plasticity, where moment frames were used on perimeter as well as the interior of the three dimensional structural system. It is concluded that the use of moment resisting frames within the structural system will enhance resistance to progressive collapse through ductile deformation response and that it is conserative to ignore the effects of distributed plasticity in determining peak displacement response under the notionally removed column.

  19. PKG in honey bees: spatial expression, Amfor gene expression, sucrose responsiveness, and division of labor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thamm, Markus; Scheiner, Ricarda

    2014-06-01

    Division of labor is a hallmark of social insects. In honey bees, division of labor involves transition of female workers from one task to the next. The most distinct tasks are nursing (providing food for the brood) and foraging (collecting pollen and nectar). The brain mechanisms regulating this form of behavioral plasticity have largely remained elusive. Recently, it was suggested that division of labor is based on nutrition-associated signaling pathways. One highly conserved gene associated with food-related behavior across species is the foraging gene, which encodes a cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-dependent protein kinase (PKG). Our analysis of this gene reveals the presence of alternative splicing in the honey bee. One isoform is expressed in the brain. Expression of this isoform is most pronounced in the mushroom bodies, the subesophageal ganglion, and the corpora allata. Division of labor and sucrose responsiveness in honey bees correlate significantly with foraging gene expression in distinct brain regions. Activating PKG selectively increases sucrose responsiveness in nurse bees to the level of foragers, whereas the same treatment does not affect responsiveness to light. These findings demonstrate a direct link between PKG signaling in distinct brain areas and division of labor. Furthermore, they demonstrate that the difference in sensory responsiveness between nurse bees and foragers can be compensated for by activating PKG. Our findings on the function of PKG in regulating specific sensory responsiveness and social organization offer valuable indications for the function of the cGMP/PKG pathway in many other insects and vertebrates. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. High affinity antigen recognition of the dual specific variants of herceptin is entropy-driven in spite of structural plasticity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jenny Bostrom

    Full Text Available The antigen-binding site of Herceptin, an anti-human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2 antibody, was engineered to add a second specificity toward Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF to create a high affinity two-in-one antibody bH1. Crystal structures of bH1 in complex with either antigen showed that, in comparison to Herceptin, this antibody exhibited greater conformational variability, also called "structural plasticity". Here, we analyzed the biophysical and thermodynamic properties of the dual specific variants of Herceptin to understand how a single antibody binds two unrelated protein antigens. We showed that while bH1 and the affinity-improved bH1-44, in particular, maintained many properties of Herceptin including binding affinity, kinetics and the use of residues for antigen recognition, they differed in the binding thermodynamics. The interactions of bH1 and its variants with both antigens were characterized by large favorable entropy changes whereas the Herceptin/HER2 interaction involved a large favorable enthalpy change. By dissecting the total entropy change and the energy barrier for dual interaction, we determined that the significant structural plasticity of the bH1 antibodies demanded by the dual specificity did not translate into the expected increase of entropic penalty relative to Herceptin. Clearly, dual antigen recognition of the Herceptin variants involves divergent antibody conformations of nearly equivalent energetic states. Hence, increasing the structural plasticity of an antigen-binding site without increasing the entropic cost may play a role for antibodies to evolve multi-specificity. Our report represents the first comprehensive biophysical analysis of a high affinity dual specific antibody binding two unrelated protein antigens, furthering our understanding of the thermodynamics that drive the vast antigen recognition capacity of the antibody repertoire.

  1. Lipid Cell Biology: A Focus on Lipids in Cell Division.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Storck, Elisabeth M; Özbalci, Cagakan; Eggert, Ulrike S

    2018-06-20

    Cells depend on hugely diverse lipidomes for many functions. The actions and structural integrity of the plasma membrane and most organelles also critically depend on membranes and their lipid components. Despite the biological importance of lipids, our understanding of lipid engagement, especially the roles of lipid hydrophobic alkyl side chains, in key cellular processes is still developing. Emerging research has begun to dissect the importance of lipids in intricate events such as cell division. This review discusses how these structurally diverse biomolecules are spatially and temporally regulated during cell division, with a focus on cytokinesis. We analyze how lipids facilitate changes in cellular morphology during division and how they participate in key signaling events. We identify which cytokinesis proteins are associated with membranes, suggesting lipid interactions. More broadly, we highlight key unaddressed questions in lipid cell biology and techniques, including mass spectrometry, advanced imaging, and chemical biology, which will help us gain insights into the functional roles of lipids.

  2. Elastic-plastic deformation of fiber composites with a tetragonal structure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Makarova, E.IU.; Svistkova, L.A. (Permskii Politekhnicheskii Institut, Perm (USSR))

    1991-02-01

    Results of numerical solutions are presented for elastic-plastic problems concerning arbitrary loading of unidirectional composites in the transverse plane. The nucleation and evolution of microplastic zones in the matrix and the effect of this process on the macroscopic characteristics of the composite are discussed. Attention is also given to the effect of the fiber shape on the elastic-plastic deformation of the matrix and to deformation paths realized in simple microdeformation processes. The discussion is illustrated by results obtained for a composite consisting of a VT1-0 titanium alloy matrix reinforced by Ti-Mo fibers.

  3. Trends and Predictors of National Institutes of Health Funding to Plastic Surgery Residency Programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silvestre, Jason; Abbatematteo, Joseph M; Chang, Benjamin; Serletti, Joseph M

    2017-12-01

    Recent studies have demonstrated low levels of National Institutes of Health funding for surgical research. The authors compared the funding in plastic surgery with the funding for other surgical specialties. A query of National Institutes of Health grants awarded to departments of surgical specialties was performed using the National Institutes of Health RePORTER database (2008 to 2016). Trends in funding were compared by specialty and adjusted for the number of active physicians in each specialty. Plastic surgery residency program characteristics were correlated with funding procurement. Eight hundred eighty-nine faculty at 94 plastic surgery residency programs were queried. Forty-eight investigators (5.4 percent) at 23 programs (24.4 percent) had National Institutes of Health funding. From 2008 to 2016, a total of $84,142,138 was awarded through 81 grants. Funding supported translational (44.6 percent), clinical (26.4 percent), basic science (27.2 percent), and educational (1.7 percent) research. In 2016, plastic surgery received the least amount of National Institutes of Health funding per active physician ($1,530) relative to orthopedic surgery ($3124), obstetrics and gynecology ($3885), urology ($5943), otolaryngology ($9999), general surgery ($11,649), ophthalmology ($11,933), and neurologic surgery ($20,874). Plastic surgery residency program characteristics associated with National Institutes of Health funding were high ranking and had more than 10 clinical faculty (p < 0.05). Plastic surgery receives the least National Institutes of Health funding among the surgical specialties. Departments and divisions of plastic surgery should support investigators applying for research grants to increase future National Institutes of Health funding.

  4. Biennial activity report of Metallurgy Division for 1989 and 1990

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kamachi Mudali, U; Muraleedharan, P; Parameswaran, P; Swaminathan, K; Sreedharan, O M [eds.; Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam (India)

    1994-12-31

    This is the first divisional biennial report of the Metallurgy Division of Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, for the year 1989-1990, after formation of the Metallurgy Division in September 1988. Major areas of work in the Division relate to aqueous corrosion and localised corrosion, stress corrosion cracking and liquid metal corrosion, high temperature oxidation, thermodynamic studies, physical metallurgy studies for structure-property correlations and failure analyses. The principal materials of studies have been the austenitic stainless steels, the current materials of construction in the Fast Breeder Test Reactor and the candidate materials for the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor 7 figs., 6 tabs., 2 ills.

  5. Texture and structure contribution to low-temperature plasticity enhancement of Mg-Al-Zn-Mn Alloy MA2-1hp after ECAP and annealing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serebryany, V. N.; D'yakonov, G. S.; Kopylov, V. I.; Salishchev, G. A.; Dobatkin, S. V.

    2013-05-01

    Equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) in magnesium alloys due to severe plastic shear deformations provides both grain refinement and the slope of the initial basal texture at 40°-50° to the pressing direction. These changes in microstructure and texture contribute to the improvement of low-temperature plasticity of the alloys. Quantitative texture X-ray diffraction analysis and diffraction of backscattered electrons are used to study the main textural and structural factors responsible for enhanced low-temperature plasticity based on the example of magnesium alloy MA2-1hp of the Mg-Al-Zn-Mn system. The possible mechanisms of deformation that lead to this positive effect are discussed.

  6. Annual report of the Division of High Temperature Engineering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1982-10-01

    Research activities conducted in the Division of High Temperature Engineering during fiscal 1981 are described. R and D works of our division are mainly related to a multi-purpose very high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (VHTR) and a fusion reactor. This report deals with the main results obtained on material test, development of computer codes, heat transfer, fluid-dynamics, structural mechanics and the construction of an M + A (Mother and Adapter) section of a HENDEL (Helium Engineering Demonstration Loop) as well. (author)

  7. The CEASEMT system (Computer analysis of the thermomechanical structure behavior). The TRICO code, for analysis of three-dimensional structures comprising shells and beams - Statics - Dynamics - Elasticity - Plasticity - Buckling - Large displacements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1977-01-01

    The TRICO part of the CEA-SEMT system is concerned with the elasticity or plasticity computation of structures made of thin shells and beams. TRICO uses the finite element method for shells and beams. TRICO also allows the dynamic computing of structures: search for eigenmodes and eigenfrequencies or response to any sinusoidal excitation, response to time dependent loads (direct integration) in elasticity or plasticity. The mechanical structures can offer any shape and be composed of a number of materials. A special effort has been put on data input (read without any format), the data being arranged in optional commands with a precise physical sense corresponding to an order for the program. A dynamic control of the memory allows the size of the program to be adapted to that the problem to be processed. Results are printed on listing, or many be described on a magnetic tape [fr

  8. Self-Organization of Microcircuits in Networks of Spiking Neurons with Plastic Synapses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gabriel Koch Ocker

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The synaptic connectivity of cortical networks features an overrepresentation of certain wiring motifs compared to simple random-network models. This structure is shaped, in part, by synaptic plasticity that promotes or suppresses connections between neurons depending on their joint spiking activity. Frequently, theoretical studies focus on how feedforward inputs drive plasticity to create this network structure. We study the complementary scenario of self-organized structure in a recurrent network, with spike timing-dependent plasticity driven by spontaneous dynamics. We develop a self-consistent theory for the evolution of network structure by combining fast spiking covariance with a slow evolution of synaptic weights. Through a finite-size expansion of network dynamics we obtain a low-dimensional set of nonlinear differential equations for the evolution of two-synapse connectivity motifs. With this theory in hand, we explore how the form of the plasticity rule drives the evolution of microcircuits in cortical networks. When potentiation and depression are in approximate balance, synaptic dynamics depend on weighted divergent, convergent, and chain motifs. For additive, Hebbian STDP these motif interactions create instabilities in synaptic dynamics that either promote or suppress the initial network structure. Our work provides a consistent theoretical framework for studying how spiking activity in recurrent networks interacts with synaptic plasticity to determine network structure.

  9. Self-Organization of Microcircuits in Networks of Spiking Neurons with Plastic Synapses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ocker, Gabriel Koch; Litwin-Kumar, Ashok; Doiron, Brent

    2015-08-01

    The synaptic connectivity of cortical networks features an overrepresentation of certain wiring motifs compared to simple random-network models. This structure is shaped, in part, by synaptic plasticity that promotes or suppresses connections between neurons depending on their joint spiking activity. Frequently, theoretical studies focus on how feedforward inputs drive plasticity to create this network structure. We study the complementary scenario of self-organized structure in a recurrent network, with spike timing-dependent plasticity driven by spontaneous dynamics. We develop a self-consistent theory for the evolution of network structure by combining fast spiking covariance with a slow evolution of synaptic weights. Through a finite-size expansion of network dynamics we obtain a low-dimensional set of nonlinear differential equations for the evolution of two-synapse connectivity motifs. With this theory in hand, we explore how the form of the plasticity rule drives the evolution of microcircuits in cortical networks. When potentiation and depression are in approximate balance, synaptic dynamics depend on weighted divergent, convergent, and chain motifs. For additive, Hebbian STDP these motif interactions create instabilities in synaptic dynamics that either promote or suppress the initial network structure. Our work provides a consistent theoretical framework for studying how spiking activity in recurrent networks interacts with synaptic plasticity to determine network structure.

  10. The appearance of plasticity on the blocks surfaces in geological media

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sibiryakov, Boris P., E-mail: sibiryakovbp@ipgg.sbras.ru [Trofimuk Institute of Oil and Gas Geology and Geophysics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia and Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, 630090 (Russian Federation)

    2014-11-14

    In present the elasticity and plasticity are absolutely different models of solids, which are not relate to each other. The experimental observations show, that the plasticity arrives and localizes on the surfaces of structures, which contain solid samples. The transition in special state, where a small part of solid volume is in plastic state, while the main part of volume is in elastic state not be describe by classical continuum Cauchy and Poisson model. This classical model requires two alternative states. Either is elastic state in the all volume or plastic one for all elementary volume too. However, the structured model of space gives us a possibility to describe this complicate state. In this paper shown that the sliding surfaces divided to each other by distances equal to the average sizes of microstructures, in the contrary of classical plasticity, where they have not characteristic distance. The energy of plastic transition is very small, because the main part of volume is elastic body. This description means the smooth transition from elasticity to plasticity in vicinity of sliding surfaces.

  11. Genes involved in cell division in mycoplasmas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frank Alarcón

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Bacterial cell division has been studied mainly in model systems such as Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, where it is described as a complex process with the participation of a group of proteins which assemble into a multiprotein complex called the septal ring. Mycoplasmas are cell wall-less bacteria presenting a reduced genome. Thus, it was important to compare their genomes to analyze putative genes involved in cell division processes. The division and cell wall (dcw cluster, which in E. coli and B. subtilis is composed of 16 and 17 genes, respectively, is represented by only three to four genes in mycoplasmas. Even the most conserved protein, FtsZ, is not present in all mycoplasma genomes analyzed so far. A model for the FtsZ protein from Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Mycoplasma synoviae has been constructed. The conserved residues, essential for GTP/GDP binding, are present in FtsZ from both species. A strong conservation of hydrophobic amino acid patterns is observed, and is probably necessary for the structural stability of the protein when active. M. synoviae FtsZ presents an extended amino acid sequence at the C-terminal portion of the protein, which may participate in interactions with other still unknown proteins crucial for the cell division process.

  12. Division of Finance Homepage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Top Department of Administration logo Alaska Department of Administration Division of Finance Search Search the Division of Finance site DOF State of Alaska Finance Home Content Area Accounting Charge Cards You are here Administration / Finance Division of Finance Updates IRIS Expenditure Object Codes

  13. Structural synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus induced by spatial experience and its implications in information processing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carasatorre, M; Ramírez-Amaya, V; Díaz Cintra, S

    2016-10-01

    Long-lasting memory formation requires that groups of neurons processing new information develop the ability to reproduce the patterns of neural activity acquired by experience. Changes in synaptic efficiency let neurons organise to form ensembles that repeat certain activity patterns again and again. Among other changes in synaptic plasticity, structural modifications tend to be long-lasting which suggests that they underlie long-term memory. There is a large body of evidence supporting that experience promotes changes in the synaptic structure, particularly in the hippocampus. Structural changes to the hippocampus may be functionally implicated in stabilising acquired memories and encoding new information. Copyright © 2012 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  14. Shrink-Induced Superhydrophobic and Antibacterial Surfaces in Consumer Plastics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freschauf, Lauren R.; McLane, Jolie; Sharma, Himanshu; Khine, Michelle

    2012-01-01

    Structurally modified superhydrophobic surfaces have become particularly desirable as stable antibacterial surfaces. Because their self-cleaning and water resistant properties prohibit bacteria growth, structurally modified superhydrophobic surfaces obviate bacterial resistance common with chemical agents, and therefore a robust and stable means to prevent bacteria growth is possible. In this study, we present a rapid fabrication method for creating such superhydrophobic surfaces in consumer hard plastic materials with resulting antibacterial effects. To replace complex fabrication materials and techniques, the initial mold is made with commodity shrink-wrap film and is compatible with large plastic roll-to-roll manufacturing and scale-up techniques. This method involves a purely structural modification free of chemical additives leading to its inherent consistency over time and successive recasting from the same molds. Finally, antibacterial properties are demonstrated in polystyrene (PS), polycarbonate (PC), and polyethylene (PE) by demonstrating the prevention of gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria growth on our structured plastic surfaces. PMID:22916100

  15. THE INFLUENCE OF PRE-HEAT TREATMENT ON WHITE CAST IRONS PLASTICITY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. M. Myronova

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. The development of heat treatment modes of white cast irons for structure changes in their eutectic constituent, namely in disturbing the monolithic structure of ledeburite colonies cementite structure and eutectic net continuity. Also the mentioned heat treatment modes are targeted to the eutectic net shift for the most suitable position from the point of plastic deforming. Methodology. The hypoeutectic white cast irons with 2.92…3.35 % carbon content and additionally alloyed by 3.18 % vanadium have been used as the research materials. The mentioned alloys have been pre-heat treated and hot twist tested. Findings. The research results showed that the carbide net breaking by plastic deforming leads to cast irons mechanical properties increasing but has difficulties in implementation due to the white cast irons low plasticity. The influence of different pre-heat treatment modes on structure and plasticity of white hypoeutectic cast irons have been investigated. They include the isotherm soaking under the different temperatures as well as multiply soakings and thermo-cycling. The influence of eutectic level, as well as pre heat treatment modes on different composition white cast irons hot plasticity have been investigated. Originality. It was determined that the heat treatment, which leads to double α→γ recrystallization under 860 – 950 °С and reperlitization under 720-680 °С results in significant increase of plasticity, as well as in un-alloyed and alloyed by vanadium white cast irons. It takes place due to carbide matrix phase separation in ledeburite colonies by new phase boundaries forming especially due to carbide transformations under vanadium alloying. Practical value. The implementation of pre-heat treatment with phase recrystallization resulted in hypoeutectic white cast irons plasticity increasing. The obtained level of cast iron plasticity corresponds to the one of carbide class steels, which ensures the successful

  16. Cell Division Synchronization

    Science.gov (United States)

    The report summarizes the progress in the design and construction of automatic equipment for synchronizing cell division in culture by periodic...Concurrent experiments in hypothermic synchronization of algal cell division are reported.

  17. Inspecting plastic deformation of Pd by means of fractal geometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eftekhari, Ali

    2007-01-01

    The influence of phase transformation-induced plastic deformation in Pd|H system on the electrode surface was investigated. Since the Pd surface is subject of severe plastic deformation during this process, the structure and roughness of the electrode surface significantly change. Quantitative analysis of the electrode surfaces for comparative study of such changes is a valuable tool to inspect the plastic deformation induced. Fractal dimension can be used as a quantitative measure for this purpose. Since inappropriate methods may lead to significant errors, an appropriate approach was proposed for the determination of fractal dimensions in such systems. It was demonstrated that the surface roughness generated is mainly due to the plastic deformation induced, not the other side processes, as the electrodes were coated with a uniform layer of gold with thickness smaller than 10 nm. Since plastic deformation is due to hydrogen insertion/extraction and occurs in atomic-scale, it is necessary to divide structural changes appeared in nano- and micro-scale

  18. Argonne Physics Division Colloquium

    Science.gov (United States)

    [Argonne Logo] [DOE Logo] Physics Division Home News Division Information Contact PHY Org Chart Physics Division Colloquium Auditorium, Building 203, Argonne National Laboratory Fridays at 11:00 AM 2017 : Sereres Johnston 15 Sep 2017 Joint Physics and Materials Science Colloquium J. C. Séamus Davis, Cornell

  19. Environmental Sciences Division annual progress report for period ending September 30, 1993

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1994-05-01

    This progress report summarizes the research and development activities conducted in the Environmental Sciences Division (ESD) of Oak Ridge National Laboratory during fiscal year (FY) 1993, which extended from October 1, 1992, through September 30, 1993. The report is structured to provide descriptions of current activities and accomplishments in each of the division`s major organizational units. Following the sections describing the organizational units are sections highlighting ESD Scientific, Technical, and Administrative Achievement awards and listing information necessary to convey the scope of the work in the division. An organizational chart of staff and long-term guests who were in ESD and the end of FY 1993 is located in the final section of the report.

  20. Environmental Sciences Division annual progress report for period ending September 30, 1994

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1994-12-31

    This progress report summarizes the research and development activities conducted in the Environmental Sciences Division (ESD) of Oak Ridge National Laboratory during fiscal year (FY) 1994, which extended from October 1, 1993, through September 30, 1994. The report is structured to provide descriptions of current activities and accomplishments in each of the division`s major organizational units. Following the sections describing the organizational units are sections highlighting ESD Scientific, Technical, and Administrative Achievement awards and listing information necessary to covey the scope of the work in the division. An organizational chart of staff and long-term guests who wee in ESD at the end of FY 1994 is located in the final section of the report.

  1. Magical Engineering Plastic

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Gwang Ung

    1988-01-15

    This book introduces engineering plastic about advantage of engineering plastic, plastic material from processing method, plastic shock, plastic until now, background of making of engineering plastic, wonderful engineering plastic science such as a high molecule and molecule, classification of high molecule, difference between metal and high molecule, heat and high molecule materials, and property of surface, engineering plastic of dream like from linseed oil to aramid, small dictionary of engineering plastic.

  2. Magical Engineering Plastic

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Gwang Ung

    1988-01-01

    This book introduces engineering plastic about advantage of engineering plastic, plastic material from processing method, plastic shock, plastic until now, background of making of engineering plastic, wonderful engineering plastic science such as a high molecule and molecule, classification of high molecule, difference between metal and high molecule, heat and high molecule materials, and property of surface, engineering plastic of dream like from linseed oil to aramid, small dictionary of engineering plastic.

  3. Relationship between structural brainstem and brain plasticity and lower-limb training in spinal cord injury: a longitudinal pilot study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael eVilliger

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Rehabilitative training has shown to improve significantly motor outcomes and functional walking capacity in patients with incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI. However, whether performance improvements during rehabilitation relate to brain plasticity or whether it is based on functional adaptation of movement strategies remain uncertain. This study assessed training improvement-induced structural brain plasticity in chronic iSCI patients using longitudinal MRI.We used tensor-based morphometry (TBM to analyze longitudinal brain volume changes associated with intensive virtual reality (VR-augmented lower limb training in nine traumatic iSCI patients. The MRI data was acquired before and after a 4-week training period (16-20 training sessions. Before training, voxel-based morphometry (VBM and voxel-based cortical thickness (VBCT assessed baseline morphometric differences in nine iSCI patients compared to 14 healthy controls. The intense VR-augmented training of limb control improved significantly balance, walking speed, ambulation, and muscle strength in patients. Retention of clinical improvements was confirmed by the 3-4 months follow-up. In patients relative to controls, reductions in VBM of white matter volume within the brainstem and cerebellum and VBCT showed cortical thinning in the primary motor cortex. Over time, TBM revealed significant improvement-induced increases in the left middle temporal and occipital gyrus, left temporal pole and fusiform gyrus, both hippocampi, cerebellum, corpus callosum, and brainstem in iSCI patients. This study demonstrates structural plasticity at the cortical and brainstem level as a consequence of VR-augmented training in iSCI patients. These structural changes may serve as neuroimaging biomarkers of VR-augmented lower limb neurorehabilitation in addition to performance measures to detect improvements in rehabilitative training.

  4. Relationship between structural brainstem and brain plasticity and lower-limb training in spinal cord injury: a longitudinal pilot study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villiger, Michael; Grabher, Patrick; Hepp-Reymond, Marie-Claude; Kiper, Daniel; Curt, Armin; Bolliger, Marc; Hotz-Boendermaker, Sabina; Kollias, Spyros; Eng, Kynan; Freund, Patrick

    2015-01-01

    Rehabilitative training has shown to improve significantly motor outcomes and functional walking capacity in patients with incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI). However, whether performance improvements during rehabilitation relate to brain plasticity or whether it is based on functional adaptation of movement strategies remain uncertain. This study assessed training improvement-induced structural brain plasticity in chronic iSCI patients using longitudinal MRI. We used tensor-based morphometry (TBM) to analyze longitudinal brain volume changes associated with intensive virtual reality (VR)-augmented lower limb training in nine traumatic iSCI patients. The MRI data was acquired before and after a 4-week training period (16–20 training sessions). Before training, voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and voxel-based cortical thickness (VBCT) assessed baseline morphometric differences in nine iSCI patients compared to 14 healthy controls. The intense VR-augmented training of limb control improved significantly balance, walking speed, ambulation, and muscle strength in patients. Retention of clinical improvements was confirmed by the 3–4 months follow-up. In patients relative to controls, VBM revealed reductions of white matter volume within the brainstem and cerebellum and VBCT showed cortical thinning in the primary motor cortex. Over time, TBM revealed significant improvement-induced volume increases in the left middle temporal and occipital gyrus, left temporal pole and fusiform gyrus, both hippocampi, cerebellum, corpus callosum, and brainstem in iSCI patients. This study demonstrates structural plasticity at the cortical and brainstem level as a consequence of VR-augmented training in iSCI patients. These structural changes may serve as neuroimaging biomarkers of VR-augmented lower limb neurorehabilitation in addition to performance measures to detect improvements in rehabilitative training. PMID:25999842

  5. Conceptual design for muon detectors using resistive plastic tubes. Final technical report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Border, P.; Courant, H.; Heller, K.; Jones, A.; Lin, J.; Maxam, D.; Ruddick, K.

    1998-01-01

    Reliable low cost detectors which can be built in quantity require a simple design consisting of as few separate pieces as possible using inexpensive materials. For example, ordinary insulating plastics with good structural strength, such as polyethylene or polystyrene, have about 1/3 the cost of aluminum per unit weight. Since plastic is also about 1/3 the density of aluminum, the material cost for a drift tube would be reduced by an order of magnitude. This substitution of plastic for aluminum alone would save the muon system for the SDC more than $2M. Additional savings of greater magnitude can be expected since an entire drift tube, including a field shaping electrode structure, can be manufactured as a single piece by the technique of co-extrusion. A symmetric design with all walls far from the wire will also eliminate critical tolerances in the relative position of the electrodes with respect to the wire. Furthermore, module assembly and mounting costs will surely be reduced if the muon detectors were light weight and, as far as possible, had the same shape and size. With the 8 cm diameter plastic tube of the design, the electric drift field is nearly uniform as shown. This field is determined by a simple symmetric electrode structure, so that the necessary drift/position relationship can be achieved without precisely controlling the position of the electrode structure with respect to the wire. If the positioning of the electrode structure relative to the wire is not a critical dimension, the structural support for the tube need not be maintained to a high tolerance reducing the cost of the structure. Using a resistive plastic to shape the potential gives a simple electrode structure that will require a minimum number of electronic connections. The basic element of this design is the cylindrical plastic drift tube constructed from co-extruded plastics of different conductivity

  6. A decade of Radiometallurgy Division

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ganguly, C.; Bahl, J.K.

    1988-12-01

    The main thrust of the Research and Development (R and D) activities of the Radiometallurgy Division of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre is on (1) R and D work and production of plutonium bearing nuclear fuels, (2) Post-Irradiation Examination (PIE) of fuels and structural materials, and (3) failure analysis of power reactor components. The main activities and achievements of the Division during the decade beginning from April 1978 are highlighted and the new thrust areas oriented towards installing a series of 235 MWe and 500 MWe PHWR units and prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR) of 500 MWe capacity during the next 15 years are described in brief. The major achievements during last ten years are: (1) development and irradiation testing of mixed uranium plutonium oxide (MOX), as an alternative fuel for boiling water reactors at Tarapur, (2) setting up of a 10 tons/year pilot plant for fabrication of oxide fuels and technical support for setting up such plants, (3) development and production of plutonium rich, advanced mixed uranium plutonium monocarbide driver fuel for the Fast Breeder Test Reactor comm issioned at Kalpakkam, (4) development and fabrication of Al- 233 U plate fuel elements for KAMINI reactor, (5) PIE of fuel elements from Indian reactors in operation, (6) failure analysis of reactor components, and (7) in-pile performance analysis of power reactor structural materials. A list of publications during 1978-88 by the scientists of the Division is given at the end. The publications are listed under the headings: (1) fuels, (2) non-destructive evaluation, (3) engineering development, (4) welding development, (5) characterization and property evaluation, and (6) post irradiation examination. The entire text is illustrated with a number of diagrams and photographs - many of them coloured . (M.G.B.)

  7. Applied Physics Division 1998 Progress Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cecchini, M.; Crescentini, L; Ghezzi, L.; Kent, C.; Bottomei, M.

    2001-01-01

    This report outlines the 1998 research activities carried out by the Applied Physics Division of the Innovation Department of ENEA (Italian Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Environment). The fields addressed and discussed include: optical and electro-optical technologies (chaps. 1 and 2); accelerator technologies (chap. 3); diagnostic systems for science and engineering (chaps. 4 and 5); theory, modelling and computational methods (chaps. 6 and 7). The aim of the Applied Physics Division is to develop technologies and systems that can be directly applied by internal (ENEA) and external users in research (high-resolution spectroscopy, laser-generated soft-x-ray sources), production processes (laser material photoproduction, structural analysis), social, cultural and environmental sciences (laser remote sensing, modelling of ecosystems and population dynamics) and medicine (particle accelerator for radiotherapy). Most of the work in 1998 was performed by the division's laboratories at the Frascati, Casaccia and Bologna Research Centres of ENEA; some was done elsewhere in collaboration with other ENEA units, external laboratories and industries. A good share of the activities was carried out for international projects; in particular, the IV European Union Framework Program

  8. Applied Physics Division 1998 Progress Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cecchini, M.; Crescentini, L; Ghezzi, L.; Kent, C.; Bottomei, M. [ENEA, Centro Ricerche Frascati, Frascati, RM (Italy). Applied physics Division

    1999-07-01

    This report outlines the 1998 research activities carried out by the Applied Physics Division of the Innovation Department of ENEA (Italian Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Environment). The fields addressed and discussed include: optical and electro-optical technologies (chaps. 1 and 2); accelerator technologies (chap. 3); diagnostic systems for science and engineering (chaps. 4 and 5); theory, modelling and computational methods (chaps. 6 and 7). The aim of the Applied Physics Division is to develop technologies and systems that can be directly applied by internal (ENEA) and external users in research (high-resolution spectroscopy, laser-generated soft-x-ray sources), production processes (laser material photoproduction, structural analysis), social, cultural and environmental sciences (laser remote sensing, modelling of ecosystems and population dynamics) and medicine (particle accelerator for radiotherapy). Most of the work in 1998 was performed by the division's laboratories at the Frascati, Casaccia and Bologna Research Centres of ENEA; some was done elsewhere in collaboration with other ENEA units, external laboratories and industries. A good share of the activities was carried out for international projects; in particular, the IV European Union Framework Program.

  9. Creating a Context for Learning: Activating Children’s Whole Number Knowledge Prepares Them to Understand Fraction Division

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pooja Gupta Sidney

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available When children learn about fractions, their prior knowledge of whole numbers often interferes, resulting in a whole number bias. However, many fraction concepts are generalizations of analogous whole number concepts; for example, fraction division and whole number division share a similar conceptual structure. Drawing on past studies of analogical transfer, we hypothesize that children’s whole number division knowledge will support their understanding of fraction division when their relevant prior knowledge is activated immediately before engaging with fraction division. Children in 5th and 6th grade modeled fraction division with physical objects after modeling a series of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems with whole number operands and fraction operands. In one condition, problems were blocked by operation, such that children modeled fraction problems immediately after analogous whole number problems (e.g., fraction division problems followed whole number division problems. In another condition, problems were blocked by number type, such that children modeled all four arithmetic operations with whole numbers in the first block, and then operations with fractions in the second block. Children who solved whole number division problems immediately before fraction division problems were significantly better at modeling the conceptual structure of fraction division than those who solved all of the fraction problems together. Thus, implicit analogies across shared concepts can affect children’s mathematical thinking. Moreover, specific analogies between whole number and fraction concepts can yield a positive, rather than a negative, whole number bias.

  10. Energy Division annual progress report for period ending September 30, 1981

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1982-05-01

    This eighth annual report of the Division covers work done during FY 1981 (October 1, 1980, through September 30, 1981). As with these documents in the past, the format follows approximately the organizational structure of the Energy Division. Chapters 2 through 6 summarize the activities of the sections of the Division: Environmental Impact Section, headed by H.E. Zittel; Regional and Urban Studies Section, R.M. Davis; Economic Analysis Section, R.B. Shelton; Data and Analysis Section, A.S. Loebl; and Efficiency and Renewables Research Section, J.W. Michel. In addition, work on a variety of projects which cut across section lines is reported in Chapter 7, Integrated Programs. These activities are under the supervision of T.J. Wilbanks, Associate Director for the Division. Separate abstracts are included for individual projects.

