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Sample records for sulfhydryl switches diet

  1. Confirmation of a blocked amino terminus of sulfhydryl oxidase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Janolino, V.G.; Morrison-Rowe, S.J.; Swaisgood, H.E.

    1990-01-01

    The isolation of sulfhydryl oxidase from bovine milk in a suitably pure form for sequencing was carried out by transient covalent affinity chromatography of diafiltered whey using cysteinylsuccinamidopropyl-glass as matrix. The glutathione-eluted proteins were separated by SDS-PAGE. By radiolabeling the affinity chromatography-purified enzyme with [ 14 C]iodoacetate before subjecting to SDS-PAGE, the sulfhydryl oxidase band was identified, because sulfhydryl oxidase is known to be inactivated by alkylation of one sulfhydryl group per mole. The results confirmed that sulfhydryl oxidase corresponds to the 85 (± 5)-kDa band observed on SDS-PAGE. The protein band corresponding to radiolabeled sulfhydryl oxidase was recovered from SDS-PAGE gels by electrophoretic elution and by electroblotting on polyvinylidene difluoride membrane and subjected to gas phase sequencing. Precautions were taken during electrophoretic elution to prevent reactions that result in N-terminal blocking. Both methods of protein recovery yielded negative results when subjected to sequence analysis indicating that the N-terminus of sulfhydryl oxidase is blocked

  2. Will seizure control improve by switching from the modified Atkins diet to the traditional ketogenic diet?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kossoff, Eric H; Bosarge, Jennifer L; Miranda, Maria J

    2010-01-01

    It has been reported that children can maintain seizure control when the ketogenic diet (KD) is transitioned to the less-restrictive modified Atkins diet (MAD). What is unknown, however, is the likelihood of additional seizure control from a switch from the MAD to the KD. Retrospective information...

  3. Ecological forensics : Using single point stable isotope values to infer seasonal schedules of animals after two diet switches

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jouta, Jeltje; Dietz, Maurine W.; Reneerkens, Jeroen; Piersma, Theunis; Rakhimberdiev, Eldar; Hallgrímsson, Gunnar T.; Pen, Ido

    2017-01-01

    Animals adjust to seasonal challenges in physical, behavioural and spatial ways. Such adjustments are commonly associated with diet changes that often can be characterised isotopically. We introduce the 'double diet switch model', with which the occurrence and timing of two subsequent diet switches

  4. Switching adolescent high-fat diet to adult control diet restores neurocognitive alterations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chloe Boitard

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available In addition to metabolic and cardiovascular disorders, obesity is associated with adverse cognitive and emotional outcomes. Its growing prevalence in adolescents is particularly alarming since this is a period of ongoing maturation for brain structures (including the hippocampus and amygdala and for the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA stress axis, which is required for cognitive and emotional processing. We recently demonstrated that adolescent, but not adult, high-fat diet (HF exposure leads to impaired hippocampal function and enhanced amygdala function through HPA axis alteration (Boitard et al., 2014; Boitard et al., 2012; Boitard et al., 2015. Here, we assessed whether the effects of adolescent HF consumption on brain function are permanent or reversible. After adolescent exposure to HF, switching to a standard chow diet restored levels of hippocampal neurogenesis and normalized enhanced HPA axis reactivity, amygdala activity and avoidance memory. Therefore, while the adolescent period is highly vulnerable to the deleterious effects of diet-induced obesity, adult exposure to a standard diet appears sufficient to reverse alterations of brain function.

  5. Switching to a 10-day Mediterranean-style diet improves mood and cardiovascular function in a controlled crossover study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jaime; Pase, Matthew; Pipingas, Andrew; Raubenheimer, Jessica; Thurgood, Madeline; Villalon, Lorena; Macpherson, Helen; Gibbs, Amy; Scholey, Andrew

    2015-05-01

    Even short-term adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet may benefit aspects of psychological functioning. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of switching to a 10-d Mediterranean-style diet on mood, cognition, and cardiovascular measures. Using a crossover design, 24 women were randomly assigned to either the diet change (where they switched to a Mediterranean-style diet) or no diet change (normal diet) condition for 10 days before switching to the other condition for the same duration. Mood, cognition, and cardiovascular measures of blood pressure, blood flow velocity, and arterial stiffness were assessed at baseline and at the completion of the two diets (days 11 and 22). Independent of whether the Mediterranean-style diet was undertaken before or after the crossover, it was associated with significantly elevated contentment and alertness, and significantly reduced confusion. Additionally, aspects of cognition, such as memory recall, improved significantly as a result of switching to the Mediterranean-style diet. Regarding cardiovascular measures, there was a significant reduction in augmentation pressure associated with the Mediterranean-style diet intervention, but blood flow velocity through the common carotid artery did not change. This Mediterranean-style diet has the potential to enhance aspects of mood, cognition, and cardiovascular function in a young, healthy adult sample. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Effect of whole-body gamma radiation on tissue sulfhydryl contents in experimental rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sarkar, S.R.; Singh, L.R.; Uniyal, B.P.

    1985-01-01

    It has been postulated that vital constituents of cell membranes concerned with the maintenance of cellular integrity are affected by ionizing radiation. Sulfhydryl contents, which form an integral component of cell membranes play vital roles in maintaining cellular integrity. The purpose was to evaluate non-protein and protein sulfhydryl contents in tissues of irradiated rats. Adult male Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to whole-body gamma irradiation of 4 Gy and 10 Gy and non-protein and protein sulfhydryl contents of blood, heart and spleen were studied on postirradiation day 1, 3 and 6. Both groups of experimental rats exhibited unchanged blood non-protein sulfhydryl contents on first day after irradiation with significant diminution subsequently. In contrast, blood protein sulfhydryl groups of both groups of rats were increased on first day post exposure, which became normal on sixth day. Myocardial non-protein and protein sulfhydryl contents of both groups of rats remained unchanged in the initial stage of radiation exposure indicating radioresistance nature of rat heart. Both groups of rats demonstrated biphasic nature of non-protein sulfhydryl contents in spleen, asrevealed by initial increase with subsequent decrease. Protein sulfhydryl contents of rats of 4 Gy group showed significant diminution post exposure throughout, while the same of 10 Gy behaved in opposite way. (author)

  7. Diet selection and seasonal dietary switch of a large sexually dimorphic herbivore

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shannon, Graeme; Mackey, Robin L.; Slotow, Rob

    2013-01-01

    Although diet selection and the physiological adaptations of grazers and browsers have been widely studied, much less is known about mixed-feeders that target both grass and woody species. The ability to switch diet allows the individual to respond to spatial and temporal changes in forage abundance and quality, providing a key mechanism for large herbivores to exploit heterogeneous environments. We compare diet selection and timing of the seasonal dietary switch for a large-bodied, sexually dimorphic mixed-feeder, the African elephant. The study was carried out on a small population of elephants (n = 48) in the Pongola Game Reserve (PGR), South Africa. Sex-specific dietary composition evaluated from feeding behaviour correlated with composition in dung samples from individuals of known sex. Grass was strongly preferred during the wet season and browse in the winter dry season. However, adult male elephants switched from browse to grass earlier, and consumed a greater overall proportion of grass in their diet, compared with adult females and their associated family groups. Male elephants also spent more time in grassland habitats, and expanded their ranges to a greater extent than females following the end of the dry season. Our results suggest that smaller adult body size, high nutritional demands of offspring, and the constraints of sociality have contributed to female elephants in PGR resolving their diet selection strategies to target higher quality foraging opportunities, whilst males appear to be adopting a rate maximizing approach. The behavioural differences between the sexes are pronounced, which has implications for elephant management approaches that are typically focussed at the population level.

  8. Modification of membrane sulfhydryl groups in bacteriostatic action of nitrite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buchman, G.W. III; Hansen, J.N.

    1987-01-01

    The mechanism by which nitrite inhibits outgrowing spores of bacillus cereus T was examined by using techniques developed earlier for nitrite analogs. The morphological stage of inhibition, cooperativity effects, effect of pH on inhibition, kinetics of protection against tritiated iodoacetate incorporation into membrane sulfhydryl groups, and protection against the bacteriocidal effect of carboxymethylation of iodoacetate indicate that nitrite acts as a membrane-directed sulfhydryl agent. The mechanism by which nitrite modifies the chemical reactivity of the sulfhyrdyl group could be either direct covalent modification or inactivation through communication with another modified membrane component. Profiles of pH effects suggest that the active agent is the protonated form of nitrite. The nitrite concentrations which modify membrane sulfhydryl activity coincide with those which have a bacteriostatic effect. These results are consistent with membrane sulfhydryl modification as a component of the mechanism of nitrite-induced bacteriostasis in this aerobic sporeformer

  9. Strategies for protection and experiments on repair of irradiated sulfhydryl enzymes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Durchschlag, H.; Zipper, P.

    1991-01-01

    The investigation of sulfur-containing biomolecules, especially of sulfhydryl proteins, is of particular interest in radiation biology. Sulfhydryl enzymes are useful objects for studying both structural and functional changes caused by radiation. In this context oxidation of enzyme sulfhydryl, inactivation (continuing in the post-irradiation phase), subunit cross-linking, enzyme aggregation, fragmentation, unfolding etc. may be mentioned. For their studies the authors used primarily malate synthase (MS), an enzyme with essential sulfhydryl, which was X-irradiated in aqueous solution in the absence or presence of a variety of additives (thiols, antioxienzymes, typical radical scavengers, inorganic salts, buffer components, substrates, products, substrate and product analogues). Radiation-induced effects were registered during irradiation, after stop of irradiation, and in the post-radiation (p.r.) phase 30 or 60 h p.r. using, e.g., small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), polyacrylamide gel electrophoreses (PAGEs), and activity measurements. Repair experiments were initiated by p.r. addition of dithiothreitol (DTT). For comparison, some of the experiments were also carried out with two additional sulfhydryl enzymes (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)) and two disulfide containing proteins (ribonuclease A, serum albumin). 9 refs., 6 figs

  10. Synthesis and Properties of Sulfhydryl-Reactive Near-Infrared Cyanine Fluorochromes for Fluorescence Imaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuhui Lin

    2003-04-01

    Full Text Available Near-infrared fluorochromes (NIRF are useful compounds for diverse biotechnology applications and for in vivo biomedical imaging. Such NIRF must have high quantum yield, be biocompatible, and be conjugatable to a wide variety of proteins, peptides, and other affinity ligands. Here, we describe the synthesis of four new nonsymmetrical sulfhydryl-reactive cyanine NIRF with excellent optical and chemical properties. Each fluorochrome was designed to contain an iodoacetamido group that reacts specifically with sulfhydryl-containing molecules. The synthesized fluorochromes were used to label model peptides and sulfhydryl-containing biomolecules.

  11. Ecological forensics: using single point stable isotope values to infer seasonal schedules of animals after two diet switches

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jouta, J.; Dietz, M.W.; Reneerkens, J.; Piersma, T.; Rakhimberdiev, E.; Hallgrimsson, G.T.; Pen, I.

    2017-01-01

    1.Animals adjust to seasonal challenges in physical, behavioural and spatial ways. Such adjustments are commonly associated with diet changes that often can be characterised isotopically.2.We introduce the ‘double diet switch model’, with which the occurrence and timing of two subsequent diet

  12. Toxicity of the sulfhydryl-containing radioprotector dithiothreitol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Held, K.D.; Biaglow, J.E.

    1987-01-01

    The toxicity of the sulfhydryl-containing radioprotector dithiothreitol (DTT) has been studied in Chinese hamster V79 cells growing in monolayer. Under the conditions used here DTT causes a biphasic toxic response in which low concentrations of the drug (0.5 to 1.0 mM) are more toxic than are lower (0.2 mM) or higher (10 mM) concentrations. This response is similar to that seen by others with other sulfhydryl compounds. This DTT-induced toxicity is prevented by catalase, glutathione, and lowered temperatures. The toxicity is enhanced by some metal chelators (EDTA) but prevented by others (desferal). Metals (copper and iron) can either enhance or decrease the toxicity depending on their concentration and whether the exposure is in medium or in buffered salt solution. The results suggest a complex chain of chemical reactions and interactions with a role of H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ and perhaps . OH in this DTT toxicity. This is discussed

  13. Forward modeling of fluctuating dietary 13C signals to validate 13C turnover models of milk and milk components from a diet-switch experiment.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander Braun

    Full Text Available Isotopic variation of food stuffs propagates through trophic systems. But, this variation is dampened in each trophic step, due to buffering effects of metabolic and storage pools. Thus, understanding of isotopic variation in trophic systems requires knowledge of isotopic turnover. In animals, turnover is usually quantified in diet-switch experiments in controlled conditions. Such experiments usually involve changes in diet chemical composition, which may affect turnover. Furthermore, it is uncertain if diet-switch based turnover models are applicable under conditions with randomly fluctuating dietary input signals. Here, we investigate if turnover information derived from diet-switch experiments with dairy cows can predict the isotopic composition of metabolic products (milk, milk components and feces under natural fluctuations of dietary isotope and chemical composition. First, a diet-switch from a C3-grass/maize diet to a pure C3-grass diet was used to quantify carbon turnover in whole milk, lactose, casein, milk fat and feces. Data were analyzed with a compartmental mixed effects model, which allowed for multiple pools and intra-population variability, and included a delay between feed ingestion and first tracer appearance in outputs. The delay for milk components and whole milk was ~12 h, and that of feces ~20 h. The half-life (t½ for carbon in the feces was 9 h, while lactose, casein and milk fat had a t½ of 10, 18 and 19 h. The (13C kinetics of whole milk revealed two pools, a fast pool with a t½ of 10 h (likely representing lactose, and a slower pool with a t½ of 21 h (likely including casein and milk fat. The diet-switch based turnover information provided a precise prediction (RMSE ~0.2 ‰ of the natural (13C fluctuations in outputs during a 30 days-long period when cows ingested a pure C3 grass with naturally fluctuating isotope composition.

  14. Secreted fungal sulfhydryl oxidases: sequence analysis and characterisation of a representative flavin-dependent enzyme from Aspergillus oryzae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Faccio Greta

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Sulfhydryl oxidases are flavin-dependent enzymes that catalyse the formation of de novo disulfide bonds from free thiol groups, with the reduction of molecular oxygen to hydrogen peroxide. Sulfhydryl oxidases have been investigated in the food industry to remove the burnt flavour of ultraheat-treated milk and are currently studied as potential crosslinking enzymes, aiming at strengthening wheat dough and improving the overall bread quality. Results In the present study, potential sulfhydryl oxidases were identified in the publicly available fungal genome sequences and their sequence characteristics were studied. A representative sulfhydryl oxidase from Aspergillus oryzae, AoSOX1, was expressed in the fungus Trichoderma reesei. AoSOX1 was produced in relatively good yields and was purified and biochemically characterised. The enzyme catalysed the oxidation of thiol-containing compounds like glutathione, D/L-cysteine, beta-mercaptoethanol and DTT. The enzyme had a melting temperature of 57°C, a pH optimum of 7.5 and its enzymatic activity was completely inhibited in the presence of 1 mM ZnSO4. Conclusions Eighteen potentially secreted sulfhydryl oxidases were detected in the publicly available fungal genomes analysed and a novel proline-tryptophan dipeptide in the characteristic motif CXXC, where X is any amino acid, was found. A representative protein, AoSOX1 from A. oryzae, was produced in T. reesei in an active form and had the characteristics of sulfhydryl oxidases. Further testing of the activity on thiol groups within larger peptides and on protein level will be needed to assess the application potential of this enzyme.

  15. Secreted fungal sulfhydryl oxidases: sequence analysis and characterisation of a representative flavin-dependent enzyme from Aspergillus oryzae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faccio, Greta; Kruus, Kristiina; Buchert, Johanna; Saloheimo, Markku

    2010-08-20

    Sulfhydryl oxidases are flavin-dependent enzymes that catalyse the formation of de novo disulfide bonds from free thiol groups, with the reduction of molecular oxygen to hydrogen peroxide. Sulfhydryl oxidases have been investigated in the food industry to remove the burnt flavour of ultraheat-treated milk and are currently studied as potential crosslinking enzymes, aiming at strengthening wheat dough and improving the overall bread quality. In the present study, potential sulfhydryl oxidases were identified in the publicly available fungal genome sequences and their sequence characteristics were studied. A representative sulfhydryl oxidase from Aspergillus oryzae, AoSOX1, was expressed in the fungus Trichoderma reesei. AoSOX1 was produced in relatively good yields and was purified and biochemically characterised. The enzyme catalysed the oxidation of thiol-containing compounds like glutathione, D/L-cysteine, beta-mercaptoethanol and DTT. The enzyme had a melting temperature of 57°C, a pH optimum of 7.5 and its enzymatic activity was completely inhibited in the presence of 1 mM ZnSO4. Eighteen potentially secreted sulfhydryl oxidases were detected in the publicly available fungal genomes analysed and a novel proline-tryptophan dipeptide in the characteristic motif CXXC, where X is any amino acid, was found. A representative protein, AoSOX1 from A. oryzae, was produced in T. reesei in an active form and had the characteristics of sulfhydryl oxidases. Further testing of the activity on thiol groups within larger peptides and on protein level will be needed to assess the application potential of this enzyme.

  16. Haemoglobins with multiple reactive sulfhydryl groups: reactions of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The pH dependence profile of kapp for the slow phase resembles the titration curve of a monoprotic acid. Quantitative analysis indicates that the sulfhydryl group to which this phase may be attributed is linked to a single ionizable group with a pKa of 6.1 0.2. Examination of the structure of guinea pig haemoglobin near the ...

  17. Haemoglobins with multiple reactive sulfhydryl groups: reactions of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The pH dependence profile of kapp, the apparent second-order rate constant, for the fast phase resembles the titration curve of a diprotic acid. Quantitative analysis indicates that the reactivity of the sulfhydryl group to which this phase may be attributed is linked to two ionizable groups with pKas of 6.4 0.1 and 7.8 0.2.

  18. Sulfhydryl group content of chicken progesterone receptor: effect of oxidation on DNA binding activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peleg, S.; Schrader, W.T.; O'Malley, B.W.

    1988-01-01

    DNA binding activity of chicken progesterone receptor B form (PRB) and A form (PRA) has been examined. This activity is strongly dependent upon the presence of thiols in the buffer. Stability studies showed that PRB was more sensitive to oxidation that was PRA. Receptor preparations were fractionated by DNA-cellulose chromatography to DNA-positive and DNA-negative subpopulations, and sulfhydryl groups were quantified on immunopurified receptor by labeling with [ 3 H]-N-ethylmaleimide. Labeling of DNA-negative receptors with [ 3 H]-N-ethylmaleimide showed 21-23 sulfhydryl groups on either PRA or PRB form when the proteins were reduced and denatured. A similar number was seen without reduction if denatured DNA-positive receptor species were tested. In contrast, the DNA-negative PRB had only 10-12 sulfhydryl groups detectable without reduction. A similar number (12-13 sulfhydryl groups) was found for PRA species that lost DNA binding activity after exposure to a nonreducing environment in vitro. The authors conclude that the naturally occurring receptor forms unable to bind to DNA, as well as receptor forms that have lost DNA binding activity due to exposure to nonreducing environment in vitro, contain 10-12 oxidized cysteine residues, likely present as disulfide bonds. Since they were unable to reduce the disulfide bonds when the native DNA-negative receptor proteins were treated with dithiothreitol (DTT), they speculate that irreversible loss of DNA binding activity of receptor in vitro is due to oxidation of cysteine residues that are not accessible to DTT in the native state

  19. Phenylethynyl-butyltellurium inhibits the sulfhydryl enzyme Na+, K+ -ATPase: an effect dependent on the tellurium atom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quines, Caroline B; Rosa, Suzan G; Neto, José S S; Zeni, Gilson; Nogueira, Cristina W

    2013-11-01

    Organotellurium compounds are known for their toxicological effects. These effects may be associated with the chemical structure of these compounds and the oxidation state of the tellurium atom. In this context, 2-phenylethynyl-butyltellurium (PEBT) inhibits the activity of the sulfhydryl enzyme, δ-aminolevulinate dehydratase. The present study investigated on the importance of the tellurium atom in the PEBT ability to oxidize mono- and dithiols of low molecular weight and sulfhydryl enzymes in vitro. PEBT, at high micromolar concentrations, oxidized dithiothreitol (DTT) and inhibited cerebral Na(+), K(+)-ATPase activity, but did not alter the lactate dehydrogenase activity. The inhibition of cerebral Na(+), K(+)-ATPase activity was completely restored by DTT. By contrast, 2-phenylethynyl-butyl, a molecule without the tellurium atom, neither oxidized DTT nor altered the Na(+), K(+)-ATPase activity. In conclusion, the tellurium atom of PEBT is crucial for the catalytic oxidation of sulfhydryl groups from thiols of low molecular weight and from Na(+), K(+)-ATPase.

  20. Ferrochelatase from Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides: substrate specificity and role of sulfhydryl and arginyl residues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dailey, H.A.; Fleming, J.E.; Harbin, B.M.

    1986-01-01

    Purified ferrochelatase from the bacterium Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides was examined to determine the roles of cationic and sulfhydryl residues in substrate binding. Reaction of the enzyme sulfhydryl residues with N-ethylmaleimide or monobromobimane resulted in a rapid loss of enzyme activity. Ferrous iron, but not porphyrin substrate, had a protective effect against inactivation by these two reagents. Quantitation with 3 H-labeled N-ethylmaleimide revealed that inactivation required one to two sulfhydryl groups to be modified. Modification of arginyl residues with either 2,3-butanedione or camphorquinone 10-sulfonate resulted in a loss of ferrochelatase activity. A kinetic analysis of the modified enzyme showed that the K/sub m/ for ferrous iron was not altered but that the K/sub m/ for the prophyrin substrate was increased. These data suggested that arginyl residues may be involved in porphyrin binding, possibly via charge pair interactions between the arginyl residue and the anionic porphyrin propionate side chain. Modification of lysyl residues had no effect on enzyme activity. The authors also examined the ability of bacterial ferrochelatase to use various 2,4-disubstituted porphyrins as substrates. The authors found that 2,4-bis-acetal- and 2,4-disulfonate deuteroporphyrins were effective substrates for the purified bacterial enzyme and that N-methylprotoporphyrin was an effective inhibitor of the enzyme. Data for the ferrochelatase of R. sphaeroides are compared with previously published data for the eucaryotic enzyme

  1. Effect of excess dietary iron as ferrous sulfate and excess dietary ascorbic acid on liver zinc, copper and sulfhydryl groups and the ovary

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Edwards, C.H.; Adkins, J.S.; Harrison, B.

    1986-01-01

    Female guinea pigs of the NIH 13/N strain, weighing between 475 and 512 g, were fed diets supplemented with 50 to 2500 mg of iron per kg of diet as ferrous sulfate and 0.2 to 8.0 g of ascorbic acid per kg of diet. A significant effect was observed on tissue copper and zinc, ovary weight and liver protein sulfhydryl groups. The mean ovary weight for guinea pigs fed 2500 mg of iron was significantly less than that of animals fed 50 mg of iron, 0.045 +/- 0.012 g and 0.061 +/- 0.009 g, respectively. Liver zinc content of animals fed 2500 mg of iron and 200 mg of ascorbic acid per kg of diet was significantly less than that of animals fed 50 mg of iron and 200 mg of ascorbic acid, 16.3 +/- 3.3 μg and 19.6 +/- 1.6 μg, respectively. There was no difference in liver copper due to dietary iron, but when dietary ascorbic acid was increased to 8 g per kg of diet, there was a significant decrease (from 22.8 +/- 8.1 μg to 10.5 +/- 4.8 μg) in liver copper. Excess dietary ascorbic acid decreased ovarian zinc significantly when increased to 8 g per kg of diet, 2929 +/- 919 μg vs 1661 +/- 471 μg, respectively, when compared to the control group

  2. Electron transfer reactivity of the Arabidopsis thaliana sulfhydryl oxidase AtErv1

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Farver, Ole; Vitu, Elvira; Wherland, Scot

    2009-01-01

    The redox reactivity of the three disulfide bridges and the flavin present in each protomer of the wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana mitochondrial sulfhydryl oxidase (AtErv1) homodimer has been investigated. Pulse radiolytically produced CO2- radical ions were found to reduce the disulfide bridges...

  3. The conserved baculovirus protein p33 (Ac92) is a flavin adenine dinucleotide-linked sulfhydryl oxidase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Long, C.M.; Rohrmann, G.F.; Merrill, G.F.

    2009-01-01

    Open reading frame 92 of the Autographa californica baculovirus (Ac92) is one of about 30 core genes present in all sequenced baculovirus genomes. Computer analyses predicted that the Ac92 encoded protein (called p33) and several of its baculovirus orthologs were related to a family of flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)-linked sulfhydryl oxidases. Alignment of these proteins indicated that, although they were highly diverse, a number of amino acids in common with the Erv1p/Alrp family of sulfhydryl oxidases are present. Some of these conserved amino acids are predicted to stack against the isoalloxazine and adenine components of FAD, whereas others are involved in electron transfer. To investigate this relationship, Ac92 was expressed in bacteria as a His-tagged fusion protein, purified, and characterized both spectrophotometrically and for its enzymatic activity. The purified protein was found to have the color (yellow) and absorption spectrum consistent with it being a FAD-containing protein. Furthermore, it was demonstrated to have sulfhydryl oxidase activity using dithiothreitol and thioredoxin as substrates.

  4. Role of Sulfhydryl Sites on Bacterial Cell Walls in the Biosorption, Mobility and Bioavailability of Mercury and Uranium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Myneni, Satish C. [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States); Mishra, Bhoopesh [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States); Fein, Jeremy [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)

    2009-04-01

    The goal of this exploratory study is to provide a quantitative and mechanistic understanding of the impact of bacterial sulfhydryl groups on the bacterial uptake, speciation, methylation and bioavailability of Hg and redox changes of uranium. The relative concentration and reactivity of different functional groups present on bacterial surfaces will be determined, enabling quantitative predictions of the role of biosorption of Hg under the physicochemical conditions found at contaminated DOE sites.The hypotheses we propose to test in this investigation are as follows- 1) Sulfhydryl groups on bacterial cell surfaces modify Hg speciation and solubility, and play an important role, specifically in the sub-micromolar concentration ranges of metals in the natural and contaminated systems. 2) Sulfhydryl binding of Hg on bacterial surfaces significantly influences Hg transport into the cell and the methylation rates by the bacteria. 3) Sulfhydryls on cell membranes can interact with hexavalent uranium and convert to insoluble tetravalent species. 4) Bacterial sulfhydryl surface groups are inducible by the presence of metals during cell growth. Our studies focused on the first hypothesis, and we examined the nature of sulfhydryl sites on three representative bacterial species: Bacillus subtilis, a common gram-positive aerobic soil species; Shewanella oneidensis, a facultative gram-negative surface water species; and Geobacter sulfurreducens, an anaerobic iron-reducing gram-negative species that is capable of Hg methylation; and at a range of Hg concentration (and Hg:bacterial concentration ratio) in which these sites become important. A summary of our findings is as follows- Hg adsorbs more extensively to bacteria than other metals. Hg adsorption also varies strongly with pH and chloride concentration, with maximum adsorption occurring under circumneutral pH conditions for both Cl-bearing and Cl-free systems. Under these conditions, all bacterial species tested exhibit

  5. The structure of Plasmodium falciparum serine hydroxymethyltransferase reveals a novel redox switch that regulates its activities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chitnumsub, Penchit; Ittarat, Wanwipa; Jaruwat, Aritsara; Noytanom, Krittikar [National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, 113 Thailand Science Park, Paholyothin Road, Klong 1, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 (Thailand); Amornwatcharapong, Watcharee [Mahidol University, Bangkok (Thailand); Pornthanakasem, Wichai [National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, 113 Thailand Science Park, Paholyothin Road, Klong 1, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 (Thailand); Chaiyen, Pimchai [Mahidol University, Bangkok (Thailand); Yuthavong, Yongyuth; Leartsakulpanich, Ubolsree [National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, 113 Thailand Science Park, Paholyothin Road, Klong 1, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 (Thailand)

    2014-06-01

    The crystal structure of P. falciparum SHMT revealed snapshots of an intriguing disulfide/sulfhydryl switch controlling the functional activity. Plasmodium falciparum serine hydroxymethyltransferase (PfSHMT), an enzyme in the dTMP synthesis cycle, is an antimalarial target because inhibition of its expression or function has been shown to be lethal to the parasite. As the wild-type enzyme could not be crystallized, protein engineering of residues on the surface was carried out. The surface-engineered mutant PfSHMT-F292E was successfully crystallized and its structure was determined at 3 Å resolution. The PfSHMT-F292E structure is a good representation of PfSHMT as this variant revealed biochemical properties similar to those of the wild type. Although the overall structure of PfSHMT is similar to those of other SHMTs, unique features including the presence of two loops and a distinctive cysteine pair formed by Cys125 and Cys364 in the tetrahydrofolate (THF) substrate binding pocket were identified. These structural characteristics have never been reported in other SHMTs. Biochemical characterization and mutation analysis of these two residues confirm that they act as a disulfide/sulfhydryl switch to regulate the THF-dependent catalytic function of the enzyme. This redox switch is not present in the human enzyme, in which the cysteine pair is absent. The data reported here can be further exploited as a new strategy to specifically disrupt the activity of the parasite enzyme without interfering with the function of the human enzyme.

  6. The structure of Plasmodium falciparum serine hydroxymethyltransferase reveals a novel redox switch that regulates its activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chitnumsub, Penchit; Ittarat, Wanwipa; Jaruwat, Aritsara; Noytanom, Krittikar; Amornwatcharapong, Watcharee; Pornthanakasem, Wichai; Chaiyen, Pimchai; Yuthavong, Yongyuth; Leartsakulpanich, Ubolsree

    2014-01-01

    The crystal structure of P. falciparum SHMT revealed snapshots of an intriguing disulfide/sulfhydryl switch controlling the functional activity. Plasmodium falciparum serine hydroxymethyltransferase (PfSHMT), an enzyme in the dTMP synthesis cycle, is an antimalarial target because inhibition of its expression or function has been shown to be lethal to the parasite. As the wild-type enzyme could not be crystallized, protein engineering of residues on the surface was carried out. The surface-engineered mutant PfSHMT-F292E was successfully crystallized and its structure was determined at 3 Å resolution. The PfSHMT-F292E structure is a good representation of PfSHMT as this variant revealed biochemical properties similar to those of the wild type. Although the overall structure of PfSHMT is similar to those of other SHMTs, unique features including the presence of two loops and a distinctive cysteine pair formed by Cys125 and Cys364 in the tetrahydrofolate (THF) substrate binding pocket were identified. These structural characteristics have never been reported in other SHMTs. Biochemical characterization and mutation analysis of these two residues confirm that they act as a disulfide/sulfhydryl switch to regulate the THF-dependent catalytic function of the enzyme. This redox switch is not present in the human enzyme, in which the cysteine pair is absent. The data reported here can be further exploited as a new strategy to specifically disrupt the activity of the parasite enzyme without interfering with the function of the human enzyme

  7. Secreted fungal sulfhydryl oxidases: sequence analysis and characterisation of a representative flavin-dependent enzyme from Aspergillus oryzae

    OpenAIRE

    Faccio Greta; Kruus Kristiina; Buchert Johanna; Saloheimo Markku

    2010-01-01

    Abstract Background Sulfhydryl oxidases are flavin-dependent enzymes that catalyse the formation of de novo disulfide bonds from free thiol groups, with the reduction of molecular oxygen to hydrogen peroxide. Sulfhydryl oxidases have been investigated in the food industry to remove the burnt flavour of ultraheat-treated milk and are currently studied as potential crosslinking enzymes, aiming at strengthening wheat dough and improving the overall bread quality. Results In the present study, po...

  8. Erv2p: characterization of the redox behavior of a yeast sulfhydryl oxidase

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wang, Wenzhong; Winther, Jakob R; Thorpe, Colin

    2007-01-01

    centers that facilitate the transfer of reducing equivalents from the dithiol substrates of these oxidases to the isoalloxazine ring where the reaction with molecular oxygen occurs. The present study examines yeast Erv2p and compares the redox behavior of this ER luminal protein with the augmenter...... and with unfolded proteins. Rapid reaction studies confirm that reduction of the flavin center of Erv2p is rate-limiting during turnover with molecular oxygen. This comparison of the redox properties between members of the ERV/ALR family of sulfhydryl oxidases provides insights into their likely roles in oxidative......The FAD prosthetic group of the ERV/ALR family of sulfhydryl oxidases is housed at the mouth of a 4-helix bundle and communicates with a pair of juxtaposed cysteine residues that form the proximal redox active disulfide. Most of these enzymes have one or more additional distal disulfide redox...

  9. Effect of adeturone on the concentration of endogenous sulfhydryl groups in mouse spleen and liver

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pantev, T.; Bychvarova, K.

    1981-01-01

    Levels of endogenous sulfhydryl groups (total, protein, and non-protein) in mouse liver and spleen were studied for response to the radioprotective drug Adeturone (AET adenosine triphosphate) as recorded at various time intervals (5 - 90 min) following administration of a 300 mg/kg b.w. dose. Spleen sulfhydryl concentration levels tended to elevation, with the peak effect noted at 45 min post-treatment. In the liver, augmentation was observed only for non-protein sylfhydryl groups, at 10 and 15 min post-treatment (time intervals when Adeturone affords maximum protection against radiation); at the 60 min, however, there was a statistically reliable drop. The findings indicate that Adeturone treatment produces response patterns of opposite directions in liver and spleen endogenous thiols. (A.B.)

  10. Post-irradiation inactivation, protection, and repair of the sulfhydryl enzyme malate synthase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Durchschlag, H.; Zipper, P.

    1985-01-01

    Malate synthase from baker's yeast, a trimeric sulfhydryl enzyme with one essential sulfhydryl group per subunit, was inactivated by 2 kGy X-irradiation in air-saturated aqueous solution (enzyme concentration: 0.5 mg/ml). The radiation induced changes of enzymic activity were registered at about 0,30,60 h after irradiation. To elucidate the role of OH - , O 2 , and H 2 O 2 in the X-ray inactivation of the enzyme, experiments were performed in the absence of presence of different concentrations of specific additives (formate, superoxide dismutase, catalase). These additives were added to malate synthase solutions before or after X-irradiation. Moreover, repairs of inactivated malate synthase were initiated at about 0 or 30 h after irradiation by means of the sulfhydryl agent dithiothreitol. Experiments yielded the following results: 1. Irradiation of malate synthase in the absence of additives inactivated the enzyme immediately to a residual activity Asub(r)=3% (corresponding to a D 37 =0.6 kGy), and led to further slow inactivation in the post-irradiation phase. Repairs, initiated at different times after irradiation, restored enzymic activity considerably. The repair initiated at t=0 led to Asub(r)=21%; repairs started later on resulted in somewhat lower activities. The decay of reparability, however, was found to progress more slowly than post-irradiation inactivation itself. After completion of repair the activities of repaired samples did not decrease significantly. 2. The presence of specific additives during irradiation caused significant protective effects against primary inactivation. The protection by formate was very pronounced (e.g., Asub(r)=72% and D 37 =6 kGy for 100 mM formate). The presence of catalytic amounts of superoxide dismutase and/or catalase exhibited only minor effects, depending on the presence and concentration of formate. (orig.)

  11. Fluorescent modification and orientation of myosin sulfhydryl 2 in skeletal muscle fibers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ajtai, K.; Burghardt, T.P.

    1989-01-01

    The authors describe a protocol for the selective covalent labeling of the sulfhydryl 2 (SH2) on the myosin cross-bridge in glycerinated muscle fibers using the sulfhydryl-selective label 4-[N-[(iodoacetoxy)ethyl]-N-methylamino]-7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (IANBD). The protocol promotes the specificity of IANBD by using the ability to protect sulfhydryl 1 (SH1) from modification by binding the cross-bridge to the actin filament and using cross-bridge-bound MgADP to promote the accessibility of SH2. They determined the specificity of the probe using fluorescence gel scanning of fiber-extracted proteins to isolate the probe on myosin subfragment 1 (S1), limited proteolysis of the purified S1 to isolate the probe on the 20-kilodalton fragment of S1, and titration of the free SH1's on purified S1 using the radiolabeled SH1-specific reagent [ 14 C]iodoacetamide or enzymatic activity measurements. They characterized the angular distribution of the IANBD on cross-bridges in fibers when the fibers are in rigor, in relaxation, in the presence of MgADP, and in isometric contraction using wavelength-dependent fluorescence polarization. They find that the SH2 probe distinguishes the different states of the fiber such that rigor and MgADP are ordered and maintain a similar orientation throughout the excitation wavelength domain. The relaxed cross-bridge is ordered and has an orientation that is distinct from the orientation of the cross-bridge in rigor and MgADP over the entire wavelength domain. The active isometric cross-bridge is also oriented differently from the other states, suggesting the presence of a predominant actin-bound cross-bridge state that precedes the power stroke during muscle contraction

  12. Hydrogen peroxide-induced reduction of delayed rectifier potassium current in hippocampal neurons involves oxidation of sulfhydryl groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasan, Sonia M K; Redzic, Zoran B; Alshuaib, Waleed B

    2013-07-03

    This study examined the effect of H2O2 on the delayed rectifier potassium current (IKDR) in isolated hippocampal neurons. Whole-cell voltage-clamp experiments were performed on freshly dissociated hippocampal CA1 neurons of SD rats before and after treatment with H2O2. To reveal the mechanism behind H2O2-induced changes in IKDR, cells were treated with different oxidizing and reducing agents. External application of membrane permeable H2O2 reduced the amplitude and voltage-dependence of IKDR in a concentration dependent manner. Desferoxamine (DFO), an iron-chelator that prevents hydroxyl radical (OH) generation, prevented H2O2-induced reduction in IKDR. Application of the sulfhydryl-oxidizing agent 5,5 dithio-bis-nitrobenzoic acid (DTNB) mimicked the effect of H2O2. Sulfhydryl-reducing agents dithiothreitol (DTT) and glutathione (GSH) alone did not affect IKDR; however, DTT and GSH reversed and prevented the H2O2-induced inhibition of IKDR, respectively. Membrane impermeable agents GSH and DTNB showed effects only when added intracellularly identifying intracellular sulfhydryl groups as potential targets for hydroxyl-mediated oxidation. However, the inhibitory effects of DTNB and H2O2 at the positive test potentials were completely and partially abolished by DTT, respectively, suggesting an additional mechanism of action for H2O2, that is not shared by DTNB. In summary, this study provides evidence for the redox modulation of IKDR, identifies hydroxyl radical as an intermediate oxidant responsible for the H2O2-induced decrease in current amplitude and identifies intracellular sulfhydryl groups as an oxidative target. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Diet Switching by Mammalian Herbivores in Response to Exotic Grass Invasion.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carolina Bremm

    Full Text Available Invasion by exotic grasses is a severe threat to the integrity of grassland ecosystems all over the world. Because grasslands are typically grazed by livestock and wildlife, the invasion is a community process modulated by herbivory. We hypothesized that the invasion of native South American grasslands by Eragrostis plana Nees, an exotic tussock-forming grass from Africa, could be deterred by grazing if grazers switched dietary preferences and included the invasive grass as a large proportion of their diets. Bos taurus (heifers and Ovis aries (ewes grazed plots with varying degrees of invasion by E. plana in a replicated manipulative experiment. Animal positions and species grazed were observed every minute in 45-min grazing session. Proportion of bites and steps in and out of E. plana tussocks were measured and used to calculate several indices of selectivity. Both heifers and ewes exhibited increasing probability of grazing E. plana as the proportion of area covered by tussocks increased, but they behaved differently. In agreement with expectations based on the allometry of dietary preferences and morphology, ewes consumed a low proportion of E. plana, except in areas that had more than 90% E. plana cover. Heifers consumed proportionally more E. plana than ewes. Contrary to our hypothesis, herbivores did not exhibit dietary switching towards the invasive grass. Moreover, they exhibited avoidance of the invasive grass and preference for short-statured native species, both of which should tend to enhance invasion. Unless invasive plants are highly palatable to livestock, the effect of grazing to deter the invasion is limited, due to the inherent avoidance of the invasive grass by the main grazers in the ecosystem, particularly sheep.

  14. Could Switching to a Vegetarian Diet Cure My Diabetes?

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... don't allow any animal products (vegans). The benefits of a vegetarian diet depend on the type of diet you choose and the food choices you make when following the diet. For most, however, eating a vegetarian diet: Promotes a healthy weight. Vegetarian ...

  15. Accumulation of sulfhydryl compounds in Cereals Seeds unde the influence of environmental pollution with radionuclides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fedenko, V.S.; Livenskaya, O.A.; Gushcha, N.I.

    1995-01-01

    It is determined that certain cultivars of cereal plants respond to environmental pollution with radionuclides by depression of the sulfhydryl compounds accumulation in the seed complex of metabolic active proteins and low-weight thiols, other cultivars respond by an increase in the content of the above mentioned compounds

  16. Role of Sulfhydryl Sites on Bacterial Cell Walls in the Biosorption, Mobility and Bioavailability of Mercury and Uranium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Myneni, Satish C. B. [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States). Dept. of Geosciences; Fein, Jeremy [Univ. of Notre Dame, IN (United States). Dept. of Civil Engineering and Geological Sciences; Mishra, Bhoopesh [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

    2016-09-16

    Bacteria are ubiquitous in a wide-range of low temperature aqueous systems, and can strongly affect the distribution and transport of metals and radionuclides in the environment. However, the role of metal adsorption onto bacteria, via the reactive cell wall functional groups, has been largely overlooked. Previous macroscale metal sorption, and XAS studies have shown that carboxyl and phosphoryl functional groups to be the important metal binding groups on bacterial cell walls and the sulfhydryl groups were not considered. The goal of our investigation was to evaluate the density of the sulfhydryl sites on different bacterial cell membranes that are common to soil systems, the binding affinities of these reactive groups towards Hg, and how this binding modifies the speciation of Hg in the natural waters.

  17. Vegetarian Diet: Will It Help Me Lose Weight?

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Lifestyle Weight loss If I switch to a vegetarian diet, will I lose weight? Answers from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D. Not necessarily. A vegetarian diet is not inherently a weight-loss diet, ...

  18. Differential effect of weight loss with low-fat diet or high-fat diet restriction on inflammation in the liver and adipose tissue of mice with diet-induced obesity

    Science.gov (United States)

    We studied the effects of weight loss induced by either a low-fat normal diet or restriction of high-fat diet on hepatic steatosis, inflammation in the liver and adipose tissue, and blood monocytes of obese mice. In mice with high-fat diet-induced obesity, weight loss was achieved by switching from ...

  19. CONVERTING ENZYME-INHIBITORS AND THE ROLE OF THE SULFHYDRYL-GROUP IN THE POTENTIATION OF EXOGENOUS AND ENDOGENOUS NITROVASODILATORS

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    VANGILST, WH; DEGRAEFF, PA; DELEEUW, MJ; WESSELING, H

    In this study, the effect of bradykinin on coronary flow in the isolated rat heart was significantly potentiated when cysteine or the sulfhydryl-containing converting enzyme inhibitors captopril and zofenoprilat were administered simultaneously. In contrast, the effect of concomitant administration

  20. Effect of disulfide and sulfhydryl reagents on abortive and productive elongation catalyzed by ''Escheridia coli'' RNA polymerase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Radlowski, M.; Job, D.

    1994-01-01

    The effect of disulfide and sulfhydryl reagents on the rate of abortive and productive elongation has been studied using ''Escherichia coli'' RNA polymerase holoenzyme and poly[d(A-T)] as template. In the presence of UTP as a single substrate and UpA as a primer, the enzyme catalyzed efficiently the synthesis of the trinucleotide product UpApU. Incubation of RNA polymerase with 1 mM 2-mercaptoethanol resulted in a 5-fold increase of the rate of UpApU synthesis. In contrast, incubation of the enzyme with 1 mM 5,5'-dithio-bis(2-nitrobenzoic) acid resulted in a 6-fold decrease of the rate of abortive elongation. Determination of the steady state kinetic constants associated with UpApU synthesis disclosed that the disulfide and sulfhydryl reagents mainly affected the rate of UpApU release from the ternary transcription complexes and therefore influenced the stability of such complexes. (author). 15 refs, 1 fig., 1 tab

  1. Comparison of the response of serum ceruloplasmin and cholesterol, and of tissue ascorbic acid, metallothionein, and nonprotein sulfhydryl in rats to the dietary level of cystine and cysteine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, B S; Yamazaki, M; Wan, Q; Kato, N

    1996-12-01

    The effects were compared of the addition of graded levels of L-cystine and of L-cysteine (0.3, 3, or 5%) to a 10% casein diet on several metabolic parameters in rats. The growth-promoting effect of cystine was equivalent to that of cysteine. Supplementation of these two amino acids elevated serum cholesterol, liver ascorbic acid, liver nonprotein sulfhydryl (SH) and kidney metallothionein, and reduced the activity of serum ceruloplasmin. The responses of serum cholesterol, liver nonprotein SH, and serum ceruloplasmin to cystine were greater than of those to cysteine. When the basal diet was supplemented with 0.3% of these amino acids, the elevation of liver ascorbic acid by cystine supplementation was less than that by cysteine supplementation. However, when supplemented with 5% of these amino acids, the elevation of liver ascorbic acid by cystine was greater than that by cysteine. There was no difference in the influence of cystine and cysteine on kidney metallothionein. This study demonstrates that dietary cystine and cysteine had the same influence on growth, but had a differential influence on such metabolic parameters as liver nonprotein SH, serum ceruloplasmin, serum cholesterol, and tissue ascorbic acid.

  2. Acute effects of nitroglycerin depend on both plasma and intracellular sulfhydryl compound levels in vivo. Effect of agents with different sulfhydryl-modulating properties

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boesgaard, S; Poulsen, H E; Aldershvile, J

    1993-01-01

    in SH group concentrations (cysteine and glutathione [GSH]) affect the responsiveness to NTG in vivo. METHODS AND RESULTS: GSH and cysteine levels in plasma, vena cava, and aorta were measured after administration of N-acetylserine (placebo, n = 6), N-acetylcysteine (NAC, extracellular and intracellular......BACKGROUND: Changes in sulfhydryl (SH) compound availability may alter the hemodynamic effect of nitroglycerin (NTG). Data on the relation between NTG effect and thiol levels are, however, limited to in vitro experiments. The present study investigates how intracellular and extracellular changes...... SH donor, n = 6), oxothiazolidine (OXO, intracellular SH donor, n = 6), buthionine sulfoximine (BSO, intracellular GSH-depleting agent, n = 6), BSO+NAC (n = 6), and BSO+OXO (n = 6) in chronically catheterized conscious rats. In addition, the effect of 2.5 mg NTG/kg i.v. on mean arterial pressure (MAP...

  3. The Influence of Visible Light on the Sulfhydryl Content of Yeast Cells After Ionizing and Ultraviolet Irradiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    1951-12-15

    be irradiated. ?A liquid filter consisting of a 1 cm layer of 5% CUSO4 was used to remove most of the infrared. F. Cell Counts n f. The...Protein sulfhydryl groups and the reversible inactivation of the enzyme „our ease. The reducing groups of egg albumin and of urease . Jt

  4. Ruthenium(III) diphenyldithiocarbamate as mediator for the electrocatalytic oxidation of sulfhydryl compounds at graphite electrode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nalini, B.; Sriman Narayanan, S.

    1998-01-01

    Ruthenium(III) diphenyldithiocarbamate was used as mediator to modify graphite electrode by abrasive method. The modified electrode was characterized electrochemically by cyclic voltammetry. The electrode was scanned between 0.0 V to +0.8 V. An anodic peak at + 0.39 V and a cathodic peak at +0.24 V have been observed for a scan rate of 100 mV/s. The electrode has been characterized at various scan rate and pHs in 0.1 M KNO 3 solution. Sulfhydryl compounds, cysteine and glutathione, were electro catalytically oxidised at the modified electrode. pH variation was studied to optimize the conditions for their estimation. Linear response for cysteine is in the range of 0.00-15.20 ppm, with a correlation coefficient (r), of 0.9993. The linear range for glutathione is 0.00-30.40 ppm, with a value of 0.999 for r. The electrocatalytic oxidation of both cysteine and glutathione gave reproducible current values with a standard deviation of 0.1686 for 10 repetitive determinations. The stability and reproducibility of the electrode for the determination of cysteine and glutathione were also discussed. The electrocatalytic oxidation of the sulfhydryl compounds were also studied in hydrodynamic environment. (author)

  5. Diet-induced obesity promotes colon tumor development in azoxymethane-treated mice.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iina Tuominen

    Full Text Available Obesity is an important risk factor for colon cancer in humans, and numerous studies have shown that a high fat diet enhances colon cancer development. As both increased adiposity and high fat diet can promote tumorigenesis, we examined the effect of diet-induced obesity, without ongoing high fat diet, on colon tumor development. C57BL/6J male mice were fed regular chow or high fat diet for 8 weeks. Diets were either maintained or switched resulting in four experimental groups: regular chow (R, high fat diet (H, regular chow switched to high fat diet (RH, and high fat diet switched to regular chow (HR. Mice were then administered azoxymethane to induce colon tumors. Tumor incidence and multiplicity were dramatically smaller in the R group relative to all groups that received high fat diet at any point. The effect of obesity on colon tumors could not be explained by differences in aberrant crypt foci number. Moreover, diet did not alter colonic expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, interleukin-1β, and interferon-γ, which were measured immediately after azoxymethane treatment. Crypt apoptosis and proliferation, which were measured at the same time, were increased in the HR relative to all other groups. Our results suggest that factors associated with obesity - independently of ongoing high fat diet and obesity - promote tumor development because HR group animals had significantly more tumors than R group, and these mice were fed the same regular chow throughout the entire carcinogenic period. Moreover, there was no difference in the number of aberrant crypt foci between these groups, and thus the effect of obesity appears to be on subsequent stages of tumor development when early preneoplastic lesions transition into adenomas.

  6. Food selectivity and diet switch can explain the slow feeding of herbivorous coral-reef fishes during the morning.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruth Khait

    Full Text Available Most herbivorous coral-reef fishes feed slower in the morning than in the afternoon. Given the typical scarcity of algae in coral reefs, this behavior seems maladaptive. Here we suggest that the fishes' slow feeding during the morning is an outcome of highly selective feeding on scarcely found green algae. The rarity of the food requires longer search time and extended swimming tracks, resulting in lower bite rates. According to our findings by noon the fish seem to stop their search and switch to indiscriminative consumption of benthic algae, resulting in apparent higher feeding rates. The abundance of the rare preferable algae gradually declines from morning to noon and seems to reach its lowest levels around the switch time. Using in situ experiments we found that the feeding pattern is flexible, with the fish exhibiting fast feeding rates when presented with ample supply of preferable algae, regardless of the time of day. Analyses of the fish's esophagus content corroborated our conclusion that their feeding was highly selective in the morning and non-selective in the afternoon. Modeling of the fishes' behavior predicted that the fish should perform a diel diet shift when the preferred food is relatively rare, a situation common in most coral reefs found in a warm, oligotrophic ocean.

  7. Food selectivity and diet switch can explain the slow feeding of herbivorous coral-reef fishes during the morning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khait, Ruth; Obolski, Uri; Hadany, Lilach; Genin, Amatzia

    2013-01-01

    Most herbivorous coral-reef fishes feed slower in the morning than in the afternoon. Given the typical scarcity of algae in coral reefs, this behavior seems maladaptive. Here we suggest that the fishes' slow feeding during the morning is an outcome of highly selective feeding on scarcely found green algae. The rarity of the food requires longer search time and extended swimming tracks, resulting in lower bite rates. According to our findings by noon the fish seem to stop their search and switch to indiscriminative consumption of benthic algae, resulting in apparent higher feeding rates. The abundance of the rare preferable algae gradually declines from morning to noon and seems to reach its lowest levels around the switch time. Using in situ experiments we found that the feeding pattern is flexible, with the fish exhibiting fast feeding rates when presented with ample supply of preferable algae, regardless of the time of day. Analyses of the fish's esophagus content corroborated our conclusion that their feeding was highly selective in the morning and non-selective in the afternoon. Modeling of the fishes' behavior predicted that the fish should perform a diel diet shift when the preferred food is relatively rare, a situation common in most coral reefs found in a warm, oligotrophic ocean.

  8. High-protein diet selectively reduces fat mass and improves glucose tolerance in Western-type diet-induced obese rats

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stengel, Andreas; Goebel-Stengel, Miriam; Wang, Lixin; Hu, Eugenia; Karasawa, Hiroshi; Pisegna, Joseph R.

    2013-01-01

    Obesity is an increasing health problem. Because drug treatments are limited, diets remain popular. High-protein diets (HPD) reduce body weight (BW), although the mechanisms are unclear. We investigated physiological mechanisms altered by switching diet induced obesity (DIO) rats from Western-type diet (WTD) to HPD. Male rats were fed standard (SD) or WTD (45% calories from fat). After developing DIO (50% of rats), they were switched to SD (15% calories from protein) or HPD (52% calories from protein) for up to 4 weeks. Food intake (FI), BW, body composition, glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, and intestinal hormone plasma levels were monitored. Rats fed WTD showed an increased FI and had a 25% greater BW gain after 9 wk compared with SD (P Diet-induced obese rats switched from WTD to HPD reduced daily FI by 30% on day 1, which lasted to day 9 (−9%) and decreased BW during the 2-wk period compared with SD/SD (P < 0.05). During these 2 wk, WTD/HPD rats lost 72% more fat mass than WTD/SD (P < 0.05), whereas lean mass was unaltered. WTD/HPD rats had lower blood glucose than WTD/SD at 30 min postglucose gavage (P < 0.05). The increase of pancreatic polypeptide and peptide YY during the 2-h dark-phase feeding was higher in WTD/HPD compared with WTD/SD (P < 0.05). These data indicate that HPD reduces BW in WTD rats, which may be related to decreased FI and the selective reduction of fat mass accompanied by improved glucose tolerance, suggesting relevant benefits of HPD in the treatment of obesity. PMID:23883680

  9. Evaluating prey switching in wolf-ungulate systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garrott, Robert A; Bruggeman, Jason E; Becker, Matthew S; Kalinowski, Steven T; White, P J

    2007-09-01

    Wolf restoration has become a widely accepted conservation and management practice throughout North America and Europe, though the ecosystem effects of returning top carnivores remain both scientific and societal controversies. Mathematical models predicting and describing wolf-ungulate interactions are typically limited to the wolves' primary prey, with the potential for prey switching in wolf-multiple-ungulate systems only suggested or assumed by a number of investigators. We used insights gained from experiments on small taxa and field data from ongoing wolf-ungulate studies to construct a model of predator diet composition for a wolf-elk-bison system in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA. The model explicitly incorporates differential vulnerability of the ungulate prey types to predation, predator preference, differences in prey biomass, and the possibility of prey switching. Our model demonstrates wolf diet shifts with changes in relative abundance of the two prey, with the dynamics of this shift dependent on the combined influences of preference, differential vulnerability, relative abundances of prey, and whether or not switching occurs. Differences in vulnerability between elk and bison, and strong wolf preference for elk, result in an abrupt dietary shift occurring only when elk are very rare relative to bison, whereas incorporating switching initiates the dietary shift more gradually and at higher bison-elk ratios. We demonstrate how researchers can apply these equations in newly restored wolf-two-prey systems to empirically evaluate whether prey switching is occurring. Each coefficient in the model has a biological interpretation, and most can be directly estimated from empirical data collected from field studies. Given the potential for switching to dramatically influence predator-prey dynamics and the wide range of expected prey types and abundances in some systems where wolves are present and/or being restored, we suggest that this is an

  10. Relationship of membrane-bound sulfhydryl groups to vitamin D-stimulated uptake of [75Se]Selenite by the brush border membrane vesicles from chick duodenum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mykkanen, H.M.; Wasserman, R.H.

    1990-01-01

    The uptake of selenite by purified brush border membrane vesicles isolated from duodena of rachitic or vitamin D-treated chicks was studied by using radioactive selenite and a rapid filtration technique. Cholecalciferol treatment (500 IU at 72 h) significantly enhanced selenite uptake, a response that decreased when the vesicles were stored at room temperature for 2.5 h prior to the uptake measurement. Preincubation of the vesicles in 1.0 mmol/L H2O2 reduced [75Se]selenite uptake, indicating the involvement of oxidizable groups in the uptake reaction. Iodoacetic acid (IAA), a sulfhydryl-blocking reagent, at 1-2 mmol/L concentration eliminated the difference in selenite uptake due to cholecalciferol and had no effect on vesicles from rachitic animals. A higher concentration of IAA (10 mmol/L) enhanced selenite uptake manyfold and increased the absolute difference due to cholecalciferol treatment. Single intravenous doses of 100 IU cholecalciferol, 100 IU ergocalciferol, or 0.1 micrograms 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol also stimulated selenite uptake, suggesting a general response to vitamin D compounds. Normal animals given a single dose of 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol 12 h prior to killing also responded. Treatments that enhanced the uptake of [75Se]selenite also increased the amount of membrane-bound sulfhydryl groups, suggesting the involvement of membrane-bound sulfhydryl groups in the vitamin D response. A significant increase in selenite uptake by intravenous 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol occurred within 10 min. This rapid effect provides a new tool to probe early biochemical effects of vitamin D on intestinal epithelium

  11. Protein and non-protein sulfhydryls and disulfides in gastric mucosa and liver after gastrotoxic chemicals and sucralfate: possible new targets of pharmacologic agents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagy, Lajos; Nagata, Miki; Szabo, Sandor

    2007-04-14

    To investigate the role of major non-protein and protein sulfhydryls and disulfides in chemically induced gastric hemorrhagic mucosal lesions (HML) and the mechanism of gastroprotective effect of sucralfate. Rats were given 1 mL of 75% ethanol, 25% NaCl, 0.6 mol/L HCl, 0.2 mol/L NaOH or 1% ammonia solutions intragastrically (i.g.) and sacrificed 1, 3, 6 or 12 min later. Total (reduced and oxidized) glutathione (GSH + GSSG), glutathione disulfide (GSSG), protein free sulfhydryls (PSH), protein-glutathione mixed disulfides (PSSG) and protein cystine disulfides (PSSP) were measured in gastric mucosa and liver. Reduced glutathione (GSH) was depleted in the gastric mucosa after ethanol, HCl or NaCl exposure, while oxidized glutathione (GSSG) concentrations increased, except by HCl and NaOH exposure. Decreased levels of PSH after exposure to ethanol were observed, NaCl or NaOH while the total protein disulfides were increased. Ratios of reduced to oxidized glutathione or sulfhydrils to disulfides were decreased by all chemicals. No changes in thiol homeostasis were detected in the liver after i.g. abbreviation should be spelled out the first time here administration of ethanol. Sucralfate increased the concentrations of GSH and PSH and prevented the ethanol-induced changes in gastric mucosal thiol concentrations. Our modified methods are now suitable for direct measurements of major protein and non-protein thiols/disulfides in the gastric mucosa or liver. A common element in the pathogenesis of chemically induced HML and in the mechanism of gastroprotective drugs seems to be the decreased ratios of reduced and oxidized glutathione as well as protein sulfhydryls and disulfides.

