Response spectrum analysis of coupled structural response to a three component seismic disturbance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boulet, J.A.M.; Carley, T.G.

1977-01-01

The work discussed herein is a comparison and evaluation of several response spectrum analysis (RSA) techniques as applied to the same structural model with seismic excitation having three spatial components. Lagrange's equations of motion for the system were written in matrix form and uncoupled with the modal matrix. Numerical integration (fourth order Runge-Kutta) of the resulting model equations produced time histories of system displacements in response to simultaneous application of three orthogonal components of ground motion, and displacement response spectra for each modal coordinate in response to each of the three ground motion components. Five different RSA techniques were used to combine the spectral displacements and the modal matrix to give approximations of maximum system displacements. These approximations were then compared with the maximum system displacements taken from the time histories. The RSA techniques used are the method of absolute sums, the square root of the sum of the squares, the double sum approach, the method of closely spaced modes, and Lin's method. The vectors of maximum system displacements as computed by the time history analysis and the five response spectrum analysis methods are presented. (Auth.)

Modeling and Analysis of The Pressure Die Casting Using Response Surface Methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kittur, Jayant K.; Herwadkar, T. V.; Parappagoudar, M. B.

2010-01-01

Pressure die casting is successfully used in the manufacture of Aluminum alloys components for automobile and many other industries. Die casting is a process involving many process parameters having complex relationship with the quality of the cast product. Though various process parameters have influence on the quality of die cast component, major influence is seen by the die casting machine parameters and their proper settings. In the present work, non-linear regression models have been developed for making predictions and analyzing the effect of die casting machine parameters on the performance characteristics of die casting process. Design of Experiments (DOE) with Response Surface Methodology (RSM) has been used to analyze the effect of effect of input parameters and their interaction on the response and further used to develop nonlinear input-output relationships. Die casting machine parameters, namely, fast shot velocity, slow shot to fast shot change over point, intensification pressure and holding time have been considered as the input variables. The quality characteristics of the cast product were determined by porosity, hardness and surface rough roughness (output/responses). Design of experiments has been used to plan the experiments and analyze the impact of variables on the quality of casting. On the other-hand Response Surface Methodology (Central Composite Design) is utilized to develop non-linear input-output relationships (regression models). The developed regression models have been tested for their statistical adequacy through ANOVA test. The practical usefulness of these models has been tested with some test cases. These models can be used to make the predictions about different quality characteristics, for the known set of die casting machine parameters, without conducting the experiments.

An optimum design on rollers containing the groove with changeable inner diameter based on response surface methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xi Zhao

2016-05-01

Full Text Available In order to realize the precision plastic forming of the revolving body component with changeable wall thickness, a kind of roller containing grooves with changeable inner diameter is put forward, as the forming mould of the technology of rolling-extrusion. Specifically, first, the arc length of the groove in the roller is designed according to the prediction on the forward slip value during the process of forming, to make accurate control of the actual length of the forming segments; then, to obtain better parameters of the roller structure, a second-order response surface model combining finite element numerical simulation and response surface methodology was put forward, taking the factor of forming uniformity as evaluation index. The result of the experiment shows that, for the formed component, not only the size can meet the needs but also each mechanical property index can be greatly improved, which verify the rationality of the forward slip model and the structural parameter of the optimum model based on the response surface methodology.

Emotional responses as independent components in EEG

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Camilla Birgitte Falk; Petersen, Michael Kai; Larsen, Jakob Eg

2014-01-01

susceptible to noise if captured in a mobile context. Hypothesizing that retrieval of emotional responses in mobile usage scenarios could be enhanced through spatial filtering, we compare a standard EEG electrode based analysis against an approach based on independent component analysis (ICA). By clustering...... or unpleasant images; early posterior negativity (EPN) and late positive potential (LPP). Recent studies suggest that several time course components may be modulated by emotional content in images or text. However these neural signatures are characterized by small voltage changes that would be highly...... by emotional content. We propose that similar approaches to spatial filtering might allow us to retrieve more robust signals in real life mobile usage scenarios, and potentially facilitate design of cognitive interfaces that adapt the selection of media to our emotional responses....

Principal Component Surface (2011) for Fish Bay, St. John

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This image represents a 0.3x0.3 meter principal component analysis (PCA) surface for areas inside Fish Bay, St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). It was...

Principal Component Surface (2011) for Coral Bay, St. John

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This image represents a 0.3x0.3 meter principal component analysis (PCA) surface for areas inside Coral Bay, St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). It was...

Response surface use in safety analyses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prosek, A.

1999-01-01

When thousands of complex computer code runs related to nuclear safety are needed for statistical analysis, the response surface is used to replace the computer code. The main purpose of the study was to develop and demonstrate a tool called optimal statistical estimator (OSE) intended for response surface generation of complex and non-linear phenomena. The performance of optimal statistical estimator was tested by the results of 59 different RELAP5/MOD3.2 code calculations of the small-break loss-of-coolant accident in a two loop pressurized water reactor. The results showed that OSE adequately predicted the response surface for the peak cladding temperature. Some good characteristic of the OSE like monotonic function between two neighbor points and independence on the number of output parameters suggest that OSE can be used for response surface generation of any safety or system parameter in the thermal-hydraulic safety analyses.(author)

Response spectrum analysis of coupled structural response to a three component seismic disturbance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boulet, J.A.M.; Carley, T.G.

1977-01-01

The work discussed herein is a comparison and evaluation of several response spectrum analysis (RSA) techniques as applied to the same structural model with seismic excitation having three spatial components. The structural model includes five lumped masses (floors) connected by four elastic members. The base is supported by three translational springs and two horizontal torsional springs. In general, the mass center and shear center of a building floor are distinct locations. Hence, inertia forces, which act at the mass center, induce twisting in the structure. Through this induced torsion, the lateral (x and y) displacements of the mass elements are coupled. The ground motion components used for this study are artificial earthquake records generated from recorded accelerograms by a spectrum modification technique. The accelerograms have response spectra which are compatible with U.S. NRC Regulatory Guide 1.60. Lagrange's equations of motion for the system were written in matrix form and uncoupled with the modal matrix. Numerical integration (fourth order Runge-Kutta) of the resulting modal equations produced time histories of system displacements in response to simultaneous application of three orthogonal components of ground motion, and displacement response spectra for each modal coordinate in response to each of the three ground motion components. Five different RSA techniques were used to combine the spectral displacements and the modal matrix to give approximations of maximum system displacements. These approximations were then compared with the maximum system displacements taken from the time histories. The RSA techniques used are the method of absolute sums, the square root of the sum of the sum of the squares, the double sum approach, the method of closely spaced modes, and Lin's method

Development of Biomimetic and Functionally Responsive Surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Anastasiadis, Spiros H.

2010-03-01

Controlling the surface morphology of solids and manufacturing of functional surfaces with special responsive properties has been the subject of intense research. We report a methodology for creating multifunctionally responsive surfaces by irradiating silicon wafers with femtosecond laser pulses and subsequently coating them with different types of functional conformal coatings. Such surfaces exhibit controlled dual-scale roughness at the micro- and the nano-scale, which mimics the hierarchical morphology of water repellent natural surfaces. When a simple alkylsilane coating is utilized, highly water repellent surfaces are produced that quantitatively compare to those of the Lotus leaf. When a polymer brush is ``grafted from" these surfaces based on a pH-sensitive polymer, the surfaces can alter their behavior from super-hydrophilic (after immersion in a low pH buffer) to super-hydrophobic and water-repellent (following immersion to a high pH buffer). We quantify the water repellency of such responsive systems by drop elasticity measurements whereas we demonstrate that the water repellent state of such surface requires appropriate hydrophobicity of the functionalizing polymer. When a photo-responsive azobenzene-type polymer is deposited, a dynamic optical control of the wetting properties is obtained and the surface can be switched from super-hydrophilic (following UV irradiation) to hydrophobic (following green irradiation). In all the above cases we show that the principal effect of roughness is to cause amplification of the response to the different external stimuli.

Two-component injection moulding simulation of ABS-POM micro structured surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tosello, Guido; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard; Islam, Aminul

2013-01-01

Multi-component micro injection moulding (μIM) processes such as two-component (2k) μIM are the key technologies for the mass fabrication of multi-material micro products. 2k-μIM experiments involving a miniaturized test component with micro features in the sub-mm dimensional range and moulding...... a pair of thermoplastic materials (ABS and POM) were conducted. Three dimensional process simulations based on the finite element method have been performed to explore the capability of predicting filling pattern shape at component-level and surface micro feature-level in a polymer/polymer overmoulding...

OSCAR2000 : a multi-component 3-dimensional oil spill contingency and response model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reed, M.; Daling, P.S.; Brakstad, O.G.; Singsaas, I.; Faksness, L.-G.; Hetland, B.; Ekrol, N.