  11. Energy Division annual progress report for period ending September 30, 1981

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1982-05-01

    This eighth annual report of the Division covers work done during FY 1981 (October 1, 1980, through September 30, 1981). As with these documents in the past, the format follows approximately the organizational structure of the Energy Division. Chapters 2 through 6 summarize the activities of the sections of the Division: Environmental Impact Section, headed by H.E. Zittel; Regional and Urban Studies Section, R.M. Davis; Economic Analysis Section, R.B. Shelton; Data and Analysis Section, A.S. Loebl; and Efficiency and Renewables Research Section, J.W. Michel. In addition, work on a variety of projects which cut across section lines is reported in Chapter 7, Integrated Programs. These activities are under the supervision of T.J. Wilbanks, Associate Director for the Division. Separate abstracts are included for individual projects

  12. International policies to reduce plastic marine pollution from single-use plastics (plastic bags and microbeads): A review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xanthos, Dirk; Walker, Tony R

    2017-05-15

    Marine plastic pollution has been a growing concern for decades. Single-use plastics (plastic bags and microbeads) are a significant source of this pollution. Although research outlining environmental, social, and economic impacts of marine plastic pollution is growing, few studies have examined policy and legislative tools to reduce plastic pollution, particularly single-use plastics (plastic bags and microbeads). This paper reviews current international market-based strategies and policies to reduce plastic bags and microbeads. While policies to reduce microbeads began in 2014, interventions for plastic bags began much earlier in 1991. However, few studies have documented or measured the effectiveness of these reduction strategies. Recommendations to further reduce single-use plastic marine pollution include: (i) research to evaluate effectiveness of bans and levies to ensure policies are having positive impacts on marine environments; and (ii) education and outreach to reduce consumption of plastic bags and microbeads at source. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Biology and Medicine Division annual report, 1981-1982

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1983-04-01

    Separate abstracts were prepared for the 61 research reports in the 1981-1982 annual report for the Biology and Medicine Division of the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. Programs reviewed include research medicine, Donner Pavilion, environmental physiology, radiation biophysics and structural biophysics

  14. A strategy to compute plastic post-buckling of structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Combescure, A.

    1983-01-01

    All the methods presented here give in some cases, some interesting computed solutions. It has been remarked that the different strategies do not always give the same post buckling path. More foundamentally, it has been observed that the post buckling path, when buckling is unstable, is characterized by a dynamic movement. All inertial effects are neglected in all the approaches presented here. So that the post buckling load deflections curve is valid only if there is a very little kinetic energy associated with the post buckling. The method is also, as it is presented, limited to a load depending of a simple parameter lambda. The case of more than one parameter is not very clear yet. In conclusion, the method presented here gives a way to solve class of the post buckling behavior of a structure. If the post buckling occurs with a small kinetic energy (displacement controlled buckling) and if the loads depend of only one parameter. These methods should give good results even into the plastic range. If the buckling is unstable and that a large kinetic energy is involved with the post buckling these methods are not realistic. (orig./RW)

  15. Learning Discloses Abnormal Structural and Functional Plasticity at Hippocampal Synapses in the APP23 Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Middei, Silvia; Roberto, Anna; Berretta, Nicola; Panico, Maria Beatrice; Lista, Simone; Bernardi, Giorgio; Mercuri, Nicola B.; Ammassari-Teule, Martine; Nistico, Robert

    2010-01-01

    B6-Tg/Thy1APP23Sdz (APP23) mutant mice exhibit neurohistological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease but show intact basal hippocampal neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity. Here, we examine whether spatial learning differently modifies the structural and electrophysiological properties of hippocampal synapses in APP23 and wild-type mice. While…

  16. Asymmetries in Cell Division, Cell Size, and Furrowing in the Xenopus laevis Embryo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tassan, Jean-Pierre; Wühr, Martin; Hatte, Guillaume; Kubiak, Jacek

    2017-01-01

    Asymmetric cell divisions produce two daughter cells with distinct fate. During embryogenesis, this mechanism is fundamental to build tissues and organs because it generates cell diversity. In adults, it remains crucial to maintain stem cells. The enthusiasm for asymmetric cell division is not only motivated by the beauty of the mechanism and the fundamental questions it raises, but has also very pragmatic reasons. Indeed, misregulation of asymmetric cell divisions is believed to have dramatic consequences potentially leading to pathogenesis such as cancers. In diverse model organisms, asymmetric cell divisions result in two daughter cells, which differ not only by their fate but also in size. This is the case for the early Xenopus laevis embryo, in which the two first embryonic divisions are perpendicular to each other and generate two pairs of blastomeres, which usually differ in size: one pair of blastomeres is smaller than the other. Small blastomeres will produce embryonic dorsal structures, whereas the larger pair will evolve into ventral structures. Here, we present a speculative model on the origin of the asymmetry of this cell division in the Xenopus embryo. We also discuss the apparently coincident asymmetric distribution of cell fate determinants and cell-size asymmetry of the 4-cell stage embryo. Finally, we discuss the asymmetric furrowing during epithelial cell cytokinesis occurring later during Xenopus laevis embryo development.

  17. Divisible ℤ-modules

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Futa Yuichi

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available In this article, we formalize the definition of divisible ℤ-module and its properties in the Mizar system [3]. We formally prove that any non-trivial divisible ℤ-modules are not finitely-generated.We introduce a divisible ℤ-module, equivalent to a vector space of a torsion-free ℤ-module with a coefficient ring ℚ. ℤ-modules are important for lattice problems, LLL (Lenstra, Lenstra and Lovász base reduction algorithm [15], cryptographic systems with lattices [16] and coding theory [8].

  18. Plastics in the North Atlantic garbage patch: A boat-microbe for hitchhikers and plastic degraders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Debroas, Didier; Mone, Anne; Ter Halle, Alexandra

    2017-12-01

    Plastic is a broad name given to different polymers with high molecular weight that impact wildlife. Their fragmentation leads to a continuum of debris sizes (meso to microplastics) entrapped in gyres and colonized by microorganisms. In the present work, the structure of eukaryotes, bacteria and Archaea was studied by a metabarcoding approach, and statistical analysis associated with network building was used to define a core microbiome at the plastic surface. Most of the bacteria significantly associated with the plastic waste originated from non-marine ecosystems, and numerous species can be considered as hitchhikers, whereas others act as keystone species (e.g., Rhodobacterales, Rhizobiales, Streptomycetales and Cyanobacteria) in the biofilm. The chemical analysis provides evidence for a specific colonization of the polymers. Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria significantly dominated mesoplastics consisting of poly(ethylene terephthalate) and polystyrene. Polyethylene was also dominated by these bacterial classes and Actinobacteria. Microplastics were made of polyethylene but differed in their crystallinity, and the majorities were colonized by Betaproteobacteria. Our study indicated that the bacteria inhabiting plastics harboured distinct metabolisms from those present in the surrounding water. For instance, the metabolic pathway involved in xenobiotic degradation was overrepresented on the plastic surface. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Evidence for training-induced plasticity in multisensory brain structures: an MEG study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Evangelos Paraskevopoulos

    Full Text Available Multisensory learning and resulting neural brain plasticity have recently become a topic of renewed interest in human cognitive neuroscience. Music notation reading is an ideal stimulus to study multisensory learning, as it allows studying the integration of visual, auditory and sensorimotor information processing. The present study aimed at answering whether multisensory learning alters uni-sensory structures, interconnections of uni-sensory structures or specific multisensory areas. In a short-term piano training procedure musically naive subjects were trained to play tone sequences from visually presented patterns in a music notation-like system [Auditory-Visual-Somatosensory group (AVS], while another group received audio-visual training only that involved viewing the patterns and attentively listening to the recordings of the AVS training sessions [Auditory-Visual group (AV]. Training-related changes in cortical networks were assessed by pre- and post-training magnetoencephalographic (MEG recordings of an auditory, a visual and an integrated audio-visual mismatch negativity (MMN. The two groups (AVS and AV were differently affected by the training. The results suggest that multisensory training alters the function of multisensory structures, and not the uni-sensory ones along with their interconnections, and thus provide an answer to an important question presented by cognitive models of multisensory training.

  20. Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein and Dendritic Local Translation of the Alpha Subunit of the Calcium/Calmodulin-Dependent Kinase II Messenger RNA Are Required for the Structural Plasticity Underlying Olfactory Learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daroles, Laura; Gribaudo, Simona; Doulazmi, Mohamed; Scotto-Lomassese, Sophie; Dubacq, Caroline; Mandairon, Nathalie; Greer, Charles August; Didier, Anne; Trembleau, Alain; Caillé, Isabelle

    2016-07-15

    In the adult brain, structural plasticity allowing gain or loss of synapses remodels circuits to support learning. In fragile X syndrome, the absence of fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) leads to defects in plasticity and learning deficits. FMRP is a master regulator of local translation but its implication in learning-induced structural plasticity is unknown. Using an olfactory learning task requiring adult-born olfactory bulb neurons and cell-specific ablation of FMRP, we investigated whether learning shapes adult-born neuron morphology during their synaptic integration and its dependence on FMRP. We used alpha subunit of the calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (αCaMKII) mutant mice with altered dendritic localization of αCaMKII messenger RNA, as well as a reporter of αCaMKII local translation to investigate the role of this FMRP messenger RNA target in learning-dependent structural plasticity. Learning induces profound changes in dendritic architecture and spine morphology of adult-born neurons that are prevented by ablation of FMRP in adult-born neurons and rescued by an metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 antagonist. Moreover, dendritically translated αCaMKII is necessary for learning and associated structural modifications and learning triggers an FMRP-dependent increase of αCaMKII dendritic translation in adult-born neurons. Our results strongly suggest that FMRP mediates structural plasticity of olfactory bulb adult-born neurons to support olfactory learning through αCaMKII local translation. This reveals a new role for FMRP-regulated dendritic local translation in learning-induced structural plasticity. This might be of clinical relevance for the understanding of critical periods disruption in autism spectrum disorder patients, among which fragile X syndrome is the primary monogenic cause. Copyright © 2016 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Spectroscopy Division progress report for Jan 1983 - Dec 1984

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dixit, R.M.

    1985-01-01

    The Research and Development (R and D) activities of the Spectroscopy Division of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay, during the period from January 1983 to December 1984 are reported. The main thrust of the activities of the Division is directed towards meeting the spectrochemical analytical requirements of the nuclear energy programmes and the related R and D projects of the Department of Atomic Energy. These activities are described in the form of summaries grouped under the headings:(1) analyses by optical emission, X-ray fluorescence, X-ray excited optical luminescence and other techniques, (2) atomic, molecular and solid state spectroscopy, (3) optics and thin films, and (4) electronic instrumentation. Two feature articles which are included in the report bring out the salient features of X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXFAS) and laser spectroscopic techniques for trace analysis and describe the Division's efforts in setting up facilities to carry out work in these emerging fields. Other activities of the Division are teaching trainees and guiding research leading to M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees. A list of papers published in journals and papers presented at conferences, symposia etc. by the staff-members of the Division is given. A divisional staff chart is also given. (M.G.B.)

  2. Change in the structure and properties of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic with a polysulfone matrix under the effect of gamma irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arkhipov, A.A.; Korkhov, V.P.; Pudnik, V.V.; Rodin, Yu.P.

    1993-01-01

    This article presents the results of studying the change in the structure and properties of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic with a thermoplastic matrix -- aromatic polysulfone -- as a function of the absorbed dose of gamma radiation. In view of the presence in the polysulfone macromolecules and in carbon fibers of a large number of aromatic rings and double bonds providing high radiation resistance of the composite, irradiation was carried out up to large values of absorbed doses (10 9 rad). Specimens of orthogonally reinforced composite KTMU-1 with a thickness of 1.3 mm made from aromatic polysulfone PSF-150 and carbon ribbon that absorbed various gamma radiation dosages were used. It was found that structural transformations under the effect of gamma radiation did not have a substantial effect on the mechanical properties of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic. 2 refs., 3 figs., 3 tabs

  3. A robust frame element with cyclic plasticity and local joint effects

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tidemann, Lasse; Krenk, Steen

    2018-01-01

    A robust elasto-plastic element is developed for analysis of frame structures. The element consists of a beam member with end joints with properties permitting representation of the effect of section forces in adjoining members, like axial forces. By use of the equilibrium formulation...... is developed, using a mid-step state to obtain representative information about the return path. The element is implemented in a co-rotational large-deformation computer program for frame structures. The formulation is illustrated by application to a couple of typical offshore frame structures, and comparison...... of different representations of the plastic effects illustrates the importance of a robust element with realistic representation of the cyclic plastic mechanisms....

  4. Structural and mechanical behaviour of severe plastically deformed high purity aluminium sheets processed by constrained groove pressing technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Satheesh Kumar, S.S.; Raghu, T.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • High purity aluminium sheets constrained groove pressed up to plastic strain of 5.8. • Microstructural evolution studied by TEM and X-ray diffraction profile analysis. • Ultrafine grained structure with grain size ∼900 nm achieved in sheets. • Yield strength increased by 5.3 times and tensile strength doubled after first pass. • Enhanced deformation homogeneity seen with increased accumulated plastic strain. - Abstract: High purity aluminium sheets (∼99.9%) are subjected to intense plastic straining by constrained groove pressing method successfully up to 5 passes thereby imparting an effective plastic strain of 5.8. Transmission electron microscopy studies of constrained groove pressed sheets divulged significant grain refinement and the average grain sizes obtained after five pass is estimated to be ∼0.9 μm. In addition to that, microstructural evolution of constrained groove pressed sheets is characterized by X-ray diffraction peak profile analysis employing Williamson–Hall method and the results obtained fairly concur with electron microscopy findings. The tensile behaviour evolution with increased straining indicates substantial improvement of yield strength by ∼5.3 times from 17 MPa to 90 MPa during first pass corroborated to grain refinement observed. Marginal increase in strengths is noticed during second pass followed by minor drop in strengths attributed to predominance of dislocation recovery is noticed in subsequent passes. Quantitative assessment of degree of deformation homogeneity using microhardness profiles reveal relatively better strain homogeneity at higher number of passes

  5. Maladaptive synaptic plasticity in L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiang Wang

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The emergence of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID in patients with Parkinson disease (PD could be due to maladaptive plasticity of corticostriatal synapses in response to L-DOPA treatment. A series of recent studies has revealed that LID is associated with marked morphological plasticity of striatal dendritic spines, particularly cell type-specific structural plasticity of medium spiny neurons (MSNs in the striatum. In addition, evidence demonstrating the occurrence of plastic adaptations, including aberrant morphological and functional features, in multiple components of cortico-basal ganglionic circuitry, such as primary motor cortex (M1 and basal ganglia (BG output nuclei. These adaptations have been implicated in the pathophysiology of LID. Here, we briefly review recent studies that have addressed maladaptive plastic changes within the cortico-BG loop in dyskinetic animal models of PD and patients with PD.

  6. The influence of maltodextrins on the structure and properties of compression-molded starch plastic sheets

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Soest, van J.J.G.; Kortleve, P.M.

    1999-01-01

    Starch plastic sheets were prepared by compression molding of starch-based plastic granulates. The granulates were prepared by extrusion processing of mixtures of granular potato starch and several maltodextrins (5% w/w) in the presence of glycerol and water as plasticizers and lecithin as melt flow

  7. Process combinations for the manufacturing of metal-plastic hybrid parts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Drossel, W-G; Lies, C; Albert, A; Haase, R; Müller, R; Scholz, P

    2016-01-01

    The usage of innovative lightweight materials and processing technologies gains importance in manifold industrial scopes. Especially for moving parts and mobility products the weight is decisively. The aerospace and automotive industries use light and high-strength materials to reduce weight and energy consumption and thereby improve the performance of their products. Composites with reinforced plastics are of particular importance. They offer a low density in combination with high specific stiffness and strength. A pure material substitution through reinforced plastics is still not economical. The approach of using hybrid metal-plastic structures with the principle of “using the right material at the right place” is a promising solution for the economical realization of lightweight structures with a high achievement potential. The article shows four innovative manufacturing possibilities for the realization of metal-plastic-hybrid parts. (paper)

  8. Fundamentals of the theory of plasticity

    CERN Document Server

    Kachanov, L M

    2004-01-01

    Intended for use by advanced engineering students and professionals, this volume focuses on plastic deformation of metals at normal temperatures, as applied to strength of machines and structures. 1971 edition.

  9. Modelling of elasto-plastic material behaviour

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Halleux, J.P.

    1981-01-01

    The present report describes time-independent elasto-plastic material behaviour modelling techniques useful for implementation in fast structural dynamics computer programs. Elasto-plastic behaviour is characteristic for metallic materials such as steel and is thus of particular importance in the study of reactor safety-related problems. The classical time-independent elasto-plastic flow theory is recalled and the fundamental incremental stress-strain relationships are established for strain rate independent material behaviour. Some particular expressions useful in practice and including reversed loading are derived and suitable computational schemes are shwon. Modelling of strain rate effects is then taken into account, according to experimental data obtained from uniaxial tension tests. Finally qualitative strain rate history effects are considered. Applications are presented and illustrate both static and dynamic material behaviour

  10. [The problem of divisions, wagers, and game theory].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cléro, Jean-Pierre

    2011-01-01

    This article looks at the "problem of the divisions" - a dialogue between two persons or more - to bring out its structure, in which religious and ethical elements are intermingled. It then offers a reevaluation of the argument of the wager, which is seen here as a sort of prefiguration of game theory rather than as the solution to a problem of probabilities. Although their correspondence suggests that Fermat and Pascal believed they were offering a solution to the same problem, they were not - as written by Fermat, the problem of divisions is a problem of probabilities, but ultimately Fermat did not solve the same problem as Pascal.

  11. Plasticity in the Human Visual Cortex: An Ophthalmology-Based Perspective

    OpenAIRE

    Andreia Martins Rosa; Maria Fátima Silva; Sónia Ferreira; Joaquim Murta; Miguel Castelo-Branco

    2013-01-01

    Neuroplasticity refers to the ability of the brain to reorganize the function and structure of its connections in response to changes in the environment. Adult human visual cortex shows several manifestations of plasticity, such as perceptual learning and adaptation, working under the top-down influence of attention. Plasticity results from the interplay of several mechanisms, including the GABAergic system, epigenetic factors, mitochondrial activity, and structural remodeling of synaptic con...

  12. The structural-phenomenological description of plastic anisotropy of H-1 and H-2.5 alloys, subjected to reactors irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamshchikov, N.V.; Prasolov, P.F.; Lebedinskij, K.B.

    1990-01-01

    The structural-phenomenological model of anisotropic single hpc textured polycrystals is described. The formulation of the present model is assumed that the polycrystal is continuous three-dimensional collection of transversal crystallites, the plastic properties which Hill's yield criteria are described. This model is allowed to determine six parameters in the Hill's yield criteria for ortho tropic materials based on only of uniaxial tension test in three directions and crystallographic texture. Yield surfaces of zircaloy alloys at 293 K and 623 K, subjected to irradiation in the reactor with total exposition dose 10 20 n/cm 2 are determined. Strongly influence of irradiation on the plastic behaviour of H-1 and H-2,5 alloys is observed. 2 refs.; 3 figs.; 2 tables. (author)

  13. A novel cell division factor from tobacco 2B-13 cells that induced cell division in auxin-starved tobacco BY-2 cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shimizu, Takashi; Eguchi, Kentaro; Nishida, Ikuo; Laukens, Kris; Witters, Erwin; van Onckelen, Harry; Nagata, Toshiyuki

    2006-06-01

    Effects of auxin as plant hormones are widespread; in fact in almost all aspects of plant growth and development auxin plays a pivotal role. Although auxin is required for propagating cell division in plant cells, its effect upon cell division is least understood. If auxin is depleted from the culture medium, cultured cells cease to divide. It has been demonstrated in this context that the addition of auxin to auxin-starved nondividing tobacco BY-2 cells induced semisynchronous cell division. On the other hand, there are some cell lines, named habituated cells, that can grow without auxin. The cause and reason for the habituated cells have not been clarified. A habituated cell line named 2B-13 is derived from the tobacco BY-2 cell line, which has been most intensively studied among plant cell lines. When we tried to find the difference between two cell lines of BY-2 and 2B-13 cells, we found that the addition of culture filtrated from the auxin-habituated 2B-13 cells induced semisynchronous cell division in auxin-starved BY-2 cells. The cell division factor (CDF) that is responsible for inducing cell division in auxin-starved BY-2 cells was purified to near-homogeneity by sequential passage through a hydroxyapatite column, a ConA Sepharose column and a Sephadex gel filtration column. The resulting purified fraction appeared as a single band of high molecular weight on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gels by silver staining and was able to induce cell division in auxin-starved BY-2 cells. Identification of the protein by MALD-TOF-MS/MS revealed that it is structurally related to P-glycoprotein from Gossypioides kirkii, which belongs to ATP-binding cassette (ABC)-transporters. The significance of CDF as a possible ABC-transporter is discussed in relationship to auxin-autotrophic growth and auxin-signaling pathway.

  14. Structural damages prevention of the ITER vacuum vessel and ports by elasto-plastic analysis with regards to RCC-MR

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martinez, Jean-Marc, E-mail: jean-marc.martinez@iter.org [ITER Organization, Route de Vinon-sur-Verdon, CS 90 046, 13067 St. Paul Lez Durance Cedex (France); Jun, Chang Hoon; Portafaix, Christophe; Alekseev, Alexander; Sborchia, Carlo; Choi, Chang-Ho [ITER Organization, Route de Vinon-sur-Verdon, CS 90 046, 13067 St. Paul Lez Durance Cedex (France); Albin, Vincent [SOM Calcul – Groupe ORTEC, 121 ancien Chemin de Cassis – Immeuble Grand Pré, 13009 Marseille (France); Borrelly, Stephane [Sogeti High Tech, RE2, 180 rue René Descartes, Le Millenium – Bat C, 13857 Aix en Provence (France); Cambazar, Magali [Assystem EOS, 117 rue Jacquard, 84120 Pertuis (France); Gaucher, Thomas [SOM Calcul – Groupe ORTEC, 121 ancien Chemin de Cassis – Immeuble Grand Pré, 13009 Marseille (France); Sfarni, Samir; Tailhardat, Olivier [Assystem EOS, 117 rue Jacquard, 84120 Pertuis (France)

    2015-10-15

    Highlights: • ITER vacuum vessel (VV) is a part of the first barrier to confine the plasma. • ITER VV as NPE necessitates a third party organization authorized by the French nuclear regulator to assure design, fabrication, and conformance testing and quality assurance, i.e. ANB. • Several types of damages have to be prevented in order to guarantee the structural integrity with regards to RCC-MR. • It is usual to employ non-linear analysis when the “classical” elastic analysis reaches its limit of linear application. • Several structural analyses were performed with many different global and local models of the whole ITER VV. - Abstract: Several types of damages have to be prevented in order to guarantee the structural integrity of a structure with regards to RCC-MR; the P-type damages which can result from the application to a structure of a steadily and regularly increasing loading or a constant loading and the S-type damages during operational loading conditions which can only result from repeated application of loadings associated to the progressive deformations and fatigue. Following RCC-MR, the S-type damages prevention has to be started only when the structural integrity is guaranteed against P-type damages. The verification of the last one on the ITER vacuum vessel and ports has been performed by limit analysis with elasto-(perfectly)plastic material behavior. It is usual to employ non-linear analysis when the “classical” elastic analysis reaches its limit of linear application. Some elasto-plastic analyses have been performed considering several cyclic loadings to evaluate also more realistic structural margins of the against S-type damages.

  15. Experimental Facilities Division/User Program Division technical progress report 1999-2000

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2001-01-01

    In October 1999, the two divisions of the Advanced Photon Source (APS), the Accelerator Systems Division (ASD) and the Experimental Facilities Division (XFD), were reorganized into four divisions (see high-level APS organizational chart, Fig. 1.1). In addition to ASD and XFD, two new divisions were created, the APS Operations Division (AOD), to oversee APS operations, and the User Program Division (UPD), to serve the APS user community by developing and maintaining the highest quality user technical and administration support. Previous XFD Progress Reports (ANL/APS/TB-30 and ANL/APS/TB-34) covered a much broader base, including APS user administrative support and what was previously XFD operations (front ends, interlocks, etc.) This Progress Report summarizes the main scientific and technical activities of XFD, and the technical support, research and development (R and D) activities of UPD from October 1998 through November 2000. The report is divided into four major sections, (1) Introduction, (2) SRI-CAT Beamlines, Technical Developments, and Scientific Applications, (3) User Technical Support, and (4) Major Plans for the Future. Sections 2 and 3 describe the technical activities and research accomplishments of the XFD and UPD personnel in supporting the synchrotron radiation instrumentation (SRI) collaborative access team (CAT) and the general APS user community. Also included in this report is a comprehensive list of publications (Appendix 1) and presentations (Appendix 2) by XFD and UPD staff during the time period covered by this report. The organization of section 2, SRI CAT Beamlines, Technical Developments, and Scientific Applications has been made along scientific techniques/disciplines and not ''geographical'' boundaries of the sectors in which the work was performed. Therefore items under the subsection X-ray Imaging and Microfocusing could have been (and were) performed on several different beamlines by staff in different divisions. The management of

  16. Division of atomic physics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kroell, S.

    1994-01-01

    The Division of Atomic Physics, Lund Institute of Technology (LTH), is responsible for the basic physics teaching in all subjects at LTH and for specialized teaching in Optics, Atomic Physics, Atomic and Molecular Spectroscopy and Laser Physics. The Division has research activities in basic and applied optical spectroscopy, to a large extent based on lasers. It is also part of the Physics Department, Lund University, where it forms one of eight divisions. Since the beginning of 1980 the research activities of our division have been centred around the use of lasers. The activities during the period 1991-1992 is described in this progress reports

  17. Metals and Ceramics Division Materials Science Program. Annual progress report for period ending December 31, 1982

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McHargue, C.J.

    1983-05-01

    This report summarizes the activities of the Materials Sciences Program in the Metals and Ceramics Division. These activities constitute about one-fourth of the research and development conducted by the division. The major elements of the Materials Sciences Program can be grouped under the areas of (1) structural characterization, (2) high-temperature alloy studies, (3) structural ceramics, and (4) radiation effects

  18. Ferroelectricity and Piezoelectricity in Free-Standing Polycrystalline Films of Plastic Crystals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harada, Jun; Yoneyama, Naho; Yokokura, Seiya; Takahashi, Yukihiro; Miura, Atsushi; Kitamura, Noboru; Inabe, Tamotsu

    2018-01-10

    Plastic crystals represent a unique compound class that is often encountered in molecules with globular structures. The highly symmetric cubic crystal structure of plastic crystals endows these materials with multiaxial ferroelectricity that allows a three-dimensional realignment of the polarization axes of the crystals, which cannot be achieved using conventional molecular ferroelectric crystals with low crystal symmetry. In this work, we focused our attention on malleability as another characteristic feature of plastic crystals. We have synthesized the new plastic/ferroelectric ionic crystals tetramethylammonium tetrachloroferrate(III) and tetramethylammonium bromotrichloroferrate(III), and discovered that free-standing translucent films can be easily prepared by pressing powdered samples of these compounds. The thus obtained polycrystalline films exhibit ferroelectric polarization switching and a relatively large piezoelectric response at room temperature. The ready availability of functional films demonstrates the practical utility of such plastic/ferroelectric crystals, and considering the vast variety of possible constituent cations and anions, a wide range of applications should be expected for these unique and attractive functional materials.

  19. [The behavior of fiber-reinforced plastics during laser cutting].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emmrich, M; Levsen, K; Trasser, F J

    1992-06-01

    The pattern of the organic emissions, which are produced by processing of fibre reinforced plastics (epoxy resins reinforced by aramid and glass fibres and phenol resins reinforced by aramid fibre) with laser beam was studied and the concentrations of the main components determined. Despite the application of plastic materials with different chemical structures, the observed patterns are very similar. Mainly aromatic hydrocarbons are emitted, especially benzene and toluene, as well as some heteroatom-containing aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g. phenol). By use of oxygen as process gas the emissions during cutting of glass fibre reinforced plastics can be reduced, while they will be constantly high with aramid fibre reinforced plastics.

  20. Evaluation of biodegradable plastics for rubber seedling applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mansor, Mohd Khairulniza; Dayang Habibah A. I., H.; Kamal, Mazlina Mustafa

    2015-08-01

    The main negative consequence of conventional plastics in agriculture is related to handling the wastes plasticand the associated environmental impact. Hence, a study of different types of potentially biodegradable plastics used for nursery applications have been evaluated on its mechanical,water absorption propertiesand Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy. Supplied samples from different companies were designated as SF, CF and CO. Most of the polybags exhibited mechanical properties quite similar to the conventional plastics (polybag LDPE). CO polybag which is based on PVA however had extensively higher tensile strength and water absorption properties. FTIR study revealed a characteristics absorbance of conventional plastic, SF, CF and CO biodegradable polybag are associated with polyethylene, poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT), polyethylene and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) structures respectively.

  1. On the formulation of higher gradient single and polycrystal plasticity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Menzel, A.; Steinmann, P.

    1998-01-01

    This contribution aims in a geometrically linear formulation of higher gradient plasticity of single and polycrystalline material based on the continuum theory of dislocations and incompatibilities. Thereby, general continuum dislocation densities and incompatibilities are introduced from the viewpoint of continuum mechanics by considering the spatial closure failure of arbitrary line integrals of the displacement differential. Then these findings are translated to the plastic parts of the displacement gradient, the so called plastic distortion, and the plastic strain, respectively, within an elasto-plastic solid thus defining tensor fields of plastic dislocation densities and plastic incompatibilities. Next, in the case of single crystalline material the plastic dislocation density and in the case of polycrystalline material the plastic incompatibility are considered within the exploitation of the thermodynamical principle of positive dissipation. As a result, a phenomenological but physically motivated description of hardening is obtained, which incorporates for single crystals second spatial derivatives of the plastic deformation gradient and for polycrystals fourth spatial derivatives of the plastic strains into the yield condition. Moreover, these modifications mimic the characteristic structure of kinematic hardening, whereby the backstress obeys a nonlocal evolution law. (orig.)

  2. Functional and Structural Brain Plasticity Enhanced by Motor and Cognitive Rehabilitation in Multiple Sclerosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luca Prosperini

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Rehabilitation is recognized to be important in ameliorating motor and cognitive functions, reducing disease burden, and improving quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS. In this systematic review, we summarize the existing evidences that motor and cognitive rehabilitation may enhance functional and structural brain plasticity in patients with MS, as assessed by means of the most advanced neuroimaging techniques, including diffusion tensor imaging and task-related and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI. In most cases, the rehabilitation program was based on computer-assisted/video game exercises performed in either an outpatient or home setting. Despite their heterogeneity, all the included studies describe changes in white matter microarchitecture, in task-related activation, and/or in functional connectivity following both task-oriented and selective training. When explored, relevant correlation between improved function and MRI-detected brain changes was often found, supporting the hypothesis that training-induced brain plasticity is specifically linked to the trained domain. Small sample sizes, lack of randomization and/or an active control group, as well as missed relationship between MRI-detected changes and clinical performance, are the major drawbacks of the selected studies. Knowledge gaps in this field of research are also discussed to provide a framework for future investigations.

  3. On the application of the dynamic plasticity theory for the treatment of reinforced concrete structures under transient loading

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ammann, W.

    1983-01-01

    After a short introduction of the theory of dynamic plasticity, the possible applications of this theory on reinforced concrete structures under transient loading are discussed. Estimates can be obtained by relations giving lower and upper limits for dynamically loaded supporting beams. A procedure similar for the mode approximation method is described for the calculation of beams after a sudden failure of a support. (orig.) [de

  4. Division algebras and extended super KdVs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toppan, F.

    2001-05-01

    The division algebras R, C, H, O are used to construct and analyze the N = 1, 2, 4, 8 supersymmetric extensions of the KdV hamiltonian equation. In particular a global N = 8 super-KdV system is introduced and shown to admit a Poisson bracket structure given by the 'Non-Associate N = 8 Superconformal Algebra'. (author)

  5. A plastic damage model with stress triaxiality-dependent hardening

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shen Xinpu; Shen Guoxiao; Zhou Lin

    2005-01-01

    Emphases of this study were placed on the modelling of plastic damage behaviour of prestressed structural concrete, with special attention being paid to the stress-triaxiality dependent plastic hardening law and the corresponding damage evolution law. A definition of stress triaxiality was proposed and introduced in the model presented here. Drucker-Prager -type plasticity was adopted in the formulation of the plastic damage constitutive equations. Numerical validations were performed for the proposed plasticity-based damage model with a driver subroutine developed in this study. The predicted stress-strain behaviour seems reasonably accurate for the uniaxial tension and uniaxial compression compared with the experimental data reported in references. Numerical calculations of compressions under various hydrostatic stress confinements were carried out in order to validate the stress triaxiality dependent properties of the model. (authors)

  6. Brain Plasticity and Motor Practice in Cognitive Aging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liuyang eCai

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available For more than two decades, there have been extensive studies of experience-based neural plasticity exploring effective applications of brain plasticity for cognitive and motor development. Research suggests that human brains continuously undergo structural reorganization and functional changes in response to stimulations or training. From a developmental point of view, the assumption of lifespan brain plasticity has been extended to older adults in terms of the benefits of cognitive training and physical therapy. To summarize recent developments, first, we introduce the concept of neural plasticity from a developmental perspective. Secondly, we note that motor learning often refers to deliberate practice and the resulting performance enhancement and adaptability. We discuss the close interplay between neural plasticity, motor learning and cognitive aging. Thirdly, we review research on motor skill acquisition in older adults with, and without, impairments relative to aging-related cognitive decline. Finally, to enhance future research and application, we highlight the implications of neural plasticity in skills learning and cognitive rehabilitation for the aging population.