  12. Protein and non-protein sulfhydryls and disulfides in gastric mucosa and liver after gastrotoxic chemicals and sucralfate: Possible new targets of pharmacologic agents

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Lajos Nagy; Miki Nagata; Sandor Szabo

    2007-01-01

    AIM: To investigate the role of major non-protein and protein sulfhydryls and disulfides in chemically induced gastric hemorrhagic mucosal lesions (HML) and the mechanism of gastroprotective effect of sucralfate.METHODS: Rats were given 1 mL of 75% ethanol, 25%NaCl, 0.6 mol/L HCI, 0.2 mol/L NaOH or 1% ammonia solutions intragastrically (i.g.) and sacrificed 1, 3, 6 or 12 min later. Total (reduced and oxidized) glutathione (GSH + GSSG), glutathione disulfide (GSSG), protein free sulfhydryls (PSH), protein-glutathione mixed disulfides (PSSG) and protein cystine disulfides (PSSP) were measured in gastric mucosa and liver.RESULTS: Reduced glutathione (GSH) was depleted in the gastric mucosa after ethanol, HCI or NaCl exposure,while oxidized glutathione (GSSG) concentrations increased, except by HCI and NaOH exposure. Decreased levels of PSH after exposure to ethanol were observed,NaCl or NaOH while the total protein disulfides were increased. Ratios of reduced to oxidized glutathione or sulfhydrils to disulfides were decreased by all chemicals.No changes in thiol homeostasis were detected in the liver after i.g. abbreviation should be spelled out the first time here administration of ethanol. Sucralfate increased the concentrations of GSH and PSH and prevented the ethanol-induced changes in gastric mucosal thiol concentrations.CONCLUSION: Our modified methods are now suitable for direct measurements of major protein and nonprotein thiols/disulfides in the gastric mucosa or liver.A common element in the pathogenesis of chemically induced HML and in the mechanism of gastroprotective drugs seems to be the decreased ratios of reduced and oxidized glutathione as well as protein sulfhydryls and disulfides.

  13. Attention switching after dietary brain 5-HT challenge in high impulsive subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markus, C Rob; Jonkman, Lisa M

    2007-09-01

    High levels of impulsivity have adverse effects on performance in cognitive tasks, particularLy in those tasks that require high attention investment. Furthermore, both animal and human research has indicated that reduced brain serotonin (5-HT) function is associated with increases in impulsive behaviour or decreased inhibition ability, but the effects of 5-HT challenge have not yet been investigated in subjects vulnerable to impulsivity. The present study aimed to investigate whether subjects with high trait impulsivity perform worse than low impulsive subjects in a task switching paradigm in which they have to rapidly shift their attention between two response rules, and to investigate the influence of a 5-HT enhancing diet. Healthy subjects with high ( n = 19) and low (n = 18) trait impulsivity scores participated in a double-blind placebo-controlled study. All subjects performed the attention switch task in the morning following breakfast containing either tryptophan-rich alpha-lactalbumin (4.8 g/100 g TRP) or placebo protein (1.4 g/100 g TRP). Whereas there were no baseline differences between high and low impulsive subjects in task switching abilities, high impulsive subjects made significantly more switch errors and responded slower after dietary 5-HT stimulation, whereas no dietary effects were found on task switching performance in low-impulsive subjects. The deterioration in task switching performance induced by the 5-HT enhancing diet in high impulsive subjects was suggested to be established by general arousal/attention-reducing effects of 5-HT, which might have a larger impact in high impulsive subjects due to either different brain circuitry involved in task switching in this group or lower baseline arousal levels.

  14. High-protein diet improves sensitivity to cholecystokinin and shifts the cecal microbiome without altering brain inflammation in diet-induced obesity in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Lixin; Jacobs, Jonathan P; Lagishetty, Venu; Yuan, Pu-Qing; Wu, Shuping V; Million, Mulugeta; Reeve, Joseph R; Pisegna, Joseph R; Taché, Yvette

    2017-10-01

    High-protein diet (HPD) curtails obesity and/or fat mass, but it is unknown whether it reverses neuroinflammation or alters glucose levels, CCK sensitivity, and gut microbiome in rats fed a Western diet (WD)-induced obesity (DIO). Male rats fed a WD (high fat and sugar) for 12 wk were switched to a HPD for 6 wk. Body composition, food intake, meal pattern, sensitivity to intraperitoneal CCK-8S, blood glucose, brain signaling, and cecal microbiota were assessed. When compared with a normal diet, WD increased body weight (9.3%) and fat mass (73.4%). CCK-8S (1.8 or 5.2 nmol/kg) did not alter food intake and meal pattern in DIO rats. Switching to a HPD for 6 wk reduced fat mass (15.7%) with a nonsignificantly reduced body weight gain, normalized blood glucose, and decreased feeding after CCK-8S. DIO rats on the WD or switched to a HPD showed comparable microbial diversity. However, in HPD versus WD rats, there was enrichment of 114 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and depletion of 188 OTUs. Of those, Akkermansia muciniphila (enriched on a HPD), an unclassified Clostridiales, a member of the RF39 order, and a Phascolarctobacterium were significantly associated with fat mass. The WD increased cytokine expression in the hypothalamus and dorsal medulla that was unchanged by switching to HPD. These data indicate that HPD reduces body fat and restores glucose homeostasis and CCK sensitivity, while not modifying brain inflammation. In addition, expansion of cecal Akkermansia muciniphila correlated to fat mass loss may represent a potential peripheral mechanism of HPD beneficial effects.

  15. Experimental study on oral sulfhydryl as an adjuvant for improving nitrate ester tolerance in an animal model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, L; Jiang, J-Q; Zhang, Y; Feng, H

    2018-03-01

    As an initial step in exploring the feasibility of oral sulfhydryl as an adjuvant for improving nitrate ester tolerance, this study was designed to experimentally test the adjuvant therapy in a rabbit model of atherosclerosis (AS). New Zealand white rabbits with induced AS were randomly divided into four groups: AS group, AS + nitrate ester group, AS + nitrate ester tolerance group, and AS + drug combination group. Additionally, four equivalent groups with healthy New Zealand white rabbits without AS were also conformed. After feeding the animals for 5 days, the concentrations of superoxide anion (•O2-), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), and endothelin-1 (ET-1) in blood and the relaxation response of the aortic ring were determined in each subject. The vascular plaques in different treatment groups were assessed by Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining to investigate the therapeutic value of sulfhydryl as coadjuvant for improving nitrate ester tolerance, and changes in blood vessels in different treatment groups were studied by immunohistochemical assays. Our results showed no significant differences through time in the concentrations of •O2-, SOD, MDA, NO, ET-1 between the healthy control and the nitrate ester groups (p > 0.05). The levels of SOD and MDA in the nitrate ester tolerance group increased with time, however, the levels of •O2-, NO and ET-1 decreased gradually (p tolerance groups were significantly decreased, but SOD and MDA were significantly increased (p tolerance, and this strategy was safe and looks promising for humans.

  16. Increased Hypothalamic Inflammation Associated with the Susceptibility to Obesity in Rats Exposed to High-Fat Diet

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoke Wang

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Inflammation has been implicated in the hypothalamic leptin and insulin resistance resulting defective food intake during high fat diet period. To investigate hypothalamic inflammation in dietary induced obesity (DIO and obesity resistant (DIO-R rats, we established rat models of DIO and DIO-R by feeding high fat diet for 10 weeks. Then we switched half of DIO and DIO-R rats to chow food and the other half to high fat diet for the following 8 weeks to explore hypothalamic inflammation response to the low fat diet intervention. Body weight, caloric intake, HOMA-IR, as well as the mRNA expression of hypothalamic TLR4, NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in DIO/HF rats were significantly increased compared to DIO-R/HF and CF rats, whereas IL-10 mRNA expression was lower in both DIO/HF and DIO-R/HF rats compared with CF rats. Switching to chow food from high fat diet reduced the body weight and improved insulin sensitivity but not affecting the expressions of studied inflammatory genes in DIO rats. Take together, upregulated hypothalamic inflammation may contribute to the overeating and development of obesity susceptibility induced by high fat diet. Switching to chow food had limited role in correcting hypothalamic inflammation in DIO rats during the intervention period.

  17. A high-fat high-sugar diet-induced impairment in place-recognition memory is reversible and training-dependent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, Dominic M D; Westbrook, R Frederick

    2017-03-01

    A high-fat high-sugar (HFHS) diet is associated with cognitive deficits in people and produces spatial learning and memory deficits in rodents. Notable, such diets rapidly impair place-, but not object-recognition memory in rats within one week of exposure. Three experiments examined whether this impairment was reversed by removal of the diet, or prevented by pre-diet training. Experiment 1 showed that rats switched from HFHS to chow recovered from the place-recognition impairment that they displayed while on HFHS. Experiment 2 showed that control rats ("Untrained") who were exposed to an empty testing arena while on chow, were impaired in place-recognition when switched to HFHS and tested for the first time. However, rats tested ("Trained") on the place and object task while on chow, were protected from the diet-induce deficit and maintained good place-recognition when switched to HFHS. Experiment 3 examined the conditions of this protection effect by training rats in a square arena while on chow, and testing them in a rectangular arena while on HFHS. We have previously demonstrated that chow rats, but not HFHS rats, show geometry-based reorientation on a rectangular arena place-recognition task (Tran & Westbrook, 2015). Experiment 3 assessed whether rats switched to the HFHS diet after training on the place and object tasks in a square area, would show geometry-based reorientation in a rectangular arena. The protective benefit of training was replicated in the square arena, but both Untrained and Trained HFHS failed to show geometry-based reorientation in the rectangular arena. These findings are discussed in relation to the specificity of the training effect, the role of the hippocampus in diet-induced deficits, and their implications for dietary effects on cognition in people. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Metabolic routing of dietary nutrients in birds: effects of diet quality and macronutrient composition revealed using stable isotopes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Podlesak, David W; McWilliams, Scott R

    2006-01-01

    During fall migration many songbirds switch from consuming primarily insects to consuming mostly fruit. Fruits with more carbohydrates and less protein may be sufficient to rebuild expended fat stores, but such fruits may be inadequate to replace catabolized protein. We manipulated the concentrations and isotopic signatures of macronutrients in diets fed to birds to study the effects of diet quality on metabolic routing of dietary nutrients. We estimated that approximately 45% and 75%, respectively, of the carbon in proteinaceous tissue of birds switched to high- or low-protein diets came from nonprotein dietary sources. In contrast, we estimated that approximately 100% and 20%-80%, respectively, of the nitrogen in proteinaceous tissues of birds switched to high- or low-protein diets was attributable to dietary protein. Thus, the routing and assimilation of dietary carbon and nitrogen differed depending on diet composition. As a result, delta (15)N of tissues collected from wild animals that consume high-quality diets may reliably indicate the dietary protein source, whereas delta (13)C of these same tissues is likely the product of metabolic routing of carbon from several macronutrients. These results have implications for how isotopic discrimination is best estimated and how we can study macronutrient routing in wild animals.

  19. Essential fatty acid supplemented diet increases renal excretion of prostaglandin E and water in essential fatty acid deficient rats

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Harald S.

    1981-01-01

    Weanling male rats were fed an essential fatty acid (EFA)-deficient diet for 25 weeks and then switched to an EFA-supplemented diet for 3 weeks. Control rats received the EFA-supplemented diet for 25 weeks and then the EFA-deficient diet for 3 weeks. Throughout the last 19 weeks, the rats were...

  20. Impact of switching antiretroviral therapy on lipodystrophy and other metabolic complications: a review

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Birgitte Rønde; Haugaard, Steen B; Iversen, Johan

    2004-01-01

    Following the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), metabolic and morphological complications known as HIV associated lipodystrophy syndrome (HALS) have been increasingly common. The approaches to target these complications span from resistance exercise, diet and use...... with the disfiguring body-alterations known as HALS. More recently, however, regimens containing nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI) have attracted attention. Reviewing switch studies regarding metabolic parameters and body shape changes, certain trends emerge. Switching from PI, the metabolic...

  1. Effects of discontinuing a high-fat diet on mitochondrial proteins and 6-hydroxydopamine-induced dopamine depletion in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Delin; Shuler, Jeffrey M; Raider, Kayla D; Rogers, Robert S; Wheatley, Joshua L; Geiger, Paige C; Stanford, John A

    2015-07-10

    Diet-induced obesity can increase the risk for developing age-related neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's disease (PD). Increasing evidence suggests that mitochondrial and proteasomal mechanisms are involved in both insulin resistance and PD. The goal of this study was to determine whether diet intervention could influence mitochondrial or proteasomal protein expression and vulnerability to 6-Hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) depletion in rats' nigrostriatal system. After a 3 month high-fat diet regimen, we switched one group of rats to a low-fat diet for 3 months (HF-LF group), while the other half continued with the high-fat diet (HF group). A chow group was included as a control. Three weeks after unilateral 6-OHDA lesions, HF rats had higher fasting insulin levels and higher Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), indicating insulin resistance. HOMA-IR was significantly lower in HF-LF rats than HF rats, indicating that insulin resistance was reversed by switching to a low-fat diet. Compared to the Chow group, the HF group exhibited significantly greater DA depletion in the substantia nigra but not in the striatum. DA depletion did not differ between the HF-LF and HF group. Proteins related to mitochondrial function (such as AMPK, PGC-1α), and to proteasomal function (such as TCF11/Nrf1) were influenced by diet intervention, or by 6-OHDA lesion. Our findings suggest that switching to a low-fat diet reverses the effects of a high-fat diet on systemic insulin resistance, and mitochondrial and proteasomal function in the striatum. Conversely, they suggest that the effects of the high-fat diet on nigrostriatal vulnerability to 6-OHDA-induced DA depletion persist. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Gastric Emptying of Elemental Liquid Diets Versus Semisolid Diets in Bedridden Gastrostomy-fed Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horiuchi, Akira; Sakai, Ryosei; Tamaki, Michio; Kajiyama, Masashi; Tanaka, Naoki; Morikawa, Akio

    2018-03-21

    Aspiration is a common problem in bedridden gastrostomy-fed patients. We compared gastric emptying of an elemental liquid diet and a commercial semisolid diet in bedridden gastrostomy-fed patients. Study 1: from January 2013 to December 2016, consecutive bedridden patients receiving percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) semisolid feeding hospitalized due to aspiration pneumonia were switched to elemental liquid diet feedings. The frequency of defecation, tube feed contents aspirated from the trachea, and aspiration pneumonia during hospitalization were retrospectively reviewed. Study 2 was a randomized, crossover trial comparing C sodium acetate gastric emptying of a commercial elemental liquid or a commercial semisolid diet in bedridden PEG patients and controls. Study 1: 18 patients were enrolled. Elemental liquid diet was aspirated from the trachea in 1 (5.6%) (once in 24 observations); neither aspiration pneumonia nor diarrhea developed during elemental liquid diet feeding over 2 weeks observation. Study 2: 8 PEG patients and 8 healthy subjects were separately randomized to assess gastric emptying of the commercial elemental and semisolid diets. The elemental liquid diet was associated with a significant decrease of the 10%, 30%, or 50% emptying (excretion) time (Pbedridden PEG patients. They may prevent or reduce aspiration pneumonia compared with semisolid diets.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.

  3. Spectrophotometric determination of the sulfhydryl containing drug mesna

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rim S. Haggag

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Four simple and sensitive spectrophotometric methods were developed for the determination of the sulfhydryl containing drug mesna (MSN. Methods I and II rely on nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions using two UV tagging reagents namely: 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD-Cl for method I and 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB for method II. Both reactions took place in alkaline buffered medium and the obtained yellowish products were measured at 414 and 332 nm for methods I and II, respectively. Methods III and IV are indirect spectrophotometric methods based on the suppressive effect of MSN on the absorption of two ternary complex systems which are composed of 1,10-phenanthroline, silver and eosin for method III and 1,10-phenanthroline, silver and bromopyrogallol red for method IV. The decrease in absorbance of the ternary complexes was measured at 547 and 635 nm for methods III and IV, respectively. All the experimental parameters affecting these reactions were carefully studied and optimized. The methods were validated as per the ICH guidelines. The methods were applicable in the linearity ranges 4–18 μg/mL for method I, 4–16 μg/mL for method II, 0.25–2.25 μg/mL for method III and 0.25–1.75 μg/mL for method IV. The proposed methods were successfully applied for the analysis of MSN in its commercial ampoules and no interference was encountered from the present excipients as indicated by the satisfactory percentage recoveries. The results obtained were in a good agreement with those obtained from a previously published method of the investigated drug.

  4. High-fat diet determines the composition of the murine gut microbiome independently of obesity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hildebrandt, Marie A; Hoffmann, Christian; Sherrill-Mix, Scott A; Keilbaugh, Sue A; Hamady, Micah; Chen, Ying-Yu; Knight, Rob; Ahima, Rexford S; Bushman, Frederic; Wu, Gary D

    2009-11-01

    The composition of the gut microbiome is affected by host phenotype, genotype, immune function, and diet. Here, we used the phenotype of RELMbeta knockout (KO) mice to assess the influence of these factors. Both wild-type and RELMbeta KO mice were lean on a standard chow diet, but, upon switching to a high-fat diet, wild-type mice became obese, whereas RELMbeta KO mice remained comparatively lean. To investigate the influence of diet, genotype, and obesity on microbiome composition, we used deep sequencing to characterize 25,790 16S rDNA sequences from uncultured bacterial communities from both genotypes on both diets. We found large alterations associated with switching to the high-fat diet, including a decrease in Bacteroidetes and an increase in both Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. This was seen for both genotypes (ie, in the presence and absence of obesity), indicating that the high-fat diet itself, and not the obese state, mainly accounted for the observed changes in the gut microbiota. The RELMbeta genotype also modestly influenced microbiome composition independently of diet. Metagenomic analysis of 537,604 sequence reads documented extensive changes in gene content because of a high-fat diet, including an increase in transporters and 2-component sensor responders as well as a general decrease in metabolic genes. Unexpectedly, we found a substantial amount of murine DNA in our samples that increased in proportion on a high-fat diet. These results demonstrate the importance of diet as a determinant of gut microbiome composition and suggest the need to control for dietary variation when evaluating the composition of the human gut microbiome.

  5. Impact of switching antiretroviral therapy on lipodystrophy and other metabolic complications: a review

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Birgitte R; Haugaard, Steen B; Iversen, Johan

    2004-01-01

    Following the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), metabolic and morphological complications known as HIV associated lipodystrophy syndrome (HALS) have been increasingly common. The approaches to target these complications span from resistance exercise, diet and use...... of the antidiabetics metformin or glitazones to high dose recombinant human growth hormone therapy or switching antiretroviral regimen. When looking at the effect of switching therapy, focus has been addressed to protease inhibitor (PI) based regimens, as PI was the first component of HAART recognized to be correlated...

  6. [Role of Mediterranean diet on the prevention of Alzheimer disease].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miranda, Arnoldo; Gómez-Gaete, Carolina; Mennickent, Sigrid

    2017-04-01

    Type 2 diabetes and obesity are possible risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and these can be modified by physical activity and changes in dietary patterns, such as switching to a Mediterranean diet. This diet includes fruits, vegetables, olive oil, fish and moderate wine intake. These foods provide vitamins, polyphenols and unsaturated fatty acids. This diet should be able to reduce oxidative stress. The inflammatory response is also reduced by unsaturated fatty acids, resulting in a lower expression and a lower production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The Cardiovascular protection is related to the actions of polyphenols and unsaturated fatty acids on the vascular endothelium. The Mediterranean diet also can improve cardiovascular risk factors such as dyslipidemia, hypertension and metabolic syndrome. These beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet should have a role in Alzheimer’s disease prevention.

  7. Reversal of diabetic nephropathy by a ketogenic diet.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michal M Poplawski

    Full Text Available Intensive insulin therapy and protein restriction delay the development of nephropathy in a variety of conditions, but few interventions are known to reverse nephropathy. Having recently observed that the ketone 3-beta-hydroxybutyric acid (3-OHB reduces molecular responses to glucose, we hypothesized that a ketogenic diet, which produces prolonged elevation of 3-OHB, may reverse pathological processes caused by diabetes. To address this hypothesis, we assessed if prolonged maintenance on a ketogenic diet would reverse nephropathy produced by diabetes. In mouse models for both Type 1 (Akita and Type 2 (db/db diabetes, diabetic nephropathy (as indicated by albuminuria was allowed to develop, then half the mice were switched to a ketogenic diet. After 8 weeks on the diet, mice were sacrificed to assess gene expression and histology. Diabetic nephropathy, as indicated by albumin/creatinine ratios as well as expression of stress-induced genes, was completely reversed by 2 months maintenance on a ketogenic diet. However, histological evidence of nephropathy was only partly reversed. These studies demonstrate that diabetic nephropathy can be reversed by a relatively simple dietary intervention. Whether reduced glucose metabolism mediates the protective effects of the ketogenic diet remains to be determined.

  8. Reversal of Diabetic Nephropathy by a Ketogenic Diet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poplawski, Michal M.; Mastaitis, Jason W.; Isoda, Fumiko; Grosjean, Fabrizio; Zheng, Feng; Mobbs, Charles V.

    2011-01-01

    Intensive insulin therapy and protein restriction delay the development of nephropathy in a variety of conditions, but few interventions are known to reverse nephropathy. Having recently observed that the ketone 3-beta-hydroxybutyric acid (3-OHB) reduces molecular responses to glucose, we hypothesized that a ketogenic diet, which produces prolonged elevation of 3-OHB, may reverse pathological processes caused by diabetes. To address this hypothesis, we assessed if prolonged maintenance on a ketogenic diet would reverse nephropathy produced by diabetes. In mouse models for both Type 1 (Akita) and Type 2 (db/db) diabetes, diabetic nephropathy (as indicated by albuminuria) was allowed to develop, then half the mice were switched to a ketogenic diet. After 8 weeks on the diet, mice were sacrificed to assess gene expression and histology. Diabetic nephropathy, as indicated by albumin/creatinine ratios as well as expression of stress-induced genes, was completely reversed by 2 months maintenance on a ketogenic diet. However, histological evidence of nephropathy was only partly reversed. These studies demonstrate that diabetic nephropathy can be reversed by a relatively simple dietary intervention. Whether reduced glucose metabolism mediates the protective effects of the ketogenic diet remains to be determined. PMID:21533091

  9. Hepatoprotective and Antioxidant Potential of Organic and Conventional Grape Juices in Rats Fed a High-Fat Diet

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iselde Buchner

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to investigate the antioxidant and hepatoprotective effect of the chronic use of conventional (CGJ or organic (OGJ grape juice from the Bordeaux variety grape on oxidative stress and cytoarchitecture in the liver of rats supplemented with a high-fat diet (HFD for three months. The results demonstrated that HFD induced an increase in thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS, catalase (CAT activity and 2′,7′-dihydrodichlorofluorescein (DCFH oxidation and a decrease in sulfhydryl content and superoxide dismutase (SOD and glutathione peroxidase (GPx activities. HFD also induced hepatocellular degeneration and steatosis. These alterations were prevented by CGJ and OGJ, where OGJ was more effective. Therefore, it was concluded that HFD induced oxidative stress and liver damage and that the chronic use of grape juice was able to prevent these alterations.

  10. Role of glycogen-lowering exercise in the change of fat oxidation in response to a high-fat diet.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schrauwen, P.; van Marken Lichtenbelt, W.D.; Saris, W.H.M.; Westerterp, K.R.

    1997-01-01

    Department of Human Biology, Maastricht University, The Netherlands. One of the candidate factors for determining the increase of fat oxidation after a switch from a reduced-fat diet to a high-fat diet is the size of the glycogen storage. Therefore, we studied the effect of low glycogen stores on

  11. Factors associated with choice of a low-fat or low-carbohydrate diet during a behavioral weight loss intervention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McVay, Megan A; Voils, Corrine I; Coffman, Cynthia J; Geiselman, Paula J; Kolotkin, Ronette L; Mayer, Stephanie B; Smith, Valerie A; Gaillard, Leslie; Turner, Marsha J; Yancy, William S

    2014-12-01

    Individuals undertaking a weight loss effort have a choice among proven dietary approaches. Factors contributing to choice of either a low-fat/low-calorie diet or a low-carbohydrate diet, two of the most studied and popular dietary approaches, are unknown. The current study used data from participants randomized to the 'choice' arm of a trial examining whether being able to choose a diet regimen yields higher weight loss than being randomly assigned to a diet. At study entry, participants attended a group session during which they were provided tailored feedback indicating which diet was most consistent with their food preferences using the Geiselman Food Preference Questionnaire (FPQ), information about both diets, and example meals for each diet. One week later, they indicated which diet they chose to follow during the 48-week study, with the option of switching diets after 12 weeks. Of 105 choice arm participants, 44 (42%) chose the low-fat/low-calorie diet and 61 (58%) chose the low-carbohydrate diet. In bivariate analyses, diet choice was not associated with age, race, sex, education, BMI, or diabetes (all p > 0.05). Low-carbohydrate diet choice was associated with baseline higher percent fat intake (p = 0.007), lower percent carbohydrate intake (p = 0.02), and food preferences consistent with a low-carbohydrate diet according to FPQ (p model, only FPQ diet preference was associated with diet choice (p = 0.001). Reported reasons for diet choice were generally similar for those choosing either diet; however, concerns about negative health effects of the unselected diet was rated as more influential among participants selecting the low-fat diet. Only three low-carbohydrate and two low-fat diet participants switched diets at 12 weeks. Results suggest that when provided a choice between two popular weight loss dietary approaches, an individual's selection is likely influenced by baseline dietary intake pattern, and especially by his or her

  12. Diet shift of a facultative scavenger, the wolverine, following recolonization of wolves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Dijk, Jiska; Gustavsen, Line; Mysterud, Atle; May, Roel; Flagstad, Øystein; Brøseth, Henrik; Andersen, Roy; Andersen, Reidar; Steen, Harald; Landa, Arild

    2008-11-01

    1. Wolves Canis lupus L. recolonized the boreal forests in the southern part of the Scandinavian peninsula during the late 1990s, but so far there has been little attention to its effect on ecosystem functioning. Wolf predation increases the availability of carcasses of large prey, especially moose Alces alces L., which may lead in turn to a diet switch in facultative scavengers such as the wolverine Gulo gulo L. 2. Using 459 wolverine scats collected during winter-spring 2001-04 for DNA identity and dietary contents, we compared diet inside and outside wolf territories while controlling for potential confounding factors, such as prey density. We tested the hypothesis that wolverine diet shifted towards moose in the presence of wolves, while taking into account possible sexual segregation between the sexes. Occurrence of reindeer, moose and small prey was modelled against explanatory covariates using logistic mixed-effects models. Furthermore, we compared diet composition and breadth among habitats and sexes. 3. Occurrence of reindeer, moose and small prey in the diet varied with prey availability and habitat. As expected, diet contained more moose and less reindeer and small prey in the presence of wolves. Their diet in tundra consisted of 40% reindeer Rangifer tarandus L., 39% moose and 9% rodents. In forest with wolf, their diet shifted to 76% moose, 18% reindeer and 5% rodents; compared to 42% moose, 32% reindeer and 15% rodents in forest without wolf. This diet switch could not be explained by higher moose density in wolf territories. Female diet consisted of more small prey than for males, but there was a tendency for females to use the highly available moose carrion opportunistically and to hunt less on small prey within wolf territories. 4. Our study highlights how wolves increase scavenging opportunities for wolverines, and how sexual differences in diet may also apply to large scavengers. Due to their more restricted home range, female wolverines are

  13. Ketogenic Diet Suppresses Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome in Rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dencker, Ditte; Molander, Anna; Thomsen, Morgane; Schlumberger, Chantal; Wortwein, Gitta; Weikop, Pia; Benveniste, Helene; Volkow, Nora D; Fink-Jensen, Anders

    2018-02-01

    Alcohol use disorder is underdiagnosed and undertreated, and up to 50% of alcohol-abstinent patients diagnosed with alcohol dependence relapse within the first year of treatment. Current treatments for the maintenance of alcohol abstinence in patients with alcohol use disorder have limited efficacy, and there is an urgent need for novel treatment strategies. Decreased cerebral glucose metabolism and increased brain uptake of acetate were recently reported in heavy drinkers, relative to controls. Given the switch of metabolic fuel from glucose to acetate in the alcohol-dependent brain, we investigated the potential therapeutic benefit of a ketogenic diet in managing alcohol withdrawal symptoms during detoxification. Male Sprague Dawley rats fed either ketogenic or regular diet were administered ethanol or water orally, twice daily for 6 days while the diet conditions were maintained. Abstinence symptoms were rated 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours after the last alcohol administration. Maintenance on a ketogenic diet caused a significant decrease in the alcohol withdrawal symptoms' "rigidity" and "irritability." Our preclinical pilot study suggests that a ketogenic diet may be a novel approach for treating alcohol withdrawal symptoms in humans. Copyright © 2017 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

  14. Does the environmental gain of switching to the healthy New Nordic Diet outweigh the increased consumer cost?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Saxe, Henrik; Jensen, Jørgen Dejgård

    2014-01-01

    The new Nordic diet (NND) was designed by gastronomic, nutritional and environmental specialists to be a palatable, healthy and sustainable diet containing 30%-40% less meat than the average Danish diet (ADD), ≥ 75% organics, and more locally grown wholegrain products, nuts, fruit and vegetables...

  15. Does the Environmental Gain of Switching to the Healthy New Nordic Diet Outweigh the Increased Consumer Cost?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Saxe, Henrik; Jensen, Jørgen Dejgard

    2014-01-01

    The new Nordic diet (NND) was designed by gastronomic, nutritional and environmental specialists to be a palatable, healthy and sustainable diet containing 30%-40% less meat than the average Danish diet (ADD), ≥ 75% organics, and more locally grown wholegrain products, nuts, fruit and vegetables...

  16. Does the environmental gain of switching to the healthy New Nordic Diet outweigh the increased consumer cost?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Saxe, Henrik; Jensen, Jørgen Dejgård

    2014-01-01

    The New Nordic Diet (NND) was designed by gastronomic, nutritional and environmental specialists to be a palatable, healthy and sus-tainable diet containing 30-40% less meat than the Average Danish Diet (ADD), ≥75% organics, and more locally grown wholegrain products, nuts, fruit and vegetables...

  17. Comparison of Helicobacter pylori Urease Inhibition by Rhizoma Coptidis, Cortex Phellodendri and Berberine: Mechanisms of Interaction with the Sulfhydryl Group.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Cailan; Xie, Jianhui; Chen, Xiaoying; Mo, Zhizhun; Wu, Wen; Liang, Yeer; Su, Zuqing; Li, Qian; Li, Yucui; Su, Ziren; Yang, Xiaobo

    2016-03-01

    Rhizoma Coptidis, Cortex Phellodendri, and berberine were reported to inhibit Helicobacter pylori. However, the underlying mechanism remained elusive. Urease plays a vital role in H. pylori colonization and virulence. In this work, aqueous extracts of Rhizoma Coptidis, Cortex Phellodendri of different origins, and purified berberine were investigated against H. pylori urease and jack bean urease to elucidate the inhibitory capacity, kinetics, and mechanism. Results showed that berberine was the major chemical component in Rhizoma Coptidis and Cortex Phellodendri, and the content of berberine in Rhizoma Coptidis was higher than in Cortex Phellodendri. The IC50 values of Rhizoma Coptidis were significantly lower than those Cortex Phellodendri and purified berberine, of which Coptis chinensis was shown to be the most active concentration- and time-dependent urease inhibitor. The Lineweaver-Burk plot analysis indicated that the inhibition pattern of C. chinensis against urease was noncompetitive for both H. pylori urease and jack bean urease. Thiol protectors (L-cysteine, glutathione, and dithiothreithol) significantly protected urease from the loss of enzymatic activity, while fluoride and boric acid showed weaker protection, indicating the active-site sulfhydryl group was possibly responsible for its inhibition. Furthermore, the urease inhibition proved to be reversible since C. chinensis-blocked urease could be reactivated by glutathione. The results suggested that the anti-urease activity of Rhizoma Coptidis was superior to that of Cortex Phellodendri and berberine, which was believed to be more likely to correlate to the content of total alkaloids rather than berberine monomer. The concentration- and time-dependent, reversible, and noncompetitive inhibition against urease by C. chinensis might be attributed to its interaction with the sulfhydryl group of the active site of urease. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  18. Mechanisms of gastroprotection by lansoprazole pretreatment against experimentally induced injury in rats: role of mucosal oxidative damage and sulfhydryl compounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Natale, Gianfranco; Lazzeri, Gloria; Lubrano, Valter; Colucci, Rocchina; Vassalle, Cristina; Fornai, Matteo; Blandizzi, Corrado; Del Tacca, Mario

    2004-01-01

    This study investigated the mechanisms involved in the protective actions exerted by lansoprazole against experimental gastric injury. Following the intraluminal injection of ethanol-HCl, the histomorphometric analysis of rat gastric sections demonstrated a pattern of mucosal lesions associated with a significant increase in the mucosal contents of malondialdehyde and 8-iso-prostaglandin F 2α (indices of lipid peroxidation), as well as a decrease in the levels of mucosal sulfhydryl compounds, assayed as reduced glutathione (GSH). Pretreatment with lansoprazole 90 μmol/kg, given intraduodenally as single dose or once daily by intragastric route for 8 days, significantly prevented ethanol-HCl-induced gastric damage. The concomitant changes in the mucosal levels of malondialdehyde, 8-iso-prostaglandin F 2α and GSH elicited by ethanol-HCl were also counteracted by lansoprazole. In separate experiments, performed on animals undergoing 2-h pylorus ligation, lansoprazole did not enhance the concentration of prostaglandin E 2 , bicyclo-prostaglandin E 2 , or nitric oxide (NO) metabolites into gastric juice. Western blot analysis revealed the expression of both type 1 and 2 cyclooxygenase (COX) isoforms in the gastric mucosa of pylorus-ligated rats. These expression patterns were not significantly modified by single-dose or repeated treatment with lansoprazole. Lansoprazole also exhibited direct antioxidant properties by reducing 8-iso-prostaglandin F 2α generation in an in vitro system where human native low-density lipoproteins were subjected to oxidation upon exposure to CuSO 4 . The present results suggest that the protective effects of lansoprazole can be ascribed to a reduction of gastric oxidative injury, resulting in an increased bioavailability of mucosal sulfhydryl compounds. It is also proposed that lansoprazole does not exert modulator effects on the gastric expression of COX isoforms as well as on the activity of NO pathways

  19. Possibilities of the combined use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and sulfhydryl compounds in radioprotection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kozubik, A.; Pospisil, M.; Netikova, J.

    1991-01-01

    The combined preirradiation administration of indomethacin and cystamine was found to enhance synergistically the recovery of hemopoiesis in sublethally gamma-irradiated mice. This effect can be explained by a common operation of two mechanisms of radioprotection, i.e. of an increased survival of hemopoietic stem cells due to cystamine action and of stimulatory effects of indomethacin on the proliferation of surviving cells, mediated by the inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis. Attempts to prove such enhancement of protective effects on irradiated mice in terms of postirradiation lethality were unsuccessful. The reason seems to be the influence of toxic effects of the indomethacin-cystamine combination on the gastrointestinal tract. When using the less toxic combination, i.e. diclofenac and WR-2721, the additivity of protective effects is manifested even in the survival of lethally irradiated mice. The results suggest that under suitable conditions avoiding the unfavourable toxic effects, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be successfully used with the aim to enhance the efficiency of sulfhydryl radioprotectors. (orig.) [de

  20. Evaluation of the Radioprotective and Curative Capacities of Certain Vitamins and Sulfhydryl Compounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hassan, S.H.M.; El-Kady, M.H.R.

    2002-01-01

    The present work was directed to review and evaluate the development of effective of certain vitamins and/or chemical radiation in modifying post-irradiation injury induced by radiation exposure. Sulfhydryl radioprotectors are one of the best radioprotectors known today. Their use encounters two great difficulties their toxicity and the short period during which they are active.In parallel with the use of single radioprotectors, observations have been made in rats using combined treatment with vitamins and SH bearing radioprotectors. Such combinations of radioprotective drugs via different mechanisms, hence, markedly improve the degree of protection and keep toxicity to acceptable level. The selected vitamins were : vitamin A alone and in combination with vitamins of B group (B complex), vitamins of group B and folic acid as well as combination of vitamin E and cysteine in addition to vitamin C with cystamine. ata completed in this study showed the efficacy of vitamin A administered alone as a radio-prophylactic agent. Combination treatment with vitamins of B complex with folic acid as well as the use of vitamins with chemical radioprotector seem to be promising as curative agents. Consequently, treatment of radiation injury using multi - vitamins preparation may be fruitful understanding in radiotherapy as well as to control incidence of radiation over exposure among radiation workers

  1. Effect of sulfhydryls on potentiation of radiation-induced cell lethality by substituted anthraquinones

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kimler, B.F.

    1984-01-01

    The effects of various substituted anthraquinones (SAQ's) and Adriamycin (ADR) were investigated in cultured Chinese hamster V79 cells. These drugs cause a potentiation of radiation-induced cell lethality, albeit by different mechanisms. One possibility is that these components operate through the production of free radicals which then produce DNA strand breaks and crosslinks. If so, then one should be able to change the degree of cell kill by modifying sulfhydryl (SH) levels such that free radical processes are altered. Diamide, buthionine-S, R-sulfoximine, and N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) were used to reduce intracellular SH levels. Cysteamine and dithiotheitol were used to increase SH levels. In general, altered SH levels did not affect SAQ-induced cytotoxicity at low drug concentrations. When drug-tested cells were also irradiated, survival levels were generally those predicted from assuming purely additive interactions. On the other hand, survival after treatment with high concentrations of ADR and one other SAQ were decreased by concomitant treatment with NEM. Since altered SH levels do not produce changes in the potentiation of radiation-induced cell lethality by SAQs, it is concluded that free radicals are not involved in this potentiation. A free radical-mediated process may be involved in the cytotoxicity induced by ADR and other SAQs; however, it is not a simple process

  2. Factors associated with choice of a low-fat or low-carbohydrate diet during a behavioral weight loss intervention☆, ☆☆

    Science.gov (United States)

    McVay, Megan A.; Voils, Corrine I.; Coffman, Cynthia J.; Geiselman, Paula J.; Kolotkin, Ronette L.; Mayer, Stephanie B.; Smith, Valerie A.; Gaillard, Leslie; Turner, Marsha J.; Yancy, William S.

    2016-01-01

    Individuals undertaking a weight loss effort have a choice among proven dietary approaches. Factors contributing to choice of either a low-fat/low-calorie diet or a low-carbohydrate diet, two of the most studied and popular dietary approaches, are unknown. The current study used data from participants randomized to the ‘choice’ arm of a trial examining whether being able to choose a diet regimen yields higher weight loss than being randomly assigned to a diet. At study entry, participants attended a group session during which they were provided tailored feedback indicating which diet was most consistent with their food preferences using the Geiselman Food Preference Questionnaire (FPQ), information about both diets, and example meals for each diet. One week later, they indicated which diet they chose to follow during the 48-week study, with the option of switching diets after 12 weeks. Of 105 choice arm participants, 44 (42%) chose the low-fat/low-calorie diet and 61 (58%) chose the low-carbohydrate diet. In bivariate analyses, diet choice was not associated with age, race, sex, education, BMI, or diabetes (all p > 0.05). Low-carbohydrate diet choice was associated with baseline higher percent fat intake (p = 0.007), lower percent carbohydrate intake (p = 0.02), and food preferences consistent with a low-carbohydrate diet according to FPQ (p diet preference was associated with diet choice (p = 0.001). Reported reasons for diet choice were generally similar for those choosing either diet; however, concerns about negative health effects of the unselected diet was rated as more influential among participants selecting the low-fat diet. Only three low-carbohydrate and two low-fat diet participants switched diets at 12 weeks. Results suggest that when provided a choice between two popular weight loss dietary approaches, an individual's selection is likely influenced by baseline dietary intake pattern, and especially by his or her dietary preferences. Research is

  3. Effects of high-fat diets with different carbohydrate-to-protein ratios on energy homeostasis in rats with impaired brain melanocortin receptor activity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Morens, C.; Keijzer, M.; de Vries, K.; Scheurink, A; van Dijk, G

    Changes in dietary macronutrient composition and/or central nervous system neuronal activity can underlie obesity and disturbed fuel homeostasis. We examined whether switching rats from a diet with high carbohydrate content (HC; i.e., regular chow) to diets with either high fat (HF) or high fat/high

  4. Gastroprotection of Suaveolol, Isolated from Hyptis suaveolens, against Ethanol-Induced Gastric Lesions in Wistar Rats: Role of Prostaglandins, Nitric Oxide and Sulfhydryls

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María Elena Sánchez-Mendoza

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Hyptis suaveolens is a medicinal plant that is, according to traditional medicine, considered useful in the treatment of gastric ulcers. Although its gastroprotective activity was reported, the active compounds have not been identified. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to identify at least one active compound potentially responsible for the gastroprotective activity of H. suaveolens by using a bioassay guided study with an ethanol-induced gastric ulcer experimental model in rats. The results show that the hexane extract had protective activity (close to 70% when using doses between 10 and 100 mg/kg, and that the compound suaveolol, isolated from this extract, was one of the active gastroprotective agents. This is the first report about the gastroprotective activity of suaveolol. Rats treated with this compound at 3, 10, 30 and 100 mg/kg showed 12.6, 21.3, 39.6 and 70.2% gastroprotection respectively. The effect elicited by suaveolol (at 100 mg/kg was attenuated by pretreatment with either NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (70 mg/kg, i.p., a nitric oxide (NO synthase inhibitor, indomethacin (10 mg/kg, s.c., a blocker of prostaglandin synthesis, or N-ethylmaleimide (10 mg/kg, s.c., a blocker of sulfhydryl groups. This suggests that the gastroprotective mechanism of action of this compound involves NO, prostaglandins and sulfhydryl groups.

  5. Effects of a very low-fat, vegan diet in subjects with rheumatoid arthritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDougall, John; Bruce, Bonnie; Spiller, Gene; Westerdahl, John; McDougall, Mary

    2002-02-01

    To demonstrate the effects of a very low-fat, vegan diet on patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Single-blind dietary intervention study. SUBJECTS AND STUDY INTERVENTIONS: This study evaluated the influence of a 4-week, very low-fat (approximately 10%), vegan diet on 24 free-living subjects with RA, average age, 56 +/- 11 years old. Prestudy and poststudy assessment of RA symptomatology was performed by a rheumatologist blind to the study design. Biochemical measures and 4-day diet data were also collected. Subjects met weekly for diet instruction, compliance monitoring, and progress assessments. There were significant (p 0.05). Weight also decreased significantly (p 0.05), RA factor decreased 10% (ns, p > 0.05), while erythrocyte sedimentation rate was unchanged (p > 0.05). This study showed that patients with moderate-to-severe RA, who switch to a very low-fat, vegan diet can experience significant reductions in RA symptoms.

  6. Energy reversible switching from amorphous metal based nanoelectromechanical switch

    KAUST Repository

    Mayet, Abdulilah M.; Smith, Casey; Hussain, Muhammad Mustafa

    2013-01-01

    We report observation of energy reversible switching from amorphous metal based nanoelectromechanical (NEM) switch. For ultra-low power electronics, NEM switches can be used as a complementary switching element in many nanoelectronic system applications. Its inherent zero power consumption because of mechanical detachment is an attractive feature. However, its operating voltage needs to be in the realm of 1 volt or lower. Appropriate design and lower Young's modulus can contribute achieving lower operating voltage. Therefore, we have developed amorphous metal with low Young's modulus and in this paper reporting the energy reversible switching from a laterally actuated double electrode NEM switch. © 2013 IEEE.

  7. Energy reversible switching from amorphous metal based nanoelectromechanical switch

    KAUST Repository

    Mayet, Abdulilah M.

    2013-08-01

    We report observation of energy reversible switching from amorphous metal based nanoelectromechanical (NEM) switch. For ultra-low power electronics, NEM switches can be used as a complementary switching element in many nanoelectronic system applications. Its inherent zero power consumption because of mechanical detachment is an attractive feature. However, its operating voltage needs to be in the realm of 1 volt or lower. Appropriate design and lower Young\\'s modulus can contribute achieving lower operating voltage. Therefore, we have developed amorphous metal with low Young\\'s modulus and in this paper reporting the energy reversible switching from a laterally actuated double electrode NEM switch. © 2013 IEEE.

  8. The induction of the oxidative burst in Elodea densa by sulfhydryl reagent does not depend on de novo protein synthesis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Amicucci, Enrica [Milan, Univ. (Italy). Dipt. di Fisiologia e Biochimica delle Piante

    1997-12-31

    In Elodea densa Planchon leaves, N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) and other sulfhydryl-binding reagents induce a marked and temporary increase of respiration that is insensitive to cyanide, hydroxamate and propylgallate and completely inhibited by diphenylene iodonium (DPI) and by quinacrine. In this paper the author investigates whether the mechanism that causes the oxidative burst depends on the activation of preexisting oxidative systems or on the activation of de novo protein synthesis. The inhibitors used were cycloheximide (CHI) which inhibits protein synthesis in plant cells by depressing the incorporation of aminoacids into proteins and cordycepin, an effective inhibitor of mRNA synthesis. The data support the idea that the mechanism investigated depends on the activation of a long lived protein(s) and not on de novo protein synthesis.

  9. Pseudospark switches

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Billault, P.; Riege, H.; Gulik, M. van; Boggasch, E.; Frank, K.

    1987-01-01

    The pseudospark discharge is bound to a geometrical structure which is particularly well suited for switching high currents and voltages at high power levels. This type of discharge offers the potential for improvement in essentially all areas of switching operation: peak current and current density, current rise, stand-off voltage, reverse current capability, cathode life, and forward drop. The first pseudospark switch was built at CERN at 1981. Since then, the basic switching characteristics of pseudospark chambers have been studied in detail. The main feature of a pseudospark switch is the confinement of the discharge plasma to the device axis. The current transition to the hollow electrodes is spread over a rather large surface area. Another essential feature is the easy and precise triggering of the pseudospark switch from the interior of the hollow electrodes, relatively far from the main discharge gap. Nanosecond delay and jitter values can be achieved with trigger energies of less than 0.1 mJ, although cathode heating is not required. Pseudospark gaps may cover a wide range of high-voltage, high-current, and high-pulse-power switching at repetition rates of many kilohertz. This report reviews the basic researh on pseudospark switches which has been going on at CERN. So far, applications have been developed in the range of thyratron-like medium-power switches at typically 20 to 40 kV and 0.5 to 10 kA. High-current pseudospark switches have been built for a high-power 20 kJ pulse generator which is being used for long-term tests of plasma lenses developed for the future CERN Antiproton Collector (ACOL). The high-current switches have operated for several hundred thousand shots, with 20 to 50 ns jitter at 16 kV charging voltage and more than 100 kA peak current amplitude. (orig.)

  10. Synchronization Between Two Different Switched Chaotic Systems By Switching Control

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Du Li Ming

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper is concerned with the synchronization problem of two different switched chaotic systems, considering the general case that the master-slave switched chaotic systems have uncertainties. Two basic problems are considered: one is projective synchronization of switched chaotic systems under arbitrary switching; the other is projective synchronization of switched chaotic systems by design of switching when synchronization cannot achieved by using any subsystems alone. For the two problems, common Lyapunov function method and multiple Lyapunov function method are used respectively, an adaptive control scheme has been presented, some sufficient synchronization conditions are attainted, and the switching signal is designed. Finally, the numerical simulation is provide to show the effectiveness of our method.

  11. Exciter switch

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mcpeak, W. L.

    1975-01-01

    A new exciter switch assembly has been installed at the three DSN 64-m deep space stations. This assembly provides for switching Block III and Block IV exciters to either the high-power or 20-kW transmitters in either dual-carrier or single-carrier mode. In the dual-carrier mode, it provides for balancing the two drive signals from a single control panel located in the transmitter local control and remote control consoles. In addition to the improved switching capabilities, extensive monitoring of both the exciter switch assembly and Transmitter Subsystem is provided by the exciter switch monitor and display assemblies.

  12. A Switch Is Not a Switch: Syntactically-Driven Bilingual Language Control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gollan, Tamar H.; Goldrick, Matthew

    2018-01-01

    The current study investigated the possibility that language switches could be relatively automatically triggered by context. "Single-word switches," in which bilinguals switched languages on a single word in midsentence and then immediately switched back, were contrasted with more complete "whole-language switches," in which…

  13. Switching Phenomena in a System with No Switches

    Science.gov (United States)

    Preis, Tobias; Stanley, H. Eugene

    2010-02-01

    It is widely believed that switching phenomena require switches, but this is actually not true. For an intriguing variety of switching phenomena in nature, the underlying complex system abruptly changes from one state to another in a highly discontinuous fashion. For example, financial market fluctuations are characterized by many abrupt switchings creating increasing trends ("bubble formation") and decreasing trends ("financial collapse"). Such switching occurs on time scales ranging from macroscopic bubbles persisting for hundreds of days to microscopic bubbles persisting only for a few seconds. We analyze a database containing 13,991,275 German DAX Future transactions recorded with a time resolution of 10 msec. For comparison, a database providing 2,592,531 of all S&P500 daily closing prices is used. We ask whether these ubiquitous switching phenomena have quantifiable features independent of the time horizon studied. We find striking scale-free behavior of the volatility after each switching occurs. We interpret our findings as being consistent with time-dependent collective behavior of financial market participants. We test the possible universality of our result by performing a parallel analysis of fluctuations in transaction volume and time intervals between trades. We show that these financial market switching processes have properties similar to those of phase transitions. We suggest that the well-known catastrophic bubbles that occur on large time scales—such as the most recent financial crisis—are no outliers but single dramatic representatives caused by the switching between upward and downward trends on time scales varying over nine orders of magnitude from very large (≈102 days) down to very small (≈10 ms).

  14. Hepatic cysteamine and non-protein sulfhydryl levels following cystamine or cysteamine treatment of galactosamine-poisoned rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    MacDonald, J.R.; Gandolfi, A.J.; Sipes, I.G.

    1985-01-01

    Hepatic cysteamine and non-protein sulfhydryl (NPSH) levels were determined in galactosamine (GAL)-poisoned rats following hepatoprotective cystamine or cysteamine treatments to determine whether alterations of hepatic NPSH status could contribute to their observed protective actions. D(+)-Galactosamine HC1 (400 mg/kg, ip) was administered to male Sprague-Dawley rats at 8 pm. Cystamine diHC1 (300 mg/kg, po) or cysteamine HC1 (170 mg/kg, ip) were administered 12 hr after GAL. Hepatic NPSH levels were determined using Ellman's reagent. Hepatic cysteamine levels were determined by separating NPSH Ellman's derivatives by reversed phase HPLC. Cystamine and cysteamine caused transient elevation of NPSH levels of 1-2 nanomoles/mg liver which correlated with the presence of 1-2 nanomoles of cysteamine/mg liver. However, neither cystamine nor cysteamine prevented NPSH levels from falling to 3 nanomoles/mg tissue 24 hr after GAL. Hepatoprotective treatments did not affect long term NPSH status in GAL-poisoned rats. However, transient NPSH increases, due to the intrahepatic presence of cysteamine, may contribute to the therapeutic effects of these hepatoprotective agents

  15. EDITORIAL: Molecular switches at surfaces Molecular switches at surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weinelt, Martin; von Oppen, Felix

    2012-10-01

    In nature, molecules exploit interaction with their environment to realize complex functionalities on the nanometer length scale. Physical, chemical and/or biological specificity is frequently achieved by the switching of molecules between microscopically different states. Paradigmatic examples are the energy production in proton pumps of bacteria or the signal conversion in human vision, which rely on switching molecules between different configurations or conformations by external stimuli. The remarkable reproducibility and unparalleled fatigue resistance of these natural processes makes it highly desirable to emulate nature and develop artificial systems with molecular functionalities. A promising avenue towards this goal is to anchor the molecular switches at surfaces, offering new pathways to control their functional properties, to apply electrical contacts, or to integrate switches into larger systems. Anchoring at surfaces allows one to access the full range from individual molecular switches to self-assembled monolayers of well-defined geometry and to customize the coupling between molecules and substrate or between adsorbed molecules. Progress in this field requires both synthesis and preparation of appropriate molecular systems and control over suitable external stimuli, such as light, heat, or electrical currents. To optimize switching and generate function, it is essential to unravel the geometric structure, the electronic properties and the dynamic interactions of the molecular switches on surfaces. This special section, Molecular Switches at Surfaces, collects 17 contributions describing different aspects of this research field. They analyze elementary processes, both in single molecules and in ensembles of molecules, which involve molecular switching and concomitant changes of optical, electronic, or magnetic properties. Two topical reviews summarize the current status, including both challenges and achievements in the field of molecular switches on

  16. Different combinations of maternal and postnatal diet are reflected in changes of hepatic parenchyma and hepatic TNF-alpha expression in male rat offspring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kačarević, Željka Perić; Grgić, Anđela; Šnajder, Darija; Bijelić, Nikola; Belovari, Tatjana; Cvijanović, Olga; Blažičević, Valerija; Radić, Radivoje

    2017-09-01

    Obesity is related to increased TNF-alpha production in different tissues. TNF-alpha is connected to mitochondrial dysfunction in the liver and also development of fatty infiltration of the liver. Also, postnatal change from normal to high-fat diet causes a significant increase in TNF-alpha serum levels. The aim of this research was to determine how maternal diet and switching male offspring to a different dietary regime after lactation influences rat liver. Ten female Sprague Dawley rats at nine weeks of age were randomly divided in two groups and fed either standard laboratory chow or high-fat diet during six weeks, and then mated with the same male subject. After birth and lactation male offspring from both groups were further divided into four subgroups depending on their subsequent diet. At 22 weeks of age, the animals were weighted, sacrificed and major organs were collected and weighted. Immunohistochemistry for TNF-alpha was performed on liver, and liver samples were analyzed for pathohistological changes. The group in which mothers were fed standard chow and offspring high-fat diet had the most pronounced changes: heaviest liver, poorest histopathological findings and strongest TNF-alpha immunohistochemical staining of liver parenchyma. High-fat diet during pregnancy and lactation and switching to high-fat diet postnatally affects liver weight, histological structure and TNF-alpha expression in male offspring. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  17. Prevention of ethanol-induced vascular injury and gastric mucosal lesions by sucralfate and its components: possible role of endogenous sulfhydryls

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Szabo, S.; Brown, A.

    1987-09-01

    The authors tested the hypothesis that sucralfate, which contains eight sulfate and aluminum molecules on a sucrose and its other components might decrease ethanol-induced vascular injury and hemorrhagic mucosal lesions through a sulfhydryl (SH)-sensitive process. Experiments performed in rats revealed that the entire sucralfate molecule is not a prerequisite for protection against ethanol-induced mucosal vascular injury and erosions. It appears that sulfate and sucrose octasulfate are potent components of sucralfate, although an equimolar amount of sucralfate is at least twice as effective in gastroprotection than its components. The SH alkylator N-ethylmaleimide abolished the gastroprotection by sucralfate, suggesting SH-sensitive process in the mucosal protection which seems to be associated with the prevention of rapidly developing vascular injury in the stomach of rats given ethanol.

  18. Optimal control of switching time in switched stochastic systems with multi-switching times and different costs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xiaomei; Li, Shengtao; Zhang, Kanjian

    2017-08-01

    In this paper, we solve an optimal control problem for a class of time-invariant switched stochastic systems with multi-switching times, where the objective is to minimise a cost functional with different costs defined on the states. In particular, we focus on problems in which a pre-specified sequence of active subsystems is given and the switching times are the only control variables. Based on the calculus of variation, we derive the gradient of the cost functional with respect to the switching times on an especially simple form, which can be directly used in gradient descent algorithms to locate the optimal switching instants. Finally, a numerical example is given, highlighting the validity of the proposed methodology.

  19. Transient-Switch-Signal Suppressor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bozeman, Richard J., Jr.

    1995-01-01

    Circuit delays transmission of switch-opening or switch-closing signal until after preset suppression time. Used to prevent transmission of undesired momentary switch signal. Basic mode of operation simple. Beginning of switch signal initiates timing sequence. If switch signal persists after preset suppression time, circuit transmits switch signal to external circuitry. If switch signal no longer present after suppression time, switch signal deemed transient, and circuit does not pass signal on to external circuitry, as though no transient switch signal. Suppression time preset at value large enough to allow for damping of underlying pressure wave or other mechanical transient.

  20. A ketogenic diet reduces metabolic syndrome-induced allodynia and promotes peripheral nerve growth in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooper, Michael A; Menta, Blaise W; Perez-Sanchez, Consuelo; Jack, Megan M; Khan, Zair W; Ryals, Janelle M; Winter, Michelle; Wright, Douglas E

    2018-08-01

    Current experiments investigated whether a ketogenic diet impacts neuropathy associated with obesity and prediabetes. Mice challenged with a ketogenic diet were compared to mice fed a high-fat diet or a high-fat diet plus exercise. Additionally, an intervention switching to a ketogenic diet following 8 weeks of high-fat diet was performed to compare how a control diet, exercise, or a ketogenic diet affects metabolic syndrome-induced neural complications. When challenged with a ketogenic diet, mice had reduced bodyweight and fat mass compared to high-fat-fed mice, and were similar to exercised, high-fat-fed mice. High-fat-fed, exercised and ketogenic-fed mice had mildly elevated blood glucose; conversely, ketogenic diet-fed mice were unique in having reduced serum insulin levels. Ketogenic diet-fed mice never developed mechanical allodynia contrary to mice fed a high-fat diet. Ketogenic diet fed mice also had increased epidermal axon density compared all other groups. When a ketogenic diet was used as an intervention, a ketogenic diet was unable to reverse high-fat fed-induced metabolic changes but was able to significantly reverse a high-fat diet-induced mechanical allodynia. As an intervention, a ketogenic diet also increased epidermal axon density. In vitro studies revealed increased neurite outgrowth in sensory neurons from mice fed a ketogenic diet and in neurons from normal diet-fed mice given ketone bodies in the culture medium. These results suggest a ketogenic diet can prevent certain complications of prediabetes and provides significant benefits to peripheral axons and sensory dysfunction. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  1. Digital switched hydraulics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Min; Plummer, Andrew

    2018-06-01

    This paper reviews recent developments in digital switched hydraulics particularly the switched inertance hydraulic systems (SIHSs). The performance of SIHSs is presented in brief with a discussion of several possible configurations and control strategies. The soft switching technology and high-speed switching valve design techniques are discussed. Challenges and recommendations are given based on the current research achievements.