2000-01-01

Researchers at SINTEF in Norway have studied the weathering of surface oil. They developed a realistic model to analyze alternative spill response strategies. The model represented the formation and composition of the water-accommodated fraction (WAF) of oil for both treated and untreated oil spills. As many as 25 components, pseudo-components, or metabolites were allowed for the specification of oil. Calculations effected using OSCAR were verified in great detail on numerous occasions. The model made it possible to determine rather realistically the dissolution, transformation, and toxicology of dispersed oil clouds, as well as evaporation, emulsification, and natural dispersion. OSCAR comprised a data-based oil weathering model, a three-dimensional oil trajectory and chemical fates model, an oil spill combat model, exposure models for birds, marine mammals, fish and ichthyoplankton. 17 refs., 1 tab., 11 figs

Calculation of parameter failure probability of thermodynamic system by response surface and importance sampling method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shang Yanlong; Cai Qi; Chen Lisheng; Zhang Yangwei

2012-01-01

In this paper, the combined method of response surface and importance sampling was applied for calculation of parameter failure probability of the thermodynamic system. The mathematics model was present for the parameter failure of physics process in the thermodynamic system, by which the combination arithmetic model of response surface and importance sampling was established, then the performance degradation model of the components and the simulation process of parameter failure in the physics process of thermodynamic system were also present. The parameter failure probability of the purification water system in nuclear reactor was obtained by the combination method. The results show that the combination method is an effective method for the calculation of the parameter failure probability of the thermodynamic system with high dimensionality and non-linear characteristics, because of the satisfactory precision with less computing time than the direct sampling method and the drawbacks of response surface method. (authors)

Responsive acoustic surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Peters, Brady; Tamke, Martin; Nielsen, Stig Anton

2011-01-01

Acoustic performance is defined by the parameter of reverberation time; however, this does not capture the acoustic experience in some types of open plan spaces. As many working and learning activities now take place in open plan spaces, it is important to be able to understand and design...... for the acoustic conditions of these spaces. This paper describes an experimental research project that studied the design processes necessary to design for sound. A responsive acoustic surface was designed, fabricated and tested. This acoustic surface was designed to create specific sonic effects. The design...... was simulated using custom integrated acoustic software and also using Odeon acoustic analysis software. The research demonstrates a method for designing space- and sound-defining surfaces, defines the concept of acoustic subspace, and suggests some new parameters for defining acoustic subspaces....

Response functions for crystals and surfaces, with applications to surface scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barker, J.A.; Steele, W.A.

1978-01-01

A general solution of the equations of forced motion of a harmonic crystal or other vibrating system with arbitrary time-dependent forces acting on the atoms is given. The solution is given in terms of dynamical 'response functions', for which expressions in terms of the normal mode frequencies and eigenvectors (polarization vectors) are given. Numerical calculations of the response functions are described for (111) and (100) surfaces of face-centered cubic crystals interacting with Lennard-Jones 6-12 potentials, and the qualitative features of the surface and bulk response functions are discussed. The use of these functions in problems of atomic scattering from surface is outlined, and convenient parametrized forms for this application are given. (Auth.)

Identifying apple surface defects using principal components analysis and artifical neural networks

Science.gov (United States)

Artificial neural networks and principal components were used to detect surface defects on apples in near-infrared images. Neural networks were trained and tested on sets of principal components derived from columns of pixels from images of apples acquired at two wavelengths (740 nm and 950 nm). I...

NEXAFS characterization of DNA components and molecular-orientation of surface-bound DNA oligomers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samuel, Newton T.; Lee, C.-Y.; Gamble, Lara J.; Fischer, Daniel A.; Castner, David G.

2006-01-01

Single stranded DNA oligomers (ssDNA) immobilized onto solid surfaces forms the basis for several biotechnological applications such as DNA microarrays, affinity separations, and biosensors. Surface structure of Surface-bound oligomers is expected to significantly influence their biological activity and interactions with the environment. In this study near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS) is used to characterize the components of DNA (nucleobases, nucleotides and nucleosides) and the orientation information of surface-bound ssDNA. The K-edges of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen have spectra with features that are characteristic of the different chemical species present in the nucleobases of DNA. The effect of addition of the DNA sugar and phosphate components on the NEXAFS K-edge spectra was also investigated. The polarization-dependent nitrogen K-edge NEXAFS data show significant changes for different orientations of surface bound ssDNA. These results establish NEXAFS as a powerful technique for chemical and structural characterization of surface-bound DNA oligomers

Vertical components of surface vibrations induced by mining tremors in the Upper Silesian Coalfield, Poland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maciag, E.; Kowalski, W.

1997-01-01

Characteristics of vertical components of surface vibration is epicentral zones due to mining tremors in the Upper Silesian Coalfield (USC) are analysed. Both maximum acceleration amplitudes and dominant frequencies of vertical (Z) and horizontal (N-S and E-W) components of vibrations are compared. The role played by the vertical components of vibrations in estimates of hazard for surface structures excited by mining tremors is discussed. 8 refs., 7 figs

Dynamic bioactive stimuli-responsive polymeric surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Pearson, Heather Marie

This dissertation focuses on the design, synthesis, and development of antimicrobial and anticoagulant surfaces of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) polymers. Aliphatic polymeric surfaces of PE and PP polymers functionalized using click chemistry reactions by the attachment of --COOH groups via microwave plasma reactions followed by functionalization with alkyne moieties. Azide containing ampicillin (AMP) was synthesized and subsequently clicked into the alkyne prepared PE and PP surfaces. Compared to non-functionalized PP and PE surfaces, the AMP clicked surfaces exhibited substantially enhanced antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. To expand the biocompatibility of polymeric surface anticoagulant attributes, PE and PTFE surfaces were functionalized with pH-responsive poly(2-vinyl pyridine) (P2VP) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) polyelectrolyte tethers terminated with NH2 and COOH groups. The goal of these studies was to develop switchable stimuli-responsive polymeric surfaces that interact with biological environments and display simultaneous antimicrobial and anticoagulant properties. Antimicrobial AMP was covalently attached to --COOH terminal ends of protected PAA, while anticoagulant heparin (HEP) was attached to terminal --NH2 groups of P2VP. When pH 5.5, they collapse while the PAA segments extend. Such surfaces, when exposed to Staphylococcus aureus, inhibit bacterial growth due to the presence of AMP, as well as are effective anticoagulants due to the presence of covalently attached HEP. Comparison of these "dynamic" pH responsive surfaces with "static" surfaces terminated with AMP entities show significant enhancement of longevity and surface activity against microbial film formation. The last portion of this dissertation focuses on the covalent attachment of living T1 and Φ11 bacteriophages (phages) on PE and PTFE surface. This was accomplished by carbodiimide coupling between --COOH

Generalized Response Surface Methodology : A New Metaheuristic

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kleijnen, J.P.C.

2006-01-01

Generalized Response Surface Methodology (GRSM) is a novel general-purpose metaheuristic based on Box and Wilson.s Response Surface Methodology (RSM).Both GRSM and RSM estimate local gradients to search for the optimal solution.These gradients use local first-order polynomials.GRSM, however, uses

Surface erosion of fusion reactor components due to radiation blistering and neutron sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, S.K.; Kaminsky, M.

1975-01-01

Radiation blistering and neutron sputtering can lead to the surface erosion of fusion reactor components exposed to plasma radiations. Recent studies of methods to reduce the surface erosion caused by these processes are discussed

Identification of Aspergillus fumigatus Surface Components That Mediate Interaction of Conidia and Hyphae With Human Platelets.

Science.gov (United States)

Rambach, Günter; Blum, Gerhard; Latgé, Jean-Paul; Fontaine, Thierry; Heinekamp, Thorsten; Hagleitner, Magdalena; Jeckström, Hanna; Weigel, Günter; Würtinger, Philipp; Pfaller, Kristian; Krappmann, Sven; Löffler, Jürgen; Lass-Flörl, Cornelia; Speth, Cornelia

2015-10-01

Platelets were recently identified as a part of innate immunity. They are activated by contact with Aspergillus fumigatus; putative consequences include antifungal defense but also thrombosis, excessive inflammation, and thrombocytopenia. We aimed to identify those fungal surface structures that mediate interaction with platelets. Human platelets were incubated with Aspergillus conidia and hyphae, isolated wall components, or fungal surface mutants. Interaction was visualized microscopically; activation was quantified by flow cytometry of specific markers. The capacity of A. fumigatus conidia to activate platelets is at least partly due to melanin, because this effect can be mimicked with "melanin ghosts"; a mutant lacking melanin showed reduced platelet stimulating potency. In contrast, conidial hydrophobin masks relevant structures, because an A. fumigatus mutant lacking the hydrophobin protein induced stronger platelet activation than wild-type conidia. A. fumigatus hyphae also contain surface structures that interact with platelets. Wall proteins, galactomannan, chitin, and β-glucan are not the relevant hyphal components; instead, the recently identified fungal polysaccharide galactosaminogalactan potently triggered platelet activation. Conidial melanin and hydrophobin as well as hyphal galactosaminogalactan represent important pathogenicity factors that modulate platelet activity and thus might influence immune responses, inflammation, and thrombosis in infected patients. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Theory of synergistic effects: Hill-type response surfaces as 'null-interaction' models for mixtures.