  7. ERK phosphorylation regulates sleep and plasticity in Drosophila.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    William M Vanderheyden

    Full Text Available Given the relationship between sleep and plasticity, we examined the role of Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK in regulating baseline sleep, and modulating the response to waking experience. Both sleep deprivation and social enrichment increase ERK phosphorylation in wild-type flies. The effects of both sleep deprivation and social enrichment on structural plasticity in the LNvs can be recapitulated by expressing an active version of ERK (UAS-ERK(SEM pan-neuronally in the adult fly using GeneSwitch (Gsw Gsw-elav-GAL4. Conversely, disrupting ERK reduces sleep and prevents both the behavioral and structural plasticity normally induced by social enrichment. Finally, using transgenic flies carrying a cAMP response Element (CRE-luciferase reporter we show that activating ERK enhances CRE-Luc activity while disrupting ERK reduces it. These data suggest that ERK phosphorylation is an important mediator in transducing waking experience into sleep.

  8. Technical activities, 1990: Surface Science Division

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Powell, C.J.

    1991-05-01

    The report summarizes technical activities and accomplishments of the NIST Surface Science Division during Fiscal Year 1990. Overviews are presented of the Division and of its three constituent groups: Surface Dynamical Processes, Thin Films and Interfaces, and Surface Spectroscopies and Standards. These overviews are followed by reports of selected technical accomplishments during the year. A summary is given of Division outputs and interactions that includes lists of publications, talks, committee assignments, seminars (including both Division seminars and Interface Science seminars arranged through the Division), conferences organized, and a standard reference material certified. Finally, lists are given of Division staff and of guest scientists who have worked in the Division during the past year

  9. An experiment on the use of disposable plastics as a reinforcement in concrete beams

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chowdhury, Mostafiz R.

    1992-01-01

    Illustrated here is the concept of reinforced concrete structures by the use of computer simulation and an inexpensive hands-on design experiment. The students in our construction management program use disposable plastic as a reinforcement to demonstrate their understanding of reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete beams. The plastics used for such an experiment vary from plastic bottles to steel reinforced auto tires. This experiment will show the extent to which plastic reinforcement increases the strength of a concrete beam. The procedure of using such throw-away plastics in an experiment to explain the interaction between the reinforcement material and concrete, and a comparison of the test results for using different types of waste plastics are discussed. A computer analysis to simulate the structural response is used to compare the test results and to understand the analytical background of reinforced concrete design. This interaction of using computers to analyze structures and to relate the output results with real experimentation is found to be a very useful method for teaching a math-based analytical subject to our non-engineering students.

  10. A plastic stress intensity factor approach to turbine disk structural integrity assessment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. Shlyannikov

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available This study based on a new fracture mechanics parameter is concerned with assessing the integrity of cracked steam turbine disk which operate under startup-shutdown cyclic loading conditions. Damage accumulation and growth in service have occurred on the inner surface of slot fillet of key. In order to determine elastic-plastic fracture mechanics parameters full-size stress-strain state analysis of turbine disk was performed for a quote-elliptical part-through cracks under considering loading conditions. As a result distributions of elastic and plastic stress intensity factors along crack front in slot fillet of key of turbine disk depending on surface crack form are defined. An engineering approach to the prediction of carrying capacity of cracked turbine disk which is sensitive to the loading history at maintenance is proposed. The predictions of the rate of crack growth and residual lifetime of steam turbine disk are compared for elastic and elastic-plastic solutions. It is shown that the previously proposed elastic crack growth models provide overestimate the lifetime with respect to the present one. An advantage to use the plastic stress intensity factor to characterize the fracture resistance as the self-dependent unified parameter for a variety of turbine disk configurations rather than the magnitude of the elastic stress intensity factors alone is discussed.

  11. Evaluation of plastic collapse behavior for multiple cracked structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moon, Seong In; Chang, Yoon Suk; Kim, Young Jin; Lee, Jin Ho; Song, Myung Ho; Choi, Young Hwan; Hwang, Seong Sik

    2004-01-01

    Until now, the 40% of wall thickness criterion, which is generally used for the plugging of steam generator tubes, has been applied only to a single cracked geometry. In the previous study by the authors, a total number of 9 local failure prediction models were introduced to estimate the coalescence load of two collinear through-wall cracks and, then, the reaction force model and plastic zone contact model were selected as the optimum ones. The objective of this study is to estimate the coalescence load of two collinear through-wall cracks in steam generator tube by using the optimum local failure prediction models. In order to investigate the applicability of the optimum local failure prediction models, a series of plastic collapse tests and corresponding finite element analyses for two collinear through-wall cracks in steam generator tube were carried out. Thereby, the applicability of the optimum local failure prediction models was verified and, finally, a coalescence evaluation diagram which can be used to determine whether the adjacent cracks detected by NDE coalesce or not has been developed

  12. The Prism Plastic Calorimeter (PPC)

    CERN Multimedia

    2002-01-01

    This proposal supports two goals: \\\\ \\\\ First goal:~~Demonstrate that current, widely used plastic technologies allow to design Prism Plastic Calorimeter~(PPC) towers with a new ``liquid crystal'' type plastic called Vectra. It will be shown that this technique meets the requirements for a LHC calorimeter with warm liquids: safety, hermeticity, hadronic compensation, resolution and time response. \\\\ \\\\ Second goal:~~Describe how one can design a warm liquid calorimeter integrated into a LHC detector and to list the advantages of the PPC: low price, minimum of mechanical structures, minimum of dead space, easiness of mechanical assembly, accessibility to the electronics, possibility to recirculate the liquid. The absorber and the electronic being outside of the liquid and easily accessible, one has maximum flexibility to define them. \\\\ \\\\ The R&D program, we define here aims at showing the feasibility of these new ideas by building nine towers of twenty gaps and exposing them to electron and hadron beams.

  13. ESCRT-III mediated cell division in Sulfolobus acidocaldarius –A reconstitution perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tobias eHärtel

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available In the framework of Synthetic Biology, it has become an intriguing question what would be the minimal representation of cell division machinery. Thus, it seems appropriate to compare how cell division is realized in different microorganisms. In particular, the cell division system of Crenarchaeota lacks certain proteins found in most bacteria and Euryarchaeota, such as FtsZ, MreB or the Min system. The Sulfolobaceae family encodes functional homologs of the eukaryotic proteins Vps4 and ESCRT-III. ESCRT-III is essential for several eukaryotic pathways, e.g. budding of intralumenal vesicles (ILVs, or cytokinesis, whereas Vps4 dissociates the ESCRT-III complex from the membrane. CdvA (Cell Division A is required for the recruitment of crenarchaeal ESCRT-III proteins to the membrane at mid-cell. The proteins polymerize and form a smaller structure during constriction. Thus, ESCRT-III mediated cell division in S. acidocaldarius shows functional analogies to the Z ring observed in prokaryotes like E. coli, which has recently begun to be reconstituted in vitro. In this short perspective, we discuss the possibility of building such an in vitro cell division system on basis of archaeal ESCRT-III.

  14. Plastic Surgery

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Staying Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español Plastic Surgery KidsHealth / For Teens / Plastic Surgery What's in ... her forehead lightened with a laser? What Is Plastic Surgery? Just because the name includes the word " ...

  15. Plastic dosimeter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagai, Shiro; Matsuda, Kohji.

    1988-01-01

    The report outlines major features and applications of plastic dosimeters. Some plastic dosimeters, including the CTA and PVC types, detect the response of the plastic material itself to radiations while others, such as pigment-added plastic dosimeters, contain additives as radiation detecting material. Most of these dosimeters make use of color centers produced in the dosimeter by radiations. The PMMA dosimeter is widely used in the field of radiation sterilization of food, feed and medical apparatus. The blue cellophane dosimeter is easy to handle if calibrated appropriately. The rad-color dosimeter serves to determine whether products have been irradiated appropriately. The CTA dosimeter has better damp proofing properties than the blue cellophane type. The pigment-added plastic dosimeter consists of a resin such as nylon, CTA or PVC that contains a dye. Some other plastic dosimeters are also described briefly. Though having many advantages, these plastic dosimeter have disadvantages as well. Some of their major disadvantages, including fading as well as large dependence on dose, temperature, humidity and anviroment, are discussed. (Nogami, K.)

  16. Mirror trends of plasticity and stability indicators in primate prefrontal cortex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-Cabezas, Miguel Á; Joyce, Mary Kate P; John, Yohan J; Zikopoulos, Basilis; Barbas, Helen

    2017-10-01

    Research on plasticity markers in the cerebral cortex has largely focused on their timing of expression and role in shaping circuits during critical and normal periods. By contrast, little attention has been focused on the spatial dimension of plasticity-stability across cortical areas. The rationale for this analysis is based on the systematic variation in cortical structure that parallels functional specialization and raises the possibility of varying levels of plasticity. Here, we investigated in adult rhesus monkeys the expression of markers related to synaptic plasticity or stability in prefrontal limbic and eulaminate areas that vary in laminar structure. Our findings revealed that limbic areas are impoverished in three markers of stability: intracortical myelin, the lectin Wisteria floribunda agglutinin, which labels perineuronal nets, and parvalbumin, which is expressed in a class of strong inhibitory neurons. By contrast, prefrontal limbic areas were enriched in the enzyme calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), known to enhance plasticity. Eulaminate areas have more elaborate laminar architecture than limbic areas and showed the opposite trend: they were enriched in markers of stability and had lower expression of the plasticity-related marker CaMKII. The expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a marker of activated astrocytes, was also higher in limbic areas, suggesting that cellular stress correlates with the rate of circuit reshaping. Elevated markers of plasticity may endow limbic areas with flexibility necessary for learning and memory within an affective context, but may also render them vulnerable to abnormal structural changes, as seen in neurologic and psychiatric diseases. © 2017 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. Activity-regulated genes as mediators of neural circuit plasticity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leslie, Jennifer H; Nedivi, Elly

    2011-08-01

    Modifications of neuronal circuits allow the brain to adapt and change with experience. This plasticity manifests during development and throughout life, and can be remarkably long lasting. Evidence has linked activity-regulated gene expression to the long-term structural and electrophysiological adaptations that take place during developmental critical periods, learning and memory, and alterations to sensory map representations in the adult. In all these cases, the cellular response to neuronal activity integrates multiple tightly coordinated mechanisms to precisely orchestrate long-lasting, functional and structural changes in brain circuits. Experience-dependent plasticity is triggered when neuronal excitation activates cellular signaling pathways from the synapse to the nucleus that initiate new programs of gene expression. The protein products of activity-regulated genes then work via a diverse array of cellular mechanisms to modify neuronal functional properties. Synaptic strengthening or weakening can reweight existing circuit connections, while structural changes including synapse addition and elimination create new connections. Posttranscriptional regulatory mechanisms, often also dependent on activity, further modulate activity-regulated gene transcript and protein function. Thus, activity-regulated genes implement varied forms of structural and functional plasticity to fine-tune brain circuit wiring. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Plastic Properties of Fine-Grained WMD After Micro-Jet Cooling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hadryś D.

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Micro-jet welding is an innovative method of weld forced cooling immediately after welding. It allows to obtain weld with superior properties in comparison to conventional welding. The reason for this is to obtain a more favorable structure of the weld metal deposit (WMD with much higher amount of acicular ferrite (AF. Different structures and mechanical properties of weld metal deposit were obtained by using various gases for cooling. The paper shows the relationship between the type of gas for micro-jet cooling and plastic properties of the weld joint. Coefficient of restitution and plastic strain were selected to describe changes of weld plastic properties for different micro-jet cooling gases. The tests were performed in dynamic conditions (impact.

  19. Functional redundancy of division specific penicillin-binding proteins in Bacillus subtilis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sassine, Jad; Xu, Meizhu; Sidiq, Karzan R; Emmins, Robyn; Errington, Jeff; Daniel, Richard A

    2017-10-01

    Bacterial cell division involves the dynamic assembly of a diverse set of proteins that coordinate the invagination of the cell membrane and synthesis of cell wall material to create the new cell poles of the separated daughter cells. Penicillin-binding protein PBP 2B is a key cell division protein in Bacillus subtilis proposed to have a specific catalytic role in septal wall synthesis. Unexpectedly, we find that a catalytically inactive mutant of PBP 2B supports cell division, but in this background the normally dispensable PBP 3 becomes essential. Phenotypic analysis of pbpC mutants (encoding PBP 3) shows that PBP 2B has a crucial structural role in assembly of the division complex, independent of catalysis, and that its biochemical activity in septum formation can be provided by PBP 3. Bioinformatic analysis revealed a close sequence relationship between PBP 3 and Staphylococcus aureus PBP 2A, which is responsible for methicillin resistance. These findings suggest that mechanisms for rescuing cell division when the biochemical activity of PBP 2B is perturbed evolved prior to the clinical use of β-lactams. © 2017 The Authors. Molecular Microbiology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. Correlative STED and Atomic Force Microscopy on Live Astrocytes Reveals Plasticity of Cytoskeletal Structure and Membrane Physical Properties during Polarized Migration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nathalie Rouach

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The plasticity of the cytoskeleton architecture and membrane properties is important for the establishment of cell polarity, adhesion and migration. Here, we present a method which combines stimulated emission depletion (STED super-resolution imaging and atomic force microscopy (AFM to correlate cytoskeletal structural information with membrane physical properties in live astrocytes. Using STED compatible dyes for live cell imaging of the cytoskeleton, and simultaneously mapping the cell surface topology with AFM, we obtain unprecedented detail of highly organized networks of actin and microtubules in astrocytes. Combining mechanical data from AFM with optical imaging of actin and tubulin further reveals links between cytoskeleton organization and membrane properties. Using this methodology we illustrate that scratch-induced migration induces cytoskeleton remodeling. The latter is caused by a polarization of actin and microtubule elements within astroglial cell processes, which correlates strongly with changes in cell stiffness. The method opens new avenues for the dynamic probing of the membrane structural and functional plasticity of living brain cells. It is a powerful tool for providing new insights into mechanisms of cell structural remodeling during physiological or pathological processes, such as brain development or tumorigenesis.

  1. ECT: its brain enabling effects. A review of electroconvulsive therapy-induced structural brain plasticity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bouckaert, F.; Sienaert, P.; Obbels, J.; Dols, A.; Vandenbulcke, M.; Stek, M.L.; Bolwig, T.

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Since the past 2 decades, new evidence for brain plasticity has caused a shift in both preclinical and clinical ECT research from falsifying the "brain damage hypothesis" toward exploring ECT's enabling brain (neuro)plasticity effects. METHODS: By reviewing the available animal and human

  2. Stress and strain fluctuations in plastic deformation of crystals with disordered microstructure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kapetanou, O; Zaiser, M; Weygand, D

    2015-01-01

    We investigate the spatial structure of stress and strain patterns in crystal plasticity. To this end, we combine theoretical arguments with plasticity simulations using three different models: (i) a generic model of bulk crystal plasticity with stochastic evolution of the local microstructure, (ii) a 2D discrete dislocation simulation assuming single-slip deformation in a bulk crystal, and (iii) a 3D discrete dislocation model for deformation of micropillars in multiple slip. For all three models we investigate the scale-dependent magnitude of local fluctuations of internal stress and plastic strain, and we determine the spatial structure of the respective auto- and cross-correlation functions. The investigations show that, in the course of deformation, nontrivial long range correlations emerge in the stress and strain patterns. We investigate the influence of boundary conditions on the observed spatial patterns of stress and strain, and discuss implications of our findings for larger-scale plasticity models. (paper)

  3. E-Division activities report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barschall, H.H.

    1984-07-01

    E (Experimental Physics) Division carries out basic and applied research in atomic and nuclear physics, in materials science, and in other areas related to the missions of the Laboratory. Some of the activities are cooperative efforts with other divisions of the Laboratory, and, in a few cases, with other laboratories. Many of the experiments are directly applicable to problems in weapons and energy, some have only potential applied uses, and others are in pure physics. This report presents abstracts of papers published by E (Experimental Physics) Division staff members between July 1983 and June 1984. In addition, it lists the members of the scientific staff of the division, including visitors and students, and some of the assignments of staff members on scientific committees. A brief summary of the budget is included

  4. Preparation and Characterization of HPMC/PVP Blend Films Plasticized with Sorbitol

    OpenAIRE

    Somashekarappa, H.; Prakash, Y.; Hemalatha, K.; Demappa, T.; Somashekar, R.

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this present work is to investigate the effect of plasticizers like Sorbitol on microstructural and mechanical properties of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) blend films. The pure blend and plasticized blend films were prepared by solution casting method and investigated using wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) method. WAXS analysis confirms that the plasticizers can enter into macromolecular blend structure and destroy the crystallinity of the f...

  5. Progress report of Applied Physics Division. 1 October 1980 - 30 June 1981. Acting Division Chief - Dr. J. Parry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-01-01

    In September 1980, the Commission approved a reorganization of Physics Division, Engineering Research Division and Instrumentation and Control Division to form two new research divisions to be known as Applied Physics Division and Nuclear Technology Division. The Applied Physics Division will be responsible for applied science programs, particularly those concerned with nuclear techniques. The Division is organized as four sections with the following responsibilities: (1) Nuclear Applications and Energy Studies Section. Program includes studies in nuclear physics, nuclear applications, ion implantation and neutron scattering. (2) Semiconductor and Radiation Physics Section. Studies in semiconductor radiation detectors, radiation standards and laser applications. (3) Electronic Systems Section. This includes systems analysis, digital systems, instrument design, project instrumentation and instrument maintenance. (4) Fusion Physics Section. This covers work carried out by staff currently attached to university groups (author)

  6. Physics Division Annual Report, April 1, 1994--March 31, 1995

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Henning, W.F.

    1995-08-01

    This report summarizes the research performed over the past year by the Argonne Physics Division in the areas of nuclear and atomic physics. The Division`s programs in nuclear physics include operation of ATLAS as a national heavy-ion user facility and related accelerator development, nuclear structure research and reactions with beams of heavy ions, primarily at ATLAS but also using forefront instrumentation elsewhere, medium energy nuclear physics at SLAC, Fermilab, Novosibirsk, DESY and CEBAF, and nuclear theory. In atomic and molecular physics the research programs are directed towards studies of highly charged ions at ATLAS, and towards studies with synchrotron radiation, currently at the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven but also in preparation for the future program at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne. Separate abstracts have been indexed for individual contributions to this report.

  7. plastic waste recycling

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Dr Ahmed

    incinerators is increasing around the world. Discarded plastic products ... Agency (EPA) estimated that the amount of plastics throw away is. 50 % greater in the ... The waste plastics were identified using the Society of the Plastic. Industry (SPI) ...

  8. Metals and Ceramics Division progress report for period ending September 30, 1991

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1992-03-01

    This report provides a brief overview of the activities and accomplishments of the Metals and Ceramics (M C) Division during fiscal year (FY) 1991. The division is organized to provide technical support, primarily in the area of high-temperature materials, for the various technologies being developed by the US Department of Energy (DOE). Activities span the range from basic research (through applied research and engineering development) to industrial interactions (through cooperative research and a strong technology transfer program). The division is organized in functional groups that encompass nearly all of the disciplines needed to develop and to apply materials in high-temperature applications. Sections I through 5 describe the different functional groups; Sect. 6 provides an alternative view of the division in terms of the major programs, most of which cross group lines; and Sect. 7 summarizes external interactions including cooperative research and development programs, educational activities, and technology transfer functions. Appendices describe the organizational structure, note personnel changes, present honors and awards received by division members, and contain listings of publications completed and presentations made at technical meetings.

  9. Metals and Ceramics Division progress report for period ending September 30, 1991

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-03-01

    This report provides a brief overview of the activities and accomplishments of the Metals and Ceramics (M ampersand C) Division during fiscal year (FY) 1991. The division is organized to provide technical support, primarily in the area of high-temperature materials, for the various technologies being developed by the US Department of Energy (DOE). Activities span the range from basic research (through applied research and engineering development) to industrial interactions (through cooperative research and a strong technology transfer program). The division is organized in functional groups that encompass nearly all of the disciplines needed to develop and to apply materials in high-temperature applications. Sections I through 5 describe the different functional groups; Sect. 6 provides an alternative view of the division in terms of the major programs, most of which cross group lines; and Sect. 7 summarizes external interactions including cooperative research and development programs, educational activities, and technology transfer functions. Appendices describe the organizational structure, note personnel changes, present honors and awards received by division members, and contain listings of publications completed and presentations made at technical meetings

  10. Division Quilts: A Measurement Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pratt, Sarah S.; Lupton, Tina M.; Richardson, Kerri

    2015-01-01

    As teachers seek activities to assist students in understanding division as more than just the algorithm, they find many examples of division as fair sharing. However, teachers have few activities to engage students in a quotative (measurement) model of division. Efraim Fischbein and his colleagues (1985) defined two types of whole-number…

  11. Environmental Sciences Division annual progress report for period ending September 30, 1991

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1992-04-01

    This progress report summarizes the research and development activities conducted in the Environmental Sciences Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory during the period October 1, 1990, through September 30, 1991. The report is structured to provide descriptions of current activities and accomplishments in each of the division`s major organizational units. Following the sections describing the organizational units is a section devoted to lists of information necessary to convey the scope of the work in the division. The Environmental Sciences Division (ESD) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) conducts environmental research and analyses associated with both energy technology development and the interactions between people and the environment. The division engages in basic and applied research for a diverse list of sponsors. While the US Department of Energy (DOE) is the primary sponsor ESD staff also perform research for other federal agencies, state agencies, and private industry. The division works collaboratively with federal agencies, universities, and private organizations in achieving its research objectives and hosts a large number of visiting investigators from these organizations. Given the diverse interdisciplinary specialization of its staff, ESD provides technical expertise on complex environmental problems and renders technical leadership for major environmental issues of national and local concern. This progress report highlights many of ESD`s accomplishment in these and other areas in FY 1991.

  12. Radiochemistry Division annual progress report : 1990

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iyer, R.H.

    1992-01-01

    This progress report provides an account of the research and development activities of the Radiochemistry Division during the year 1990 in the areas of nuclear chemistry, actinide chemistry and spectroscopy. The main area of work in nuclear chemistry is centered around the fission process induced by reactor neutrons, and light and heavy ions on actinides and low Z (Z<80) elements. Actinide chemistry research is concerned mostly with extraction, complexation and separation of actinide ions from aqueous media using a variety of organic reagents under different experimental conditions. Spectroscopic studies include development and optimisation of chemical/analytical methods for separation and determination of trace metallic impurities and rare earths in fuel materials and EPR and microwave studies on several compounds to understand their superconducting, structural and magnetic properties. A list of publications by the scientific staff of the Division during 1990 is also given in the report. (author). 45 figs., 44 tabs

  13. Direct liquefaction of plastics and coprocessing of coal with plastics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huffman, G.P.; Feng, Z.; Mahajan, V. [Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (United States)

    1995-12-31

    The objectives of this work were to optimize reaction conditions for the direct liquefaction of waste plastics and the coprocessing of coal with waste plastics. In previous work, the direct liquefaction of medium and high density polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PPE), poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), and a mixed plastic waste, and the coliquefaction of these plastics with coals of three different ranks was studied. The results established that a solid acid catalyst (HZSM-5 zeolite) was highly active for the liquefaction of the plastics alone, typically giving oil yields of 80-95% and total conversions of 90-100% at temperatures of 430-450 {degrees}C. In the coliquefaction experiments, 50:50 mixtures of plastic and coal were used with a tetralin solvent (tetralin:solid = 3:2). Using approximately 1% of the HZSM-5 catalyst and a nanoscale iron catalyst, oil yields of 50-70% and total conversion of 80-90% were typical. In the current year, further investigations were conducted of the liquefaction of PE, PPE, and a commingled waste plastic obtained from the American Plastics Council (APC), and the coprocessing of PE, PPE and the APC plastic with Black Thunder subbituminous coal. Several different catalysts were used in these studies.

  14. Simplified theory of plastic zones based on Zarka's method

    CERN Document Server

    Hübel, Hartwig

    2017-01-01

    The present book provides a new method to estimate elastic-plastic strains via a series of linear elastic analyses. For a life prediction of structures subjected to variable loads, frequently encountered in mechanical and civil engineering, the cyclically accumulated deformation and the elastic plastic strain ranges are required. The Simplified Theory of Plastic Zones (STPZ) is a direct method which provides the estimates of these and all other mechanical quantities in the state of elastic and plastic shakedown. The STPZ is described in detail, with emphasis on the fact that not only scientists but engineers working in applied fields and advanced students are able to get an idea of the possibilities and limitations of the STPZ. Numerous illustrations and examples are provided to support the reader's understanding.

  15. Two-zone elastic-plastic single shock waves in solids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhakhovsky, Vasily V; Budzevich, Mikalai M; Inogamov, Nail A; Oleynik, Ivan I; White, Carter T

    2011-09-23

    By decoupling time and length scales in moving window molecular dynamics shock-wave simulations, a new regime of shock-wave propagation is uncovered characterized by a two-zone elastic-plastic shock-wave structure consisting of a leading elastic front followed by a plastic front, both moving with the same average speed and having a fixed net thickness that can extend to microns. The material in the elastic zone is in a metastable state that supports a pressure that can substantially exceed the critical pressure characteristic of the onset of the well-known split-elastic-plastic, two-wave propagation. The two-zone elastic-plastic wave is a general phenomenon observed in simulations of a broad class of crystalline materials and is within the reach of current experimental techniques.

  16. Environmental Sciences Division annual progress report for period ending September 30, 1994

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-01-01

    This progress report summarizes the research and development activities conducted in the Environmental Sciences Division (ESD) of Oak Ridge National Laboratory during fiscal year (FY) 1994, which extended from October 1, 1993, through September 30, 1994. The report is structured to provide descriptions of current activities and accomplishments in each of the division's major organizational units. Following the sections describing the organizational units are sections highlighting ESD Scientific, Technical, and Administrative Achievement awards and listing information necessary to covey the scope of the work in the division. An organizational chart of staff and long-term guests who wee in ESD at the end of FY 1994 is located in the final section of the report

  17. Environmental Sciences Division annual progress report for period ending September 30, 1993

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-05-01

    This progress report summarizes the research and development activities conducted in the Environmental Sciences Division (ESD) of Oak Ridge National Laboratory during fiscal year (FY) 1993, which extended from October 1, 1992, through September 30, 1993. The report is structured to provide descriptions of current activities and accomplishments in each of the division's major organizational units. Following the sections describing the organizational units are sections highlighting ESD Scientific, Technical, and Administrative Achievement awards and listing information necessary to convey the scope of the work in the division. An organizational chart of staff and long-term guests who were in ESD and the end of FY 1993 is located in the final section of the report

  18. Comparison of Concussion Rates Between NCAA Division I and Division III Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Players.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosene, John M; Raksnis, Bryan; Silva, Brie; Woefel, Tyler; Visich, Paul S; Dompier, Thomas P; Kerr, Zachary Y

    2017-09-01

    Examinations related to divisional differences in the incidence of sports-related concussions (SRC) in collegiate ice hockey are limited. To compare the epidemiologic patterns of concussion in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) ice hockey by sex and division. Descriptive epidemiology study. A convenience sample of men's and women's ice hockey teams in Divisions I and III provided SRC data via the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program during the 2009-2010 to 2014-2015 academic years. Concussion counts, rates, and distributions were examined by factors including injury activity and position. Injury rate ratios (IRRs) and injury proportion ratios (IPRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to compare concussion rates and distributions, respectively. Overall, 415 concussions were reported for men's and women's ice hockey combined. The highest concussion rate was found in Division I men (0.83 per 1000 athlete-exposures [AEs]), followed by Division III women (0.78/1000 AEs), Division I women (0.65/1000 AEs), and Division III men (0.64/1000 AEs). However, the only significant IRR was that the concussion rate was higher in Division I men than Division III men (IRR = 1.29; 95% CI, 1.02-1.65). The proportion of concussions from checking was higher in men than women (28.5% vs 9.4%; IPR = 3.02; 95% CI, 1.63-5.59); however, this proportion was higher in Division I women than Division III women (18.4% vs 1.8%; IPR = 10.47; 95% CI, 1.37-79.75). The proportion of concussions sustained by goalkeepers was higher in women than men (14.2% vs 2.9%; IPR = 4.86; 95% CI, 2.19-10.77), with findings consistent within each division. Concussion rates did not vary by sex but differed by division among men. Checking-related concussions were less common in women than men overall but more common in Division I women than Division III women. Findings highlight the need to better understand the reasons underlying divisional differences within men's and women's ice hockey and the

  19. Heparan sulfate and cell division

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Porcionatto M.A.

    1999-01-01

    Full Text Available Heparan sulfate is a component of vertebrate and invertebrate tissues which appears during the cytodifferentiation stage of embryonic development. Its structure varies according to the tissue and species of origin and is modified during neoplastic transformation. Several lines of experimental evidence suggest that heparan sulfate plays a role in cellular recognition, cellular adhesion and growth control. Heparan sulfate can participate in the process of cell division in two distinct ways, either as a positive or negative modulator of cellular proliferation, or as a response to a mitogenic stimulus.

  20. Recycling of Plastic

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Thomas Højlund; Fruergaard, Thilde

    2011-01-01

    Plastic is produced from fossil oil. Plastic is used for many different products. Some plastic products like, for example, wrapping foil, bags and disposable containers for food and beverage have very short lifetimes and thus constitute a major fraction of most waste. Other plastic products like...

  1. Isotope and Nuclear Chemistry Division annual report, FY 1990, October 1, 1989--September 30, 1990

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heiken, J.; Minahan, M.

    1991-06-01

    This report describes some of the major research and development programs of the Isotope and Nuclear Chemistry Division during FY 1990. The report includes articles on weapons chemistry, environmental chemistry, actinide and transition metal chemistry, geochemistry, nuclear structure and reactions, biochemistry and nuclear medicine, materials chemistry, and INC Division facilities and laboratories

  2. Nuclear Physics Division, Institute of Experimental Physics, Warsaw University Annual Report 1996

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Szeflinski, Z.; Popkiewicz, M. [eds.

    1997-12-31

    In the presented report the research activities of Nuclear Physics Division (NPD) of the Institute of Experimental Physics (Warsaw University) in year 1996 are described. The report is divided into three parts: Reaction mechanisms and nuclear structure; Experimental methods and instrumentation and the third part contains the list of personnel, seminars held at the Nuclear Physics Division and published papers. A summary of the (NPD) activities are briefly presented in ``Preface`` by NPD director prof. Ch. Droste.

  3. Nuclear Physics Division, Institute of Experimental Physics, Warsaw University annual report 1997

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Szeflinski, Z.; Kirejczyk, M.; Popkiewicz, M. [eds.

    1998-08-01

    In the presented report the research activities of Nuclear Physics Division (NPD) of the Institute of Experimental Physics (Warsaw University) in year 1997 are described. The report is divided into three parts: Reaction Mechanisms and Nuclear Structure, Experimental Methods and Instrumentation and the third one contain the lists of personnel, seminars held at the Nuclear Physics Division and published papers. A summary of the (NPD) activities are briefly presented in ``Preface`` written by NDP director prof. K. Siwek-Wilczynska

  4. Nuclear Physics Division, Institute of Experimental Physics, Warsaw University annual report 1997

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Szeflinski, Z.; Kirejczyk, M.; Popkiewicz, M.