  2. Feeding a higher forage diet prepartum decreases incidences of subclinical ketosis in transition dairy cows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vickers, L A; Weary, D M; Veira, D M; von Keyserlingk, M A G

    2013-02-01

    A common feeding practice during the dry period is to switch dairy cows to an energy-dense diet 3 wk prepartum, but this practice may lead to the overconsumption of energy and increase the risk of metabolic disease postpartum. The aim of this trial was to compare the metabolic status of transition Holstein dairy cows fed a 77% forage diet (77F; NEl = 1.46 Mcal/kg; NDF = 41%) vs. those fed an 87% forage diet (87F; NEl = 1.41 Mcal/kg; 48% NDF). Approximately 60 d before calving, cows were dried off, housed in a free stall barn, and fed the 87F diet. Three weeks before expected calving, cows were randomly assigned to either the 77F treatment and switched to this diet (n = 45) or assigned to the 87F treatment and stayed on the dry cow ration until parturition (n = 42). After parturition, all cows were fed a common lactation diet (NEl = 1.59 Mcal/kg; 36% NDF). Dry matter intake was measured daily from 2 wk before to 2 wk after calving. Blood was sampled daily for 10 d postpartum. Subclinical ketosis was diagnosed using a threshold of β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) ≥ 1.0 mmol/L after calving. The percentage of cows pregnant and odds of being pregnant for each treatment group were determined at 60, 90, and 120 d in milk through ultrasound by the herd veterinarian. Cows on the 87F diet consumed less DM prepartum than those on the 77F diet (12.7 ± 0.3 kg/d vs. 15.4 ± 0.3 kg/d, P ketosis (SCK; 49% vs. 17%; P = 0.001). Milk production tended to be less for cows fed the 87F diet prepartum (47.3 ± 0.4 kg/d vs. 48.8 ± 0.4 kg/d; P = 0.10) for the first 22 wk of lactation, which was significant for d 7 to 28 of lactation (44.6 ± 1.1 kg/d vs. 47.6 ± 1.0 kg/d; P = 0.05). Although sample size was small to draw strong conclusions on reproductive performance, at 120 d in milk, cows on the 87F diet were 0.3 times more likely to be pregnant (P = 0.03). These results indicate that feeding an 87F diet before calving can reduce rates of SCK in transition dairy cows.

  3. Enhancement of resistive switching properties in Al2O3 bilayer-based atomic switches: multilevel resistive switching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vishwanath, Sujaya Kumar; Woo, Hyunsuk; Jeon, Sanghun

    2018-06-01

    Atomic switches are considered to be building blocks for future non-volatile data storage and internet of things. However, obtaining device structures capable of ultrahigh density data storage, high endurance, and long data retention, and more importantly, understanding the switching mechanisms are still a challenge for atomic switches. Here, we achieved improved resistive switching performance in a bilayer structure containing aluminum oxide, with an oxygen-deficient oxide as the top switching layer and stoichiometric oxide as the bottom switching layer, using atomic layer deposition. This bilayer device showed a high on/off ratio (105) with better endurance (∼2000 cycles) and longer data retention (104 s) than single-oxide layers. In addition, depending on the compliance current, the bilayer device could be operated in four different resistance states. Furthermore, the depth profiles of the hourglass-shaped conductive filament of the bilayer device was observed by conductive atomic force microscopy.

  4. Intentional preparation of auditory attention-switches: Explicit cueing and sequential switch-predictability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seibold, Julia C; Nolden, Sophie; Oberem, Josefa; Fels, Janina; Koch, Iring

    2018-06-01

    In an auditory attention-switching paradigm, participants heard two simultaneously spoken number-words, each presented to one ear, and decided whether the target number was smaller or larger than 5 by pressing a left or right key. An instructional cue in each trial indicated which feature had to be used to identify the target number (e.g., female voice). Auditory attention-switch costs were found when this feature changed compared to when it repeated in two consecutive trials. Earlier studies employing this paradigm showed mixed results when they examined whether such cued auditory attention-switches can be prepared actively during the cue-stimulus interval. This study systematically assessed which preconditions are necessary for the advance preparation of auditory attention-switches. Three experiments were conducted that controlled for cue-repetition benefits, modality switches between cue and stimuli, as well as for predictability of the switch-sequence. Only in the third experiment, in which predictability for an attention-switch was maximal due to a pre-instructed switch-sequence and predictable stimulus onsets, active switch-specific preparation was found. These results suggest that the cognitive system can prepare auditory attention-switches, and this preparation seems to be triggered primarily by the memorised switching-sequence and valid expectations about the time of target onset.

  5. Demonstration of Ultra-Fast Switching in Nano metallic Resistive Switching Memory Devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Y.

    2016-01-01

    Interdependency of switching voltage and time creates a dilemma/obstacle for most resistive switching memories, which indicates low switching voltage and ultra-fast switching time cannot be simultaneously achieved. In this paper, an ultra-fast (sub-100 ns) yet low switching voltage resistive switching memory device (“nano metallic ReRAM”) was demonstrated. Experimental switching voltage is found independent of pulse width (intrinsic device property) when the pulse is long but shows abrupt time dependence (“cliff”) as pulse width approaches characteristic RC time of memory device (extrinsic device property). Both experiment and simulation show that the onset of cliff behavior is dependent on physical device size and parasitic resistance, which is expected to diminish as technology nodes shrink down. We believe this study provides solid evidence that nano metallic resistive switching memory can be reliably operated at low voltage and ultra-fast regime, thus beneficial to future memory technology.

  6. DESAIN DAN IMPLEMENTSI SOFT SWITCHING BOOST KONVERTER DENGAN SIMPLE AUXILLARY RESONANT SWITCH (SARC

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dimas Bagus Saputra

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Boost konverter merupakan penaik tegangan DC ke tegangan DC yang mempunyai tegangan output yang lebih tinggi dibanding inputnya. Penggunaan boost konverter diera modern semakin meningkat dan dibuat dengan dimensi yang lebih kecil, berat yang lebih ringan dan efisiensi yang lebih tinggi dibanding dengan boost konverter generasi terdahulu. Tetapi rugi-rugi periodik saat on/off meningkat. Untuk meraih kriteria tersebut, teknik hard switching boost konverter berevolusi menjadi teknik soft switching dengan menambah rangkaian simple auxiliary resonant circuit (SARC. Karena penambahan rangkaian SARC tersebut konverter bekerja pada kondisi zero-voltage switching switch (ZVS dan zero current switch (ZCS, sehingga saklar semikonduktor tidak bekerja secara hard switching lagi. Pada penelitian ini akan di desain dan diimplementaskan soft switching boost konverter dengan SARC. Kelebihan dari soft switching boost konverter dengan SARC adalah mempunyai efisiensi yang lebih tinggi dibanding dengan boost konverter konventional. Dari hasil implementasi menunjukkan konverter yang diajukan telah meraih zero voltage switch (ZVS. Sehingga boost konverter zero voltage switch (ZVS bisa diaplikasikan pada sistem power suplay yang membutuhkan efisiensi energi yang tinggi terutama pada daya yang tinggi.

  7. Saturated Switching Systems

    CERN Document Server

    Benzaouia, Abdellah

    2012-01-01

    Saturated Switching Systems treats the problem of actuator saturation, inherent in all dynamical systems by using two approaches: positive invariance in which the controller is designed to work within a region of non-saturating linear behaviour; and saturation technique which allows saturation but guarantees asymptotic stability. The results obtained are extended from the linear systems in which they were first developed to switching systems with uncertainties, 2D switching systems, switching systems with Markovian jumping and switching systems of the Takagi-Sugeno type. The text represents a thoroughly referenced distillation of results obtained in this field during the last decade. The selected tool for analysis and design of stabilizing controllers is based on multiple Lyapunov functions and linear matrix inequalities. All the results are illustrated with numerical examples and figures many of them being modelled using MATLAB®. Saturated Switching Systems will be of interest to academic researchers in con...

  8. Influence of a high fibre diet on glycaemic control and quality of life in dogs with diabetes mellitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graham, P A; Maskell, E; Rawlings, J M; Nash, A S; Markwell, P J

    2002-02-01

    A study was undertaken to evaluate a high fibre diet used in the management of 10 dogs with naturally occurring insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Following baseline measurements of health and glycaemic control, the dogs were fed a canned diet containing a blend of insoluble and soluble dietary fibres and were monitored during the ensuing four months. Switching to the high fibre diet was associated with significantly lower mean 24-hour and postprandial plasma glucose concentrations, which were maintained over the study period. The high fibre diet was also associated with significant reductions in plasma concentrations of fructosamine, glycated haemoglobin, free glycerol and cholesterol, and there were significant improvements in dog activity and demeanour. Bodyweight declined during the fourth month of feeding the diet, which is likely to have resulted from underfeeding relative to increased activity. The results indicate that a high fibre diet can significantly improve glycaemic control and quality of life in dogs with diabetes mellitus.

  9. Electronic logic to enhance switch reliability in detecting openings and closures of redundant switches

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooper, James A.

    1986-01-01

    A logic circuit is used to enhance redundant switch reliability. Two or more switches are monitored for logical high or low output. The output for the logic circuit produces a redundant and failsafe representation of the switch outputs. When both switch outputs are high, the output is high. Similarly, when both switch outputs are low, the logic circuit's output is low. When the output states of the two switches do not agree, the circuit resolves the conflict by memorizing the last output state which both switches were simultaneously in and produces the logical complement of this output state. Thus, the logic circuit of the present invention allows the redundant switches to be treated as if they were in parallel when the switches are open and as if they were in series when the switches are closed. A failsafe system having maximum reliability is thereby produced.

  10. A maternal high-protein diet predisposes female offspring to increased fat mass in adulthood whereas a prebiotic fibre diet decreases fat mass in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hallam, Megan C; Reimer, Raylene A

    2013-11-14

    The negative effects of malnourishment in utero have been widely explored; the effects of increased maternal macronutrient intake are not known in relation to high fibre, and have been inconclusive with regard to high protein. In the present study, virgin Wistar dams were fed either a control (C), high-protein (40 %, w/w; HP) or high-prebiotic fibre (21·6 %, w/w; HF) diet throughout pregnancy and lactation. Pups consumed the C diet from 3 to 14·5 weeks of age, and then switched to a high-fat/sucrose diet for 8 weeks. A dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan and an oral glucose tolerance test were performed and plasma satiety hormones measured. The final body weight and the percentage of body fat were significantly affected by the interaction between maternal diet and offspring sex: weight and fat mass were higher in the female offspring of the HP v. HF dams. No differences in body weight or fat mass were seen in the male offspring. There was a significant sex effect for fasting and total AUC for ghrelin and fasting GIP, with females having higher levels than males. Liver TAG content and plasma NEFA were lower in the offspring of high-prebiotic fibre dams (HF1) than in those of high-protein dams (HP1) and control dams (C1). Intestinal expression of GLUT2 was decreased in HF1 and HP1 v. C1. The maternal HP and HF diets had lasting effects on body fat and hepatic TAG accumulation in the offspring, particularly in females. Whereas the HP diet predisposes to an obese phenotype, the maternal HF diet appears to reduce the susceptibility to obesity following a high-energy diet challenge in adulthood.

  11. Switched capacitor DC-DC converter with switch conductance modulation and Pesudo-fixed frequency control

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Dennis Øland; Vinter, Martin; Jørgensen, Ivan Harald Holger

    A switched capacitor dc-dc converter with frequency-planned control is presented. By splitting the output stage switches in eight segments the output voltage can be regulated with a combination of switching frequency and switch conductance. This allows for switching at predetermined frequencies, 31...

  12. Effective switching frequency multiplier inverter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Gui-Jia [Oak Ridge, TN; Peng, Fang Z [Okemos, MI

    2007-08-07

    A switching frequency multiplier inverter for low inductance machines that uses parallel connection of switches and each switch is independently controlled according to a pulse width modulation scheme. The effective switching frequency is multiplied by the number of switches connected in parallel while each individual switch operates within its limit of switching frequency. This technique can also be used for other power converters such as DC/DC, AC/DC converters.

  13. Instability in time-delayed switched systems induced by fast and random switching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Yao; Lin, Wei; Chen, Yuming; Wu, Jianhong

    2017-07-01

    In this paper, we consider a switched system comprising finitely or infinitely many subsystems described by linear time-delayed differential equations and a rule that orchestrates the system switching randomly among these subsystems, where the switching times are also randomly chosen. We first construct a counterintuitive example where even though all the time-delayed subsystems are exponentially stable, the behaviors of the randomly switched system change from stable dynamics to unstable dynamics with a decrease of the dwell time. Then by using the theories of stochastic processes and delay differential equations, we present a general result on when this fast and random switching induced instability should occur and we extend this to the case of nonlinear time-delayed switched systems as well.

  14. Latching micro optical switch

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia, Ernest J; Polosky, Marc A

    2013-05-21

    An optical switch reliably maintains its on or off state even when subjected to environments where the switch is bumped or otherwise moved. In addition, the optical switch maintains its on or off state indefinitely without requiring external power. External power is used only to transition the switch from one state to the other. The optical switch is configured with a fixed optical fiber and a movable optical fiber. The movable optical fiber is guided by various actuators in conjunction with a latching mechanism that configure the switch in one position that corresponds to the on state and in another position that corresponds to the off state.

  15. Avalanche photoconductive switching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pocha, M. D.; Druce, R. L.; Wilson, M. J.; Hofer, W. W.

    This paper describes work being done at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory on the avalanche mode of operation of laser triggered photoconductive switches. We have been able to generate pulses with amplitudes of 2 kV to 35 kV and rise times of 300 to 500 ps, and with a switching gain (energy of output electrical pulse vs energy of trigger optical pulse) of 10(exp 3) to over 10(exp 5). Switches with two very different physical configurations and with two different illumination wavelengths (1.06 micrometer, 890 nm) exhibit very similar behavior. The avalanche switching behavior, therefore, appears to be related to the material parameters rather than the optical wavelength or switch geometry. Considerable further work needs to be done to fully characterize and understand this mode of operation.

  16. Avalanche photoconductive switching

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pocha, M.D.; Druce, R.L.; Wilson, M.J.; Hofer, W.W.

    1989-01-01

    This paper describes work being done at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory on the avalanche mode of operation of laser triggered photoconductive switches. We have been able to generate pulses with amplitudes of 2 kV--35 kV and rise times of 300--500 ps, and with a switching gain (energy of output electrical pulse vs energy of trigger optical pulse) of 10{sup 3} to over 10{sup 5}. Switches with two very different physical configurations and with two different illumination wavelengths (1.06 {mu}m, 890 nm) exhibit very similar behavior. The avalanche switching behavior, therefore, appears to be related to the material parameters rather than the optical wavelength or switch geometry. Considerable further work needs to be done to fully characterize and understand this mode of operation. 3 refs., 6 figs.

  17. Exercise training and return to a well-balanced diet activate the neuregulin 1/ErbB pathway in skeletal muscle of obese rats

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ennequin, Gaël; Boisseau, Nathalie; Caillaud, Kevin; Chavanelle, Vivien; Gerbaix, Maude; Metz, Lore; Etienne, Monique; Walrand, Stéphane; Masgrau, Aurélie; Guillet, Christelle; Courteix, Daniel; Niu, Airu; Li, Yi-Ping; Capel, Fréderic; Sirvent, Pascal

    2015-01-01

    Some studies suggest that the signalling pathway of neuregulin 1 (NRG1), a protein involved in the regulation of skeletal muscle metabolism, could be altered by nutritional and exercise interventions. We hypothesized that diet-induced obesity could lead to alterations of the NRG1 signalling pathway and that chronic exercise could improve NRG1 signalling in rat skeletal muscle. To test this hypothesis, male Wistar rats received a high fat/high sucrose (HF/HS) diet for 16 weeks. At the end of this period, NRG1 and ErbB expression/activity in skeletal muscle was assessed. The obese rats then continued the HF/HS diet or were switched to a well-balanced diet. Moreover, in both groups, half of the animals also performed low intensity treadmill exercise training. After another 8 weeks, NRG1 and ErbB expression/activity in skeletal muscle were tested again. The 16 week HF/HS diet induced obesity, but did not significantly affect the NRG1/ErbB signalling pathway in rat skeletal muscle. Conversely, after the switch to a well-balanced diet, NRG1 cleavage ratio and ErbB4 amount were increased. Chronic exercise training also promoted NRG1 cleavage, resulting in increased ErbB4 phosphorylation. This result was associated with increased protein expression and phosphorylation ratio of the metalloprotease ADAM17, which is involved in NRG1 shedding. Similarly, in vitro stretch-induced activation of ADAM17 in rat myoblasts induced NRG1 cleavage and ErbB4 activation. These results show that low intensity endurance training and well-balanced diet activate the NRG1-ErbB4 pathway, possibly via the metalloprotease ADAM17, in skeletal muscle of diet-induced obese rats. PMID:25820551

  18. 160-Gb/s Silicon All-Optical Packet Switch for Buffer-less Optical Burst Switching

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hu, Hao; Ji, Hua; Pu, Minhao

    2015-01-01

    We experimentally demonstrate a 160-Gb/s Ethernet packet switch using an 8.6-mm-long silicon nanowire for optical burst switching, based on cross phase modulation in silicon. One of the four packets at the bit rate of 160 Gb/s is switched by an optical control signal using a silicon based 1 × 1 all......-optical packet switch. Error free performance (BER silicon packet switch based optical burst switching, which might be desirable for high-speed interconnects within a short...

  19. Task Uncertainty Can Account for Mixing and Switch Costs in Task-Switching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rennie, Jaime L.

    2015-01-01

    Cognitive control is required in situations that involve uncertainty or change, such as when resolving conflict, selecting responses and switching tasks. Recently, it has been suggested that cognitive control can be conceptualised as a mechanism which prioritises goal-relevant information to deal with uncertainty. This hypothesis has been supported using a paradigm that requires conflict resolution. In this study, we examine whether cognitive control during task switching is also consistent with this notion. We used information theory to quantify the level of uncertainty in different trial types during a cued task-switching paradigm. We test the hypothesis that differences in uncertainty between task repeat and task switch trials can account for typical behavioural effects in task-switching. Increasing uncertainty was associated with less efficient performance (i.e., slower and less accurate), particularly on switch trials and trials that afford little opportunity for advance preparation. Interestingly, both mixing and switch costs were associated with a common episodic control process. These results support the notion that cognitive control may be conceptualised as an information processor that serves to resolve uncertainty in the environment. PMID:26107646

  20. Controllability of multi-agent systems with periodically switching topologies and switching leaders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Lingling; Zhao, Bin; Wang, Long

    2018-05-01

    This paper considers controllability of multi-agent systems with periodically switching topologies and switching leaders. The concept of m-periodic controllability is proposed, and a criterion for m-periodic controllability is established. The effect of the duration of subsystems on controllability is analysed by utilising a property of analytic functions. In addition, the influence of switching periods on controllability is investigated, and an algorithm is proposed to search for the fewest periods to ensure controllability. A necessary condition for m-periodic controllability is obtained from the perspective of eigenvectors of the subsystems' Laplacian matrices. For a system with switching leaders, it is proved that switching-leader controllability is equivalent to multiple-leader controllability. Furthermore, both the switching order and the tenure of agents being leaders have no effect on the controllability. Some examples are provided to illustrate the theoretical results.

  1. Fad diets, miracle diets, diet cult… but no results.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ignacio Jáuregui-Lobera

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Fad diets, miracle diets (in sum, diet cult are diets that make promises of weight loss or other health advantages (e.g. longer life without backing by solid science, and usually they are characterized by highly restrictive or unusual food choices. These diets are often supported by celebrities and some health “professionals”, and they result attractive among people who want to lose weight quickly. By means of pseudoscientific arguments, designers of fad, miracle or magic diets usually describe them as healthy diets with unusual properties but always with undoubted benefits. After revising the history of these diets and exploring the scientific evidence, it must be noted that there is not a diet better than eating less, moving more and eating lots of fruits and vegetables. In addition, it is necessary to be aware of our general daily habits, remembering that eating is important but it is not everything. Getting active is also very relevant to improve (or recover our health. Summarizing, eating healthy and taking care of yourself are a duty but not a miracle.

  2. Rats eat a cafeteria-style diet to excess but eat smaller amounts and less frequently when tested with chow.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Timothy South

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Obesity is associated with excessive consumption of palatable, energy dense foods. The present study used an animal model to examine feeding patterns during exposure to and withdrawal from these foods. METHODS: Male Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to standard lab chow only (Chow rats or a range of cafeteria-style foods eaten by people (Caf rats. After 1, 4, 7 and 10 weeks of diet in their home cage, rats were subjected to 24-hour test sessions in a Comprehensive Lab Animal Monitoring System (CLAMS. In the first two test sessions, Chow rats were exposed to standard lab chow only while Caf rats were exposed to a biscuit and high-fat chow diet. In the final two test sessions, half the rats in each group were switched to the opposing diet. In each session we recorded numbers of bouts, energy consumed per bout, and intervals between bouts across the entire 24 hours. RESULTS: Relative to Chow rats, Caf rats initiated fewer bouts but consumed more energy per bout; however, their motivation to feed in the CLAMS declined over time, which was attributed to reduced variety of foods relative to their home cage diet. This decline in motivation was especially pronounced among Caf rats switched from the palatable CLAMS diet to standard lab chow only: the reduced energy intake in this group was due to a modest decline in bout frequency and a dramatic decline in bout size. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to a cafeteria-diet, rich in variety, altered feeding patterns, reduced rats' motivation to consume palatable foods in the absence of variety, and further diminished motivation to feed when palatable foods were withdrawn and replaced with chow. Hence, variety is a key factor in driving excessive consumption of energy dense foods, and therefore, excessive weight gain.

  3. Optimal switching using coherent control

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Philip Trøst; Heuck, Mikkel; Mørk, Jesper

    2013-01-01

    that the switching time, in general, is not limited by the cavity lifetime. Therefore, the total energy required for switching is a more relevant figure of merit than the switching speed, and for a particular two-pulse switching scheme we use calculus of variations to optimize the switching in terms of input energy....

  4. Switch-connected HyperX network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Dong; Heidelberger, Philip

    2018-02-13

    A network system includes a plurality of sub-network planes and global switches. The sub-network planes have a same network topology as each other. Each of the sub-network planes includes edge switches. Each of the edge switches has N ports. Each of the global switches is configured to connect a group of edge switches at a same location in the sub-network planes. In each of the sub-network planes, some of the N ports of each of the edge switches are connected to end nodes, and others of the N ports are connected to other edge switches in the same sub-network plane, other of the N ports are connected to at least one of the global switches.

  5. FreeSWITCH Cookbook

    CERN Document Server

    Minessale, Anthony

    2012-01-01

    This is a problem-solution approach to take your FreeSWITCH skills to the next level, where everything is explained in a practical way. If you are a system administrator, hobbyist, or someone who uses FreeSWITCH on a regular basis, this book is for you. Whether you are a FreeSWITCH expert or just getting started, this book will take your skills to the next level.

  6. Task-set switching under cue-based versus memory-based switching conditions in younger and older adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kray, Jutta

    2006-08-11

    Adult age differences in task switching and advance preparation were examined by comparing cue-based and memory-based switching conditions. Task switching was assessed by determining two types of costs that occur at the general (mixing costs) and specific (switching costs) level of switching. Advance preparation was investigated by varying the time interval until the next task (short, middle, very long). Results indicated that the implementation of task sets was different for cue-based switching with random task sequences and memory-based switching with predictable task sequences. Switching costs were strongly reduced under cue-based switching conditions, indicating that task-set cues facilitate the retrieval of the next task. Age differences were found for mixing costs and for switching costs only under cue-based conditions in which older adults showed smaller switching costs than younger adults. It is suggested that older adults adopt a less extreme bias between two tasks than younger adults in situations associated with uncertainty. For cue-based switching with random task sequences, older adults are less engaged in a complete reconfiguration of task sets because of the probability of a further task change. Furthermore, the reduction of switching costs was more pronounced for cue- than memory-based switching for short preparation intervals, whereas the reduction of switch costs was more pronounced for memory- than cue-based switching for longer preparation intervals at least for older adults. Together these findings suggest that the implementation of task sets is functionally different for the two types of task-switching conditions.

  7. Task uncertainty can account for mixing and switch costs in task-switching.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patrick S Cooper

    Full Text Available Cognitive control is required in situations that involve uncertainty or change, such as when resolving conflict, selecting responses and switching tasks. Recently, it has been suggested that cognitive control can be conceptualised as a mechanism which prioritises goal-relevant information to deal with uncertainty. This hypothesis has been supported using a paradigm that requires conflict resolution. In this study, we examine whether cognitive control during task switching is also consistent with this notion. We used information theory to quantify the level of uncertainty in different trial types during a cued task-switching paradigm. We test the hypothesis that differences in uncertainty between task repeat and task switch trials can account for typical behavioural effects in task-switching. Increasing uncertainty was associated with less efficient performance (i.e., slower and less accurate, particularly on switch trials and trials that afford little opportunity for advance preparation. Interestingly, both mixing and switch costs were associated with a common episodic control process. These results support the notion that cognitive control may be conceptualised as an information processor that serves to resolve uncertainty in the environment.

  8. LCT protective dump-switch tests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parsons, W.M.

    1981-01-01

    Each of the six coils in the Large Coil Task (LCT) has a separate power supply, dump resistor, and switching circuit. Each switching circuit contains five switches, two of which are redundant. The three remaining switches perform separate duties in an emergency dump situation. These three switches were tested to determine their ability to meet the LCT conditions

  9. Switch on, switch off: stiction in nanoelectromechanical switches

    KAUST Repository

    Wagner, Till J W

    2013-06-13

    We present a theoretical investigation of stiction in nanoscale electromechanical contact switches. We develop a mathematical model to describe the deflection of a cantilever beam in response to both electrostatic and van der Waals forces. Particular focus is given to the question of whether adhesive van der Waals forces cause the cantilever to remain in the \\'ON\\' state even when the electrostatic forces are removed. In contrast to previous studies, our theory accounts for deflections with large slopes (i.e. geometrically nonlinear). We solve the resulting equations numerically to study how a cantilever beam adheres to a rigid electrode: transitions between \\'free\\', \\'pinned\\' and \\'clamped\\' states are shown to be discontinuous and to exhibit significant hysteresis. Our findings are compared to previous results from linearized models and the implications for nanoelectromechanical cantilever switch design are discussed. © 2013 IOP Publishing Ltd.

  10. Control synthesis of switched systems

    CERN Document Server

    Zhao, Xudong; Niu, Ben; Wu, Tingting

    2017-01-01

    This book offers its readers a detailed overview of the synthesis of switched systems, with a focus on switching stabilization and intelligent control. The problems investigated are not only previously unsolved theoretically but also of practical importance in many applications: voltage conversion, naval piloting and navigation and robotics, for example. The book considers general switched-system models and provides more efficient design methods to bring together theory and application more closely than was possible using classical methods. It also discusses several different classes of switched systems. For general switched linear systems and switched nonlinear systems comprising unstable subsystems, it introduces novel ideas such as invariant subspace theory and the time-scheduled Lyapunov function method of designing switching signals to stabilize the underlying systems. For some typical switched nonlinear systems affected by various complex dynamics, the book proposes novel design approaches based on inte...

  11. Maximal feeding with active prey-switching: A kill-the-winner functional response and its effect on global diversity and biogeography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vallina, S. M.; Ward, B. A.; Dutkiewicz, S.; Follows, M. J.

    2014-01-01

    Predators' switching towards the most abundant prey is a mechanism that stabilizes population dynamics and helps overcome competitive exclusion of species in food webs. Current formulations of active prey-switching, however, display non-maximal feeding in which the predators' total ingestion decays exponentially with the number prey species (i.e. the diet breadth) even though the total prey biomass stays constant. We analyse three previously published multi-species functional responses which have either active switching or maximal feeding, but not both. We identify the cause of this apparent incompatibility and describe a kill-the-winner formulation that combines active switching with maximal feeding. Active switching is shown to be a community response in which some predators become prey-selective and the formulations with maximal or non-maximal feeding are implicitly assuming different food web configurations. Global simulations using a marine ecosystem model with 64 phytoplankton species belonging to 4 major functional groups show that the species richness and biogeography of phytoplankton are very sensitive to the choice of the functional response for grazing. The phytoplankton biogeography reflects the balance between the competitive abilities for nutrient uptake and the degree of apparent competition which occurs indirectly between species that share a common predator species. The phytoplankton diversity significantly increases when active switching is combined with maximal feeding through predator-mediated coexistence.

  12. Low-Crosstalk Composite Optical Crosspoint Switches

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Jing-Jong; Liang, Frank

    1993-01-01

    Composite optical switch includes two elementary optical switches in tandem, plus optical absorbers. Like elementary optical switches, composite optical switches assembled into switch matrix. Performance enhanced by increasing number of elementary switches. Advantage of concept: crosstalk reduced to acceptably low level at moderate cost of doubling number of elementary switches rather than at greater cost of tightening manufacturing tolerances and exerting more-precise control over operating conditions.

  13. Test-based exclusion diets in gastro-esophageal reflux disease patients: a randomized controlled pilot trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caselli, Michele; Zuliani, Giovanni; Cassol, Francesca; Fusetti, Nadia; Zeni, Elena; Lo Cascio, Natalina; Soavi, Cecilia; Gullini, Sergio

    2014-12-07

    To investigate the clinical response of gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms to exclusion diets based on food intolerance tests. A double blind, randomized, controlled pilot trial was performed in 38 GERD patients partially or completely non-responders to proton pump inhibitors (PPI) treatment. Fasting blood samples from each patients were obtained; leukocytotoxic test was performed by incubating the blood with a panel of 60 food items to be tested. The reaction of leukocytes (rounding, vacuolization, lack of movement, flattening, fragmentation or disintegration of cell wall) was then evaluated by optical microscopy and rated as follows: level 0 = negative, level 1 = slightly positive, level 2 = moderately positive, and level 3 = highly positive. A "true" diet excluding food items inducing moderate-severe reactions, and a "control" diet including them was developed for each patient. Then, twenty patients received the "true" diet and 18 the "control" diet; after one month (T1) symptoms severity was scored by the GERD impact scale (GIS). Hence, patients in the "control" group were switched to the "true" diet, and symptom severity was re-assessed after three months (T2). At baseline (T0) the mean GIS global score was 6.68 (range: 5-12) with no difference between "true" and control group (6.6 ± 1.19 vs 6.7 ± 1.7). All patients reacted moderately/severely to at least 1 food (range: 5-19), with a significantly greater number of food substances inducing reaction in controls compared with the "true" diet group (11.6 vs 7.0, P < 0.001). Food items more frequently involved were milk, lettuce, brewer's yeast, pork, coffee, rice, sole asparagus, and tuna, followed by eggs, tomato, grain, shrimps, and chemical yeast. At T1 both groups displayed a reduction of GIS score ("true" group 3.3 ± 1.7, -50%, P = 0.001; control group 4.9 ± 2.8, -26.9%, P = 0.02), although the GIS score was significantly lower in "true" vs "control" group (P = 0.04). At T2, after the diet

  14. Organization of the channel-switching process in parallel computer systems based on a matrix optical switch

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golomidov, Y. V.; Li, S. K.; Popov, S. A.; Smolov, V. B.

    1986-01-01

    After a classification and analysis of electronic and optoelectronic switching devices, the design principles and structure of a matrix optical switch is described. The switching and pair-exclusion operations in this type of switch are examined, and a method for the optical switching of communication channels is elaborated. Finally, attention is given to the structural organization of a parallel computer system with a matrix optical switch.

  15. High-Concentrate Diet-Induced Change of Cellular Metabolism Leads to Decreases of Immunity and Imbalance of Cellular Activities in Rumen Epithelium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Zhongyan; Shen, Hong; Shen, Zanming

    2018-01-01

    In animals, the immune and cellular processes of tissue largely depend on the status of local metabolism. However, in the rumen epithelium, how the cellular metabolism affects epithelial immunity, and cellular processes, when the diet is switched from energy-rich to energy-excess status, with regard to animal production and health, have not as yet been reported. RNA-seq was applied to compare the biological processes altered by an increase of dietary concentration from 10% to 35% with those altered by an increase of dietary concentration from 35% to 65% (dietary concentrate: the non-grass component in diet, including corn, soya bean meal and additive. High concentrate diet composed of 35% grass, 55% corn, 8% soya bean meal and 2% additive). In addition to the functional analysis of enriched genes in terms of metabolism, the immune system, and cellular process, the highly correlated genes to the enriched metabolism genes were identified, and the function and signaling pathways related to the differentially expressed neighbors were compared among the groups. The variation trends of molar proportions of ruminal SCFAs and those of enriched pathways belonging to metabolism, immune system, and cellular process were altered with the change of diets. With regard to metabolism, lipid metabolism and amino acid metabolism were most affected. According to the correlation analysis, both innate and adaptive immune responses were promoted by the metabolism genes enriched under the 65% concentrate diet. However, the majority of immune responses were suppressed under the 35% concentrate diet. Moreover, the exclusive upregulation of cell growth and dysfunction of cellular transport and catabolism were induced by the metabolism genes enriched under the 65% concentrate diet. On the contrary, a balanced regulation of cellular processes was detected under the 35% concentrate diet. These results indicated that the alterations of cellular metabolism promote the alterations in cellular

  16. High-Concentrate Diet-Induced Change of Cellular Metabolism Leads to Decreases of Immunity and Imbalance of Cellular Activities in Rumen Epithelium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhongyan Lu

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aims: In animals, the immune and cellular processes of tissue largely depend on the status of local metabolism. However, in the rumen epithelium, how the cellular metabolism affects epithelial immunity, and cellular processes, when the diet is switched from energy-rich to energy-excess status, with regard to animal production and health, have not as yet been reported. Methods: RNA-seq was applied to compare the biological processes altered by an increase of dietary concentration from 10% to 35% with those altered by an increase of dietary concentration from 35% to 65% (dietary concentrate: the non-grass component in diet, including corn, soya bean meal and additive. High concentrate diet composed of 35% grass, 55% corn, 8% soya bean meal and 2% additive. In addition to the functional analysis of enriched genes in terms of metabolism, the immune system, and cellular process, the highly correlated genes to the enriched metabolism genes were identified, and the function and signaling pathways related to the differentially expressed neighbors were compared among the groups. Results: The variation trends of molar proportions of ruminal SCFAs and those of enriched pathways belonging to metabolism, immune system, and cellular process were altered with the change of diets. With regard to metabolism, lipid metabolism and amino acid metabolism were most affected. According to the correlation analysis, both innate and adaptive immune responses were promoted by the metabolism genes enriched under the 65% concentrate diet. However, the majority of immune responses were suppressed under the 35% concentrate diet. Moreover, the exclusive upregulation of cell growth and dysfunction of cellular transport and catabolism were induced by the metabolism genes enriched under the 65% concentrate diet. On the contrary, a balanced regulation of cellular processes was detected under the 35% concentrate diet. Conclusions: These results indicated that the

  17. Switch from Sodium Phenylbutyrate to Glycerol Phenylbutyrate Improved Metabolic Stability in an Adolescent with Ornithine Transcarbamylase Deficiency.

    OpenAIRE

    Laemmle Alexander; Stricker Tamar; Häberle Johannes

    2016-01-01

    A male patient, born in 1999, was diagnosed with ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency as neonate and was managed with a strict low-protein diet supplemented with essential amino acids, l-citrulline, and l-arginine as well as sodium benzoate. He had an extensive history of hospitalizations for hyperammonemic crises throughout childhood and early adolescence, which continued after the addition of sodium phenylbutyrate in 2009. In December 2013 he was switched to glycerol phenylbutyrate, and hi...

  18. Very high plasma switches. Basic plasma physics and switch technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doucet, H.J.; Roche, M.; Buzzi, J.M.

    1988-01-01

    A review of some high power switches recently developed for very high power technology is made with a special attention to the aspects of plasma physics involved in the mechanisms, which determine the limits of the possible switching parameters

  19. Optical packet switched networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Peter Bukhave

    1999-01-01

    Optical packet switched networks are investigated with emphasis on the performance of the packet switch blocks. Initially, the network context of the optical packet switched network is described showing that a packet network will provide transparency, flexibility and bridge the granularity gap...... in interferometric wavelength converters is investigated showing that a 10 Gbit/s 19 4x4 swich blocks can be cascaded at a BER of 10-14. An analytical traffic model enables the calculation of the traffice performance of a WDM packet network. Hereby the importance of WDM and wavelegth conversion in the switch blocks...... is established as a flexible means to reduce the optical buffer, e.g., the number of fibre delay lines for a 16x16 switch block is reduced from 23 to 6 by going from 2 to 8 wavelength channels pr. inlet. Additionally, a component count analysis is carried out to illustrate the trade-offs in the switch block...

  20. Optical switching systems using nanostructures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stubkjær, Kristian

    2004-01-01

    High capacity multiservice optical networks require compact and efficient switches. The potential benefits of optical switch elements based on nanostructured material are reviewed considering various material systems.......High capacity multiservice optical networks require compact and efficient switches. The potential benefits of optical switch elements based on nanostructured material are reviewed considering various material systems....

  1. High-NaCl Diet Aggravates Cardiac Injury in Rats with Adenine-Induced Chronic Renal Failure and Increases Serum Troponin T Levels

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kashioulis, Pavlos; Hammarsten, Ola; Marcussen, Niels

    2016-01-01

    AIMS: To examine the effects of 2 weeks of high-NaCl diet on left ventricular (LV) morphology and serum levels of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) in rats with adenine-induced chronic renal failure (ACRF). METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats either received chow containing adenine or were pair......-fed an identical diet without adenine [controls (C)]. Approximately 10 weeks after the beginning of the study, the rats were randomized to either remain on a normal NaCl diet (NNa; 0.6%) or to be switched to high-NaCl chow (HNa; 4%) for 2 weeks, after which acute experiments were performed. RESULTS: Rats with ACRF...... showed statistically significant increases (p rats (p

  2. Practical switching power supply design

    CERN Document Server

    Brown, Martin C

    1990-01-01

    Take the ""black magic"" out of switching power supplies with Practical Switching Power Supply Design! This is a comprehensive ""hands-on"" guide to the theory behind, and design of, PWM and resonant switching supplies. You'll find information on switching supply operation and selecting an appropriate topology for your application. There's extensive coverage of buck, boost, flyback, push-pull, half bridge, and full bridge regulator circuits. Special attention is given to semiconductors used in switching supplies. RFI/EMI reduction, grounding, testing, and safety standards are also deta

  3. Switching Phenomena

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stanley, H. E.; Buldyrev, S. V.; Franzese, G.; Havlin, S.; Mallamace, F.; Mazza, M. G.; Kumar, P.; Plerou, V.; Preis, T.; Stokely, K.; Xu, L.

    One challenge of biology, medicine, and economics is that the systems treated by these serious scientific disciplines can suddenly "switch" from one behavior to another, even though they possess no perfect metronome in time. As if by magic, out of nothing but randomness one finds remarkably fine-tuned processes in time. The past century has, philosophically, been concerned with placing aside the human tendency to see the universe as a fine-tuned machine. Here we will address the challenge of uncovering how, through randomness (albeit, as we shall see, strongly correlated randomness), one can arrive at some of the many temporal patterns in physics, economics, and medicine and even begin to characterize the switching phenomena that enable a system to pass from one state to another. We discuss some applications of correlated randomness to understanding switching phenomena in various fields. Specifically, we present evidence from experiments and from computer simulations supporting the hypothesis that water's anomalies are related to a switching point (which is not unlike the "tipping point" immortalized by Malcolm Gladwell), and that the bubbles in economic phenomena that occur on all scales are not "outliers" (another Gladwell immortalization).

  4. Complementary resistive switching in BaTiO3/NiO bilayer with opposite switching polarities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Shuo; Wei, Xianhua; Lei, Yao; Yuan, Xincai; Zeng, Huizhong

    2016-12-01

    Resistive switching behaviors have been investigated in the Au/BaTiO3/NiO/Pt structure by stacking the two elements with different switching types. The conducting atomic force microscope measurements on BaTiO3 thin films and NiO thin films suggest that with the same active resistive switching region, the switching polarities in the two semiconductors are opposite to each other. It is in agreement with the bipolar hysteresis I-V curves with opposite switching polarities for single-layer devices. The bilayer devices show complementary resistive switching (CRS) without electroforming and unipolar resistive switching (URS) after electroforming. The coexistence of CRS and URS is mainly ascribed to the co-effect of electric field and Joule heating mechanisms, indicating that changeable of resistance in this device is dominated by the redistribution of oxygen vacancies in BaTiO3 and the formation, disruption, restoration of conducting filaments in NiO. CRS in bilayer with opposite switching polarities is effective to solve the sneak current without the introduction of any selector elements or an additional metal electrode.

  5. Effects of Twenty Days of the Ketogenic Diet on Metabolic and Respiratory Parameters in Healthy Subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rubini, Alessandro; Bosco, Gerardo; Lodi, Alessandra; Cenci, Lorenzo; Parmagnani, Andrea; Grimaldi, Keith; Zhongjin, Yang; Paoli, Antonio

    2015-12-01

    The effects of the ketogenic diet (KD) on weight loss, metabolic, and respiratory parameters were investigated in healthy subjects. Thirty-two healthy subjects were randomized into two groups. The KD group followed a ketogenic diet for 20 days (KD t 0-t 20), then switched to a low-carbohydrate, no-ketogenic diet for 20 days (KD t 20-t 40), and finally was on a Mediterranean diet (MD) for 2 more months (KD t 40-t 2m). The MD group followed a MD for 20 days (MD t 0-t 20), then followed a MD of 1400 kcal over the next 20 days (MD t 20-t 40), and completed the study with the MD for 2 months (MD t 40-t 2m). Body weight, body fat, respiratory rate, and respiratory gas parameters (including respiratory exchange ratio (RER) and carbon dioxide end-tidal partial pressure (PETCO2), oxygen uptake (VO2), carbon dioxide production (VCO2), and resting energy expenditure (REE)) were measured at each point. A significant decrease (p diets significantly decreased body fat mass, the KD diet overall proved to have a higher percentage of fat loss versus the MD diet. The KD may significantly decrease carbon dioxide body stores, which may theoretically be beneficial for patients with increased carbon dioxide arterial partial pressure due to respiratory insufficiency or failure.

  6. Optimization of multi-branch switched diversity systems

    KAUST Repository

    Nam, Haewoon

    2009-10-01

    A performance optimization based on the optimal switching threshold(s) for a multi-branch switched diversity system is discussed in this paper. For the conventional multi-branch switched diversity system with a single switching threshold, the optimal switching threshold is a function of both the average channel SNR and the number of diversity branches, where computing the optimal switching threshold is not a simple task when the number of diversity branches is high. The newly proposed multi-branch switched diversity system is based on a sequence of switching thresholds, instead of a single switching threshold, where a different diversity branch uses a different switching threshold for signal comparison. Thanks to the fact that each switching threshold in the sequence can be optimized only based on the number of the remaining diversity branches, the proposed system makes it easy to find these switching thresholds. Furthermore, some selected numerical and simulation results show that the proposed switched diversity system with the sequence of optimal switching thresholds outperforms the conventional system with the single optimal switching threshold. © 2009 IEEE.

  7. Hybrid switch for resonant power converters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Jih-Sheng; Yu, Wensong

    2014-09-09

    A hybrid switch comprising two semiconductor switches connected in parallel but having different voltage drop characteristics as a function of current facilitates attainment of zero voltage switching and reduces conduction losses to complement reduction of switching losses achieved through zero voltage switching in power converters such as high-current inverters.

  8. Have You Switched to a Low-Carbon Diet? The Ultimate Value of Low-Carbon Consumerism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu-Ling Lin

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Since the 1990s many governments around the world have been encouraging their people to participate in green or low carbon living. With the background of rising consumer awareness in environmental protection, green consumption, and green marketing are receiving growing attention from consumers and enterprises. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to identify the goals and values of 60 Taiwanese consumers in a low-carbon diet. This study uses the theory of Mean-end chain as basis, applying the “Soft-laddering” of “Laddering” to understand the perceived value of low carbon food in depth interviews. The results revealed that the attributes of users care for green living in the, order of, Less meat more vegetables, Seasonal food, Local food, Food with minimal artificial processing, Energy-saving preparation and Carbon footprint. After classifying by content analysis, we draw the Hierarchical value map (HVM to explore that consumer’s pursuit of the final value and benefits by adopting a low-carbon diet relate to healthy living.

  9. Tutorial: Integrated-photonic switching structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soref, Richard

    2018-02-01

    Recent developments in waveguided 2 × 2 and N × M photonic switches are reviewed, including both broadband and narrowband resonant devices for the Si, InP, and AlN platforms. Practical actuation of switches by electro-optical and thermo-optical techniques is discussed. Present datacom-and-computing applications are reviewed, and potential applications are proposed for chip-scale photonic and optoelectronic integrated switching networks. Potential is found in the reconfigurable, programmable "mesh" switches that enable a promising group of applications in new areas beyond those in data centers and cloud servers. Many important matrix switches use gated semiconductor optical amplifiers. The family of broadband, directional-coupler 2 × 2 switches featuring two or three side-coupled waveguides deserves future experimentation, including devices that employ phase-change materials. The newer 2 × 2 resonant switches include standing-wave resonators, different from the micro-ring traveling-wave resonators. The resonant devices comprise nanobeam interferometers, complex-Bragg interferometers, and asymmetric contra-directional couplers. Although the fast, resonant devices offer ultralow switching energy, ˜1 fJ/bit, they have limitations. They require several trade-offs when deployed, but they do have practical application.

  10. Generalized Multi-Cell Switched-Inductor and Switched-Capacitor Z-source Inverters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Ding; Chiang Loh, Poh; Zhu, Miao

    2013-01-01

    . Their boosting gains are, therefore, limited in practice. To overcome these shortcomings, the generalized switched-inductor and switched-capacitor Z-source inverters are proposed, whose extra boosting abilities and other advantages have already been verified in simulation and experiment....

  11. Complementary resistive switching in BaTiO{sub 3}/NiO bilayer with opposite switching polarities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Shuo [State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base for Nonmetal Composites and Functional Materials, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010 (China); Institut d’Electronique de Micro-électronique et de Nanotechnologie (IEMN), CNRS, Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille, avenue Poincaré, BP 60069, 59652, Villeneuve d’Ascq cedex (France); Wei, Xianhua, E-mail: weixianhua@swust.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base for Nonmetal Composites and Functional Materials, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010 (China); Lei, Yao [State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, University of Electronics Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054 (China); Yuan, Xincai [State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base for Nonmetal Composites and Functional Materials, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010 (China); Zeng, Huizhong [State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, University of Electronics Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054 (China)

    2016-12-15

    Graphical abstract: Au/BaTiO{sub 3}/NiO/Pt bilayer device shows complementary resistive switching (CRS) without electroforming which is mainly ascribed to anti-serial stack of two RRAM cells with bipolar behaviors. - Highlights: • Complementary resistive switching (CRS) has been investigated in Au/BaTiO{sub 3}/NiO/Pt by stacking the two elements with different switching types. • The realization of complementary resistive switching (CRS) is mainly ascribed to the anti-serial stack of two RRAM cells with bipolar behaviors. • Complementary resistive switching (CRS) in bilayer is effective to solve the sneak current problem briefly and economically. - Abstract: Resistive switching behaviors have been investigated in the Au/BaTiO{sub 3}/NiO/Pt structure by stacking the two elements with different switching types. The conducting atomic force microscope measurements on BaTiO{sub 3} thin films and NiO thin films suggest that with the same active resistive switching region, the switching polarities in the two semiconductors are opposite to each other. It is in agreement with the bipolar hysteresis I–V curves with opposite switching polarities for single-layer devices. The bilayer devices show complementary resistive switching (CRS) without electroforming and unipolar resistive switching (URS) after electroforming. The coexistence of CRS and URS is mainly ascribed to the co-effect of electric field and Joule heating mechanisms, indicating that changeable of resistance in this device is dominated by the redistribution of oxygen vacancies in BaTiO{sub 3} and the formation, disruption, restoration of conducting filaments in NiO. CRS in bilayer with opposite switching polarities is effective to solve the sneak current without the introduction of any selector elements or an additional metal electrode.

  12. Switch on the competition. Causes, consequences and policy implications of consumer switching costs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pomp, M.; Shestalova, V.; Rangel, L.

    2005-09-01

    The success or failure of reforms aimed at liberalising markets depends to an important degree on consumer behaviour. If consumers do not base their choices on differences in prices and quality, competition between firms may be weak and the benefits of liberalisation to consumers may be small. One possible reason why consumers may respond only weakly to differences in price and quality is high costs of switching to another firm. This report presents a framework for analysing markets with switching costs and applies the framework in two empirical case studies. The first case study analyses the residential energy market, the second focuses on the market for social health insurance. In both markets, there are indications that switching costs are substantial. The report discusses policy options for reducing switching costs and for alleviating the consequences of switching costs

  13. Switch on the competition. Causes, consequences and policy implications of consumer switching costs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pomp, M.; Shestalova, V.; Rangel, L.

    2005-09-15

    The success or failure of reforms aimed at liberalising markets depends to an important degree on consumer behaviour. If consumers do not base their choices on differences in prices and quality, competition between firms may be weak and the benefits of liberalisation to consumers may be small. One possible reason why consumers may respond only weakly to differences in price and quality is high costs of switching to another firm. This report presents a framework for analysing markets with switching costs and applies the framework in two empirical case studies. The first case study analyses the residential energy market, the second focuses on the market for social health insurance. In both markets, there are indications that switching costs are substantial. The report discusses policy options for reducing switching costs and for alleviating the consequences of switching costs.

  14. Optically triggered high voltage switch network and method for switching a high voltage

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Sharkawi, Mohamed A.; Andexler, George; Silberkleit, Lee I.

    1993-01-19

    An optically triggered solid state switch and method for switching a high voltage electrical current. A plurality of solid state switches (350) are connected in series for controlling electrical current flow between a compensation capacitor (112) and ground in a reactive power compensator (50, 50') that monitors the voltage and current flowing through each of three distribution lines (52a, 52b and 52c), which are supplying three-phase power to one or more inductive loads. An optical transmitter (100) controlled by the reactive power compensation system produces light pulses that are conveyed over optical fibers (102) to a switch driver (110') that includes a plurality of series connected optical triger circuits (288). Each of the optical trigger circuits controls a pair of the solid state switches and includes a plurality of series connected resistors (294, 326, 330, and 334) that equalize or balance the potential across the plurality of trigger circuits. The trigger circuits are connected to one of the distribution lines through a trigger capacitor (340). In each switch driver, the light signals activate a phototransistor (300) so that an electrical current flows from one of the energy reservoir capacitors through a pulse transformer (306) in the trigger circuit, producing gate signals that turn on the pair of serially connected solid state switches (350).

  15. Optically triggered high voltage switch network and method for switching a high voltage

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    El-Sharkawi, Mohamed A. (Renton, WA); Andexler, George (Everett, WA); Silberkleit, Lee I. (Mountlake Terrace, WA)

    1993-01-19

    An optically triggered solid state switch and method for switching a high voltage electrical current. A plurality of solid state switches (350) are connected in series for controlling electrical current flow between a compensation capacitor (112) and ground in a reactive power compensator (50, 50') that monitors the voltage and current flowing through each of three distribution lines (52a, 52b and 52c), which are supplying three-phase power to one or more inductive loads. An optical transmitter (100) controlled by the reactive power compensation system produces light pulses that are conveyed over optical fibers (102) to a switch driver (110') that includes a plurality of series connected optical triger circuits (288). Each of the optical trigger circuits controls a pair of the solid state switches and includes a plurality of series connected resistors (294, 326, 330, and 334) that equalize or balance the potential across the plurality of trigger circuits. The trigger circuits are connected to one of the distribution lines through a trigger capacitor (340). In each switch driver, the light signals activate a phototransistor (300) so that an electrical current flows from one of the energy reservoir capacitors through a pulse transformer (306) in the trigger circuit, producing gate signals that turn on the pair of serially connected solid state switches (350).

  16. Software Defined Networking (SDN) controlled all optical switching networks with multi-dimensional switching architecture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Yongli; Ji, Yuefeng; Zhang, Jie; Li, Hui; Xiong, Qianjin; Qiu, Shaofeng

    2014-08-01

    Ultrahigh throughout capacity requirement is challenging the current optical switching nodes with the fast development of data center networks. Pbit/s level all optical switching networks need to be deployed soon, which will cause the high complexity of node architecture. How to control the future network and node equipment together will become a new problem. An enhanced Software Defined Networking (eSDN) control architecture is proposed in the paper, which consists of Provider NOX (P-NOX) and Node NOX (N-NOX). With the cooperation of P-NOX and N-NOX, the flexible control of the entire network can be achieved. All optical switching network testbed has been experimentally demonstrated with efficient control of enhanced Software Defined Networking (eSDN). Pbit/s level all optical switching nodes in the testbed are implemented based on multi-dimensional switching architecture, i.e. multi-level and multi-planar. Due to the space and cost limitation, each optical switching node is only equipped with four input line boxes and four output line boxes respectively. Experimental results are given to verify the performance of our proposed control and switching architecture.

  17. Electromechanical magnetization switching

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chudnovsky, Eugene M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Lehman College and Graduate School, The City University of New York, 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx, New York 10468-1589 (United States); Jaafar, Reem [Department of Mathematics, Engineering and Computer Science, LaGuardia Community College, The City University of New York, 31-10 Thomson Avenue, Long Island City, New York 11101 (United States)

    2015-03-14

    We show that the magnetization of a torsional oscillator that, in addition to the magnetic moment also possesses an electrical polarization, can be switched by the electric field that ignites mechanical oscillations at the frequency comparable to the frequency of the ferromagnetic resonance. The 180° switching arises from the spin-rotation coupling and is not prohibited by the different symmetry of the magnetic moment and the electric field as in the case of a stationary magnet. Analytical equations describing the system have been derived and investigated numerically. Phase diagrams showing the range of parameters required for the switching have been obtained.

  18. Electromechanical magnetization switching

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chudnovsky, Eugene M.; Jaafar, Reem

    2015-01-01

    We show that the magnetization of a torsional oscillator that, in addition to the magnetic moment also possesses an electrical polarization, can be switched by the electric field that ignites mechanical oscillations at the frequency comparable to the frequency of the ferromagnetic resonance. The 180° switching arises from the spin-rotation coupling and is not prohibited by the different symmetry of the magnetic moment and the electric field as in the case of a stationary magnet. Analytical equations describing the system have been derived and investigated numerically. Phase diagrams showing the range of parameters required for the switching have been obtained

  19. JUNOS Enterprise Switching

    CERN Document Server

    Reynolds, Harry

    2009-01-01

    JUNOS Enterprise Switching is the only detailed technical book on Juniper Networks' new Ethernet-switching EX product platform. With this book, you'll learn all about the hardware and ASIC design prowess of the EX platform, as well as the JUNOS Software that powers it. Not only is this extremely practical book a useful, hands-on manual to the EX platform, it also makes an excellent study guide for certification exams in the JNTCP enterprise tracks. The authors have based JUNOS Enterprise Switching on their own Juniper training practices and programs, as well as the configuration, maintenanc

  20. Preliminary evaluation of two radioiodinated maleimide derivatives targeting peripheral and membrane sulfhydryl groups for in vitro cell labeling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Amartey, John K., E-mail: amarjk48@hotmail.co [Cyclotron and Radiopharmaceuticals Department, P.O. Box 3354, Riyadh 11211 (Saudi Arabia); Parhar, Ranjit S. [Biological and Medical Research Department, P.O. Box 3354, Riyadh 11211 (Saudi Arabia); Shi, Yufei [Genetics Department, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, P.O. Box 3354, Riyadh 11211 (Saudi Arabia); Al-Mohanna, Futwan [Biological and Medical Research Department, P.O. Box 3354, Riyadh 11211 (Saudi Arabia)

    2011-01-15

    A factor impeding the advancement of cell mediated therapy is the inability to track these cells in vivo by noninvasive techniques. It has been shown that cells express high levels of sulfhydryl groups. We sought to explore these groups to covalently label cells with radiolabeled maleimide derivatives. Two maleimide derivatives; N-[2-(2,5-dioxoazolinyl)ethyl](5-iodo(3-pyridyl))carboxamide and N-[2-(2,5-dioxoazolinyl)ethyl](3-iodophenyl)carboxamide ([{sup 125}I]-4 and [{sup 125}I]-8) were synthesized and radioiodinated. These compounds were evaluated for in vitro binding to neutrophils, endothelial and mesenchymal stem cells, and biodistribution of the radiolabeled stem cells in nude mice. These radiotracers were obtained in moderate to high radiochemical yields. Binding to cells were moderate (20-60%/10{sup 6} cells) and the label was retained, although washout (an average of 18-55%) was observed depending on the cell type and the tracer used. The labeled cells initially localized in well perfused organs and at a later time showed a general distribution as expected. The novel tracers labeled several cell types and shown that the stability of the label and viability of the cells were maintained in vitro and in vivo for a reasonable period and warrant further in vivo investigation.

  1. Comparison of switching control algorithms effective in restricting the switching in the neighborhood of the origin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Joung, JinWook; Chung, Lan; Smyth, Andrew W

    2010-01-01

    The active interaction control (AIC) system consisting of a primary structure, an auxiliary structure and an interaction element was proposed to protect the primary structure against earthquakes and winds. The objective of the AIC system in reducing the responses of the primary structure is fulfilled by activating or deactivating the switching between the engagement and the disengagement of the primary and auxiliary structures through the interaction element. The status of the interaction element is controlled by switching control algorithms. The previously developed switching control algorithms require an excessive amount of switching, which is inefficient. In this paper, the excessive amount of switching is restricted by imposing an appropriately designed switching boundary region, where switching is prohibited, on pre-designed engagement–disengagement conditions. Two different approaches are used in designing the newly proposed AID-off and AID-off 2 algorithms. The AID-off 2 algorithm is designed to affect deactivated switching regions explicitly, unlike the AID-off algorithm, which follows the same procedure of designing the engagement–disengagement conditions of the previously developed algorithms, by using the current status of the AIC system. Both algorithms are shown to be effective in reducing the amount of switching times triggered from the previously developed AID algorithm under an appropriately selected control sampling period for different earthquakes, but the AID-off 2 algorithm outperforms the AID-off algorithm in reducing the number of switching times

  2. Elements of magnetic switching

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aaland, K.

    1983-01-01

    This chapter describes magnetic switching as a method of connecting a capacitor bank (source) to a load; reviews several successful applications of magnetic switching, and discusses switching transformers, limitations and future possibilities. Some of the inflexibility and especially the high cost of magnetic materials may be overcome with the availability of the new splash cooled ribbons (Metglas). Experience has shown that magnetics works despite shock, radiation or noise interferences

  3. High-NaCl diet impairs dynamic renal blood flow autoregulation in rats with adenine-induced chronic renal failure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Saeed, Aso; DiBona, Gerald F; Grimberg, Elisabeth

    2014-01-01

    This study examined the effects of 2 wk of high-NaCl diet on kidney function and dynamic renal blood flow autoregulation (RBFA) in rats with adenine-induced chronic renal failure (ACRF). Male Sprague-Dawley rats received either chow containing adenine or were pair-fed an identical diet without...... arterial pressure variability (SAPV), and heart rate variability were assessed by spectral analytical techniques. Rats with ACRF showed marked reductions in glomerular filtration rate and renal blood flow (RBF), whereas mean arterial pressure and SAPV were significantly elevated. In addition, spontaneous...... adenine (controls). After 10 wk, rats were randomized to either remain on the same diet (0.6% NaCl) or to be switched to high 4% NaCl chow. Two weeks after randomization, renal clearance experiments were performed under isoflurane anesthesia and dynamic RBFA, baroreflex sensitivity (BRS), systolic...