Science.gov (United States)

Schindler, Michael

2017-08-02

The classification of effects caused by mixtures of agents as synergistic, antagonistic or additive depends critically on the reference model of 'null interaction'. Two main approaches are currently in use, the Additive Dose (ADM) or concentration addition (CA) and the Multiplicative Survival (MSM) or independent action (IA) models. We compare several response surface models to a newly developed Hill response surface, obtained by solving a logistic partial differential equation (PDE). Assuming that a mixture of chemicals with individual Hill-type dose-response curves can be described by an n-dimensional logistic function, Hill's differential equation for pure agents is replaced by a PDE for mixtures whose solution provides Hill surfaces as 'null-interaction' models and relies neither on Bliss independence or Loewe additivity nor uses Chou's unified general theory. An n-dimensional logistic PDE decribing the Hill-type response of n-component mixtures is solved. Appropriate boundary conditions ensure the correct asymptotic behaviour. Mathematica 11 (Wolfram, Mathematica Version 11.0, 2016) is used for the mathematics and graphics presented in this article. The Hill response surface ansatz can be applied to mixtures of compounds with arbitrary Hill parameters. Restrictions which are required when deriving analytical expressions for response surfaces from other principles, are unnecessary. Many approaches based on Loewe additivity turn out be special cases of the Hill approach whose increased flexibility permits a better description of 'null-effect' responses. Missing sham-compliance of Bliss IA, known as Colby's model in agrochemistry, leads to incompatibility with the Hill surface ansatz. Examples of binary and ternary mixtures illustrate the differences between the approaches. For Hill-slopes close to one and doses below the half-maximum effect doses MSM (Colby, Bliss, Finney, Abbott) predicts synergistic effects where the Hill model indicates 'null

Early micromovement of the Articular Surface Replacement (ASR) femoral component

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Penny, J O; Ding, M; Varmarken, J E

2012-01-01

Radiostereometric analysis (RSA) can detect early micromovement in unstable implant designs which are likely subsequently to have a high failure rate. In 2010, the Articular Surface Replacement (ASR) was withdrawn because of a high failure rate. In 19 ASR femoral components, the mean micromovement...

Ultrasonic detection technology based on joint robot on composite component with complex surface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hao, Juan; Xu, Chunguang; Zhang, Lan [School of Mechanical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing (China)

2014-02-18

Some components have complex surface, such as the airplane wing and the shell of a pressure vessel etc. The quality of these components determines the reliability and safety of related equipment. Ultrasonic nondestructive detection is one of the main methods used for testing material defects at present. In order to improve the testing precision, the acoustic axis of the ultrasonic transducer should be consistent with the normal direction of the measured points. When we use joint robots, automatic ultrasonic scan along the component surface normal direction can be realized by motion trajectory planning and coordinate transformation etc. In order to express the defects accurately and truly, the robot position and the signal of the ultrasonic transducer should be synchronized.

Frequency response in surface-potential driven electrohydrodynamics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ejsing, Louise Wellendorph; Smistrup, Kristian; Pedersen, Christian Møller

2006-01-01

Using a Fourier approach we offer a general solution to calculations of slip velocity within the circuit description of the electrohydrodynamics in a binary electrolyte confined by a plane surface with a modulated surface potential. We consider the case with a spatially constant intrinsic surface...... capacitance where the net flow rate is, in general, zero while harmonic rolls as well as time-averaged vortexlike components may exist depending on the spatial symmetry and extension of the surface potential. In general, the system displays a resonance behavior at a frequency corresponding to the inverse RC...

Application of Response Surface Methodology for Optimizing Oil ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Application of Response Surface Methodology for Optimizing Oil Extraction Yield From ... AFRICAN JOURNALS ONLINE (AJOL) · Journals · Advanced Search ... from tropical almond seed by the use of response surface methodology (RSM).

Identifying Industry-Specific Components of Product Liability Response System Using Delphi-AHP Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seo JunHyeok

2016-12-01

Full Text Available PL (product liability response system is an enterprise-wide system that prevents company’s financial loss due to PL-related accidents. Existing researches on PL response system are mainly focused on preventive and/or defense strategies for the companies. Also, it is obvious that each industry has their original characteristics related on PL issues. It means industry-specific characteristics should be considered to adopt PL response strategies. Thus, this paper aims to discuss industry-specific PL response system and their components. Based on prior researches, we tried to reveal the possibility of its application to manufacturing companies of existing PL response strategies using Delphi method with PL experts. Based on first round results, we tried to classify existing PL strategies of manufacturing companies into several categories. To validate our suggestion for essential components of PL response system, second round Delphi method are applied. Analytic hierarchy process (AHP technique will be applied to identify a prioritized list of each components and strategies. Existing PL response strategies could be categorized with six components – strategy, technology, investment, training, awareness, and organization. Among six components, Technology – it represents the technology needed for improving the safety of all products – is the most important components to prepare PL accidents. The limitation of this paper is on the size of survey and variety of examples. However, the future study will enhance the potential of the proposed method. Regardless of rich research efforts to identify PL response strategies, there is no effort to categorize these strategies and prioritized them. Well-coordinated and actionable PL response strategies and their priorities could help small-and-medium sized enterprise (SME to develop their own PL response system with their limited resources.

Monthly version of HadISST sea surface temperature state-space components

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — State-Space Decomposition of Monthly version of HadISST sea surface temperature component (1-degree). See Rayner, N. A., Parker, D. E., Horton, E. B., Folland, C....

Linear response at the 4-component relativistic level

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Saue, T.; Jensen, Hans Jørgen Aagaard

2003-01-01

The theory, implementation, and application of linear response at the 4-component relativistic closed-shell Hartree-Fock level based on the concept of quasienergy and time averaging are reported. As such, an efficient AO-driven algorithm is obtained by assigning specific Hermiticity and time...

Enhanced Production of Cellulase from Pineapple Waste by Response Surface Methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Saravanan

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Optimization of the media components for cellulase production using Trichoderma reesei was carried out. The optimization of cellulase production using pineapple waste as substrate was performed with statistical methodology based on experimental designs. The screening of nutrients and their influence on the cellulase production was studied using a Plackett-Burman design. Avicel, soybean cake flour, KH2PO4, and yeast extract were found to have the positive influence for the production of cellulase. The selected components were optimized using response surface methodology. The optimum concentrations are avicel: 26.5 g/L, soybean cake flour: 22.5 g/L, KH2PO4: 4.5 g/L, and yeast extract: 12.3 g/L. A maximum cellulase activity of 8.61 IU/mL was obtained under the optimized medium in the validation experiment.

Switchable and responsive surfaces and materials for biomedical applications

CERN Document Server

Zhang, Johnathan

2015-01-01

Surface modification of biomaterials can ultimately determine whether a material is accepted or rejected from the human body, and a responsive surface can further make the material ""smart"" and ""intelligent"". Switchable and Responsive Surfaces and Materials for Biomedical Applications outlines synthetic and biological materials that are responsive under different stimuli, their surface design and modification techniques, and applicability in regenerative medicine/tissue engineering,  drug delivery, medical devices, and biomedical diagnostics. Part one provides a detailed overview of swit

Water quality responses to the interaction between surface water and groundwater along the Songhua River, NE China

Science.gov (United States)

Teng, Yanguo; Hu, Bin; Zheng, Jieqiong; Wang, Jinsheng; Zhai, Yuanzheng; Zhu, Chen

2018-03-01

Investigation of surface water and groundwater interaction (SW-GW interaction) provides basic information for regional water-resource protection, management, and development. In this survey of a 10-km-wide area along both sides of the Songhua River, northeast China, the hydrogeochemical responses to different SW-GW interactions were studied. Three types of SW-GW interactions were identified—"recharge", "discharge", and "flow-through"—according to the hydraulic connection between the surface water and groundwater. The single factor index, principal component analysis, and hierarchical cluster analysis of the hydrogeochemistry and pollutant data illuminated the hydrogeochemical response to the various SW-GW interactions. Clear SW-GW interactions along the Songhua River were revealed: (1) upstream in the study area, groundwater usually discharges into the surface water, (2) groundwater is recharged by surface water downstream, and (3) discharge and flow-through coexist in between. Statistical analysis indicated that the degree of hydrogeochemical response in different types of hydraulic connection varied, being clear in recharge and flow-through modes, and less obvious in discharge mode. During the interaction process, dilution, adsorption, redox reactions, nitrification, denitrification, and biodegradation contributed to the pollutant concentration and affected hydrogeochemical response in the hyporheic zone.