    1998-01-01

    In the presented report the research activities of Nuclear Physics Division (NPD) of the Institute of Experimental Physics (Warsaw University) in year 1997 are described. The report is divided into three parts: Reaction Mechanisms and Nuclear Structure, Experimental Methods and Instrumentation and the third one contain the lists of personnel, seminars held at the Nuclear Physics Division and published papers. A summary of the (NPD) activities are briefly presented in ''Preface'' written by NDP director prof. K. Siwek-Wilczynska

  5. Nuclear Physics Division, Institute of Experimental Physics, Warsaw University Annual Report 1996

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Szeflinski, Z.; Popkiewicz, M.

    1997-01-01

    In the presented report the research activities of Nuclear Physics Division (NPD) of the Institute of Experimental Physics (Warsaw University) in year 1996 are described. The report is divided into three parts: Reaction mechanisms and nuclear structure; Experimental methods and instrumentation and the third part contains the list of personnel, seminars held at the Nuclear Physics Division and published papers. A summary of the (NPD) activities are briefly presented in ''Preface'' by NPD director prof. Ch. Droste

  6. Physics division annual report 2005

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glover, J.

    2007-01-01

    This report highlights the research performed in 2005 in the Physics Division of Argonne National Laboratory. The Division's programs include operation of ATLAS as a national user facility, nuclear structure and reaction research, nuclear theory, medium energy nuclear research and accelerator research and development. The mission of Nuclear Physics is to understand the origin, evolution and structure of baryonic matter in the universe--the matter that makes up stars, planets and human life itself. The Division's research focuses on innovative new ways to address this mission and 2005 was a year of great progress. One of the most exciting developments is the initiation of the Californium Rare Ion Breeder Upgrade, CARIBU. By combining a Cf-252 fission source, the gas catcher technology developed for rare isotope beams, a high-resolution isobar separator, and charge breeding ECR technology, CARIBU will make hundreds of new neutron-rich isotope beams available for research. The cover illustration shows the anticipated intensities of low-energy beams that become available for low-energy experiments and for injection into ATLAS for reacceleration. CARIBU will be completed in early 2009 and provide us with considerable experience in many of the technologies developed for a future high intensity exotic beam facility. Notable results in research at ATLAS include a measurement of the isomeric states in 252 No that helps pin down the single particle structure expected for superheavy elements, and a new low-background measurement of 16 N beta-decay to determine the 12 C(α, γ) 16 O reaction rate that is so important in astrophysical environments. Precise mass measurements shed new light on the unitarity of the quark weak-mixing matrix in the search for physics beyond the standard model. ATLAS operated for 4686 hours of research in FY2005 while achieving 95% efficiency of beam delivery for experiments. In Medium-Energy Physics, radium isotopes were trapped in an atom trap for

  7. Physics division annual report 2005.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Glover, J.; Physics

    2007-03-12

    This report highlights the research performed in 2005 in the Physics Division of Argonne National Laboratory. The Division's programs include operation of ATLAS as a national user facility, nuclear structure and reaction research, nuclear theory, medium energy nuclear research and accelerator research and development. The mission of Nuclear Physics is to understand the origin, evolution and structure of baryonic matter in the universe--the matter that makes up stars, planets and human life itself. The Division's research focuses on innovative new ways to address this mission and 2005 was a year of great progress. One of the most exciting developments is the initiation of the Californium Rare Ion Breeder Upgrade, CARIBU. By combining a Cf-252 fission source, the gas catcher technology developed for rare isotope beams, a high-resolution isobar separator, and charge breeding ECR technology, CARIBU will make hundreds of new neutron-rich isotope beams available for research. The cover illustration shows the anticipated intensities of low-energy beams that become available for low-energy experiments and for injection into ATLAS for reacceleration. CARIBU will be completed in early 2009 and provide us with considerable experience in many of the technologies developed for a future high intensity exotic beam facility. Notable results in research at ATLAS include a measurement of the isomeric states in {sup 252}No that helps pin down the single particle structure expected for superheavy elements, and a new low-background measurement of {sup 16}N beta-decay to determine the {sup 12}C({alpha},{gamma}){sup 16}O reaction rate that is so important in astrophysical environments. Precise mass measurements shed new light on the unitarity of the quark weak-mixing matrix in the search for physics beyond the standard model. ATLAS operated for 4686 hours of research in FY2005 while achieving 95% efficiency of beam delivery for experiments. In Medium-Energy Physics, radium

  8. Biology and Medicine Division annual report, 1981-1982. [Lead abstract

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1983-04-01

    Separate abstracts were prepared for the 61 research reports in the 1981-1982 annual report for the Biology and Medicine Division of the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. Programs reviewed include research medicine, Donner Pavilion, environmental physiology, radiation biophysics and structural biophysics. (KRM)

  9. Crystal plasticity study of monocrystalline stochastic honeycombs under in-plane compression

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ma, Duancheng; Eisenlohr, Philip; Epler, Eike; Volkert, Cynthia A.; Shanthraj, Pratheek; Diehl, Martin; Roters, Franz; Raabe, Dierk

    2016-01-01

    We present a study on the plastic deformation of single crystalline stochastic honeycombs under in-plane compression using a crystal plasticity constitutive description for face-centered cubic (fcc) materials, focusing on the very early stage of plastic deformation, and identifying the interplay between the crystallographic orientation and the cellular structure during plastic deformation. We observe that despite the stochastic structure, surprisingly, the slip system activations in the honeycombs are almost identical to their corresponding bulk single crystals at the early stage of the plastic deformation. On the other hand, however, the yield stresses of the honeycombs are nearly independent of their crystallographic orientations. Similar mechanical response is found in compression testing of nanoporous gold micro-pillars aligned with various crystallographic orientations. The macroscopic stress tensors of the honeycombs show the same anisotropy as their respective bulk single crystals. Locally, however, there is an appreciable fluctuation in the local stresses, which are even larger than for polycrystals. This explains why the Taylor/Schmid factor associated with the crystallographic orientation is less useful to estimate the yield stresses of the honeycombs than the bulk single crystals and polycrystals, and why the plastic deformation occurs at smaller strains in the honeycombs than their corresponding bulk single crystals. Besides these findings, the observations of the crystallographic reorientation suggest that conventional orientation analysis tools, such as inverse pole figure and related tools, would in general fail to study the plastic deformation mechanism of monocrystalline cellular materials.

  10. Growth-arrest-specific protein 2 inhibits cell division in Xenopus embryos.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tong Zhang

    Full Text Available Growth-arrest-specific 2 gene was originally identified in murine fibroblasts under growth arrest conditions. Furthermore, serum stimulation of quiescent, non-dividing cells leads to the down-regulation of gas2 and results in re-entry into the cell cycle. Cytoskeleton rearrangements are critical for cell cycle progression and cell division and the Gas2 protein has been shown to co-localize with actin and microtubules in interphase mammalian cells. Despite these findings, direct evidence supporting a role for Gas2 in the mechanism of cell division has not been reported.To determine whether the Gas2 protein plays a role in cell division, we over-expressed the full-length Gas2 protein and Gas2 truncations containing either the actin-binding CH domain or the tubulin-binding Gas2 domain in Xenopus laevis embryos. We found that both the full-length Gas2 protein and the Gas2 domain, but not the CH domain, inhibited cell division and resulted in multinucleated cells. The observation that Gas2 domain alone can arrest cell division suggests that Gas2 function is mediated by microtubule binding. Gas2 co-localized with microtubules at the cell cortex of Gas2-injected Xenopus embryos using cryo-confocal microscopy and co-sedimented with microtubules in cytoskeleton co-sedimentation assays. To investigate the mechanism of Gas2-induced cell division arrest, we showed, using a wound-induced contractile array assay, that Gas2 stabilized microtubules. Finally, electron microscopy studies demonstrated that Gas2 bundled microtubules into higher-order structures.Our experiments show that Gas2 inhibits cell division in Xenopus embryos. We propose that Gas2 function is mediated by binding and bundling microtubules, leading to cell division arrest.

  11. Critical neural networks with short- and long-term plasticity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michiels van Kessenich, L.; Luković, M.; de Arcangelis, L.; Herrmann, H. J.

    2018-03-01

    In recent years self organized critical neuronal models have provided insights regarding the origin of the experimentally observed avalanching behavior of neuronal systems. It has been shown that dynamical synapses, as a form of short-term plasticity, can cause critical neuronal dynamics. Whereas long-term plasticity, such as Hebbian or activity dependent plasticity, have a crucial role in shaping the network structure and endowing neural systems with learning abilities. In this work we provide a model which combines both plasticity mechanisms, acting on two different time scales. The measured avalanche statistics are compatible with experimental results for both the avalanche size and duration distribution with biologically observed percentages of inhibitory neurons. The time series of neuronal activity exhibits temporal bursts leading to 1 /f decay in the power spectrum. The presence of long-term plasticity gives the system the ability to learn binary rules such as xor, providing the foundation of future research on more complicated tasks such as pattern recognition.

  12. Computational modeling of neural plasticity for self-organization of neural networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chrol-Cannon, Joseph; Jin, Yaochu

    2014-11-01

    Self-organization in biological nervous systems during the lifetime is known to largely occur through a process of plasticity that is dependent upon the spike-timing activity in connected neurons. In the field of computational neuroscience, much effort has been dedicated to building up computational models of neural plasticity to replicate experimental data. Most recently, increasing attention has been paid to understanding the role of neural plasticity in functional and structural neural self-organization, as well as its influence on the learning performance of neural networks for accomplishing machine learning tasks such as classification and regression. Although many ideas and hypothesis have been suggested, the relationship between the structure, dynamics and learning performance of neural networks remains elusive. The purpose of this article is to review the most important computational models for neural plasticity and discuss various ideas about neural plasticity's role. Finally, we suggest a few promising research directions, in particular those along the line that combines findings in computational neuroscience and systems biology, and their synergetic roles in understanding learning, memory and cognition, thereby bridging the gap between computational neuroscience, systems biology and computational intelligence. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Portraying Temporal Dynamics of Urban Spatial Divisions with Mobile Phone Positioning Data: A Complex Network Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meng Zhou

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Spatial structure is a fundamental characteristic of cities that influences the urban functioning to a large extent. While administrative partitioning is generally done in the form of static spatial division, understanding a more temporally dynamic structure of the urban space would benefit urban planning and management immensely. This study makes use of a large-scale mobile phone positioning dataset to characterize the diurnal dynamics of the interaction-based urban spatial structure. To extract the temporally vibrant structure, spatial interaction networks at different times are constructed based on the movement connections of individuals between geographical units. Complex network community detection technique is applied to identify the spatial divisions as well as to quantify their temporal dynamics. Empirical analysis is conducted using data containing all user positions on a typical weekday in Shenzhen, China. Results are compared with official zoning and planned structure and indicate a certain degree of expansion in urban central areas and fragmentation in industrial suburban areas. A high level of variability in spatial divisions at different times of day is detected with some distinct temporal features. Peak and pre-/post-peak hours witness the most prominent fluctuation in spatial division indicating significant change in the characteristics of movements and activities during these periods of time. Findings of this study demonstrate great potential of large-scale mobility data in supporting intelligent spatial decision making and providing valuable knowledge to the urban planning sectors.

  14. Calculating and optimizing inter-electrode capacitances of charge division microchannel plate detectors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xing, Yan [Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130033 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Chen, Bo, E-mail: chenb@ciomp.ac.cn [Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130033 (China); Zhang, Hong-Ji; Wang, Hai-Feng; He, Ling-Ping [Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130033 (China); Jin, Fang-Yuan [Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130033 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China)

    2016-04-01

    Based on the principle of charge division microchannel plate detectors, the inter-electrode capacitances of charge division anodes which are related to electronic noise of the charge sensitive amplifier and crosstalk effect of the anode are presented. Under all the requirements of charge division microchannel plate detectors such as the imaging linearity and spatial resolution, decreasing the inter-electrode capacitances is one way to improve the imaging performance. In this paper, we illustrate the simulation process of calculating the inter-electrode capacitances. Moreover, a Wedge and Strip (WSZ) anode is fabricated with the picosecond laser micromachining process. Comparing the simulated capacitances and measured capacitances, the three-dimensional finite element method is proved to be valid. Furthermore, by adjusting the design parameters of the anode, the effects of the substrate permittivity, insulation width and the size of pitch on the inter-electrode capacitances have been analysed. The structure of the charge division anode has been optimized based on the simulation data.

  15. A general shakedown theorem for elastic/plastic bodies with work hardening

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ponter, A.R.S.

    1975-01-01

    In recent years the design of metallic structures under variable loading has been assisted by the application of Melan's lower bound theorem for the shakedown on an elastic/perfectly plastic structure. The design codes for both portal frames and pressure vessels have taken account of such calculations. The theory of shakedown suffers from two defects, geometry changes are ignored and the material behaviour is described by a perfectly plastic constitutive relationship which includes neither work hardening nor the Bauschinger effect. This paper is concerned with the latter problem. A very general lower bound shakedown theorem is derived for an arbitrary time-independent material in terms of functional properties of the constitutive relationship. The theorem is then applied to perfect, isotropic and kinematic hardening plasticity. (Auth.)

  16. Electromigration-induced plasticity and texture in Cu interconnects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Advanced Light Source; Tamura, Nobumichi; Budiman, A. S.; Hau-Riege, C.S.; Besser, P. R.; Marathe, A.; Joo, Y.-C.; Tamura, N.; Patel, J. R.; Nix, W. D.

    2007-01-01

    Plastic deformation has been observed in damascene Cu interconnect test structures during an in-situ electromigration experiment and before the onset of visible microstructural damage (ie. voiding) using a synchrotron technique of white beam X-ray microdiffraction. We show here that the extent of this electromigration-induced plasticity is dependent on the texture of the Cu grains in the line. In lines with strong textures, the extent of plastic deformation is found to be relatively large compared to our plasticity results in the previous study [1] using another set of Cu lines with weaker textures. This is consistent with our earlier observation that the occurrence of plastic deformation in a given grain can be strongly correlated with the availability of a direction of the crystal in the proximity of the direction of the electron flow in the line (within an angle of 10 o ). In out-of-plane oriented grains in a damascene interconnect scheme, the crystal plane facing the sidewall tends to be a {110} plane,[2-4] so as to minimize interfacial energy. Therefore, it is deterministic rather than probabilistic that the grains will have a direction nearly parallel to the direction of electron flow. Thus, strong textures lead to more plasticity, as we observe

  17. Electromigration-induced Plasticity and Texture in Cu Interconnects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Budiman, A. S.; Hau-Riege, C. S.; Besser, P. R.; Marathe, A.; Joo, Y.-C.; Tamura, N.; Patel, J. R.; Nix, W. D.

    2007-10-01

    Plastic deformation has been observed in damascene Cu interconnect test structures during an in-situ electromigration experiment and before the onset of visible microstructural damage (ie. voiding) using a synchrotron technique of white beam X-ray microdiffraction. We show here that the extent of this electromigration-induced plasticity is dependent on the texture of the Cu grains in the line. In lines with strong textures, the extent of plastic deformation is found to be relatively large compared to our plasticity results in the previous study[1] using another set of Cu lines with weaker textures. This is consistent with our earlier observation that the occurrence of plastic deformation in a given grain can be strongly correlated with the availability of a direction of the crystal in the proximity of the direction of the electron flow in the line (within an angle of 10°). In out-of-plane oriented grains in a damascene interconnect scheme, the crystal plane facing the sidewall tends to be a {110} plane,[2-4] so as to minimize interfacial energy. Therefore, it is deterministic rather than probabilistic that the grains will have a direction nearly parallel to the direction of electron flow. Thus, strong textures lead to more plasticity, as we observe.

  18. 77 FR 40586 - Coastal Programs Division

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-07-10

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Coastal Programs Division AGENCY: Coastal Programs Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Ocean.... FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kerry Kehoe, Coastal Programs Division (NORM/3), Office of Ocean and...

  19. Plastics for corrosion inhibition

    CERN Document Server

    Goldade, Victor A; Makarevich, Anna V; Kestelman, Vladimir N

    2005-01-01

    The development of polymer composites containing inhibitors of metal corrosion is an important endeavour in modern materials science and technology. Corrosion inhibitors can be located in a polymer matrix in the solid, liquid or gaseous phase. This book details the thermodynamic principles for selecting these components, their compatibility and their effectiveness. The various mechanisms of metal protection – barrier, inhibiting and electromechanical – are considered, as are the conflicting requirements placed on the structure of the combined material. Two main classes of inhibited materials (structural and films/coatings) are described in detail. Examples are given of structural plastics used in friction units subjected to mechano-chemical wear and of polymer films/coatings for protecting metal objects against corrosion.

  20. Nuclear Physics Division - Inst. of Experimental Physics - Warsaw University - Annual Report 2003

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kirejczyk, M.; Skwira, I.; Grodner, E.

    2004-01-01

    In the presented report the research activities of Nuclear Physics Division (NPD) of the Warsaw University Institute of Experimental Physics in year of 2003 are described. The report is divided into three parts: Reaction Mechanisms and Nuclear Structure, Experimental Methods and Instrumentation and the third one contain the lists of personnel, seminars held at the Nuclear Physics Division and list of published papers. A summary of the (NPD) activities are briefly presented in ''Preface'' written by NPD director prof. K. Siwek-Wilczynska

  1. Nuclear Physics Division - Inst. of Experimental Physics - Warsaw University - Annual Report 1998

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kirejczyk, M.; Szeflinski, Z.

    1999-01-01

    In the presented report the research activities of Nuclear Physics Division (NPD) of the Warsaw University Institute of Experimental Physics in year of 1998 are described. The report is divided into three parts: Reaction Mechanisms and Nuclear Structure, Experimental Methods and Instrumentation and the third one contains the lists of personnel, seminars held at the Nuclear Physics Division and list of published papers. A summary of the (NPD) activities are briefly presented in ''Preface'' written by NDP director prof. K. Siwek-Wilczynska

  2. Nuclear Physics Division - Inst. of Experimental Physics - Warsaw University - Annual Report 2004

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kirejczyk, M.K.

    2005-01-01

    In the presented report the research activities of Nuclear Physics Division (NPD) of the Warsaw University Institute of Experimental Physics in year of 2004 are described. The report is divided into three parts: Reaction Mechanisms and Nuclear Structure, Experimental Methods and Instrumentation and the third one contains the lists of personnel, seminars held at the Nuclear Physics Division and list of published papers. A summary of the (NPD) activities are briefly presented in ''Preface'' written by NDP director prof. K. Siwek-Wilczynska

  3. Nuclear Physics Division - Inst. of Experimental Physics - Warsaw University - Annual Report 1998

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kirejczyk, M.; Szeflinski, Z. [eds.

    1999-08-01

    In the presented report the research activities of Nuclear Physics Division (NPD) of the Warsaw University Institute of Experimental Physics in year of 1998 are described. The report is divided into three parts: Reaction Mechanisms and Nuclear Structure, Experimental Methods and Instrumentation and the third one contains the lists of personnel, seminars held at the Nuclear Physics Division and list of published papers. A summary of the (NPD) activities are briefly presented in ``Preface`` written by NDP director prof. K. Siwek-Wilczynska

  4. Nuclear Physics Division - Inst. of Experimental Physics - Warsaw University - Annual Report 2000

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kirejczyk, M.

    2001-01-01

    In the presented report the research activities of Nuclear Physics Division (NPD) of the Warsaw University Institute of Experimental Physics in year of 2000 are described. The report is divided into three parts: Reaction Mechanisms and Nuclear Structure, Experimental Methods and Instrumentation and the third one contain the lists of personnel, seminars held at the Nuclear Physics Division and list of published papers. A summary of the (NPD) activities are briefly presented in 'Preface' written by NDP director prof. K. Siwek-Wilczynska

  5. Nuclear Physics Division - Inst. of Experimental Physics - Warsaw University - Annual Report 2001

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kirejczyk, M.

    2001-01-01

    In the presented report the research activities of Nuclear Physics Division (NPD) of the Warsaw University Institute of Experimental Physics in year of 2001 are described. The report is divided into three parts: Reaction Mechanisms and Nuclear Structure, Experimental Methods and Instrumentation and the third one which contain the lists of personnel, seminars held at the Nuclear Physics Division and list of published papers. A summary of the (NPD) activities are briefly presented in ''Preface'' written by NPD director prof. K. Siwek-Wilczynska

  6. Nuclear Physics Division - Inst. of Experimental Physics - Warsaw University - Annual Report 1999

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kirejczyk, M.

    2000-01-01

    In the presented report the research activities of Nuclear Physics Division (NPD) of the Warsaw University Institute of Experimental Physics in year of 1999 are described. The report is divided into three parts: Reaction Mechanisms and Nuclear Structure, Experimental Methods and Instrumentation and the third one contain the lists of personnel, seminars held at the Nuclear Physics Division and list of published papers. A summary of the (NPD) activities are briefly presented in ''Preface'' written by NDP director prof. K. Siwek-Wilczynska

  7. Annual report of the maintenance division for 1965

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nikolic, M.

    1965-12-01

    The personnel of the Division is organized in groups, each responsible for a number of tasks related to maintenance of reactor mechanical structures, electric equipment, electronic equipment. According to the action plan for 1965 the division for RA reactor maintenance the main activities were: planned maintenance of the reactor components, planned repair of the main components, indispensable repairs during reactor operation, repair during planned shutdown periods and tasks related to improvement of operation components and systems. Quite a significant number of failures was related to electronic equipment resulting from failures of thermometers in the heavy water system due to vibrations of the pumps. A number of spare parts and tools were produced needed for maintenance of reactor components, as well as instruments for control and calibration of reactor measuring devices [sr

  8. Plastic value chains

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baxter, John; Wahlstrom, Margareta; Zu Castell-Rüdenhausen, Malin

    2014-01-01

    Optimizing plastic value chains is regarded as an important measure in order to increase recycling of plastics in an efficient way. This can also lead to improved awareness of the hazardous substances contained in plastic waste, and how to avoid that these substances are recycled. As an example......, plastics from WEEE is chosen as a Nordic case study. The project aims to propose a number of improvements for this value chain together with representatives from Nordic stakeholders. Based on the experiences made, a guide for other plastic value chains shall be developed....

  9. Elastic-plastic-creep analysis of shells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pai, D.H.

    1979-01-01

    This paper presents the recent experience of a designer/fabricator of nuclear heat transport components in the area of elastic-plastic-creep analysis of shell-like structures. A brief historical perspective is first given to highlight the evolution leading to the present industry practice. The ASME elevated temperature design criteria will be discussed followed by examples of actual computations performed to support the design/analysis and fabrication of a breeder reactor component in which a substantial amount of elastic-plastic-creep analysis was performed. Mathematical challenges encountered by the design analyst in these problems will be highlighted. Developmental needs and future trends will then be given

  10. Simplified Theory of Plastic Zones for cyclic loading and multilinear hardening

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hübel, Hartwig

    2015-01-01

    The Simplified Theory of Plastic Zones (STPZ) is a direct method based on Zarka's method, primarily developed to estimate post-shakedown quantities of structures under cyclic loading, avoiding incremental analyses through a load histogram. In a different paper the STPZ has previously been shown to provide excellent estimates of the elastic–plastic strain ranges in the state of plastic shakedown as required for fatigue analyses. In the present paper, it is described how the STPZ can be used to predict the strains accumulated through a number of loading cycles due to a ratcheting mechanism, until either elastic or plastic shakedown is achieved, so that strain limits can be satisfied. Thus, a consistent means of estimating both, strain ranges and accumulated strains is provided for structural integrity assessment as required by pressure vessel codes. The computational costs involved typically consist of few linear elastic analyses and some local calculations. Multilinear kinematic hardening and temperature dependent yield stresses are accounted for. The quality of the results and the computational burden involved are demonstrated through four examples. - Highlights: • A method is provided to estimate accumulated elastic–plastic strains. • A consistent method is provided to estimate elastic–plastic strain ranges. • Effect of multilinear kinematic hardening is captured. • Temperature dependent material properties are accounted for. • Few linear elastic analyses required

  11. Neural plasticity of development and learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galván, Adriana

    2010-06-01

    Development and learning are powerful agents of change across the lifespan that induce robust structural and functional plasticity in neural systems. An unresolved question in developmental cognitive neuroscience is whether development and learning share the same neural mechanisms associated with experience-related neural plasticity. In this article, I outline the conceptual and practical challenges of this question, review insights gleaned from adult studies, and describe recent strides toward examining this topic across development using neuroimaging methods. I suggest that development and learning are not two completely separate constructs and instead, that they exist on a continuum. While progressive and regressive changes are central to both, the behavioral consequences associated with these changes are closely tied to the existing neural architecture of maturity of the system. Eventually, a deeper, more mechanistic understanding of neural plasticity will shed light on behavioral changes across development and, more broadly, about the underlying neural basis of cognition. (c) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  12. Our plastic age.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Richard C; Swan, Shanna H; Moore, Charles J; vom Saal, Frederick S

    2009-07-27

    Within the last few decades, plastics have revolutionized our daily lives. Globally we use in excess of 260 million tonnes of plastic per annum, accounting for approximately 8 per cent of world oil production. In this Theme Issue of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, we describe current and future trends in usage, together with the many benefits that plastics bring to society. At the same time, we examine the environmental consequences resulting from the accumulation of waste plastic, the effects of plastic debris on wildlife and concerns for human health that arise from the production, usage and disposal of plastics. Finally, we consider some possible solutions to these problems together with the research and policy priorities necessary for their implementation.

  13. Our plastic age

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Richard C.; Swan, Shanna H.; Moore, Charles J.; vom Saal, Frederick S.

    2009-01-01

    Within the last few decades, plastics have revolutionized our daily lives. Globally we use in excess of 260 million tonnes of plastic per annum, accounting for approximately 8 per cent of world oil production. In this Theme Issue of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, we describe current and future trends in usage, together with the many benefits that plastics bring to society. At the same time, we examine the environmental consequences resulting from the accumulation of waste plastic, the effects of plastic debris on wildlife and concerns for human health that arise from the production, usage and disposal of plastics. Finally, we consider some possible solutions to these problems together with the research and policy priorities necessary for their implementation. PMID:19528049

  14. Continuous liquid level detection based on two parallel plastic optical fibers in a helical structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yingzi; Hou, Yulong; Zhang, Yanjun; Hu, Yanjun; Zhang, Liang; Gao, Xiaolong; Zhang, Huixin; Liu, Wenyi

    2018-02-01

    A simple and low-cost continuous liquid-level sensor based on two parallel plastic optical fibers (POFs) in a helical structure is presented. The change in the liquid level is determined by measuring the side-coupling power in the passive fiber. The side-coupling ratio is increased by just filling the gap between the two POFs with ultraviolet-curable optical cement, making the proposed sensor competitive. The experimental results show that the side-coupling power declines as the liquid level rises. The sensitivity and the measurement range are flexible and affected by the geometric parameters of the helical structure. A higher sensitivity of 0.0208 μW/mm is acquired for a smaller curvature radius of 5 mm, and the measurement range can be expanded to 120 mm by enlarging the screw pitch to 40 mm. In addition, the reversibility and temperature dependence are studied. The proposed sensor is a cost-effective solution offering the advantages of a simple fabrication process, good reversibility, and compensable temperature dependence.

  15. Physics Division annual report, April 1, 1995--March 31, 1996

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thayer, K.J. [ed.

    1996-11-01

    The past year has seen several major advances in the Division`s research programs. In heavy-ion physics these include experiments with radioactive beams of interest to nuclear astrophysics, a first exploration of the structure of nuclei situated beyond the proton drip line, the discovery of new proton emitters--the heaviest known, the first unambiguous detection of discrete linking transitions between superdeformed and normal deformed states, and the impact of the APEX results which were the first to report, conclusively, no sign of the previously reported sharp electron positron sum lines. The medium energy nuclear physics program of the Division has led the first round of experiments at the CEBAF accelerator at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility and the study of color transparency in rho meson propagation at the HERMES experiment at DESY, and it has established nuclear polarization in a laser driven polarized hydrogen target. In atomic physics, the non-dipolar contribution to photoionization has been quantitatively established for the first time, the atomic physics beamline at the Argonne 7 GeV Advanced Photon Source was constructed and, by now, first experiments have been successfully performed. The theory program has pushed exact many-body calculations with fully realistic interactions (the Argonne v{sub 18} potential) to the seven-nucleon system, and interesting results have been obtained for the structure of deformed nuclei through meanfield calculations and for the structure of baryons with QCD calculations based on the Dyson-Schwinger approach. Brief summaries are given of the individual research programs.

  16. Effect of cyclic plastic pre-strain on low cycle fatigue life

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kanno, Satoshi; Nakane, Motoki; Yorikawa, Morio; Takagi, Yoshio

    2010-01-01

    In order to evaluate structural integrity of nuclear components subjected large seismic load which produce locally plastic strain, low cycle fatigue life was examined using cyclic plastic pre-strained materials of austenitic steel (SUS316, SUS316L, SUS304TP: JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards)) and ferritic steel (SFVQ1A, STS480, STPT410, SFVC2B, SS400: JIS). It was not found that cyclic plastic pre-strain up to range of 16%, 2.5 times affected on low cycle fatigue life. The validity of existing procedure of fatigue life estimation based on usage factor was confirmed when large seismic load brought nuclear materials cyclic plastic strain. (author)

  17. Theoretical Division progress report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cooper, N.G.

    1979-04-01

    This report presents highlights of activities in the Theoretical (T) Division from October 1976-January 1979. The report is divided into three parts. Part I presents an overview of the Division: its unique function at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) and within the scientific community as a whole; the organization of personnel; the main areas of research; and a survey of recent T-Division initiatives. This overview is followed by a survey of the 13 groups within the Division, their main responsibilities, interests, and expertise, consulting activities, and recent scientific accomplisments. The remainder of the report, Parts II and III, is devoted to articles on selected research activities. Recent efforts on topics of immediate interest to energy and weapons programs at LASL and elsewhere are described in Part II, Major National Programs. Separate articles present T-Divison contributions to weapons research, reactor safety and reactor physics research, fusion research, laser isotope separation, and other energy research. Each article is a compilation of independent projects within T Division, all related to but addressing different aspects of the major program. Part III is organized by subject discipline, and describes recent scientific advances of fundamental interest. An introduction, defining the scope and general nature of T-Division efforts within a given discipline, is followed by articles on the research topics selected. The reporting is done by the scientists involved in the research, and an attempt is made to communicate to a general audience. Some data are given incidentally; more technical presentations of the research accomplished may be found among the 47 pages of references. 110 figures, 5 tables

  18. Removal of brominated flame retardant from electrical and electronic waste plastic by solvothermal technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Cong-Cong; Zhang, Fu-Shen

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► A process for brominated flame retardants (BFRs) removal in plastic was established. ► The plastic became bromine-free with the structure maintained after this treatment. ► BFRs transferred into alcohol solvent were easily debrominated by metallic copper. - Abstract: Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in electrical and electronic (E and E) waste plastic are toxic, bioaccumulative and recalcitrant. In the present study, tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) contained in this type of plastic was tentatively subjected to solvothermal treatment so as to obtain bromine-free plastic. Methanol, ethanol and isopropanol were examined as solvents for solvothermal treatment and it was found that methanol was the optimal solvent for TBBPA removal. The optimum temperature, time and liquid to solid ratio for solvothermal treatment to remove TBBPA were 90 °C, 2 h and 15:1, respectively. After the treatment with various alcohol solvents, it was found that TBBPA was finally transferred into the solvents and bromine in the extract was debrominated catalyzed by metallic copper. Bisphenol A and cuprous bromide were the main products after debromination. The morphology and FTIR properties of the plastic were generally unchanged after the solvothermal treatment indicating that the structure of the plastic maintained after the process. This work provides a clean and applicable process for BFRs-containing plastic disposal.

  19. Learning to learn - intrinsic plasticity as a metaplasticity mechanism for memory formation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sehgal, Megha; Song, Chenghui; Ehlers, Vanessa L; Moyer, James R

    2013-10-01

    "Use it or lose it" is a popular adage often associated with use-dependent enhancement of cognitive abilities. Much research has focused on understanding exactly how the brain changes as a function of experience. Such experience-dependent plasticity involves both structural and functional alterations that contribute to adaptive behaviors, such as learning and memory, as well as maladaptive behaviors, including anxiety disorders, phobias, and posttraumatic stress disorder. With the advancing age of our population, understanding how use-dependent plasticity changes across the lifespan may also help to promote healthy brain aging. A common misconception is that such experience-dependent plasticity (e.g., associative learning) is synonymous with synaptic plasticity. Other forms of plasticity also play a critical role in shaping adaptive changes within the nervous system, including intrinsic plasticity - a change in the intrinsic excitability of a neuron. Intrinsic plasticity can result from a change in the number, distribution or activity of various ion channels located throughout the neuron. Here, we review evidence that intrinsic plasticity is an important and evolutionarily conserved neural correlate of learning. Intrinsic plasticity acts as a metaplasticity mechanism by lowering the threshold for synaptic changes. Thus, learning-related intrinsic changes can facilitate future synaptic plasticity and learning. Such intrinsic changes can impact the allocation of a memory trace within a brain structure, and when compromised, can contribute to cognitive decline during the aging process. This unique role of intrinsic excitability can provide insight into how memories are formed and, more interestingly, how neurons that participate in a memory trace are selected. Most importantly, modulation of intrinsic excitability can allow for regulation of learning ability - this can prevent or provide treatment for cognitive decline not only in patients with clinical disorders but

  20. Prokaryotic cell division: flexible and diverse

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    den Blaauwen, T.