  4. Know-How on design of switching regulator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1985-08-01

    This book introduces switching regulator from base to application, which deals with fundamentals of switching regulator such as the reason of boom about switching regulator, understanding simple circuit without electric transformer and decision of circuit type with input voltage and output voltage, configuration and characteristic of switching regulator, a concrete design of switching regulator, pulse width control circuit and protection circuit, concrete circuit examples of switching power and the point of switching regulator.

  5. MENGAPA PERUSAHAAN MELAKUKAN AUDITOR SWITCH?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kadek Sumadi

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The existence of a large number of accounting firms allowsprovides companies choices whether to stay with current firm or switchto another accounting firm. Decision of Minister of FinanceNo.423/KMK.06/2002 states that a company must switch auditor afterfive years of consecutive assignment. This is mandatory. The questionrises when a company voluntarily switches its auditor. Why does thishappen?One of the reasons is that management does not satisfy withauditor opinion, except for unqualified opinion. New management teamwould directly or indirectly encourage auditor switch to align accountingand reporting policies. Moreover an expanding company expects positivereaction when it does auditor switch. Profitability is also one reason fora company to switch auditor, for example, when a company earns moreprofit it tends to hire more credible auditor. On the other hand, when thecompany faces a financial distress, it probably would switch auditor aswell.

  6. Comparison of Ion Beam opening switch and plasma opening switch performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greenly, J.R.; Rondeau, G.D.; Sheldon, H.T.; Dreike, P.L.

    1986-01-01

    The Ion Beam opening switch (IBOS) experiment has shown that an intense charge-neutralized ion beam can carry current across a vacuum magnetically-insulated transmission line and then transfer that current to a downstream load quickly. In the IBOS experiment, a 10 cm wide parallel plate transmission line was fed up to 100 kA peak current by a 4Ω, 100 ns pulser. An ion beam of up to 100 A/cm/sup 2/, 100-300 keV protons or carbon was injected through the anode of the line in a 10 cm x 10 cm region. The line terminated in either a 15 nH short circuit or an electron diode with variable gap. The ion beam switch was able to carry up to 70 kA of line current before load current began to flow. This model is also quantitatively consistent with the observation that switch conduction current is not linear with either injected ion beam current or switch area

  7. Analytical Performance Evaluation of Different Switch Solutions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco Sans

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The virtualization of the network access layer has opened new doors in how we perceive networks. With this virtualization of the network, it is possible to transform a regular PC with several network interface cards into a switch. PC-based switches are becoming an alternative to off-the-shelf switches, since they are cheaper. For this reason, it is important to evaluate the performance of PC-based switches. In this paper, we present a performance evaluation of two PC-based switches, using Open vSwitch and LiSA, and compare their performance with an off-the-shelf Cisco switch. The RTT, throughput, and fairness for UDP are measured for both Ethernet and Fast Ethernet technologies. From this research, we can conclude that the Cisco switch presents the best performance, and both PC-based switches have similar performance. Between Open vSwitch and LiSA, Open vSwitch represents a better choice since it has more features and is currently actively developed.

  8. Principles of broadband switching and networking

    CERN Document Server

    Liew, Soung C

    2010-01-01

    An authoritative introduction to the roles of switching and transmission in broadband integrated services networks Principles of Broadband Switching and Networking explains the design and analysis of switch architectures suitable for broadband integrated services networks, emphasizing packet-switched interconnection networks with distributed routing algorithms. The text examines the mathematical properties of these networks, rather than specific implementation technologies. Although the pedagogical explanations in this book are in the context of switches, many of the fundamenta

  9. Error rate degradation due to switch crosstalk in large modular switched optical networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Saxtoft, Christian; Chidgey, P.

    1993-01-01

    A theoretical model of an optical network incorporating wavelength selective elements, amplifiers, couplers and switches is presented. The model is used to evaluate a large modular switch optical network that provides the capability of adapting easily to changes in network traffic requirements. T....... The network dimensions are shown to be limited by the optical crosstalk in the switch matrices and by the polarization dependent loss in the optical components...

  10. Pemodelan Markov Switching Autoregressive

    OpenAIRE

    Ariyani, Fiqria Devi; Warsito, Budi; Yasin, Hasbi

    2014-01-01

    Transition from depreciation to appreciation of exchange rate is one of regime switching that ignored by classic time series model, such as ARIMA, ARCH, or GARCH. Therefore, economic variables are modeled by Markov Switching Autoregressive (MSAR) which consider the regime switching. MLE is not applicable to parameters estimation because regime is an unobservable variable. So that filtering and smoothing process are applied to see the regime probabilities of observation. Using this model, tran...

  11. Energy losses in switches

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin, T.H.; Seamen, J.F.; Jobe, D.O.

    1993-01-01

    The authors experiments show energy losses between 2 and 10 times that of the resistive time predictions. The experiments used hydrogen, helium, air, nitrogen, SF 6 polyethylene, and water for the switching dielectric. Previously underestimated switch losses have caused over predicting the accelerator outputs. Accurate estimation of these losses is now necessary for new high-efficiency pulsed power devices where the switching losses constitute the major portion of the total energy loss. They found that the switch energy losses scale as (V peak I peak ) 1.1846 . When using this scaling, the energy losses in any of the tested dielectrics are almost the same. This relationship is valid for several orders of magnitude and suggested a theoretical basis for these results. Currents up to .65 MA, with voltages to 3 MV were applied to various gaps during these experiments. The authors data and the developed theory indicates that the switch power loss continues for a much longer time than the resistive time, with peak power loss generally occurring at peak current in a ranging discharge instead of the early current time. All of the experiments were circuit code modeled after developing a new switch loss version based on the theory. The circuit code predicts switch energy loss and peak currents as a function of time. During analysis of the data they noticed slight constant offsets between the theory and data that depended on the dielectric. They modified the plasma conductivity for each tested dielectric to lessen this offset

  12. Software Switching for Data Acquisition

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva; Malone, David

    2016-01-01

    In this talk we discuss the feasibility of replacing telecom-class routers with a topology of commodity servers acting as software switches in data acquisition. We extend the popular software switch, Open vSwitch, with a dedicated, throughput-oriented buffering mechanism. We compare the performance under heavy many-to-one congestion to typical Ethernet switches and evaluate the scalability when building larger topologies, exploiting the integration with software-defined networking technologies. Please note that David Malone will speak on behalf of Grzegorz Jereczek.

  13. Low-Voltage Switched-Capacitor Circuits

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bidari, E.; Keskin, M.; Maloberti, F.

    1999-01-01

    Switched-capacitor stages are described which can function with very low (typically 1 V) supply voltages, without using voltage boosting or switched op-amps. Simulations indicate that high performance may be achieved using these circuits in filter or data converter applications.......Switched-capacitor stages are described which can function with very low (typically 1 V) supply voltages, without using voltage boosting or switched op-amps. Simulations indicate that high performance may be achieved using these circuits in filter or data converter applications....

  14. Exercise training and return to a well-balanced diet activate the neuregulin 1/ErbB pathway in skeletal muscle of obese rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ennequin, Gaël; Boisseau, Nathalie; Caillaud, Kevin; Chavanelle, Vivien; Gerbaix, Maude; Metz, Lore; Etienne, Monique; Walrand, Stéphane; Masgrau, Aurélie; Guillet, Christelle; Courteix, Daniel; Niu, Airu; Li, Yi-Ping; Capel, Fréderic; Sirvent, Pascal

    2015-06-15

    Some studies suggest that neuregulin 1 (NRG1) could be involved in the regulation of skeletal muscle energy metabolism in rodents. Here we assessed whether unbalanced diet is associated with alterations of the NRG1 signalling pathway and whether exercise and diet might restore NRG1 signalling in skeletal muscle of obese rats. We show that diet-induced obesity does not impair NRG1 signalling in rat skeletal muscle. We also report that endurance training and a well-balanced diet activate the NRG1 signalling in skeletal muscle of obese rats, possibly via a new mechanism mediated by the protease ADAM17. These results suggest that some beneficial effects of physical activity and diet in obese rats could be partly explained by stimulation of the NRG1 signalling pathway. Some studies suggest that the signalling pathway of neuregulin 1 (NRG1), a protein involved in the regulation of skeletal muscle metabolism, could be altered by nutritional and exercise interventions. We hypothesized that diet-induced obesity could lead to alterations of the NRG1 signalling pathway and that chronic exercise could improve NRG1 signalling in rat skeletal muscle. To test this hypothesis, male Wistar rats received a high fat/high sucrose (HF/HS) diet for 16 weeks. At the end of this period, NRG1 and ErbB expression/activity in skeletal muscle was assessed. The obese rats then continued the HF/HS diet or were switched to a well-balanced diet. Moreover, in both groups, half of the animals also performed low intensity treadmill exercise training. After another 8 weeks, NRG1 and ErbB expression/activity in skeletal muscle were tested again. The 16 week HF/HS diet induced obesity, but did not significantly affect the NRG1/ErbB signalling pathway in rat skeletal muscle. Conversely, after the switch to a well-balanced diet, NRG1 cleavage ratio and ErbB4 amount were increased. Chronic exercise training also promoted NRG1 cleavage, resulting in increased ErbB4 phosphorylation. This result was

  15. Bootstrapped Low-Voltage Analog Switches

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Steensgaard-Madsen, Jesper

    1999-01-01

    Novel low-voltage constant-impedance analog switch circuits are proposed. The switch element is a single MOSFET, and constant-impedance operation is obtained using simple circuits to adjust the gate and bulk voltages relative to the switched signal. Low-voltage (1-volt) operation is made feasible...

  16. Characteristics of magnetic switch used as main switch of solid-state accelerator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Song; Qian Baoliang; Yang Hanwu; Meng Zhipeng; Yang Shi

    2012-01-01

    In order to improve the performance of solid-state accelerator, the characteristics of magnetic switch used as the main switch of the accelerator have been investigated. The volume of magnetic core, the loss, and saturated inductance of the magnetic switch have been derived. The results show that the spacing factor of the magnetic switch reaches the peak when the height of the magnetic materials is 0.05 m for selected magnetic cores. The saturated inductance of the windings changes slowly when the average magnetic path length of the core is greater than 1 m. The physical process of saturation in the cores was analyzed by using saturation-wave theory. The rise-time factor of the output pulse was derived. The thickness, resistivity and magnetic path length difference of the magnetic core are shown to be key parameters affecting the rise-time factor. (authors)

  17. A new Zero-Voltage-Transition PWM switching cell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grigore, V. [Electronics and Telecommunications Faculty `Politebuica` University Bucharest (Romania); Kyyrae, J. [Helsinki University of Technology, Otaniemi (Finland): Institute of Intelligent Power Electronics

    1997-12-31

    In this paper a new Zero-Voltage-Transition (ZVT) PWM switching cell is presented. The proposed switching cell is composed of the normal hard-switched PWM cell (consisting of one active switch and one passive switch), plus an auxiliary circuit (consisting of one active switch and some reactive components). The auxiliary circuit is inactive during the ON and OFF intervals of the switches in the normal PWM switch. However, the transitions between the two states are controlled by the auxiliary circuit. Prior to turn-on, the voltage across the active switch in the PWM cell is forced to zero, thus the turn-on losses of the active switch are practically eliminated. At turn-off the auxiliary circuit behaves like a non-dissipative passive snubber reducing the turn-off losses to a great extent. Zero-Voltage-Transition switching technique almost eliminates switching losses. The active switch operates under ZVT conditions, the passive switch (diode) has a controlled reverse recovery, and the switch in the auxiliary circuit operates under Zero-Current-Switching (ZCS) conditions. (orig.) 6 refs.

  18. Recent developments in switching theory

    CERN Document Server

    Mukhopadhyay, Amar

    2013-01-01

    Electrical Science Series: Recent Developments in Switching Theory covers the progress in the study of the switching theory. The book discusses the simplified proof of Post's theorem on completeness of logic primitives; the role of feedback in combinational switching circuits; and the systematic procedure for the design of Lupanov decoding networks. The text also describes the classical results on counting theorems and their application to the classification of switching functions under different notions of equivalence, including linear and affine equivalences. The development of abstract har

  19. Amorphous metal based nanoelectromechanical switch

    KAUST Repository

    Mayet, Abdulilah M.; Smith, Casey; Hussain, Muhammad Mustafa

    2013-01-01

    Nanoelectromechanical (NEM) switch is an interesting ultra-low power option which can operate in the harsh environment and can be a complementary element in complex digital circuitry. Although significant advancement is happening in this field, report on ultra-low voltage (pull-in) switch which offers high switching speed and area efficiency is yet to be made. One key challenge to achieve such characteristics is to fabricate nano-scale switches with amorphous metal so the shape and dimensional integrity are maintained to achieve the desired performance. Therefore, we report a tungsten alloy based amorphous metal with fabrication process development of laterally actuated dual gated NEM switches with 100 nm width and 200 nm air-gap to result in <5 volts of actuation voltage (Vpull-in). © 2013 IEEE.

  20. Switched-capacitor isolated LED driver

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanders, Seth R.; Kline, Mitchell

    2016-03-22

    A switched-capacitor voltage converter which is particularly well-suited for receiving a line voltage from which to drive current through a series of light emitting diodes (LEDs). Input voltage is rectified in a multi-level rectifier network having switched capacitors in an ascending-bank configuration for passing voltages in uniform steps between zero volts up to full received voltage V.sub.DC. A regulator section, operating on V.sub.DC, comprises switched-capacitor stages of H-bridge switching and flying capacitors. A current controlled oscillator drives the states of the switched-capacitor stages and changes its frequency to maintain a constant current to the load. Embodiments are described for isolating the load from the mains, utilizing an LC tank circuit or a multi-primary-winding transformer.

  1. Amorphous metal based nanoelectromechanical switch

    KAUST Repository

    Mayet, Abdulilah M.

    2013-04-01

    Nanoelectromechanical (NEM) switch is an interesting ultra-low power option which can operate in the harsh environment and can be a complementary element in complex digital circuitry. Although significant advancement is happening in this field, report on ultra-low voltage (pull-in) switch which offers high switching speed and area efficiency is yet to be made. One key challenge to achieve such characteristics is to fabricate nano-scale switches with amorphous metal so the shape and dimensional integrity are maintained to achieve the desired performance. Therefore, we report a tungsten alloy based amorphous metal with fabrication process development of laterally actuated dual gated NEM switches with 100 nm width and 200 nm air-gap to result in <5 volts of actuation voltage (Vpull-in). © 2013 IEEE.

  2. Effect of Diet on Metabolism of Laboratory Rats

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrison, P. C.; Riskowski, G. L.; McKee, J. S.

    1996-01-01

    In previous studies when rats were fed a processed, semipurified, extruded rodent food bar (RFB) developed for space science research, we noted a difference in the appearance of gastrointestinal tissue (GI); therefore the following study evaluated GI characteristics and growth and metabolic rates of rats fed chow (C) or RFB. Two hundred and twenty-four rats (78 g mean body weight) were randomly assigned to 28 cages and provided C or RFB. Each cage was considered the experimental unit and a 95 percent level of significance, indicated by ANOVA, was used for inference. After each 30-, 60-, and 90-day period, eight cages were shifted from the C to RFB diet and housing density was reduced by two rats per cage. The two rats removed from each cage were sacrificed and used for GI evaluation. Metabolic rates of the rats in each cage were determined by indirect calorimetry. No differences in body weight were detected at 0, 30, 60 or 90 days between C and RFB. Heat production (kcal/hr/kg), CO2 production (L/hr/kg) and O2 consumption (L/hr/kg) were different by light:dark and age with no effect of diet. Respiratory quotient was different by age with no effect of light:dark or diet. Rats on the C diet ate less food and drank more water than those on RFB. C rats produced more fecal and waste materials than the RFB. GI lengths increased with age but were less in RFB than C. GI full and empty weights increased with age but weighed less in RFB than C. Gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) numbers increased with age with no effect of diet. No differences in ileum-associated GALT area were detected between C and RFB. Switching C to RFB decreased GI length, GI full and empty weights, with no changes in GALT number or area. We concluded RFB decreased GI mass without affecting metabolic rate or general body growth.

  3. A new Zero-Current-Transition PWM switching cell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grigore, V. [Electronics and Telecommunications Faculty, `Politechnica` University Bucharest (Romania); Kyyrae, J. [Helsinki University of Technology, Otaniemi (Finland): Institute of Intelligent Power Electronics

    1997-12-31

    In this paper a new Zero-Current-Transition (ZCT) PWM switching cell is presented. The proposed switching cell is composed of the normal hard-switched PWM cell (consisting of one active switch and one passive switch), plus as auxiliary circuit. The auxiliary circuit is inactive during the ON ad OFF intervals of the switches in the normal PWM switch. The transitions between the two states are controlled by the auxiliary circuit. Prior to turn-off, the current through the active switch in the PWM cell is forced to zero, thus the turn-off losses of the active switch are practically eliminated. At turn-on the auxiliary circuit slows down the growing rate of the current through the main switch. Thus, turn-on losses are also very much reduced. The active switch operates under ZCT conditions, the passive switch (diode) has a controlled reverse recovery, while the switch in the auxiliary circuit operates under Zero-Current-Switching (ZCS) conditions. (orig.) 3 refs.

  4. Bland diet

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... bland diet; Nausea - bland diet; Diarrhea - bland diet; Peptic ulcer - bland diet ... be used alongside lifestyle changes to help treat ulcers, heartburn, ... stomach or intestinal surgery. A bland diet includes foods ...

  5. Call for Papers: Photonics in Switching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wosinska, Lena; Glick, Madeleine

    2006-04-01

    Call for Papers: Photonics in Switching Guest Editors: Lena Wosinska, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) / ICT Sweden Madeleine Glick, Intel Research, Cambridge, UK Technologies based on DWDM systems allow data transmission with bit rates of Tbit/s on a single fiber. To facilitate this enormous transmission volume, high-capacity and high-speed network nodes become inevitable in the optical network. Wideband switching, WDM switching, optical burst switching (OBS), and optical packet switching (OPS) are promising technologies for harnessing the bandwidth of WDM optical fiber networks in a highly flexible and efficient manner. As a number of key optical component technologies approach maturity, photonics in switching is becoming an increasingly attractive and practical solution for the next-generation of optical networks. The scope of this special issue is focused on the technology and architecture of optical switching nodes, including the architectural and algorithmic aspects of high-speed optical networks. Scope of Submission The scope of the papers includes, but is not limited to, the following topics: WDM node architectures Novel device technologies enabling photonics in switching, such as optical switch fabrics, optical memory, and wavelength conversion Routing protocols WDM switching and routing Quality of service Performance measurement and evaluation Next-generation optical networks: architecture, signaling, and control Traffic measurement and field trials Optical burst and packet switching OBS/OPS node architectures Burst/Packet scheduling and routing algorithms Contention resolution/avoidance strategies Services and applications for OBS/OPS (e.g., grid networks, storage-area networks, etc.) Burst assembly and ingress traffic shaping Hybrid OBS/TDM or OBS/wavelength routing Manuscript Submission To submit to this special issue, follow the normal procedure for submission to JON and select ``Photonics in Switching' in the features indicator of the online

  6. A high-sugar and high-fat diet impairs cardiac systolic and diastolic function in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carbone, Salvatore; Mauro, Adolfo G; Mezzaroma, Eleonora; Kraskauskas, Donatas; Marchetti, Carlo; Buzzetti, Raffaella; Van Tassell, Benjamin W; Abbate, Antonio; Toldo, Stefano

    2015-11-01

    Heart failure (HF) is a clinical syndrome characterized by dyspnea, fatigue, exercise intolerance and cardiac dysfunction. Unhealthy diet has been associated with increased risk of obesity and heart disease, but whether it directly affects cardiac function, and promotes the development and progression of HF is unknown. We fed 8-week old male or female CD-1 mice with a standard diet (SD) or a diet rich in saturated fat and sugar, resembling a "Western" diet (WD). Cardiac systolic and diastolic function was measured at baseline and 4 and 8 weeks by Doppler echocardiography, and left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic pressure (EDP) by cardiac catheterization prior to sacrifice. An additional group of mice received WD for 4 weeks followed by SD (wash-out) for 8 weeks. WD-fed mice experienced a significant decreased in LV ejection fraction (LVEF), reflecting impaired systolic function, and a significant increase in isovolumetric relaxation time (IRT), myocardial performance index (MPI), and LVEDP, showing impaired diastolic function, without any sex-related differences. Switching to a SD after 4 weeks of WD partially reversed the cardiac systolic and diastolic dysfunction. A diet rich in saturated fat and sugars (WD) impairs cardiac systolic and diastolic function in the mouse. Further studies are required to define the mechanism through which diet affects cardiac function, and whether dietary interventions can be used in patients with, or at risk for, HF. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  7. Parasitic resistive switching uncovered from complementary resistive switching in single active-layer oxide memory device

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Lisha; Hu, Wei; Gao, Chao; Guo, Yongcai

    2017-12-01

    This paper reports the reversible transition processes between the bipolar and complementary resistive switching (CRS) characteristics on the binary metal-oxide resistive memory devices of Pt/HfO x /TiN and Pt/TaO x /TiN by applying the appropriate bias voltages. More interestingly, by controlling the amplitude of the negative bias, the parasitic resistive switching effect exhibiting repeatable switching behavior is uncovered from the CRS behavior. The electrical observation of the parasitic resistive switching effect can be explained by the controlled size of the conductive filament. This work confirms the transformation and interrelationship among the bipolar, parasitic, and CRS effects, and thus provides new insight into the understanding of the physical mechanism of the binary metal-oxide resistive switching memory devices.

  8. The adaptation of generalist predators' diet in a multi-prey context: insights from new functional responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baudrot, Virgile; Perasso, Antoine; Fritsch, Clémentine; Giraudoux, Patrick; Raoul, Francis

    2016-07-01

    The ability for a generalist consumer to adapt its foraging strategy (the multi-species functional response, MSFR) is a milestone in ecology as it contributes to the structure of food webs. The trophic interaction between a generalist predator, as the red fox or the barn owl, and its prey community, mainly composed of small mammals, has been empirically and theoretically widely studied. However, the extent to which these predators adapt their diet according to both multi-annual changes in multiple prey species availability (frequency dependence) and the variation of the total prey density (density dependence) is unexplored.We provide a new general model of MSFR disentangling changes in prey preference according to variation of prey frequency (switching) and of total prey density (we propose the new concept of "rank switching"). We apply these models to two large data sets of red fox and barn owl foraging. We show that both frequency-dependent and density-dependent switching are critical properties of these two systems, suggesting that barn owl and red fox have an accurate image of the prey community in terms of frequency and absolute density. Moreover, we show that negative switching, which can lead to prey instability, is a strong property of the two systems. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

  9. Soft switching buck-boost converter for photovoltaic power generation; Taiyoko hatsuden no tame no soft switching shokoatsu converter

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, H. [Kyungnam University (Korea, Republic of)

    1996-10-27

    A soft switching method with small switching loss was proposed for the purpose of increasing the efficiency of a DC-DC boost converter which converted a DC current generated by solar cells to a variable DC current. Existing current converters are supplemented by using a snubber circuit around the switch so as to protect the switch by a hard switching action. However, with an increase of the output current, snubber loss is increased, reducing the efficiency. In order to solve this problem, the partial resonant switch method was applied to the converter; with this method of partially forming a resonant circuit only at the time of turning on/off of the switch, the switching loss was reduced through the soft switching, thereby making the proposed converter operate with high efficiency. Moreover, the resonant element of the partial resonant circuit using a snubber condenser, the energy accumulated in the condenser was regenerated on the power supply side without loss of snubber. With the regenerated energy, the proposed converter was provided with a smaller ratio of switching to use than the conventional converter. 4 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab.

  10. Non-fragile switched H∞ control for morphing aircraft with asynchronous switching

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haoyu CHENG

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper deals with the problem of non-fragile linear parameter-varying (LPV H∞ control for morphing aircraft with asynchronous switching. The switched LPV model of morphing aircraft is established by Jacobian linearization approach according to the nonlinear model. The data missing is taken into account in the link from sensors to controllers and the link from controllers to actuators, which satisfies Bernoulli distribution. The non-fragile switched LPV controllers are constructed with consideration of the uncertainties of controllers and asynchronous switching phenomenon. The parameter-dependent Lyapunov functional method and mode-dependent average dwell time (MDADT method are combined to guarantee the stability and prescribed performance of the system. The sufficient conditions on the solvability of the problem are derived in the form of linear matrix inequalities (LMI. In order to achieve higher efficiency of the designing process, an algorithm is applied to divide the whole set into subsets automatically. Simulation results are provided to verify the effectiveness and superiority of the method in the paper.

  11. Streamer model for high voltage water switches

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sazama, F.J.; Kenyon, V.L. III

    1979-01-01

    An electrical switch model for high voltage water switches has been developed which predicts streamer-switching effects that correlate well with water-switch data from Casino over the past four years and with switch data from recent Aurora/AMP experiments. Preclosure rounding and postclosure resistive damping of pulseforming line voltage waveforms are explained in terms of spatially-extensive, capacitive-coupling of the conducting streamers as they propagate across the gap and in terms of time-dependent streamer resistance and inductance. The arc resistance of the Casino water switch and of a gas switch under test on Casino was determined by computer fit to be 0.5 +- 0.1 ohms and 0.3 +- 0.06 ohms respectively, during the time of peak current in the power pulse. Energy lost in the water switch during the first pulse is 18% of that stored in the pulseforming line while similar energy lost in the gas switch is 11%. The model is described, computer transient analyses are compared with observed water and gas switch data and the results - switch resistance, inductance and energy loss during the primary power pulse - are presented

  12. Switching dynamics of TaOx-based threshold switching devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodwill, Jonathan M.; Gala, Darshil K.; Bain, James A.; Skowronski, Marek

    2018-03-01

    Bi-stable volatile switching devices are being used as access devices in solid-state memory arrays and as the active part of compact oscillators. Such structures exhibit two stable states of resistance and switch between them at a critical value of voltage or current. A typical resistance transient under a constant amplitude voltage pulse starts with a slow decrease followed by a rapid drop and leveling off at a low steady state value. This behavior prompted the interpretation of initial delay and fast transition as due to two different processes. Here, we show that the entire transient including incubation time, transition time, and the final resistance values in TaOx-based switching can be explained by one process, namely, Joule heating with the rapid transition due to the thermal runaway. The time, which is required for the device in the conducting state to relax back to the stable high resistance one, is also consistent with the proposed mechanism.

  13. Development of the switching components for ZT-40

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Melton, J.G.; Dike, R.S.; Hanks, K.W.; Nunnally, W.C.

    1977-01-01

    Switching of the main capacitor banks for ZT-40 will be accomplished by spark gap switches. Initially, there will be 576 start switches and 288 crowbar switches. A development program is under way to develop three switches; (1) a versatile start switch, which can be used for both the I/sub z/ and the I/sub theta/ capacitor banks, with a wide operating voltage range, (2) a crowbar switch which is capable of crowbarring the circuit without the power crowbar bank, and (3) a power crowbar switch, which can handle 50 to 100 coulombs, so that a large number of crowbar switches will not be required when the power crowbar circuit is added. The problems with the start switches and the first crowbar switch have been solved, or alleviated. The development of a power crowbar switch has just begun

  14. Switch mode power supply

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Hui Jun

    1993-06-01

    This book concentrates on switch mode power supply. It has four parts, which are introduction of switch mode power supply with DC-DC converter such as Buck converter boost converter, Buck-boost converter and PWM control circuit, explanation for SMPS with DC-DC converter modeling and power mode control, resonance converter like resonance switch, converter, multi resonance converter and series resonance and parallel resonance converters, basic test of SMPS with PWM control circuit, Buck converter, Boost converter, flyback converter, forward converter and IC for control circuit.

  15. A sulfhydryl-reactive ruthenium (II complex and its conjugation to protein G as a universal reagent for fluorescent immunoassays.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing-Tang Lin

    Full Text Available To develop a fluorescent ruthenium complex for biosensing, we synthesized a novel sulfhydryl-reactive compound, 4-bromophenanthroline bis-2,2'-dipyridine Ruthenium bis (hexafluorophosphate. The synthesized Ru(II complex was crosslinked with thiol-modified protein G to form a universal reagent for fluorescent immunoassays. The resulting Ru(II-protein G conjugates were identified by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE. The emission peak wavelength of the Ru(II-protein G conjugate was 602 nm at the excitation of 452 nm which is similar to the spectra of the Ru(II complex, indicating that Ru(II-protein G conjugates still remain the same fluorescence after conjugation. To test the usefulness of the conjugate for biosensing, immunoglobulin G (IgG binding assay was conducted. The result showed that Ru(II-protein G conjugates were capable of binding IgG and the more cross-linkers to modify protein G, the higher conjugation efficiency. To demonstrate the feasibility of Ru(II-protein G conjugates for fluorescent immunoassays, the detection of recombinant histidine-tagged protein using the conjugates and anti-histidine antibody was developed. The results showed that the histidine-tagged protein was successfully detected with dose-response, indicating that Ru(II-protein G conjugate is a useful universal fluorescent reagent for quantitative immunoassays.

  16. Paleo Diet

    OpenAIRE

    Kaucká, Petra

    2012-01-01

    Topic: Paleo Diet Objectives: The aim of bachelor thesis is to study available literature about Paleo Diet and evaluated it. Then determine whether there is awareness of Paleo Diet in Czech republic. In addition, find out whether there is any experience in dieting according to Paleo Diet and whether Paleo Diet coul be applied in our environment. Methods: As a source of information served a survey. The research group consists of respondents who should have any experience in dieting according t...

  17. Chromatic interocular-switch rivalry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christiansen, Jens H; D'Antona, Anthony D; Shevell, Steven K

    2017-05-01

    Interocular-switch rivalry (also known as stimulus rivalry) is a kind of binocular rivalry in which two rivalrous images are swapped between the eyes several times a second. The result is stable periods of one image and then the other, with stable intervals that span many eye swaps (Logothetis, Leopold, & Sheinberg, 1996). Previous work used this close kin of binocular rivalry with rivalrous forms. Experiments here test whether chromatic interocular-switch rivalry, in which the swapped stimuli differ in only chromaticity, results in slow alternation between two colors. Swapping equiluminant rivalrous chromaticities at 3.75 Hz resulted in slow perceptual color alternation, with one or the other color often continuously visible for two seconds or longer (during which there were 15+ eye swaps). A well-known theory for sustained percepts from interocular-switch rivalry with form is inhibitory competition between binocular neurons driven by monocular neurons with matched orientation tuning in each eye; such binocular neurons would produce a stable response when a given orientation is swapped between the eyes. A similar model can account for the percepts here from chromatic interocular-switch rivalry and is underpinned by the neurophysiological finding that color-preferring binocular neurons are driven by monocular neurons from each eye with well-matched chromatic selectivity (Peirce, Solomon, Forte, & Lennie, 2008). In contrast to chromatic interocular-switch rivalry, luminance interocular-switch rivalry with swapped stimuli that differ in only luminance did not result in slowly alternating percepts of different brightnesses.

  18. Hypothalamic Leptin Gene Therapy Reduces Bone Marrow Adiposity in ob/ob Mice Fed Regular and High Fat Diets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laurence B Lindenmaier

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Low bone mass is often associated with increased bone marrow adiposity. Since osteoblasts and adipocytes are derived from the same mesenchymal stem cell progenitor, adipocyte formation may increase at the expense of osteoblast formation. Leptin is an adipocyte-derived hormone known to regulate energy and bone metabolism. Genetic (e.g., leptin deficiency and high fat diet-induced (e.g., leptin resistance obesity are associated with increased marrow adipose tissue (MAT and reduced bone formation. Short-duration studies suggest that leptin treatment reduces MAT and increases bone formation in leptin-deficient ob/ob mice fed a regular diet. Here, we determined the long-duration impact of increased hypothalamic leptin on marrow adipocytes and osteoblasts in ob/ob mice using recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV gene therapy. In a first study, eight- to ten-week-old male ob/ob mice were randomized into 4 groups: (1 untreated, (2 rAAV-Lep, (3 rAAV-green fluorescent protein (rAAV-GFP, or (4 pair-fed to rAAV-Lep. For vector administration, mice were placed in a Kopf stereotaxic apparatus, and injected intracerebroventricularly with either rAAV-Lep or rAAV-GFP (9 × 107 particles in 1.5 µl. The mice were maintained for 30 weeks following vector administration. In a second study, the impact of increased hypothalamic leptin levels on MAT was determined in mice fed high fat diets. Eight- to ten-week-old male ob/ob mice were randomized into 2 groups and treated with either rAAV-Lep or rAAV-GFP. At 7 weeks post-vector administration, half the mice in each group were switched to a high fat diet for 8 weeks. Wild type (WT controls included age-matched mice fed regular or high fat diet. Hypothalamic leptin gene therapy increased osteoblast perimeter and osteoclast perimeter with minor change in cancellous bone architecture. The gene therapy decreased MAT levels in ob/ob mice fed regular or high fat diet to values similar to WT mice fed regular diet. These

  19. Optimization of multi-branch switched diversity systems

    KAUST Repository

    Nam, Haewoon; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

    2009-01-01

    A performance optimization based on the optimal switching threshold(s) for a multi-branch switched diversity system is discussed in this paper. For the conventional multi-branch switched diversity system with a single switching threshold

  20. A low-latency optical switch architecture using integrated μm SOI-based contention resolution and switching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mourgias-Alexandris, G.; Moralis-Pegios, M.; Terzenidis, N.; Cherchi, M.; Harjanne, M.; Aalto, T.; Vyrsokinos, K.; Pleros, N.

    2018-02-01

    The urgent need for high-bandwidth and high-port connectivity in Data Centers has boosted the deployment of optoelectronic packet switches towards bringing high data-rate optics closer to the ASIC, realizing optical transceiver functions directly at the ASIC package for high-rate, low-energy and low-latency interconnects. Even though optics can offer a broad range of low-energy integrated switch fabrics for replacing electronic switches and seamlessly interface with the optical I/Os, the use of energy- and latency-consuming electronic SerDes continues to be a necessity, mainly dictated by the absence of integrated and reliable optical buffering solutions. SerDes undertakes the role of optimally synergizing the lower-speed electronic buffers with the incoming and outgoing optical streams, suggesting that a SerDes-released chip-scale optical switch fabric can be only realized in case all necessary functions including contention resolution and switching can be implemented on a common photonic integration platform. In this paper, we demonstrate experimentally a hybrid Broadcast-and-Select (BS) / wavelength routed optical switch that performs both the optical buffering and switching functions with μm-scale Silicon-integrated building blocks. Optical buffering is carried out in a silicon-integrated variable delay line bank with a record-high on-chip delay/footprint efficiency of 2.6ns/mm2 and up to 17.2 nsec delay capability, while switching is executed via a BS design and a silicon-integrated echelle grating, assisted by SOA-MZI wavelength conversion stages and controlled by a FPGA header processing module. The switch has been experimentally validated in a 3x3 arrangement with 10Gb/s NRZ optical data packets, demonstrating error-free switching operation with a power penalty of <5dB.

  1. Diet shift of double-crested cormorants in eastern Lake Ontario associated with the expansion of the invasive round goby

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, James H.; Ross, Robert M.; McCullough, Russell D.; Mathers, Alastair

    2010-01-01

    The proliferation of the invasive round goby (Apollonia melanostoma) in the Great Lakes has caused shifts in the trophic ecology in some areas. We examined the diet of double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritas) prior to, and immediately after, round goby population expansion at two colonies, Pigeon and Snake Islands, in eastern Lake Ontario from 1999 to 2007. Cormorant diet was determined from the examination of 10,167 pellets collected over the nine-year period. By the second year round gobies were found in the diet (2002 at Snake Island and 2003 at Pigeon Island) they were the main species consumed by cormorants at each colony. The dominance of round goby in cormorant diets had a significant effect on both daily fish consumption and seasonal trends in fish consumption compared to the pre-goby years. Seasonal differences that were observed during the pre-goby years were lost once gobies became the main diet component of cormorants. The rapid switch to a benthic prey such as round goby, from a largely limnetic fish diet demonstrates the adaptive foraging ability of cormorants. Round goby may act as a buffer for yellow perch and smallmouth bass, two sport fish impacted by cormorant predation in eastern Lake Ontario.

  2. Untriggered water switching

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van Devender, J.P.; Martin, T.H.

    Recent experiments indicate that synchronous untriggered multichannel switching in water will permit the development of relatively simple, ultra-low impedance, short pulse, relativistic electron beam (REB) accelerators. These experiments resulted in the delivery of a 1.5 MV, 0.75 MA, 15 ns pulse into a two-ohm line with a current risetime of 2 x 10 14 A/sec. The apparatus consisted of a 3 MV Marx generator and a series of three 112 cm wide strip water lines separated by two edge-plane water-gap switches. The Marx generator charged the first line in less than 400 ns. The first switch then formed five or more channels. The second line was charged in 60 ns and broke down with 10 to 25 channels at a mean field of 1.6 MV/cm. The closure time of each spark channel along both switches was measured with a streak camera and showed low jitter. The resulting fast pulse line construction is simpler and should provide considerable costs savings from previous designs. Multiples of these low impedance lines in parallel can be employed to obtain power levels in the 10 14 W range for REB fusion studies. (U.S.)

  3. Effects of proportions of dietary macronutrients on glucocorticoid metabolism in diet-induced obesity in rats.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roland H Stimson

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Tissue glucocorticoid levels in the liver and adipose tissue are regulated by regeneration of inactive glucocorticoid by 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11beta-HSD1 and inactivation by 5alpha- and 5beta-reductases. A low carbohydrate diet increases hepatic 11beta-HSD1 and reduces glucocorticoid metabolism during weight loss in obese humans. We hypothesized that similar variations in macronutrient proportions regulate glucocorticoid metabolism in obese rats. Male Lister Hooded rats were fed an obesity-inducing ad libitum 'Western' diet (37% fat, n = 36 for 22 weeks, then randomised to continue this diet (n = 12 or to switch to either a low carbohydrate (n = 12 or a moderate carbohydrate (n = 12 diet for the final 8 weeks. A parallel lean control group were fed an ad libitum control diet (10% fat, n = 12 throughout. The low and moderate carbohydrate diets decreased hepatic 11beta-HSD1 mRNA compared with the Western diet (both 0.7+/-0.0 vs 0.9+/-0.1 AU; p<0.01, but did not alter 11beta-HSD1 in adipose tissue. 5Alpha-reductase mRNA was increased on the low carbohydrate compared with the moderate carbohydrate diet. Compared with lean controls, the Western diet decreased 11beta-HSD1 activity (1.6+/-0.1 vs 2.8+/-0.1 nmol/mcg protein/hr; p<0.001 and increased 5alpha-reductase and 5beta-reductase mRNAs (1.9+/-0.3 vs 1.0+/-0.2 and 1.6+/-0.1 vs 1.0+/-0.1 AU respectively; p<0.01 in the liver, and reduced 11beta-HSD1 mRNA and activity (both p<0.01 in adipose tissue. Although an obesity-inducing high fat diet in rats recapitulates the abnormal glucocorticoid metabolism associated with human obesity in liver (but not in adipose tissue, a low carbohydrate diet does not increase hepatic 11beta-HSD1 in obese rats as occurs in humans.

  4. Switch from Sodium Phenylbutyrate to Glycerol Phenylbutyrate Improved Metabolic Stability in an Adolescent with Ornithine Transcarbamylase Deficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laemmle, Alexander; Stricker, Tamar; Häberle, Johannes

    2017-01-01

    A male patient, born in 1999, was diagnosed with ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency as neonate and was managed with a strict low-protein diet supplemented with essential amino acids, L-citrulline, and L-arginine as well as sodium benzoate. He had an extensive history of hospitalizations for hyperammonemic crises throughout childhood and early adolescence, which continued after the addition of sodium phenylbutyrate in 2009. In December 2013 he was switched to glycerol phenylbutyrate, and his metabolic stability was greatly improved over the following 7 months prior to liver transplant.

  5. Energy storage, compression, and switching. Vol. 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nardi, V.; Bostick, W.H.; Sahlin, H.

    1983-01-01

    This book is a compilation of papers presented at the Second International Conference on Energy Storage, Compression, and Switching, which was held in order to assemble active researchers with a major interest in plasma physics, electron beams, electric and magnetic energy storage systems, high voltage and high current switches, free-electron lasers, and pellet implosion plasma focus. Topics covered include: Slow systems: 50-60 Hz machinery, homopolar generators, slow capacitors, inductors, and solid state switches; Intermediate systems: fast capacitor banks; superconducting storage and switching; gas, vacuum, and dielectric switching; nonlinear (magnetic) switching; imploding liners capacitors; explosive generators; and fuses; and Fast systems: Marx, Blumlein, oil, water, and pressurized water dielectrics; switches; magnetic insulation; electron beams; and plasmas

  6. A level switch with a sound tube

    OpenAIRE

    赤池, 誠規

    2017-01-01

    Level switches are sensor with an electrical contact output at a specific liquid, powder or bulk level. Most of traditional level switches are not suitable for harsh environments. The level switch in this study connects a loudspeaker on top end of the sound tube. When liquid, powder or bulk closes bottom end of the sound tube, the level switch turns on. The level switch is suitable for harsh environments and easy to install. The aim of this study is to propose a level switch with a sound tube...

  7. Superconductivity, energy storage and switching

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laquer, H.L.

    1974-01-01

    The phenomenon of superconductivity can contribute to the technology of energy storage and switching in two distinct ways. On one hand the zero resistivity of the superconductor can produce essentially infinite time constants so that an inductive storage system can be charged from very low power sources. On the other hand, the recovery of finite resistivity in a normal-going superconducting switch can take place in extremely short times, so that a system can be made to deliver energy at a very high power level. Topics reviewed include: physics of superconductivity, limits to switching speed of superconductors, physical and engineering properties of superconducting materials and assemblies, switching methods, load impedance considerations, refrigeration economics, limitations imposed by present day and near term technology, performance of existing and planned energy storage systems, and a comparison with some alternative methods of storing and switching energy. (U.S.)

  8. Effects of cellular non-protein sulfhydryl depletion in radiation induced oncogenic transformation and genotoxicity in mouse C3H 10T1/2 cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hei, T.K.; Geard, C.R.; Hall, E.J.

    1984-01-01

    A study was made of the effects of cellular non-protein sulfhydryl (NPSH) depletion on cytotoxicity, cell cycle kinetics, oncogenic transformation and sister chromatid exchange (SCE) in C 3 H 10T1/2 cells. Using DL-Buthionine S-R-Sulfoximine (BSO) to deplete thiols, it was found spectrophotometrically that less than 5% of control NPSH level remained in the cells after 24-hour treatment under aerated conditions. Such NPSH depleted cells, when subject to a 3 Gy γ-ray treatment, were found to have no radiosensitizing response either in terms of cell survival or oncogenic transformation. In addition, decreased levels of NPSH had no effect on spontaneous or radiation-induced SCE nor were cell cycle kinetics additionally altered. Therefore, the inability of NPSH depletion to alter γ-ray induced cellular transformation was unrelated to any possible effect of BSO on the cell cycle. These results suggest that such depletion may result in little or no additional oncogenic or genotoxic effects on aerated normal tissues

  9. Optical Multidimensional Switching for Data Center Networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kamchevska, Valerija

    2017-01-01

    . Software controlled switching using an on-chip integrated fiber switch is demonstrated and enabling of additional network functionalities such as multicast and optical grooming is experimentally confirmed. Altogether this work demonstrates the potential of optical switching technologies...... for the purpose of deploying optical switching within the network. First, the Hi-Ring data center architecture is proposed. It is based on optical multidimensional switching nodes that provide switching in hierarchically layered space, wavelength and time domain. The performance of the Hi-Ring architecture...... is evaluated experimentally and successful switching of both high capacity wavelength connections and time-shared subwavelengthconnections is demonstrated. Error-free performance is also achieved when transmitting 7 Tbit/s using multicore fiber, confirming the ability to scale the network. Moreover...

  10. Pinning Synchronization of Switched Complex Dynamical Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liming Du

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Network topology and node dynamics play a key role in forming synchronization of complex networks. Unfortunately there is no effective synchronization criterion for pinning synchronization of complex dynamical networks with switching topology. In this paper, pinning synchronization of complex dynamical networks with switching topology is studied. Two basic problems are considered: one is pinning synchronization of switched complex networks under arbitrary switching; the other is pinning synchronization of switched complex networks by design of switching when synchronization cannot achieved by using any individual connection topology alone. For the two problems, common Lyapunov function method and single Lyapunov function method are used respectively, some global synchronization criteria are proposed and the designed switching law is given. Finally, simulation results verify the validity of the results.

  11. Optimal foraging in marine ecosystem models: selectivity, profitability and switching

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Visser, Andre W.; Fiksen, Ø.

    2013-01-01

    ecological mechanics and evolutionary logic as a solution to diet selection in ecosystem models. When a predator can consume a range of prey items it has to choose which foraging mode to use, which prey to ignore and which ones to pursue, and animals are known to be particularly skilled in adapting...... to the preference functions commonly used in models today. Indeed, depending on prey class resolution, optimal foraging can yield feeding rates that are considerably different from the ‘switching functions’ often applied in marine ecosystem models. Dietary inclusion is dictated by two optimality choices: 1...... by letting predators maximize energy intake or more properly, some measure of fitness where predation risk and cost are also included. An optimal foraging or fitness maximizing approach will give marine ecosystem models a sound principle to determine trophic interactions...

  12. [Antidotal effects of sulfhydryl compounds on acute poisonings by sodium ammonium dimethyl-2-(propane-1,3-dithiosulfate) monohydrate, nereistoxin and cartap].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, B J; Chen, Z K; Chi, Z Q

    1990-03-01

    Sodium dimercaptopropanesulphonate (DMPS) and sodium dimercaptosuccinate (DMS) were discovered to be effective antidotes for acute poisoning of insecticides SCD [sodium ammonium dimethyl-2-(propane-1,3-dithiosulfate) monohydrate], nereistoxin (4-N,N-dimethylamino-1,2-dithiolane) and cartap (dihydronereistoxin dicarbamate). In mice, DMPS (250 mg/kg) or DMS (1000 mg/kg) ip 20 min before SCD increased LD50 of ig SCD from 97 to 374 or 251 mg/kg, respectively. The prophylactic effect of DMPS was better than that of DMS. Administration of DMPS prior to cartap increased LD50 of ig cartap from 130 to 375 mg/kg. The therapeutic effect of DMPS was also demonstrated in SCD-poisoned conscious rabbits. DMPS 62.5 mg/kg or DMS 500 mg/kg iv completely antagonized the neuromuscular blockade and respiratory depression caused by SCD, nereistoxin and cartap in anesthetized rabbits. The antagonism of SCD-induced neuromuscular blockade by cysteine (400 mg/kg, iv) was less effective and of shorter duration than that by DMPS and DMS. Dimercaprol 50 mg/kg im showed little effect on SCD-induced paralysis. The antagonistic actions of sulfhydryl compounds on neuromuscular blockade induced by these insecticides probably belong to chemical antagonism.

  13. Influence of animals diet on their radio-sensitivity and behavior

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iordanishvili, G.; Maisuradze, I.; Vekua, R.

    2017-01-01

    Including in the rations of feeding of Wistar line rats barley, oats, rye, rice, buckwheat and maize quantitatively increases the number of endogenic radioprotectors (such are catecholamine, serotonin, general and free sulfhydryl groups containing substances) in their brain, liver and spleen, which leads to the increase of animals resistance. Simultaneously, the elaboration and preservation of the condition reaction of active avoidance are facilitated; the morphological indices of blood and the behavior of animsals are improved in the ''Open field''. (author)

  14. Wide Bandgap Extrinsic Photoconductive Switches

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sullivan, James S. [State Univ. of New York (SUNY), Plattsburgh, NY (United States); Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States)

    2012-01-20

    Photoconductive semiconductor switches (PCSS) have been investigated since the late 1970s. Some devices have been developed that withstand tens of kilovolts and others that switch hundreds of amperes. However, no single device has been developed that can reliably withstand both high voltage and switch high current. Yet, photoconductive switches still hold the promise of reliable high voltage and high current operation with subnanosecond risetimes. Particularly since good quality, bulk, single crystal, wide bandgap semiconductor materials have recently become available. In this chapter we will review the basic operation of PCSS devices, status of PCSS devices and properties of the wide bandgap semiconductors 4H-SiC, 6H-SiC and 2H-GaN.

  15. Electron collisions in gas switches

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Christophorou, L.G.

    1989-01-01

    Many technologies rely on the conduction/insulation properties of gaseous matter for their successful operation. Many others (e.g., pulsed power technologies) rely on the rapid change (switching or modulation) of the properties of gaseous matter from an insulator to a conductor and vice versa. Studies of electron collision processes in gases aided the development of pulsed power gas switches, and in this paper we shall briefly illustrate the kind of knowledge on electron collision processes which is needed to optimize the performance of such switching devices. To this end, we shall refer to three types of gas switches: spark gap closing, self-sustained diffuse discharge closing, and externally-sustained diffuse discharge opening. 24 refs., 15 figs., 2 tabs

  16. 47 CFR 69.106 - Local switching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... foreign services that use local exchange switching facilities. (c) If end users of an interstate or... local exchange carriers shall establish rate elements for local switching as follows: (1) Price cap... use local exchange switching facilities for the provision of interstate or foreign services. The...

  17. Proceedings of the switched power workshop

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fernow, R.C.

    1988-01-01

    These proceedings contain most of the presentations given at a workshop on the current state of research in techniques for switched power acceleration. The proceedings are divided, as was the workshop itself, into two parts. Part 1, contains the latest results from a number of groups active in switched power research. The major topic here is a method for switching externally supplied power onto a transmission line. Advocates for vacuum photodiode switching, solid state switching, gas switching, and synthetic pulse generation are all presented. Other important areas of research described in this section concern: external electrical and laser pulsing systems; the properties of the created electromagnetic pulse; structures used for transporting the electromagnetic pulse to the region where the electron beam is located; and possible applications. Part 2 of the proceedings considers the problem of designing a high brightness electron gun using switched power as the power source. This is an important first step in demonstrating the usefulness of switched power techniques for accelerator physics. In addition such a gun could have immediate practical importance for advanced acceleration studies since the brightness could exceed that of present sources by several orders of magnitude. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Kathleen Tuohy and Patricia Tuttle for their assistance in organizing and running the workshop. Their tireless efforts contribute greatly to a very productive meeting

  18. Is a healthy diet an environmentally sustainable diet?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macdiarmid, Jennie I

    2013-02-01

    The concept of a healthy and environmentally sustainable diet is not new, but with increasing concern about future global food security and climate change there is a renewed interest in this topic. Dietary intakes in UK accounts for approximately 20-30% of total annual greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE), with the greatest contributions coming from high intakes of meat and dairy products. Dietary proposals to help mitigate climate change (i.e. reduce GHGE) have focused on reducing consumption of meat and dairy products, but this must be considered in the context of the whole diet, alongside any possible nutritional consequences for health. Bringing together health and environmental impact of the diet raises the question of whether a healthy diet can also be an environmentally sustainable diet. While recent research showed that it is possible to achieve a realistic diet that meets dietary requirement for health and has lower GHGE, it cannot be assumed that a healthy diet will always have lower GHGE. With different combinations of food it is possible to consume a diet that meets dietary requirements for health, but has high GHGE. It is important to understand what constitutes a sustainable diet, but this then needs to be communicated effectively to try and change well-established dietary intakes of the population. Studies show that understanding of sustainable diets is poor and there are many misconceptions (e.g. the overestimation of the protein requirements for a healthy diet), which could contribute to the barriers towards changing dietary intakes.

  19. Resistance switching memory in perovskite oxides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan, Z.B.; Liu, J.-M.

    2015-01-01

    The resistance switching behavior has recently attracted great attentions for its application as resistive random access memories (RRAMs) due to a variety of advantages such as simple structure, high-density, high-speed and low-power. As a leading storage media, the transition metal perovskite oxide owns the strong correlation of electrons and the stable crystal structure, which brings out multifunctionality such as ferroelectric, multiferroic, superconductor, and colossal magnetoresistance/electroresistance effect, etc. The existence of rich electronic phases, metal–insulator transition and the nonstoichiometric oxygen in perovskite oxide provides good platforms to insight into the resistive switching mechanisms. In this review, we first introduce the general characteristics of the resistance switching effects, the operation methods and the storage media. Then, the experimental evidences of conductive filaments, the transport and switching mechanisms, and the memory performances and enhancing methods of perovskite oxide based filamentary RRAM cells have been summarized and discussed. Subsequently, the switching mechanisms and the performances of the uniform RRAM cells associating with the carrier trapping/detrapping and the ferroelectric polarization switching have been discussed. Finally, the advices and outlook for further investigating the resistance switching and enhancing the memory performances are given

  20. Serum vitamin A and vitamin E in Japanese black fattening cattle in Miyazaki prefecture as determined by automatic column-switching high performance liquid chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adachi, K; Katsura, N; Nomura, Y; Arikawa, A; Hidaka, M; Onimaru, T

    1996-05-01

    Japanese Black fattening cattle in Miyazaki prefecture, Japan were examined for serum vitamin A (V. A) and vitamin E (V. E) by automatic column-switching high performance liquid chromatography with automated deproteinization. Results indicated that most Japanese Black fattening cattle in Miyazaki prefecture may be provided with V. A supplement and diets including little V. E, moderate beta-carotene and V. A during the early fattening stage, and diets including little beta-carotene, V. A and V. E during the middle and later fattening stages. Therefore, monitoring serum V. A and V. E in Japanese Black fattening cattle throughout the fattening period seems necessary for farmers in Miyazaki prefecture to avoid economic loss attributable to these deficiencies.

  1. Clocking Scheme for Switched-Capacitor Circuits

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Steensgaard-Madsen, Jesper

    1998-01-01

    A novel clocking scheme for switched-capacitor (SC) circuits is presented. It can enhance the understanding of SC circuits and the errors caused by MOSFET (MOS) switches. Charge errors, and techniques to make SC circuits less sensitive to them are discussed.......A novel clocking scheme for switched-capacitor (SC) circuits is presented. It can enhance the understanding of SC circuits and the errors caused by MOSFET (MOS) switches. Charge errors, and techniques to make SC circuits less sensitive to them are discussed....

  2. Manually operated coded switch

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barnette, J.H.

    1978-01-01

    The disclosure related to a manually operated recodable coded switch in which a code may be inserted, tried and used to actuate a lever controlling an external device. After attempting a code, the switch's code wheels must be returned to their zero positions before another try is made

  3. Cadmium contamination in cereal-based diets and diet ingredients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siitonen, P.H.; Thompson, H.C. Jr.

    1990-01-01

    Cereal-based diet and/or diet ingredient cadmium levels were determined by graphite furnace AAS. Cadmium contamination was 88.3 and 447 ppb in two cereal-based diets, 44.6 and 48.9 ppb in two purified diets, and ranged from less than 1.1 to 22,900 ppb in the ingredients of one cereal-based diet. The major source of cadmium contamination was attributed to the calcium supplement used for diet formulation. Comparative analyses of two purified diet samples and one cereal-based diet by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, formerly the National Bureau of Standards) and the National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) gave virtually identical results for Cd. A comparative study of Cd levels determined by flame and furnace AAS was also made by the NCTR and the NIST

  4. Manufacture of Radio Frequency Micromachined Switches with Annealing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cheng-Yang Lin

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The fabrication and characterization of a radio frequency (RF micromachined switch with annealing were presented. The structure of the RF switch consists of a membrane, coplanar waveguide (CPW lines, and eight springs. The RF switch is manufactured using the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS process. The switch requires a post-process to release the membrane and springs. The post-process uses a wet etching to remove the sacrificial silicon dioxide layer, and to obtain the suspended structures of the switch. In order to improve the residual stress of the switch, an annealing process is applied to the switch, and the membrane obtains an excellent flatness. The finite element method (FEM software CoventorWare is utilized to simulate the stress and displacement of the RF switch. Experimental results show that the RF switch has an insertion loss of 0.9 dB at 35 GHz and an isolation of 21 dB at 39 GHz. The actuation voltage of the switch is 14 V.

  5. Manufacture of radio frequency micromachined switches with annealing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Cheng-Yang; Dai, Ching-Liang

    2014-01-17

    The fabrication and characterization of a radio frequency (RF) micromachined switch with annealing were presented. The structure of the RF switch consists of a membrane, coplanar waveguide (CPW) lines, and eight springs. The RF switch is manufactured using the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process. The switch requires a post-process to release the membrane and springs. The post-process uses a wet etching to remove the sacrificial silicon dioxide layer, and to obtain the suspended structures of the switch. In order to improve the residual stress of the switch, an annealing process is applied to the switch, and the membrane obtains an excellent flatness. The finite element method (FEM) software CoventorWare is utilized to simulate the stress and displacement of the RF switch. Experimental results show that the RF switch has an insertion loss of 0.9 dB at 35 GHz and an isolation of 21 dB at 39 GHz. The actuation voltage of the switch is 14 V.

  6. Observer-Based Robust Control of Uncertain Switched Fuzzy Systems with Combined Switching Controller

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hong Yang

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The observer-based robust control for a class of switched fuzzy (SF time-delay systems involving uncertainties and external disturbances is investigated in this paper. A switched fuzzy system, which differs from existing ones, is firstly employed to describe a nonlinear system. Next, a combined switching controller is proposed. The designed controller based on the observer instead of the state information integrates the advantages of both the switching controllers and the supplementary controllers but eliminates their disadvantages. The proposed controller provides good performance during the transient period, and the chattering effect is removed when the system state approaches the origin. Sufficient condition for the solvability of the robust control problem is given for the case that the state of system is not available. Since convex combination techniques are used to derive the delay-independent criteria, some subsystems are allowed to be unstable. Finally, various comparisons of the elaborated examples are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control design approach.

  7. Synchronization in complex networks with switching topology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Lei; Wang, Qing-guo

    2011-01-01

    This Letter investigates synchronization issues of complex dynamical networks with switching topology. By constructing a common Lyapunov function, we show that local and global synchronization for a linearly coupled network with switching topology can be evaluated by the time average of second smallest eigenvalues corresponding to the Laplacians of switching topology. This result is quite powerful and can be further used to explore various switching cases for complex dynamical networks. Numerical simulations illustrate the effectiveness of the obtained results in the end. -- Highlights: → Synchronization of complex networks with switching topology is investigated. → A common Lyapunov function is established for synchronization of switching network. → The common Lyapunov function is not necessary to monotonically decrease with time. → Synchronization is determined by the second smallest eigenvalue of its Laplacian. → Synchronization criterion can be used to investigate various switching cases.