Dependence of partial molecules surface area on the third component in lyotropic liquid crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badalyan, H.G.; Ghazaryan, Kh.M.; Yayloyan, S.M.

2015-01-01

Free surface of one amphiphilic molecule head of a lyotropic liquid crystal has been investigated by X-Ray diffraction method, at small and large angles, in the presence of the third component. The pentadecilsulphonat-water system in the presence of cholesterol as well as the lecithin-water system in the presence of decanol were investigated. It is shown that the above mentioned free surface decreases if the cholesterol concentration increases, while this surface increases in the case of water concentration increase. However, it increases slower than in the case of the two-component system. The same is observed for the lecithin-water-decanol system

On the application of response surface methodology for predicting and optimizing surface roughness and cutting forces in hard turning by PVD coated insert

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hessainia Zahia

2015-04-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on the exploitation of the response surface methodology (RSM to determine optimum cutting conditions leading to minimum surface roughness and cutting force components. The technique of RSM helps to create an efficient statistical model for studying the evolution of surface roughness and cutting forces according to cutting parameters: cutting speed, feed rate and depth of cut. For this purpose, turning tests of hardened steel alloy (AISI 4140 (56 HRC were carried out using PVD – coated ceramic insert under different cutting conditions. The equations of surface roughness and cutting forces were achieved by using the experimental data and the technique of the analysis of variance (ANOVA. The obtained results are presented in terms of mean values and confidence levels. It is shown that feed rate and depth of cut are the most influential factors on surface roughness and cutting forces, respectively. In addition, it is underlined that the surface roughness is mainly related to the cutting speed, whereas depth of cut has the greatest effect on the evolution of cutting forces. The optimal machining parameters obtained in this study represent reductions about 6.88%, 3.65%, 19.05% in cutting force components (Fa, Fr, Ft, respectively. The latters are compared with the results of initial cutting parameters for machining AISI 4140 steel in the hard turning process.

Surface composition of biomedical components by ion beam analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kenny, M.J.; Wielunski, L.S.; Baxter, G.R.

1991-01-01

Materials used for replacement body parts must satisfy a number of requirements such as biocompatibility and mechanical ability to handle the task with regard to strength, wear and durability. When using a CVD coated carbon fibre reinforced carbon ball, the surface must be ion implanted with uniform dose of nitrogen ions in order to make it wear resistant. The mechanism by which the wear resistance is improved is one of radiation damage and the required dose of about 10 16 cm -2 can have a tolerance of about 20%. To implant a spherical surface requires manipulation of the sample within the beam and control system (either computer or manually operated) to enable uniform dose all the way from polar to equatorial regions on the surface. A manipulator has been designed and built for this purpose. In order to establish whether the dose is uniform, nuclear reaction analysis using the reaction 14 N(d,α) 12 C is an ideal method of profiling. By taking measurements at a number of points on the surface, the uniformity of nitrogen dose can be ascertained. It is concluded that both Rutherford Backscattering and Nuclear Reaction Analysis can be used for rapid analysis of surface composition of carbon based materials used for replacement body components. 2 refs., 2 figs

Fine and coarse components in surface sediments from Bikini Lagoon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noshkin, V. E., LLNL

1997-01-01

In 1979, 21 years after the moratorium on nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands, surface sediment samples (to depths of 2 and 4 cm) were collected from 87 locations in the lagoon of Bikini Atoll, one of the two sites in the Marshall Islands used by the United States to test nuclear devices from 1946 through 1958. The main purpose for the collections was to map the distribution of long-lived man-made radionuclides associated with the bottom material. In addition the samples were processed to estimate the fraction of fine and coarse components to show, by comparison, what modifications occurred in the composition since the sediments were first described in samples collected before testing in 1946. Nuclear testing produced more finely divided material that is now found in the surface sediment layer over large areas of the lagoon and especially in regions of the lagoon and reef adjacent to test sites. The 5 cratering events alone at Bikini Atoll redistributed sufficient material to account for the higher inventory of fine material found over the surface 4 cm of the sediment of the lagoon. Although the fraction of fine material in the bottom sediments was altered by the nuclear events, the combined processes of formation, transport and deposition were not sufficiently dynamic to greatly change the general geographical features of the major sedimentary components over most of the lagoon floor.

Interactions between photodegradation components

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdollahi Yadollah

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The interactions of p-cresol photocatalytic degradation components were studied by response surface methodology. The study was designed by central composite design using the irradiation time, pH, the amount of photocatalyst and the p-cresol concentration as variables. The design was performed to obtain photodegradation % as actual responses. The actual responses were fitted with linear, two factor interactions, cubic and quadratic model to select an appropriate model. The selected model was validated by analysis of variance which provided evidences such as high F-value (845.09, very low P-value (2 = 0.999, adjusted R-squared (Radj2 = 0.998, predicted R-squared (Rpred2 = 0.994 and the adequate precision (95.94. Results From the validated model demonstrated that the component had interaction with irradiation time under 180 min of the time while the interaction with pH was above pH 9. Moreover, photocatalyst and p-cresol had interaction at minimal amount of photocatalyst (p-cresol. Conclusion These variables are interdependent and should be simultaneously considered during the photodegradation process, which is one of the advantages of the response surface methodology over the traditional laboratory method.

Tunnel flexibility effect on the ground surface acceleration response

Science.gov (United States)

Baziar, Mohammad Hassan; Moghadam, Masoud Rabeti; Choo, Yun Wook; Kim, Dong-Soo

2016-09-01

Flexibility of underground structures relative to the surrounding medium, referred to as the flexibility ratio, is an important factor that influences their dynamic interaction. This study investigates the flexibility effect of a box-shaped subway tunnel, resting directly on bedrock, on the ground surface acceleration response using a numerical model verified against dynamic centrifuge test results. A comparison of the ground surface acceleration response for tunnel models with different flexibility ratios revealed that the tunnels with different flexibility ratios influence the acceleration response at the ground surface in different ways. Tunnels with lower flexibility ratios have higher acceleration responses at short periods, whereas tunnels with higher flexibility ratios have higher acceleration responses at longer periods. The effect of the flexibility ratio on ground surface acceleration is more prominent in the high range of frequencies. Furthermore, as the flexibility ratio of the tunnel system increases, the acceleration response moves away from the free field response and shifts towards the longer periods. Therefore, the flexibility ratio of the underground tunnels influences the peak ground acceleration (PGA) at the ground surface, and may need to be considered in the seismic zonation of urban areas.

Atmospheric boundary layer response to sea surface temperatures during the SEMAPHORE experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Giordani, Hervé; Planton, Serge; Benech, Bruno; Kwon, Byung-Hyuk

1998-10-01

The sensitivity of the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) subjected to sea surface temperatures (SST) during the Structure des Echanges Mer-Atmosphere, Proprietes des Heterogeneites Oceaniques: Recherche Experimentale (SEMAPHORE) experiment in 1993 has been studied. Atmospheric analyses produced by the Action de Recherche, Petite Echelle, Grande Echelle (ARPEGE) operational model at the French meteorological weather service assimilated data sets collected between October 7 and November 17, 1993, merged with the Global Telecommunication System (GTS) data. Analyses were validated against independent data from aircraft instruments collected along a section crossing the Azores oceanic front, not assimilated into the model. The responses of the mean MABL in the aircraft cross section to changes in SST gradients of about 1°C/100 km were the presence of an atmospheric front with horizontal gradients of 1°C/100 km and an increase of the wind intensity from the cold to the warm side during an anticyclonic synoptic situation. The study of the spatiotemporal characteristics of the MABL shows that during 3 days of an anticyclonic synoptic situation the SST is remarkably stationary because it is principally controlled by the Azores ocean current, which has a timescale of about 10 days. However, the temperature and the wind in the MABL are influenced by the prevailing atmospheric conditions. The ocean does not appear to react to the surface atmospheric forcing on the timescale of 3 days, whereas the atmospheric structures are modified by local and synoptic-scale advection. The MABL response appears to be much quicker than that of the SSTs. The correlation between the wind and the thermal structure in the MABL is dominated by the ageostrophic and not by the geostrophic component. In particular, the enhancement of the wind on either side of the SST front is mainly due to the ageostrophic component. Although the surface heat fluxes are not the only cause of ageostrophy, the

Detailed analysis of surface asperity deformation mechanism in diffusion bonding of steel hollow structural components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, C. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072 (China); Laboratoire de Mecanique des Contacts et des Structures (LaMCoS), INSA Lyon, 20 Avenue des Sciences, F-69621 Villeurbanne Cedex (France); Li, H. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072 (China); Li, M.Q., E-mail: zc9997242256@126.com [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072 (China)