    2013-01-01

    Gram-negative rod-shaped bacteria have different approaches to position the cell division initiating Z-ring at the correct moment in their cell division cycle. The subsequent maturation into a functional division machine occurs in vastly different species in two steps with appreciable time in

  1. Environmental Sciences Division annual progress report for period ending September 30, 1991

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1992-04-01

    This progress report summarizes the research and development activities conducted in the Environmental Sciences Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory during the period October 1, 1990, through September 30, 1991. The report is structured to provide descriptions of current activities and accomplishments in each of the division's major organizational units. Following the sections describing the organizational units is a section devoted to lists of information necessary to convey the scope of the work in the division. The Environmental Sciences Division (ESD) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) conducts environmental research and analyses associated with both energy technology development and the interactions between people and the environment. The division engages in basic and applied research for a diverse list of sponsors. While the US Department of Energy (DOE) is the primary sponsor ESD staff also perform research for other federal agencies, state agencies, and private industry. The division works collaboratively with federal agencies, universities, and private organizations in achieving its research objectives and hosts a large number of visiting investigators from these organizations. Given the diverse interdisciplinary specialization of its staff, ESD provides technical expertise on complex environmental problems and renders technical leadership for major environmental issues of national and local concern. This progress report highlights many of ESD's accomplishment in these and other areas in FY 1991.

  2. Impact of Bio-Based Plastics on Current Recycling of Plastics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luc Alaerts

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Bio-based plastics are increasingly appearing in a range of consumption products, and after use they often end up in technical recycling chains. Bio-based plastics are different from fossil-based ones and could disturb the current recycling of plastics and hence inhibit the closure of plastic cycles, which is undesirable given the current focus on a transition towards a circular economy. In this paper, this risk has been assessed via three elaborated case studies using data and information retrieved through an extended literature search. No overall risks were revealed for bio-based plastics as a group; rather, every bio-based plastic is to be considered as a potential separate source of contamination in current recycling practices. For PLA (polylactic acid, a severe incompatibility with PET (polyethylene terephthalate recycling is known; hence, future risks are assessed by measuring amounts of PLA ending up in PET waste streams. For PHA (polyhydroxy alkanoate there is no risk currently, but it will be crucial to monitor future application development. For PEF (polyethylene furanoate, a particular approach for contamination-related issues has been included in the upcoming market introduction. With respect to developing policy, it is important that any introduction of novel plastics is well guided from a system perspective and with a particular eye on incompatibilities with current and upcoming practices in the recycling of plastics.

  3. Distinct genetic architectures for phenotype means and plasticities in Zea mays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kusmec, Aaron; Srinivasan, Srikant; Nettleton, Dan; Schnable, Patrick S

    2017-09-01

    Phenotypic plasticity describes the phenotypic variation of a trait when a genotype is exposed to different environments. Understanding the genetic control of phenotypic plasticity in crops such as maize is of paramount importance for maintaining and increasing yields in a world experiencing climate change. Here, we report the results of genome-wide association analyses of multiple phenotypes and two measures of phenotypic plasticity in a maize nested association mapping (US-NAM) population grown in multiple environments and genotyped with ~2.5 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms. We show that across all traits the candidate genes for mean phenotype values and plasticity measures form structurally and functionally distinct groups. Such independent genetic control suggests that breeders will be able to select semi-independently for mean phenotype values and plasticity, thereby generating varieties with both high mean phenotype values and levels of plasticity that are appropriate for the target performance environments.

  4. Physics Division Argonne National Laboratory description of the programs and facilities.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thayer, K.J. [ed.

    1999-05-24

    The ANL Physics Division traces its roots to nuclear physics research at the University of Chicago around the time of the second world war. Following the move from the University of Chicago out to the present Argonne site and the formation of Argonne National Laboratory: the Physics Division has had a tradition of research into fundamental aspects of nuclear and atomic physics. Initially, the emphasis was on areas such as neutron physics, mass spectrometry, and theoretical studies of the nuclear shell model. Maria Goeppert Maier was an employee in the Physics Division during the time she did her Nobel-Prize-winning work on the nuclear shell model. These interests diversified and at the present time the research addresses a wide range of current problems in nuclear and atomic physics. The major emphasis of the current experimental nuclear physics research is in heavy-ion physics, centered around the ATLAS facility (Argonne Tandem-Linac Accelerator System) with its new injector providing intense, energetic ion beams over the fill mass range up to uranium. ATLAS is a designated National User Facility and is based on superconducting radio-frequency technology developed in the Physics Division. A small program continues in accelerator development. In addition, the Division has a strong program in medium-energy nuclear physics carried out at a variety of major national and international facilities. The nuclear theory research in the Division spans a wide range of interests including nuclear dynamics with subnucleonic degrees of freedom, dynamics of many-nucleon systems, nuclear structure, and heavy-ion interactions. This research makes contact with experimental research programs in intermediate-energy and heavy-ion physics, both within the Division and on the national and international scale. The Physics Division traditionally has strong connections with the nation's universities. We have many visiting faculty members and we encourage students to participate in our

  5. Finite element historical deformation analysis in piecewise linear plasticity by mathematical programming

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Donato, O.; Parisi, M.A.

    1977-01-01

    When loads increase proportionally beyond the elastic limit in the presence of elastic-plastic piecewise-linear constitutive laws, the problem of finding the whole evolution of the plastic strain and displacements of structures was recently shown to be amenable to a parametric linear complementary problem (PLCP) in which the parameter is represented by the load factor, the matrix is symmetric positive definite or at least semi-definite (for perfect plasticity) and the variables with a direct mechanical meaning are the plastic multipliers. With reference to plane trusses and frames with elastic-plastic linear work-hardening material behaviour numerical solutions were also fairly efficiently obtained using a recent mathematical programming algorithm (due to R.W. Cottle) which is able to provide the whole deformation history of the structure and, at the same time to rule out local unloadings along the given proportional loading process by means of 'a priori' checks carried out before each pivotal step of the procedure. Hence it becomes possible to use the holonomic (reversible, path-independent) constitutive laws in finite terms and to benefit by all the relevant numerical and computational advantages despite the non-holonomic nature of plastic behaviour. In the present paper the method of solution is re-examined in view to overcome an important drawback of the algorithm deriving from the size of PLCP fully populated matrix when structural problems with large number of variables are considered and, consequently, the updating, the storing or, generally, the handling of the current tableau may become prohibitive. (Auth.)

  6. Structural plasticity of Barley yellow dwarf virus-like cap-independent translation elements in four genera of plant viral RNAs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhaohui; Kraft, Jelena J; Hui, Alice Y; Miller, W Allen

    2010-06-20

    The 3' untranslated regions (UTRs) of many plant viral RNAs contain cap-independent translation elements (3' CITEs). Among the 3' CITEs, the Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV)-like translation elements (BTEs) form a structurally variable and widely distributed group. Viruses in three genera were known to harbor 3' BTEs, defined by the presence of a 17-nt consensus sequence. To understand BTE function, knowledge of phylogenetically conserved structure is essential, yet the secondary structure has been determined only for the BYDV BTE. Here we show that Rose spring dwarf-associated luteovirus, and two viruses in a fourth genus, Umbravirus, contain functional BTEs, despite deviating in the 17nt consensus sequence. Structure probing by selective 2'-hydroxyl acylation and primer extension (SHAPE) revealed conserved and highly variable structures in BTEs in all four genera. We conclude that BTEs tolerate striking evolutionary plasticity in structure, while retaining the ability to stimulate cap-independent translation. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Plastic condoms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1968-01-01

    Only simple equipment, simple technology and low initial capital investment are needed in their manufacture. The condoms can be made by people who were previously unskilled or only semi-skilled workers. Plastic condoms differ from those made of latex rubber in that the nature of the plastic film allows unlimited shelf-life. Also, the plastic has a higher degree of lubricity than latex rubber; if there is a demand for extra lubrication in a particular market, this can be provided. Because the plastic is inert, these condoms need not be packaged in hermetically sealed containers. All these attributes make it possible to put these condoms on the distributors' shelves in developing countries competitively with rubber condoms. The shape of the plastic condom is based on that of the lamb caecum, which has long been used as luxury-type condom. The plastic condom is made from plastic film (ethylene ethyl acrilate) of 0.001 inch (0.0254 mm.) thickness. In addition, a rubber ring is provided and sealed into the base of the condom for retention during coitus. The advantage of the plastic condom design and the equipment on which it is made is that production can be carried out either in labour-intensive economy or with varying degrees of mechanization and automation. The uniform, finished condom if made using previously untrained workers. Training of workers can be done in a matter of hours on the two machines which are needed to produce and test the condoms. The plastic film is provided on a double wound roll, and condom blanks are prepared by means of a heat-sealing die on the stamping machine. The rubber rings are united to the condom blanks on an assembly machine, which consists of a mandrel and heat-sealing equipment to seal the rubber ring to the base of the condom. Built into the assembly machine is a simple air-testing apparatus that can detect the smallest pinhole flaw in a condom. The manufacturing process is completed by unravelling the condom from the assembly

  8. CONCEPT OF STRUCTURAL ORGANIZATION INFORMATION SITUATIONAL CENTERS FOR OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT MACHINEBUILDING DIVISION WITH A GEOGRAPHICALLY DISTRIBUTED PRODUCTION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander V. Rechkalov

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The article considers the problem of organizing the planning system based on virtual manufacturing in constructingsituational center for engineering division. The analysis of foreign and domestic experience in the field of situational management, organization planning and managementsystems as virtual production in relation to the real (underlying production is provided. The scheme of organization situational center for engine-building enterprises of theEngineering Division is given.

  9. Plasticity in the Drosophila larval visual System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abud J Farca-Luna

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available The remarkable ability of the nervous system to modify its structure and function is mostly experience and activity modulated. The molecular basis of neuronal plasticity has been studied in higher behavioral processes, such as learning and memory formation. However, neuronal plasticity is not restricted to higher brain functions, but may provide a basic feature of adaptation of all neural circuits. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster provides a powerful genetic model to gain insight into the molecular basis of nervous system development and function. The nervous system of the larvae is again a magnitude simpler than its adult counter part, allowing the genetic assessment of a number of individual genetically identifiable neurons. We review here recent progress on the genetic basis of neuronal plasticity in developing and functioning neural circuits focusing on the simple visual system of the Drosophila larva.

  10. Fusion energy division computer systems network

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hammons, C.E.

    1980-12-01

    The Fusion Energy Division of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) operated by Union Carbide Corporation Nuclear Division (UCC-ND) is primarily involved in the investigation of problems related to the use of controlled thermonuclear fusion as an energy source. The Fusion Energy Division supports investigations of experimental fusion devices and related fusion theory. This memo provides a brief overview of the computing environment in the Fusion Energy Division and the computing support provided to the experimental effort and theory research

  11. Plasmonic Metasurfaces for Coloration of Plastic Consumer Products

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Clausen, Jeppe Sandvik; Højlund-Nielsen, Emil; Christiansen, Alexander Bruun

    2014-01-01

    We present reflective plasmonic colors based on the concept of localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR) for plastic consumer products. In particular, we bridge the widely existing technological gap between clean-room fabricated plasmonic metasurfaces and the practical call for large-area struc......We present reflective plasmonic colors based on the concept of localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR) for plastic consumer products. In particular, we bridge the widely existing technological gap between clean-room fabricated plasmonic metasurfaces and the practical call for large......-area structurally colored plastic surfaces robust to daily life handling. We utilize the hybridization between LSPR modes in aluminum nanodisks and nanoholes to design and fabricate bright angle-insensitive colors that may be tuned across the entire visible spectrum....

  12. Characteristic structures and properties of nanostructured metals prepared by plastic deformation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Huang, Xiaoxu

    2011-01-01

    This chapter focuses on describing the characteristic microstructures of nanostructured metals produced by plastic deformation to ultrahigh strains and their correlation with hardening by annealing and softening by deformation. The results suggest that optimising microstructure and the mechanical...

  13. Reuse of thermosetting plastic waste for lightweight concrete.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panyakapo, Phaiboon; Panyakapo, Mallika

    2008-01-01

    This paper presents the utilization of thermosetting plastic as an admixture in the mix proportion of lightweight concrete. Since this type of plastic cannot be melted in the recycling process, its waste is expected to be more valuable by using as an admixture for the production of non-structural lightweight concrete. Experimental tests for the variation of mix proportion were carried out to determine the suitable proportion to achieve the required properties of lightweight concrete, which are: low dry density and acceptable compressive strength. The mix design in this research is the proportion of plastic, sand, water-cement ratio, aluminum powder, and lignite fly ash. The experimental results show that the plastic not only leads to a low dry density concrete, but also a low strength. It was found that the ratio of cement, sand, fly ash, and plastic equal to 1.0:0.8:0.3:0.9 is an appropriate mix proportion. The results of compressive strength and dry density are 4.14N/mm2 and 1395 kg/m3, respectively. This type of concrete meets most of the requirements for non-load-bearing lightweight concrete according to ASTM C129 Type II standard.

  14. Structural plasticity of the N-terminal capping helix of the TPR domain of kinesin light chain.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    The Quyen Nguyen

    Full Text Available Kinesin1 plays a major role in neuronal transport by recruiting many different cargos through its kinesin light chain (KLC. Various structurally unrelated cargos interact with the conserved tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR domain of KLC. The N-terminal capping helix of the TPR domain exhibits an atypical sequence and structural features that may contribute to the versatility of the TPR domain to bind different cargos. We determined crystal structures of the TPR domain of both KLC1 and KLC2 encompassing the N-terminal capping helix and show that this helix exhibits two distinct and defined orientations relative to the rest of the TPR domain. Such a difference in orientation gives rise, at the N-terminal part of the groove, to the formation of one hydrophobic pocket, as well as to electrostatic variations at the groove surface. We present a comprehensive structural analysis of available KLC1/2-TPR domain structures that highlights that ligand binding into the groove can be specific of one or the other N-terminal capping helix orientations. Further, structural analysis reveals that the N-terminal capping helix is always involved in crystal packing contacts, especially in a TPR1:TPR1' contact which highlights its propensity to be a protein-protein interaction site. Together, these results underline that the structural plasticity of the N-terminal capping helix might represent a structural determinant for TPR domain structural versatility in cargo binding.

  15. Influence of Plastic Deformation on Martensitic Transformation During Hot Stamping of Complex Structure Auto Parts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Yuhan; Song, Yanli; Hua, Lin; Lu, Jue

    2017-04-01

    The ultra-high strength steel auto parts manufactured by hot stamping are widely applied for weight reduction and safety improvement. During the hot stamping process, hot forming and quenching are performed in one step wherein plastic deformation and phase transformation simultaneously take place and affect each other. Thereinto, the influence of deformation on martensitic transformation is of great importance. In the present paper, the influence of plastic deformation on martensitic transformation during hot stamping of complex structure auto parts was investigated. For this purpose, a B-pillar reinforced panel in B1500HS steel was manufactured by hot stamping, and the process was simulated by finite element software based on a thermo-mechanical-metallurgical coupled model. Considering various deformation degrees, the microstructures and mechanical properties at four typical locations of the hot stamped B-pillar reinforced panel were detected. The results show that the martensitic content and the microhardness increase with the increase in the deformation amount. There are two reasons causing this phenomenon: (1) the increase in mechanical driving force and (2) the increased probability of the martensitic nucleation at crystal defects. The x-ray diffraction analysis indicates the carbon enrichment in retained austenite which results from the carbon diffusion during the low-carbon martensite formation. Furthermore, the carbon content decreases with the increase in the deformation amount, because the deformation of austenite suppresses the carbon diffusion.

  16. Characterization of plastic blends made from mixed plastics waste of different sources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turku, Irina; Kärki, Timo; Rinne, Kimmo; Puurtinen, Ari

    2017-02-01

    This paper studies the recyclability of construction and household plastic waste collected from local landfills. Samples were processed from mixed plastic waste by injection moulding. In addition, blends of pure plastics, polypropylene and polyethylene were processed as a reference set. Reference samples with known plastic ratio were used as the calibration set for quantitative analysis of plastic fractions in recycled blends. The samples were tested for the tensile properties; scanning electron microscope-energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy was used for elemental analysis of the blend surfaces and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis was used for the quantification of plastics contents.

  17. Optimization of wood plastic composite decks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ravivarman, S.; Venkatesh, G. S.; Karmarkar, A.; Shivkumar N., D.; Abhilash R., M.

    2018-04-01

    Wood Plastic Composite (WPC) is a new class of natural fibre based composite material that contains plastic matrix reinforced with wood fibres or wood flour. In the present work, Wood Plastic Composite was prepared with 70-wt% of wood flour reinforced in polypropylene matrix. Mechanical characterization of the composite was done by carrying out laboratory tests such as tensile test and flexural test as per the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. Computer Aided Design (CAD) model of the laboratory test specimen (tensile test) was created and explicit finite element analysis was carried out on the finite element model in non-linear Explicit FE code LS - DYNA. The piecewise linear plasticity (MAT 24) material model was identified as a suitable model in LS-DYNA material library, describing the material behavior of the developed composite. The composite structures for decking application in construction industry were then optimized for cross sectional area and distance between two successive supports (span length) by carrying out various numerical experiments in LS-DYNA. The optimized WPC deck (Elliptical channel-2 E10) has 45% reduced weight than the baseline model (solid cross-section) considered in this study with the load carrying capacity meeting acceptance criterion (allowable deflection & stress) for outdoor decking application.

  18. The Prevalence of Cosmetic Facial Plastic Procedures among Facial Plastic Surgeons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moayer, Roxana; Sand, Jordan P; Han, Albert; Nabili, Vishad; Keller, Gregory S

    2018-04-01

    This is the first study to report on the prevalence of cosmetic facial plastic surgery use among facial plastic surgeons. The aim of this study is to determine the frequency with which facial plastic surgeons have cosmetic procedures themselves. A secondary aim is to determine whether trends in usage of cosmetic facial procedures among facial plastic surgeons are similar to that of nonsurgeons. The study design was an anonymous, five-question, Internet survey distributed via email set in a single academic institution. Board-certified members of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) were included in this study. Self-reported history of cosmetic facial plastic surgery or minimally invasive procedures were recorded. The survey also queried participants for demographic data. A total of 216 members of the AAFPRS responded to the questionnaire. Ninety percent of respondents were male ( n  = 192) and 10.3% were female ( n  = 22). Thirty-three percent of respondents were aged 31 to 40 years ( n  = 70), 25% were aged 41 to 50 years ( n  = 53), 21.4% were aged 51 to 60 years ( n  = 46), and 20.5% were older than 60 years ( n  = 44). Thirty-six percent of respondents had a surgical cosmetic facial procedure and 75% has at least one minimally invasive cosmetic facial procedure. Facial plastic surgeons are frequent users of cosmetic facial plastic surgery. This finding may be due to access, knowledge base, values, or attitudes. By better understanding surgeon attitudes toward facial plastic surgery, we can improve communication with patients and delivery of care. This study is a first step in understanding use of facial plastic procedures among facial plastic surgeons. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

  19. Scientific Equipment Division - Overview

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Halik, J.

    2001-01-01

    Full text: The Scientific Equipment Division consists of the Design Group and the Mechanical Workshop. The activity of the Division includes the following: - designing of devices and equipment for experiments in physics, their mechanical construction and assembly. In particular, there are vacuum chambers and installations for HV and UHV; - maintenance and upgrading of the existing installations and equipment in our Institute; - participation of our engineers and technicians in design works, equipment assembly and maintenance for experiments in foreign laboratories. The Design Group is equipped with PC-computers and AutoCAD graphic software (release 2000 and Mechanical Desktop 4.0) and a AO plotter, what allows us to make drawings and 2- and 3-dimensional mechanical documentation to the world standards. The Mechanical Workshop can offer a wide range of machining and treatment methods with satisfactory tolerances and surface quality. It offers the following possibilities: - turning - cylindrical elements of a length up to 2000 mm and a diameter up to 400 mm, and also disc-type elements of a diameter up to 600 mm and a length not exceeding 300 mm; - milling - elements of length up to 1000 mm and gear wheels of diameter up to 300 mm; - grinding - flat surfaces of dimensions up to 300 mm x 1000 mm and cylindrical elements of a diameter up to 200 mm and a length up to 800 mm; - drilling - holes of a diameter up to 50 mm; - welding - electrical and gas welding, including TIG vacuum-tight welding; - soft and hard soldering; - mechanical works including precision engineering; - plastics treatment - machining and polishing using diamond milling, modelling, lamination of various shapes and materials, including plexiglas, scintillators and light-guides; - painting - paint spraying with possibility of using furnace-fred drier of internal dimensions of 800 mm x 800 mm x 800 mm. Our workshop posses CNC milling machine which can be used for machining of work-pieces up to 500 kg

  20. Plasticity-mediated collapse and recrystallization in hollow copper nanowires: a molecular dynamics simulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amlan Dutta

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available We study the thermal stability of hollow copper nanowires using molecular dynamics simulation. We find that the plasticity-mediated structural evolution leads to transformation of the initial hollow structure to a solid wire. The process involves three distinct stages, namely, collapse, recrystallization and slow recovery. We calculate the time scales associated with different stages of the evolution process. Our findings suggest a plasticity-mediated mechanism of collapse and recrystallization. This contradicts the prevailing notion of diffusion driven transport of vacancies from the interior to outer surface being responsible for collapse, which would involve much longer time scales as compared to the plasticity-based mechanism.

  1. Recycling of plastic waste: Presence of phthalates in plastics from households and industry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pivnenko, K; Eriksen, M K; Martín-Fernández, J A; Eriksson, E; Astrup, T F

    2016-08-01

    Plastics recycling has the potential to substitute virgin plastics partially as a source of raw materials in plastic product manufacturing. Plastic as a material may contain a variety of chemicals, some potentially hazardous. Phthalates, for instance, are a group of chemicals produced in large volumes and are commonly used as plasticisers in plastics manufacturing. Potential impacts on human health require restricted use in selected applications and a need for the closer monitoring of potential sources of human exposure. Although the presence of phthalates in a variety of plastics has been recognised, the influence of plastic recycling on phthalate content has been hypothesised but not well documented. In the present work we analysed selected phthalates (DMP, DEP, DPP, DiBP, DBP, BBzP, DEHP, DCHP and DnOP) in samples of waste plastics as well as recycled and virgin plastics. DBP, DiBP and DEHP had the highest frequency of detection in the samples analysed, with 360μg/g, 460μg/g and 2700μg/g as the maximum measured concentrations, respectively. Among other, statistical analysis of the analytical results suggested that phthalates were potentially added in the later stages of plastic product manufacturing (labelling, gluing, etc.) and were not removed following recycling of household waste plastics. Furthermore, DEHP was identified as a potential indicator for phthalate contamination of plastics. Close monitoring of plastics intended for phthalates-sensitive applications is recommended if recycled plastics are to be used as raw material in production. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Nuclear Science Division annual report, July 1, 1981-September 30, 1982

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahoney, J.

    1983-06-01

    This report summarizes the scientific research carried out within the Nuclear Science Division between July 1, 1981, and September 30, 1982. Heavy-ion investigations continue to dominate the experimental and theoretical research efforts. Complementary programs in light-ion nuclear science, in nuclear data evaluation, and in the development of advanced instrumentation are also carried out. Results from Bevalac experiments employing a wide variety of heavy ion beams, along with new or upgraded detector facilities (HISS, the Plastic Ball, and the streamer chamber) are contained in this report. These relativistic experiments have shed important light on the degree of equilibration for central collisions, the time evolution of a nuclear collision, the nuclear density and compressional energy of these collisions, and strange particle production. Reaction mechanism work dominates the heavy-ion research at the 88-Inch Cyclotron and the SuperHILAC. Recent experiments have contributed to our understanding of the nature of light-particle emission in deep-inelastic collisions, of peripheral reactions, incomplete fusion, fission, and evaporation. Nuclear structure investigations at these accelerators continue to be directed toward the understanding of the behavior of nuclei at high angular momentum. Research in the area of exotic nuclei has led to the observation at the 88-Inch Cyclotron of the β-delayed proton decay of odd-odd T/sub z/ = -2 nuclides; β-delayed proton emitters in the rare earth region are being investigated at the SuperHILAC

  3. Nuclear Science Division annual report, July 1, 1981-September 30, 1982

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mahoney, J. (ed.)

    1983-06-01

    This report summarizes the scientific research carried out within the Nuclear Science Division between July 1, 1981, and September 30, 1982. Heavy-ion investigations continue to dominate the experimental and theoretical research efforts. Complementary programs in light-ion nuclear science, in nuclear data evaluation, and in the development of advanced instrumentation are also carried out. Results from Bevalac experiments employing a wide variety of heavy ion beams, along with new or upgraded detector facilities (HISS, the Plastic Ball, and the streamer chamber) are contained in this report. These relativistic experiments have shed important light on the degree of equilibration for central collisions, the time evolution of a nuclear collision, the nuclear density and compressional energy of these collisions, and strange particle production. Reaction mechanism work dominates the heavy-ion research at the 88-Inch Cyclotron and the SuperHILAC. Recent experiments have contributed to our understanding of the nature of light-particle emission in deep-inelastic collisions, of peripheral reactions, incomplete fusion, fission, and evaporation. Nuclear structure investigations at these accelerators continue to be directed toward the understanding of the behavior of nuclei at high angular momentum. Research in the area of exotic nuclei has led to the observation at the 88-Inch Cyclotron of the ..beta..-delayed proton decay of odd-odd T/sub z/ = -2 nuclides; ..beta..-delayed proton emitters in the rare earth region are being investigated at the SuperHILAC.

  4. 49 CFR 1242.03 - Made by accounting divisions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 9 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Made by accounting divisions. 1242.03 Section 1242... accounting divisions. The separation shall be made by accounting divisions, where such divisions are maintained, and the aggregate of the accounting divisions reported for the quarter and for the year. ...

  5. Recycling of plastic waste: Presence of phthalates in plastics from households and industry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pivnenko, Kostyantyn; Eriksen, Marie Kampmann; Martín-Fernández, J. A.

    2016-01-01

    Plastics recycling has the potential to substitute virgin plastics partially as a source of raw materials in plastic product manufacturing. Plastic as a material may contain a variety of chemicals, some potentially hazardous. Phthalates, for instance, are a group of chemicals produced in large...... recognised, the influence of plastic recycling on phthalate content has been hypothesised but not well documented. In the present work we analysed selected phthalates (DMP, DEP, DPP, DiBP, DBP, BBzP, DEHP, DCHP and DnOP) in samples of waste plastics as well as recycled and virgin plastics. DBP, DiBP and DEHP...

  6. Chemical Technology Division annual technical report, 1994

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1995-06-01

    Highlights of the Chemical Technology (CMT) Division`s activities during 1994 are presented. In this period, CMT conducted research and development in the following areas: (1) electrochemical technology, including advanced batteries and fuel cells; (2) technology for fluidized-bed combustion; (3) methods for treatment of hazardous waste and mixed hazardous/radioactive waste; (4) the reaction of nuclear waste glass and spent fuel under conditions expected for an unsaturated repository; (5) processes for separating and recovering transuranic elements from waste streams, concentrating radioactive waste streams with advanced evaporator technology, and producing {sup 99}Mo from low-enriched uranium for medical applications; (6) electrometallurgical treatment of the many different types of spent nuclear fuel in storage at Department of Energy sites; and (8) physical chemistry of selected materials in environments simulating those of fission and fusion energy systems. The Division also conducts basic research in catalytic chemistry associated with molecular energy resources and novel ceramic precursors; materials chemistry of superconducting oxides, electrified metal/solution interfaces, molecular sieve structures, and impurities in scrap copper and steel; and the geochemical processes involved in mineral/fluid interfaces and water-rock interactions occurring in active hydrothermal systems. In addition, the Analytical Chemistry Laboratory in CMT provides a broad range of analytical chemistry support services to the technical programs at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL).

  7. Chemical Technology Division progress report, July 1, 1991--December 31, 1992

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Genung, R.K.; Hightower, J.R.; Bell, J.T.

    1993-05-01

    This progress report reviews the mission of the Chemical Technology Division (Chem Tech) and presents a summary of organizational structure, programmatic sponsors, and funding levels for the period July 1, 1991, through December 31, 1992. The report also summarizes the missions and activities of organizations within Chem Tech for the reporting period. Specific projects performed within Chem Tech's energy research programs, waste and environmental programs, and radiochemical processing programs are highlighted. Special programmatic activities conducted by the division are identified and described. Other information regarding publications, patents, awards, and conferences organized by Chem Tech staff is also included

  8. [Osseontegration of trial implants of carbon fiber reinforced plastics].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schreiner, U; Schwarz, M; Scheller, G; Schroeder-Boersch, H; Jani, L

    2000-01-01

    To what extent are carbon fibre-reinforced plastics (CFRP) suitable as an osseous integration surface for implants? CFRP test implants having a plexus-structured, rhombus-structured, and plexus-structured, hydroxyapatite surface were implanted in the femura of mini-plgs. Exposure time lasted 12 weeks. The implants were subjected to a macroradiological, a histological-histomorphometrical, and a fluorescence-microscopical evaluation. One half of the uncoated, plexus-structured implants were not osteointegrated, the other half displayed an osteointegration rate of 11.8% in the spongy area and 29.8% in the cortex layer. The HA-coated test implants showed an osteointegration of 29.5% in the spongiosa and 56.8% in the cortex layer. The rhombus-structured test implants had an osteointegration of 29.2% (spongiosa) and 46.2% (cortex layer). Compared to the osteointegration of metallic, especially titanium surfaces the CFRP surfaces tested by us fared worse, especially the uncoated, plexus-structured surfaces. For this reason we view very critically the use of carbon-fibre reinforced plastics together with the surfaces tested by us as osteointegrating surfaces.

  9. Shear-induced anisotropic plastic flow from body-centred-cubic tantalum before melting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Christine J.; Söderlind, Per; Glosli, James N.; Klepeis, John E.

    2009-03-01

    There are many structural and optical similarities between a liquid and a plastic flow. Thus, it is non-trivial to distinguish between them at high pressures and temperatures, and a detailed description of the transformation between these phenomena is crucial to our understanding of the melting of metals at high pressures. Here we report a shear-induced, partially disordered viscous plastic flow from body-centred-cubic tantalum under heating before it melts into a liquid. This thermally activated structural transformation produces a unique, one-dimensional structure analogous to a liquid crystal with the rheological characteristics of Bingham plastics. This mechanism is not specific to Ta and is expected to hold more generally for other metals. Remarkably, this transition is fully consistent with the previously reported anomalously low-temperature melting curve and thus offers a plausible resolution to a long-standing controversy about melting of metals under high pressures.

  10. Elastic-plastic behaviour of thick-walled containers considering plastic compressibility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Betten, J.; Frosch, H.G.

    1983-01-01

    In this paper the elastic-plastic behaviour of thick-walled pressure vessels with internal and external pressure is studied. To describe the mechanical behaviour of isotropic, plastic compressible materials we use a plastic potential which is a single-valued function of the principle stresses. For cylinders and spheres an analytic expression for the computation of stresses and residual stresses is specified. Afterwards the strains are calculated by using the finite difference method. Some examples will high-light the influence of the plastic compressibility on the behaviour of pressure vessels. (orig.) [de

  11. Electromigration-induced plasticity and texture in Cu interconnects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Advanced Light Source; Tamura, Nobumichi; Budiman, A. S.; Hau-Riege, C.S.; Besser, P. R.; Marathe, A.; Joo, Y.-C.; Tamura, N.; Patel, J. R.; Nix, W. D.

    2007-10-31

    Plastic deformation has been observed in damascene Cu interconnect test structures during an in-situ electromigration experiment and before the onset of visible microstructural damage (ie. voiding) using a synchrotron technique of white beam X-ray microdiffraction. We show here that the extent of this electromigration-induced plasticity is dependent on the texture of the Cu grains in the line. In lines with strong <111> textures, the extent of plastic deformation is found to be relatively large compared to our plasticity results in the previous study [1] using another set of Cu lines with weaker textures. This is consistent with our earlier observation that the occurrence of plastic deformation in a given grain can be strongly correlated with the availability of a <112> direction of the crystal in the proximity of the direction of the electron flow in the line (within an angle of 10{sup o}). In <111> out-of-plane oriented grains in a damascene interconnect scheme, the crystal plane facing the sidewall tends to be a {l_brace}110{r_brace} plane,[2-4] so as to minimize interfacial energy. Therefore, it is deterministic rather than probabilistic that the <111> grains will have a <112> direction nearly parallel to the direction of electron flow. Thus, strong <111> textures lead to more plasticity, as we observe.