  8. Research and embedded implementation of Layer 3 switch

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Jin; Cheng, Zijing

    2009-12-01

    In the internetworking world, switches and routers have been deployed for workgroup and enterprise connectivity. In the past, switches mainly operated at Layer 2 (they were extensions of bridges), while routers were clearly Layer3 devices. Recently, the line has blurred and switches operating at Layer 3 are becoming more popular. This paper explains the Linux Bridge, Layer 2 Switches, Virtual LAN (VLAN) and Layer 3 Switches. The flow chart of Layer 3 switches and working routine related to Layer 3 switch technology were investigated in detail. This paper presents a new method to implement layer 3 switching that is entirely accomplished in software and is embedded implemented by code transplanting based on PowerPC 460GT platform.

  9. Combining SDM-Based Circuit Switching with Packet Switching in a Router for On-Chip Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angelo Kuti Lusala

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available A Hybrid router architecture for Networks-on-Chip “NoC” is presented, it combines Spatial Division Multiplexing “SDM” based circuit switching and packet switching in order to efficiently and separately handle both streaming and best-effort traffic generated in real-time applications. Furthermore the SDM technique is combined with Time Division Multiplexing “TDM” technique in the circuit switching part in order to increase path diversity, thus improving throughput while sharing communication resources among multiple connections. Combining these two techniques allows mitigating the poor resource usage inherent to circuit switching. In this way Quality of Service “QoS” is easily provided for the streaming traffic through the circuit-switched sub-router while the packet-switched sub-router handles best-effort traffic. The proposed hybrid router architectures were synthesized, placed and routed on an FPGA. Results show that a practicable Network-on-Chip “NoC” can be built using the proposed router architectures. 7 × 7 mesh NoCs were simulated in SystemC. Simulation results show that the probability of establishing paths through the NoC increases with the number of sub-channels and has its highest value when combining SDM with TDM, thereby significantly reducing contention in the NoC.

  10. On The Snubber Influence To The Switching And Conduction Losses In A Converter Using Switched Capacitor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Viorel DUGAN

    2002-12-01

    Full Text Available The paper deals to design and to compute the snubber parameters influence on the switching and conduction losses of the transistors (IGBT used as bidirectional switches in a converter with switched capacitor. The converter was modelled with difference equations, and the transistors during turn-on and turn-off processes were simulated by dynamically varying resistance models. The energy loss per switching, commutation time, the variation of the transistor voltage etc. and the influence of snubber parameters in each of these cases are shown in the context of a converter used as a 50Hz reactive power controller unit

  11. Dahl salt-sensitive rats develop hypovitaminosis D and hyperparathyroidism when fed a standard diet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thierry-Palmer, Myrtle; Cephas, Stacy; Sayavongsa, Phouyong; Doherty, Akins; Arnaud, Sara B.

    2005-01-01

    The Dahl salt-sensitive rat (S), a model for salt-sensitive hypertension, excretes protein-bound 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) into urine when fed a low salt diet. Urinary 25-OHD increases during high salt intake. We tested the hypothesis that continuous loss of 25-OHD into urine would result in low plasma 25-OHD concentration in mature S rats raised on a standard diet. Dahl S and salt-resistant (R) male rats were raised to maturity (12-month-old) on a commercial rat diet (1% salt) and switched to 0.3% (low) or 2% (high) salt diets 3 weeks before euthanasia. Urine (24 h) was collected at the end of the dietary treatments. Urinary 25-OHD and urinary 25-OHD binding activity of S rats were three times that of R rats, resulting in lower plasma 25-OHD and 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D concentrations in S rats than in R rats (P D concentrations than those fed 0.3% salt (P = 0.002). S rats excreted more calcium into urine than R rats (P D and high plasma 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D and PTH concentrations seen in the mature S rats have also been reported for elderly patients with low-renin (salt-induced) hypertension. An implication of this study is that low vitamin D status may occur with age in salt-sensitive individuals, even when salt intake is normal.

  12. High-voltage high-current triggering vacuum switch

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alferov, D.F.; Bunin, R.A.; Evsin, D.V.; Sidorov, V.A.

    2012-01-01

    Experimental investigations of switching and breaking capacities of the new high current triggered vacuum switch (TVS) are carried out at various parameters of discharge current. It has been shown that the high current triggered vacuum switch TVS can switch repeatedly a current from units up to ten kiloampers with duration up to ten millisecond [ru

  13. Sequential Effects in Deduction: Cost of Inference Switch

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milan, Emilio G.; Moreno-Rios, Sergio; Espino, Orlando; Santamaria, Carlos; Gonzalez-Hernandez, Antonio

    2010-01-01

    The task-switch paradigm has helped psychologists gain insight into the processes involved in changing from one activity to another. The literature has yielded consistent results about switch cost reconfiguration (abrupt offset in regular task-switch vs. gradual reduction in random task-switch; endogenous and exogenous components of switch cost;…

  14. Aurora oil switch upgrade program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Warren, T.

    1989-03-01

    This report describes the short pulse synchronization requirements, the original Aurora trigger scheme, and the PI/SNLA approach to improving the synchronization. It also describes the oil switching design study undertaken as the first phase of the program. A discussion of oil-switch closure analysis and the conceptual design motivated by this analysis are presented. This paper also describes the oil-switch trigger pulser tests required to validate the concept. This includes the design of the testing facility, a description of the test goals, and a discussion of the results. This paper finally describes oil-switch trigger pulser testing on one of the four Aurora Blumlein modules, which includes the hardware design and operation, the testing goals, hardware installation, and test results. 9 refs., 26 figs

  15. Switch junction sequences in PMS2-deficient mice reveal a microhomology-mediated mechanism of Ig class switch recombination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ehrenstein, Michael R.; Rada, Cristina; Jones, Anne-Marie; Milstein, César; Neuberger, Michael S.

    2001-01-01

    Isotype switching involves a region-specific, nonhomologous recombinational deletion that has been suggested to occur by nonhomologous joining of broken DNA ends. Here, we find increased donor/acceptor homology at switch junctions from PMS2-deficient mice and propose that class switching can occur by microhomology-mediated end-joining. Interestingly, although isotype switching and somatic hypermutation show many parallels, we confirm that PMS2 deficiency has no major effect on the pattern of nucleotide substitutions generated during somatic hypermutation. This finding is in contrast to MSH2 deficiency. With MSH2, the altered pattern of switch recombination and hypermutation suggests parallels in the mechanics of the two processes, whereas the fact that PMS2 deficiency affects only switch recombination may reflect differences in the pathways of break resolution. PMID:11717399

  16. Ultra High-Speed Radio Frequency Switch Based on Photonics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ge, Jia; Fok, Mable P

    2015-11-26

    Microwave switches, or Radio Frequency (RF) switches have been intensively used in microwave systems for signal routing. Compared with the fast development of microwave and wireless systems, RF switches have been underdeveloped particularly in terms of switching speed and operating bandwidth. In this paper, we propose a photonics based RF switch that is capable of switching at tens of picoseconds speed, which is hundreds of times faster than any existing RF switch technologies. The high-speed switching property is achieved with the use of a rapidly tunable microwave photonic filter with tens of gigahertz frequency tuning speed, where the tuning mechanism is based on the ultra-fast electro-optics Pockels effect. The RF switch has a wide operation bandwidth of 12 GHz and can go up to 40 GHz, depending on the bandwidth of the modulator used in the scheme. The proposed RF switch can either work as an ON/OFF switch or a two-channel switch, tens of picoseconds switching speed is experimentally observed for both type of switches.

  17. Compound semiconductor optical waveguide switch

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spahn, Olga B.; Sullivan, Charles T.; Garcia, Ernest J.

    2003-06-10

    An optical waveguide switch is disclosed which is formed from III-V compound semiconductors and which has a moveable optical waveguide with a cantilevered portion that can be bent laterally by an integral electrostatic actuator to route an optical signal (i.e. light) between the moveable optical waveguide and one of a plurality of fixed optical waveguides. A plurality of optical waveguide switches can be formed on a common substrate and interconnected to form an optical switching network.

  18. Isolated converter with synchronized switching leg

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    2003-01-01

    An amplification device is disclosed providing a way of integrating a switch mode power supply and a class D amplifier (switch mode amplifier). This results in the usage of basically one magnetic component (1), one major energy storage element (4) and switches (20, 30) that are controlled in such a

  19. Wireless Nanoionic-Based Radio Frequency Switch

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nessel, James A. (Inventor); Miranda, Felix A (Inventor)

    2017-01-01

    A nanoionic switch connected to one or more rectenna modules is disclosed. The rectenna module is configured to receive a wireless signal and apply a first bias to change a state of the nanoionic switch from a first state to a second state. The rectenna module can receive a second wireless signal and apply a second bias to change the nanoionic switch from the second state back to the first state. The first bias is generally opposite of the first bias. The rectenna module accordingly permits operation of the nanoionic switch without onboard power.

  20. Simplified design of switching power supplies

    CERN Document Server

    Lenk, John

    1995-01-01

    * Describes the operation of each circuit in detail * Examines a wide selection of external components that modify the IC package characteristics * Provides hands-on, essential information for designing a switching power supply Simplified Design of Switching Power Supplies is an all-inclusive, one-stop guide to switching power-supply design. Step-by-step instructions and diagrams render this book essential for the student and the experimenter, as well as the design professional. Simplified Design of Switching Power Supplies concentrates on the use of IC regulators. All popular forms of swit

  1. Switched reluctance motor drives

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Davis RM, Ray WF, Blake RJ 1981 Inverter drive for switched reluctance: circuits and component ratings. Inst. Elec. Eng. Proc. B128: 126-136. Ehsani M. 1991 Position Sensor elimination technique for the switched reluctance motor drive. US Patent No. 5,072,166. Ehsani M, Ramani K R 1993 Direct control strategies based ...

  2. Seismic switch for strong motion measurement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harben, P.E.; Rodgers, P.W.; Ewert, D.W.

    1995-05-30

    A seismic switching device is described that has an input signal from an existing microseismic station seismometer and a signal from a strong motion measuring instrument. The seismic switch monitors the signal level of the strong motion instrument and passes the seismometer signal to the station data telemetry and recording systems. When the strong motion instrument signal level exceeds a user set threshold level, the seismometer signal is switched out and the strong motion signal is passed to the telemetry system. The amount of time the strong motion signal is passed before switching back to the seismometer signal is user controlled between 1 and 15 seconds. If the threshold level is exceeded during a switch time period, the length of time is extended from that instant by one user set time period. 11 figs.

  3. Uniaxial strain effects on transport properties of a supramolecular organic conductor theta-(DIETS) sub 2 [Au(CN) sub 4

    CERN Document Server

    Tajima, N; Kato, R; Nishio, Y; Kajita, K

    2003-01-01

    Pressure-controlled switching between an insulating state and a superconducting state has been successfully realized on a supramolecular organic conductor theta-(DIETS) sub 2 [Au(CN) sub 4] [DIETS = diiodo(ethylenedithio)diselenadithiafulvalene]. Strong contact between iodine on the donor (DIETS) molecule and nitrogen on the anion [Au(CN) sub 4] genetates characteristic uniaxial strain effects on transport properties. Under the ambient pressure, the present system undergoes a semiconductor-insulator transition at 226 K. The effect of strains parallel to the conduction plane (ab-plane) is very small. Even under uniaxial strains up to 20 kbar along the a- and b-axis directions, the transition is not suppressed. Surprisingly, however, the c-axis strain induces a superconducting state with T sub c of 8.6 K at 10 kbar. Band parameter calculation and the conductivity anisotropy ratio suggest that an increase in the bandwidth W associated with a c-axis strain transforms the system to the metallic and superconducting...

  4. Subnanosecond photoconductive switching in GaAs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Druce, R.L.; Pocha, M.D.; Griffin, K.L.

    1991-04-01

    We are conducting research in photoconductive switching for the purpose of generating microwave pulses with amplitudes up to 50 kV. This technology has direct application to impulse radar and HPM sources. We are exploiting the very fast recombination rates of Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) to explore the potential of GaAs as an on-off switch when operating in the linear mode (the linear mode is defined such that one carrier pair is generated for each photon absorbed). In addition, we are exploring the potential GaAs to act as a closing switch in ``avalanche`` mode at high fields. We have observed switch closing times of less than 200 psec with a 100 psec duration laser pulse and opening times of less than 400 psec with neutron irradiated GaAs at fields of tens of kV/cm. If the field is increased and the laser energy decreased, the laser can be used to trigger photoconductive switches into ``avalanche`` mode of operation in which carrier multiplication occurs. This mode of operation is quite promising since the switches close in less than 1 nsec while realizing significant energy gain (ratio of electrical energy in the pulse to optical trigger energy). We are currently investigating both large area (1 sq cm) and small area (< 1 sq mm) switches illuminated by GaAlAs laser diodes at 900 nm and Nd:YAG lasers at 1.06 micrometers. Preliminary results indicate that the closing time of the avalanche switches depends primarily on the material properties of the devices with closing times of 300--1300 psec at voltages of 6--35 kV. We will present experimental results for linear, lock on and avalanche mode operation of GaAs photoconductive switches and how these pulses may be applied to microwave generation. 3 refs.

  5. Subnanosecond photoconductive switching in GaAs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Druce, R.L.; Pocha, M.D.; Griffin, K.L.

    1991-04-01

    We are conducting research in photoconductive switching for the purpose of generating microwave pulses with amplitudes up to 50 kV. This technology has direct application to impulse radar and HPM sources. We are exploiting the very fast recombination rates of Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) to explore the potential of GaAs as an on-off switch when operating in the linear mode (the linear mode is defined such that one carrier pair is generated for each photon absorbed). In addition, we are exploring the potential GaAs to act as a closing switch in avalanche'' mode at high fields. We have observed switch closing times of less than 200 psec with a 100 psec duration laser pulse and opening times of less than 400 psec with neutron irradiated GaAs at fields of tens of kV/cm. If the field is increased and the laser energy decreased, the laser can be used to trigger photoconductive switches into avalanche'' mode of operation in which carrier multiplication occurs. This mode of operation is quite promising since the switches close in less than 1 nsec while realizing significant energy gain (ratio of electrical energy in the pulse to optical trigger energy). We are currently investigating both large area (1 sq cm) and small area (< 1 sq mm) switches illuminated by GaAlAs laser diodes at 900 nm and Nd:YAG lasers at 1.06 micrometers. Preliminary results indicate that the closing time of the avalanche switches depends primarily on the material properties of the devices with closing times of 300--1300 psec at voltages of 6--35 kV. We will present experimental results for linear, lock on and avalanche mode operation of GaAs photoconductive switches and how these pulses may be applied to microwave generation. 3 refs.

  6. Subnanosecond photoconductive switching in GaAs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Druce, R.L.; Pocha, M.D.; Griffin, K.L.

    1990-01-01

    We are conducting research in photoconductive switching for the purpose of generating microwave pulses with amplitudes up to 50 kV. This technology has direct application to impulse radar and HPM sources. We are exploiting the very fast recombination rates of Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) to explore the potential of GaAs as an on-off switch when operating in the linear mode (the linear mode is defined such that one carrier pair is generated for each photon absorbed). In addition, we are exploring the potential of GaAs to act as a closing switch in avalanche'' mode at high fields. We have observed switch closing times of less than 200 psec with 100 psec duration laser pulse and opening times of less than 400 psec with neutron irradiated GaAs at fields of tens of kV/cm. If the field is increased and the laser energy decreased, the laser can be used to trigger photoconductive switches into an avalanche'' mode of operation in which carrier multiplication occurs. This mode of operation is quite promising since the switches close in less than 1 nsec while realizing significant energy gain (ratio of electrical energy in the pulse to optical trigger energy). We are currently investigating both large are (1 sq cm) and small area (<1 sq mm) switches illuminated by GaAlAs laser diodes at 900 nm and Nd:YAG lasers at 1.06 micrometers. Preliminary results indicate that the closing time of the avalanche switches depends primarily on the material properties of the devices with closing times of 300--1300 psec at voltages of 6-35 kV. We will present experimental results for linear, lock on and avalanche mode operation of GaAs photoconductive switches and how these pulses may be applied to microwave generation. 3 refs., 11 figs.

  7. Subnanosecond photoconductive switching in GaAs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Druce, R. L.; Pocha, M. D.; Griffin, K. L.

    1991-04-01

    We are conducting research in photoconductive switching for the purpose of generating microwave pulses with amplitudes up to 50 kV. This technology has direct application to impulse radar and HPM sources. We are exploiting the very fast recombination rates of Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) to explore the potential of GaAs as an on-off switch when operating in the linear mode (the linear mode is defined such that one carrier pair is generated for each photon absorbed). In addition, we are exploring the potential GaAs to act as a closing switch in 'avalanche' mode at high fields. We have observed switch closing times of less than 200 psec with a 100 psec duration laser pulse and opening times of less than 400 psec with neutron irradiated GaAs at fields of tens of kV/cm. If the field is increased and the laser energy decreased, the laser can be used to trigger photoconductive switches into 'avalanche' mode of operation in which carrier multiplication occurs. This mode of operation is quite promising since the switches close in less than 1 nsec while realizing significant energy gain (ratio of electrical energy in the pulse to optical trigger energy). We are currently investigating both large area (1 sq cm) and small area (less than 1 sq mm) switches illuminated by GaAlAs laser diodes at 900 nm and Nd:YAG lasers at 1.06 micrometers. Preliminary results indicate that the closing time of the avalanche switches depends primarily on the material properties of the devices with closing times of 300-1300 psec at voltages of 6-35 kV. We will present experimental results for linear, lock on, and avalanche mode operation of GaAs photoconductive switches and how these pulses may be applied to microwave generation.

  8. Optical computer switching network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clymer, B.; Collins, S. A., Jr.

    1985-01-01

    The design for an optical switching system for minicomputers that uses an optical spatial light modulator such as a Hughes liquid crystal light valve is presented. The switching system is designed to connect 80 minicomputers coupled to the switching system by optical fibers. The system has two major parts: the connection system that connects the data lines by which the computers communicate via a two-dimensional optical matrix array and the control system that controls which computers are connected. The basic system, the matrix-based connecting system, and some of the optical components to be used are described. Finally, the details of the control system are given and illustrated with a discussion of timing.

  9. [Acute and persistent antiproteinuric effect of a low-protein diet in chronic kidney disease].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Iorio, B R; Cucciniello, E; Martino, R; Frallicciardi, A; Tortoriello, R; Struzziero, G

    2009-01-01

    This study aimed to evaluate the anti-proteinuric effect of a very-low-protein diet supplemented with essential amino acids and keto analogs in patients with moderate to advanced chronic kidney disease and proteinuria already treated with both ACE inhibitors and angiotensin-receptor blockers. The study was a prospective randomized controlled cross-over trial comparing a very-low-protein diet (VLpD) and a low-protein diet (LpD). We enrolled 32 consecutive patients between June 2000 and June 2005. They were randomized to receive a VpLD (group A) or an LpD (group B) for 6 months; thereafter, patients of both groups were switched to the other diet (group A to LpD; group B to VpLD) for a further 6 months. Finally, all patients were randomized again within each group to receive either LpD or VLpD and were followed for another year. The VLpD group showed a significant reduction of urinary protein excretion during the diet period, with a nadir at the fourth month of treatment; the amount of urinary protein reduction was about 58%. Serum advanced glycation end products (AGE) significantly decreased in 10 patients (5 of group A, 5 of group B; -18% and -19%, respectively) during VLpD. Univariate analysis showed that proteinuria correlated indirectly with VpLD and directly with AGE. This study demonstrates that in patients with moderate to advanced chronic kidney disease and severe proteinuria, a VLpD reduces both proteinuria and serum AGE, even in the presence of complete inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system.

  10. Microwave pulse generation by photoconductive switching

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pocha, M.D.; Druce, R.L.

    1989-03-14

    Laser activated photoconductive semiconductor switching shows significant potential for application in high power microwave generation. Primary advantages of this concept are: small size, light weight, ruggedness, precise timing and phasing by optical control, and the potential for high peak power in short pulses. Several concepts have been suggested for microwave generation using this technology. They generally fall into two categories (1) the frozen wave generator or (2) tuned cavity modulation, both of which require only fast closing switches. We have been exploring a third possibility requiring fast closing and opening switches, that is the direct modulation of the switch at microwave frequencies. Switches have been fabricated at LLNL using neutron irradiated Gallium Arsenide which exhibit response times as short as 50 ps at low voltages. We are in the process of performing high voltage tests. So far, we have been able to generate 2.4 kV pulses with approximately 340 ps response time (FWHM) using approximately a 200..mu..J optical pulse. Experiments are continuing to increase the voltage and improve the switching efficiency. 3 refs., 6 figs.

  11. Microwave pulse generation by photoconductive switching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pocha, M. D.; Druce, R. L.

    1989-03-01

    Laser activated photoconductive semiconductor switching shows significant potential for application in high power microwave generation. Primary advantages of this concept are: small size, light weight, ruggedness, precise timing and phasing by optical control, and the potential for high peak power in short pulses. Several concepts have been suggested for microwave generation using this technology. They generally fall into two categories: (1) the frozen wave generator, or (2) tuned cavity modulation, both of which require only fast closing switches. We have been exploring a third possibility requiring fast closing and opening switches, that is the direct modulation of the switch at microwave frequencies. Switches have been fabricated at LLNL using neutron irradiated Gallium Arsenide which exhibit response times as short as 50 ps at low voltages. We are in the process of performing high voltage tests. So far, we have been able to generate 2.4 kV pulses with approximately 340 ps response time (FWHM) using approximately a 200 microJ optical pulse. Experiments are continuing to increase the voltage and improve the switching efficiency.

  12. Diet-induced thermogenesis is lower in rats fed a lard diet than in those fed a high oleic acid safflower oil diet, a safflower oil diet or a linseed oil diet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takeuchi, H; Matsuo, T; Tokuyama, K; Shimomura, Y; Suzuki, M

    1995-04-01

    The objectives of the present study were to examine the effects of dietary fats differing in fatty acid composition on diet-induced thermogenesis, sympathetic activity in brown adipose tissue and body fat accumulation in rats. Rats were meal-fed for 12 wk an isoenergetic diet based on lard, high oleic acid safflower oil, safflower oil or linseed oil, and norepinephrine turnover rates in brown adipose tissue were then estimated. Whole-body oxygen consumption after the meal indicated that diet-induced thermogenesis was significantly lower in rats fed the lard diet than in those fed the other diets. The norepinephrine turnover rate in the interscapular brown adipose tissue was also significantly lower in the lard diet group than in the other diet groups. The carcass fat content was significantly higher in the lard diet group than in the other diet groups, whereas the abdominal adipose tissue weights were the same in all diet groups. These results suggest that the intake of animal fats rich in saturated fatty acids, compared with the intake of vegetable oils rich in monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids, decreases diet-induced thermogenesis by a decline of sympathetic activity in brown adipose tissue, resulting in the promotion of body fat accumulation.

  13. Analysis on the Motivations of Code–Switching%Analysis on the Motivations of Code– Switching

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    孔祥曼

    2015-01-01

    Code-switching is a common phenomenon in language contact. It reflects the speaker's psychological state and his attitude towards a certain language or a language variety. This paper briefly analyzes the social and psychological motivations of the speakers when they use code-switching.

  14. High-speed 2 × 2 silicon-based electro-optic switch with nanosecond switch time

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xue-Jun, Xu; Shao-Wu, Chen; Hai-Hua, Xu; Yang, Sun; Yu-De, Yu; Jin-Zhong, Yu; Qi-Ming, Wang

    2009-01-01

    A 2 × 2 electro-optic switch is experimentally demonstrated using the optical structure of a Mach–Zehnder interferometer (MZI) based on a submicron rib waveguide and the electrical structure of a PIN diode on silicon-on-insulator (SOI). The switch behaviour is achieved through the plasma dispersion effect of silicon. The device has a modulation arm of 1 mm in length and cross-section of 400 nm×340 nm. The measurement results show that the switch has a V π L π figure of merit of 0.145 V·cm and the extinction ratios of two output ports and cross talk are 40 dB, 28 dB and −28 dB, respectively. A 3 dB modulation bandwidth of 90 MHz and a switch time of 6.8 ns for the rise edge and 2.7 ns for the fall edge are also demonstrated

  15. Improved switch-resistor packaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Redmerski, R. E.

    1980-01-01

    Packaging approach makes resistors more accessible and easily identified with specific switches. Failures are repaired more quickly because of improved accessibility. Typical board includes one resistor that acts as circuit breaker, and others are positioned so that their values can be easily measured when switch is operated. Approach saves weight by using less wire and saves valuable panel space.

  16. A gain-coefficient switched Alexandrite laser

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Chris J; Van der Slot, Peter J M; Boller, Klaus-J

    2013-01-01

    We report on a gain-coefficient switched Alexandrite laser. An electro-optic modulator is used to switch between high and low gain states by making use of the polarization dependent gain of Alexandrite. In gain-coefficient switched mode, the laser produces 85 ns pulses with a pulse energy of 240 mJ at a repetition rate of 5 Hz.

  17. Secure videoconferencing equipment switching system and method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansen, Michael E [Livermore, CA

    2009-01-13

    A switching system and method are provided to facilitate use of videoconference facilities over a plurality of security levels. The system includes a switch coupled to a plurality of codecs and communication networks. Audio/Visual peripheral components are connected to the switch. The switch couples control and data signals between the Audio/Visual peripheral components and one but nor both of the plurality of codecs. The switch additionally couples communication networks of the appropriate security level to each of the codecs. In this manner, a videoconferencing facility is provided for use on both secure and non-secure networks.

  18. Stochastic multistep polarization switching in ferroelectrics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Genenko, Y. A.; Khachaturyan, R.; Schultheiß, J.; Ossipov, A.; Daniels, J. E.; Koruza, J.

    2018-04-01

    Consecutive stochastic 90° polarization switching events, clearly resolved in recent experiments, are described by a nucleation and growth multistep model. It extends the classical Kolmogorov-Avrami-Ishibashi approach and includes possible consecutive 90°- and parallel 180° switching events. The model predicts the results of simultaneous time-resolved macroscopic measurements of polarization and strain, performed on a tetragonal Pb (Zr ,Ti ) O3 ceramic in a wide range of electric fields over a time domain of seven orders of magnitude. It allows the determination of the fractions of individual switching processes, their characteristic switching times, activation fields, and respective Avrami indices.

  19. The increased importance of sector switching

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frederiksen, Anders; Hansen, Jesper Rosenberg

    2017-01-01

    Sector switching is an important phenomenon that casts light on public–private differences. Yet our knowledge about its prevalence and trends is limited. We study sector switching using unique Danish register-based employer–employee data covering more than 25 years. We find that sector switching...... constitutes 18.5% of all job-to-job mobility, and the trend is increasing both from public to private and from private to public. Sector switching is also generally increasing for middle managers, but for administrative professionals only the flows from private to public increase and for top managers only...... the flows from public to private increase....

  20. Is the Chilean Diet a Mediterranean-type Diet?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    JAIME ROZOWSKI

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Food intake in Chile has changed markedly in the last decades, showing an increase in fat consumption and presently a small fruit and vegetables intake. A parallel is made between the Chilean and Mediterranean diet (mainly the one from Spain, Italy, and Greece, both currently and from 50 years ago. The main differences and similarities are based on food availability. Although Chilean diet seems to be approaching the traditional Mediterranean diet of the 60's, there is concern about changes that are moving away from Chilean traditional diet and towards a western one. A new food pyramid for Chile is proposed based on the traditional Mediterranean-type diet

  1. Reduction of garbage in the diet of nonbreeding glaucous gulls corresponding to a change in waste management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiser, Emily L.; Powell, Abby N.

    2011-01-01

    Glaucous gulls (Larus hyperboreus) are major predators in the Arctic and may benefit from human development. We studied use of garbage by glaucous gulls in Barrow, Alaska, in 2007, when municipal waste was disposed of in a landfill, and in 2008, when it was incinerated. In both years, diet samples from breeding adult gulls contained less garbage than those from loafing nonbreeding gulls (mostly subadults of less than four years), possibly because the breeding colony was more distant than many loafing sites from the landfills. Although breeding gull samples showed no change, garbage in regurgitated pellets and food remains of nonbreeding gulls was significantly less prevalent in 2008 than in 2007 (28% vs. 43% occurrence in diet samples), and this reduction could be explained by the switch from landfill to waste incineration. Yet garbage remained a substantial part of nonbreeding gull diet after the management change. Other aspects of waste management, such as storage prior to disposal, may also be important in limiting scavengers’ access to garbage and thus reducing the indirect impact of human development on prey species of conservation concern.

  2. DETERMINANT OF DOWNWARD AUDITOR SWITCHING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Totok Budisantoso

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract: Determinant of Downward Auditor Switching. This study examines the factors that influence downward auditor switching in five ASEAN countries. Fixed effect logistic regression was used as analytical method. This study found that opinion shopping occurred in ASEAN, especially in distress companies. Companies with complex businesses will retain the Big Four auditors to reduce complexity and audit costs. Audit and public committees serve as guardians of auditor quality. On the other hand, shareholders failed to maintain audit quality. It indicates that there is entrenchment effect in auditor switching.

  3. Med Diet 4.0: the Mediterranean diet with four sustainable benefits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dernini, S; Berry, E M; Serra-Majem, L; La Vecchia, C; Capone, R; Medina, F X; Aranceta-Bartrina, J; Belahsen, R; Burlingame, B; Calabrese, G; Corella, D; Donini, L M; Lairon, D; Meybeck, A; Pekcan, A G; Piscopo, S; Yngve, A; Trichopoulou, A

    2017-05-01

    To characterize the multiple dimensions and benefits of the Mediterranean diet as a sustainable diet, in order to revitalize this intangible food heritage at the country level; and to develop a multidimensional framework - the Med Diet 4.0 - in which four sustainability benefits of the Mediterranean diet are presented in parallel: major health and nutrition benefits, low environmental impacts and richness in biodiversity, high sociocultural food values, and positive local economic returns. A narrative review was applied at the country level to highlight the multiple sustainable benefits of the Mediterranean diet into a single multidimensional framework: the Med Diet 4.0. Setting/subjects We included studies published in English in peer-reviewed journals that contained data on the characterization of sustainable diets and of the Mediterranean diet. The methodological framework approach was finalized through a series of meetings, workshops and conferences where the framework was presented, discussed and ultimately refined. The Med Diet 4.0 provides a conceptual multidimensional framework to characterize the Mediterranean diet as a sustainable diet model, by applying principles of sustainability to the Mediterranean diet. By providing a broader understanding of the many sustainable benefits of the Mediterranean diet, the Med Diet 4.0 can contribute to the revitalization of the Mediterranean diet by improving its current perception not only as a healthy diet but also a sustainable lifestyle model, with country-specific and culturally appropriate variations. It also takes into account the identity and diversity of food cultures and systems, expressed within the notion of the Mediterranean diet, across the Mediterranean region and in other parts of the world. Further multidisciplinary studies are needed for the assessment of the sustainability of the Mediterranean diet to include these new dimensions.

  4. Contraceptive method switching in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grady, William R; Billy, John O G; Klepinger, Daniel H

    2002-01-01

    Switching among contraceptive method types is the primary determinant of the prevalence of use of specific contraceptive methods, and it has direct implications for women's ability to avoid unintended pregnancies. Yet, method switching among U.S. women has received little attention from researchers. Data from the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth were used to construct multiple-decrement life tables to explore the gross switching rates of married and unmarried women. Within each group, discrete-time hazard models were estimated to determine how women's characteristics affect their switching behavior. Overall rates of method switching are high among both married and unmarried women (40% and 61%, respectively). Married women's two-year switching rates vary from 30% among women who use the implant, injectable, IUD or other reversible methods to 43% among nonusers, while unmarried women's rates vary from 33% among women who use the implant, injectable or IUD to 70% among nonusers. Multivariate analyses of method switching according to women's characteristics indicate that among married women, women without children are less likely than other women to adopt sterilization or a long-term reversible contraceptive (the implant, injectable or IUD). Older married women have a higher rate than their younger counterparts of switching to sterilization, but are also more likely to continue using no method. Among unmarried women, younger and more highly educated women have high rates of switching to the condom and to dual methods. Women's method switching decisions may be driven primarily by concerns related to level and duration of contraceptive effectiveness, health risks associated with contraceptive use and, among single women, sexually transmitted disease prevention.

  5. A Novel Silicon-based Wideband RF Nano Switch Matrix Cell and the Fabrication of RF Nano Switch Structures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi Xiu YANG

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the concept of RF nano switch matrix cell and the fabrication of RF nano switch. The nano switch matrix cell can be implemented into complex switch matrix for signal routing. RF nano switch is the decision unit for the matrix cell; in this research, it is fabricated on a tri-layer high-resistivity-silicon substrate using surface micromachining approach. Electron beam lithography is introduced to define the pattern and IC compatible deposition process is used to construct the metal layers. Silicon-based nano switch fabricated by IC compatible process can lead to a high potential of system integration to perform a cost effective system-on-a-chip solution. In this paper, simulation results of the designed matrix cell are presented; followed by the details of the nano structure fabrication and fabrication challenges optimizations; finally, measurements of the fabricated nano structure along with analytical discussions are also discussed.

  6. Sodium in diet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diet - sodium (salt); Hyponatremia - sodium in diet; Hypernatremia - sodium in diet; Heart failure - sodium in diet ... Too much sodium in the diet may lead to: High blood pressure in some people A serious buildup of fluid in people with heart failure , cirrhosis of ...

  7. Gas adsorption/absorption heat switch, phase 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, C. K.

    1987-01-01

    The service life and/or reliability of far-infrared sensors on surveillance satellites is presently limited by the cryocooler. The life and/or reliability, however, can be extended by using redundant cryocoolers. To reduce parasitic heat leak, each stage of the inactive redundant cryocooler must be thermally isolated from the optical system, while each stage of the active cryocooler must be thermally connected to the system. The thermal break or the thermal contact can be controlled by heat switches. Among different physical mechanisms for heat switching, mechanically activated heat switches tend to have low reliability and, furthermore, require a large contact force. Magnetoresistive heat switches are, except at very low temperatures, of very low efficiency. Heat switches operated by the heat pipe principle usually require a long response time. A sealed gas gap heat switch operated by an adsorption pump has no mechanical motion and should provide the reliability and long lifetime required in long-term space missions. Another potential application of a heat switch is the thermal isolation of the optical plane during decontamination.

  8. Reluctance motor employing superconducting magnetic flux switches

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spyker, R.L.; Ruckstadter, E.J.

    1992-01-01

    This paper reports that superconducting flux switches controlling the magnetic flux in the poles of a motor will enable the implementation of a reluctance motor using one central single phase winding. A superconducting flux switch consists of a ring of superconducting material surrounding a ferromagnetic pole of the motor. When in the superconducting state the switch will block all magnetic flux attempting to flow in the ferromagnetic core. When switched to the normal state the superconducting switch will allow the magnetic flux to flow freely in that pole. By using one high turns-count coil as a flux generator, and selectively channeling flux among the various poles using the superconducting flux switch, 3-phase operation can be emulated with a single-hase central AC source. The motor will also operate when the flux generating coil is driven by a DC current, provided the magnetic flux switches see a continuously varying magnetic flux. Rotor rotation provides this varying flux due to the change in stator pole inductance it produces

  9. Diet shifts during egg laying: Implications for measuring contaminants in bird eggs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morrissey, Christy A. [Catchment Research Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX (United Kingdom); Elliott, John E. [Pacific Wildlife Research Centre, Environment Canada, 5421 Robertson Road, Delta, British Columbia V4K 3N2 (Canada); Ormerod, Stephen J., E-mail: ormerod@cf.ac.u [Catchment Research Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX (United Kingdom)

    2010-02-15

    We combined stable isotope tracers of blood plasma, blood cells and egg contents with faecal analysis during pre-breeding and egg laying phases in two dipper species Cinclus cinclus and Cinclus mexicanus to determine the occurrence of dietary shifts during egg production and to assess consequences for egg contaminant loads. In both species, changes in delta{sup 13}C (C. cinclus) or delta{sup 15}N (C. mexicanus) in female plasma relative to red blood cells indicated a dietary shift during laying that was not observed in males. Eurasian dippers increased prey consumption as breeding approached, shifting from primarily trichopteran insect larvae to ephemeropterans and plecopterans. In American dippers, egg-laying females switched to feeding at a higher trophic level by consuming more fish. Eggs derived from higher trophic level diets contained more mercury (American dipper), polychlorinated biphenyls and some organochlorines, especially DDT metabolites. The results demonstrate how dietary changes during egg laying accompany the demands for egg production with consequences for contaminant deposition in avian eggs. - Changes in laying diet influences contaminant deposition in bird eggs.

  10. Diet shifts during egg laying: Implications for measuring contaminants in bird eggs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morrissey, Christy A.; Elliott, John E.; Ormerod, Stephen J.

    2010-01-01

    We combined stable isotope tracers of blood plasma, blood cells and egg contents with faecal analysis during pre-breeding and egg laying phases in two dipper species Cinclus cinclus and Cinclus mexicanus to determine the occurrence of dietary shifts during egg production and to assess consequences for egg contaminant loads. In both species, changes in δ 13 C (C. cinclus) or δ 15 N (C. mexicanus) in female plasma relative to red blood cells indicated a dietary shift during laying that was not observed in males. Eurasian dippers increased prey consumption as breeding approached, shifting from primarily trichopteran insect larvae to ephemeropterans and plecopterans. In American dippers, egg-laying females switched to feeding at a higher trophic level by consuming more fish. Eggs derived from higher trophic level diets contained more mercury (American dipper), polychlorinated biphenyls and some organochlorines, especially DDT metabolites. The results demonstrate how dietary changes during egg laying accompany the demands for egg production with consequences for contaminant deposition in avian eggs. - Changes in laying diet influences contaminant deposition in bird eggs.

  11. High voltage disconnect switch position monitoring

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Crampton, S W

    1983-08-01

    Unreliable position indication on high-voltage (HV) disconnect switches can result in equipment damage worth many times the cost of a disconnect switch. The benefits and limitations of a number of possible methods of reliably monitoring HV disconnect switches are assessed. Several methods of powering active devices at HV are noted. It is concluded that the most reliable way of monitoring switch position at reasonable cost would use a passive hermetically-sealed blade-position sensor located at HV, with a fibre-optic link between HV and ground. Separate sensors would be used for open and closed position indication. For maximum reliability the fibre-optic link would continue into the relay building. A passive magnetically actuated fibre-optic sensor has been built which demonstrates the feasibility of the concept. The sensor monitors blade position relative to the jaws in three dimensions with high resolution. A design for an improved passive magneto-optic sensor has significantly lower optical losses, allowing a single fibre-optic loop and 3 sensors to monitor closure of all phases of a disconnect switch. A similar loop would monitor switch opening. The improved sensor has a solid copper housing to provide greater immunity to fault currents, and to protect it from the environment and from physical damage. Two methods of providing a protected path for fibre-optics passing from HV to ground are proposed, one using a hollow porcelain switch-support insulator and the other using an additional small-diameter polymer insulator with optical fibres imbedded in its fibreglass core. A number of improvements are recommended which can be made to existing switches to increase their reliability. 16 refs., 13 figs., 1 tab.

  12. Pulsed laser triggered high speed microfluidic switch

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Ting-Hsiang; Gao, Lanyu; Chen, Yue; Wei, Kenneth; Chiou, Pei-Yu

    2008-10-01

    We report a high-speed microfluidic switch capable of achieving a switching time of 10 μs. The switching mechanism is realized by exciting dynamic vapor bubbles with focused laser pulses in a microfluidic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) channel. The bubble expansion deforms the elastic PDMS channel wall and squeezes the adjacent sample channel to control its fluid and particle flows as captured by the time-resolved imaging system. A switching of polystyrene microspheres in a Y-shaped channel has also been demonstrated. This ultrafast laser triggered switching mechanism has the potential to advance the sorting speed of state-of-the-art microscale fluorescence activated cell sorting devices.

  13. Characterization of the Mamestra configurata (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larval midgut protease complement and adaptation to feeding on artificial diet, Brassica species, and protease inhibitor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erlandson, Martin A; Hegedus, Dwayne D; Baldwin, Douglas; Noakes, Amy; Toprak, Umut

    2010-10-01

    The midgut protease profiles from 5th instar Mamestra configurata larvae fed various diets (standard artificial diet, low protein diet, low protein diet with soybean trypsin inhibitor [SBTI], or Brassica napus) were characterized by one-dimensional enzymography in gelatin gels. The gut protease profile of larvae fed B. napus possessed protease activities of molecular masses of approximately 33 and 55 kDa, which were not present in the guts of larvae fed artificial diet. Similarly, larvae fed artificial diet had protease activities of molecular masses of approximately 21, 30, and 100 kDa that were absent in larvae fed B. napus. Protease profiles changed within 12 to 24 h after switching larvae from artificial diet to plant diet and vice versa. The gut protease profiles from larvae fed various other brassicaceous species and lines having different secondary metabolite profiles did not differ despite significant differences in larval growth rates on the different host plants. Genes encoding putative digestive proteolytic enzymes, including four carboxypeptidases, five aminopeptidases, and 48 serine proteases, were identified in cDNA libraries from 4th instar M. configurata midgut tissue. Many of the protease-encoding genes were expressed at similar levels on all diets; however, three chymoptrypsin-like genes (McSP23, McSP27, and McSP37) were expressed at much higher levels on standard artificial diet and diet containing SBTI as was the trypsin-like gene McSP34. The expression of the trypsin-like gene McSP50 was highest on B. napus. The adaptation of M. configurata digestive biochemistry to different diets is discussed in the context of the flexibility of polyphagous insects to changing diet sources.

  14. Study of the Switching Errors in an RSFQ Switch by Using a Computerized Test Setup

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Se Hoon; Baek, Seung Hun; Yang, Jung Kuk; Kim, Jun Ho; Kang, Joon Hee

    2005-01-01

    The problem of fluctuation-induced digital errors in a rapid single flux quantum (RSFQ) circuit has been a very important issue. In this work, we calculated the bit error rate of an RSFQ switch used in superconductive arithmetic logic unit (ALU). RSFQ switch should have a very low error rate in the optimal bias. Theoretical estimates of the RSFQ error rate are on the order of 10 -50 per bit operation. In this experiment, we prepared two identical circuits placed in parallel. Each circuit was composed of 10 Josephson transmission lines (JTLs) connected in series with an RSFQ switch placed in the middle of the 10 JTLs. We used a splitter to feed the same input signal to both circuits. The outputs of the two circuits were compared with an RSFQ exclusive OR (XOR) to measure the bit error rate of the RSFQ switch. By using a computerized bit-error-rate test setup, we measured the bit error rate of 2.18 x 10 -12 when the bias to the RSFQ switch was 0.398 mA that was quite off from the optimum bias of 0.6 mA.

  15. Stochastic Switching Dynamics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Simonsen, Maria

    This thesis treats stochastic systems with switching dynamics. Models with these characteristics are studied from several perspectives. Initially in a simple framework given in the form of stochastic differential equations and, later, in an extended form which fits into the framework of sliding...... mode control. It is investigated how to understand and interpret solutions to models of switched systems, which are exposed to discontinuous dynamics and uncertainties (primarily) in the form of white noise. The goal is to gain knowledge about the performance of the system by interpreting the solution...

  16. Monitoring Mellanox Infiniband SX6036 switches

    CERN Document Server

    Agapiou, Marinos

    2017-01-01

    The SX6036 switches addressed by my project, are part of a fully non-blocking fat-tree cluster consisting of 72 servers and 6 Mellanox SX6036 Infiniband switches. My project is about retrieving the appropriate metrics from the Infiniband switch cluster, ingesting the data to Collectd and after my data are being transfered to CERN Database, they are being visualized via Grafana Dashboards.

  17. Optical switches based on surface plasmons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Cong; Wang Pei; Yuan Guanghui; Wang Xiaolei; Min Changjun; Deng Yan; Lu Yonghua; Ming Hai

    2008-01-01

    Great attention is being paid to surface plasmons (SPs) because of their potential applications in sensors, data storage and bio-photonics. Recently, more and more optical switches based on surface plasmon effects have been demonstrated either by simulation or experimentally. This article describes the principles, advantages and disadvantages of various types of optical switches based on SPs, in particular the all-optical switches. (authors)

  18. A new switched power linac structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Villa, F.

    1989-03-01

    A new pulse power structure has been described that utilizes an easily accessible rectilinear switch. The new structure is more ''forgiving'' (as far as risetime is concerned) than the radial line transformer, and contains fewer switching structures/unit length. The combination of the new structure with the switch proposed seems to offer interesting possibilities for a future linear collider. 13 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs

  19. Mediterranean diet

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000110.htm Mediterranean diet To use the sharing features on this page, ... and other health problems. How to Follow the Diet The Mediterranean diet is based on: Plant-based ...

  20. Photo-stimulated resistive switching of ZnO nanorods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Jinjoo; Lee, Seunghyup; Yong, Kijung

    2012-01-01

    Resistive switching memory devices are promising candidates for emerging memory technologies because they yield outstanding device performance. Storage mechanisms for achieving high-density memory applications have been developed; however, so far many of them exhibit typical resistive switching behavior from the limited controlling conditions. In this study, we introduce photons as an unconventional stimulus for activating resistive switching behaviors. First, we compare the resistive switching behavior in light and dark conditions to describe how resistive switching memories can benefit from photons. Second, we drive the switching of resistance not by the electrical stimulus but only by the modulation of photon. ZnO nanorods were employed as a model system to demonstrate photo-stimulated resistive switching in high-surface-area nanomaterials, in which photo-driven surface states strongly affect their photoconductivity and resistance states. (paper)

  1. The Transistor as Low Level Switch

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lyden, Anders

    1963-10-15

    The common collector transistor switch has in the on state with open emitter a certain offset voltage U{sub EK} {approx_equal} -kT/qB{sub N}. This expression is derived in a new, more physical way. It is further shown at which emitter current the current amplification factor B{sub N} should be measured to get a correct value for the above expression. The collector current I at zero collector voltage I{sub K} = I{sub 0}(exp(qU{sub E}/kT) - 1) extremely well. Substitution of I{sub EBO} and I{sub KBO} by I{sub 0} in Eber's and Moll's relations consequently improves these equations and the characteristics of the transistor switch can be better determined. At switching on and off transients appear across the switch. The influence of the 'spike' at switching off can be described by an current I{sub SPIKE} which is easy to calculate. I{sub SPIKE} is approximately dependent only on the base - emitter depletion layer capacitance and the chopper frequency f{sub 0}. Some compensated switches have lower drift than the drift in U{sub EK}. They may, for example, have a temperature drift < 0.2 {mu}V/deg C and a long time drift < 2 {mu}V/week. Some compensated switches also have I{sub SPIKE} < 10{sup -12} f{sub 0}A. The static offset current in the off state can easily be made < 10{sup -12} A.

  2. Proton-Controlled Organic Microlaser Switch.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Zhenhua; Zhang, Wei; Yan, Yongli; Yi, Jun; Dong, Haiyun; Wang, Kang; Yao, Jiannian; Zhao, Yong Sheng

    2018-05-25

    Microscale laser switches have been playing irreplaceable roles in the development of photonic devices with high integration levels. However, it remains a challenge to switch the lasing wavelengths across a wide range due to relatively fixed energy bands in traditional semiconductors. Here, we report a strategy to switch the lasing wavelengths among multiple states based on a proton-controlled intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) process in organic dye-doped flexible microsphere resonant cavities. The protonic acids can effectively bind onto the ICT molecules, which thus enhance the ICT strength of the dyes and lead to a red-shifted gain behavior. On this basis, the gain region was effectively modulated by using acids with different proton-donating ability, and as a result, laser switching among multiple wavelengths was achieved. The results will provide guidance for the rational design of miniaturized lasers with performances based on the characteristic of organic optoelectronic materials.

  3. Multi-planed unified switching topologies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Dong; Heidelberger, Philip; Sugawara, Yutaka

    2017-07-04

    An apparatus and method for extending the scalability and improving the partitionability of networks that contain all-to-all links for transporting packet traffic from a source endpoint to a destination endpoint with low per-endpoint (per-server) cost and a small number of hops. An all-to-all wiring in the baseline topology is decomposed into smaller all-to-all components in which each smaller all-to-all connection is replaced with star topology by using global switches. Stacking multiple copies of the star topology baseline network creates a multi-planed switching topology for transporting packet traffic. Point-to-point unified stacking method using global switch wiring methods connects multiple planes of a baseline topology by using the global switches to create a large network size with a low number of hops, i.e., low network latency. Grouped unified stacking method increases the scalability (network size) of a stacked topology.

  4. Low prepulse, high power density water dielectric switching

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, D.L.; VanDevender, J.P.; Martin, T.H.

    1979-01-01

    Prepulse voltage suppression has proven difficult in high power, high voltage accelerators employing self-breakdown water dielectric switches. A novel and cost effective water switch has been developed at Sandia Laboratories which reduces prepulse voltage by reducing the capacity across the switch. This prepulse suppression switch causes energy formerly stored in the switch capacity and dissipated in the arc to be useful output energy. The switching technique also allows the pulse forming lines to be stacked in parallel and electrically isolated from the load after the line has been discharged. The switch consists of a ground plane, with several holes, inserted between the switch electrodes. The output line switch electrodes extend through the holes and face electrodes on the pulse forming line (PFL). The capacity between the PFL and the output transmission line is reduced by about 80%. The gap spacing between the output line electrode and the hole in the ground plane is adjusted so that breakdown occurs after the main pulse and provides a crow bar between the load and the source. Performance data from the Proto II, Mite and Ripple test facilities are presented

  5. Diet induced thermogenesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Westerterp KR

    2004-08-01

    Full Text Available Objective Daily energy expenditure consists of three components: basal metabolic rate, diet-induced thermogenesis and the energy cost of physical activity. Here, data on diet-induced thermogenesis are reviewed in relation to measuring conditions and characteristics of the diet. Methods Measuring conditions include nutritional status of the subject, physical activity and duration of the observation. Diet characteristics are energy content and macronutrient composition. Results Most studies measure diet-induced thermogenesis as the increase in energy expenditure above basal metabolic rate. Generally, the hierarchy in macronutrient oxidation in the postprandial state is reflected similarly in diet-induced thermogenesis, with the sequence alcohol, protein, carbohydrate, and fat. A mixed diet consumed at energy balance results in a diet induced energy expenditure of 5 to 15 % of daily energy expenditure. Values are higher at a relatively high protein and alcohol consumption and lower at a high fat consumption. Protein induced thermogenesis has an important effect on satiety. In conclusion, the main determinants of diet-induced thermogenesis are the energy content and the protein- and alcohol fraction of the diet. Protein plays a key role in body weight regulation through satiety related to diet-induced thermogenesis.

  6. Feed efficiency differences and reranking in beef steers fed grower and finisher diets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durunna, O N; Mujibi, F D N; Goonewardene, L; Okine, E K; Basarab, J A; Wang, Z; Moore, S S

    2011-01-01

    This 3-yr study used 490 steers to determine whether feedlot steers changed their feed efficiency (FE) ranking when fed a grower diet, then a finisher diet. The steers were crossbreds and were between 5 to 7 mo of age. There were 2 feeding periods each year. Within each year, approximately 90 steers had their diet switched from a grower to a finisher diet (feed-swap group), whereas another 90 steers were fed either the grower (grower-fed group) or the finisher (finisher-fed group) diet throughout the feeding trial. Each feeding test lasted for a minimum of 10 wk, and all steers were fed ad libitum. Individual animal feed intakes were collected using the GrowSafe feeding system, and BW were measured every 2 wk. Residual feed intake (RFI), G:F, and Kleiber ratio (KR) were computed at the end of each feeding period. For each measure of efficiency, animals were classified as low, medium, or high based on 0.5 SD from the mean. The majority of steers did not maintain the previous efficiency class in the second period. Approximately 58, 51, and 51% of steers in the feed-swap group, finisher-fed group, and the grower-fed group, respectively, changed their RFI measure by 0.5 SD. A low rank correlation occurred in all test groups but was less in the feed-swap group. Spearman rank correlations between the 2 feeding periods in the feed-swap group were 0.33, 0.20, and 0.31 for RFI, G:F, and KR, respectively. Classifications based on G:F and KR showed that a greater number of steers (P 0.05) between the proportions of individuals that changed or maintained their FE class. In the groups without a feed-swap, there was no difference (P > 0.05) in the proportion of steers that changed or maintained the same FE class for all FE measures. Our results suggest that diet type and feeding period affect the FE ranking in beef steers. A feedlot diet is ideal for evaluating the FE potential of steers for feedlot profitability; however, we suggest that tests involving less dense diets should

  7. High-explosive driven crowbar switch

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dike, R.S.; Kewish, R.W. Jr.

    1976-01-01

    The disclosure relates to a compact explosive driven switch for use as a low resistance, low inductance crowbar switch. A high-explosive charge extrudes a deformable conductive metallic plate through a polyethylene insulating layer to achieve a hard current contact with a supportive annular conductor

  8. Switched-mode power supply apparatus and method

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    2013-01-01

    The present invention relates to a switched-mode power supply apparatus and a corresponding method. For an effective compensation of non-linearities caused by dead- time and voltage drops in the switching power amplifier of the apparatus, an apparatus is proposed comprising a switching power

  9. Switched-mode power supply apparatus and method

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    2013-01-01

    The present invention relates to a switched-mode power supply apparatus and a corresponding method. For an effective compensation of non-linearities caused by dead-time and voltage drops in the switching power amplifier of the apparatus, an apparatus is proposed comprising a switching power

  10. Control and synchronisation in switched arrival systems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rem, B.; Armbruster, H.D.

    2003-01-01

    A chaotic model of a production flow called the switched arrival system is extended to include switching times and maintenance. The probability distribution of the chaotic return times is calculated. Scheduling maintenance, loss of production due to switching, and control of the chaotic dynamics is

  11. Switching away from pipotiazine palmitate: a naturalistic study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mustafa, Feras Ali

    2017-01-01

    In March 2015, pipotiazine palmitate depot antipsychotic was globally withdrawn due to the shortage of its active ingredient. Thus, all patients receiving this medication had to be switched to an alternative antipsychotic drug. In this study we set to evaluate the process of switching away from pipotiazine palmitate within our clinical service, and its impact on hospitalization. Demographic and clinical data on patients who were receiving pipotiazine palmitate in Northamptonshire at the time of its withdrawal were anonymously extracted from their electronic records and analyzed using descriptive statistics. A total of 17 patients were switched away from pipotiazine palmitate at the time of its withdrawal, all of whom had a prior history of nonadherence with oral treatment. A total of 14 patients were switched to another depot antipsychotic drug, while three patients chose an oral alternative which they subsequently discontinued resulting in relapse and hospitalization. There was a five-fold increase in mean hospitalization among patients who completed a year after the switch. Switching away from pipotiazine palmitate was associated with significant clinical deterioration in patients who switched to an oral antipsychotic, whereas most patients who switched to another depot treatment maintained stability. Clinicians should exercise caution when switching patients with schizophrenia away from depot antipsychotic drugs, especially in cases of patients with a history of treatment nonadherence who prefer to switch to oral antipsychotics.

  12. IGBT: a solid state switch

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chatroux, D.; Maury, J.; Hennevin, B.

    1993-01-01

    A Copper Vapour Laser Power Supply has been designed using a solid state switch consisting in eighteen Isolated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBT), -1200 volts, 400 Amps, each-in parallel. This paper presents the Isolated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBTs) replaced in the Power Electronic components evolution, and describes the IGBT conduction mechanism, presents the parallel association of IGBTs, and studies the application of these components to a Copper Vapour Laser Power Supply. The storage capacitor voltage is 820 volts, the peak current of the solid state switch is 17.000 Amps. The switch is connected on the primary of a step-up transformer, followed by a magnetic modulator. The reset of the magnetic modulator is provided by part of the laser reflected energy with a patented circuit. The charging circuit is a resonant circuit with a charge controlled by an IGBT switch. When the switch is open, the inductance energy is free-wheeled by an additional winding and does not extend the charging phase of the storage capacitor. The design allows the storage capacitor voltage to be very well regulated. This circuit is also patented. The electric pulse in the laser has 30.000 Volt peak voltage, 2000 Amp peak current, and is 200 nanoseconds long, for a 200 Watt optical power Copper Vapour Laser

  13. Interallelic class switch recombination contributes significantly to class switching in mouse B cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reynaud, Stéphane; Delpy, Laurent; Fleury, Laurence; Dougier, Hei-Lanne; Sirac, Christophe; Cogné, Michel

    2005-05-15

    Except for the expression of IgM and IgD, DNA recombination is constantly needed for the expression of other Ig classes and subclasses. The predominant path of class switch recombination (CSR) is intrachromosomal, and the looping-out and deletion model has been abundantly documented. However, switch regions also occasionally constitute convenient substrates for interchromosomal recombination, since it is noticeably the case in a number of chromosomal translocations causing oncogene deregulation in the course of lymphoma and myeloma. Although asymmetric accessibility of Ig alleles should theoretically limit its occurrence, interallelic CSR was shown to occur at low levels during IgA switching in rabbit, where the definition of allotypes within both V and C regions helped identify interchromosomally derived Ig. Thus, we wished to evaluate precisely interallelic CSR frequency in mouse B cells, by using a system in which only one allele (of b allotype) could express a functional VDJ region, whereas only interallelic CSR could restore expression of an excluded (a allotype) allele. In our study, we show that interchromosomal recombination of V(H) and Cgamma or Calpha occurs in vivo in B cells at a frequency that makes a significant contribution to physiological class switching: trans-association of V(H) and C(H) genes accounted for 7% of all alpha mRNA, and this frequency was about twice higher for the gamma3 transcripts, despite the much shorter distance between the J(H) region and the Cgamma3 gene, thus confirming that this phenomenon corresponded to site-specific switching and not to random recombination between long homologous loci.

  14. The Application of High Temperature Superconducting Materials to Power Switches

    CERN Document Server

    March, S A; Ballarino, A

    2009-01-01

    Superconducting switches may find application in superconducting magnet systems that require energy extraction. Such superconducting switches could be bypass-switches that are operated in conjunction with a parallel resistor or dump-switches where all of the energy is dissipated in the switch itself. Bypass-switches are more suited to higher energy circuits as a portion of the energy can be dissipated in the external dump resistor. Dump- switches require less material and triggering energy as a lower switch resistance is needed to achieve the required total dump resistance. Both superconducting bypass-switches and superconducting dump-switches can be ther- mally activated. Switching times that are comparable to those obtained with mechanical bypass-switch systems can be achieved using a co-wound heater that is powered by a ca- pacitor discharge. Switches that have fast thermal diffusion times through the insulation can be modelled as a lumped system whereas those with slow thermal diffusion times were modelle...