2016-05-15

Graphical abstract: This study focused on the detailed analysis of surface asperity deformation mechanism in diffusion bonding of steel hollow structural component. A special surface with regular patterns was processed to be joined so as to observe the extent of surface asperity deformation under different applied bonding pressures. Fracture surface characteristic combined with surface roughness profiles distinctly revealed the enhanced surface asperity deformation as the applied pressure increases. The influence of surface asperity deformation mechanism on joint formation was analyzed: (a) surface asperity deformation not only directly expanded the interfacial contact areas, but also released deformation heat and caused defects, indirectly accelerating atomic diffusion, then benefits to void shrinkage; (b) surface asperity deformation readily introduced stored energy difference between two opposite sides of interface grain boundary, resulting in strain induced interface grain boundary migration. In addition, the influence of void on interface grain boundary migration was analyzed in detail. - Highlights: • A high quality hollow structural component has been fabricated by diffusion bonding. • Surface asperity deformation not only expands the interfacial contact areas, but also causes deformation heat and defects to improve the atomic diffusion. • Surface asperity deformation introduces the stored energy difference between the two opposite sides of interface grain boundary, leading to strain induced interface grain boundary migration. • The void exerts a dragging force on the interface grain boundary to retard or stop interface grain boundary migration. - Abstract: This study focused on the detailed analysis of surface asperity deformation mechanism in similar diffusion bonding as well as on the fabrication of high quality martensitic stainless steel hollow structural components. A special surface with regular patterns was processed to be joined so as to

Response Surface Methodology: 1966-1986

Science.gov (United States)

1986-09-01

male broilers to examine quantitatively the protein levels in starter and Gnisher rations and the time of ration change to optimize body weight, carcass...1983). ’Akn Investigation of Protein Levels for Broiler Starter and Finisher Rations and the Time of Ration Change by Response Surface Methodology...when Responses Within a Litter are Correlated,’ Biometrics, 37, 153-156. Shek, E., Ghani, M. and Jones, R.E. (1980). "Simplex Search in Optimization

Process optimization of microencapsulation of curcumin in γ-polyglutamic acid using response surface methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Ko, Wen-Ching; Chang, Chao-Kai; Wang, Hsiu-Ju; Wang, Shian-Jen; Hsieh, Chang-Wei

2015-04-01

The aim of this study was to develop an optimal microencapsulation method for an oil-soluble component (curcumin) using γ-PGA. The results show that Span80 significantly enhances the encapsulation efficiency (EE) of γ-Na(+)-PGA microcapsules. Therefore, the effects of γ-Na(+)-PGA, curcumin and Span80 concentration on EE of γ-Na(+)-PGA microcapsules were studied by means of response surface methodology (RSM). It was found that the optimal microencapsulation process is achieved by using γ-Na(+)-PGA 6.05%, curcumin 15.97% and Span80 0.61% with a high EE% (74.47 ± 0.20%). Furthermore, the models explain 98% of the variability in the responses. γ-Na(+)-PGA seems to be a good carrier for the encapsulation of curcumin. In conclusion, this simple and versatile approach can potentially be applied to the microencapsulation of various oil-soluble components for food applications. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Blind Separation of Event-Related Brain Responses into Independent Components

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Makeig, Scott

1996-01-01

.... We report here a method for the blind separation of event-related brain responses into spatially stationary and temporally independent subcomponents using an Independent Component Analysis algorithm...

Accelerator system for producing two-component beams for studies of interactive surface effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaminsky, M.; Das, S.K.; Ekern, R.; Hess, D.C.

1977-01-01

For studies of interactive surface effects caused by the simultaneous bombardment of targets by both chemically active and inactive ion species (e.g., D + and He + , respectively) a two beam component accelerator facility was placed in operation. One component, consisting of light ions (e.g., H, D, He) is accelerated by a 2-MV Van de Graaff accelerator which provides a mass analyzed and focussed beam for the energy range from approximately 100-keV to 2-MeV (for singly charged ions). The other component is a beam of light ions in the energy range from approximately 10-keV to 100-keV. This is furnished by a 100-kV dc accelerator system which provides a mass analyzed focussed beam. This beam is guided into the beam line of the Van de Graaff accelerator electrostatically, and with the aid of beam steerers it is made to be co-axial with the Van de Graaff generated beam. The angle of incidence becomes hereby a free parameter for the interaction of the mixed beams with a surface. For each beam component, current densities of 650 μA cm -2 on target can readily be obtained. In order to reduce carbon contamination of the irradiated targets significantly, stainless steel beam lines have been used together with a combination of turbomolecular pumps and ion-sublimation pumps.A total pressure of 2 to 3 x 10 -8 torr in the beam lines and of 2 x 10 -9 torr in the target chamber can be obtained readily. Experimental results on the surface damage of Ni bombarded simultaneously with He + and D + ions are presented. The importance of such studies of interactive surface effects for the controlled thermonuclear fusion program are discussed

Electroantennographic responses of New World screwworm to components of swormlure-4 and related compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cork, A.

1992-01-01

Electroantennographic (EAG) responses from New World screwworm flies were recorded as dose-response curves to the components of swormlure and to isobutyric acid, butanol, 1-hexanol, 1-octen-3-o1, 3-propylphenol and 3-methylindole. Among the swormlure components, good responses were obtained to valeric acid, phenol 4-methylphenol and indole. Only weaker responses were obtained to the butyl alcohols, dimethyldisulphide, acetic, butyric and benzoic acids. A strong response was obtained to 1-octen-3-o1, and the response to 3-methylindole was greater than that to indole. Responses of male and female flies were generally similar, except for those to dimethylsulphide and 4-methylphenol where responses fo males were greater than those of females. These studies indicate that EAG linked to gas chromatography should be a useful technique for detection of the biologically-active components in naturally-derived, volatile attractants, and suggest 1-octen-3-o1 and 3- methylindole should be tested for behavioural effects on NWS. 7 figs

Mechanisms regulating osteoblast response to surface microtopography and vitamin D

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, Bryan Frederick, Jr.

A comprehensive understanding of the interactions between orthopaedic and dental implant surfaces with the surrounding host tissue is essential in the design of advanced biomaterials that better promote bone growth and osseointegration of implants. Dental implants with roughened surfaces and high surface energy are well known to promote osteoblast differentiation in vitro and promote increased bone-to-implant contact in vivo. In addition, increased surface roughness increases osteoblasts response to the vitamin D metabolite 1alpha,25(OH)2D3. However, the exact mechanisms mediating cell response to surface properties and 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 are still being elucidated. The central aim of the thesis is to investigate whether integrin signaling in response to rough surface microtopography enhances osteoblast differentiation and responsiveness to 1alpha,25(OH)2D3. The hypothesis is that the integrin alpha5beta1 plays a role in osteoblast response to surface microtopography and that 1alpha,25(OH) 2D3 acts through VDR-independent pathways involving caveolae to synergistically enhance osteoblast response to surface roughness and 1alpha,25(OH) 2D3. To test this hypothesis the objectives of the studies performed in this thesis were: (1) to determine if alpha5beta 1 signaling is required for osteoblast response to surface microstructure; (2) to determine if increased responsiveness to 1alpha,25(OH)2D 3 requires the vitamin D receptor, (3) to determine if rough titanium surfaces functionalized with the peptides targeting integrins (RGD) and transmembrane proteoglycans (KRSR) will enhance both osteoblast proliferation and differentiation, and (4) to determine whether caveolae, which are associated with integrin and 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 signaling, are required for enhance osteogenic response to surface microstructure and 1alpha,25(OH)2D 3. The results demonstrate that integrins, VDR, and caveolae play important roles in mediating osteoblast response to surface properties and 1alpha,25

Microencapsulation of Theobroma cacao L. waste extract: optimization using response surface methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Gabbay Alves, Taís Vanessa; Silva da Costa, Russany; Aliakbarian, Bahar; Casazza, Alessandro Alberto; Perego, Patrizia; Carréra Silva Júnior, José Otávio; Ribeiro Costa, Roseane Maria; Converti, Attilio

2017-03-01

The cocoa extract (Theobroma cacao L.) has a significant amount of polyphenols (TP) with potent antioxidant activity (AA). This study aims to optimise microencapsulation of the extract of cocoa waste using chitosan and maltodextrin. Microencapsulation tests were performed according to a Box-Behnken factorial design, and the results were evaluated by response surface methodology with temperature, maltodextrin concentration (MD) and extract flowrate (EF) as independent variables, and the fraction of encapsulated TP, TP encapsulation yield, AA, yield of drying and solubility index as responses. The optimum conditions were: inlet temperature of 170 °C, MD of 5% and EF of 2.5 mL/min. HPLC analysis identified epicatechin as the major component of both the extract and microparticles. TP release was faster at pH 3.5 than in water. These results as a whole suggest that microencapsulation was successful and the final product can be used as a nutrient source for aquatic animal feed. Highlights Microencapsulation is optimised according to a factorial design of the Box-Behnken type. Epicatechin is the major component of both the extract and microcapsules. The release of polyphenols from microcapsules is faster at pH 3.5 than in water.