  12. Effect of temperature change exerted on plastic deformation of SUS 304

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niitsu, Yasushi; Ikegami, Kozo

    1985-01-01

    Under the condition of mechanical load, on which the thermal stress due to temperature change is superposed, the deformation behavior of structural materials is affected by not only loading history but also temperature history. Also at the time of working materials, the case that the relation between plastic deformation and temperature change becomes a problem is not few, such as cold working after hot rolling. In this study, the effect of temperature change exerted on the plastic deformation of SUS 304 stainless steel was examined, as this material has been frequently used as a high temperature structural material. That is, the plastic deformation behavior at a certain temperature after prestrain was applied at a different temperature was experimentally determined under various temperature and load conditions. Moreover, the quantitative evaluation of the results obtained was attempted by using the concept of an equal plastic strain curved surface. The test pieces and the experimental method, the behavior in uniaxial loading and the behavior in combined loading are reported. (Kako, I.)

  13. What are genres good for? Divisions, demarcations and classifications in structural and cognitive anthropology, on the example of music culture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bojan Žikić

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Levi-Strauss’s theoretical-methodological "legatee" – anthropological structuralism was one of the most important theoretical frameworks used in cognitive anthropology. Since it was sometimes too abstract for ‘practical’ minds, trained in British-American empirical traditions, Levi-Strauss thought was mediated through the works of British structural-functionalist, particularly those of Mary Douglas and Edmund Leach, who established its premises as a kind of contextualised particularism of the unquestioned universalism. Ideas about the way in which human cultural mind functions, is one of the corner stones of cognitive anthropology, which cognitive anthropology shares with structural anthropology, and from which cognitive anthropology actually inherits what it shares with structural anthropology – this sounds properly structural – that is: an interest in the processes of division, demarcation and classification in a sense of cultural management of a perceived surrounding reality. An example for such analysis, that I use in this paper, is music, or more precisely music culture, an expression that I use in order to imply that the affinity to a type of music, or musical genre should be understood in a sense of a particular cultural way of thinking and acting.

  14. Instrument specific use-dependent plasticity shapes the anatomical properties of the corpus callosum

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vollmann, Henning; Ragert, Patrick; Conde, Virginia

    2014-01-01

    Long-term musical expertise has been shown to be associated with a number of functional and structural brain changes, making it an attractive model for investigating use-dependent plasticity in humans. Physiological interhemispheric inhibition (IHI) as examined by transcranial magnetic stimulation......, the amount of IHI in pianists was comparable to that of non-musicians and there was no significant structure-function relationship. Our findings indicate instrument specific use-dependent plasticity in both functional (IHI) and structural (FA) connectivity of motor related brain regions in musicians....

  15. 2017 T Division Lightning Talks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ramsey, Marilyn Leann [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Abeywardhana, Jayalath AMM [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Adams, Colin Mackenzie [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Adams, Luke Clyde [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Carter, Austin Lewis [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Ducru, Pablo Philippe [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Duignan, Thomas John [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Gifford, Brendan Joel [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Hills, Benjamin Hale [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Hoffman, Kentaro Jack [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Khair, Adnan Ibne [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Kochanski, Kelly Anne Pribble [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Ledwith, Patrick John [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Leveillee, Joshua Anthony [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Lewis, Sina Genevieve [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Ma, Xiaoyu [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Merians, Hugh Drake [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Moore, Bryan Alexander [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Nijjar, Parmeet Kaur [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Oles, Vladyslav [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Olszewski, Maciej W. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Philipbar, Brad Montgomery [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Reisner, Andrew Ray [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Roberts, David Benjamin [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Rufa, Dominic Antonio [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Sifain, Andrew E. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Smith, Justin Steven [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Smith, Lauren Taylor Wisbey [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Svolos, Lampros [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Thibault, Joshua Ryan [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Ushijima-Mwesigwa, Hayato Montezuma [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Weaver, Claire Marie [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Witzen, Wyatt Andrew [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Zentgraf, Sabine Silvia [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Alred, John Michael [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    2017-10-06

    All members of the T Division Community, students, staff members, group leaders, division management, and other interested individuals are invited to come and support the following student(s) as they present their Lightning Talks.

  16. Division: The Sleeping Dragon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watson, Anne

    2012-01-01

    Of the four mathematical operators, division seems to not sit easily for many learners. Division is often described as "the odd one out". Pupils develop coping strategies that enable them to "get away with it". So, problems, misunderstandings, and misconceptions go unresolved perhaps for a lifetime. Why is this? Is it a case of "out of sight out…

  17. E-Division activities report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barschall, H.H.

    1979-07-01

    This report describes some of the activities in E (Experimental Physics) Division during the past year. E-Division carries out research and development in areas related to the missions of the Laboratory. Many of the activities are in pure and applied atomic and nuclear physics. In addition, this report describes work on accelerators, radiation damage, microwaves, and plasma diagnostics

  18. Novel Coiled-Coil Cell Division Factor ZapB Stimulates Z Ring Assembly and Cell Division

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ebersbach, Gitte; Galli, Elizabeth; Møller-Jensen, Jakob

    2008-01-01

    Formation of the Z ring is the first known event in bacterial cell division. However, it is not yet known how the assembly and contraction of the Z ring is regulated. Here, we identify a novel cell division factor ZapB in Escherichia coli that simultaneously stimulates Z ring assembly and cell...... division. Deletion of zapB resulted in delayed cell division and the formation of ectopic Z rings and spirals whereas overexpression of ZapB resulted in nucleoid condensation and aberrant cell divisions. Localization of ZapB to the divisome depended on FtsZ but not FtsA, ZipA or FtsI and ZapB interacted...... with FtsZ in a bacterial two-hybrid analysis. The simultaneous inactivation of FtsA and ZipA prevented Z ring assembly and ZapB localization. Time lapse microscopy showed that ZapB-GFP is present at mid-cell in a pattern very similar to that of FtsZ. Cells carrying a zapB deletion and the ftsZ84ts allele...

  19. Does cadastral division of area-based ecosystem services obstruct comprehensive management?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vejre, H.; Vesterager, J. P.; Andersen, P. S.

    2015-01-01

    Management of ecological entities in agricultural landscapes is often challenged by a complex ownership structure governed by a cadastral system dictated by agricultural interests and historical land use practices. The cadastral division is suspected to obstruct the deliverance of ecosystem servi...

  20. Health physics division annual progress report for period ending June 30, 1977

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1978-07-01

    This annual progress report follows, as in the past, the organizational structure of the Health Physics Division. Each part is a report of work done by a section of the division: Assessment and Technology Section (Part I), headed by H.W. Dickson; Biological and Radiation Physics Section (Part II), H.A. Wright; Chemical Physics and Spectroscopy Section (Part III), W.R. Garrett; Emergency Technology Section (Part IV), C.V. Chester, Medical Physics and Internal Dosimetry Section (Part V), K.E. Cowser; and the Analytic Dosimetry and Education Group (Part VI), J.E. Turner.

  1. Mechanically equivalent elastic-plastic deformations and the problem of plastic spin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Steigmann David J.

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The problem of plastic spin is phrased in terms of a notion of mechanical equivalence among local intermediate configurations of an elastic/ plastic crystalline solid. This idea is used to show that, without further qualification, the plastic spin may be suppressed at the constitutive level. However, the spin is closely tied to an underlying undistorted crystal lattice which, once specified, eliminates the freedom afforded by mechanical equivalence. As a practical matter a constitutive specification of plastic spin is therefore required. Suppression of plastic spin thus emerges as merely one such specification among many. Restrictions on these are derived in the case of rate-independent response.

  2. Removal of brominated flame retardant from electrical and electronic waste plastic by solvothermal technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Cong-Cong [Research Center For Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 18 Shuangqing Road, Beijing 100085 (China); Zhang, Fu-Shen, E-mail: fszhang@rcees.ac.cn [Research Center For Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 18 Shuangqing Road, Beijing 100085 (China)

    2012-06-30

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A process for brominated flame retardants (BFRs) removal in plastic was established. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The plastic became bromine-free with the structure maintained after this treatment. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer BFRs transferred into alcohol solvent were easily debrominated by metallic copper. - Abstract: Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in electrical and electronic (E and E) waste plastic are toxic, bioaccumulative and recalcitrant. In the present study, tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) contained in this type of plastic was tentatively subjected to solvothermal treatment so as to obtain bromine-free plastic. Methanol, ethanol and isopropanol were examined as solvents for solvothermal treatment and it was found that methanol was the optimal solvent for TBBPA removal. The optimum temperature, time and liquid to solid ratio for solvothermal treatment to remove TBBPA were 90 Degree-Sign C, 2 h and 15:1, respectively. After the treatment with various alcohol solvents, it was found that TBBPA was finally transferred into the solvents and bromine in the extract was debrominated catalyzed by metallic copper. Bisphenol A and cuprous bromide were the main products after debromination. The morphology and FTIR properties of the plastic were generally unchanged after the solvothermal treatment indicating that the structure of the plastic maintained after the process. This work provides a clean and applicable process for BFRs-containing plastic disposal.

  3. Physics Division progress report for period ending September 30, 1987

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Livingston, A.B.

    1988-03-01

    The activities of this Division are concentrated in the areas of experimental nuclear physics, experimental atomic physics, and theoretical nuclear and atomic physics. A major activity within the Division is operation of the Holifield Heavy Ion Research Facility as a national user facility. Highlights for this year, which include a record number of beam hours provided for research, are summarized. The experimental nuclear physics program continues to be dominated by research utilizing heavy ions. These activities, while continuing to center largely on the Holifield Facility, have seen growth in the use of facilities that provide intermediate energies (GANIL) and ultrarelativistic beams (CERN). The UNISOR program, since its inception, has been intimately associated with the Division and, most particularly, with the Holifield Facility. The experimental nuclear structure research of this consortium is included. In addition to the Holifield Facility, the Division also operates two smaller facilities, the EN Tandem and the ECR Ion Source Facility, as /open quotes/User Resources/close quotes/. The tandem continues a long history of supporting research in accelerator-based atomic physics. During this past year, new beam lines have been added to the ECR ion source to create user opportunities for atomic physics experiments with this unique device. These two facilities and the experimental programs in atomic physics are discussed. The efforts in theoretical physics, covering both nuclear and atomic physics, are presented. Also included is the theory effort in support of the UNISOR structure program. In addition to research with multicharged heavy ions from the ECR source, the effort on atomic physics in support of the controlled fusion program includes a plasma diagnostics development program and operation of an atomic physics data center. The nuclear physics program also operates a compilation and evaluation effort; this work is also described

  4. Physics Division progress report for period ending September 30, 1987

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Livingston, A.B. (ed.)

    1988-03-01

    The activities of this Division are concentrated in the areas of experimental nuclear physics, experimental atomic physics, and theoretical nuclear and atomic physics. A major activity within the Division is operation of the Holifield Heavy Ion Research Facility as a national user facility. Highlights for this year, which include a record number of beam hours provided for research, are summarized. The experimental nuclear physics program continues to be dominated by research utilizing heavy ions. These activities, while continuing to center largely on the Holifield Facility, have seen growth in the use of facilities that provide intermediate energies (GANIL) and ultrarelativistic beams (CERN). The UNISOR program, since its inception, has been intimately associated with the Division and, most particularly, with the Holifield Facility. The experimental nuclear structure research of this consortium is included. In addition to the Holifield Facility, the Division also operates two smaller facilities, the EN Tandem and the ECR Ion Source Facility, as /open quotes/User Resources/close quotes/. The tandem continues a long history of supporting research in accelerator-based atomic physics. During this past year, new beam lines have been added to the ECR ion source to create user opportunities for atomic physics experiments with this unique device. These two facilities and the experimental programs in atomic physics are discussed. The efforts in theoretical physics, covering both nuclear and atomic physics, are presented. Also included is the theory effort in support of the UNISOR structure program. In addition to research with multicharged heavy ions from the ECR source, the effort on atomic physics in support of the controlled fusion program includes a plasma diagnostics development program and operation of an atomic physics data center. The nuclear physics program also operates a compilation and evaluation effort; this work is also described.

  5. Podcast: The Electronic Crimes Division

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sept 26, 2016. Chris Lukas, the Special Agent in Charge of the Electronic Crimes Division within the OIG's Office of Investigations talks about computer forensics, cybercrime in the EPA and his division's role in criminal investigations.

  6. Drosophila Sulf1 is required for the termination of intestinal stem cell division during regeneration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takemura, Masahiko; Nakato, Hiroshi

    2017-01-15

    Stem cell division is activated to trigger regeneration in response to tissue damage. The molecular mechanisms by which this stem cell mitotic activity is properly repressed at the end of regeneration are poorly understood. Here, we show that a specific modification of heparan sulfate is crucial for regulating Drosophila intestinal stem cell (ISC) division during normal midgut homeostasis and regeneration. Loss of the extracellular heparan sulfate endosulfatase Sulf1 resulted in increased ISC division during normal homeostasis, which was caused by upregulation of mitogenic signaling including the JAK-STAT, EGFR and Hedgehog pathways. Using a regeneration model, we found that ISCs failed to properly halt division at the termination stage in Sulf1 mutants, showing that Sulf1 is required for terminating ISC division at the end of regeneration. We propose that post-transcriptional regulation of mitogen signaling by heparan sulfate structural modifications provides a new regulatory step for precise temporal control of stem cell activity during regeneration. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  7. Plastics and health risks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halden, Rolf U

    2010-01-01

    By 2010, the worldwide annual production of plastics will surpass 300 million tons. Plastics are indispensable materials in modern society, and many products manufactured from plastics are a boon to public health (e.g., disposable syringes, intravenous bags). However, plastics also pose health risks. Of principal concern are endocrine-disrupting properties, as triggered for example by bisphenol A and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). Opinions on the safety of plastics vary widely, and despite more than five decades of research, scientific consensus on product safety is still elusive. This literature review summarizes information from more than 120 peer-reviewed publications on health effects of plastics and plasticizers in lab animals and humans. It examines problematic exposures of susceptible populations and also briefly summarizes adverse environmental impacts from plastic pollution. Ongoing efforts to steer human society toward resource conservation and sustainable consumption are discussed, including the concept of the 5 Rs--i.e., reduce, reuse, recycle, rethink, restrain--for minimizing pre- and postnatal exposures to potentially harmful components of plastics.

  8. Physics division annual report - 1999

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thayer, K.

    2000-01-01

    This report summarizes the research performed in the past year in the Argonne Physics Division. The Division's programs include operation of ATLAS as a national heavy-ion user facility, nuclear structure and reaction research with beams of heavy ions, accelerator research and development especially in superconducting radio frequency technology, nuclear theory and medium energy nuclear physics. The Division took significant strides forward in its science and its initiatives for the future in the past year. Major progress was made in developing the concept and the technology for the future advanced facility of beams of short-lived nuclei, the Rare Isotope Accelerator. The scientific program capitalized on important instrumentation initiatives with key advances in nuclear science. In 1999, the nuclear science community adopted the Argonne concept for a multi-beam superconducting linear accelerator driver as the design of choice for the next major facility in the field a Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA) as recommended by the Nuclear Science Advisory Committee's 1996 Long Range Plan. Argonne has made significant R and D progress on almost all aspects of the design concept including the fast gas catcher (to allow fast fragmentation beams to be stopped and reaccelerated) that in large part, defined the RIA concept the superconducting rf technology for the driver accelerator, the multiple-charge-state concept (to permit the facility to meet the design intensity goals with existing ion-source technology), and designs and tests of high-power target concepts to effectively deal with the full beam power of the driver linac. An NSAC subcommittee recommended the Argonne concept and set as tie design goal Uranium beams of 100-kwatt power at 400 MeV/u. Argonne demonstrated that this goal can be met with an innovative, but technically in-hand, design

  9. Development and test of a plastic deep-well pump

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Q H; Gao, X F; Xu, Y; Shi, W D; Lu, W G; Liu, W

    2013-01-01

    To develop a plastic deep-well pump, three methods are proposed on structural and forming technique. First, the major hydraulic components are constructed by plastics, and the connection component is constructed by steel. Thus the pump structure is more concise and slim, greatly reducing its weight and easing its transportation, installation, and maintenance. Second, the impeller is designed by maximum diameter method. Using same pump casing, the stage head is greatly increased. Third, a sealing is formed by impeller front end face and steel end face, and two slots are designed on the impeller front end face, thus when the two end faces approach, a lubricating pair is formed, leading to an effective sealing. With above methods, the pump's axial length is greatly reduced, and its stage head is larger and more efficient. Especially, the pump's axial force is effectively balanced. To examine the above proposals, a prototype pump is constructed, and its testing results show that the pump efficiency exceeds the national standard by 6%, and the stage head is improved by 41%, meanwhile, its structure is more concise and ease of transportation. Development of this pump would provide useful experiences for further popularity of plastic deep-well pumps

  10. Recycling of plastic waste: Presence of phthalates in plastics from households and industry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pivnenko, Kostyantyn; Eriksen, Marie Kampmann; Martín-Fernández, J. A.

    2016-01-01

    recognised, the influence of plastic recycling on phthalate content has been hypothesised but not well documented. In the present work we analysed selected phthalates (DMP, DEP, DPP, DiBP, DBP, BBzP, DEHP, DCHP and DnOP) in samples of waste plastics as well as recycled and virgin plastics. DBP, DiBP and DEHP...... product manufacturing (labelling, gluing, etc.) and were not removed following recycling of household waste plastics. Furthermore, DEHP was identified as a potential indicator for phthalate contamination of plastics. Close monitoring of plastics intended for phthalates-sensitive applications...

  11. Free-form nanostructured tools for plastic injection moulding

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kafka, Jan; Sonne, Mads Rostgaard; Lam, Yee Cheong

    realized and successfully transferred to plastic parts during injection moulding.As an example, we present theory and results regarding the imprint of pillar nanostructures on a semi-spherical mold surface, followed by injection molding of the same. The deformation of the flexible stamp is characterized...... by measurement of inter-pillar distance on various points on the sphere, and compared to predictions provided by a geometrical model. Moulded plastic parts show good replication of the pillar structure.There are various practical advantages to the new process: the application of the coating is possible on both...

  12. Prediction of fretting fatigue behavior under elastic-plastic conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shin, Ki Su

    2009-01-01

    Fretting fatigue generally leads to the degradation of the fatigue strength of a material due to cyclic micro-slip between two contacting materials. Fretting fatigue is regarded as an important issue in designing aerospace structures. While many studies have evaluated fretting fatigue behavior under elastic deformation conditions, few have focused on fretting fatigue behavior under elastic-plastic deformation conditions, especially the crack orientation and fatigue life prediction for Ti-6Al-4V. The primary goal of this study was to characterize the fretting fatigue crack initiation behavior in the presence of plasticity. Experimental tests were performed using pad configurations involving elastic-plastic deformations. To calculate stress distributions under elastic-plastic fretting fatigue conditions, FEA was also performed. Several parametric approaches were used to predict fretting fatigue life along with stress distribution resulting from FEA. However, those parameters using surface stresses were unable to establish an equivalence between elastic fretting fatigue data and elastic-plastic fretting fatigue data. Based on this observation, the critical distance methods, which are commonly used in notch analysis, were applied to the fretting fatigue problem. In conclusion, the effective strain range method when used in conjunction with the SMSSR parameter showed a good correlation of data points between the pad configurations involving elastic and elastic plastic deformations

  13. Learning to learn – intrinsic plasticity as a metaplasticity mechanism for memory formation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sehgal, Megha; Song, Chenghui; Ehlers, Vanessa L.; Moyer, James R.

    2013-01-01

    “Use it or lose it” is a popular adage often associated with use-dependent enhancement of cognitive abilities. Much research has focused on understanding exactly how the brain changes as a function of experience. Such experience-dependent plasticity involves both structural and functional alterations that contribute to adaptive behaviors, such as learning and memory, as well as maladaptive behaviors, including anxiety disorders, phobias, and posttraumatic stress disorder. With the advancing age of our population, understanding how use-dependent plasticity changes across the lifespan may also help to promote healthy brain aging. A common misconception is that such experience-dependent plasticity (e.g., associative learning) is synonymous with synaptic plasticity. Other forms of plasticity also play a critical role in shaping adaptive changes within the nervous system, including intrinsic plasticity – a change in the intrinsic excitability of a neuron. Intrinsic plasticity can result from a change in the number, distribution or activity of various ion channels located throughout the neuron. Here, we review evidence that intrinsic plasticity is an important and evolutionarily conserved neural correlate of learning. Intrinsic plasticity acts as a metaplasticity mechanism by lowering the threshold for synaptic changes. Thus, learning-related intrinsic changes can facilitate future synaptic plasticity and learning. Such intrinsic changes can impact the allocation of a memory trace within a brain structure, and when compromised, can contribute to cognitive decline during the aging process. This unique role of intrinsic excitability can provide insight into how memories are formed and, more interestingly, how neurons that participate in a memory trace are selected. Most importantly, modulation of intrinsic excitability can allow for regulation of learning ability – this can prevent or provide treatment for cognitive decline not only in patients with clinical

  14. α-sealed transfer device and portable plastic film sealers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fu Zhujun; Shan Ruixia

    1990-04-01

    An α transfer device which can be operated remotely is presented. The device is able to perform sealed transfer of radioactive articles from a hot cell or shielded glove box to the outside and non-radioactive articles from the outside to a hot cell or shielded glove box by using bag sealing technology. The structure of the transfer device is simple. Its operation is safe and reliable. The sealing performance of the device is very good (for alpha). The use of this transfer device will greatly reduce α contamination of the building and creates a favourable condition for operating radioactive materials in an undivided area. The portable heat sealing device is also a necessary tool in bag sealing technology and α-sealed transfer. Two types of portable plastic film sealers have been developed. Their structure is simple. The operation of the portable plastic film sealers is easy. Their performance is also excellent. Both the α-sealed transfer device and portable plastic film sealers are very useful to the reprocessing plant of nuclear fuel

  15. Ropinirole and Pramipexole Promote Structural Plasticity in Human iPSC-Derived Dopaminergic Neurons via BDNF and mTOR Signaling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ginetta Collo

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The antiparkinsonian ropinirole and pramipexole are D3 receptor- (D3R- preferring dopaminergic (DA agonists used as adjunctive therapeutics for the treatment resistant depression (TRD. While the exact antidepressant mechanism of action remains uncertain, a role for D3R in the restoration of impaired neuroplasticity occurring in TRD has been proposed. Since D3R agonists are highly expressed on DA neurons in humans, we studied the effect of ropinirole and pramipexole on structural plasticity using a translational model of human-inducible pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs. Two hiPSC clones from healthy donors were differentiated into midbrain DA neurons. Ropinirole and pramipexole produced dose-dependent increases of dendritic arborization and soma size after 3 days of culture, effects antagonized by the selective D3R antagonists SB277011-A and S33084 and by the mTOR pathway kinase inhibitors LY294002 and rapamycin. All treatments were also effective in attenuating the D3R-dependent increase of p70S6-kinase phosphorylation. Immunoneutralisation of BDNF, inhibition of TrkB receptors, and blockade of MEK-ERK signaling likewise prevented ropinirole-induced structural plasticity, suggesting a critical interaction between BDNF and D3R signaling pathways. The highly similar profiles of data acquired with DA neurons derived from two hiPSC clones underpin their reliability for characterization of pharmacological agents acting via dopaminergic mechanisms.

  16. Bistable switches control memory and plasticity in cellular differentiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Lei; Walker, Brandon L.; Iannaccone, Stephen; Bhatt, Devang; Kennedy, Patrick J.; Tse, William T.

    2009-01-01

    Development of stem and progenitor cells into specialized tissues in multicellular organisms involves a series of cell fate decisions. Cellular differentiation in higher organisms is generally considered irreversible, and the idea of developmental plasticity in postnatal tissues is controversial. Here, we show that inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in a human bone marrow stromal cell-derived myogenic subclone suppresses their myogenic ability and converts them into satellite cell-like precursors that respond to osteogenic stimulation. Clonal analysis of the induced osteogenic response reveals ultrasensitivity and an “all-or-none” behavior, hallmarks of a bistable switch mechanism with stochastic noise. The response demonstrates cellular memory, which is contingent on the accumulation of an intracellular factor and can be erased by factor dilution through cell divisions or inhibition of protein synthesis. The effect of MAPK inhibition also exhibits memory and appears to be controlled by another bistable switch further upstream that determines cell fate. Once the memory associated with osteogenic differentiation is erased, the cells regain their myogenic ability. These results support a model of cell fate decision in which a network of bistable switches controls inducible production of lineage-specific differentiation factors. A competitive balance between these factors determines cell fate. Our work underscores the dynamic nature of cellular differentiation and explains mechanistically the dual properties of stability and plasticity associated with the process. PMID:19366677

  17. Physics Division annual report 2004.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Glover, J.

    2006-04-06

    This report highlights the research performed in 2004 in the Physics Division of Argonne National Laboratory. The Division's programs include operation of ATLAS as a national user facility, nuclear structure and reaction research, nuclear theory, medium energy nuclear research and accelerator research and development. The intellectual challenges of this research represent some of the most fundamental challenges in modern science, shaping our understanding of both tiny objects at the center of the atom and some of the largest structures in the universe. A great strength of these efforts is the critical interplay of theory and experiment. Notable results in research at ATLAS include a measurement of the charge radius of He-6 in an atom trap and its explanation in ab-initio calculations of nuclear structure. Precise mass measurements on critical waiting point nuclei in the rapid-proton-capture process set the time scale for this important path in nucleosynthesis. An abrupt fall-off was identified in the subbarrier fusion of several heavy-ion systems. ATLAS operated for 5559 hours of research in FY2004 while achieving 96% efficiency of beam delivery for experiments. In Medium Energy Physics, substantial progress was made on a long-term experiment to search for the violation of time-reversal invariance using trapped Ra atoms. New results from HERMES reveal the influence of quark angular momentum. Experiments at JLAB search for evidence of color transparency in rho-meson production and study the EMC effect in helium isotopes. New theoretical results include a Poincare covariant description of baryons as composites of confined quarks and non-point-like diquarks. Green's function Monte Carlo techniques give accurate descriptions of the excited states of light nuclei and these techniques been extended to scattering states for astrophysics studies. A theoretical description of the phenomena of proton radioactivity has been extended to triaxial nuclei. Argonne

  18. Physics Division annual report 2004

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glover, J.

    2006-01-01

    This report highlights the research performed in 2004 in the Physics Division of Argonne National Laboratory. The Division's programs include operation of ATLAS as a national user facility, nuclear structure and reaction research, nuclear theory, medium energy nuclear research and accelerator research and development. The intellectual challenges of this research represent some of the most fundamental challenges in modern science, shaping our understanding of both tiny objects at the center of the atom and some of the largest structures in the universe. A great strength of these efforts is the critical interplay of theory and experiment. Notable results in research at ATLAS include a measurement of the charge radius of He-6 in an atom trap and its explanation in ab-initio calculations of nuclear structure. Precise mass measurements on critical waiting point nuclei in the rapid-proton-capture process set the time scale for this important path in nucleosynthesis. An abrupt fall-off was identified in the subbarrier fusion of several heavy-ion systems. ATLAS operated for 5559 hours of research in FY2004 while achieving 96% efficiency of beam delivery for experiments. In Medium Energy Physics, substantial progress was made on a long-term experiment to search for the violation of time-reversal invariance using trapped Ra atoms. New results from HERMES reveal the influence of quark angular momentum. Experiments at JLAB search for evidence of color transparency in rho-meson production and study the EMC effect in helium isotopes. New theoretical results include a Poincare covariant description of baryons as composites of confined quarks and non-point-like diquarks. Green's function Monte Carlo techniques give accurate descriptions of the excited states of light nuclei and these techniques been extended to scattering states for astrophysics studies. A theoretical description of the phenomena of proton radioactivity has been extended to triaxial nuclei. Argonne continues to

  19. Manpower and Personnel Support for the C4ISR in the Transformed Division

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Anderson, B. W

    2005-01-01

    .... Second is Modularization -- the Army's transformation of its warfighting organization from brigade and division into a Unit of Action and Unit of Employment structure to increase fielding flexibility and effectiveness...

  20. 2016 T Division Lightning Talks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ramsey, Marilyn Leann [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Adams, Luke Clyde [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Ferre, Gregoire Robing [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Grantcharov, Vesselin [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Iaroshenko, Oleksandr [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Krishnapriyan, Aditi [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Kurtakoti, Prajvala Kishore [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Le Thien, Minh Quan [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Lim, Jonathan Ng [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Low, Thaddeus Song En [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Lystrom, Levi Aaron [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Ma, Xiaoyu [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Nguyen, Hong T. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Pogue, Sabine Silvia [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Orandle, Zoe Ann [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Reisner, Andrew Ray [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Revard, Benjamin Charles [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Roy, Julien [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Sandor, Csanad [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Slavkova, Kalina Polet [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Weichman, Kathleen Joy [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Wu, Fei [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Yang, Yang [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division

    2016-11-29

    These are the slides for all of the 2016 T Division lightning talks. There are 350 pages worth of slides from different presentations, all of which cover different topics within the theoretical division at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).

  1. Analytical Chemistry Division's sample transaction system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stanton, J.S.; Tilson, P.A.

    1980-10-01

    The Analytical Chemistry Division uses the DECsystem-10 computer for a wide range of tasks: sample management, timekeeping, quality assurance, and data calculation. This document describes the features and operating characteristics of many of the computer programs used by the Division. The descriptions are divided into chapters which cover all of the information about one aspect of the Analytical Chemistry Division's computer processing

  2. Applications of Acupuncture Therapy in Modulating Plasticity of Central Nervous System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Ling-Yong; Wang, Xue-Rui; Yang, Ye; Yang, Jing-Wen; Cao, Yan; Ma, Si-Ming; Li, Tian-Ran; Liu, Cun-Zhi

    2017-11-07

    Acupuncture is widely applied for treatment of various neurological disorders. This manuscript will review the preclinical evidence of acupuncture in mediating neural plasticity, the mechanisms involved. We searched acupuncture, plasticity, and other potential related words at the following sites: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and VIP information data base. The following keywords were used: acupuncture, electroacupuncture, plasticity, neural plasticity, neuroplasticity, neurogenesis, neuroblast, stem cell, progenitor cell, BrdU, synapse, synapse structure, synaptogenesis, axon, axon regeneration, synaptic plasticity, LTP, LTD, neurotrophin, neurotrophic factor, BDNF, GDNF, VEGF, bFGF, EGF, NT-3, NT-4, NT-5, p75NTR, neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, norepinephrine, noradrenaline, dopamine, monamine. We assessed the effects of acupuncture on plasticity under pathological conditions in this review. Relevant references were reviewed and presented to reflect the effects of acupuncture on neural plasticity. The acquired literatures mainly focused on neurogenesis, alterations of synapses, neurotrophins (NTs), and neurotranimitters. Acupuncture methods mentioned in this article include manual acupuncture and electroacupuncture. The cumulative evidences demonstrated that acupuncture could induce neural plasticity in rodents exposed to cerebral ischemia. Neural plasticity mediated by acupuncture in other neural disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and depression, were also investigated and there is evidence of positive role of acupuncture induced plasticity in these disorders as well. Mediation of neural plasticity by acupuncture is likely associated with its modulation on NTs and neurotransmitters. The exact mechanisms underlying acupuncture's effects on neural plasticity remain to be elucidated. Neural plasticity may be the potential bridge between acupuncture and the treatment of various

  3. Methodology for plastic fracture. A progress report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilkinson, J.P.D.; Hahn, G.T.; Smith, R.E.E.