  15. Behavioral plasticity through the modulation of switch neurons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vassiliades, Vassilis; Christodoulou, Chris

    2016-02-01

    A central question in artificial intelligence is how to design agents capable of switching between different behaviors in response to environmental changes. Taking inspiration from neuroscience, we address this problem by utilizing artificial neural networks (NNs) as agent controllers, and mechanisms such as neuromodulation and synaptic gating. The novel aspect of this work is the introduction of a type of artificial neuron we call "switch neuron". A switch neuron regulates the flow of information in NNs by selectively gating all but one of its incoming synaptic connections, effectively allowing only one signal to propagate forward. The allowed connection is determined by the switch neuron's level of modulatory activation which is affected by modulatory signals, such as signals that encode some information about the reward received by the agent. An important aspect of the switch neuron is that it can be used in appropriate "switch modules" in order to modulate other switch neurons. As we show, the introduction of the switch modules enables the creation of sequences of gating events. This is achieved through the design of a modulatory pathway capable of exploring in a principled manner all permutations of the connections arriving on the switch neurons. We test the model by presenting appropriate architectures in nonstationary binary association problems and T-maze tasks. The results show that for all tasks, the switch neuron architectures generate optimal adaptive behaviors, providing evidence that the switch neuron model could be a valuable tool in simulations where behavioral plasticity is required. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Mechanism of single atom switch on silicon

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Quaade, Ulrich; Stokbro, Kurt; Thirstrup, C.

    1998-01-01

    We demonstrate single atom switch on silicon which operates by displacement of a hydrogen atom on the silicon (100) surface at room temperature. We find two principal effects by which the switch is controlled: a pronounced maximum of the switching probability as function of sample bias...

  17. Caffeine improves anticipatory processes in task switching

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tieges, Zoe; Snel, Jan; Kok, Albert; Wijnen, Jasper G.; Lorist, Monicque M.; Ridderinkhof, K. Richard

    We studied the effects of moderate amounts of caffeine on task switching and task maintenance using mixed-task (AABB) blocks, in which participants alternated predictably between two tasks, and single-task (AAAA, BBBB) blocks. Switch costs refer to longer reaction times (RT) on task switch trials

  18. Denoising of genetic switches based on Parrondo's paradox

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fotoohinasab, Atiyeh; Fatemizadeh, Emad; Pezeshk, Hamid; Sadeghi, Mehdi

    2018-03-01

    Random decision making in genetic switches can be modeled as tossing a biased coin. In other word, each genetic switch can be considered as a game in which the reactive elements compete with each other to increase their molecular concentrations. The existence of a very small number of reactive element molecules has caused the neglect of effects of noise to be inevitable. Noise can lead to undesirable cell fate in cellular differentiation processes. In this paper, we study the robustness to noise in genetic switches by considering another switch to have a new gene regulatory network (GRN) in which both switches have been affected by the same noise and for this purpose, we will use Parrondo's paradox. We introduce two networks of games based on possible regulatory relations between genes. Our results show that the robustness to noise can increase by combining these noisy switches. We also describe how one of the switches in network II can model lysis/lysogeny decision making of bacteriophage lambda in Escherichia coli and we change its fate by another switch.

  19. Exploring the repetition bias in voluntary task switching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mittelstädt, Victor; Dignath, David; Schmidt-Ott, Magdalena; Kiesel, Andrea

    2018-01-01

    In the voluntary task-switching paradigm, participants are required to randomly select tasks. We reasoned that the consistent finding of a repetition bias (i.e., participants repeat tasks more often than expected by chance) reflects reasonable adaptive task selection behavior to balance the goal of random task selection with the goals to minimize the time and effort for task performance. We conducted two experiments in which participants were provided with variable amount of preview for the non-chosen task stimuli (i.e., potential switch stimuli). We assumed that switch stimuli would initiate some pre-processing resulting in improved performance in switch trials. Results showed that reduced switch costs due to extra-preview in advance of each trial were accompanied by more task switches. This finding is in line with the characteristics of rational adaptive behavior. However, participants were not biased to switch tasks more often than chance despite large switch benefits. We suggest that participants might avoid effortful additional control processes that modulate the effects of preview on task performance and task choice.

  20. Multiuser switched diversity scheduling schemes

    KAUST Repository

    Shaqfeh, Mohammad; Alnuweiri, Hussein M.; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

    2012-01-01

    Multiuser switched-diversity scheduling schemes were recently proposed in order to overcome the heavy feedback requirements of conventional opportunistic scheduling schemes by applying a threshold-based, distributed, and ordered scheduling mechanism. The main idea behind these schemes is that slight reduction in the prospected multiuser diversity gains is an acceptable trade-off for great savings in terms of required channel-state-information feedback messages. In this work, we characterize the achievable rate region of multiuser switched diversity systems and compare it with the rate region of full feedback multiuser diversity systems. We propose also a novel proportional fair multiuser switched-based scheduling scheme and we demonstrate that it can be optimized using a practical and distributed method to obtain the feedback thresholds. We finally demonstrate by numerical examples that switched-diversity scheduling schemes operate within 0.3 bits/sec/Hz from the ultimate network capacity of full feedback systems in Rayleigh fading conditions. © 2012 IEEE.

  1. Charge transport through molecular switches

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jan van der Molen, Sense; Liljeroth, Peter

    2010-01-01

    We review the fascinating research on charge transport through switchable molecules. In the past decade, detailed investigations have been performed on a great variety of molecular switches, including mechanically interlocked switches (rotaxanes and catenanes), redox-active molecules and photochromic switches (e.g. azobenzenes and diarylethenes). To probe these molecules, both individually and in self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), a broad set of methods have been developed. These range from low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) via two-terminal break junctions to larger scale SAM-based devices. It is generally found that the electronic coupling between molecules and electrodes has a profound influence on the properties of such molecular junctions. For example, an intrinsically switchable molecule may lose its functionality after it is contacted. Vice versa, switchable two-terminal devices may be created using passive molecules ('extrinsic switching'). Developing a detailed understanding of the relation between coupling and switchability will be of key importance for both future research and technology. (topical review)

  2. Charge transport through molecular switches

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jan van der Molen, Sense [Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratorium, Leiden University, Niels Bohrweg 2, 2333 CA Leiden (Netherlands); Liljeroth, Peter, E-mail: molen@physics.leidenuniv.n [Condensed Matter and Interfaces, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, University of Utrecht, PO Box 80000, 3508 TA Utrecht (Netherlands)

    2010-04-07

    We review the fascinating research on charge transport through switchable molecules. In the past decade, detailed investigations have been performed on a great variety of molecular switches, including mechanically interlocked switches (rotaxanes and catenanes), redox-active molecules and photochromic switches (e.g. azobenzenes and diarylethenes). To probe these molecules, both individually and in self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), a broad set of methods have been developed. These range from low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) via two-terminal break junctions to larger scale SAM-based devices. It is generally found that the electronic coupling between molecules and electrodes has a profound influence on the properties of such molecular junctions. For example, an intrinsically switchable molecule may lose its functionality after it is contacted. Vice versa, switchable two-terminal devices may be created using passive molecules ('extrinsic switching'). Developing a detailed understanding of the relation between coupling and switchability will be of key importance for both future research and technology. (topical review)

  3. Wide Bandgap Extrinsic Photoconductive Switches

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sullivan, James S. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

    2013-07-03

    Semi-insulating Gallium Nitride, 4H and 6H Silicon Carbide are attractive materials for compact, high voltage, extrinsic, photoconductive switches due to their wide bandgap, high dark resistance, high critical electric field strength and high electron saturation velocity. These wide bandgap semiconductors are made semi-insulating by the addition of vanadium (4H and 6HSiC) and iron (2H-GaN) impurities that form deep acceptors. These deep acceptors trap electrons donated from shallow donor impurities. The electrons can be optically excited from these deep acceptor levels into the conduction band to transition the wide bandgap semiconductor materials from a semi-insulating to a conducting state. Extrinsic photoconductive switches with opposing electrodes have been constructed using vanadium compensated 6H-SiC and iron compensated 2H-GaN. These extrinsic photoconductive switches were tested at high voltage and high power to determine if they could be successfully used as the closing switch in compact medical accelerators.

  4. Intrinsic nanofilamentation in resistive switching

    KAUST Repository

    Wu, Xing

    2013-03-15

    Resistive switching materials are promising candidates for nonvolatile data storage and reconfiguration of electronic applications. Intensive studies have been carried out on sandwiched metal-insulator-metal structures to achieve high density on-chip circuitry and non-volatile memory storage. Here, we provide insight into the mechanisms that govern highly reproducible controlled resistive switching via a nanofilament by using an asymmetric metal-insulator-semiconductor structure. In-situ transmission electron microscopy is used to study in real-time the physical structure and analyze the chemical composition of the nanofilament dynamically during resistive switching. Electrical stressing using an external voltage was applied by a tungsten tip to the nanosized devices having hafnium oxide (HfO2) as the insulator layer. The formation and rupture of the nanofilaments result in up to three orders of magnitude change in the current flowing through the dielectric during the switching event. Oxygen vacancies and metal atoms from the anode constitute the chemistry of the nanofilament.

  5. Multiuser switched diversity scheduling schemes

    KAUST Repository

    Shaqfeh, Mohammad

    2012-09-01

    Multiuser switched-diversity scheduling schemes were recently proposed in order to overcome the heavy feedback requirements of conventional opportunistic scheduling schemes by applying a threshold-based, distributed, and ordered scheduling mechanism. The main idea behind these schemes is that slight reduction in the prospected multiuser diversity gains is an acceptable trade-off for great savings in terms of required channel-state-information feedback messages. In this work, we characterize the achievable rate region of multiuser switched diversity systems and compare it with the rate region of full feedback multiuser diversity systems. We propose also a novel proportional fair multiuser switched-based scheduling scheme and we demonstrate that it can be optimized using a practical and distributed method to obtain the feedback thresholds. We finally demonstrate by numerical examples that switched-diversity scheduling schemes operate within 0.3 bits/sec/Hz from the ultimate network capacity of full feedback systems in Rayleigh fading conditions. © 2012 IEEE.

  6. Low-fiber diet

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... residue; Low-fiber diet; Fiber restricted diet; Crohn disease - low fiber diet; Ulcerative colitis - low fiber diet; ... them if they do not contain seeds or pulp: Yellow squash (without seeds) Spinach Pumpkin Eggplant Potatoes, ...

  7. Switch-attention (aka switch-reference in South-American temporal clauses: facilitating oral transmission

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rik van Gijn

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Cultures without a written tradition depend entirely on the oral channel to transmit sometimes highly complex information. It is therefore not surprising that in the languages of such cultures linguistic devices evolve that enhance textual coherence, and thus comprehension. These devices should ideally also be economical in terms of morphosyntactic complexity in order to facilitate both production and comprehension. In this paper, I will argue that switch-attention (a term preferred over the traditional switch-reference systems in temporal clauses fulfill these requirements of cohesion and complexity reduction, making them particularly apt for orally transmitting texts. Moreover, switch-reference systems seem to diffuse relatively easily. These features taken together are suggested to be (partly responsible for the widely attested phenomenon in areas without a lengthy written tradition.

  8. The influence of a short-term gluten-free diet on the human gut microbiome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonder, Marc Jan; Tigchelaar, Ettje F; Cai, Xianghang; Trynka, Gosia; Cenit, Maria C; Hrdlickova, Barbara; Zhong, Huanzi; Vatanen, Tommi; Gevers, Dirk; Wijmenga, Cisca; Wang, Yang; Zhernakova, Alexandra

    2016-04-21

    A gluten-free diet (GFD) is the most commonly adopted special diet worldwide. It is an effective treatment for coeliac disease and is also often followed by individuals to alleviate gastrointestinal complaints. It is known there is an important link between diet and the gut microbiome, but it is largely unknown how a switch to a GFD affects the human gut microbiome. We studied changes in the gut microbiomes of 21 healthy volunteers who followed a GFD for four weeks. We collected nine stool samples from each participant: one at baseline, four during the GFD period, and four when they returned to their habitual diet (HD), making a total of 189 samples. We determined microbiome profiles using 16S rRNA sequencing and then processed the samples for taxonomic and imputed functional composition. Additionally, in all 189 samples, six gut health-related biomarkers were measured. Inter-individual variation in the gut microbiota remained stable during this short-term GFD intervention. A number of taxon-specific differences were seen during the GFD: the most striking shift was seen for the family Veillonellaceae (class Clostridia), which was significantly reduced during the intervention (p = 2.81 × 10(-05)). Seven other taxa also showed significant changes; the majority of them are known to play a role in starch metabolism. We saw stronger differences in pathway activities: 21 predicted pathway activity scores showed significant association to the change in diet. We observed strong relations between the predicted activity of pathways and biomarker measurements. A GFD changes the gut microbiome composition and alters the activity of microbial pathways.

  9. Modeling and analysis of the Rimfire gas switch

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gahl, John M.; Kemp, Mark A.; Struve, Kenneth William; Curry, Randy D.; McDonald, Ken F.

    2005-01-01

    Many accelerators at Sandia National Laboratories utilize the Rimfire gas switch for high-voltage, high-power switching. Future accelerators will have increased performance requirements for switching elements. When designing improved versions of the Rimfire switch, there is a need for quick and accurate simulation of the electrical effects of geometry changes. This paper presents an advanced circuit model of the Rimfire switch that can be used for these simulations. The development of the model is shown along with comparisons to past models and experimental results.

  10. A CW Gunn diode bistable switching element.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hurtado, M.; Rosenbaum, F. J.

    1972-01-01

    Experiments with a current-controlled bistable switching element using a CW Gunn diode are reported. Switching rates of the order of 10 MHz have been obtained. Switching is initiated by current pulses of short duration (5-10 ns). Rise times of the order of several nanoseconds could be obtained.

  11. Beginning Microsoft Visual Studio LightSwitch Development

    CERN Document Server

    Novák, István

    2011-01-01

    Learn how LightSwitch can accelerate and simplify application development As Microsoft's newest offering for simplifying application development, LightSwitch opens the development door to creating applications without writing code. This introductory, full-color book shows you how to quickly create, modify, and distribute information for your business with LightSwitch. Packed with simple example programs, this beginner-level resource guides you through a complete small business application using LightSwitch to demonstrate the capabilities of this exciting new tool. You'll explore the most commo

  12. Predictors of dieting and non-dieting approaches among adults living in Australia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stuart Leske

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background There is a dearth of research comparing why dieting and non-dieting approaches are adopted. A greater understanding of reasons underlying dieting and non-dieting attempts will help to identify target beliefs for interventions to support and motivate adults to attempt whatever approach they are willing and/or able to pursue. We investigated the predictors of dieting and non-dieting approaches in Australian adults using predictors that were identified in a previous qualitative study. Methods We conducted a prospective study, with two waves of data collection occurring 4 weeks apart. At baseline, participants completed a questionnaire assessing constructs drawn from the theory of planned behaviour (attitude, subjective norm, and self-efficacy, past behaviour, non-planning, attributions for dieting failure, weight control beliefs, and dieting and non-dieting intentions. We used path modelling to analyse responses. Results At baseline, 719 adults (52.2% male aged between 18 and 76 completed the questionnaire. Four weeks later, 64% of participants (n = 461 reported on their dieting and non-dieting behaviour in the past month. Past behaviour, attitude, subjective norm, and self-identity significantly predicted dieting intentions. Dieting intentions and past behaviour significantly predicted dieting behaviour, while non-planning and self-efficacy did not. The model explained 74.8% of the variance in intention and 52.9% of the variance in behaviour. While most findings were similar for the non-dieting model, subjective norms and self-identity did not predict intention, while self-efficacy and self-identity both predicted non-dieting behaviour directly. The non-dieting model explained 58.2% of the variance in intention and 37.5% of the variance in behaviour. Conclusions The findings from this study provide support for the application of TPB and identity theory constructs in the context of both dieting and non-dieting behaviour

  13. Average contraction and synchronization of complex switched networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Lei; Wang Qingguo

    2012-01-01

    This paper introduces an average contraction analysis for nonlinear switched systems and applies it to investigating the synchronization of complex networks of coupled systems with switching topology. For a general nonlinear system with a time-dependent switching law, a basic convergence result is presented according to average contraction analysis, and a special case where trajectories of a distributed switched system converge to a linear subspace is then investigated. Synchronization is viewed as the special case with all trajectories approaching the synchronization manifold, and is thus studied for complex networks of coupled oscillators with switching topology. It is shown that the synchronization of a complex switched network can be evaluated by the dynamics of an isolated node, the coupling strength and the time average of the smallest eigenvalue associated with the Laplacians of switching topology and the coupling fashion. Finally, numerical simulations illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods. (paper)

  14. Wireless Chalcogenide Nanoionic-Based Radio-Frequency Switch

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nessel, James; Miranda, Felix

    2013-01-01

    A new nonvolatile nanoionic switch is powered and controlled through wireless radio-frequency (RF) transmission. A thin layer of chalcogenide glass doped with a metal ion, such as silver, comprises the operational portion of the switch. For the switch to function, an oxidizable electrode is made positive (anode) with respect to an opposing electrode (cathode) when sufficient bias, typically on the order of a few tenths of a volt or more, is applied. This action causes the metal ions to flow toward the cathode through a coordinated hopping mechanism. At the cathode, a reduction reaction occurs to form a metal deposit. This metal deposit creates a conductive path that bridges the gap between electrodes to turn the switch on. Once this conductive path is formed, no further power is required to maintain it. To reverse this process, the metal deposit is made positive with respect to the original oxidizable electrode, causing the dissolution of the metal bridge thereby turning the switch off. Once the metal deposit has been completely dissolved, the process self-terminates. This switching process features the following attributes. It requires very little to change states (i.e., on and off). Furthermore, no power is required to maintain the states; hence, the state of the switch is nonvolatile. Because of these attributes the integration of a rectenna to provide the necessary power and control is unique to this embodiment. A rectenna, or rectifying antenna, generates DC power from an incident RF signal. The low voltages and power required for the nanoionic switch control are easily generated from this system and provide the switch with a novel capability to be operated and powered from an external wireless device. In one realization, an RF signal of a specific frequency can be used to set the switch into an off state, while another frequency can be used to set the switch to an on state. The wireless, miniaturized, and nomoving- part features of this switch make it

  15. Manufacturing fuel-switching capability, 1988

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-09-01

    Historically, about one-third of all energy consumed in the United States has been used by manufacturers. About one-quarter of manufacturing energy is used as feedstocks and raw material inputs that are converted into nonenergy products; the remainder is used for its energy content. During 1988, the most recent year for which data are available, manufacturers consumed 15.5 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) of energy to produce heat and power and to generate electricity. The manufacturing sector also has widespread capabilities to switch from one fuel to another for either economic or emergency reasons. There are numerous ways to define fuel switching. For the purposes of the Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey (MECS), fuel switching is defined as the capability to substitute one energy source for another within 30 days with no significant modifications to the fuel-consuming equipment, while keeping production constant. Fuel-switching capability allows manufacturers substantial flexibility in choosing their mix of energy sources. The consumption of a given energy source can be maximized if all possible switching into that energy source takes place. The estimates in this report are based on data collected on the 1988 Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey (MECS), Forms 846 (A through C). The EIA conducts this national sample survey of manufacturing energy consumption on a triennial basis. The MECS is the only comprehensive source of national-level data on energy-related information for the manufacturing industries. The MECS was first conducted in 1986 to collect data for 1985. This report presents information on the fuel-switching capabilities of manufacturers in 1988. This report is the second of a series based on the 1988 MECS. 8 figs., 31 tabs

  16. Manufacturing fuel-switching capability, 1988

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1991-09-01

    Historically, about one-third of all energy consumed in the United States has been used by manufacturers. About one-quarter of manufacturing energy is used as feedstocks and raw material inputs that are converted into nonenergy products; the remainder is used for its energy content. During 1988, the most recent year for which data are available, manufacturers consumed 15.5 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) of energy to produce heat and power and to generate electricity. The manufacturing sector also has widespread capabilities to switch from one fuel to another for either economic or emergency reasons. There are numerous ways to define fuel switching. For the purposes of the Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey (MECS), fuel switching is defined as the capability to substitute one energy source for another within 30 days with no significant modifications to the fuel-consuming equipment, while keeping production constant. Fuel-switching capability allows manufacturers substantial flexibility in choosing their mix of energy sources. The consumption of a given energy source can be maximized if all possible switching into that energy source takes place. The estimates in this report are based on data collected on the 1988 Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey (MECS), Forms 846 (A through C). The EIA conducts this national sample survey of manufacturing energy consumption on a triennial basis. The MECS is the only comprehensive source of national-level data on energy-related information for the manufacturing industries. The MECS was first conducted in 1986 to collect data for 1985. This report presents information on the fuel-switching capabilities of manufacturers in 1988. This report is the second of a series based on the 1988 MECS. 8 figs., 31 tabs.

  17. RF-MEMS capacitive switches with high reliability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldsmith, Charles L.; Auciello, Orlando H.; Carlisle, John A.; Sampath, Suresh; Sumant, Anirudha V.; Carpick, Robert W.; Hwang, James; Mancini, Derrick C.; Gudeman, Chris

    2013-09-03

    A reliable long life RF-MEMS capacitive switch is provided with a dielectric layer comprising a "fast discharge diamond dielectric layer" and enabling rapid switch recovery, dielectric layer charging and discharging that is efficient and effective to enable RF-MEMS switch operation to greater than or equal to 100 billion cycles.

  18. High-NaCl diet impairs dynamic renal blood flow autoregulation in rats with adenine-induced chronic renal failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saeed, Aso; DiBona, Gerald F; Grimberg, Elisabeth; Nguy, Lisa; Mikkelsen, Minne Line Nedergaard; Marcussen, Niels; Guron, Gregor

    2014-03-15

    This study examined the effects of 2 wk of high-NaCl diet on kidney function and dynamic renal blood flow autoregulation (RBFA) in rats with adenine-induced chronic renal failure (ACRF). Male Sprague-Dawley rats received either chow containing adenine or were pair-fed an identical diet without adenine (controls). After 10 wk, rats were randomized to either remain on the same diet (0.6% NaCl) or to be switched to high 4% NaCl chow. Two weeks after randomization, renal clearance experiments were performed under isoflurane anesthesia and dynamic RBFA, baroreflex sensitivity (BRS), systolic arterial pressure variability (SAPV), and heart rate variability were assessed by spectral analytical techniques. Rats with ACRF showed marked reductions in glomerular filtration rate and renal blood flow (RBF), whereas mean arterial pressure and SAPV were significantly elevated. In addition, spontaneous BRS was reduced by ∼50% in ACRF animals. High-NaCl diet significantly increased transfer function fractional gain values between arterial pressure and RBF in the frequency range of the myogenic response (0.06-0.09 Hz) only in ACRF animals (0.3 ± 4.0 vs. -4.4 ± 3.8 dB; P renal failure by facilitating pressure transmission to the microvasculature.

  19. Analysis of Switched-Rigid Floating Oscillator

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prabhakar R. Marur

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available In explicit finite element simulations, a technique called deformable-to-rigid (D2R switching is used routinely to reduce the computation time. Using the D2R option, the deformable parts in the model can be switched to rigid and reverted back to deformable when needed during the analysis. The time of activation of D2R however influences the overall dynamics of the system being analyzed. In this paper, a theoretical basis for the selection of time of rigid switching based on system energy is established. A floating oscillator problem is investigated for this purpose and closed-form analytical expressions are derived for different phases in rigid switching. The analytical expressions are validated by comparing the theoretical results with numerical computations.

  20. Optical cross-connect circuit using hitless wavelength selective switch.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goebuchi, Yuta; Hisada, Masahiko; Kato, Tomoyuki; Kokubun, Yasuo

    2008-01-21

    We have proposed and demonstrated the basic elements of a full matrix optical switching circuit (cross-connect circuit) using a hitless wavelength selective switch (WSS). The cross-connect circuits are made of a multi-wavelength channel selective switch consisting of cascaded hitless WSSs, and a multi-port switch. These switching elements are realized through the individual Thermo-Optic (TO) tuning of a series-coupled microring resonator, and can switch arbitrary wavelength channels without blocking other wavelength channels during tuning. We demonstrate a four wavelength selective switch using a parallel topology of double series coupled microring resonators and a three wavelength selective switch using a parallel topology of quadruple series coupled microring resonators. Since the spectrum shape of quadruple series coupled microring is much more box-like than the double series, a high extinction ratio of 39.0-46.6 dB and low switching cross talk of 19.3-24.5 dB were achieved.

  1. Ultrafast pulse generation in photoconductive switches

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Keil, Ulrich Dieter Felix; Dykaar, D. R.

    1996-01-01

    Carrier and field dynamics in photoconductive switches are investigated by electrooptic sampling and voltage-dependent reflectivity measurements. We show that the nonuniform field distribution due to the two-dimensional nature of coplanar photoconductive switches, in combination with the large di...... difference in the mobilities of holes and electrons, determine the pronounced polarity dependence. Our measurements indicate that the pulse generation mechanism is a rapid voltage breakdown across the photoconductive switch and not a local field breakdown...

  2. An absorptive single-pole four-throw switch using multiple-contact MEMS switches and its application to a monolithic millimeter-wave beam-forming network

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Sanghyo; Kim, Jong-Man; Kim, Yong-Kweon; Kwon, Youngwoo

    2009-01-01

    In this paper, a new absorptive single-pole four-throw (SP4T) switch based on multiple-contact switching is proposed and integrated with a Butler matrix to demonstrate a monolithic beam-forming network at millimeter waves (mm waves). In order to simplify the switching driving circuit and reduce the number of unit switches in an absorptive SP4T switch, the individual switches were replaced with long-span multiple-contact switches using stress-free single-crystalline-silicon MEMS technology. This approach improves the mechanical stability as well as the manufacturing yield, thereby allowing successful integration into a monolithic beam former. The fabricated absorptive SP4T MEMS switch shows insertion loss less than 1.3 dB, return losses better than 11 dB at 30 GHz and wideband isolation performance higher than 39 dB from 20 to 40 GHz. The absorptive SP4T MEMS switch is integrated with a 4 × 4 Butler matrix on a single chip to implement a monolithic beam-forming network, directing beam into four distinct angles. Array factors from the measured data show that the proposed absorptive SPnT MEMS switch can be effectively used for high-performance mm-wave beam-switching systems. This work corresponds to the first demonstration of a monolithic beam-forming network using switched beams

  3. Analytical Modeling and Simulation of Four-Switch Hybrid Power Filter Working with Sixfold Switching Symmetry

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Tlustý, J.; Škramlík, Jiří; Švec, J.; Valouch, Viktor

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 2012, č. 292178 (2012), s. 1-17 ISSN 1024-123X Institutional support: RVO:61388998 Keywords : analytical modeling * four-switch hybrid power filter * sixfold switching symmetry Subject RIV: JA - Electronics ; Optoelectronics, Electrical Engineering Impact factor: 1.383, year: 2012 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/mpe/2012/292178/

  4. The double switch for atrioventricular discordance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brawn, William J

    2005-01-01

    Conventional surgery for atrioventricular discordance usually associated with ventricular arterial discordance leaves the morphologic right ventricle in the systemic circulation. Long-term follow-up results with this approach reveal a high incidence of right ventricular failure. The double switch procedure was introduced to restore the morphologic left ventricle to the systemic circulation. This operation is performed in two main ways: the atrial-arterial switch and the atrial switch plus Rastelli procedure. This double switch approach has been successful at least in the medium term in abolishing morphologic right ventricular failure and its associated tricuspid valve regurgitation. In the atrial-arterial switch group, there is an incidence of morphologic left ventricular dysfunction, sometimes associated with neoaortic valve regurgitation, and the minority of cases need aortic valve replacement. The long-term function of the morphologic left ventricle and the aortic valve need careful surveillance in the future. The atrial-Rastelli group of patients has not in the medium term shown evidence of ventricular dysfunction but will require change on a regular basis of their ventricular to pulmonary artery valved conduits.

  5. Subnanosecond, high-voltage photoconductive switching in GaAs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Druce, Robert L.; Pocha, Michael D.; Griffin, Kenneth L.; O'Bannon, Jim

    1991-03-01

    We are conducting research on the switching properties of photoconductive materials to explore their potential for generating highpower microwaves (HPM) and for high reprate switching. We have investigated the performance of Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) in linear mode (the conductivity of the device follows the optical pulse) as well as an avalanchelike mode (the optical pulse only controls switch closing) . Operating in the unear mode we have observed switch closing times of less than 200 Ps with a 100 ps duration laser pulse and opening times of less than 400 ps at several kV/cm fields using neutron irradiated GaAs. In avalanche and lockon modes high fields are switched with lower laser pulse energies resulting in higher efficiencies but with measurable switching delay and jitter. We are currently investigating both large area (1 cm2) and small area 1 mm2) switches illuminated by AlGaAs laser diodes at 900 nm and Nd:YAG lasers at 1. 06 tim.

  6. Battery switch for downhole tools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boling, Brian E.

    2010-02-23

    An electrical circuit for a downhole tool may include a battery, a load electrically connected to the battery, and at least one switch electrically connected in series with the battery and to the load. The at least one switch may be configured to close when a tool temperature exceeds a selected temperature.

  7. The New Nordic Diet as a prototype for regional sustainable diets

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bügel, Susanne Gjedsted; Hertwig, Jostein; Kahl, Johannes

    2016-01-01

    A main challenge in sustainable food systems is to link sustainable production to sustainable diets and consumption patterns. The new Nordic diet (NND) builds on and shares the Mediterranean diet (MD) thinking, but utilizes the ingredients and flavours of a northern climate. In both diets...... both wild and domesticated sources. Both diets have been associated with health benefits. The NND is a prototype regional diet taking health, food culture, palatability and the environment into account. Thus, the principles and guidelines could be applied in any region of the world. There are currently...

  8. Gluten-free diet and the possibility of enriching the diet coeliacs

    OpenAIRE

    BLAŽKOVÁ, Klára

    2014-01-01

    This thesis deals with the gluten-free diet and its possible enrichment. It is divided into two parts. The first part includes chapters such as history of gluten-free diet, basics of a gluten free diet, the first step in the introduction of a gluten-free diet, gluten-free food labeling legislation and the use of alcohol on a gluten-free diet. The practical part is focused on enriching the diet celiac patients. I focused on the preparation of bakery products for celiac, I have designed and pra...

  9. Transition from parenteral to enteral nutrition induces immediate diet-dependent gut histological and immunological responses in preterm neonates

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Siggers, Jayda; Sangild, Per T.; Jensen, Tim Kåre

    2011-01-01

    bacterial groups (Clostridium, Enterococcus, Streptococcus species) increased with time. We conclude that a switch from parenteral to enteral nutrition rapidly induces diet-dependent histopathological, functional, and proinflammatory insults to the immature intestine. Great care is required when introducing......-six preterm pigs were fed total parenteral nutrition (TPN) for 48 h followed by enteral feeding for 0, 8, 17, or 34 h with either colostrum (Colos, n = 20) or formula (Form, n = 31). Macroscopic NEC lesions were detected in Form pigs throughout the enteral feeding period (20/31, 65%), whereas most Colos pigs...... no histopathological lesions, increased maltase activity, and induced changes in gene expressions related to tissue development. Total bacterial density was high after 2 days of parenteral feeding and was not significantly affected by diet (colostrum, formula) or length of enteral feeding (8–34 h), except that a few...

  10. Blood and Books: Performing Code Switching

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeff Friedman

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available Code switching is a linguistic term that identifies ways individuals use communication modes and registers to negotiate difference in social relations. This essay suggests that arts-based inquiry, in the form of choreography and performance, provides a suitable and efficacious location within which both verbal and nonverbal channels of code switching can be investigated. Blood and Books, a case study of dance choreography within the context of post-colonial Maori performance in Aotearoa/New Zealand, is described and analyzed for its performance of code switching. The essay is framed by a discussion of how arts-based research within tertiary higher education requires careful negotiation in the form of code switching, as performed by the author's reflexive use of vernacular and formal registers in the essay. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0802462

  11. CONTROL OF BOUNCING IN RF MEMS SWITCHES USING DOUBLE ELECTRODE

    KAUST Repository

    Abdul Rahim, Farhan

    2014-01-01

    MEMS based mechanical switches are seen to be the likely replacements for CMOS based switches due to the several advantages that these mechanical switches have over CMOS switches. Mechanical switches can be used in systems under extreme conditions

  12. Specific features of the switch-on gate current and different switch-on modes in silicon carbide thyristors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yurkov, S N; Mnatsakanov, T T; Levinshtein, M E; Cheng, L; Palmour, J W

    2014-01-01

    The specific features of the temperature and bias dependences of the switch-on gate current in SiC thyristors are examined analytically for two possible switching mechanisms. The so-called γ-mechanism, which is highly typical of the conventional Si thyristors, is characterized by very weak temperature and bias dependences. By contrast, the so-called α-mechanism, which is very characteristic of SiC thyristors, is highly sensitive to changes in temperature and bias. If the thyristor is switched on by the α-mechanism, the switch-on gate current density decreases very steeply with increasing temperature. As a result, the thyristor can lose its working capacity at elevated temperatures due to the instability against even very weak impacts. With decreasing the bias voltage U a , the gate switch-on current increases very steeply, which can make switching the thyristor on difficult. The unintentional shunting, which is apparently present in high-voltage SiC thyristors, causes the transition from the α- to the γ-mechanism at elevated temperatures and high biases. It can be supposed that introduction of a controllable technological shunting of the emitter–thin base junction allows stabilization of the temperature and bias parameters of SiC thyristors. The analytical results are confirmed by computer simulations performed in wide temperature and bias ranges for a 4H-SiC thyristor of the 18 kV class. (paper)

  13. Heart disease and diet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diet - heart disease; CAD - diet; Coronary artery disease - diet; Coronary heart disease - diet ... diet and lifestyle can reduce your risk of: Heart disease, heart attacks, and stroke Conditions that lead ...

  14. Bistable switching in dual-frequency liquid crystals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Palto, S. P., E-mail: palto@online.ru; Barnik, M I [Russian Academy of Sciences, Shubnikov Institute of Crystallography (Russian Federation)

    2006-06-15

    Various bistable switching modes in nematic liquid crystals with frequency inversion of the sign of dielectric anisotropy are revealed and investigated. Switching between states with different helicoidal distributions of the director field of a liquid crystal, as well as between uniform and helicoidal states, is realized by dual-frequency waveforms of a driving voltage. A distinctive feature of the dual-frequency switching is that the uniform planar distribution of the director field may correspond to a thermodynamically equilibrium state, and the chirality of an LC is not a necessary condition for switching to a helicoidal state.

  15. A high-switching-frequency flyback converter in resonant mode

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Li, Jianting; van Horck, Frank B.M.; Daniel, Bobby J.; Bergveld, Henk Jan

    2017-01-01

    The demand of miniaturization of power systems has accelerated the research on high-switching-frequency power converters. A flyback converter in resonant mode that features low switching losses, less transformer losses, and low switching noise at high switching frequency is investigated in this

  16. The Atlas load protection switch

    CERN Document Server

    Davis, H A; Dorr, G; Martínez, M; Gribble, R F; Nielsen, K E; Pierce, D; Parsons, W M

    1999-01-01

    Atlas is a high-energy pulsed-power facility under development to study materials properties and hydrodynamics experiments under extreme conditions. Atlas will implode heavy liner loads (m~45 gm) with a peak current of 27-32 MA delivered in 4 mu s, and is energized by 96, 240 kV Marx generators storing a total of 23 MJ. A key design requirement for Atlas is obtaining useful data for 95601130f all loads installed on the machine. Materials response calculations show current from a prefire can damage the load requiring expensive and time consuming replacement. Therefore, we have incorporated a set of fast-acting mechanical switches in the Atlas design to reduce the probability of a prefire damaging the load. These switches, referred to as the load protection switches, short the load through a very low inductance path during system charge. Once the capacitors have reached full charge, the switches open on a time scale short compared to the bank charge time, allowing current to flow to the load when the trigger pu...

  17. Offspring from mothers fed a 'junk food' diet in pregnancy and lactation exhibit exacerbated adiposity that is more pronounced in females.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bayol, S A; Simbi, B H; Bertrand, J A; Stickland, N C

    2008-07-01

    We have shown previously that a maternal junk food diet during pregnancy and lactation plays a role in predisposing offspring to obesity. Here we show that rat offspring born to mothers fed the same junk food diet rich in fat, sugar and salt develop exacerbated adiposity accompanied by raised circulating glucose, insulin, triglyceride and/or cholesterol by the end of adolescence (10 weeks postpartum) compared with offspring also given free access to junk food from weaning but whose mothers were exclusively fed a balanced chow diet in pregnancy and lactation. Results also showed that offspring from mothers fed the junk food diet in pregnancy and lactation, and which were then switched to a balanced chow diet from weaning, exhibited increased perirenal fat pad mass relative to body weight and adipocyte hypertrophy compared with offspring which were never exposed to the junk food diet. This study shows that the increased adiposity was more enhanced in female than male offspring and gene expression analyses showed raised insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARgamma), leptin, adiponectin, adipsin, lipoprotein lipase (LPL), Glut 1, Glut 3, but not Glut 4 mRNA expression in females fed the junk food diet throughout the study compared with females never given access to junk food. Changes in gene expression were not as marked in male offspring with only IRS-1, VEGF-A, Glut 4 and LPL being up-regulated in those fed the junk food diet throughout the study compared with males never given access to junk food. This study therefore shows that a maternal junk food diet promotes adiposity in offspring and the earlier onset of hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia and/or hyperlipidemia. Male and female offspring also display a different metabolic, cellular and molecular response to junk-food-diet-induced adiposity.

  18. A solid-state dielectric elastomer switch for soft logic

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chau, Nixon [Biomimetics Laboratory, Auckland Bioengineering Institute, The University of Auckland, Level 6, 70 Symonds Street, Auckland 1010 (New Zealand); Slipher, Geoffrey A., E-mail: geoffrey.a.slipher.civ@mail.mil; Mrozek, Randy A. [U.S. Army Research Laboratory, 2800 Powder Mill Road, Adelphi, Maryland 20783 (United States); O' Brien, Benjamin M. [StretchSense, Ltd., 27 Walls Rd., Penrose, Auckland 1061 (New Zealand); Anderson, Iain A. [Biomimetics Laboratory, Auckland Bioengineering Institute, The University of Auckland, Level 6, 70 Symonds Street, Auckland 1010 (New Zealand); StretchSense, Ltd., 27 Walls Rd., Penrose, Auckland 1061 (New Zealand); Department of Engineering Science, School of Engineering, The University of Auckland, Level 3, 70 Symonds Street, Auckland 1010 (New Zealand)

    2016-03-07

    In this paper, we describe a stretchable solid-state electronic switching material that operates at high voltage potentials, as well as a switch material benchmarking technique that utilizes a modular dielectric elastomer (artificial muscle) ring oscillator. The solid-state switching material was integrated into our oscillator, which self-started after 16 s and performed 5 oscillations at a frequency of 1.05 Hz with 3.25 kV DC input. Our materials-by-design approach for the nickel filled polydimethylsiloxane based switch has resulted in significant improvements over previous carbon grease-based switches in four key areas, namely, sharpness of switching behavior upon applied stretch, magnitude of electrical resistance change, ease of manufacture, and production rate. Switch lifetime was demonstrated to be in the range of tens to hundreds of cycles with the current process. An interesting and potentially useful strain-based switching hysteresis behavior is also presented.

  19. A solid-state dielectric elastomer switch for soft logic

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chau, Nixon; Slipher, Geoffrey A.; Mrozek, Randy A.; O'Brien, Benjamin M.; Anderson, Iain A.

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, we describe a stretchable solid-state electronic switching material that operates at high voltage potentials, as well as a switch material benchmarking technique that utilizes a modular dielectric elastomer (artificial muscle) ring oscillator. The solid-state switching material was integrated into our oscillator, which self-started after 16 s and performed 5 oscillations at a frequency of 1.05 Hz with 3.25 kV DC input. Our materials-by-design approach for the nickel filled polydimethylsiloxane based switch has resulted in significant improvements over previous carbon grease-based switches in four key areas, namely, sharpness of switching behavior upon applied stretch, magnitude of electrical resistance change, ease of manufacture, and production rate. Switch lifetime was demonstrated to be in the range of tens to hundreds of cycles with the current process. An interesting and potentially useful strain-based switching hysteresis behavior is also presented.

  20. Effects of two aerobic exercise training protocols on parameters of oxidative stress in the blood and liver of obese rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delwing-de Lima, Daniela; Ulbricht, Ariene Sampaio Souza Farias; Werlang-Coelho, Carla; Delwing-Dal Magro, Débora; Joaquim, Victor Hugo Antonio; Salamaia, Eloise Mariani; de Quevedo, Silvana Rodrigues; Desordi, Larissa

    2017-12-08

    We evaluated the effects of moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) protocols on the alterations in oxidative stress parameters caused by a high-fat diet (HFD), in the blood and liver of rats. The HFD enhanced thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBA-RS) and protein carbonyl content, while reducing total sulfhydryl content and catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities in the blood. Both training protocols prevented an increase in TBA-RS and protein carbonyl content, and prevented a reduction in CAT. HIIT protocol enhanced SOD activity. In the liver, HFD didn't alter TBA-RS, total sulfhydryl content or SOD, but increased protein carbonyl content and CAT and decreased GSH-Px. The exercise protocols prevented the increase in protein carbonyl content and the MICT protocol prevented an alteration in CAT. In conclusion, HFD elicits oxidative stress in the blood and liver and both protocols prevented most of the alterations in the oxidative stress parameters.

  1. Buck Converter with Soft-Switching Cells for PV Panel Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cheng-Tao Tsai

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available In power conversion of photovoltaic (PV energy, a hard-switching buck converter always generates some disadvantages. For example, serious electromagnetic interference (EMI, high switching losses, and stresses on an active switch (metal-oxide-semiconductor-field-effect-transistor, MOSFET, and high reverse-recovery losses of a freewheeling diode result in low conversion efficiency. To release these disadvantages, a buck converter with soft-switching cells for PV panel applications is proposed. To create zero-voltage-switching (ZVS features of the active switches, a simple active soft-switching cell with an inductor, a capacitor, and a MOSFET is incorporated into the proposed buck converter. Therefore, the switching losses and stresses of the active switches and EMI can be reduced significantly. To reduce reverse-recovery losses of a freewheeling diode, a simple passive soft-switching cell with a capacitor and two diodes is implemented. To verify the performance and the feasibility of the proposed buck converter with soft-switching cells for PV panel applications, a prototype soft-switching buck converter is built and implemented by using a maximum-power-point-tracking (MPPT method. Simulated and experimental results are presented from a 100 W soft-switching buck converter for PV panel applications.

  2. High-power semiconductor RSD-based switch

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bezuglov, V G; Galakhov, I V; Grusin, I A [All-Russian Scientific Research Inst. of Experimental Physics, Sarov (Russian Federation); and others

    1997-12-31

    The operating principle and test results of a high-power semiconductor RSD-based switch with the following operating parameters is described: operating voltage 25 kV, peak operating current 200 kA, maximum transferred charge 70 C. The switch is intended for use by high-power capacitor banks of state-of-the-art research facilities. The switch was evaluated for applicability in commercial pulsed systems. The possibility of increasing the peak operating current to 500 kA is demonstrated. (author). 4 figs., 2 refs.

  3. A novel multi-actuation CMOS RF MEMS switch

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Chiung-I.; Ko, Chih-Hsiang; Huang, Tsun-Che

    2008-12-01

    This paper demonstrates a capacitive shunt type RF MEMS switch, which is actuated by electro-thermal actuator and electrostatic actuator at the same time, and than latching the switching status by electrostatic force only. Since thermal actuators need relative low voltage compare to electrostatic actuators, and electrostatic force needs almost no power to maintain the switching status, the benefits of the mechanism are very low actuation voltage and low power consumption. Moreover, the RF MEMS switch has considered issues for integrated circuit compatible in design phase. So the switch is fabricated by a standard 0.35um 2P4M CMOS process and uses wet etching and dry etching technologies for postprocess. This compatible ability is important because the RF characteristics are not only related to the device itself. If a packaged RF switch and a packaged IC wired together, the parasitic capacitance will cause the problem for optimization. The structure of the switch consists of a set of CPW transmission lines and a suspended membrane. The CPW lines and the membrane are in metal layers of CMOS process. Besides, the electro-thermal actuators are designed by polysilicon layer of the CMOS process. So the RF switch is only CMOS process layers needed for both electro-thermal and electrostatic actuations in switch. The thermal actuator is composed of a three-dimensional membrane and two heaters. The membrane is a stacked step structure including two metal layers in CMOS process, and heat is generated by poly silicon resistors near the anchors of membrane. Measured results show that the actuation voltage of the switch is under 7V for electro-thermal added electrostatic actuation.

  4. Congenital blindness limits allocentric to egocentric switching ability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruggiero, Gennaro; Ruotolo, Francesco; Iachini, Tina

    2018-03-01

    Many everyday spatial activities require the cooperation or switching between egocentric (subject-to-object) and allocentric (object-to-object) spatial representations. The literature on blind people has reported that the lack of vision (congenital blindness) may limit the capacity to represent allocentric spatial information. However, research has mainly focused on the selective involvement of egocentric or allocentric representations, not the switching between them. Here we investigated the effect of visual deprivation on the ability to switch between spatial frames of reference. To this aim, congenitally blind (long-term visual deprivation), blindfolded sighted (temporary visual deprivation) and sighted (full visual availability) participants were compared on the Ego-Allo switching task. This task assessed the capacity to verbally judge the relative distances between memorized stimuli in switching (from egocentric-to-allocentric: Ego-Allo; from allocentric-to-egocentric: Allo-Ego) and non-switching (only-egocentric: Ego-Ego; only-allocentric: Allo-Allo) conditions. Results showed a difficulty in congenitally blind participants when switching from allocentric to egocentric representations, not when the first anchor point was egocentric. In line with previous results, a deficit in processing allocentric representations in non-switching conditions also emerged. These findings suggest that the allocentric deficit in congenital blindness may determine a difficulty in simultaneously maintaining and combining different spatial representations. This deficit alters the capacity to switch between reference frames specifically when the first anchor point is external and not body-centered.

  5. CONTROL OF BOUNCING IN RF MEMS SWITCHES USING DOUBLE ELECTRODE

    KAUST Repository

    Abdul Rahim, Farhan

    2014-05-01

    MEMS based mechanical switches are seen to be the likely replacements for CMOS based switches due to the several advantages that these mechanical switches have over CMOS switches. Mechanical switches can be used in systems under extreme conditions and also provide more reliability and cause less power loss. A major problem with mechanical switches is bouncing. Bouncing is an undesirable characteristic which increases the switching time and causes damage to the switch structure affecting the overall switch life. This thesis proposes a new switch design that may be used to mitigate bouncing by using two voltage sources using a double electrode configuration. The effect of many switch’s tunable parameters is also discussed and an effective tuning technique is also provided. The results are compared to the current control schemes in literature and show that the double electrode scheme is a viable control option.

  6. Subnanosecond, high voltage photoconductive switching in GaAs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Druce, R.L.; Pocha, M.D.; Griffin, K.L. (Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)); O' Bannon, B.J. (Rockwell International Corp., Anaheim, CA (USA))

    1990-01-01

    We are conducting research on the switching properties of photoconductive materials to explore their potential for generating high-power microwaves (HPM) and for high rep-rate switching. We have investigated the performance of Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) in linear mode (the conductivity of the device follows the optical pulse) as well as an avalanche-like mode (the optical pulse only controls switch closing). Operating in the linear mode, we have observed switch closing times of less than 200 ps with a 100 ps duration laser pulse and opening times of less than 400 ps at several kV/cm fields using neutron irradiated GaAs. In avalanche and lock-on modes, high fields are switched with lower laser pulse energies, resulting in higher efficiencies; but with measurable switching delay and jitter. We are currently investigating both large area (1 cm{sup 2}) and small area (<1 mm{sup 2}) switches illuminated by AlGaAs laser diodes at 900 nm and Nd:YAG lasers at 1.06 {mu}m.

  7. Controlled Photon Switch Assisted by Coupled Quantum Dots

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Ming-Xing; Ma, Song-Ya; Chen, Xiu-Bo; Wang, Xiaojun

    2015-01-01

    Quantum switch is a primitive element in quantum network communication. In contrast to previous switch schemes on one degree of freedom (DOF) of quantum systems, we consider controlled switches of photon system with two DOFs. These controlled photon switches are constructed by exploring the optical selection rules derived from the quantum-dot spins in one-sided optical microcavities. Several double controlled-NOT gate on different joint systems are greatly simplified with an auxiliary DOF of the controlling photon. The photon switches show that two DOFs of photons can be independently transmitted in quantum networks. This result reduces the quantum resources for quantum network communication. PMID:26095049

  8. Optimal on/off scheme for all-optical switching

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Philip Trøst; Heuck, Mikkel; Mørk, Jesper

    2012-01-01

    We present a two-pulsed on/off scheme based on coherent control for fast switching of the optical energy in a micro cavity and use calculus of variations to optimize the switching in terms of energy.......We present a two-pulsed on/off scheme based on coherent control for fast switching of the optical energy in a micro cavity and use calculus of variations to optimize the switching in terms of energy....

  9. Stabilization of a Nb3Sn persistent current switch

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Urata, M.; Maeda, H.; Nakayama, S.; Yoneda, E.; Oda, Y.; Kumano, T.; Aoki, N.; Tomisaki, T.; Kabashima, S.

    1993-01-01

    A 2000 A class Nb 3 Sn persistent current switch has been successfully fabricated in the Toshiba R and D Center. The Nb tube processed conductor with Cu-10 wt.% Ni matrix has been developed for the switch in the Showa Electric Wire and Cable Co. Ltd. The magnetic instability which was observed in the previous 35 Ω Nb 3 Sn persistent current switch was improved in the present switch. The problem of quench current degradation and flux jump on magnetization, emerged in the previous switch, were confirmed to be solved. In the fast ramp, however, the switch degrades from the calculated results assuming the self field ac loss. In the Nb 3 Sn reaction process, Sn in the bronze diffuses into the Nb tube, which decreases the switch resistance. It was observed by a computer aided micro analysis (CMA) that Ni in the CuNi matrix precipitated on the Nb tube, which slightly reduced the switch resistance. (orig.)

  10. Low Actuating Voltage Spring-Free RF MEMS SPDT Switch

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Deepak Bansal

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available RF MEMS devices are known to be superior to their solid state counterparts in terms of power consumption and electromagnetic response. Major limitations of MEMS devices are their low switching speed, high actuation voltage, larger size, and reliability. In the present paper, a see-saw single pole double throw (SPDT RF MEMS switch based on anchor-free mechanism is proposed which eliminates the above-mentioned disadvantages. The proposed switch has a switching time of 394 nsec with actuation voltage of 5 V. Size of the SPDT switch is reduced by utilizing a single series capacitive switch compared to conventional switches with capacitive and series combinations. Reliability of the switch is improved by adding floating metal and reducing stiction between the actuating bridge and transmission line. Insertion loss and isolation are better than −0.6 dB and −20 dB, respectively, for 1 GHz to 20 GHz applications.

  11. The gradual nature of threshold switching

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wimmer, M; Salinga, M

    2014-01-01

    The recent commercialization of electronic memories based on phase change materials proved the usability of this peculiar family of materials for application purposes. More advanced data storage and computing concepts, however, demand a deeper understanding especially of the electrical properties of the amorphous phase and the switching behaviour. In this work, we investigate the temporal evolution of the current through the amorphous state of the prototypical phase change material, Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 , under constant voltage. A custom-made electrical tester allows the measurement of delay times over five orders of magnitude, as well as the transient states of electrical excitation prior to the actual threshold switching. We recognize a continuous current increase over time prior to the actual threshold-switching event to be a good measure for the electrical excitation. A clear correlation between a significant rise in pre-switching-current and the later occurrence of threshold switching can be observed. This way, we found experimental evidence for the existence of an absolute minimum for the threshold voltage (or electric field respectively) holding also for time scales far beyond the measurement range. (paper)

  12. Concave switching in single-hop and multihop networks

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Walton, N.

    2015-01-01

    Switched queueing networks model wireless networks, input-queued switches, and numerous other networked communications systems. We consider an (\\(\\alpha ,g\\))-switch policy; these policies provide a generalization of the MaxWeight policies of Tassiulas and Ephremides (IEEE Trans Autom Control

  13. Nano- and micro-electromechanical switch dynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pulskamp, Jeffrey S; Proie, Robert M; Polcawich, Ronald G

    2013-01-01

    This paper reports theoretical analysis and experimental results on the dynamics of piezoelectric MEMS mechanical logic relays. The multiple degree of freedom analytical model, based on modal decomposition, utilizes modal parameters obtained from finite element analysis and an analytical model of piezoelectric actuation. The model accounts for exact device geometry, damping, drive waveform variables, and high electric field piezoelectric nonlinearity. The piezoelectrically excited modal force is calculated directly and provides insight into design optimization for switching speed. The model accurately predicts the propagation delay dependence on actuation voltage of mechanically distinct relay designs. The model explains the observed discrepancies in switching speed of these devices relative to single degree of freedom switching speed models and suggests the strong potential for improved switching speed performance in relays designed for mechanical logic and RF circuits through the exploitation of higher order vibrational modes. (paper)

  14. Theoretical model for plasma opening switch

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baker, L.

    1980-07-01

    The theory of an explosive plasma switch is developed and compared with the experimental results of Pavlovskii and work at Sandia. A simple analytic model is developed, which predicts that such switches may achieve opening times of approximately 100 ns. When the switching time is limited by channel mixing it scales as t = C(m d 0 )/sup 1/2/P 0 2 P/sub e//sup -5/2/ where m is the foil mass per unit area, d 0 the channel thickness and P 0 the channel pressure (at explosive breakout), P/sub e/ the explosive pressure, C a constant of order 10 for c.g.s. units. Thus faster switching times may be achieved by minimizing foil mass and channel pressure, or increasing explosive product pressure, with the scaling exponents as shown suggesting that changes in pressures would be more effective

  15. Heat switch technology for cryogenic thermal management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shu, Q. S.; Demko, J. A.; E Fesmire, J.

    2017-12-01

    Systematic review is given of development of novel heat switches at cryogenic temperatures that alternatively provide high thermal connection or ideal thermal isolation to the cold mass. These cryogenic heat switches are widely applied in a variety of unique superconducting systems and critical space applications. The following types of heat switch devices are discussed: 1) magnetic levitation suspension, 2) shape memory alloys, 3) differential thermal expansion, 4) helium or hydrogen gap-gap, 5) superconducting, 6) piezoelectric, 7) cryogenic diode, 8) magneto-resistive, and 9) mechanical demountable connections. Advantages and limitations of different cryogenic heat switches are examined along with the outlook for future thermal management solutions in materials and cryogenic designs.

  16. pH-controlled silicon nanowires fluorescence switch

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mu Lixuan; Shi Wensheng; Zhang Taiping; Zhang Hongyan; She Guangwei

    2010-01-01

    Covalently immobilizing photoinduced electronic transfer (PET) fluorophore 3-[N, N-bis(9-anthrylmethyl)amino]-propyltriethoxysilane (DiAN) on the surface of silicon nanowires (SiNWs) resulted a SiNWs-based fluorescence switch. This fluorescence switch is operated by adjustment of the acidity of the environment and exhibits sensitive response to pH at the range from 8 to 10. Such response is attributed to the effect of pH on the PET process. The successful combination of logic switch and SiNWs provides a rational approach to assemble different logic molecules on SiNWs for realization of miniaturization and modularization of switches and logic devices.

  17. Bipolar resistive switching in different plant and animal proteins

    KAUST Repository

    Bag, A.; Hota, Mrinal Kanti; Mallik, Sandipan B.; Maì ti, Chinmay Kumar

    2014-01-01

    We report bipolar resistive switching phenomena observed in different types of plant and animal proteins. Using protein as the switching medium, resistive switching devices have been fabricated with conducting indium tin oxide (ITO) and Al as bottom and top electrodes, respectively. A clockwise bipolar resistive switching phenomenon is observed in all proteins. It is shown that the resistive switching phenomena originate from the local redox process in the protein and the ion exchange from the top electrode/protein interface.

  18. Bipolar resistive switching in different plant and animal proteins

    KAUST Repository

    Bag, A.

    2014-06-01

    We report bipolar resistive switching phenomena observed in different types of plant and animal proteins. Using protein as the switching medium, resistive switching devices have been fabricated with conducting indium tin oxide (ITO) and Al as bottom and top electrodes, respectively. A clockwise bipolar resistive switching phenomenon is observed in all proteins. It is shown that the resistive switching phenomena originate from the local redox process in the protein and the ion exchange from the top electrode/protein interface.

  19. Soluble polymorphic bank vole prion proteins induced by co-expression of quiescin sulfhydryl oxidase in E. coli and their aggregation behaviors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abskharon, Romany; Dang, Johnny; Elfarash, Ameer; Wang, Zerui; Shen, Pingping; Zou, Lewis S; Hassan, Sedky; Wang, Fei; Fujioka, Hisashi; Steyaert, Jan; Mulaj, Mentor; Surewicz, Witold K; Castilla, Joaquín; Wohlkonig, Alexandre; Zou, Wen-Quan

    2017-10-04

    The infectious prion protein (PrP Sc or prion) is derived from its cellular form (PrP C ) through a conformational transition in animal and human prion diseases. Studies have shown that the interspecies conversion of PrP C to PrP Sc is largely swayed by species barriers, which is mainly deciphered by the sequence and conformation of the proteins among species. However, the bank vole PrP C (BVPrP) is highly susceptible to PrP Sc from different species. Transgenic mice expressing BVPrP with the polymorphic isoleucine (109I) but methionine (109M) at residue 109 spontaneously develop prion disease. To explore the mechanism underlying the unique susceptibility and convertibility, we generated soluble BVPrP by co-expression of BVPrP with Quiescin sulfhydryl oxidase (QSOX) in Escherichia coli. Interestingly, rBVPrP-109M and rBVPrP-109I exhibited distinct seeded aggregation pathways and aggregate morphologies upon seeding of mouse recombinant PrP fibrils, as monitored by thioflavin T fluorescence and electron microscopy. Moreover, they displayed different aggregation behaviors induced by seeding of hamster and mouse prion strains under real-time quaking-induced conversion. Our results suggest that QSOX facilitates the formation of soluble prion protein and provide further evidence that the polymorphism at residue 109 of QSOX-induced BVPrP may be a determinant in mediating its distinct convertibility and susceptibility.

  20. Investigations into the design of multi-terawatt magnetic switches

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harjes, H.C.; Penn, K.J.; Mann, G.A.; Neau, E.L.

    1987-01-01

    Magnetic switches were successfully used for pulse compression in the CometII pulsed power module to deliver 2.7 MV and 3.7 TW to a 2 Ω matched load. However, the Comet switches suffered interwinding dielectric breakdowns and failed in <100 shots. Initial results from experiments on magnetic switch core insulations indicate that the insulation scheme used in the Comet switches was not optimal and better configurations exist. The Comet magnetic switch failures have been duplicated and studied on the Magnetic Switch Test Module (MSTM), a coaxial, 2 Ω PFL driven by a 600 kV Marx generator. The results of these experiments are discussed in detail

  1. Challenges in Switching SiC MOSFET without Ringing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Helong; Munk-Nielsen, Stig

    2014-01-01

    Switching SiC MOSFET without ringing in high frequency applications is important for meeting the EMI (ElectroMagnetic Interference) standard. Achieving a clean switching waveform of SiC MOSFET without additional components is becoming a challenge. In this paper, the switching oscillation mechanis...