Response mechanism for surface acoustic wave gas sensors based on surface-adsorption.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jiansheng; Lu, Yanyan

2014-04-16

A theoretical model is established to describe the response mechanism of surface acoustic wave (SAW) gas sensors based on physical adsorption on the detector surface. Wohljent's method is utilized to describe the relationship of sensor output (frequency shift of SAW oscillator) and the mass loaded on the detector surface. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) formula and its improved form are introduced to depict the adsorption behavior of gas on the detector surface. By combining the two methods, we obtain a theoretical model for the response mechanism of SAW gas sensors. By using a commercial SAW gas chromatography (GC) analyzer, an experiment is performed to measure the frequency shifts caused by different concentration of dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP). The parameters in the model are given by fitting the experimental results and the theoretical curve agrees well with the experimental data.

Mechanical response of wall-patterned GaAs surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Bourhis, E.; Patriarche, G.

2005-01-01

Wall-patterned GaAs surfaces have been elaborated by photolithography and dry etching. Different surfaces were produced in order to change the aspect ratio of the walls formed at the substrate surface. The mechanical behaviour of individual walls was investigated by nanoindentation and the responses were compared to that of a standard bulk reference (flat surface). Deviation from the bulk response is detected in a load range of 1-25 mN depending on the aspect ratio of the walls. A central plastic zone criterion is proposed in view of transmission electron microscopy images of indented walls and allows the prediction of the response deviation of a given wall if its width is known. The mechanical response of the different types of walls is further investigated in terms of stiffness, total penetration of indenter and apparent hardness, and is scanned in relation to the proximity of a wall side. Overall results show that contact stiffness remains almost unaffected by aspect ratio, while penetration drastically increases because of the free sides of the wall as compared to a flat surface (bulk substrate). The application of substrate patterning for optoelectronic devices is discussed in the perspective of eliminating residual dislocations appearing in mismatched structures

Integrated-Optics Components Utilizing Long-Range Surface Plasmon Polaritons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boltasseva, Alexandra

2004-01-01

This thesis describes a new class of components for integrated optics, based on the propagation of long-range surface plasmon polaritons (LR-SPPs) along metal stripes embedded in a dielectric. These novel components can provide guiding of light as well as coupling and splitting from/into a number...... with experimental results is obtained. The interaction of LR-SPPs with photonic crystals (PCs) is also studied. The PC structures are formed by periodic arrays of gold bumps that are arranged in a triangular lattice and placed symmetrically on both sides of a thin gold film. The LR-SPP transmission through...... of channels with good performance. Guiding of LR-SPPs along nm-thin and µm-wide gold stripes embedded in polymer is investigated in the wavelength range of 1250 – 1650 nm. LR-SPP guiding properties, such as the propagation loss and mode field diameter, are studied for different stripe widths and thicknesses...

Surface temperature measurement of plasma facing components in tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amiel, Stephane

2014-01-01

During this PhD, the challenges on the non-intrusive surface temperature measurements of metallic plasma facing components in tokamaks are reported. Indeed, a precise material emissivity value is needed for classical infrared methods and the environment contribution has to be known particularly for low emissivities materials. Although methods have been developed to overcome these issues, they have been implemented solely for dedicated experiments. In any case, none of these methods are suitable for surface temperature measurement in tokamaks.The active pyrometry introduced in this study allows surface temperature measurements independently of reflected flux and emissivities using pulsed and modulated photothermal effect. This method has been validated in laboratory on metallic materials with reflected fluxes for pulsed and modulated modes. This experimental validation is coupled with a surface temperature variation induced by photothermal effect and temporal signal evolvement modelling in order to optimize both the heating source characteristics and the data acquisition and treatment. The experimental results have been used to determine the application range in temperature and detection wavelengths. In this context, the design of an active pyrometry system on tokamak has been completed, based on a bicolor camera for a thermography application in metallic (or low emissivity) environment.The active pyrometry method introduced in this study is a complementary technique of classical infrared methods used for thermography in tokamak environment which allows performing local and 2D surface temperature measurements independently of reflected fluxes and emissivities. (author) [fr

Surface inspection system for industrial components based on shape from shading minimization approach

Science.gov (United States)

Kotan, Muhammed; Öz, Cemil

2017-12-01

An inspection system using estimated three-dimensional (3-D) surface characteristics information to detect and classify the faults to increase the quality control on the frequently used industrial components is proposed. Shape from shading (SFS) is one of the basic and classic 3-D shape recovery problems in computer vision. In our application, we developed a system using Frankot and Chellappa SFS method based on the minimization of the selected basis function. First, the specialized image acquisition system captured the images of the component. To eliminate noise, wavelet transform is applied to the taken images. Then, estimated gradients were used to obtain depth and surface profiles. Depth information was used to determine and classify the surface defects. Also, a comparison made with some linearization-based SFS algorithms was discussed. The developed system was applied to real products and the results indicated that using SFS approaches is useful and various types of defects can easily be detected in a short period of time.

Principal Component Surface (2011) for St. Thomas East End Reserve, St. Thomas

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This image represents a 0.3x0.3 meter principal component analysis (PCA) surface for areas the St. Thomas East End Reserve (STEER) in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI)....

The inositol-1,2-cyclic phosphate moiety of the cross-reacting determinant, carbohydrate chains, and proteinaceous components are all responsible for the cross-reactivity of trypanosome variant surface glycoproteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Escalona, José L; Uzcanga, Graciela L; Carrasquel, Liomary M; Bubis, José

2018-01-24

Salivarian trypanosomes evade the host immune system by continually swapping their protective variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) coat. Given that VSGs from various trypanosome stocks exhibited cross-reactivity (Camargo et al., Vet. Parasitol. 207, 17-33, 2015), we analyzed here which components are the antigenic determinants for this cross-reaction. Soluble forms of VSGs were purified from four Venezuelan animal trypanosome isolates: TeAp-N/D1, TeAp-ElFrio01, TeAp-Mantecal01, and TeGu-Terecay323. By using the VSG soluble form from TeAp-N/D1, we found that neither the inositol-1,2-cyclic phosphate moiety of the cross-reacting determinant nor the carbohydrate chains were exclusively responsible for its cross-reactivity. Then, all four purified glycoproteins were digested with papain and the resulting peptides were separated by high-performance liquid chromatography. Dot blot evaluation of the fractions using sera from trypanosome-infected animals yielded peptides that possessed cross-reaction activity, demonstrating for the first time that proteinaceous epitopes are also responsible for the cross-reactivity of trypanosome VSGs.

Effect of SUS316L stainless steel surface conditions on the wetting of molten multi-component oxides ceramic

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Jin, E-mail: wangjinustb@gmail.com [Graduate School of Life Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Fukuoka, 808-0196 (Japan); Matsuda, Nozomu [Bar and Wire Product Unit, Nippon steel and Sumitomo Metal Corporation, Fukuoka, 802-8686 (Japan); Shinozaki, Nobuya [Graduate School of Life Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Fukuoka, 808-0196 (Japan); Miyoshi, Noriko [The Center for Instrumental Analysis, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Fukuoka, 804-8550 (Japan); Shiraishi, Takanobu [Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, 852-8588 (Japan)

2015-02-01

Highlights: • Multi-component oxides had a good wetting on stainless substrates with pretreatments. • Various substrates surface roughness caused the difference of final contact angles. • The wetting rate was slow on polished substrate due to the slow surface oxidation. - Abstract: A study on the effect of SUS316L stainless steel surface conditions on the wetting behavior of molten multi-component oxides ceramic was performed and aimed to contribute to the further understanding of the application of oxides ceramic in penetration treatment of stainless steel coatings and the deposition of stainless steel cermet coatings. The results show that at 1273 K, different surface pre-treatments (polishing and heating) had an important effect on the wetting behavior. The molten multi-component oxides showed good wettability on both stainless steel substrates, however, the wetting process on the polished substrate was significantly slower than that on the heated substrates. The mechanism of the interfacial reactions was discussed based on the microscopic and thermodynamic analysis, the substrates reacted with oxygen generated from the decomposition of the molten multi-component oxides and oxygen contained in the argon atmosphere, and the oxide film caused the molten multi-component oxides ceramic to spread on the substrates surfaces. For the polished substrate, more time was required for the surface oxidation to reach the surface composition of Heated-S, which resulted in relatively slow spreading and wetting rates. Moreover, the variance of the surface roughness drove the final contact angles to slightly different values following the sequence Polished-S > Heated-S.