    1977-01-01

    The initiation and growth of flaws in pressure vessels under overload conditions is distinguished by a number of unique features, such as large scale yielding, three-dimensional structural and flaw configurations, and failure instabilities that may be controlled by either toughness or plastic flow. In order to develop a broadly applicable methodology of plastic fracture, these features require the following analytical and experimental studies: development of criteria for crack initiation and growth under large scale yielding; the use of the finite element method to describe elastic-plastic behavior of both the structure and the crack tip region; and extensive experimental studies on laboratory scale and large scale specimens, which attempt to reproduce the pertinent plastic flow and crack growth phenomena. A variety of candidate criteria for crack initiation and growth are examined. For the case of crack initiation, these criteria include the J-integral, crack opening displacement, and strain amplitude. In the case of crack growth, the criteria examined include in addition the strain amplitude at the crack tip, work done in a crack tip process zone, and a generalized energy release-rate approach. Each test specimen configuration is analyzed through the finite element method in order to predict its experimental behavior. Specimens include the compact tension specimen and center cracked panels. The basic materials used in the program are a single heat of reactor grade A533 Grade B Class 1 steel, purchased in the form of a plate of size 4.5 m (178 in.) square and 0.2 m (8 in.) thick, and two alloys with yield strength-to-roughness ratios about five times

  4. Challenges in plastics recycling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pivnenko, Kostyantyn; Jakobsen, L. G.; Eriksen, Marie Kampmann

    2015-01-01

    Recycling of waste plastics still remains a challenging area in the waste management sector. The current and potential goals proposed on EU or regional levels are difficult to achieve, and even to partially fullfil them the improvements in collection and sorting should be considerable. A study...... was undertaken to investigate the factors affecting quality in plastics recycling. The preliminary results showed factors primarily influencing quality of plastics recycling to be polymer cross contamination, presence of additives, non-polymer impurities, and polymer degradation. Deprivation of plastics quality......, with respect to recycling, has been shown to happen throughout the plastics value chain, but steps where improvements may happen have been preliminary identified. Example of Cr in plastic samples analysed showed potential spreading and accumulation of chemicals ending up in the waste plastics. In order...

  5. Circadian Plasticity in the Brain of Insects and Rodents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wojciech Krzeptowski

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available In both vertebrate and invertebrate brains, neurons, glial cells and synapses are plastic, which means that the physiology and structure of these components are modified in response to internal and external stimuli during development and in mature brains. The term plasticity has been introduced in the last century to describe experience-dependent changes in synapse strength and number. These changes result from local functional and morphological synapse modifications; however, these modifications also occur more commonly in pre- and postsynaptic neurons. As a result, neuron morphology and neuronal networks are constantly modified during the life of animals and humans in response to different stimuli. Nevertheless, it has been discovered in flies and mammals that the number of synapses and size and shape of neurons also oscillate during the day. In most cases, these rhythms are circadian since they are generated by endogenous circadian clocks; however, some rhythmic changes in neuron morphology and synapse number and structure are controlled directly by environmental cues or by both external cues and circadian clocks. When the circadian clock is involved in generating cyclic changes in the nervous system, this type of plasticity is called circadian plasticity. It seems to be important in processing sensory information, in learning and in memory. Disruption of the clock may affect major brain functions.

  6. Optical Code-Division Multiple-Access and Wavelength Division Multiplexing: Hybrid Scheme Review

    OpenAIRE

    P. Susthitha Menon; Sahbudin Shaari; Isaac A.M. Ashour; Hesham A. Bakarman

    2012-01-01

    Problem statement: Hybrid Optical Code-Division Multiple-Access (OCDMA) and Wavelength-Division Multiplexing (WDM) have flourished as successful schemes for expanding the transmission capacity as well as enhancing the security for OCDMA. However, a comprehensive review related to this hybrid system are lacking currently. Approach: The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on OCDMA-WDM overlay systems, including our hybrid approach of one-dimensional coding of SAC OCDMA with WDM si...

  7. Environmental Sciences Division: Summaries of research in FY 1996

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1997-06-01

    This document describes the Fiscal Year 1996 activities and products of the Environmental Sciences Division, Office of Biological and Environmental Research, Office of Energy Research. The report is organized into four main sections. The introduction identifies the basic program structure, describes the programs of the Environmental Sciences Division, and provides the level of effort for each program area. The research areas and project descriptions section gives program contact information, and provides descriptions of individual research projects including: three-year funding history, research objective and approach used in each project, and results to date. Appendixes provide postal and e-mail addresses for principal investigators and define acronyms used in the text. The indexes provide indexes of principal investigators, research institutions, and keywords for easy reference. Research projects are related to climatic change and remedial action.

  8. Individual differences in behavioural plasticities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stamps, Judy A

    2016-05-01

    Interest in individual differences in animal behavioural plasticities has surged in recent years, but research in this area has been hampered by semantic confusion as different investigators use the same terms (e.g. plasticity, flexibility, responsiveness) to refer to different phenomena. The first goal of this review is to suggest a framework for categorizing the many different types of behavioural plasticities, describe examples of each, and indicate why using reversibility as a criterion for categorizing behavioural plasticities is problematic. This framework is then used to address a number of timely questions about individual differences in behavioural plasticities. One set of questions concerns the experimental designs that can be used to study individual differences in various types of behavioural plasticities. Although within-individual designs are the default option for empirical studies of many types of behavioural plasticities, in some situations (e.g. when experience at an early age affects the behaviour expressed at subsequent ages), 'replicate individual' designs can provide useful insights into individual differences in behavioural plasticities. To date, researchers using within-individual and replicate individual designs have documented individual differences in all of the major categories of behavioural plasticities described herein. Another important question is whether and how different types of behavioural plasticities are related to one another. Currently there is empirical evidence that many behavioural plasticities [e.g. contextual plasticity, learning rates, IIV (intra-individual variability), endogenous plasticities, ontogenetic plasticities) can themselves vary as a function of experiences earlier in life, that is, many types of behavioural plasticity are themselves developmentally plastic. These findings support the assumption that differences among individuals in prior experiences may contribute to individual differences in behavioural

  9. Attenuation of stress waves in single and multi-layered structures. [mitigation of elastic and plastic stress waves during spacecraft landing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, J. C. S.; Tsui, C. Y.

    1972-01-01

    Analytical and experimental studies were made of the attenuation of the stress waves during passage through single and multilayer structures. The investigation included studies on elastic and plastic stress wave propagation in the composites and those on shock mitigating material characteristics such as dynamic stress-strain relations and energy absorbing properties. The results of the studies are applied to methods for reducing the stresses imposed on a spacecraft during planetary or ocean landings.

  10. Durability of wood plastic composites manufactured from recycled plastic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irina Turku

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The influence of accelerated weathering, xenon-arc light and freeze-thaw cycling on wood plastic composites extruded from a recycled plastic was studied. The results showed that, in general, weathering had a stronger impact on samples made from plastic waste compared to a sample made from virgin material. After weathering, the mechanical properties, tensile and flexural, were reduced by 2–30%, depending on the plastic source. Wettability of the samples was shown to play a significant role in their stability. Chemical analysis with infrared spectroscopy and surface observation with a scan electron microscope confirmed the mechanical test results. Incorporation of carbon black retained the properties during weathering, reducing the wettability of the sample, diminishing the change of mechanical properties, and improving color stability. Keywords: Environmental science, Mechanical engineering, Materials science

  11. Phenotypic plasticity, costs of phenotypes, and costs of plasticity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Callahan, Hilary S; Maughan, Heather; Steiner, Uli

    2008-01-01

    Why are some traits constitutive and others inducible? The term costs often appears in work addressing this issue but may be ambiguously defined. This review distinguishes two conceptually distinct types of costs: phenotypic costs and plasticity costs. Phenotypic costs are assessed from patterns...... of covariation, typically between a focal trait and a separate trait relevant to fitness. Plasticity costs, separable from phenotypic costs, are gauged by comparing the fitness of genotypes with equivalent phenotypes within two environments but differing in plasticity and fitness. Subtleties associated with both...... types of costs are illustrated by a body of work addressing predator-induced plasticity. Such subtleties, and potential interplay between the two types of costs, have also been addressed, often in studies involving genetic model organisms. In some instances, investigators have pinpointed the mechanistic...

  12. Plastic waste as a resource. Strategies for reduction and utilization of plastic waste

    OpenAIRE

    Pasqual i Camprubí, Gemma

    2010-01-01

    Plastic materials have experienced a spectacular rate of growth in recent decades, consequently, production of plastics, and likewise their consumption, has increased markedly since 1950. Moreover, they are lightweight and durable, as well as can be moulded into a variety of products that can be manufactured in many different types of plastic and in a wide range of applications. Inevitably, continually increasing amounts of used plastic are originating daily, resulting in a plastic waste prob...

  13. Morphological analysis of thermoplastic starch films and montmorillonite (TPS/MMT) using vegetable oils of Brazilian Cerrado as plasticizers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schlemmer, Daniela; Sales, Maria Jose A.; Angelica, Romulo S.; Gomes, Ana Cristina M.M.

    2009-01-01

    Biopolymers can be used where petrochemical plastics have applications with short life. The excellent degradation of starch and its low cost make it an alternative for obtaining biodegradable plastics. To obtain thermoplastic starch (TPS) is necessary mechanical shake, high temperature and plasticizers. In this work, TPS were produced using three different vegetable oils from Brazilian's cerrado as plasticizers: buriti, macauba or pequi. Materials are also produced with montmorillonite (MMT). All the materials were analyzed by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The starch micrographs revealed irregular delaminate with a predominance of starch and 'holes' for the oils. In nanocomposites the clusters of clay are dispersed without a defined standard. It was understood that the plasticizers and processing completely changed the structure of starch causing a decrease in their crystallinity degree. Almost all nanocomposites presented exfoliate structure, only one presented intercalated structure. (author)

  14. Chemical Technology Division annual technical report 1997

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1998-06-01

    The Chemical Technology (CMT) Division is a diverse technical organization with principal emphases in environmental management and development of advanced energy sources. The Division conducts research and development in three general areas: (1) development of advanced power sources for stationary and transportation applications and for consumer electronics, (2) management of high-level and low-level nuclear wastes and hazardous wastes, and (3) electrometallurgical treatment of spent nuclear fuel. The Division also performs basic research in catalytic chemistry involving molecular energy resources, mechanisms of ion transport in lithium battery electrolytes, and the chemistry of technology-relevant materials and electrified interfaces. In addition, the Division operates the Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, which conducts research in analytical chemistry and provides analytical services for programs at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and other organizations. Technical highlights of the Division`s activities during 1997 are presented.

  15. FY 1995 report on the results of the R and D of biodegradable plastics; 1995 nendo seibunkaisei plastic kenkyu kaihatsu seika hokokusho. Ippan kokaiyo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-03-01

    For the development of biodegradable plastics, the paper made studies on the following items: 1) development of biodegradable plastics through the cultivation of plastic-like polymer producing micro-organisms; 2) development of biodegradable plastics using polysaccharides; 3) development of biodegradable plastics using molecular design/precise polymerization technology. In 1), P of 4HB fraction 10% was biosynthesized in 5L scale and in one stage by giving to fungus body the {gamma}-butyrolactone which was heated/hydrolyzed. In the study of PHB production by gene recombination of algae, the promoter is improved, and it was confirmed that PHB synthetic genes were surely introduced. PHB could be produced 25% by cultivation of acetic acid. In 2), using alkali protease as enzyme catalyst, sugar ester monomer was synthesized from glucose, sucrose and maltose. In 3), effects were grasped of polymerization conditions of succinic acid/1,4-butane diol/carbonate on the molecular weight and reaction velocity. A test on degradability was conducted by the enzyme method to study the structure of olygomer, in particular. Biodegradation of polyurethane was assessed by soil suspension. (NEDO)

  16. Neural plasticity and its initiating conditions in tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberts, L E

    2018-03-01

    Deafferentation caused by cochlear pathology (which can be hidden from the audiogram) activates forms of neural plasticity in auditory pathways, generating tinnitus and its associated conditions including hyperacusis. This article discusses tinnitus mechanisms and suggests how these mechanisms may relate to those involved in normal auditory information processing. Research findings from animal models of tinnitus and from electromagnetic imaging of tinnitus patients are reviewed which pertain to the role of deafferentation and neural plasticity in tinnitus and hyperacusis. Auditory neurons compensate for deafferentation by increasing their input/output functions (gain) at multiple levels of the auditory system. Forms of homeostatic plasticity are believed to be responsible for this neural change, which increases the spontaneous and driven activity of neurons in central auditory structures in animals expressing behavioral evidence of tinnitus. Another tinnitus correlate, increased neural synchrony among the affected neurons, is forged by spike-timing-dependent neural plasticity in auditory pathways. Slow oscillations generated by bursting thalamic neurons verified in tinnitus animals appear to modulate neural plasticity in the cortex, integrating tinnitus neural activity with information in brain regions supporting memory, emotion, and consciousness which exhibit increased metabolic activity in tinnitus patients. The latter process may be induced by transient auditory events in normal processing but it persists in tinnitus, driven by phantom signals from the auditory pathway. Several tinnitus therapies attempt to suppress tinnitus through plasticity, but repeated sessions will likely be needed to prevent tinnitus activity from returning owing to deafferentation as its initiating condition.

  17. Lightning Talks 2015: Theoretical Division

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shlachter, Jack S. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    2015-11-25

    This document is a compilation of slides from a number of student presentations given to LANL Theoretical Division members. The subjects cover the range of activities of the Division, including plasma physics, environmental issues, materials research, bacterial resistance to antibiotics, and computational methods.

  18. Developmental control of cell division

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boxem, M. (Mike)

    2002-01-01

    During development of multicellular organisms, cell divisions need to be coordinated with the developmental program of the entire organism. Although the mechanisms that drive cells through the division cycle are well understood, very little is known about the pathways that link extracellular signals

  19. Brain structural plasticity with spaceflight

    OpenAIRE

    Koppelmans, Vincent; Bloomberg, Jacob J; Mulavara, Ajitkumar P; Seidler, Rachael D

    2016-01-01

    Humans undergo extensive sensorimotor adaptation during spaceflight due to altered vestibular inputs and body unloading. No studies have yet evaluated the effects of spaceflight on human brain structure despite the fact that recently reported optic nerve structural changes are hypothesized to occur due to increased intracranial pressure occurring with microgravity. This is the first report on human brain structural changes with spaceflight. We evaluated retrospective longitudinal T2-weighted ...

  20. Compensatory plasticity: time matters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Latifa eLazzouni

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Plasticity in the human and animal brain is the rule, the base for development, and the way to deal effectively with the environment for making the most efficient use of all the senses. When the brain is deprived of one sensory modality, plasticity becomes compensatory: the exception that invalidates the general loss hypothesis giving the opportunity of effective change. Sensory deprivation comes with massive alterations in brain structure and function, behavioural outcomes, and neural interactions. Blind individuals do as good as the sighted and even more, show superior abilities in auditory, tactile and olfactory processing. This behavioural enhancement is accompanied with changes in occipital cortex function, where visual areas at different levels become responsive to non-visual information. The intact senses are in general used more efficiently in the blind but are also used more exclusively. New findings are disentangling these two aspects of compensatory plasticity. What is due to visual deprivation and what is dependent on the extended use of spared modalities? The latter seems to contribute highly to compensatory changes in the congenitally blind. Short term deprivation through the use of blindfolds shows that cortical excitability of the visual cortex is likely to show rapid modulatory changes after few minutes of light deprivation and therefore changes are possible in adulthood. However, reorganization remains more pronounced in the congenitally blind. Cortico-cortical pathways between visual areas and the areas of preserved sensory modalities are inhibited in the presence of vision, but are unmasked after loss of vision or blindfolding as a mechanism likely to drive cross-modal information to the deafferented visual cortex. Plasticity in the blind is also accompanied with neurochemical and morphological changes; both intrinsic connectivity and functional coupling at rest are altered but are likewise dependent on different sensory

  1. Comparison of Plastic Surgery Residency Training in United States and China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Jianmin; Zhang, Boheng; Yin, Yiqing; Fang, Taolin; Wei, Ning; Lineaweaver, William C; Zhang, Feng

    2015-12-01

    Residency training is internationally recognized as the only way for the physicians to be qualified to practice independently. China has instituted a new residency training program for the specialty of plastic surgery. Meanwhile, plastic surgery residency training programs in the United States are presently in a transition because of restricted work hours. The purpose of this study is to compare the current characteristics of plastic surgery residency training in 2 countries. Flow path, structure, curriculum, operative experience, research, and evaluation of training in 2 countries were measured. The number of required cases was compared quantitatively whereas other aspects were compared qualitatively. Plastic surgery residency training programs in 2 countries differ regarding specific characteristics. Requirements to become a plastic surgery resident in the United States are more rigorous. Ownership structure of the regulatory agency for residency training in 2 countries is diverse. Training duration in the United States is more flexible. Clinical and research training is more practical and the method of evaluation of residency training is more reasonable in the United States. The job opportunities after residency differ substantially between 2 countries. Not every resident has a chance to be an independent surgeon and would require much more training time in China than it does in the United States. Plastic surgery residency training programs in the United States and China have their unique characteristics. The training programs in the United States are more standardized. Both the United States and China may complement each other to create training programs that will ultimately provide high-quality care for all people.

  2. Plastic material investment in load-bearing silk attachments in spiders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolff, Jonas O; Jones, Braxton; Herberstein, Marie E

    2018-05-17

    The nature and size of attachments is a fundamental element of animal constructions. Presumably, these adhesive structures are plastically deployed to balance material investment and attachment strength. Here we studied plasticity in dragline anchorages of the golden orb web spider, Nephila plumipes. Specifically, we predict that spiders adjust the size and structure of dragline anchorages with load, i.e. spider mass. Mass was manipulated by attaching lead pieces to the spider's abdomen resulting in a 50 percent increase in mass. Loaded spiders spun larger but structurally similar thread anchorages than unloaded spiders. Thus, the spinning program that determines the overall anchor structure is highly stereotypic, and flexibility is introduced through varying the anchor size by increasing material investment. Our study showcases substrate attachments as suitable models to investigate the interplay between innate and changeable elements in the economy of building behaviours. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  3. Home Page: Division of Birds: Department of Vertebrate Zoology: National

    Science.gov (United States)

    Division Hall of Fame How do you identify a bird from a feather? Zoologist Carla Dove explains in this Ask Smithsonian video how the microscopic structure of a bird's feather can help identify the species and at the same time, make air travel safer for humans. Honeycreeper Family Tree Phylogeny of the Hawaiian

  4. Mixed plastics recycling technology

    CERN Document Server

    Hegberg, Bruce

    1995-01-01

    Presents an overview of mixed plastics recycling technology. In addition, it characterizes mixed plastics wastes and describes collection methods, costs, and markets for reprocessed plastics products.

  5. proBDNF Negatively Regulates Neuronal Remodeling, Synaptic Transmission, and Synaptic Plasticity in Hippocampus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianmin Yang

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Experience-dependent plasticity shapes postnatal development of neural circuits, but the mechanisms that refine dendritic arbors, remodel spines, and impair synaptic activity are poorly understood. Mature brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF modulates neuronal morphology and synaptic plasticity, including long-term potentiation (LTP via TrkB activation. BDNF is initially translated as proBDNF, which binds p75NTR. In vitro, recombinant proBDNF modulates neuronal structure and alters hippocampal long-term plasticity, but the actions of endogenously expressed proBDNF are unclear. Therefore, we generated a cleavage-resistant probdnf knockin mouse. Our results demonstrate that proBDNF negatively regulates hippocampal dendritic complexity and spine density through p75NTR. Hippocampal slices from probdnf mice exhibit depressed synaptic transmission, impaired LTP, and enhanced long-term depression (LTD in area CA1. These results suggest that proBDNF acts in vivo as a biologically active factor that regulates hippocampal structure, synaptic transmission, and plasticity, effects that are distinct from those of mature BDNF.

  6. Elastic-plastic Fracture Mechanics Assessment of nozzle corners submitted to thermal shock loading

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chapuliot, S.; Marie, S.

    2016-01-01

    This paper focuses on the development of a simplified analytical scheme for the elastic-plastic Fracture Mechanics Assessment of large nozzle corners. Within that frame, following the specific numerical effort performed for the definition of a Stress Intensity Factor compendium, complementary elastic-plastic developments are proposed here for the consideration of the thermal shock loading in the elastic-plastic domain: this type of loading is a major loading for massive structures such as nozzle corners of large components. Thus, an important numerical was performed in order to extend the applicability domain of existing analytical schemes to those complex geometries. The final formulation is a simple one, applicable to a large variety of materials and geometrical configurations as long as the structure is large and the defect remains small in comparison to the internal radius of the nozzle. - Highlights: • Fracture Mechanics Assessment of large nozzle corners. • Elastic-plastic Stress Intensity Factor determination under thermal shock loading. • Semi-analytical schemes for J calculation.

  7. Division of household tasks and financial management

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Antonides, G.

    2011-01-01

    Both the standard economic model and bargaining theory make predictions about financial management and the division of household labor between household partners. Using a large Internet survey, we have tested several predictions about task divisions reported by Dutch household partners. The division

  8. Derivative criteria of plasticity anddurability of metal materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gustov Yuriy Ivanovich

    Full Text Available Criteria of plasticity and durability derivative of standard indicators of plasticity (δ, ψ and durability (σ , σ are offered. Criteria К and К follow from the equation of relative indicators of durability and plasticity. The purpose of the researches is the establishment of interrelation of derivative criteria with the Page indicator. The values of derivative criteria were defined for steels 50X and 50XH after processing by cold, and also for steels 50G2 and 38HGN after sorbitizing. It was established that the sum of the offered derivative criteria of plasticity and durability С considered for the steels is almost equal to unit and corresponds to a square root of relative durability and plasticity criterion C . Both criteria testify to two-unity opposite processes of deformation and resistance to deformation. By means of the equations for S and С it is possible to calculate an indicator of uniform plastic deformation of σ and through it to estimate synergetic criteria - true tension and specific energy of deformation and destruction of metal materials. On the basis of the received results the expressions for assessing the uniform and concentrated components of plastic deformation are established. The preference of the dependence of uniform relative lengthening from a cubic root of criterion К , and also to work of the criteria of relative lengthening and relative durability is given. The advantage of the formulas consists in simplicity and efficiency of calculation, in ensuring necessary accuracy of calculation of the size δ for the subsequent calculation of structural and power (synergetic criteria of reliability of metals.

  9. Sub-nanosecond plastic scintillators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lyons, P.B.; Caldwell, S.E.; Hocker, L.P.; Crandall, D.G.; Zagarino, P.A.; Cheng, J.; Tirsell, G.; Hurlbut, C.R.

    1977-01-01

    Quenched plastic scintillators have been developed that yield much faster short decay components and greatly reduced long decay components compared to conventional plastic scintillators. The plastics are produced through the addition of selected quench agents to NE111 plastic scintillator that result in reduced total light output. Eight different agents have been studied. Benzophenone and piperidine are two of the most effective quench agents. Data are presented both for short and long decay components. The plastics are expected to make significant contributions in areas of plasma diagnostics

  10. Sub-nanosecond plastic scintillators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lyons, P.B.; Caldwell, S.E.; Hocker, L.P.; Crandall, D.G.; Zagarino, P.A.; Cheng, J.; Tirsell, G.; Hurlbut, C.R.

    1976-01-01

    Quenched plastic scintillators have been developed that yield much faster short decay components and greatly reduced long decay components compared to conventional plastic scintillators. The plastics are produced through the addition of selected quench agents to NE111 plastic scintillator that result in reduced total light output. Eight different agents have been studied. Benzophenone and piperidine are two of the most effective quench agents. Data are presented both for short and long decay components. The plastics are expected to make significant contributions in areas of plasma diagnostics

  11. Spectroscopy Division: progress report for 1990

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharma, A.; Marathe, S.M.

    1991-01-01

    This report summarises the work done by members of the Spectroscopy Division both within BARC as well as in scientific institutions elsewhere during the calendar year 1990. Main areas of research activity include atomic spectroscopy for hyperfine structure and isotope shift determination, theoretical and experimental studies of diatomic molecules, infrared and Raman spectroscopy of polyatomic molecules, design and fabrication of beam line optics for INDUS-I synchrotron radiation source, beam foil spectroscopy and laser spectroscopy of various atomic and molecular systems. Major experimental facilities that have been utilised include a fourier transform spectrometer, an excimer laser pumped dye-laser and a continous wave argon-ion laser. The report also includes the spectroscopic analytical service rendered for various DAE units and describes briefly some new analytical facilities like laser enhanced ionization in flames and resonance ionization mass spectroscopy using pulsed lasers which are being set up. The above activites were reported by members of the Spectroscopy Division via invited lectures, papers presented in various national and international conferences and publication in scientific journals. Details of these are given at the end of the report. (author). figs., tabs

  12. Isotope and Nuclear Chemistry Division annual report, FY 1983

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heiken, J.H.; Lindberg, H.A.

    1984-05-01

    This report describes progress in the major research and development programs carried out in FY 1983 by the Isotope and Nuclear Chemistry Division. It covers radiochemical diagnostics of weapons tests; weapons radiochemical diagnostics research and development; other unclassified weapons research; stable and radioactive isotope production, separation, and applications (including biomedical applications); element and isotope transport and fixation; actinide and transition metal chemistry; structural chemistry, spectroscopy, and applications; nuclear structure and reactions; irradiation facilities; advanced analytical techniques; development and applications; atmospheric chemistry and transport; and earth and planetary processes

  13. Isotope and Nuclear Chemistry Division annual report, FY 1983

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Heiken, J.H.; Lindberg, H.A. (eds.)

    1984-05-01

    This report describes progress in the major research and development programs carried out in FY 1983 by the Isotope and Nuclear Chemistry Division. It covers radiochemical diagnostics of weapons tests; weapons radiochemical diagnostics research and development; other unclassified weapons research; stable and radioactive isotope production, separation, and applications (including biomedical applications); element and isotope transport and fixation; actinide and transition metal chemistry; structural chemistry, spectroscopy, and applications; nuclear structure and reactions; irradiation facilities; advanced analytical techniques; development and applications; atmospheric chemistry and transport; and earth and planetary processes.

  14. Isotope and Nuclear Chemistry Division annual report, FY 1984

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heiken, J.H.

    1985-04-01

    This report describes progress in the major research and development programs carried out in FY 1984 by the Isotope and Nuclear Chemistry Division. It covers radiochemical diagnostics of weapons tests; weapons radiochemical diagnostics research and development; other unclassified weapons research; stable and radioactive isotope production, separation, and applications (including biomedical applications); element and isotope transport and fixation; actinide and transition metal chemistry; structural chemistry, spectroscopy, and applications; nuclear structure and reactions; irradiation facilities; advanced analytical techniques: development and applications; atmospheric chemistry and transport; and earth and planetary processes. 287 refs

  15. E-Division activities report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barschall, H.H.

    1981-07-01

    This report describes some of the activities in E (Experimental Physics) Division during the past year. E-Division carries out research and development in areas related to the missions of the Laboratory. Many of the activities are in pure and applied atomic and nuclear physics and in material science. In addition this report describes work on accelerators, microwaves, plasma diagnostics, determination of atmospheric oxygen and of nitrogen in tissue

  16. Metals and Ceramics Division progress report for period ending June 30, 1984

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brogden, I. (ed.)

    1984-09-01

    This progress report covers the research and development activities of the Metals and Ceramics Division from January 1, 1983, through June 30, 1984. The format of the report follows the organizational structure of the division. Short summaries of technical work in progress in the various experimental groups are presented in six parts. Chapter 1 deals with the research and development activities of the Engineering Materials Section, Chapter 2 with the Processing Science and Technology Section, Chapter 3 with the Materials Science Section, Chapter 4 with Project Activities, Chapter 5 with Specialized Research Facilities and Equipment, and Chapter 6 with Miscellaneous Activities.

  17. On The Role Of Division, Jordan And Related Algebras In Particle Physics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gursey, F.; C-H Tze

    1996-11-01

    This monograph surveys the role of some associative and non-associative algebras, remarkable by their ubiquitous appearance in contemporary theoretical physics,particularly in particle physics. It concerns the interplay between division algebras, specifically quaternions and octonions, between Jordan and related algebras on the one hand, and unified theories of the basic interactions on the other. Selected applications of these algebraic structures are discussed: quaternion analyticity of Yang Mills instantons, octonionic aspects of exceptional broken gauge, supergravity theories, division algebras in anyonic phenomena and in theories of extended objects in critical dimensions. The topics presented deal primarily with original contributions by the authors

  18. Metals and Ceramics Division progress report for period ending June 30, 1984

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brogden, I.

    1984-09-01

    This progress report covers the research and development activities of the Metals and Ceramics Division from January 1, 1983, through June 30, 1984. The format of the report follows the organizational structure of the division. Short summaries of technical work in progress in the various experimental groups are presented in six parts. Chapter 1 deals with the research and development activities of the Engineering Materials Section, Chapter 2 with the Processing Science and Technology Section, Chapter 3 with the Materials Science Section, Chapter 4 with Project Activities, Chapter 5 with Specialized Research Facilities and Equipment, and Chapter 6 with Miscellaneous Activities

  19. Social networks uncovered: 10 tips every plastic surgeon should know.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dauwe, Phillip; Heller, Justin B; Unger, Jacob G; Graham, Darrell; Rohrich, Rod J

    2012-11-01

    Understanding online social networks is of critical importance to the plastic surgeon. With knowledge, it becomes apparent that the numerous networks available are similar in their structure, usage, and function. The key is communication between Internet media such that one maximizes exposure to patients. This article focuses on 2 social networking platforms that we feel provide the most utility to plastic surgeons. Ten tips are provided for incorporation of Facebook and Twitter into your practice.

  20. Method for detecting damage in carbon-fibre reinforced plastic-steel structures based on eddy current pulsed thermography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xuan; Liu, Zhiping; Jiang, Xiaoli; Lodewijks, Gabrol

    2018-01-01

    Eddy current pulsed thermography (ECPT) is well established for non-destructive testing of electrical conductive materials, featuring the advantages of contactless, intuitive detecting and efficient heating. The concept of divergence characterization of the damage rate of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP)-steel structures can be extended to ECPT thermal pattern characterization. It was found in this study that the use of ECPT technology on CFRP-steel structures generated a sizeable amount of valuable information for comprehensive material diagnostics. The relationship between divergence and transient thermal patterns can be identified and analysed by deploying mathematical models to analyse the information about fibre texture-like orientations, gaps and undulations in these multi-layered materials. The developed algorithm enabled the removal of information about fibre texture and the extraction of damage features. The model of the CFRP-glue-steel structures with damage was established using COMSOL Multiphysics® software, and quantitative non-destructive damage evaluation from the ECPT image areas was derived. The results of this proposed method illustrate that damaged areas are highly affected by available information about fibre texture. This proposed work can be applied for detection of impact induced damage and quantitative evaluation of CFRP structures.

  1. Chemical Sciences Division: Annual report 1992

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-10-01

    The Chemical Sciences Division (CSD) is one of twelve research Divisions of the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, a Department of Energy National Laboratory. The CSD is composed of individual groups and research programs that are organized into five scientific areas: Chemical Physics, Inorganic/Organometallic Chemistry, Actinide Chemistry, Atomic Physics, and Physical Chemistry. This report describes progress by the CSD for 1992. Also included are remarks by the Division Director, a description of work for others (United States Office of Naval Research), and appendices of the Division personnel and an index of investigators. Research reports are grouped as Fundamental Interactions (Photochemical and Radiation Sciences, Chemical Physics, Atomic Physics) or Processes and Techniques (Chemical Energy, Heavy-Element Chemistry, and Chemical Engineering Sciences)

  2. Sleep loss and structural plasticity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Areal, Cassandra C; Warby, Simon C; Mongrain, Valérie

    2017-06-01

    Wakefulness and sleep are dynamic states during which brain functioning is modified and shaped. Sleep loss is detrimental to many brain functions and results in structural changes localized at synapses in the nervous system. In this review, we present and discuss some of the latest observations of structural changes following sleep loss in some vertebrates and insects. We also emphasize that these changes are region-specific and cell type-specific and that, most importantly, these structural modifications have functional roles in sleep regulation and brain functions. Selected mechanisms driving structural modifications occurring with sleep loss are also discussed. Overall, recent research highlights that extending wakefulness impacts synapse number and shape, which in turn regulate sleep need and sleep-dependent learning/memory. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Nuclear Science Division 1994 annual report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Myers, W.D.