  2. Manufacture of Radio Frequency Micromachined Switches with Annealing

    OpenAIRE

    Lin, Cheng-Yang; Dai, Ching-Liang

    2014-01-01

    The fabrication and characterization of a radio frequency (RF) micromachined switch with annealing were presented. The structure of the RF switch consists of a membrane, coplanar waveguide (CPW) lines, and eight springs. The RF switch is manufactured using the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process. The switch requires a post-process to release the membrane and springs. The post-process uses a wet etching to remove the sacrificial silicon dioxide layer, and to obtain the suspe...

  3. Fad diets and obesity--Part IV: Low-carbohydrate vs. low-fat diets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moyad, Mark A

    2005-02-01

    The first three parts of this series of articles covered the basics of some of the more popular low-carbohydrate diets, and the theories behind them. In the fourth and final part of this series, some of the more popular low-fat and low-calorie diets, such as the Ornish diet and Weight Watchers, are covered briefly. Recently, several clinical trials of longer duration that compared low-carbohydrate versus low-fat diets have been published. These studies demonstrate that some of the low-carbohydrate diets result in reduced weight in the short-term, but their ability to reduce weight long-term any better than low-fat or other diets has been questioned. Most popular or fad diets have some positive messages contained within them and some preliminary positive short-term results, but overall the compliance rates with any fad diet are very poor over the long-term. The decision to go on any diet should be made with a health professional who can monitor the patient closely.

  4. Rf power amplification by energy storage and switching

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vernon, W.

    1989-01-01

    This paper reports that during the last decade there have been several suggestions for RF storage and switching schemes. The principle behind these schemes is simply that energy from a source which is on for a long time at moderate power can be stored in a resonant cavity and dumped (switched) in a short time to yield higher power. This is also the basis of SLED which is driving the SLC, but the major difference is in the switching and the proposed power gains. In the case of SLED there is no switch only a phase agile RF source, and the maximum power gain is about a factor of 3. Proposed storage and switching schemes are often based on large ratios of charge to discharge times, say 5 μsec/50 nsec = 100 which could be the power amplification ratio. An early demonstration of the switching of a superconducting cavity was reported. It was observed that a peak power gain of 9 at low power levels with a cold cavity and a room-temperature switch. The switch was a He gas filled tube positioned in the leg of a waveguide T so that a η/2 stub turned into a η/4 stub when the gas broke down and became a good conductor. All switches encountered to date are some variant of this technique; the stubs reflects back an out-of-phase signal which cancels the one from the cavity so that no power escapes while the low-loss dielectric tube is non-conducting

  5. Using MEMS Capacitive Switches in Tunable RF Amplifiers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Danson John

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available A MEMS capacitive switch suitable for use in tunable RF amplifiers is described. A MEMS switch is designed, fabricated, and characterized with physical and RF measurements for inclusion in simulations. Using the MEMS switch models, a dual-band low-noise amplifier (LNA operating at GHz and GHz, and a tunable power amplifier (PA at GHz are simulated in m CMOS. MEMS switches allow the LNA to operate with 11 dB of isolation between the two bands while maintaining dB of gain and sub- dB noise figure. MEMS switches are used to implement a variable matching network that allows the PA to realize up to 37% PAE improvement at low input powers.

  6. All-fiber polarization switch

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knape, Harald; Margulis, Walter

    2007-03-01

    We report an all-fiber polarization switch made out of silica-based microstructured fiber suitable for Q-switching all-fiber lasers. Nanosecond high-voltage pulses are used to heat and expand an internal electrode to cause λ/2-polarization rotation in less than 10 ns for 1.5 μm light. The 10 cm long component has an experimentally measured optical insertion loss of 0.2 dB and a 0-10 kHz repetition frequency capacity and has been durability tested for more than 109 pulses.

  7. 160 Gb/s all-optical packet switching field experiment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dorren, H.J.S.; Herrera, J.; Raz, O.

    2007-01-01

    We discus an all-optical packet switching experiment over 110 km of field installed optical fiber. The switching node is controlled by solely photonic control circuits.......We discus an all-optical packet switching experiment over 110 km of field installed optical fiber. The switching node is controlled by solely photonic control circuits....

  8. Optical fiber switch

    Science.gov (United States)

    Early, James W.; Lester, Charles S.

    2002-01-01

    Optical fiber switches operated by electrical activation of at least one laser light modulator through which laser light is directed into at least one polarizer are used for the sequential transport of laser light from a single laser into a plurality of optical fibers. In one embodiment of the invention, laser light from a single excitation laser is sequentially transported to a plurality of optical fibers which in turn transport the laser light to separate individual remotely located laser fuel ignitors. The invention can be operated electro-optically with no need for any mechanical or moving parts, or, alternatively, can be operated electro-mechanically. The invention can be used to switch either pulsed or continuous wave laser light.

  9. Photonics in switching: enabling technologies and subsystem design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vlachos, K.; Raffaelli, C.; Aleksic, S.

    2009-01-01

    This paper describes recent research activities and results in the area of photonic switching carried out within the framework of the EU-funded e-Photon/ONe + network of excellence, Virtual Department on Optical Switching. Technology aspects of photonics in switching and, in particular, recent...

  10. Modular protein switches derived from antibody mimetic proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicholes, N; Date, A; Beaujean, P; Hauk, P; Kanwar, M; Ostermeier, M

    2016-02-01

    Protein switches have potential applications as biosensors and selective protein therapeutics. Protein switches built by fusion of proteins with the prerequisite input and output functions are currently developed using an ad hoc process. A modular switch platform in which existing switches could be readily adapted to respond to any ligand would be advantageous. We investigated the feasibility of a modular protein switch platform based on fusions of the enzyme TEM-1 β-lactamase (BLA) with two different antibody mimetic proteins: designed ankyrin repeat proteins (DARPins) and monobodies. We created libraries of random insertions of the gene encoding BLA into genes encoding a DARPin or a monobody designed to bind maltose-binding protein (MBP). From these libraries, we used a genetic selection system for β-lactamase activity to identify genes that conferred MBP-dependent ampicillin resistance to Escherichia coli. Some of these selected genes encoded switch proteins whose enzymatic activity increased up to 14-fold in the presence of MBP. We next introduced mutations into the antibody mimetic domain of these switches that were known to cause binding to different ligands. To different degrees, introduction of the mutations resulted in switches with the desired specificity, illustrating the potential modularity of these platforms. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  11. Mediterranean diet: from a healthy diet to a sustainable dietary pattern

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sandro eDernini

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available The notion of the Mediterranean Diet has undergone a progressive evolution over the past 60 years, from a healthy dietary pattern to a sustainable dietary pattern, in which nutrition, food, cultures, people, environment and sustainability all interact into a new model of a sustainable diet. An overview of the historical antecedents and recent increased interest in the Mediterranean diet is presented and challenges related how to improve the sustainability of the Mediterranean diet are identified. Despite its increasing popularity worldwide, adherence to the Mediterranean diet model is decreasing for multifactorial influences – life styles changes, food globalization, economic and socio-cultural factors. These changes pose serious threats to the preservation and transmission of the Mediterranean diet heritage to present and future generations. Today’s challenge is to reverse such trends. A greater focus on the Mediterranean diet's potential as a sustainable dietary pattern, instead than just on its well documented healthy benefits, can contribute to its enhancement. More cross-disciplinary studies on environmental, economic and socio-cultural, sustainability dimensions of the Mediterranean diet are foreseen as a critical need.

  12. Mediterranean Diet: From a Healthy Diet to a Sustainable Dietary Pattern.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dernini, Sandro; Berry, Elliot M

    2015-01-01

    The notion of the Mediterranean diet has undergone a progressive evolution over the past 60 years, from a healthy dietary pattern to a sustainable dietary pattern, in which nutrition, food, cultures, people, environment, and sustainability all interact into a new model of a sustainable diet. An overview of the historical antecedents and recent increased interest in the Mediterranean diet is presented and challenges related to how to improve the sustainability of the Mediterranean diet are identified. Despite its increasing popularity worldwide, adherence to the Mediterranean diet model is decreasing for multifactorial influences - life styles changes, food globalization, economic, and socio-cultural factors. These changes pose serious threats to the preservation and transmission of the Mediterranean diet heritage to present and future generations. Today's challenge is to reverse such trends. A greater focus on the Mediterranean diet's potential as a sustainable dietary pattern, instead than just on its well-documented healthy benefits, can contribute to its enhancement. More cross-disciplinary studies on environmental, economic and socio-cultural, and sustainability dimensions of the Mediterranean diet are foreseen as a critical need.

  13. Scalable optical switches for computing applications

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    White, I.H.; Aw, E.T.; Williams, K.A.; Wang, Haibo; Wonfor, A.; Penty, R.V.

    2009-01-01

    A scalable photonic interconnection network architecture is proposed whereby a Clos network is populated with broadcast-and-select stages. This enables the efficient exploitation of an emerging class of photonic integrated switch fabric. A low distortion space switch technology based on recently

  14. Vulnerability imposed by diet and brain trauma for anxiety-like phenotype: implications for post-traumatic stress disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tyagi, Ethika; Agrawal, Rahul; Zhuang, Yumei; Abad, Catalina; Waschek, James A; Gomez-Pinilla, Fernando

    2013-01-01

    Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI, cerebral concussion) is a risk factor for the development of psychiatric illness such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We sought to evaluate how omega-3 fatty acids during brain maturation can influence challenges incurred during adulthood (transitioning to unhealthy diet and mTBI) and predispose the brain to a PTSD-like pathobiology. Rats exposed to diets enriched or deficient in omega-3 fatty acids (n-3) during their brain maturation period, were transitioned to a western diet (WD) when becoming adult and then subjected to mTBI. TBI resulted in an increase in anxiety-like behavior and its molecular counterpart NPY1R, a hallmark of PTSD, but these effects were more pronounced in the animals exposed to n-3 deficient diet and switched to WD. The n-3 deficiency followed by WD disrupted BDNF signaling and the activation of elements of BDNF signaling pathway (TrkB, CaMKII, Akt and CREB) in frontal cortex. TBI worsened these effects and more prominently in combination with the n-3 deficiency condition. Moreover, the n-3 deficiency primed the immune system to the challenges imposed by the WD and brain trauma as evidenced by results showing that the WD or mTBI affected brain IL1β levels and peripheral Th17 and Treg subsets only in animals previously conditioned to the n-3 deficient diet. These results provide novel evidence for the capacity of maladaptive dietary habits to lower the threshold for neurological disorders in response to challenges.

  15. A maternal "junk food" diet in pregnancy and lactation promotes nonalcoholic Fatty liver disease in rat offspring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bayol, Stéphanie A; Simbi, Bigboy H; Fowkes, Robert C; Stickland, Neil C

    2010-04-01

    With rising obesity rates, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is predicted to become the main cause of chronic liver disease in the next decades. Rising obesity prevalence is attributed to changes in dietary habits with increased consumption of palatable junk foods, but maternal malnutrition also contributes to obesity in progeny. This study examines whether a maternal junk food diet predisposes offspring to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The 144 rat offspring were fed either a balanced chow diet alone or with palatable junk foods rich in energy, fat, sugar, and/or salt during gestation, lactation, and/or after weaning up to the end of adolescence. Offspring fed junk food throughout the study exhibited exacerbated hepatic steatosis, hepatocyte ballooning, and oxidative stress response compared with offspring given free access to junk food after weaning only. These offspring also displayed sex differences in their hepatic molecular metabolic adaptation to diet-induced obesity with increased expression of genes associated with insulin sensitivity, de novo lipogenesis, lipid oxidation, and antiinflammatory properties in males, whereas the gene expression profile in females was indicative of hepatic insulin resistance. Hepatic inflammation and fibrosis were not detected indicating that offspring had not developed severe steatohepatitis by the end of adolescence. Hepatic steatosis and increased oxidative stress response also occurred in offspring born to junk food-fed mothers switched to a balanced chow diet from weaning, highlighting a degree of irreversibility. This study shows that a maternal junk food diet in pregnancy and lactation contributes to the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in offspring.

  16. Commitment and Switching Intentions: Customers and Brands

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juliana Werneck Rodrigues

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available This study aims to evaluate the relationship between a customer’s brand switching intentions and his commitment to a brand. Based on a literature review, constructs related to customer brand commitment were identified (affective and continuance commitment, trust, satisfaction, switching costs and alternative attractiveness and their roles in the formation of brand switching intentions hypothesized. Through a cross-sectional survey, a sample of 201 smartphone users was collected to test the proposed relationships. Data analysis was carried out via structural equations modeling, with direct effects of trust, satisfaction, switching costs and alternative attractiveness upon the different kinds of commitment being verified. Furthermore, both types of brand commitment (affective and continuance were found to negatively impact a customer’s intention to switch brands. Regarding enterprise customer strategies, the research findings suggest that, if firms are able to track customer brand commitment, they could use such knowledge to develop better relationship strategies, minimizing customer defection and further developing customer value to the company.

  17. Aging specifically impairs switching to an allocentric navigational strategy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, Mathew A; Wiener, Jan M; Wolbers, Thomas

    2012-01-01

    Navigation abilities decline with age, partly due to deficits in numerous component processes. Impaired switching between these various processes (i.e., switching navigational strategies) is also likely to contribute to age-related navigational impairments. We tested young and old participants on a virtual plus maze task (VPM), expecting older participants to exhibit a specific strategy switching deficit, despite unimpaired learning of allocentric (place) and egocentric (response) strategies following reversals within each strategy. Our initial results suggested that older participants performed worse during place trial blocks but not response trial blocks, as well as in trial blocks following a strategy switch but not those following a reversal. However, we then separated trial blocks by both strategy and change type, revealing that these initial results were due to a more specific deficit in switching to the place strategy. Place reversals and switches to response, as well as response reversals, were unaffected. We argue that this specific "switch-to-place" deficit could account for apparent impairments in both navigational strategy switching and allocentric processing and contributes more generally to age-related decline in navigation.

  18. AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF SWITCHING TRACTION MOTORS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. M. Bezruchenko

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available The analytical study of switching of the tractive engines of electric locomotives is conducted. It is found that the obtained curves of change of current of the sections commuted correspond to the theory of average rectilinear switching. By means of the proposed method it is possible on the stage of design of tractive engines to forecast the quality of switching and to correct it timely.

  19. A magnetically switched kicker for proton extraction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dinkel, J.; Biggs, J.

    1989-03-01

    The application of magnetic current amplification and switching techniques to the generation of precise high current pulses for switching magnets is described. The square loop characteristic of Metglas tape wound cores at high excitation levels provides excellent switching characteristics for microsecond pulses. The rugged and passive nature of this type pulser makes it possible to locate the final stages of amplification at the load for maximum efficiency. 12 refs., 8 figs

  20. Detail study of SiC MOSFET switching characteristics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Helong; Munk-Nielsen, Stig

    2014-01-01

    This paper makes detail study of the latest SiC MOSFETs switching characteristics in relation to gate driver maximum current, gate resistance, common source inductance and parasitic switching loop inductance. The switching performance of SiC MOSFETs in terms of turn on and turn off voltage...

  1. Photonic Switching Devices Using Light Bullets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goorjian, Peter M. (Inventor)

    1999-01-01

    A unique ultra-fast, all-optical switching device or switch is made with readily available, relatively inexpensive, highly nonlinear optical materials. which includes highly nonlinear optical glasses, semiconductor crystals and/or multiple quantum well semiconductor materials. At the specified wavelengths. these optical materials have a sufficiently negative group velocity dispersion and high nonlinear index of refraction to support stable light bullets. The light bullets counter-propagate through, and interact within the waveguide to selectively change each others' directions of propagation into predetermined channels. In one embodiment, the switch utilizes a rectangularly planar slab waveguide. and further includes two central channels and a plurality of lateral channels for guiding the light bullets into and out of the waveguide. An advantage of the present all-optical switching device lies in its practical use of light bullets, thus preventing the degeneration of the pulses due to dispersion and diffraction at the front and back of the pulses. Another advantage of the switching device is the relative insensitivity of the collision process to the time difference in which the counter-propagating pulses enter the waveguide. since. contrary to conventional co-propagating spatial solitons, the relative phase of the colliding pulses does not affect the interaction of these pulses. Yet another feature of the present all-optical switching device is the selection of the light pulse parameters which enables the generation of light bullets in nonlinear optical materials. including highly nonlinear optical glasses and semiconductor materials such as semiconductor crystals and/or multiple quantum well semiconductor materials.

  2. Ketogenic diet

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tina Bregant

    2009-04-01

    conclusions This review traces a history of ketogenic diet, reviews its uses and side effects, and discusses possible alternatives and the diet’s possible mechanisms of action. We show how to use the diet in practice. Protocol and calculations are presented. We look toward possible future uses of the ketogenic diet, since it is efficient, under doctor’s supervison safe, but very demanding, additional treatment.

  3. Synchronization in slowly switching networks of coupled oscillators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Jie; Zou, Yong; Guan, Shuguang; Liu, Zonghua; Boccaletti, S.

    2016-01-01

    Networks whose structure of connections evolves in time constitute a big challenge in the study of synchronization, in particular when the time scales for the evolution of the graph topology are comparable with (or even longer than) those pertinent to the units’ dynamics. We here focus on networks with a slow-switching structure, and show that the necessary conditions for synchronization, i.e. the conditions for which synchronization is locally stable, are determined by the time average of the largest Lyapunov exponents of transverse modes of the switching topologies. Comparison between fast- and slow-switching networks allows elucidating that slow-switching processes prompt synchronization in the cases where the Master Stability Function is concave, whereas fast-switching schemes facilitate synchronization for convex curves. Moreover, the condition of slow-switching enables the introduction of a control strategy for inducing synchronization in networks with arbitrary structure and coupling strength, which is of evident relevance for broad applications in real world systems. PMID:27779253

  4. Validating an infrared thermal switch as a novel access technology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Memarian Negar

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Recently, a novel single-switch access technology based on infrared thermography was proposed. The technology exploits the temperature differences between the inside and surrounding areas of the mouth as a switch trigger, thereby allowing voluntary switch activation upon mouth opening. However, for this technology to be clinically viable, it must be validated against a gold standard switch, such as a chin switch, that taps into the same voluntary motion. Methods In this study, we report an experiment designed to gauge the concurrent validity of the infrared thermal switch. Ten able-bodied adults participated in a series of 3 test sessions where they simultaneously used both an infrared thermal and conventional chin switch to perform multiple trials of a number identification task with visual, auditory and audiovisual stimuli. Participants also provided qualitative feedback about switch use. User performance with the two switches was quantified using an efficiency measure based on mutual information. Results User performance (p = 0.16 and response time (p = 0.25 with the infrared thermal switch were comparable to those of the gold standard. Users reported preference for the infrared thermal switch given its non-contact nature and robustness to changes in user posture. Conclusions Thermal infrared access technology appears to be a valid single switch alternative for individuals with disabilities who retain voluntary mouth opening and closing.

  5. Delayed switching applied to memristor neural networks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Frank Z.; Yang Xiao; Lim Guan [Future Computing Group, School of Computing, University of Kent, Canterbury (United Kingdom); Helian Na [School of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield (United Kingdom); Wu Sining [Xyratex, Havant (United Kingdom); Guo Yike [Department of Computing, Imperial College, London (United Kingdom); Rashid, Md Mamunur [CERN, Geneva (Switzerland)

    2012-04-01

    Magnetic flux and electric charge are linked in a memristor. We reported recently that a memristor has a peculiar effect in which the switching takes place with a time delay because a memristor possesses a certain inertia. This effect was named the ''delayed switching effect.'' In this work, we elaborate on the importance of delayed switching in a brain-like computer using memristor neural networks. The effect is used to control the switching of a memristor synapse between two neurons that fire together (the Hebbian rule). A theoretical formula is found, and the design is verified by a simulation. We have also built an experimental setup consisting of electronic memristive synapses and electronic neurons.

  6. Delayed switching applied to memristor neural networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Frank Z.; Yang Xiao; Lim Guan; Helian Na; Wu Sining; Guo Yike; Rashid, Md Mamunur

    2012-01-01

    Magnetic flux and electric charge are linked in a memristor. We reported recently that a memristor has a peculiar effect in which the switching takes place with a time delay because a memristor possesses a certain inertia. This effect was named the ''delayed switching effect.'' In this work, we elaborate on the importance of delayed switching in a brain-like computer using memristor neural networks. The effect is used to control the switching of a memristor synapse between two neurons that fire together (the Hebbian rule). A theoretical formula is found, and the design is verified by a simulation. We have also built an experimental setup consisting of electronic memristive synapses and electronic neurons.

  7. The ketogenic diet is an effective adjuvant to radiation therapy for the treatment of malignant glioma.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammed G Abdelwahab

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: The ketogenic diet (KD is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that alters metabolism by increasing the level of ketone bodies in the blood. KetoCal® (KC is a nutritionally complete, commercially available 4:1 (fat:carbohydrate+protein ketogenic formula that is an effective non-pharmacologic treatment for the management of refractory pediatric epilepsy. Diet-induced ketosis causes changes to brain homeostasis that have potential for the treatment of other neurological diseases such as malignant gliomas. METHODS: We used an intracranial bioluminescent mouse model of malignant glioma. Following implantation animals were maintained on standard diet (SD or KC. The mice received 2×4 Gy of whole brain radiation and tumor growth was followed by in vivo imaging. RESULTS: Animals fed KC had elevated levels of β-hydroxybutyrate (p = 0.0173 and an increased median survival of approximately 5 days relative to animals maintained on SD. KC plus radiation treatment were more than additive, and in 9 of 11 irradiated animals maintained on KC the bioluminescent signal from the tumor cells diminished below the level of detection (p<0.0001. Animals were switched to SD 101 days after implantation and no signs of tumor recurrence were seen for over 200 days. CONCLUSIONS: KC significantly enhances the anti-tumor effect of radiation. This suggests that cellular metabolic alterations induced through KC may be useful as an adjuvant to the current standard of care for the treatment of human malignant gliomas.

  8. Dieting attempts modify the association between quality of diet and obesity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sares-Jäske, Laura; Knekt, Paul; Lundqvist, Annamari; Heliövaara, Markku; Männistö, Satu

    2017-09-01

    Evidence on the nature of the relationship between obesity and the quality of diet remains controversial. Likewise, the possible effect of dieting attempts on this association is poorly understood. This study investigates the possible modifying effect of dieting attempts on the association between the quality of diet and obesity. The authors hypothesize that among dieters the association may be biased. The study was based on a Finnish cohort, including 5910 men and women aged 30 to 99 years, with information on diet and body mass index (BMI). Using data from a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), an Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) applicable to the Finnish regimen was formed. Obesity was defined as a BMI ≥30 kg/m 2 . Information on dieting attempts was collected using a questionnaire. The statistical analyses were based on linear and logistic regression. We found a positive association between the quality of the diet and obesity, the relative odds of obesity between the highest and lowest quintiles of AHEI being 1.48 (95% CI, 1.20-1.82) after adjustment for confounding factors. However, in the interaction analysis of dieting attempts and AHEI, no association was observed in non-dieters (OR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.69-1.24) but among dieters a slightly elevated risk was found (OR, 1.40; 95% CI, 0.98-1.98). We found no association between a high quality diet and obesity among non-dieters, but a tendency for a positive association in dieters. Dieting thus seems to modify the association between diet and obesity, which should be further studied using a longitudinal design. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Novel RF-MEMS capacitive switching structures

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rottenberg, X.; Jansen, Henricus V.; Fiorini, P.; De Raedt, W.; Tilmans, H.A.C.

    2002-01-01

    This paper reports on novel RF-MEMS capacitive switching devices implementing an electrically floating metal layer covering the dielectric to ensure intimate contact with the bridge in the down state. This results in an optimal switch down capacitance and allows optimisation of the down/up

  10. Diet induced thermogenesis

    OpenAIRE

    Westerterp KR

    2004-01-01

    Objective Daily energy expenditure consists of three components: basal metabolic rate, diet-induced thermogenesis and the energy cost of physical activity. Here, data on diet-induced thermogenesis are reviewed in relation to measuring conditions and characteristics of the diet. Methods Measuring conditions include nutritional status of the subject, physical activity and duration of the observation. Diet characteristics are energy content and macronutrient composition. Resu...

  11. Understanding household switching behavior in the retail electricity market

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Yingkui

    2014-01-01

    Deregulation of the Danish retail electricity market nearly a decade ago has produced little consumer switching among suppliers or renegotiation of supplier service contracts. From an energy policy perspective, a certain amount of supplier switching is an important indicator of the success of market deregulation. This argues that poor relationship management and a lack of economic benefits are two critical barriers to consumer switching. Latent class analysis indicates that only 11.4% of consumers are non-switchers, whereas 41.1% can be considered potential switchers and approximately one-half (47.5%) can be considered apathetic consumers. We also discuss the managerial implications for both electricity suppliers and policy makers. - Highlights: • This paper investigates the barriers for electricity supplier switching in Denmark. • Four switching barriers were identified. • Relationship management and economic benefits are critical for consumer switching. • Three consumer segments for electricity supplier switching were identified

  12. Flexible circuits with integrated switches for robotic shape sensing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harnett, C. K.

    2016-05-01

    Digital switches are commonly used for detecting surface contact and limb-position limits in robotics. The typical momentary-contact digital switch is a mechanical device made from metal springs, designed to connect with a rigid printed circuit board (PCB). However, flexible printed circuits are taking over from the rigid PCB in robotics because the circuits can bend while carrying signals and power through moving joints. This project is motivated by a previous work where an array of surface-mount momentary contact switches on a flexible circuit acted as an all-digital shape sensor compatible with the power resources of energy harvesting systems. Without a rigid segment, the smallest commercially-available surface-mount switches would detach from the flexible circuit after several bending cycles, sometimes violently. This report describes a low-cost, conductive fiber based method to integrate electromechanical switches into flexible circuits and other soft, bendable materials. Because the switches are digital (on/off), they differ from commercially-available continuous-valued bend/flex sensors. No amplification or analog-to-digital conversion is needed to read the signal, but the tradeoff is that the digital switches only give a threshold curvature value. Boundary conditions on the edges of the flexible circuit are key to setting the threshold curvature value for switching. This presentation will discuss threshold-setting, size scaling of the design, automation for inserting a digital switch into the flexible circuit fabrication process, and methods for reconstructing a shape from an array of digital switch states.

  13. IGBT Dynamic Loss Reduction through Device Level Soft Switching

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lan Ma

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Due to its low conduction loss, hence high current ratings, as well as low cost, Silicon Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (Si IGBT is widely used in high power applications. However, its switching frequency is generally low because of relatively large switching losses. Silicon carbide Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (SiC MOSFET is much more superior due to their fast switching speed, which is determined by the internal parasitic capacitance instead of the stored charges, like the IGBT. By the combination of SiC MOSFET and Si IGBT, this paper presents a novel series hybrid switching method to achieve IGBT’s dynamic switching loss reduction by switching under Zero Voltage Hard Current (ZVHC turn-on and Zero Current Hard Voltage (ZCHV turn-off conditions. Both simulation and experimental results of IGBT are carried out, which shows that the soft switching of IGBT has been achieved both in turn-on and turn-off period. Thus 90% turn-on loss and 57% turn-off loss are reduced. Two different IGBTs’ test results are also provided to study the modulation parameter’s effect on the turn-off switching loss. Furthermore, with the consideration of voltage and current transient states, a new soft switching classification is proposed. At last, another improved modulation and Highly Efficient and Reliable Inverter Concept (HERIC inverter are given to validate the effectiveness of the device level hybrid soft switching method application.

  14. Level-ARCH Short Rate Models with Regime Switching

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christiansen, Charlotte

    This paper introduces regime switching volatility into level- ARCH models for the short rates of the US, the UK, and Germany. Once regime switching and level effects are included there are no gains from including ARCH effects. It is of secondary importance exactly how the regime switching is spec...

  15. Fast-opening vacuum switches for high-power inductive energy storage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cooperstein, G.

    1988-01-01

    The subject of fast-opening vacuum switches for high-power inductive energy storage is emerging as an exciting new area of plasma science research. This opening switch technology, which generally involves the use of plasmas as the switching medium, is key to the development of inductive energy storage techniques for pulsed power which have a number of advantages over conventional capacitive techniques with regard to cost and size. This paper reviews the state of the art in this area with emphasis on applications to inductive storage pulsed power generators. Discussion focuses on fast-opening vacuum switches capable of operating at high power (≥10 12 W). These include plasma erosion opening switches, ion beam opening switches, plasma filled diodes, reflex diodes, plasma flow switches, and other novel vacuum opening switches

  16. Gas tube-switched high voltage DC power converter

    Science.gov (United States)

    She, Xu; Bray, James William; Sommerer, Timothy John; Chokhawala, Rahul

    2018-05-15

    A direct current (DC)-DC converter includes a transformer and a gas tube-switched inverter circuit. The transformer includes a primary winding and a secondary winding. The gas tube-switched inverter circuit includes first and second inverter load terminals and first and second inverter input terminals. The first and second inverter load terminals are coupled to the primary winding. The first and second inverter input terminals are couplable to a DC node. The gas tube-switched inverter circuit further includes a plurality of gas tube switches respectively coupled between the first and second inverter load terminals and the first and second inverter input terminals. The plurality of gas tube switches is configured to operate to generate an alternating current (AC) voltage at the primary winding.

  17. Is the Chilean Diet a Mediterranean-type Diet?

    OpenAIRE

    JAIME ROZOWSKI; ÓSCAR CASTILLO

    2004-01-01

    Food intake in Chile has changed markedly in the last decades, showing an increase in fat consumption and presently a small fruit and vegetables intake. A parallel is made between the Chilean and Mediterranean diet (mainly the one from Spain, Italy, and Greece), both currently and from 50 years ago. The main differences and similarities are based on food availability. Although Chilean diet seems to be approaching the traditional Mediterranean diet of the 60's, there is concern about changes t...

  18. Switched-Observer-Based Adaptive Neural Control of MIMO Switched Nonlinear Systems With Unknown Control Gains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Long, Lijun; Zhao, Jun

    2017-07-01

    In this paper, the problem of adaptive neural output-feedback control is addressed for a class of multi-input multioutput (MIMO) switched uncertain nonlinear systems with unknown control gains. Neural networks (NNs) are used to approximate unknown nonlinear functions. In order to avoid the conservativeness caused by adoption of a common observer for all subsystems, an MIMO NN switched observer is designed to estimate unmeasurable states. A new switched observer-based adaptive neural control technique for the problem studied is then provided by exploiting the classical average dwell time (ADT) method and the backstepping method and the Nussbaum gain technique. It effectively handles the obstacle about the coexistence of multiple Nussbaum-type function terms, and improves the classical ADT method, since the exponential decline property of Lyapunov functions for individual subsystems is no longer satisfied. It is shown that the technique proposed is able to guarantee semiglobal uniformly ultimately boundedness of all the signals in the closed-loop system under a class of switching signals with ADT, and the tracking errors converge to a small neighborhood of the origin. The effectiveness of the approach proposed is illustrated by its application to a two inverted pendulum system.

  19. Sulfhydryl variable-5 extended spectrum β-lactamase in nosocomial enteric bacteria causing sepsis in mexican children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angélica Flores-Pérez

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Enteric bacteria causing nosocomial infections are often resistant to third-generation cephalosporins due to the production of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs. Objective: To describe and characterize the ESBLs pattern present in Klebsiella pneumoniae and Serratia marcescens strains, isolated as causative of nosocomial sepsis in pediatric patients at Instituto Nacional de Pediatría (National Institute of Pediatrics. Material and methods: We analyzed 94 strains of K. pneumoniae and 7 of S. marcescens isolated from clinical specimens from 2002-2005, causative of sepsis in a children’s hospital. We evaluated antibiotic susceptibility and detection of ESBL phenotypes by disk diffusion methods; ceftazidime-resistant isolates were further characterized by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE; and ESBLs were phenotypically and genotypically characterized by isoelectric focusing, polymerase chain reaction (PCR and sequencing. We also assed for presence of conjugative plasmids bearing the ESBL gene. Results: 51/94 (54% of K. pneumoniae isolates, and 5/7 (71% of S. marcescens isolates were resistant to ceftazidime; all carried a blaSHV-5 gene. All K. pneumoniae isolates had a distinct PFGE profile, yet all carried a ~48-Kb plasmid, that was conjugatively transferable to an Escherichia coli receptor, which expressed the resistance phenotype. On the other hand, all S. marcescens isolates had a similar PFGE profile, were unable to transfer the ceftazidime-resistance phenotype, and were isolated from the same ward in a short time-span suggesting an outbreak. Conclusions: The overall prevalence of ESBL-producing enteric bacteria in this hospital is high but similar to other Latin American reports. The sulfhydryl variable-5 (SHV-5 ESBL gene appears to reside in a highly mobile plasmid, capable of spreading among different K. pneumoniae clones and perhaps even to S. marcescens.

  20. Effect of long-term oral administration of an immunostimulant diet on innate immunity in sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bagni, M; Archetti, L; Amadori, M; Marino, G

    2000-12-01

    Immunostimulants represent a modern and promising tool in aquaculture, enhancing the resistance of cultured fish to disease and stress. This study investigated the effect of a combination of dietary glucans, alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid on the innate immune response of cultured sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax). After 5 weeks of adaptation on a commercial diet containing 100 p.p.m. ascorbic acid and 200 p.p.m. alpha-tocopherol, sea bass were switched to a diet supplemented with 2% beta-1.3/beta-1.6 glucans and ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol at 500 p.p.m. The supplemented diet was given at 2% of body weight per day over a 2-week period, every 3 months. Plasma lysozyme concentration, content and distribution of major plasma proteins and complement activity were measured prior to feeding the supplemented diet and after 40 weeks. Alternative pathways of complement activation and lysozyme activity were both significantly enhanced in fish fed on glucans and elevated doses of vitamins. No significant differences were observed in protein content or in albumin/globulin ratio. Compared to lysozyme activity, which showed marked individual variation, complement-mediated haemolytic activity has been shown to be a more reliable indicator of sea bass immunocompetence. Further studies are in progress to clarify the effect of each dietary component on the innate immune response and disease resistance.

  1. Stateless multicast switching in software defined networks

    OpenAIRE

    Reed, Martin J.; Al-Naday, Mays; Thomos, Nikolaos; Trossen, Dirk; Petropoulos, George; Spirou, Spiros

    2016-01-01

    Multicast data delivery can significantly reduce traffic in operators' networks, but has been limited in deployment due to concerns such as the scalability of state management. This paper shows how multicast can be implemented in contemporary software defined networking (SDN) switches, with less state than existing unicast switching strategies, by utilising a Bloom Filter (BF) based switching technique. Furthermore, the proposed mechanism uses only proactive rule insertion, and thus, is not l...

  2. Switching induced oscillations in the logistic map

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maier, Makisha P.S. [Department of Chemistry, Williams College, Williamstown, MA 01267 (United States); Peacock-Lopez, Enrique, E-mail: epeacock@williams.ed [Department of Chemistry, Williams College, Williamstown, MA 01267 (United States)

    2010-02-08

    In ecological modeling, seasonality can be represented as a switching between different environmental conditions. This switching strategy can be related to the so-called Parrondian games, where the alternation of two losing games yield a winning game. Hence we can consider two dynamics that, by themselves, yield undesirable behaviors, but when alternated yield a desirable oscillatory behavior. In this case, we also consider a noisy switching strategy and find that the desirable oscillatory behavior prevails.

  3. Monetary Diet Cost, Diet Quality, and Parental Socioeconomic Status in Spanish Youth.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Helmut Schröder

    Full Text Available Using a food-based analysis, healthy dietary patterns in adults are more expensive than less healthy ones; studies are needed in youth. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to determine relationships between monetary daily diet cost, diet quality, and parental socioeconomic status.Data were obtained from a representative national sample of 3534 children and young people in Spain, aged 2 to 24 years. Dietary assessment was performed with a 24-hour recall. Mediterranean diet adherence was measured by the KIDMED questionnaire. Average food cost was calculated from official Spanish government data. Monetary daily diet cost was expressed as euros per day (€/d and euros per day standardized to a 1000kcal diet (€/1000kcal/d.Mean monetary daily diet cost was 3.16±1.57€/d (1.56±0.72€/1000kcal/d. Socioeconomic status was positively associated with monetary daily diet cost and diet quality measured by the KIDMED index (€/d and €/1000kcal/d, p<0.019. High Mediterranean diet adherence (KIDMED score 8-12 was 0.71 €/d (0.28€/1000kcal/d more expensive than low compliance (KIDMED score 0-3. Analysis for nonlinear association between the KIDMED index and monetary daily diet cost per1000kcal showed no further cost increases beyond a KIDMED score of 8 (linear p<0.001; nonlinear p = 0.010.Higher monetary daily diet cost is associated with healthy eating in Spanish youth. Higher socioeconomic status is a determinant for higher monetary daily diet cost and quality.

  4. Iodine in diet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diet - iodine ... Many months of iodine deficiency in a person's diet may cause goiter or hypothyroidism . Without enough iodine, ... and older children. Getting enough iodine in the diet may prevent a form of physical and intellectual ...

  5. Fluoride in diet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diet - fluoride ... bones and teeth. Too much fluoride in the diet is very rare. Rarely, infants who get too ... of essential vitamins is to eat a balanced diet that contains a variety of foods from the ...

  6. Topological photonic orbital-angular-momentum switch

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Xi-Wang; Zhang, Chuanwei; Guo, Guang-Can; Zhou, Zheng-Wei

    2018-04-01

    The large number of available orbital-angular-momentum (OAM) states of photons provides a unique resource for many important applications in quantum information and optical communications. However, conventional OAM switching devices usually rely on precise parameter control and are limited by slow switching rate and low efficiency. Here we propose a robust, fast, and efficient photonic OAM switch device based on a topological process, where photons are adiabatically pumped to a target OAM state on demand. Such topological OAM pumping can be realized through manipulating photons in a few degenerate main cavities and involves only a limited number of optical elements. A large change of OAM at ˜10q can be realized with only q degenerate main cavities and at most 5 q pumping cycles. The topological photonic OAM switch may become a powerful device for broad applications in many different fields and motivate a topological design of conventional optical devices.

  7. Nutrition and Diet

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Thai HbH:Vietnamese Relevant links Living with Thalassemia NUTRITION AND EXERCISE ▶ Nutrition and DietDiet for the ... Thalassemia (for providers) Exercise for Patients with Thalassemia Nutrition and Diet Nutritional deficiencies are common in thalassemia, ...

  8. Using MEMS Capacitive Switches in Tunable RF Amplifiers

    OpenAIRE

    Danson John; Plett Calvin; Tait Niall

    2006-01-01

    A MEMS capacitive switch suitable for use in tunable RF amplifiers is described. A MEMS switch is designed, fabricated, and characterized with physical and RF measurements for inclusion in simulations. Using the MEMS switch models, a dual-band low-noise amplifier (LNA) operating at GHz and GHz, and a tunable power amplifier (PA) at GHz are simulated in m CMOS. MEMS switches allow the LNA to operate with 11 dB of isolation between the two bands while maintaining dB of gain and sub- dB no...

  9. Mediterranean Diet: Choose This Heart-Healthy Diet Option

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Lifestyle Nutrition and healthy eating The heart-healthy Mediterranean diet is a healthy eating plan based on typical ... Mediterranean-style cooking. Here's how to adopt the Mediterranean diet. By Mayo Clinic Staff If you're looking ...

  10. A genetic bistable switch utilizing nonlinear protein degradation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Daniel; Holtz, William J; Maharbiz, Michel M

    2012-07-09

    Bistability is a fundamental property in engineered and natural systems, conferring the ability to switch and retain states. Synthetic bistable switches in prokaryotes have mainly utilized transcriptional components in their construction. Using both transcriptional and enzymatic components, creating a hybrid system, allows for wider bistable parameter ranges in a circuit. In this paper, we demonstrate a tunable family of hybrid bistable switches in E. coli using both transcriptional components and an enzymatic component. The design contains two linked positive feedback loops. The first loop utilizes the lambda repressor, CI, and the second positive feedback loop incorporates the Lon protease found in Mesoplasma florum (mf-Lon). We experimentally tested for bistable behavior in exponential growth phase, and found that our hybrid bistable switch was able to retain its state in the absence of an input signal throughout 40 cycles of cell division. We also tested the transient behavior of our switch and found that switching speeds can be tuned by changing the expression rate of mf-Lon. To our knowledge, this work demonstrates the first use of dynamic expression of an orthogonal and heterologous protease to tune a nonlinear protein degradation circuit. The hybrid switch is potentially a more robust and tunable topology for use in prokaryotic systems.

  11. Low pull-in voltage electrostatic MEMS switch using liquid dielectric

    KAUST Repository

    Zidan, Mohammed A.

    2014-08-01

    In this paper, we present an electrostatic MEMS switch with liquids as dielectric to reduce the actuation voltage. The concept is verified by simulating a lateral dual gate switch, where the required pull-in voltage is reduced by more than 8 times after using water as a dielectric, to become as low as 5.36V. The proposed switch is simulated using COMSOL multiphysics using various liquid volumes to study their effect on the switching performance. Finally, we propose the usage of the lateral switch as a single switch XOR logic gate.

  12. Lasers for switched-power linacs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bigio, I.J.

    1988-01-01

    Laser-switched power surges for particle accelerators, just as with direct laser-driven accelerator schemes, place unique demands on the specifications of the invoked laser systems. We review the laser requirements for switched power sources of the types described in other chapters of this volume. The relative advantages and disadvantages of selected lasers are listed, and the appropriateness and scalability of existing technology is discussed. 4 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs

  13. High PRF high current switch

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moran, Stuart L.; Hutcherson, R. Kenneth

    1990-03-27

    A triggerable, high voltage, high current, spark gap switch for use in pu power systems. The device comprises a pair of electrodes in a high pressure hydrogen environment that is triggered by introducing an arc between one electrode and a trigger pin. Unusually high repetition rates may be obtained by undervolting the switch, i.e., operating the trigger at voltages much below the self-breakdown voltage of the device.

  14. Food quality and motivation: a refined low-fat diet induces obesity and impairs performance on a progressive ratio schedule of instrumental lever pressing in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blaisdell, Aaron P; Lau, Yan Lam Matthew; Telminova, Ekatherina; Lim, Hwee Cheei; Fan, Boyang; Fast, Cynthia D; Garlick, Dennis; Pendergrass, David C

    2014-04-10

    Purified high-fat diet (HFD) feeding causes deleterious metabolic and cognitive effects when compared with unrefined low-fat diets in rodent models. These effects are often attributed to the diet's high content of fat, while less attention has been paid to other mechanisms associated with the diet's highly refined state. Although the effects of HFD feeding on cognition have been explored, little is known about the impact of refined vs. unrefined food on cognition. We tested the hypothesis that a refined low-fat diet (LFD) increases body weight and adversely affects cognition relative to an unrefined diet. Rats were allowed ad libitum access to unrefined rodent chow (CON, Lab Diets 5001) or a purified low-fat diet (REF, Research Diets D12450B) for 6 months, and body weight and performance on an instrumental lever pressing task were recorded. After six months on their respective diets, group REF gained significantly more weight than group CON. REF rats made significantly fewer lever presses and exhibited dramatically lower breaking points than CON rats for sucrose and water reinforcement, indicating a chronic reduction of motivation for instrumental performance. Switching the rats' diet for 9 days had no effect on these measures. Diet-induced obesity produces a substantial deficit in motivated behavior in rats, independent of dietary fat content. This holds implications for an association between obesity and motivation. Specifically, behavioral traits comorbid with obesity, such as depression and fatigue, may be effects of obesity rather than contributing causes. To the degree that refined foods contribute to obesity, as demonstrated in our study, they may play a significant contributing role to other behavioral and cognitive disorders. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. DASH Diet: Reducing Hypertension through Diet and Lifestyle

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... include soy beans, collard greens and calcium-fortified beverages such as almond milk. Limit Saturated Fat A DASH diet is low in saturated fats, sodium and total fat. Studies have shown that a diet low in saturated ...

  16. Ferroelectric switching of elastin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yuanming; Cai, Hong-Ling; Zelisko, Matthew; Wang, Yunjie; Sun, Jinglan; Yan, Fei; Ma, Feiyue; Wang, Peiqi; Chen, Qian Nataly; Zheng, Hairong; Meng, Xiangjian; Sharma, Pradeep; Zhang, Yanhang; Li, Jiangyu

    2014-01-01

    Ferroelectricity has long been speculated to have important biological functions, although its very existence in biology has never been firmly established. Here, we present compelling evidence that elastin, the key ECM protein found in connective tissues, is ferroelectric, and we elucidate the molecular mechanism of its switching. Nanoscale piezoresponse force microscopy and macroscopic pyroelectric measurements both show that elastin retains ferroelectricity at 473 K, with polarization on the order of 1 μC/cm2, whereas coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations predict similar polarization with a Curie temperature of 580 K, which is higher than most synthetic molecular ferroelectrics. The polarization of elastin is found to be intrinsic in tropoelastin at the monomer level, analogous to the unit cell level polarization in classical perovskite ferroelectrics, and it switches via thermally activated cooperative rotation of dipoles. Our study sheds light onto a long-standing question on ferroelectric switching in biology and establishes ferroelectricity as an important biophysical property of proteins. This is a critical first step toward resolving its physiological significance and pathological implications. PMID:24958890

  17. Low-salt diet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Low-sodium diet; Salt restriction ... control many functions. Too much sodium in your diet can be bad for you. For most people, ... you limit salt. Try to eat a balanced diet. Buy fresh vegetables and fruits whenever possible. They ...

  18. Materials and devices for all-optical helicity-dependent switching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salah El Hadri, Mohammed; Hehn, Michel; Malinowski, Grégory; Mangin, Stéphane

    2017-04-01

    Since the first observation of ultrafast demagnetization in Ni thin films by Beaurepaire et al 20 years ago, understanding the interaction between ultrashort laser pulses and magnetization has become a topic of huge interest. In 2007, an intriguing discovery related to ultrafast demagnetization was the observation of all-optical switching (AOS) of magnetization in ferrimagnetic GdFeCo alloy films using only femtosecond laser pulses. This review discusses the recent studies elucidating several key issues regarding the all-optical switching phenomenon. Although AOS had long been restricted to GdFeCo alloys, it turned out to be a more general phenomenon for a variety of ferrimagnetic as well as ferromagnetic materials. This discovery helped pave the way for the integration of all-optical writing in data storage industries. Nevertheless, theoretical models explaining the switching in GdFeCo alloy films do not appear to apply in the other materials, thus questioning the uniqueness of the microscopic origin of all-optical switching. By investigating the integration of all-optical switching in spintronic devices, two types of all-optical switching mechanism have been distinguished: a single-pulse heat-only switching in ferrimagnetic GdFeCo alloys, and a two regime helicity-dependent switching in both ferrimagnetic TbCo alloys and ferromagnetic Co/Pt multilayers. Another key issue discussed in this review is the necessary condition for the observation of all-optical switching. Many models have been proposed but are strongly challenged by the discovery of such switching in ferromagnets. A comprehensive investigation of the magnetic parameters governing all-optical switching demonstrate that its observation requires magnetic domains larger than the laser spot size during the cooling process; such a criterion is common for both ferri- and ferro-magnets. These investigations strongly improve our understanding and give intriguing insights into the rich physics of the ultrafast

  19. Second-chance signal transduction explains cooperative flagellar switching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zot, Henry G; Hasbun, Javier E; Minh, Nguyen Van

    2012-01-01

    The reversal of flagellar motion (switching) results from the interaction between a switch complex of the flagellar rotor and a torque-generating stationary unit, or stator (motor unit). To explain the steeply cooperative ligand-induced switching, present models propose allosteric interactions between subunits of the rotor, but do not address the possibility of a reaction that stimulates a bidirectional motor unit to reverse direction of torque. During flagellar motion, the binding of a ligand-bound switch complex at the dwell site could excite a motor unit. The probability that another switch complex of the rotor, moving according to steady-state rotation, will reach the same dwell site before that motor unit returns to ground state will be determined by the independent decay rate of the excited-state motor unit. Here, we derive an analytical expression for the energy coupling between a switch complex and a motor unit of the stator complex of a flagellum, and demonstrate that this model accounts for the cooperative switching response without the need for allosteric interactions. The analytical result can be reproduced by simulation when (1) the motion of the rotor delivers a subsequent ligand-bound switch to the excited motor unit, thereby providing the excited motor unit with a second chance to remain excited, and (2) the outputs from multiple independent motor units are constrained to a single all-or-none event. In this proposed model, a motor unit and switch complex represent the components of a mathematically defined signal transduction mechanism in which energy coupling is driven by steady-state and is regulated by stochastic ligand binding. Mathematical derivation of the model shows the analytical function to be a general form of the Hill equation (Hill AV (1910) The possible effects of the aggregation of the molecules of haemoglobin on its dissociation curves. J Physiol 40: iv-vii).

  20. Diet induced thermogenesis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Westerterp, K.R.

    2004-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Daily energy expenditure consists of three components: basal metabolic rate, diet-induced thermogenesis and the energy cost of physical activity. Here, data on diet-induced thermogenesis are reviewed in relation to measuring conditions and characteristics of the diet. METHODS: Measuring

  1. Arduino Based RFID Line Switching Using SSR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael E.

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The importance of line switching cannot be overemphasized as they are used to connect and disconnect substations to and from a distribution grid. At the cradle of technology line switching was achieved via the use of manual switches or fuses which could endanger life as a result of electrocution when expose during maintenance. This ill prompted the development of automated line switching using relays and contactors. With time this tends to fail as a result of wearing of the contact which is as a result of arcing and low voltage. To avert all these ills this paper presents Arduino based Radio Frequency Identification RFID line switching using Solid State Relay SSR. This is to ensure the safety of operators or technologist and to also avert the problem associated with relays and contactors using SSR. This was achieved using RFID RC-522 reader ardriuno Uno SSR and other discrete components. The system was tested and worked perfectly reducing the risk of electrocution and eliminating damage wearing of the contacts common with contactors and relays.

  2. MOSFET Switching Circuit Protects Shape Memory Alloy Actuators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gummin, Mark A.

    2011-01-01

    A small-footprint, full surface-mount-component printed circuit board employs MOSFET (metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor) power switches to switch high currents from any input power supply from 3 to 30 V. High-force shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators generally require high current (up to 9 A at 28 V) to actuate. SMA wires (the driving element of the actuators) can be quickly overheated if power is not removed at the end of stroke, which can damage the wires. The new analog driver prevents overheating of the SMA wires in an actuator by momentarily removing power when the end limit switch is closed, thereby allowing complex control schemes to be adopted without concern for overheating. Either an integral pushbutton or microprocessor-controlled gate or control line inputs switch current to the actuator until the end switch line goes from logic high to logic low state. Power is then momentarily removed (switched off by the MOSFET). The analog driver is suited to use with nearly any SMA actuator.

  3. Incorrect predictions reduce switch costs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kleinsorge, Thomas; Scheil, Juliane

    2015-07-01

    In three experiments, we combined two sources of conflict within a modified task-switching procedure. The first source of conflict was the one inherent in any task switching situation, namely the conflict between a task set activated by the recent performance of another task and the task set needed to perform the actually relevant task. The second source of conflict was induced by requiring participants to guess aspects of the upcoming task (Exps. 1 & 2: task identity; Exp. 3: position of task precue). In case of an incorrect guess, a conflict accrues between the representation of the guessed task and the actually relevant task. In Experiments 1 and 2, incorrect guesses led to an overall increase of reaction times and error rates, but they reduced task switch costs compared to conditions in which participants predicted the correct task. In Experiment 3, incorrect guesses resulted in faster performance overall and to a selective decrease of reaction times in task switch trials when the cue-target interval was long. We interpret these findings in terms of an enhanced level of controlled processing induced by a combination of two sources of conflict converging upon the same target of cognitive control. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. A Maternal “Junk Food” Diet in Pregnancy and Lactation Promotes Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Rat Offspring

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bayol, Stéphanie A.; Simbi, Bigboy H.; Fowkes, Robert C.; Stickland, Neil C.

    2010-01-01

    With rising obesity rates, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is predicted to become the main cause of chronic liver disease in the next decades. Rising obesity prevalence is attributed to changes in dietary habits with increased consumption of palatable junk foods, but maternal malnutrition also contributes to obesity in progeny. This study examines whether a maternal junk food diet predisposes offspring to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The 144 rat offspring were fed either a balanced chow diet alone or with palatable junk foods rich in energy, fat, sugar, and/or salt during gestation, lactation, and/or after weaning up to the end of adolescence. Offspring fed junk food throughout the study exhibited exacerbated hepatic steatosis, hepatocyte ballooning, and oxidative stress response compared with offspring given free access to junk food after weaning only. These offspring also displayed sex differences in their hepatic molecular metabolic adaptation to diet-induced obesity with increased expression of genes associated with insulin sensitivity, de novo lipogenesis, lipid oxidation, and antiinflammatory properties in males, whereas the gene expression profile in females was indicative of hepatic insulin resistance. Hepatic inflammation and fibrosis were not detected indicating that offspring had not developed severe steatohepatitis by the end of adolescence. Hepatic steatosis and increased oxidative stress response also occurred in offspring born to junk food-fed mothers switched to a balanced chow diet from weaning, highlighting a degree of irreversibility. This study shows that a maternal junk food diet in pregnancy and lactation contributes to the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in offspring. PMID:20207831

  5. Fast and low power Michelson interferometer thermo-optical switch on SOI.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Junfeng; Fang, Q; Tao, S H; Liow, T Y; Yu, M B; Lo, G Q; Kwong, D L

    2008-09-29

    We designed and fabricated silicon-on-insulator based Michelson interferometer (MI) thermo-optical switches with deep etched trenches for heat-isolation. Switch power was reduced approximately 20% for the switch with deep etched trenches, and the MI saved approximately 50% power than that of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer. 10.6 mW switch power, approximately 42 micros switch time for the MI with deep trenches, 13.14 mW switch power and approximately 34 micros switch time for the MI without deep trenches were achieved.

  6. Stability analysis of linear switching systems with time delays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Ping; Zhong Shouming; Cui Jinzhong

    2009-01-01

    The issue of stability analysis of linear switching system with discrete and distributed time delays is studied in this paper. An appropriate switching rule is applied to guarantee the stability of the whole switching system. Our results use a Riccati-type Lyapunov functional under a condition on the time delay. So, switching systems with mixed delays are developed. A numerical example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of our results.

  7. Optically coupled cavities for wavelength switching

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Costazo-Caso, Pablo A; Granieri, Sergio; Siahmakoun, Azad, E-mail: pcostanzo@ing.unlp.edu.ar, E-mail: granieri@rose-hulman.edu, E-mail: siahmako@rose-hulman.edu [Department of Physics and Optical Engineering, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, 5500 Wabash Avenue, Terre Haute, IN 47803 (United States)

    2011-01-01

    An optical bistable device which presents hysteresis behavior is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The system finds applications in wavelength switching, pulse reshaping and optical bistability. It is based on two optically coupled cavities named master and slave. Each cavity includes a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA), acting as the gain medium of the laser, and two pair of fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) which define the lasing wavelength (being different in each cavity). Finally, a variable optical coupler (VOC) is employed to couple both cavities. Experimental characterization of the system performance is made analyzing the effects of the coupling coefficient between the two cavities and the driving current in each SOA. The properties of the hysteretic bistable curve and switching can be controlled by adjusting these parameters and the loss in the cavities. By selecting the output wavelength ({lambda}{sub 1} or {lambda}{sub 2}) with an external filter it is possible to choose either the invert or non-invert switched signal. Experiments were developed employing both optical discrete components and a photonic integrated circuit. They show that for 8 m-long cavities the maximum switching frequency is about 500 KHz, and for 4 m-long cavities a minimum rise-time about 21 ns was measured. The switching time can be reduced by shortening the cavity lengths and using photonic integrated circuits.

  8. A Superconducting Dual-Channel Photonic Switch.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Srivastava, Yogesh Kumar; Manjappa, Manukumara; Cong, Longqing; Krishnamoorthy, Harish N S; Savinov, Vassili; Pitchappa, Prakash; Singh, Ranjan

    2018-06-05

    The mechanism of Cooper pair formation and its underlying physics has long occupied the investigation into high temperature (high-T c ) cuprate superconductors. One of the ways to unravel this is to observe the ultrafast response present in the charge carrier dynamics of a photoexcited specimen. This results in an interesting approach to exploit the dissipation-less dynamic features of superconductors to be utilized for designing high-performance active subwavelength photonic devices with extremely low-loss operation. Here, dual-channel, ultrafast, all-optical switching and modulation between the resistive and the superconducting quantum mechanical phase is experimentally demonstrated. The ultrafast phase switching is demonstrated via modulation of sharp Fano resonance of a high-T c yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO) superconducting metamaterial device. Upon photoexcitation by femtosecond light pulses, the ultrasensitive cuprate superconductor undergoes dual dissociation-relaxation dynamics, with restoration of superconductivity within a cycle, and thereby establishes the existence of dual switching windows within a timescale of 80 ps. Pathways are explored to engineer the secondary dissociation channel which provides unprecedented control over the switching speed. Most importantly, the results envision new ways to accomplish low-loss, ultrafast, and ultrasensitive dual-channel switching applications that are inaccessible through conventional metallic and dielectric based metamaterials. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. Diet & Nutrition

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Nutrition Share this page Facebook Twitter Email Diet & Nutrition Eating healthy to take charge of your health. Shelly Diagnosed in 2006 Diet & Nutrition Take Control of Your Weight Portion Control Low ...

  10. Consumer poaching, brand switching, and price transparency

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schultz, Christian

    2014-01-01

    This paper addresses price transparency on the consumer side in markets with behavioral price discrimination which feature welfare reducing brand switching. When long-term contracts are not available, an increase in transparency intensifies competition, lowers prices and profits, reduces brand...... switching and benefits consumers and welfare. With long-term contracts, an increase in transparency reduces the use of long-term contracts, leading to more brand switching and a welfare loss. Otherwise, the results are the same as without long-term contracts....

  11. Note: Cryogenic heat switch with stepper motor actuator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Melcher, B. S., E-mail: bsmelche@syr.edu; Timbie, P. T., E-mail: pttimbie@wisc.edu [Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States)

    2015-12-15

    A mechanical cryogenic heat switch has been developed using a commercially available stepper motor and control electronics. The motor requires 4 leads, each carrying a maximum, pulsed current of 0.5 A. With slight modifications of the stepper motor, the switch functions reliably in vacuum at temperatures between 300 K and 4 K. The switch generates a clamping force of 262 N at room temperature. At 4 K it achieves an “on state” thermal conductance of 5.04 mW/K and no conductance in the “off state.” The switch is optimized for cycling an adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator.