Identification of chemical components of combustion emissions that affect pro-atherosclerotic vascular responses in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Seilkop, Steven K; Campen, Matthew J; Lund, Amie K; McDonald, Jacob D; Mauderly, Joe L

2012-04-01

Combustion emissions cause pro-atherosclerotic responses in apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE/⁻) mice, but the causal components of these complex mixtures are unresolved. In studies previously reported, ApoE⁻/⁻ mice were exposed by inhalation 6 h/day for 50 consecutive days to multiple dilutions of diesel or gasoline exhaust, wood smoke, or simulated "downwind" coal emissions. In this study, the analysis of the combined four-study database using the Multiple Additive Regression Trees (MART) data mining approach to determine putative causal exposure components regardless of combustion source is reported. Over 700 physical-chemical components were grouped into 45 predictor variables. Response variables measured in aorta included endothelin-1, vascular endothelin growth factor, three matrix metalloproteinases (3, 7, 9), metalloproteinase inhibitor 2, heme-oxygenase-1, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. Two or three predictors typically explained most of the variation in response among the experimental groups. Overall, sulfur dioxide, ammonia, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide were most highly predictive of responses, although their rankings differed among the responses. Consistent with the earlier finding that filtration of particles had little effect on responses, particulate components ranked third to seventh in predictive importance for the eight response variables. MART proved useful for identifying putative causal components, although the small number of pollution mixtures (4) can provide only suggestive evidence of causality. The potential independent causal contributions of these gases to the vascular responses, as well as possible interactions among them and other components of complex pollutant mixtures, warrant further evaluation.

Test-Anchored Vibration Response Predictions for an Acoustically Energized Curved Orthogrid Panel with Mounted Components

Science.gov (United States)

Frady, Gregory P.; Duvall, Lowery D.; Fulcher, Clay W. G.; Laverde, Bruce T.; Hunt, Ronald A.

2011-01-01

rich body of vibroacoustic test data was recently generated at Marshall Space Flight Center for component-loaded curved orthogrid panels typical of launch vehicle skin structures. The test data were used to anchor computational predictions of a variety of spatially distributed responses including acceleration, strain and component interface force. Transfer functions relating the responses to the input pressure field were generated from finite element based modal solutions and test-derived damping estimates. A diffuse acoustic field model was applied to correlate the measured input sound pressures across the energized panel. This application quantifies the ability to quickly and accurately predict a variety of responses to acoustically energized skin panels with mounted components. Favorable comparisons between the measured and predicted responses were established. The validated models were used to examine vibration response sensitivities to relevant modeling parameters such as pressure patch density, mesh density, weight of the mounted component and model form. Convergence metrics include spectral densities and cumulative root-mean squared (RMS) functions for acceleration, velocity, displacement, strain and interface force. Minimum frequencies for response convergence were established as well as recommendations for modeling techniques, particularly in the early stages of a component design when accurate structural vibration requirements are needed relatively quickly. The results were compared with long-established guidelines for modeling accuracy of component-loaded panels. A theoretical basis for the Response/Pressure Transfer Function (RPTF) approach provides insight into trends observed in the response predictions and confirmed in the test data. The software developed for the RPTF method allows easy replacement of the diffuse acoustic field with other pressure fields such as a turbulent boundary layer (TBL) model suitable for vehicle ascent. Structural responses

A novel design procedure for tractor clutch fingers by using optimization and response surface methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dogan, Oguz; Karpat, Fatih; Yuce, Celalettin; Kaya, Necmettin; Yavuz, Nurettin [Uludag University, Gorukle (Turkmenistan); Sen, Hasan [Valeo A. S., Bursa (Turkmenistan)

2016-06-15

This paper presents a methodology for re-designing a failed tractor transmission component subjected to cyclic loading. Unlike other vehicles, tractors cope with tough working conditions. Thus, it is necessary to re-design components by using modern optimization techniques. To extend their service life, we present a design methodology for a failed tractor clutch power take-off finger. The finger was completely re-designed using topology and shape optimization approach. Stress-life based fatigue analyses were performed. Shape optimization and response surface methodology were conducted to obtain optimum dimensions of the finger. Two design parameters were selected for the design of experiment method and 15 cases were analyzed. By using design of the experiment method, three responses were obtained: Maximum stresses, mass, and displacement depending on the selected the design parameters. After solving the optimization problem, we achieved a maximum stress and mass reduction of 14% and 6%, respectively. The stiffness was improved up to 31.6% compared to the initial design.

Nuclear electronic components of surface contamination monitor based on multi-electrode proportional counter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Du Xiangyang; Zhang Yong; Han Shuping; Rao Xianming; Fang Jintu

2001-01-01

The nuclear electronic components applying in Portal Monitor and Hands and Feet Surface Contamination Monitor were based on modern integrated circuit are introduced. The detailed points in circuit design and manufacturing technique are analyzed

Protection of surface assets on Mars from wind blown jettisoned spacecraft components

Science.gov (United States)

Paton, Mark

2017-07-01

Jettisoned Entry, Descent and Landing System (EDLS) hardware from landing spacecraft have been observed by orbiting spacecraft, strewn over the Martian surface. Future Mars missions that land spacecraft close to prelanded assets will have to use a landing architecture that somehow minimises the possibility of impacts from these jettisoned EDLS components. Computer modelling is used here to investigate the influence of wind speed and direction on the distribution of EDLS components on the surface. Typical wind speeds encountered in the Martian Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) were found to be of sufficient strength to blow items having a low ballistic coefficient, i.e. Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerators (HIADs) or parachutes, onto prelanded assets even when the lander itself touches down several kilometres away. Employing meteorological measurements and careful characterisation of the Martian PBL, e.g. appropriate wind speed probability density functions, may then benefit future spacecraft landings, increase safety and possibly help reduce the delta v budget for Mars landers that rely on aerodynamic decelerators.

[Studies on the interaction of blood components with ultra-smooth polymer surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carlson, T.H. [New Mexico Univ., Albuquerque, NM (United States). School of Medicine

1989-04-17

This report is in three parts, though each is briefly described data is provided. The three parts address (1) radioiodination of human thrombin and fibrinogen; (2) interaction of blood components with ultra- smooth polymer surfaces; and (3) initial studies of Tecoflex and treated Tecoflex cups with normal serum samples.

Media optimization for laccase production by Trichoderma harzianum ZF-2 using response surface methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Huiju; Chu, Xiang; Wang, Yanwen; Zhou, Fei; Zhao, Kai; Mu, Zhimei; Liu, Qingxin

2013-12-01

Trichoderma harzianum ZF-2 producing laccase was isolated from decaying samples from Shandong, China, and showed dye decolorization activities. The objective of this study was to optimize its culture conditions using a statistical analysis of its laccase production. The interactions between different fermentation parameters for laccase production were characterized using a Plackett-Burman design and the response surface methodology. The different media components were initially optimized using the conventional one-factor-at-a-time method and an orthogonal test design, and a Plackett-Burman experiment was then performed to evaluate the effects on laccase production. Wheat straw powder, soybean meal, and CuSO4 were all found to have a significant influence on laccase production, and the optimal concentrations of these three factors were then sequentially investigated using the response surface methodology with a central composite design. The resulting optimal medium components for laccase production were determined as follows: wheat straw powder 7.63 g/l, soybean meal 23.07 g/l, (NH4)2SO4 1 g/l, CuSO4 0.51 g/l, Tween-20 1 g/l, MgSO4 1 g/l, and KH2PO4 0.6 g/l. Using this optimized fermentation method, the yield of laccase was increased 59.68 times to 67.258 U/ml compared with the laccase production with an unoptimized medium. This is the first report on the statistical optimization of laccase production by Trichoderma harzianum ZF-2.

An Integrated Surface Engineering Technology Development for Improving Energy Efficiency of Engine Components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stephen Hsu; Liming Chang; Huan Zhan

2009-05-31

Frictional losses are inherent in most practical mechanical systems. The ability to control friction offers many opportunities to achieve energy conservation. Over the years, materials, lubricants, and surface modifications have been used to reduce friction in automotive and diesel engines. However, in recent years, progress in friction reduction technology has slowed because many of the inefficiencies have been eliminated. A new avenue for friction reduction is needed. Designing surfaces specifically for friction reduction with concomitant enhanced durability for various engine components has emerged recently as a viable opportunity due to advances in fabrication and surface finishing techniques. Recently, laser ablated dimples on surfaces have shown friction reduction properties and have been demonstrated successfully in conformal contacts such as seals where the speed is high and the load is low. The friction reduction mechanism in this regime appears to depend on the size, patterns, and density of dimples in the contact. This report describes modeling efforts in characterizing surface textures and understanding their mechanisms for enhanced lubrication under high contact pressure conditions. A literature survey is first presented on the development of descriptors for irregular surface features. This is followed by a study of the hydrodynamic effects of individual micro-wedge dimples using the analytical solution of the 1-D Reynolds equation and the determination of individual components of the total friction resistance. The results obtained provide a better understanding of the dimple orientation effects and the approach which may be used to further compare the friction reduction provided by different texture patterns.