    1995-06-01

    This report describes the activities of the Nuclear Science Division for the period of January 1, 1994, to December 31, 1994. This was a time of significant accomplishment for all of the programs in the Division. Assembly of the solar neutrino detector at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory is well under way. All of the components fabricated by LBL were shipped to Sudbury early in the year and our efforts are now divided between assisting the assembly of the detector and preparing software for data analysis once the detector is operational in 1996. Much of the activity at the 88-Inch Cyclotron centered on Gammasphere. The open-quotes early implementationclose quotes phase of the detector ended in September. This phase was extremely successful, involving over 60 experiments with nearly 200 users from 37 institutions worldwide. The mechanical structure was installed and the final electronic system is expected to operate in March 1995. The Division concurrently hosted a conference on physics for large γ-ray detector arrays at the Clark Kerr Campus at UC Berkeley in August. This was a very successful meeting, reflecting the enthusiasm for this field worldwide. Also at the Cyclotron, the progress toward weak interaction experiments using ultra-thin sources passed a major milestone with the trapping of radioactive 21 Na atoms. We are now engaged in a major upgrade of the experimental area and the outlook is very promising for these novel experiments. Another highlight of research at the Cyclotron was the confirmation of element 106. This development allowed the original LLNL/LBL discovery team to move forward with their proposal to name this element seaborgium

  4. Nuclear Science Division 1994 annual report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Myers, W.D. [ed.

    1995-06-01

    This report describes the activities of the Nuclear Science Division for the period of January 1, 1994, to December 31, 1994. This was a time of significant accomplishment for all of the programs in the Division. Assembly of the solar neutrino detector at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory is well under way. All of the components fabricated by LBL were shipped to Sudbury early in the year and our efforts are now divided between assisting the assembly of the detector and preparing software for data analysis once the detector is operational in 1996. Much of the activity at the 88-Inch Cyclotron centered on Gammasphere. The {open_quotes}early implementation{close_quotes} phase of the detector ended in September. This phase was extremely successful, involving over 60 experiments with nearly 200 users from 37 institutions worldwide. The mechanical structure was installed and the final electronic system is expected to operate in March 1995. The Division concurrently hosted a conference on physics for large {gamma}-ray detector arrays at the Clark Kerr Campus at UC Berkeley in August. This was a very successful meeting, reflecting the enthusiasm for this field worldwide. Also at the Cyclotron, the progress toward weak interaction experiments using ultra-thin sources passed a major milestone with the trapping of radioactive {sup 21}Na atoms. We are now engaged in a major upgrade of the experimental area and the outlook is very promising for these novel experiments. Another highlight of research at the Cyclotron was the confirmation of element 106. This development allowed the original LLNL/LBL discovery team to move forward with their proposal to name this element seaborgium.

  5. Energy Technology Division research summary 2001

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2001-01-01

    The Energy Technology Division provides materials and engineering technology support to a wide range of programs important to the U.S. Department of Energy. As shown on the preceding page, the Division is organized into eight sections, four with concentrations in the materials area and four in engineering technology. Materials expertise includes fabrication, mechanical properties, corrosion, friction and lubrication, and irradiation effects. Our major engineering strengths are in heat and mass flow, sensors and instrumentation, nondestructive testing, transportation, and electromechanics and superconductivity applications. The Division Safety Coordinator, Environmental Compliance Officer, Quality Assurance Representative, Financial Administrator, and Communication Coordinator report directly to the Division Director. The Division Director is personally responsible for cultural diversity and is a member of the Laboratory-wide Cultural Diversity Advisory Committee. This Overview highlights some major ET research areas. Research related to the operational safety of commercial light water nuclear reactors (LWRs) for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) remains a significant area of interest for the Division. We currently have programs on environmentally assisted cracking, steam generator integrity, and the integrity of high-burnup fuel during loss-of-coolant accidents. The bulk of the NRC research work is carried out by three ET sections: Corrosion and Mechanics of Materials; Irradiation Performance; and Sensors, Instrumentation, and Nondestructive Evaluation

  6. Time between plastic displacements of elasto-plastic oscillators subject to Gaussian white noise

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tarp-Johansen, Niels Jacob; Ditlevsen, Ove Dalager

    2001-01-01

    A one degree of freedom elasto-plastic oscillator subject to stationary Gaussian white noise has a plastic displacement response process of intermittent character. During shorter or longer time intervals the oscillator vibrates within the elastic domain without undergoing any plastic displacements...... between the clumps of plastic displacements. This is needed for a complete description of the plastic displacement process. A quite accurate fast simulation procedure is presented based on an amplitude model to determine the short waiting times in the transient regime of the elastic vibrations existing...

  7. Development of a Quartz Crystal Microbalance Sensor Modified by Nano-Structured Polyaniline for Detecting the Plasticizer in Gaseous State

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hui XU

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A quartz crystal microbalance (QCM modified by a film of nano-structured polyaniline (nano-PANI is developed as a gas sensor for detecting the presence of the plasticizer, such as dibutyl phthalate (DBP in the ambient. Nano-PANI is prepared using a non-template method and the films are deposited using physical coating method. Scanning electron microscopy is used to characterize the nano-PANI film. The sensor response towards DBP is tested in a sealed gas chamber. The QCM resonant frequency shift is measured due to the absorption of DBP with different concentration ranging from 0.04 to 1.2 ppm. The experiment results show that the variation of the frequency is a linear function of DBP concentration and the sensitivity up to 54 Hz/ppm could be achieved by using the researched nano-PANI on QCM. To investigate the selectivity, the potential interfering analytes such as acetone, ethanol, acetaldehyde and formaldehyde are tested. And the mechanism hypothesis of the nano-PANI sensitive to the plasticizer is analyzed.

  8. Network evolution induced by asynchronous stimuli through spike-timing-dependent plasticity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wu-Jie Yuan

    Full Text Available In sensory neural system, external asynchronous stimuli play an important role in perceptual learning, associative memory and map development. However, the organization of structure and dynamics of neural networks induced by external asynchronous stimuli are not well understood. Spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP is a typical synaptic plasticity that has been extensively found in the sensory systems and that has received much theoretical attention. This synaptic plasticity is highly sensitive to correlations between pre- and postsynaptic firings. Thus, STDP is expected to play an important role in response to external asynchronous stimuli, which can induce segregative pre- and postsynaptic firings. In this paper, we study the impact of external asynchronous stimuli on the organization of structure and dynamics of neural networks through STDP. We construct a two-dimensional spatial neural network model with local connectivity and sparseness, and use external currents to stimulate alternately on different spatial layers. The adopted external currents imposed alternately on spatial layers can be here regarded as external asynchronous stimuli. Through extensive numerical simulations, we focus on the effects of stimulus number and inter-stimulus timing on synaptic connecting weights and the property of propagation dynamics in the resulting network structure. Interestingly, the resulting feedforward structure induced by stimulus-dependent asynchronous firings and its propagation dynamics reflect both the underlying property of STDP. The results imply a possible important role of STDP in generating feedforward structure and collective propagation activity required for experience-dependent map plasticity in developing in vivo sensory pathways and cortices. The relevance of the results to cue-triggered recall of learned temporal sequences, an important cognitive function, is briefly discussed as well. Furthermore, this finding suggests a potential

  9. The 1988 Leti Division progress report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1988-01-01

    The 1988 progress report of the CEA's LETI Division (Division of Electronics, Technology and Instrumentation, France) is presented. The missions of LETI Division involve military and nuclear applications of electronics and fundamental research. The research programs developed in 1988 are the following: materials and components, non-volatile silicon memories, silicon-over-insulator, integrated circuits technologies, common experimental laboratory (opened to the European community), mass memories, photodetectors, micron sensors and flat screens [fr

  10. Division algebra, generalized supersymmetries and octonionic M-theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toppan, Francesco

    2004-11-01

    This is the report of the talk given at the conference 'Number, Time and Relativity', held at the Bauman University, Moscow, August 2004, concerning the recent research activity of the author and his collaborators about the inter-relation of the concepts of division algebras, representations of Clifford algebras, generalized supersymmetries with the introduction of an alternative description of the M-algebra in terms of the non-associative structure of the octonions. (author)

  11. Physics division annual report 1999

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thayer, K., ed.; Physics

    2000-12-06

    This report summarizes the research performed in the past year in the Argonne Physics Division. The Division's programs include operation of ATLAS as a national heavy-ion user facility, nuclear structure and reaction research with beams of heavy ions, accelerator research and development especially in superconducting radio frequency technology, nuclear theory and medium energy nuclear physics. The Division took significant strides forward in its science and its initiatives for the future in the past year. Major progress was made in developing the concept and the technology for the future advanced facility of beams of short-lived nuclei, the Rare Isotope Accelerator. The scientific program capitalized on important instrumentation initiatives with key advances in nuclear science. In 1999, the nuclear science community adopted the Argonne concept for a multi-beam superconducting linear accelerator driver as the design of choice for the next major facility in the field a Rare Isotope Accelerator (WA) as recommended by the Nuclear Science Advisory Committee's 1996 Long Range Plan. Argonne has made significant R&D progress on almost all aspects of the design concept including the fast gas catcher (to allow fast fragmentation beams to be stopped and reaccelerated) that in large part defined the RIA concept the superconducting rf technology for the driver accelerator, the multiple-charge-state concept (to permit the facility to meet the design intensity goals with existing ion-source technology), and designs and tests of high-power target concepts to effectively deal with the full beam power of the driver linac. An NSAC subcommittee recommended the Argonne concept and set as tie design goal Uranium beams of 100-kwatt power at 400 MeV/u. Argonne demonstrated that this goal can be met with an innovative, but technically in-hand, design. The heavy-ion research program focused on GammaSphere, the premier facility for nuclear structure gamma-ray studies. One example

  12. Simplified non-linear time-history analysis based on the Theory of Plasticity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Costa, Joao Domingues

    2005-01-01

    This paper aims at giving a contribution to the problem of developing simplified non-linear time-history (NLTH) analysis of structures which dynamical response is mainly governed by plastic deformations, able to provide designers with sufficiently accurate results. The method to be presented...... is based on the Theory of Plasticity. Firstly, the formulation and the computational procedure to perform time-history analysis of a rigid-plastic single degree of freedom (SDOF) system are presented. The necessary conditions for the method to incorporate pinching as well as strength degradation...

  13. Energy Technology Division research summary - 1999.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1999-03-31

    The Energy Technology Division provides materials and engineering technology support to a wide range of programs important to the US Department of Energy. As shown on the preceding page, the Division is organized into ten sections, five with concentrations in the materials area and five in engineering technology. Materials expertise includes fabrication, mechanical properties, corrosion, friction and lubrication, and irradiation effects. Our major engineering strengths are in heat and mass flow, sensors and instrumentation, nondestructive testing, transportation, and electromechanics and superconductivity applications. The Division Safety Coordinator, Environmental Compliance Officers, Quality Assurance Representative, Financial Administrator, and Communication Coordinator report directly to the Division Director. The Division Director is personally responsible for cultural diversity and is a member of the Laboratory-wide Cultural Diversity Advisory Committee. The Division's capabilities are generally applied to issues associated with energy production, transportation, utilization, or conservation, or with environmental issues linked to energy. As shown in the organization chart on the next page, the Division reports administratively to the Associate Laboratory Director (ALD) for Energy and Environmental Science and Technology (EEST) through the General Manager for Environmental and Industrial Technologies. While most of our programs are under the purview of the EEST ALD, we also have had programs funded under every one of the ALDs. Some of our research in superconductivity is funded through the Physical Research Program ALD. We also continue to work on a number of nuclear-energy-related programs under the ALD for Engineering Research. Detailed descriptions of our programs on a section-by-section basis are provided in the remainder of this book.

  14. Chemical Technology Division annual technical report, 1993

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Battles, J.E.; Myles, K.M.; Laidler, J.J.; Green, D.W.

    1994-04-01

    Chemical Technology (CMT) Division this period, conducted research and development in the following areas: advanced batteries and fuel cells; fluidized-bed combustion and coal-fired magnetohydrodynamics; treatment of hazardous waste and mixed hazardous/radioactive waste; reaction of nuclear waste glass and spent fuel under conditions expected for an unsaturated repository; separating and recovering transuranic elements, concentrating radioactive waste streams with advanced evaporators, and producing {sup 99}Mo from low-enriched uranium; recovering actinide from IFR core and blanket fuel in removing fission products from recycled fuel, and disposing removal of actinides in spent fuel from commercial water-cooled nuclear reactors; and physical chemistry of selected materials in environments simulating those of fission and fusion energy systems. The Division also conducts basic research in catalytic chemistry associated with molecular energy resources and novel ceramic precursors; materials chemistry of superconducting oxides, electrified metal/solution interfaces, molecular sieve structures, thin-film diamond surfaces, effluents from wood combustion, and molten silicates; and the geochemical processes involved in water-rock interactions. The Analytical Chemistry Laboratory in CMT also provides a broad range of analytical chemistry support.

  15. Chemical Technology Division annual technical report, 1993

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Battles, J.E.; Myles, K.M.; Laidler, J.J.; Green, D.W.

    1994-04-01

    Chemical Technology (CMT) Division this period, conducted research and development in the following areas: advanced batteries and fuel cells; fluidized-bed combustion and coal-fired magnetohydrodynamics; treatment of hazardous waste and mixed hazardous/radioactive waste; reaction of nuclear waste glass and spent fuel under conditions expected for an unsaturated repository; separating and recovering transuranic elements, concentrating radioactive waste streams with advanced evaporators, and producing 99 Mo from low-enriched uranium; recovering actinide from IFR core and blanket fuel in removing fission products from recycled fuel, and disposing removal of actinides in spent fuel from commercial water-cooled nuclear reactors; and physical chemistry of selected materials in environments simulating those of fission and fusion energy systems. The Division also conducts basic research in catalytic chemistry associated with molecular energy resources and novel ceramic precursors; materials chemistry of superconducting oxides, electrified metal/solution interfaces, molecular sieve structures, thin-film diamond surfaces, effluents from wood combustion, and molten silicates; and the geochemical processes involved in water-rock interactions. The Analytical Chemistry Laboratory in CMT also provides a broad range of analytical chemistry support

  16. Human Maternal Brain Plasticity: Adaptation to Parenting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Pilyoung

    2016-01-01

    New mothers undergo dynamic neural changes that support positive adaptation to parenting and the development of mother-infant relationships. In this article, I review important psychological adaptations that mothers experience during pregnancy and the early postpartum period. I then review evidence of structural and functional plasticity in human…

  17. Choroid-Plexus-Derived Otx2 Homeoprotein Constrains Adult Cortical Plasticity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julien Spatazza

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Brain plasticity is often restricted to critical periods in early life. Here, we show that a key regulator of this process in the visual cortex, Otx2 homeoprotein, is synthesized and secreted globally from the choroid plexus. Consequently, Otx2 is maintained in selected GABA cells unexpectedly throughout the mature forebrain. Genetic disruption of choroid-expressed Otx2 impacts these distant circuits and in the primary visual cortex reopens binocular plasticity to restore vision in amblyopic mice. The potential to regulate adult cortical plasticity through the choroid plexus underscores the importance of this structure in brain physiology and offers therapeutic approaches to recovery from a broad range of neurodevelopmental disorders.

  18. Electromagnetic configurable architectures for assessment of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Steigmann Rozina

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics are used in most wide domains due their low density, lack of mechanical fatigue phenomena and high strength–to weight ratio. From electromagnetic point of view, Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics structure represents an inhomogeneous structure of electric conductive fibers embedded into a dielectric material, thus an electromagnetic configurable architecture can be used to evaluate above mentioned defects. The paper proposes a special sensor, send receiver type and the obtaining of electromagnetic image by post-processing each coil signals in each point of scanning, using a sub-encoding image reconstruction algorithm and super-resolution procedures. The layout of fibers can be detected interrogating only diagonal reception coils.

  19. Structural Plasticity of Malaria Dihydroorotate Dehydrogenase Allows Selective Binding of Diverse Chemical Scaffolds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deng, Xiaoyi; Gujjar, Ramesh; El Mazouni, Farah; Kaminsky, Werner; Malmquist, Nicholas A.; Goldsmith, Elizabeth J.; Rathod, Pradipsinh K.; Phillips, Margaret A.

    2009-01-01

    Malaria remains a major global health burden and current drug therapies are compromised by resistance. Plasmodium falciparum dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (PfDHODH) was validated as a new drug target through the identification of potent and selective triazolopyrimidine-based DHODH inhibitors with anti-malarial activity in vivo. Here we report x-ray structure determination of PfDHODH bound to three inhibitors from this series, representing the first of the enzyme bound to malaria specific inhibitors. We demonstrate that conformational flexibility results in an unexpected binding mode identifying a new hydrophobic pocket on the enzyme. Importantly this plasticity allows PfDHODH to bind inhibitors from different chemical classes and to accommodate inhibitor modifications during lead optimization, increasing the value of PfDHODH as a drug target. A second discovery, based on small molecule crystallography, is that the triazolopyrimidines populate a resonance form that promotes charge separation. These intrinsic dipoles allow formation of energetically favorable H-bond interactions with the enzyme. The importance of delocalization to binding affinity was supported by site-directed mutagenesis and the demonstration that triazolopyrimidine analogs that lack this intrinsic dipole are inactive. Finally, the PfDHODH-triazolopyrimidine bound structures provide considerable new insight into species-selective inhibitor binding in this enzyme family. Together, these studies will directly impact efforts to exploit PfDHODH for the development of anti-malarial chemotherapy.

  20. Plastic fish

    CERN Multimedia

    Antonella Del Rosso

    2015-01-01

    In terms of weight, the plastic pollution in the world’s oceans is estimated to be around 300,000 tonnes. This plastic comes from both land-based and ocean-based sources. A lecture at CERN by chemist Wolfgang Trettnak addressed this issue and highlighted the role of art in raising people’s awareness.   Artwork by Wolfgang Trettnak. Packaging materials, consumer goods (shoes, kids’ toys, etc.), leftovers from fishing and aquaculture activities… our oceans and beaches are full of plastic litter. Most of the debris from beaches is plastic bottles. “PET bottles have high durability and stability,” explains Wolfgang Trettnak, a chemist by education and artist from Austria, who gave a lecture on this topic organised by the Staff Association at CERN on 26 May. “PET degrades very slowly and the estimated lifetime of a bottle is 450 years.” In addition to the beach litter accumulated from human use, rivers bring several ki...

  1. Division of Analytical Chemistry, 1998

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Elo Harald

    1999-01-01

    The article recounts the 1998 activities of the Division of Analytical Chemistry (DAC- formerly the Working Party on Analytical Chemistry, WPAC), which body is a division of the Federation of European Chemical Societies (FECS). Elo Harald Hansen is the Danish delegate, representing The Danish...... Chemical Society/The Society for Analytical Chemistry....

  2. Activation of cell divisions in legume nodulation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nadzieja, Marcin

    organogenesis. Coordination of these two interdependent processes results in formation of nodules - bacterial accommodating structures where fixation of atmospheric nitrogen takes place. Plant hormones such as auxin and cytokinin play important roles in nodulation. In some legumes the infection process...... of auxin transport inhibitors or cytokinin alone was shown to induce cortical cell divisions in the absence of rhizobia in certain legume species. While the roles of auxin and cytokinin in nodulation have been studied extensively, the precise timing, location and means of molecular crosstalk between...

  3. Prospects of pyrolysis oil from plastic waste as fuel for diesel engines: A review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mangesh, V. L.; Padmanabhan, S.; Ganesan, S.; PrabhudevRahul, D.; Reddy, T. Dinesh Kumar

    2017-05-01

    The purpose ofthis study is to review the existing literature about chemical recycling of plastic waste and its potential as fuel for diesel engines. This is a review covering on the field of converting waste plastics into liquid hydrocarbon fuels for diesel engines. Disposal and recycling of waste plastics have become an incremental problem and environmental threat with increasing demand for plastics. One of the effective measures is by converting waste plastic into combustible hydrocarbon liquid as an alternative fuel for running diesel engines. Continued research efforts have been taken by researchers to convert waste plastic in to combustible pyrolysis oil as alternate fuel for diesel engines. An existing literature focuses on the study of chemical structure of the waste plastic pyrolysis compared with diesel oil. Converting waste plastics into fuel oil by different catalysts in catalytic pyrolysis process also reviewed in this paper. The methodology with subsequent hydro treating and hydrocracking of waste plastic pyrolysis oil can reduce unsaturated hydrocarbon bonds which would improve the combustion performance in diesel engines as an alternate fuel.

  4. Physical exercise in overweight to obese individuals induces metabolic- and neurotrophic-related structural brain plasticity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karsten eMueller

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Previous cross-sectional studies on body-weight-related alterations in brain structure revealed profound changes in the gray matter (GM and white matter (WM that resemble findings obtained from individuals with advancing age. This suggests that obesity may lead to structural brain changes that are comparable with brain aging. Here, we asked whether weight-loss-dependent improved metabolic and neurotrophic functioning parallels the reversal of obesity-related alterations in brain structure. To this end we applied magnetic resonance imaging together with voxel-based morphometry and diffusion-tensor imaging in overweight to obese individuals who participated in a fitness course with intensive physical training three days per week over a period of three months. After the fitness course, participants presented, with inter-individual heterogeneity, a reduced body mass index (BMI, reduced serum leptin concentrations, elevated high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C, and alterations of serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF concentrations suggesting changes of metabolic and neurotrophic function. Exercise-dependent changes in BMI and serum concentration of BDNF, leptin, and HDL-C were related to an increase in GM density in the left hippocampus, the insular cortex, and the left cerebellar lobule. We also observed exercise-dependent changes of diffusivity parameters in surrounding WM structures as well as in the corpus callosum. These findings suggest that weight-loss due to physical exercise in overweight to obese participants induces profound structural brain plasticity, not primarily of sensorimotor brain regions involved in physical exercise, but of regions previously reported to be structurally affected by an increased body weight and functionally implemented in gustation and cognitive processing.

  5. Solid State Division progress report for period ending March 31, 1992

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Green, P.H.; Hinton, L.W.

    1992-09-01

    During this period, the division conducted a broad, interdisciplinary materials research program with emphasis on theoretical solid state physics, superconductivity, neutron scattering, synthesis and characterization of materials, ion beam and laser processing, and the structure of solids and surfaces. The High Flux Isotope Reactor was returned to full operation

  6. Solid State Division progress report for period ending March 31, 1992

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Green, P.H.; Hinton, L.W. (eds.)

    1992-09-01

    During this period, the division conducted a broad, interdisciplinary materials research program with emphasis on theoretical solid state physics, superconductivity, neutron scattering, synthesis and characterization of materials, ion beam and laser processing, and the structure of solids and surfaces. The High Flux Isotope Reactor was returned to full operation.

  7. Plastics in the Marine Environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Law, Kara Lavender

    2017-01-03

    Plastics contamination in the marine environment was first reported nearly 50 years ago, less than two decades after the rise of commercial plastics production, when less than 50 million metric tons were produced per year. In 2014, global plastics production surpassed 300 million metric tons per year. Plastic debris has been detected worldwide in all major marine habitats, in sizes from microns to meters. In response, concerns about risks to marine wildlife upon exposure to the varied forms of plastic debris have increased, stimulating new research into the extent and consequences of plastics contamination in the marine environment. Here, I present a framework to evaluate the current understanding of the sources, distribution, fate, and impacts of marine plastics. Despite remaining knowledge gaps in mass budgeting and challenges in investigating ecological impacts, the increasing evidence of the ubiquity of plastics contamination in the marine environment, the continued rapid growth in plastics production, and the evidence-albeit limited-of demonstrated impacts to marine wildlife support immediate implementation of source-reducing measures to decrease the potential risks of plastics in the marine ecosystem.

  8. Plastics in the Marine Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Law, Kara Lavender

    2017-01-01

    Plastics contamination in the marine environment was first reported nearly 50 years ago, less than two decades after the rise of commercial plastics production, when less than 50 million metric tons were produced per year. In 2014, global plastics production surpassed 300 million metric tons per year. Plastic debris has been detected worldwide in all major marine habitats, in sizes from microns to meters. In response, concerns about risks to marine wildlife upon exposure to the varied forms of plastic debris have increased, stimulating new research into the extent and consequences of plastics contamination in the marine environment. Here, I present a framework to evaluate the current understanding of the sources, distribution, fate, and impacts of marine plastics. Despite remaining knowledge gaps in mass budgeting and challenges in investigating ecological impacts, the increasing evidence of the ubiquity of plastics contamination in the marine environment, the continued rapid growth in plastics production, and the evidence—albeit limited—of demonstrated impacts to marine wildlife support immediate implementation of source-reducing measures to decrease the potential risks of plastics in the marine ecosystem.

  9. American Chemical Society. Division of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1991-01-01

    The meeting of the 201st American Chemical Society Division of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology was comprised from a variety of topics in this field including: nuclear chemistry, nuclear physics, and nuclear techniques for environmental studies. Particular emphasis was given to fundamental research concerning nuclear structure (seven of the nineteen symposia) and studies of airborne particle monitoring and transport (five symposia). 105 papers were presented

  10. Annual report 1983/1984. Division of Solid State Physics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1984-10-01

    This report gives a survey of the present research projects at the division of solid state physics, Inst. of Technology, Uppsala University. The projects fall within the fields of magnetism, i.e. spin glasses, ordered magnetic structures and itinerant electron magnetism, as well as optics, i.e. properties of crystalline and amorphous materials for selective transmission and absorption in connection with energy-related research. (author)

  11. Selection of polychlorinated plastics in plastic waste by X-ray fluorescence method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumasaki, H.; Shinozaki, Y.

    1979-01-01

    The X-ray fluorescence method using a small source of 55 Fe was examined and found to be applicable for the selection of polychlorinated plastics from plastic waste in model areas in Tokyo designated for investigating their content in the waste. The weight ratios of soft and hard polychlorinated plastics to the total plastic waste estimated by this method were found to be 15.6% and 0.29% respectively. These values agree well with the results obtained with the Beilstein method. (author)

  12. Current programmes of Metallurgy Division (1991)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-01-01

    Current research and development programmes of the Metallurgy Division are listed under the headings: 1)Thrust Areas, 2)High Temperature Materials Section, 3)Chemical Metallurgy Section, 4)Metallurgical Thermochemistry Section, 5)Physical Metallurgy Section, 6)Mechanical Metallurgy Section, 7)Corrosion Metallurgy Section, 8)Electrochemical Science and Technology Section, 9)Ceramics Section, and 10)Fabrication and Maintenance Group. A list of equipment in the Division and a list of sciientific personnel of the Division are also given. (M.G.B.)

  13. Toxicological Threats of Plastic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plastics pose both physical (e.g., entanglement, gastrointestinal blockage, reef destruction) and chemical threats (e.g., bioaccumulation of the chemical ingredients of plastic or toxic chemicals sorbed to plastics) to wildlife and the marine ecosystem.

  14. Modulation of Hippocampal Neural Plasticity by Glucose-Related Signaling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marco Mainardi

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Hormones and peptides involved in glucose homeostasis are emerging as important modulators of neural plasticity. In this regard, increasing evidence shows that molecules such as insulin, insulin-like growth factor-I, glucagon-like peptide-1, and ghrelin impact on the function of the hippocampus, which is a key area for learning and memory. Indeed, all these factors affect fundamental hippocampal properties including synaptic plasticity (i.e., synapse potentiation and depression, structural plasticity (i.e., dynamics of dendritic spines, and adult neurogenesis, thus leading to modifications in cognitive performance. Here, we review the main mechanisms underlying the effects of glucose metabolism on hippocampal physiology. In particular, we discuss the role of these signals in the modulation of cognitive functions and their potential implications in dysmetabolism-related cognitive decline.

  15. Plasticity and beyond microstructures, crystal-plasticity and phase transitions

    CERN Document Server

    Hackl, Klaus

    2014-01-01

    The book presents the latest findings in experimental plasticity, crystal plasticity, phase transitions, advanced mathematical modeling of finite plasticity and multi-scale modeling. The associated algorithmic treatment is mainly based on finite element formulations for standard (local approach) as well as for non-standard (non-local approach) continua and for pure macroscopic as well as for directly coupled two-scale boundary value problems. Applications in the area of material design/processing are covered, ranging from grain boundary effects in polycrystals and phase transitions to deep-drawing of multiphase steels by directly taking into account random microstructures.

  16. Vegetative and reproductive evaluation of hot peppers under different plastic mulches in poly/plastic tunnel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iqbal, Q.; Amjad, M.; Ahmad, R.

    2009-01-01

    Since the beginning of civilization, the man has developed technologies to increase the efficiency of food production. The use of plastic mulch in commercial vegetable production is one of these traditional techniques that have been used for centuries. Studies were conducted to assess the efficacy of plastic mulch on growth and yield of two hot pepper hybrids, viz. Sky Red and Maha in poly/plastic tunnel. The treatments were black plastic mulch, clear plastic mulch and bare soil as control. Both hot pepper hybrids mulched with black plastic showed significantly better vegetative growth (plant height, leaf area etc) and fruit yield. Clear plastic mulch significantly increased soil temperature and reduced the number of days to first flower than black plastic mulch and bare soil. However, fruit yield was higher by 39.56 and 36.49% respectively in both hybrids when they were grown on black and clear plastic mulch as compared to bare soil. Overall results indicated that the use of plastic mulch is an ideal option to maximize hot pepper productivity as well as to extend their production season in poly/plastic tunnels. (author)

  17. Self-organization in Balanced State Networks by STDP and Homeostatic Plasticity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Felix Effenberger

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Structural inhomogeneities in synaptic efficacies have a strong impact on population response dynamics of cortical networks and are believed to play an important role in their functioning. However, little is known about how such inhomogeneities could evolve by means of synaptic plasticity. Here we present an adaptive model of a balanced neuronal network that combines two different types of plasticity, STDP and synaptic scaling. The plasticity rules yield both long-tailed distributions of synaptic weights and firing rates. Simultaneously, a highly connected subnetwork of driver neurons with strong synapses emerges. Coincident spiking activity of several driver cells can evoke population bursts and driver cells have similar dynamical properties as leader neurons found experimentally. Our model allows us to observe the delicate interplay between structural and dynamical properties of the emergent inhomogeneities. It is simple, robust to parameter changes and able to explain a multitude of different experimental findings in one basic network.

  18. Root plasticity buffers competition among plants: theory meets experimental data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schiffers, Katja; Tielbörger, Katja; Tietjen, Britta; Jeltsch, Florian

    2011-03-01

    Morphological plasticity is a striking characteristic of plants in natural communities. In the context of foraging behavior particularly, root plasticity has been documented for numerous species. Root plasticity is known to mitigate competitive interactions by reducing the overlap of the individuals' rhizospheres. But despite its obvious effect on resource acquisition, plasticity has been generally neglected in previous empirical and theoretical studies estimating interaction intensity among plants. In this study, we developed a semi-mechanistic model that addresses this shortcoming by introducing the idea of compensatory growth into the classical-zone-of influence (ZOI) and field-of-neighborhood (FON) approaches. The model parameters describing the belowground plastic sphere of influence (PSI) were parameterized using data from an accompanying field experiment. Measurements of the uptake of a stable nutrient analogue at distinct distances to the neighboring plants showed that the study species responded plastically to belowground competition by avoiding overlap of individuals' rhizospheres. An unexpected finding was that the sphere of influence of the study species Bromus hordeaceus could be best described by a unimodal function of distance to the plant's center and not with a continuously decreasing function as commonly assumed. We employed the parameterized model to investigate the interplay between plasticity and two other important factors determining the intensity of competitive interactions: overall plant density and the distribution of individuals in space. The simulation results confirm that the reduction of competition intensity due to morphological plasticity strongly depends on the spatial structure of the competitive environment. We advocate the use of semi-mechanistic simulations that explicitly consider morphological plasticity to improve our mechanistic understanding of plant interactions.

  19. Green Purchasing Behavior Analysis of Government Policy About Paid Plastic Bags

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    Muhammad Khoiruman

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available This research will be conducted to know: 1 The influence of green perceived value to consumer green trust to use plastic bag after the policy of using plastic bag paid at modern retail store in Surakarta. 2 The influence of green perceived risk to consumer green trust to use plastic bag after the policy of using plastic bag paid at modern retail store in Surakarta. 3 The effect of green trust on green purchase behavior of consumers to use plastic bags after the policy of using plastic bag paid at modern retail store in Surakarta. The study was conducted in modern retail stores (Alfamart, Indomart and Superindo in Surakarta using 200 respondents who shop at the modern retail store. A model that can be used to measure green purchasing behavior in the use of paid plastic bags using four interrelated variables: green perceived value, green perceived risk, green trust and green purchasing. Data analysis using Structural Equation Model (SEM. The result of analysis and discussion showed that green perceived value have positive and significant effect to green trust, green trust has positive effect on green purchasing, but green perceived risk has no significant effect to green trust.

  20. Interaction between vegetable oil based plasticizer molecules and polyvinyl chloride, and their plasticization effect

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haryono, Agus; Triwulandari, Evi; Jiang, Pingping

    2017-01-01

    Plasticizer molecules are low molecular weight compounds that are widely used in polymer industries especially in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resin. As an additive in PVC resin, the important role of plasticizer molecules is to improve the flexibility and processability of PVC by lowering the glass transition temperature (Tg). However, the commercial plasticizer like di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) is known to cause liver cancer, at least in laboratory rats. DEHP can leach out from PVC into blood, certain drug solutions and fatty foods, which has been detected in the bloodstream of patients undergoing transfusion. Vegetable oil based plasticizers have some attractive properties such as non-toxic, bio-degradable, good heat and light stability, renewable resources, and environmentally friendly. Here we discussed the main results and development of vegetable oil based plasticizer, and especially palm oil based plasticizer. The interaction between plasticizer and polymer was discussed from the properties of the plasticized polymeric material.