  12. Diet choice patterns in rodents depend on novelty of the diet, exercise, species, and sex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Tiffany; Xu, Wei-Jie; York, Haley; Liang, Nu-Chu

    2017-07-01

    Prolonged consumption of a palatable, high fat (HF) diet paired with a lack of physical activity can exacerbate the development of obesity. Exercise can facilitate the maintenance of a healthy body weight, possibly though mediating changes in diet preference. Using a two-diet choice and wheel running (WR) paradigm, our laboratory previously demonstrated that WR induces HF diet avoidance with different persistency in male and female rats when HF diet and WR are introduced simultaneously. The aims of this study were to examine whether this behavior is species dependent and to what extent the novelty of the diet affects WR induced HF diet avoidance. Experiment 1 utilized male C57BL6 mice in a two-diet choice and WR paradigm. Results show that all mice preferred HF to chow diet regardless of exercise and the order in which exercise and HF diet were presented. Experiment 2A (diet novelty) utilized Sprague-Dawley rats that were first habituated to a 45% HF diet prior to the simultaneous introduction of WR and a novel high-carbohydrate, low-fat (DK) diet. All rats avoided the novel high-carbohydrate diet and neither male nor female wheel running rats exhibited reduction in HF diet intake or HF diet avoidance. After all rats were returned to a sedentary condition, female rats consumed significantly more of the DK diet than the male rats. In Experiment 2B (diet familiarity), rats remained sedentary and were re-habituated to the DK diet until intake stabilized. Subsequently, a 60% HF diet was introduced for all rats and for running rats, access to the running wheels were provided simultaneously. Consistent with our previous findings, HF diet intake and preference was significantly reduced in all wheel running rats. These data suggest that exercise induced HF diet avoidance is affected by species and the novelty of the diet. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Creation and Initial Validation of the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative Functional Diet Scale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steele, Catriona M; Namasivayam-MacDonald, Ashwini M; Guida, Brittany T; Cichero, Julie A; Duivestein, Janice; Hanson, Ben; Lam, Peter; Riquelme, Luis F

    2018-05-01

    To assess consensual validity, interrater reliability, and criterion validity of the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative Functional Diet Scale, a new functional outcome scale intended to capture the severity of oropharyngeal dysphagia, as represented by the degree of diet texture restriction recommended for the patient. Participants assigned International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative Functional Diet Scale scores to 16 clinical cases. Consensual validity was measured against reference scores determined by an author reference panel. Interrater reliability was measured overall and across quartile subsets of the dataset. Criterion validity was evaluated versus Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) scores assigned by survey respondents to the same case scenarios. Feedback was requested regarding ease and likelihood of use. Web-based survey. Respondents (N=170) from 29 countries. Not applicable. Consensual validity (percent agreement and Kendall τ), criterion validity (Spearman rank correlation), and interrater reliability (Kendall concordance and intraclass coefficients). The International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative Functional Diet Scale showed strong consensual validity, criterion validity, and interrater reliability. Scenarios involving liquid-only diets, transition from nonoral feeding, or trial diet advances in therapy showed the poorest consensus, indicating a need for clear instructions on how to score these situations. The International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative Functional Diet Scale showed greater sensitivity than the FOIS to specific changes in diet. Most (>70%) respondents indicated enthusiasm for implementing the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative Functional Diet Scale. This initial validation study suggests that the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative Functional Diet Scale has strong consensual and criterion validity and can be used reliably by clinicians

  14. Microelectromechanical Switches for Phased Array Antennas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ponchak, George E.; Simons, Rainee N.; Scardelletti, Maximillian; Varaljay, Nicholas C.

    2000-01-01

    Preliminary results are presented on the fabrication and testing of a MicroElectro-Mechanical (MEM) microstrip series switch. This switch is being developed for use in a K-band phased array antenna that NASA will use for communication links in its Earth orbiting satellites. Preliminary insertion loss and isolation measurements are presented.

  15. Switching overvoltages in offshore wind power grids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Arana Aristi, Ivan

    and cables are presented. In Chapter 4 results from time domain measurements and simulations of switching operations in offshore wind power grids are described. Specifically, switching operations on a single wind turbine, the collection grid, the export system and the external grid measured in several real...... offshore wind farms are shown together with simulation results. Switching operations in offshore wind power grids can be simulated with different electromagnetic transient programs. Different programs were used in the project and compared results are included in Chapter 4. Also in Chapter 4 different......Switching transients in wind turbines, the collection grid, the export system and the external grid in offshore wind farms, during normal or abnormal operation, are the most important phenomena when conducting insulation coordination studies. However, the recommended models and methods from...

  16. Modeling switching behaviour of direct selling customers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P Msweli-Mbanga

    2004-04-01

    Full Text Available The direct selling industry suffers a high turnover rate of salespeople, resulting in high costs of training new salespeople. Further costs are incurred when broken relationships with customers cause them to switch from one product supplier to another. This study identifies twelve factors that drive the switching behaviour of direct sales customers and examines the extent to which these factors influence switching. Exploratory factor analysis was used to assess the validity of these factors. The factors were represented in a model that posits that an interpersonal relationship between a direct sales person and a customer moderates the relationship between switching behaviour and loyalty. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed model. The author then discusses the empirical findings and their managerial implications, providing further avenues for research.

  17. Active plasmonics in WDM traffic switching applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Papaioannou, S.; Kalavrouziotis, D.; Vyrsokinos, K.

    2012-01-01

    -enabling characteristics of active plasmonic circuits with an ultra-low power 3 response time product represents a crucial milestone in the development of active plasmonics towards real telecom and datacom applications, where low-energy and fast TO operation with small-size circuitry is targeted........ The first active Dielectric-Loaded Surface Plasmon Polariton (DLSPP) thermo-optic (TO) switches with successful performance in single-channel 10 Gb/s data traffic environments have led the inroad towards bringing low-power active plasmonics in practical traffic applications. In this article, we introduce...... active plasmonics into Wavelength Division Multiplexed (WDM) switching applications, using the smallest TO DLSPP-based Mach-Zehnder interferometric switch reported so far and showing its successful performance in 4310 Gb/s low-power and fast switching operation. The demonstration of the WDM...

  18. Incremental passivity and output regulation for switched nonlinear systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pang, Hongbo; Zhao, Jun

    2017-10-01

    This paper studies incremental passivity and global output regulation for switched nonlinear systems, whose subsystems are not required to be incrementally passive. A concept of incremental passivity for switched systems is put forward. First, a switched system is rendered incrementally passive by the design of a state-dependent switching law. Second, the feedback incremental passification is achieved by the design of a state-dependent switching law and a set of state feedback controllers. Finally, we show that once the incremental passivity for switched nonlinear systems is assured, the output regulation problem is solved by the design of global nonlinear regulator controllers comprising two components: the steady-state control and the linear output feedback stabilising controllers, even though the problem for none of subsystems is solvable. Two examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

  19. New stability and stabilization for switched neutral control systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiong Lianglin; Zhong Shouming; Ye Mao; Wu Shiliang

    2009-01-01

    This paper concerns stability and stabilization issues for switched neutral systems and presents new classes of piecewise Lyapunov functionals and multiple Lyapunov functionals, based on which, two new switching rules are introduced to stabilize the neutral systems. One switching rule is designed from the solution of the so-called Lyapunov-Metzler linear matrix inequalities. The other is based on the determination of average dwell time computed from a new class of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). And then, state-feedback control is derived for the switched neutral control system mainly based on the state switching rules. Finally, three examples are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

  20. A versatile cis-acting inverter module for synthetic translational switches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Endo, Kei; Hayashi, Karin; Inoue, Tan; Saito, Hirohide

    2013-01-01

    Artificial genetic switches have been designed and tuned individually in living cells. A method to directly invert an existing OFF switch to an ON switch should be highly convenient to construct complex circuits from well-characterized modules, but developing such a technique has remained a challenge. Here we present a cis-acting RNA module to invert the function of a synthetic translational OFF switch to an ON switch in mammalian cells. This inversion maintains the property of the parental switch in response to a particular input signal. In addition, we demonstrate simultaneous and specific expression control of both the OFF and ON switches. The module fits the criteria of universality and expands the versatility of mRNA-based information processing systems developed for artificially controlling mammalian cellular behaviour.

  1. Non-switching to switching transferring mechanism investigation for Ag/SiO x /p-Si structure with SiO x deposited by HWCVD

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yanhong; Wang, Ruoying; Li, Zhongyue; Wang, Song; Huang, Yang; Peng, Wei

    2018-04-01

    We proposed and fabricated an Ag/SiO x /p-Si sandwich structure, in which amorphous SiO x films were deposited through hot wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD) using tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) as Si and O precursor. Experimental results indicate that the I–V properties of this structure transfer from non-switching to switching operation as the SiO x deposition temperature increased. The device with SiO x deposited at high deposition temperature exhibits typical bipolar switching properties, which can be potentially used in resistive switching random accessible memory (RRAM). The transferring mechanism from non-switching to switching can be ascribed to the change of structural and electronic properties of SiO x active layer deposited at different temperatures, as evidenced by analyzing FTIR spectrum and fitting its I–V characteristics curves. This work demonstrates a safe and practicable low-temperature device-grade SiO x film deposition technology by conducting HWCVD from TEOS.

  2. Mediterranean Diet: From a Healthy Diet to a Sustainable Dietary Pattern

    OpenAIRE

    Dernini, Sandro; Berry, Elliot M.

    2015-01-01

    The notion of the Mediterranean diet has undergone a progressive evolution over the past 60 years, from a healthy dietary pattern to a sustainable dietary pattern, in which nutrition, food, cultures, people, environment, and sustainability all interact into a new model of a sustainable diet. An overview of the historical antecedents and recent increased interest in the Mediterranean diet is presented and challenges related to how to improve the sustainability of the Mediterranean diet are ide...

  3. High-voltage, high-current, solid-state closing switch

    Science.gov (United States)

    Focia, Ronald Jeffrey

    2017-08-22

    A high-voltage, high-current, solid-state closing switch uses a field-effect transistor (e.g., a MOSFET) to trigger a high-voltage stack of thyristors. The switch can have a high hold-off voltage, high current carrying capacity, and high time-rate-of-change of current, di/dt. The fast closing switch can be used in pulsed power applications.

  4. Stability analysis of switched linear systems defined by graphs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Athanasopoulos, N.; Lazar, M.

    2014-01-01

    We present necessary and sufficient conditions for global exponential stability for switched discrete-time linear systems, under arbitrary switching, which is constrained within a set of admissible transitions. The class of systems studied includes the family of systems under arbitrary switching,

  5. Creation of Principally New Generation of Switching Technique Elements (Reed Switches) with Nanostructured Contact Surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Karabanov S M; Zeltser I A; Maizels R M; Moos E N; Arushanov K A, E-mail: zeltseria@rmcip.ru [Russia, Ryazan, 390027, Novaya Str., 51B, Ryazan Metal Ceramics Instrumentation Plant JSC (Russian Federation)

    2011-04-01

    The cycle of activities of the creation of principally new generation of reed switches with nanostructured contact surfaces was implemented. Experimental justification of the opportunity of reed switches creation with modified contact surface was given (instead of precious metals-based galvanic coating). Principally new technological process of modification of magnetically operated contacts contacting surfaces was developed, based on the usage of the ion-plasma methods of nanolayers and nanostructures forming having specified contact features.

  6. The experimental optical burst switching system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xinwan; Chen, Jian-Ping; Wu, Guiling; Wang, Hui; Lu, Jialin; Ye, Ailun

    2005-02-01

    The first optical burst switching (OBS) system has been demonstrated in China, which includes three edge routers and one core-node. A kind of fast wavelength selective optical switching was used in the system. The core OBS node consists of a kind of wavelength selective optical switch we developed. It consists of two SOA switches and one wavelength selective thin film filter with centre wavelength at one wavelength. There are one input optical fiber and two output fibers, each fiber carries two wavelengths. The Dell PE2650 servers act as the edge OBS routers. The wavelength of each data channel is located in C-band and the bit rate is at 1.25Gbps. The control channel uses bit rate of 100Mbps at wavelength of 1310 nm. A novel effective scheme for Just-In-Time (JIT) protocol was proposed and implemented. OBS services, such as Video on Demand (VOD) and file transfer protocol (FTP), have been demonstrated. Assembling and scheduling methods that are capable to guarantee the QoS (quality of service) of the transported service are studied.

  7. An improved soft switched PWM interleaved boost AC-DC converter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Genc, Naci; Iskender, Ires

    2011-01-01

    In this paper, an improved soft switched two cell interleaved boost AC/DC converter with high power factor is proposed and investigated. A new auxiliary circuit is designed and added to two cell interleaved boost converter to reduce the switching losses. The proposed auxiliary circuit is implemented using only one auxiliary switch and a minimum number of passive components without an important increase in the cost and complexity of the converter. The main advantage of this auxiliary circuit is that it not only provides zero-voltage-transition (ZVT) for the main switches but also provides soft switching for the auxiliary switch and diodes. Though all semiconductor devices operate under soft switching, they do not have any additional voltage and current stresses. The proposed converter operates successfully in soft switching operation mode for a wide range of input voltage level and the load. In addition, it has advantages such as fewer structure complications, lower cost and ease of control. In the study, the transition modes for describing the behavior of the proposed converter in one switching period are described. A prototype with 600 W output power, 50 kHz/cell switching frequency, input line voltage of 110-220 V rms and an output voltage of 400 V dc has been implemented. Analysis, design and the control circuitry are also presented in the paper.

  8. Mediterranean Diet: From a Healthy Diet to a Sustainable Dietary Pattern

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dernini, Sandro; Berry, Elliot M.

    2015-01-01

    The notion of the Mediterranean diet has undergone a progressive evolution over the past 60 years, from a healthy dietary pattern to a sustainable dietary pattern, in which nutrition, food, cultures, people, environment, and sustainability all interact into a new model of a sustainable diet. An overview of the historical antecedents and recent increased interest in the Mediterranean diet is presented and challenges related to how to improve the sustainability of the Mediterranean diet are identified. Despite its increasing popularity worldwide, adherence to the Mediterranean diet model is decreasing for multifactorial influences – life styles changes, food globalization, economic, and socio-cultural factors. These changes pose serious threats to the preservation and transmission of the Mediterranean diet heritage to present and future generations. Today’s challenge is to reverse such trends. A greater focus on the Mediterranean diet’s potential as a sustainable dietary pattern, instead than just on its well-documented healthy benefits, can contribute to its enhancement. More cross-disciplinary studies on environmental, economic and socio-cultural, and sustainability dimensions of the Mediterranean diet are foreseen as a critical need. PMID:26284249

  9. Implications of Sepedi/English code switching for ASR systems

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Modipa, TI

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available . We also perform an initial acoustic analysis to determine the impact of such code switching on speech recognition performance. We nd that the frequency of code switching is unexpectedly high, and that the continuum of code switching (from unmodi ed...

  10. Analysis of bi-directional piezoelectric-based converters for zero-voltage switching operation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ekhtiari, Marzieh; Zhang, Zhe; Andersen, Michael A. E.

    2016-01-01

    This paper deals with a thorough analysis of zerovoltage switching especially for bi-directional, inductorless, piezoelectric transformer-based switch-mode power supplies with a half-bridge topology. Practically, obtaining zero-voltage switching for all of the switches in a bi-directional piezoel......This paper deals with a thorough analysis of zerovoltage switching especially for bi-directional, inductorless, piezoelectric transformer-based switch-mode power supplies with a half-bridge topology. Practically, obtaining zero-voltage switching for all of the switches in a bi......-directional piezoelectric power converter is a difficult task. However, the analysis in this work will be convenient for overcoming this challenge. The analysis defines the zero-voltage region indicating the operating points whether or not soft switching can be met over the switching frequency and load range. For the first...... time, a comprehensive analysis is provided, which can be used as a design guideline for applying control techniques in order to drive switches in piezoelectric transformer-based converters. This study further conveys the proposed method to the region where all the switches can obtain soft switching...

  11. Novel, Four-Switch, Z-Source Three-Phase Inverter

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Antal, Robert; Muntean, Nicolae; Boldea, Ion

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a new z-source three phase inverter topology. The proposed topology combines the advantages of a traditional four-switch three-phase inverter with the advantages of the z impedance network (one front-end diode, two inductors and two X connected capacitors). This new topology......, besides the self-boost property, has low switch count and it can operate as a buck-boost inverter. In contrast to standard four-switch three-phase inverter which operates at half dc input voltage the proposed four-switch z-source inverter, by self boosting, brings the output voltage at same (or higher......) value as in six switch standard three-phase inverter. The article presents the derivation of the equations describing the operation of the converter based on space vector analysis, validation through digital simulations in PSIM and preliminary experimental results on a laboratory setup with a dsPIC30F...

  12. A simple self-breaking 2 MV gas switch

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Di Capua, M.S.; Freytag, E.K.; Dixon, W.R.; Hawley, R.A.

    1987-06-29

    We describe a simple self-breaking 2 MV gas master switch for the LLNL 2 MV general purpose relativistic electron beam (REB) accelerator. The switch cavity has been hollowed out in a 17.8 cm-thick acrylic slab. The switch gap is 3.55 cm. At 2 MV the maximum field at the cathode is 740 kV cm/sup -1/ and the maximum envelope field is 172 kV cm/sup -1/. The maximum measured switching voltage is 1.90 +- 0.1 MV (10 bar abs). The minimum switching voltage is 1.1 MV (4.3 bar abs). The operating characteristics break away from the 89 kV/(cm atm) dc breakdown strength of SF/sub 6/ at 5 bar abs. Careful electrical and mechanical design as well as strict quality control during assembly and operation have resulted in reliable and reproducible operation.

  13. Noise-constrained switching times for heteroclinic computing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neves, Fabio Schittler; Voit, Maximilian; Timme, Marc

    2017-03-01

    Heteroclinic computing offers a novel paradigm for universal computation by collective system dynamics. In such a paradigm, input signals are encoded as complex periodic orbits approaching specific sequences of saddle states. Without inputs, the relevant states together with the heteroclinic connections between them form a network of states—the heteroclinic network. Systems of pulse-coupled oscillators or spiking neurons naturally exhibit such heteroclinic networks of saddles, thereby providing a substrate for general analog computations. Several challenges need to be resolved before it becomes possible to effectively realize heteroclinic computing in hardware. The time scales on which computations are performed crucially depend on the switching times between saddles, which in turn are jointly controlled by the system's intrinsic dynamics and the level of external and measurement noise. The nonlinear dynamics of pulse-coupled systems often strongly deviate from that of time-continuously coupled (e.g., phase-coupled) systems. The factors impacting switching times in pulse-coupled systems are still not well understood. Here we systematically investigate switching times in dependence of the levels of noise and intrinsic dissipation in the system. We specifically reveal how local responses to pulses coact with external noise. Our findings confirm that, like in time-continuous phase-coupled systems, piecewise-continuous pulse-coupled systems exhibit switching times that transiently increase exponentially with the number of switches up to some order of magnitude set by the noise level. Complementarily, we show that switching times may constitute a good predictor for the computation reliability, indicating how often an input signal must be reiterated. By characterizing switching times between two saddles in conjunction with the reliability of a computation, our results provide a first step beyond the coding of input signal identities toward a complementary coding for

  14. Photoconductive switch enhancements for use in Blumlein pulse generators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Davanloo, F.; Park, H.; Collins, C. B.; Agee, F. J.

    1999-01-01

    Stacked Blumlein pulse generators developed at the University of Texas at Dallas have produced high-power waveforms with risetimes and repetition rates in the range of 0.2-50 ns and 1-300 Hz, respectively, using a conventional thyratron, spark gap or photoconductive switch. Adaptation of the design has enabled the stacked Blumleins to produce 80 MW, nanosecond pulses with risetimes better than 200 ps into nominally matched loads. The device has a compact line geometry and is commutated by a single GaAs photoconductive switch triggered by a low power laser diode array. Our current investigations involve the switch characteristics that affect the broadening of the current channels in the avalanche, pre-avalanche seedings, the switch lifetime and the durability. This report presents the progress toward improving the GaAs switch operation and lifetime in stacked Blumlein pulsers. Advanced switch treatments including diamond film overcoating are implemented and discussed

  15. Vegetarian Diet

    Science.gov (United States)

    A vegetarian diet focuses on plants for food. These include fruits, vegetables, dried beans and peas, grains, seeds and nuts. There is no single type of vegetarian diet. Instead, vegetarian eating patterns usually fall into the ...

  16. Diets: MedlinePlus Health Topic

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Spanish Mediterranean diet (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Diets updates by ... foods Diet-busting foods Mediterranean diet Related Health Topics Child Nutrition DASH Eating Plan Diabetic Diet Nutrition ...

  17. Distributed Consensus of Stochastic Delayed Multi-agent Systems Under Asynchronous Switching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Xiaotai; Tang, Yang; Cao, Jinde; Zhang, Wenbing

    2016-08-01

    In this paper, the distributed exponential consensus of stochastic delayed multi-agent systems with nonlinear dynamics is investigated under asynchronous switching. The asynchronous switching considered here is to account for the time of identifying the active modes of multi-agent systems. After receipt of confirmation of mode's switching, the matched controller can be applied, which means that the switching time of the matched controller in each node usually lags behind that of system switching. In order to handle the coexistence of switched signals and stochastic disturbances, a comparison principle of stochastic switched delayed systems is first proved. By means of this extended comparison principle, several easy to verified conditions for the existence of an asynchronously switched distributed controller are derived such that stochastic delayed multi-agent systems with asynchronous switching and nonlinear dynamics can achieve global exponential consensus. Two examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

  18. Characterization and switching performance of electron-beam controlled discharges

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lowry, J.F.; Kline, L.E.; Heberlein, J.V.R.

    1986-01-01

    The electron-beam sustained discharge switch is an attractive concept for repetitive pulsed power switching because it has a demonstrated capability to interrupt direct current and because it is inherently scalable. The authors report on experiments with this type of switch in a 4-kV dc circuit. A wire-ion-plasma (WIP) electron-beam (e-beam) gun is used to irradiate and sustain a switch discharge with a 100-cm/sup 2/ cross-sectional area in l atm of N/sub 2/ or CH/sub 4/. Interruption of 8-10-μs pulses of up to 1.9 kA, and of 100-μs pulses of 150 A has been demonstrated in methane, and interruption against higher recovery voltages (11 kV) has been performed at 1.2 kA by adding series inductance to the circuit. These values represent power supply limitations rather than limitations of the switch itself. A comparison of the measured discharge characteristics with theoretical predictions shows that the measured switch conductivities are higher than the predicted values for given e-beam current values. A qualitative explanation for this observation is offered by considering the effects of electron reflection from the discharge anode and of nonlinear paths for the beam electrons across the discharge gap. The authors conclude that the switching performance of the e-beam controlled discharge switch corresponds to its design parameters, and that for a given switch size a lower voltage drop during the on time can be expected compared with the voltage drop predicted by previously published theory

  19. Uji Performa Software-based Openflow Switch Berbasis Openwrt

    OpenAIRE

    Kartadie, Rikie; Suryanto, Tommy

    2015-01-01

    Perkembangan pesat Software-Defined Network telah dirasakan oleh vendor vendor besar. HP, Google dan IBM, mulai merubah pola routing-switching pada network mereka dari pola routingswitching tradisional ke pola infrastruktur routing-switching Software-defined Network. Untuk melakukan eksperimen tentang OpenFlow, para peneliti sering kali harus menggunakan perangkat hardware/dedicated switch OpenFlow yang dikeluarkan oleh beberapa vendor dengan harga yang tinggi. Kenyataannya, software-based sw...

  20. Inherent stochasticity of superconductor-resistor switching behavior in nanowires.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, Nayana; Pekker, David; Goldbart, Paul M

    2008-11-14

    We study the stochastic dynamics of superconductive-resistive switching in hysteretic current-biased superconducting nanowires undergoing phase-slip fluctuations. We evaluate the mean switching time using the master-equation formalism, and hence obtain the distribution of switching currents. We find that as the temperature is reduced this distribution initially broadens; only at lower temperatures does it show the narrowing with cooling naively expected for phase slips that are thermally activated. We also find that although several phase-slip events are generally necessary to induce switching, there is an experimentally accessible regime of temperatures and currents for which just one single phase-slip event is sufficient to induce switching, via the local heating it causes.

  1. Sequential magnetic switching in Fe/MgO(001) superlattices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magnus, F.; Warnatz, T.; Palsson, G. K.; Devishvili, A.; Ukleev, V.; Palisaitis, J.; Persson, P. O. Å.; Hjörvarsson, B.

    2018-05-01

    Polarized neutron reflectometry is used to determine the sequence of magnetic switching in interlayer exchange coupled Fe/MgO(001) superlattices in an applied magnetic field. For 19.6 Å thick MgO layers we obtain a 90∘ periodic magnetic alignment between adjacent Fe layers at remanence. In an increasing applied field the top layer switches first followed by its second-nearest neighbor. For 16.4 Å MgO layers, a 180∘ periodic alignment is obtained at remanence and with increasing applied field the layer switching starts from the two outermost layers and proceeds inwards. This sequential tuneable switching opens up the possibility of designing three-dimensional magnetic structures with a predefined discrete switching sequence.

  2. Monetary Diet Cost, Diet Quality, and Parental Socioeconomic Status in Spanish Youth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ribas-Barba, Lourdes; Pérez-Rodrigo, Carmen; Bawaked, Rowaedh Ahmed; Fíto, Montserrat; Serra-Majem, Lluis

    2016-01-01

    Background Using a food-based analysis, healthy dietary patterns in adults are more expensive than less healthy ones; studies are needed in youth. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to determine relationships between monetary daily diet cost, diet quality, and parental socioeconomic status. Design and Methods Data were obtained from a representative national sample of 3534 children and young people in Spain, aged 2 to 24 years. Dietary assessment was performed with a 24-hour recall. Mediterranean diet adherence was measured by the KIDMED questionnaire. Average food cost was calculated from official Spanish government data. Monetary daily diet cost was expressed as euros per day (€/d) and euros per day standardized to a 1000kcal diet (€/1000kcal/d). Results Mean monetary daily diet cost was 3.16±1.57€/d (1.56±0.72€/1000kcal/d). Socioeconomic status was positively associated with monetary daily diet cost and diet quality measured by the KIDMED index (€/d and €/1000kcal/d, pdiet adherence (KIDMED score 8–12) was 0.71 €/d (0.28€/1000kcal/d) more expensive than low compliance (KIDMED score 0–3). Analysis for nonlinear association between the KIDMED index and monetary daily diet cost per1000kcal showed no further cost increases beyond a KIDMED score of 8 (linear pdiet cost is associated with healthy eating in Spanish youth. Higher socioeconomic status is a determinant for higher monetary daily diet cost and quality. PMID:27622518

  3. Launched electrons in plasma opening switches

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mendel, C.W. Jr.; Rochau, G.E.; Sweeney, M.A.; McDaniel, D.H.; Quintenz, J.P.; Savage, M.E.; Lindman, E.L.; Kindel, J.M.

    1989-01-01

    Plasma opening switches have provided a means to improve the characteristics of super-power pulse generators. Recent advances involving plasma control with fast and slow magnetic fields have made these switches more versatile, allowing for improved switch uniformity, triggering, and opening current levels that are set by the level of auxiliary fields. Such switches necessarily involve breaks in the translational symmetry of the transmission line geometry and therefore affect the electron flow characteristics of the line. These symmetry breaks are the result of high electric field regions caused by plasma conductors remaining in the transmission line, ion beams crossing the line, or auxilliary magnetic field regions. Symmetry breaks cause the canonical momentum of the electrons to change, thereby moving them away from the cathode. Additional electrons are pulled from the cathode into the magnetically insulated flow, resulting in an excess of electron flow over that expected for the voltage and line current downstream of the switch. We call these electrons ''launched electrons''. Unless they are recaptured at the cathode or else are fed into the load and used beneficially, they cause a large power loss downstream. This paper will show examples of SuperMite and PBFA II data showing these losses, explain the tools we are using to study them, and discuss the mechanisms we will employ to mitigate the problem. The losses will be reduced primarily by reducing the amount of launched electron flow. 7 refs., 9 figs

  4. Helical EMG module with explosive current opening switches

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chernyshev, V.K.; Vakhrushev, V.V.; Volkov, G.I.; Ivanov, V.A.; Fetisov, I.K.

    1990-01-01

    To carry out the experimental work to study plasma properties, electromagnetic sources with 10 6 to 10 8 J of stored energy delivered to the load in microsecond time, are required. Among the current electromagnetic storage devices, the explosive magnetic generators (EMG) are of the largest energy capacity. The disadvantages of this type of generators is relatively long time (ten of microseconds) of electromagnetic energy cumulation in the deformable circuit. To reduce the time of energy transfer to the load to a microsecond range the switching scheme is generally used, where the cumulation circuit and that of the load are separated and connected in parallel via a switching element (opening switch) providing generation of desired power. In this paper, some ways and means of designing opening switches to generate high current pulses have been investigated. The opening switches to generate high current pulses have been investigated. The opening switches which operation is based on mechanic destruction of the conductor using high explosive, have the highest and most reliable performance. The authors have explored the mechanic disruption of a thin conductor (foil), the technique based on throwing the foil at the ribbed barrier of electric insulator material. The report presents the data obtained in studying the operation of this type of opening switch having cylindrical shape, 200 mm in diameter and 200 mm long, designed for generation of 5.5 MA current pulse in the load

  5. Task switching costs in preschool children and adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Anna; Kirkham, Natasha Z; Mareschal, Denis

    2018-08-01

    Past research investigating cognitive flexibility has shown that preschool children make many perseverative errors in tasks that require switching between different sets of rules. However, this inflexibility might not necessarily hold with easier tasks. The current study investigated the developmental differences in cognitive flexibility using a task-switching procedure that compared reaction times and accuracy in 4- and 6-year-olds with those in adults. The experiment involved simple target detection tasks and was intentionally designed in a way that the stimulus and response conflicts were minimal together with a long preparation window. Global mixing costs (performance costs when multiple tasks are relevant in a context), and local switch costs (performance costs due to switching to an alternative task) are typically thought to engage endogenous control processes. If this is the case, we should observe developmental differences with both of these costs. Our results show, however, that when the accuracy was good, there were no age differences in cognitive flexibility (i.e., the ability to manage multiple tasks and to switch between tasks) between children and adults. Even though preschool children had slower reaction times and were less accurate, the mixing and switch costs associated with task switching were not reliably larger for preschool children. Preschool children did, however, show more commission errors and greater response repetition effects than adults, which may reflect differences in inhibitory control. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Cryogenic switched MOSFET characterization

    Science.gov (United States)

    1981-01-01

    Both p channel and n channel enhancement mode MOSFETs can be readily switched on and off at temperatures as low as 2.8 K so that switch sampled readout of a VLWIR Ge:Ga focal plane is electronically possible. Noise levels as low as 100 rms electrons per sample (independent of sample rate) can be achieved using existing p channel MOSFETs, at overall rates up to 30,000 samples/second per multiplexed channel (e.g., 32 detectors at a rate of almost 1,000 frames/second). Run of the mill devices, including very low power dissipation n channel FETs would still permit noise levels of the order of 500 electrons/sample.

  7. FAS: Using FPGA to Accelerate and Secure SDN Software Switches

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wenwen Fu

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Software-Defined Networking (SDN promises the vision of more flexible and manageable networks but requires certain level of programmability in the data plane to accommodate different forwarding abstractions. SDN software switches running on commodity multicore platforms are programmable and are with low deployment cost. However, the performance of SDN software switches is not satisfactory due to the complex forwarding operations on packets. Moreover, this may hinder the performance of real-time security on software switch. In this paper, we analyze the forwarding procedure and identify the performance bottleneck of SDN software switches. An FPGA-based mechanism for accelerating and securing SDN switches, named FAS (FPGA-Accelerated SDN software switch, is proposed to take advantage of the reconfigurability and high-performance advantages of FPGA. FAS improves the performance as well as the capacity against malicious traffic attacks of SDN software switches by offloading some functional modules. We validate FAS on an FPGA-based network processing platform. Experiment results demonstrate that the forwarding rate of FAS can be 44% higher than the original SDN software switch. In addition, FAS provides new opportunity to enhance the security of SDN software switches by allowing the deployment of bump-in-the-wire security modules (such as packet detectors and filters in FPGA.

  8. All-optical signal processing for optical packet switching networks

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Liu, Y.; Hill, M.T.; Calabretta, N.; Tangdiongga, E.; Geldenhuys, R.; Zhang, S.; Li, Z.; Waardt, de H.; Khoe, G.D.; Dorren, H.J.S.; Iftekharuddin, K.M.; awwal, A.A.S.

    2005-01-01

    We discuss how all-optical signal processing might play a role in future all-optical packet switched networks. We introduce a concept of optical packet switches that employ entirely all-optical signal processing technology. The optical packet switch is made out of three functional blocks: the

  9. A Piezoelectric Cryogenic Heat Switch

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jahromi, Amir E.; Sullivan, Dan F.

    2014-01-01

    We have measured the thermal conductance of a mechanical heat switch actuated by a piezoelectric positioner, the PZHS (PieZo electric Heat Switch), at cryogenic temperatures. The thermal conductance of the PZHS was measured between 4 K and 10 K, and on/off conductance ratios greater than 100 were achieved when the positioner applied its maximum force of 8 N. We discuss the advantages of using this system in cryogenic applications, and estimate the ultimate performance of an optimized PZHS.

  10. CMOS integrated switching power converters

    CERN Document Server

    Villar-Pique, Gerard

    2011-01-01

    This book describes the structured design and optimization of efficient, energy processing integrated circuits. The approach is multidisciplinary, covering the monolithic integration of IC design techniques, power electronics and control theory. In particular, this book enables readers to conceive, synthesize, design and implement integrated circuits with high-density high-efficiency on-chip switching power regulators. Topics covered encompass the structured design of the on-chip power supply, efficiency optimization, IC-compatible power inductors and capacitors, power MOSFET switches and effi

  11. Recent advances in column switching sample preparation in bioanalysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kataoka, Hiroyuki; Saito, Keita

    2012-04-01

    Column switching techniques, using two or more stationary phase columns, are useful for trace enrichment and online automated sample preparation. Target fractions from the first column are transferred online to a second column with different properties for further separation. Column switching techniques can be used to determine the analytes in a complex matrix by direct sample injection or by simple sample treatment. Online column switching sample preparation is usually performed in combination with HPLC or capillary electrophoresis. SPE or turbulent flow chromatography using a cartridge column and in-tube solid-phase microextraction using a capillary column have been developed for convenient column switching sample preparation. Furthermore, various micro-/nano-sample preparation devices using new polymer-coating materials have been developed to improve extraction efficiency. This review describes current developments and future trends in novel column switching sample preparation in bioanalysis, focusing on innovative column switching techniques using new extraction devices and materials.

  12. Multi-Channel Data Recording of Marx switch closures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lockwood, G.J.; Ruggles, L.E.; Ziska, G.R.

    1984-01-01

    The authors have measured the optical signals associated with switch closure on the Demon marx at Sandia National Laboratories. Using the High Speed Multi-Channel Data Recorder(HSMCDR), they have recorded the time histories of the optical signals from the thirty switches in the marx generator. All thirty switches were fiber connected to the HSMCDR. The HSMCDR consists of a high speed streak camera, and a microcomputer-based video digitizing system. Since the thirty signals are recorded on a single streak, the time sequence can be determined with great accuracy. The appearance of a given signal can be determined to within two samples of the 256 samples that make up the time streak. The authors have found that the light intensity and time history of any given switch varied over a large range from shot to shot. Thus, the ability to record the entire optical signal as a function of time for each switch on every shot is necessary if accurate timing results are required

  13. Saturation broadening effect in an InP photonic-crystal nanocavity switch

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yu, Yi; Palushani, Evarist; Heuck, Mikkel

    2014-01-01

    Pump-probe measurements on InP photonic-crystal nanocavities show large-contrast fast switching at low pulse energy. For large pulse energies, large resonance shifts passing across the probe lead to switching contrast saturation and switching time-window broadening. © 2014 OSA.......Pump-probe measurements on InP photonic-crystal nanocavities show large-contrast fast switching at low pulse energy. For large pulse energies, large resonance shifts passing across the probe lead to switching contrast saturation and switching time-window broadening. © 2014 OSA....

  14. Low-profile high-voltage compact gas switch

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goerz, D.A.; Wilson, M.J.; Speer, R.D.

    1997-01-01

    This paper discusses the development and testing of a low-profile, high-voltage, spark-gap switch designed to be closely coupled with other components into an integrated high-energy pulsed-power source. The switch is designed to operate at 100 kV using SF6 gas pressurized to less than 0.7 MPa. The volume of the switch cavity region is less than 1.5 cm3, and the field stress along the gas-dielectric interface is as high as 130 kV/cm. The dielectric switch body has a low profile that is only I -cm tall at its greatest extent and nominally 2-mm thick over most of its area. This design achieves a very low inductance of less than 5 nH, but results in field stresses exceeding 500 kV/cm in the dielectric material. Field modeling was done to determine the appropriate shape for the highly stressed insulator and electrodes, and special manufacturing techniques were employed to mitigate the usual mechanisms that induce breakdown and failure in solid dielectrics. Static breakdown tests verified that the switch operates satisfactorily at 100 kV levels. The unit has been characterized with different shaped electrodes having nominal gap spacings of 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 mm. The relationship between self-break voltage and operating pressure agrees well with published data on gas properties, accounting for the field enhancements of the electrode shapes being used. Capacitor discharge tests in a low inductance test fixture exhibited peak currents up to 25 kA with characteristic frequencies of the ringdown circuit ranging from 10 to 20 MHz. The ringdown waveforms and scaling of measured parameters agree well with circuit modeling of the switch and test fixture. Repetitive operation has been demonstrated at moderate rep-rates up to 15 Hz, limited by the power supply being used. Preliminary tests to evaluate lifetime of the compact switch assembly have been encouraging. In one case, after more than 7,000 high-current ringdown tests with approximately 30 C of total charge transferred, the

  15. Internal Backpressure for Terabit Switch Fabrics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fagertun, Anna Manolova; Ruepp, Sarah Renée; Rytlig, Andreas

    2012-01-01

    This paper proposes and analyzes the efficiency of novel backpressure schemes for Terabit switch fabrics. The proposed schemes aim at buffer optimization under uniform traffic distribution with Bernoulli packet arrival process. Results show that a reduction of the needed maximum buffer capacity w...... with up to 47% can be achieved with switch-internal backpressure mechanisms at the expense of a small control overhead....

  16. The experimental research of a field-enhanced multichannel oil switch

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao, R.; Zeng, N.; Yang, D.; Jiang, X.; Wang, X.

    1993-01-01

    This paper describes the performance of a field enhanced multichannel oil switch which is used as the main switch of HEAVEN-LIGHT II intense pulsed electron beam accelerator at CIAE. The switch experiments have been carried out with different inductance of the solenoid inductor in series with a self-closing axial gap and position and diameter of the trigger disc. The experiments using water as a breakdown medium of the switch have been done to compare with oil switch. These experimental results and conclusions are presented in the paper

  17. Repetitive plasma opening switch for powerful high-voltage pulse generators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dolgachev, G.I.; Zakatov, L.P.; Nitishinskii, M.S.; Ushakov, A.G.

    1998-01-01

    Results are presented of experimental studies of plasma opening switches that serve to sharpen the pulses of inductive microsecond high-voltage pulse generators. It is demonstrated that repetitive plasma opening switches can be used to create super-powerful generators operating in a quasi-continuous regime. An erosion switching mechanism and the problem of magnetic insulation in repetitive switches are considered. Achieving super-high peak power in plasma switches makes it possible to develop new types of high-power generators of electron beams and X radiation. Possible implementations and the efficiency of these generators are discussed

  18. The Aurora accelerator's triggered oil switch

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weidenheimer, D.M.; Pereira, N.R.; Judy, D.C.; Stricklett, K.L.

    1993-01-01

    Achieving a radiation pulse with 15 ns risetime using all four of the Aurora accelerator's Blumlein pulse-forming lines demands synchronization of the Blumleins to within 10 ns (in addition to a 15 ns risetime for a single line). Timing of each Blumlein is controlled by a triggered 12 MV oil switch. A smaller-than-customary trigger electrode makes the switching time more reproducible. Time-resolved photography of the oil arcs suggests that triggering occurs simultaneously around the sharp edge of the trigger electrode, perhaps with small deviations that grow into the most prominent arcs characteristically seen in open-shutter photographs. However, many smaller arcs that are usually overlooked in open-shutter pictures may contribute to current conduction in a closed switch

  19. CMOS SPDT switch for WLAN applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bhuiyan, M A S; Reaz, M B I; Rahman, L F; Minhad, K N

    2015-01-01

    WLAN has become an essential part of our today's life. The advancement of CMOS technology let the researchers contribute low power, size and cost effective WLAN devices. This paper proposes a single pole double through transmit/receive (T/R) switch for WLAN applications in 0.13 μm CMOS technology. The proposed switch exhibit 1.36 dB insertion loss, 25.3 dB isolation and 24.3 dBm power handling capacity. Moreover, it only dissipates 786.7 nW power per cycle. The switch utilizes only transistor aspect ratio optimization and resistive body floating technique to achieve such desired performance. In this design the use of bulky inductor and capacitor is avoided to evade imposition of unwanted nonlinearities to the communication signal. (paper)

  20. Cmos spdt switch for wlan applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhuiyan, M. A. S.; Reaz, M. B. I.; Rahman, L. F.; Minhad, K. N.

    2015-04-01

    WLAN has become an essential part of our today's life. The advancement of CMOS technology let the researchers contribute low power, size and cost effective WLAN devices. This paper proposes a single pole double through transmit/receive (T/R) switch for WLAN applications in 0.13 μm CMOS technology. The proposed switch exhibit 1.36 dB insertion loss, 25.3 dB isolation and 24.3 dBm power handling capacity. Moreover, it only dissipates 786.7 nW power per cycle. The switch utilizes only transistor aspect ratio optimization and resistive body floating technique to achieve such desired performance. In this design the use of bulky inductor and capacitor is avoided to evade imposition of unwanted nonlinearities to the communication signal.

  1. Switched-mode converters (one quadrant)

    CERN Document Server

    Barrade, P

    2006-01-01

    Switched-mode converters are DC/DC converters that supply DC loads with a regulated output voltage, and protection against overcurrents and short circuits. These converters are generally fed from an AC network via a transformer and a conventional diode rectifier. Switched-mode converters (one quadrant) are non-reversible converters that allow the feeding of a DC load with unipolar voltage and current. The switched-mode converters presented in this contribution are classified into two families. The first is dedicated to the basic topologies of DC/DC converters, generally used for low- to mid-power applications. As such structures enable only hard commutation processes, the main drawback of such topologies is high commutation losses. A typical multichannel evolution is presented that allows an interesting decrease in these losses. Deduced from this direct DC/DC converter, an evolution is also presented that allows the integration of a transformer into the buck and the buck–boost structure. This enables an int...

  2. Immunoglobulin class-switch recombination deficiencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durandy, Anne; Kracker, Sven

    2012-07-30

    Immunoglobulin class-switch recombination deficiencies (Ig-CSR-Ds) are rare primary immunodeficiencies characterized by defective switched isotype (IgG/IgA/IgE) production. Depending on the molecular defect in question, the Ig-CSR-D may be combined with an impairment in somatic hypermutation (SHM). Some of the mechanisms underlying Ig-CSR and SHM have been described by studying natural mutants in humans. This approach has revealed that T cell-B cell interaction (resulting in CD40-mediated signaling), intrinsic B-cell mechanisms (activation-induced cytidine deaminase-induced DNA damage), and complex DNA repair machineries (including uracil-N-glycosylase and mismatch repair pathways) are all involved in class-switch recombination and SHM. However, several of the mechanisms required for full antibody maturation have yet to be defined. Elucidation of the molecular defects underlying the diverse set of Ig-CSR-Ds is essential for understanding Ig diversification and has prompted better definition of the clinical spectrum of diseases and the development of increasingly accurate diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

  3. Switching phenomena in high-voltage circuit breakers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakanishi, K.

    1991-01-01

    The topics covered in this book include: general problems concerning current interruption, the physical arc model, and miscellaneous types of modern switching apparatus, such as gas circuit breakers, gas-insulated switch-gear, vacuum circuit breakers and high-voltage direct-current circuit breakers

  4. Mathematical modeling of a passively Q-switched diode laser

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdul Ghani, B.; Hammadi, M.

    2009-11-01

    A mathematical model describing the dynamic emission of the intracavity frequency doubling (IFD) of a gain-switched InGaAs/GaAs/KTP and a gain-switched mode-locked two-sections tapered ridge-waveguide InGaAs/GaAs diode laser has been presented. The IFD of a gain-switched and a gain-switched mode-locked two-sections diode laser is modeled where one section is electrically pumped to proved gain while the second section is unpumped (reverse biased) to provide a saturable absorber. (author)

  5. A Multicontrolled Enamine Configurational Switch Undergoing Dynamic Constitutional Exchange.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Yansong; Svensson, Per H; Ramström, Olof

    2018-05-22

    A multiresponsive enamine-based molecular switch is presented, in which forward/backward configurational rotation around the C=C bond could be precisely controlled by the addition of an acid/base or metal ions. Fluorescence turn-on/off effects and large Stokes shifts were observed while regulating the switching process with Cu II . The enamine functionality furthermore enabled double dynamic regimes, in which configurational switching could operate in conjunction with constitutional enamine exchange of the rotor part. This behavior was used to construct a prototypical dynamic covalent switch system through enamine exchange with primary amines. The dynamic exchange process could be readily turned on/off by regulating the switch status with pH. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Field-induced resistance switching at metal/perovskite manganese oxide interface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohkubo, I.; Tsubouchi, K.; Harada, T.; Kumigashira, H.; Itaka, K.; Matsumoto, Y.; Ohnishi, T.; Lippmaa, M.; Koinuma, H.; Oshima, M.

    2008-01-01

    Planar type metal/insulator/metal structures composed of an epitaxial perovskite manganese oxide layer and various metal electrodes were prepared for electric-field-induced resistance switching. Only the electrode pairs including Al show good resistance switching and the switching ratio reaches its maximum of 1000. This resistance switching occurs around the interface between Al electrodes and epitaxial perovskite manganese oxide thin films

  7. High voltage switches having one or more floating conductor layers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Werne, Roger W.; Sampayan, Stephen; Harris, John Richardson

    2015-11-24

    This patent document discloses high voltage switches that include one or more electrically floating conductor layers that are isolated from one another in the dielectric medium between the top and bottom switch electrodes. The presence of the one or more electrically floating conductor layers between the top and bottom switch electrodes allow the dielectric medium between the top and bottom switch electrodes to exhibit a higher breakdown voltage than the breakdown voltage when the one or more electrically floating conductor layers are not present between the top and bottom switch electrodes. This increased breakdown voltage in the presence of one or more electrically floating conductor layers in a dielectric medium enables the switch to supply a higher voltage for various high voltage circuits and electric systems.

  8. Method to optimize optical switch topology for photonic network-on-chip

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Ting; Jia, Hao

    2018-04-01

    In this paper, we propose a method to optimize the optical switch by substituting optical waveguide crossings for optical switching units and an optimizing algorithm to complete the optimization automatically. The functionality of the optical switch remains constant under optimization. With this method, we simplify the topology of optical switch, which means the insertion loss and power consumption of the whole optical switch can be effectively minimized. Simulation result shows that the number of switching units of the optical switch based on Spanke-Benes can be reduced by 16.7%, 20%, 20%, 19% and 17.9% for the scale from 4 × 4 to 8 × 8 respectively. As a proof of concept, the experimental demonstration of an optimized six-port optical switch based on Spanke-Benes structure by means of silicon photonics chip is reported.

  9. Light-Induced Switching of Tunable Single-Molecule Junctions

    KAUST Repository

    Sendler, Torsten; Luka-Guth, Katharina; Wieser, Matthias; Lokamani; Wolf, Jannic Sebastian; Helm, Manfred; Gemming, Sibylle; Kerbusch, Jochen; Scheer, Elke; Huhn, Thomas; Erbe, Artur

    2015-01-01

    A major goal of molecular electronics is the development and implementation of devices such as single-molecular switches. Here, measurements are presented that show the controlled in situ switching of diarylethene molecules from their nonconductive to conductive state in contact to gold nanoelectrodes via controlled light irradiation. Both the conductance and the quantum yield for switching of these molecules are within a range making the molecules suitable for actual devices. The conductance of the molecular junctions in the opened and closed states is characterized and the molecular level E 0, which dominates the current transport in the closed state, and its level broadening Γ are identified. The obtained results show a clear light-induced ring forming isomerization of the single-molecule junctions. Electron withdrawing side-groups lead to a reduction of conductance, but do not influence the efficiency of the switching mechanism. Quantum chemical calculations of the light-induced switching processes correlate these observations with the fundamentally different low-lying electronic states of the opened and closed forms and their comparably small modification by electron-withdrawing substituents. This full characterization of a molecular switch operated in a molecular junction is an important step toward the development of real molecular electronics devices.

  10. Light-Induced Switching of Tunable Single-Molecule Junctions

    KAUST Repository

    Sendler, Torsten

    2015-04-16

    A major goal of molecular electronics is the development and implementation of devices such as single-molecular switches. Here, measurements are presented that show the controlled in situ switching of diarylethene molecules from their nonconductive to conductive state in contact to gold nanoelectrodes via controlled light irradiation. Both the conductance and the quantum yield for switching of these molecules are within a range making the molecules suitable for actual devices. The conductance of the molecular junctions in the opened and closed states is characterized and the molecular level E 0, which dominates the current transport in the closed state, and its level broadening Γ are identified. The obtained results show a clear light-induced ring forming isomerization of the single-molecule junctions. Electron withdrawing side-groups lead to a reduction of conductance, but do not influence the efficiency of the switching mechanism. Quantum chemical calculations of the light-induced switching processes correlate these observations with the fundamentally different low-lying electronic states of the opened and closed forms and their comparably small modification by electron-withdrawing substituents. This full characterization of a molecular switch operated in a molecular junction is an important step toward the development of real molecular electronics devices.

  11. Two Bistable Switches Govern M Phase Entry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mochida, Satoru; Rata, Scott; Hino, Hirotsugu; Nagai, Takeharu; Novák, Béla

    2016-12-19

    The abrupt and irreversible transition from interphase to M phase is essential to separate DNA replication from chromosome segregation. This transition requires the switch-like phosphorylation of hundreds of proteins by the cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1):cyclin B (CycB) complex. Previous studies have ascribed these switch-like phosphorylations to the auto-activation of Cdk1:CycB through the removal of inhibitory phosphorylations on Cdk1-Tyr15 [1, 2]. The positive feedback in Cdk1 activation creates a bistable switch that makes mitotic commitment irreversible [2-4]. Here, we surprisingly find that Cdk1 auto-activation is dispensable for irreversible, switch-like mitotic entry due to a second mechanism, whereby Cdk1:CycB inhibits its counteracting phosphatase (PP2A:B55). We show that the PP2A:B55-inhibiting Greatwall (Gwl)-endosulfine (ENSA) pathway is both necessary and sufficient for switch-like phosphorylations of mitotic substrates. Using purified components of the Gwl-ENSA pathway in a reconstituted system, we found a sharp Cdk1 threshold for phosphorylation of a luminescent mitotic substrate. The Cdk1 threshold to induce mitotic phosphorylation is distinctly higher than the Cdk1 threshold required to maintain these phosphorylations-evidence for bistability. A combination of mathematical modeling and biochemical reconstitution show that the bistable behavior of the Gwl-ENSA pathway emerges from its mutual antagonism with PP2A:B55. Our results demonstrate that two interlinked bistable mechanisms provide a robust solution for irreversible and switch-like mitotic entry. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. If You Stay, It Might Be Easier: Switch Costs from Comprehension to Production in a Joint Switching Task

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gambi, Chiara; Hartsuiker, Robert J.

    2016-01-01

    Switching language is costly for bilingual speakers and listeners, suggesting that language control is effortful in both modalities. But are the mechanisms underlying language control similar across modalities? In this study, we attempted to answer this question by testing whether bilingual speakers incur a cost when switching to a different…

  13. Multistage switching hardware and software implementations for student experiment purpose

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sani, A.; Suherman

    2018-02-01

    Current communication and internet networks are underpinned by the switching technologies that interconnect one network to the others. Students’ understanding on networks rely on how they conver the theories. However, understanding theories without touching the reality may exert spots in the overall knowledge. This paper reports the progress of the multistage switching design and implementation for student laboratory activities. The hardware and software designs are based on three stages clos switching architecture with modular 2x2 switches, controlled by an arduino microcontroller. The designed modules can also be extended for batcher and bayan switch, and working on circuit and packet switching systems. The circuit analysis and simulation show that the blocking probability for each switch combinations can be obtained by generating random or patterned traffics. The mathematic model and simulation analysis shows 16.4% blocking probability differences as the traffic generation is uniform. The circuits design components and interfacing solution have been identified to allow next step implementation.

  14. Offspring from mothers fed a ‘junk food’ diet in pregnancy and lactation exhibit exacerbated adiposity that is more pronounced in females

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bayol, S A; Simbi, B H; Bertrand, J A; Stickland, N C

    2008-01-01

    We have shown previously that a maternal junk food diet during pregnancy and lactation plays a role in predisposing offspring to obesity. Here we show that rat offspring born to mothers fed the same junk food diet rich in fat, sugar and salt develop exacerbated adiposity accompanied by raised circulating glucose, insulin, triglyceride and/or cholesterol by the end of adolescence (10 weeks postpartum) compared with offspring also given free access to junk food from weaning but whose mothers were exclusively fed a balanced chow diet in pregnancy and lactation. Results also showed that offspring from mothers fed the junk food diet in pregnancy and lactation, and which were then switched to a balanced chow diet from weaning, exhibited increased perirenal fat pad mass relative to body weight and adipocyte hypertrophy compared with offspring which were never exposed to the junk food diet. This study shows that the increased adiposity was more enhanced in female than male offspring and gene expression analyses showed raised insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ), leptin, adiponectin, adipsin, lipoprotein lipase (LPL), Glut 1, Glut 3, but not Glut 4 mRNA expression in females fed the junk food diet throughout the study compared with females never given access to junk food. Changes in gene expression were not as marked in male offspring with only IRS-1, VEGF-A, Glut 4 and LPL being up-regulated in those fed the junk food diet throughout the study compared with males never given access to junk food. This study therefore shows that a maternal junk food diet promotes adiposity in offspring and the earlier onset of hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia and/or hyperlipidemia. Male and female offspring also display a different metabolic, cellular and molecular response to junk-food-diet-induced adiposity. PMID:18467362

  15. A Broadband Ultrathin Nonlinear Switching Metamaterial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. Zarnousheh Farahani

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, an ultrathin planar nonlinear metamaterial slab is designed and simulated. Nonlinearity is provided through placing diodes in each metamaterial unit cell. The diodes are auto-biased and activated by an incident wave. The proposed structure represents a broadband switching property between two transmission and reflection states depending on the intensity of the incident wave. High permittivity values are presented creating a near zero effective impedance at low power states, around the second resonant mode of the structure unit cell; as the result, the incident wave is reflected. Increasing the incident power to the level which can activate the loaded diodes in the structure results in elimination of the resonance and consequently a drop in the permittivity values near the permeability one as well as a switch to the transmission state. A full wave as well as a nonlinear simulations are performed. An optimization method based on weed colonization is applied to the unit cell of the metamaterial slab to achieve the maximum switching bandwidth. The structure represents a 24% switching bandwidth of a 10 dB reduction in the reflection coefficient.

  16. Chiroptical Molecular Switches 1; Principles and Syntheses.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lange, Ben de; Jager, Wolter F.; Feringa, Bernard

    1992-01-01

    The concept and the synthesis of the basic molecules for a chiroptical molecular switch are described. This molecular switch is based on photochemical interconversion of two bistable forms of chiral sterically overcrowded olefins. A large variety of these alkenes with different properties have been

  17. Reversible switching of ultrastrong light-molecule coupling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schwartz, T; Hutchison, J A; Genet, C

    2011-01-01

    We demonstrate that photochromic molecules enable switching from the weak- to ultrastrong-coupling regime reversibly, by using all-optical control. This switch is achieved by photochemically inducing conformational changes in the molecule. Remarkably, a Rabi splitting of 700 meV is measured at room...

  18. All-optical devices for ultrafast packet switching

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dorren, H.J.S.; HerreraDorren, J.; Raz, O.

    2007-01-01

    We discuss integrated devices for all-optical packet switching. We focus on monolithically integrated all-optical flip-flops, ultra-fast semiconductor based wavelength converters and explain the operation principles. Finally, a 160 Gb/s all-optical packet switching experiment over 110 km of field...

  19. Egocentric framing - one way people may fail in a switch dilemma: evidence from excessive lane switching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Navon, David; Kaplan, Todd R; Kasten, Ronen

    2013-11-01

    To study switching behavior, an experiment mimicking the state of a driver on the road was conducted. In each trial participants were given a chance to switch lanes. Despite the fact that lane switching had no sound rational basis, participants often switched lanes when the speed of driving in their lane on the previous trial was relatively slow. That tendency was discerned even when switching behavior had been sparsely reinforced, and was especially marked in almost a third of the participants, who manifested it consistently. The findings illustrate a type of behavior occurring in various contexts (e.g., stocks held in a portfolio, conduct pertinent for residual life expectancy, supermarket queues). We argue that this behavior may be due to a fallacy reminiscent of that arising in the well-known "envelopes problem", in which each of two players holds a sum of money of which she knows nothing about except that it is either half or twice the amount held by the other player. Players may be paradoxically tempted to exchange assets, since an exchange fallaciously appears to always yield an expected value greater than whatever is regarded as the player's present assets. We argue that the fallacy is due to egocentrically framing the problem as if the "amount I have" is definite, albeit unspecified, and shows that framing the paradox acentrically instead eliminates the incentive to exchange assets. A possible psychological source for the human disposition to frame problems in a way that inflates expected gain is discussed. Finally, a heuristic meant to avert the source of the fallacy is proposed. © 2013.

  20. A Simulator of Periodically Switching Channels for Power Line Communications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayasaki, Taro; Umehara, Daisuke; Denno, Satoshi; Morikura, Masahiro

    An indoor power line is one of the most attractive media for in-home networks. However, there are many technical problems for achieving in-home power line communication (PLC) with high rate and high reliability. One of such problem is the degradation in the performance of the in-home PLC caused by periodically time-varying channel responses, particularly when connecting the switching power supply equipment. We present a measurement method for power line channel responses and reveal the switching of the channel responses synchronized with power-frequency voltage when connecting switching power supply equipment in sending or receiving outlets. In this paper, we term them periodically switching channel responses. The performance of PLC adapters is seriously affected by the periodically switching channel responses. Therefore, we provide a modeling of the periodically switching channel responses by using finite impulse response (FIR) filters with a shared channel memory and construct a simulator for in-home power line channels including the periodically switching channel responses in order to evaluate the various communication systems through the power line. We present the validity of the proposed simulator through the performance evaluation of OFDM/64QAM over periodically switching channels with additive white Gaussian noise. Furthermore, we evaluate the influence of the periodically switching channel responses on the communication quality of a time-invariant modulation scheme by using the proposed simulator.