Response Surface Optimized Extraction of Total Triterpene Acids ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research May 2014; 13 (5): 787-792 ... surface method were used to optimize the extraction process, while antioxidant activity was evaluated in vitro using α ... Response surface methodology is increasingly.

Temperature-Responsive Anisotropic Slippery Surface for Smart Control of the Droplet Motion.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, By Lili; Heng, Liping; Jiang, Lei

2018-02-28

Development of stimulus-responsive anisotropic slippery surfaces is important because of the high demand for such materials in the field of liquid directional-driven systems. However, current studies in the field of slippery surfaces are mainly conducted to prepare isotropic slippery surfaces. Although we have developed electric-responsive anisotropic slippery surfaces that enable smart control of the droplet motion, there remain challenges for designing temperature-responsive anisotropic slippery surfaces to control the liquid droplet motion on the surface and in the tube. In this work, temperature-responsive anisotropic slippery surfaces have been prepared by using paraffin, a thermo-responsive phase-transition material, as a lubricating fluid and directional porous polystyrene (PS) films as the substrate. The smart regulation of the droplet motion of several liquids on this surface was accomplished by tuning the substrate temperature. The uniqueness of this surface lies in the use of an anisotropic structure and temperature-responsive lubricating fluids to achieve temperature-driven smart control of the anisotropic motion of the droplets. Furthermore, this surface was used to design temperature-driven anisotropic microreactors and to manipulate liquid transfer in tubes. This work advances the understanding of the principles underlying anisotropic slippery surfaces and provides a promising material for applications in the biochip and microreactor system.

Photo-responsive surface topology in chiral nematic media

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Danqing; Bastiaansen, Cees W. M.; Toonder, Jaap. M. J.; Broer, Dirk J.

2012-03-01

We report on the design and fabrication of 'smart surfaces' that exhibit dynamic changes in their surface topology in response to exposure to light. The principle is based on anisotropic geometric changes of a liquid crystal network upon a change of the molecular order parameter. The photomechanical property of the coating is induced by incorporating an azobenzene moiety into the liquid crystal network. The responsive surface topology consists of regions with two different types of molecular order: planar chiral-nematic areas and homeotropic. Under flood exposure with 365 nm light the surfaces deform from flat to one with a surface relief. The height of the relief structures is of the order of 1 um corresponding to strain difference of around 20%. Furthermore, we demonstrate surface reliefs can form either convex or concave structures upon exposure to UV light corresponding to the decrease or increase molecular order parameter, respectively, related to the isomeric state of the azobenzene crosslinker. The reversible deformation to the initial flat state occurs rapidly after removing the light source.

Protein-surface interactions on stimuli-responsive polymeric biomaterials.

Science.gov (United States)

Cross, Michael C; Toomey, Ryan G; Gallant, Nathan D

2016-03-04

Responsive surfaces: a review of the dependence of protein adsorption on the reversible volume phase transition in stimuli-responsive polymers. Specifically addressed are a widely studied subset: thermoresponsive polymers. Findings are also generalizable to other materials which undergo a similarly reversible volume phase transition. As of 2015, over 100,000 articles have been published on stimuli-responsive polymers and many more on protein-biomaterial interactions. Significantly, fewer than 100 of these have focused specifically on protein interactions with stimuli-responsive polymers. These report a clear trend of increased protein adsorption in the collapsed state compared to the swollen state. This control over protein interactions makes stimuli-responsive polymers highly useful in biomedical applications such as wound repair scaffolds, on-demand drug delivery, and antifouling surfaces. Outstanding questions are whether the protein adsorption is reversible with the volume phase transition and whether there is a time-dependence. A clear understanding of protein interactions with stimuli-responsive polymers will advance theoretical models, experimental results, and biomedical applications.

Response surface reconciliation method of bolted joints structure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yunus Mohd Azmi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Structural joining methods such as bolted joints are commonly used for the assembly of structural components due to their simplicity and easy maintenance. Understandably, the dynamic characteristic of bolted joined structure is mainly influenced by the properties of their joints such as preload on the bolts and joints stiffness which alter the measured dynamics response of the structure. Therefore, the need to include the local effect of the bolted joints into the numerical model of the bolted joined structure is vitally important in order to represent the model accurately. In this paper, a few types of connector elements that can be used to represent the bolted joints such as CBAR, CBEAM and CELAS have been investigated numerically and experimentally. The initial numerical results of these element connectors are compared with the experimental results in term of natural frequencies and mode shapes. The comparative evaluation of numerical and the experimental data are performed in order to provide some insights of inaccuracies in the numerical model due to invalid assumption in the numerical modelling such as geometry, material properties, and boundary conditions. The discrepancies between both results (numerical and experimental data are then corrected using the response surface reconciliation method (RSRM through which the finite element model is altered in order to provide closer agreement with the measured data so that it can be used for subsequence analysis.

Central and peripheral components of short latency vestibular responses in the chicken

Science.gov (United States)

Nazareth, A. M.; Jones, T. A.

1998-01-01

Far-field recordings of short latency vestibular responses to pulsed cranial translation are composed of a series of positive and negative peaks occurring within 10 ms following stimulus onset. In the bird, these vestibular evoked potentials (VsEPs) can be recorded noninvasively and have been shown in the chicken and quail to depend strictly upon the activation of the vestibular component of the eighth nerve. The utility of the VsEP in the study of vestibular systems is dependent upon a clear understanding of the neural sources of response components. The primary aim of the current research in the chicken was to critically test the hypotheses that 1) responses are generated by both peripheral and central neurons and 2) peaks P1 and N1 originate from first order vestibular neurons, whereas later waves primarily depend on activity in higher order neurons. The principal strategy used here was to surgically isolate the eighth nerve as it enters the brainstem. Interruption of primary afferents of the eighth nerve in the brainstem substantially reduced or eliminated peaks beyond P2, whereas P1 and N1 were generally spared. Surgical sections that spared vestibular pathways had little effect on responses. The degree of change in response components beyond N1 was correlated with the extent of damage to central vestibular relays. These findings support the conclusion that responses are produced by both peripheral and central elements of the vestibular system. Further, response peaks later than N1 appear to be dependent upon central relays, whereas P1 and N1 reflect activity of the peripheral nerve. These findings clarify the roles of peripheral and central neurons in the generation of vestibular evoked potentials and provide the basis for a more useful and detailed interpretation of data from vestibular response testing.

Human platelet glycoprotein Ia. One component is only expressed on the surface of activated platelets and may be a granule constituent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bienz, D.; Clemetson, K.J.

1989-01-01

Glycoprotein Ia (GP Ia) is a relatively minor component of human blood platelets thought to be a receptor involved in collagen-induced platelet activation. However, some difficulties exist with the definition of this glycoprotein. The expression of GP Ia on resting (prostacyclin analogue-treated) and thrombin-activated platelets was compared by surface labeling with 125 I-lactoperoxidase. Intact platelets or platelets solubilized in sodium dodecyl sulfate were labeled with periodate/[ 3 H]NaBH 4 . Analysis on two-dimensional isoelectric focusing/sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gels showed that GP Ia is very poorly labeled in resting platelets. After activation a new spot (GP Ia*) appears with the same relative molecular mass as GP Ia under reducing conditions. GP Ia and Ia* can be clearly separated by two-dimensional nonreduced/reduced gel electrophoresis. Therefore, two glycoproteins which have been termed GP Ia exist in platelets with similar molecular weight and pI under reducing conditions. One of these (GP Ia*) is only surface-labeled when platelets are activated, indicating that it is only exposed on the surface of activated platelets. Supernatant from activated platelets contains this glycoprotein as well as other granule components. This glycoprotein is missing in platelets from two patients with collagen-response defects

Methodology for estimating realistic responses of buildings and components under earthquake motion and its application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ebisawa, Katsumi; Abe, Kiyoharu; Kohno, Kunihiko; Nakamura, Hidetaka; Itoh, Mamoru.

1996-11-01

Failure probabilities of buildings and components under earthquake motion are estimated as conditional probabilities that their realistic responses exceed their capacities. Two methods for estimating their failure probabilities have already been developed. One is a detailed method developed in the Seismic Safety margins Research Program of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in U.S.A., which is called 'SSMRP method'. The other is a simplified method proposed by Kennedy et al., which is called 'Zion method'. The Zion method is sometimes called 'response factor method'. The authors adopted the response factor method. In order to enhance the estimation accuracy of failure probabilities of buildings and components, however, a new methodology for improving the response factor method was proposed. Based on the improved method, response factors of buildings and components designed to seismic design standard in Japan were estimated, and their realistic responses were also calculated. By using their realistic responses and capacities, the failure probabilities of a reactor building and relays were estimated. In order to identify the difference between new method, SSMRP method and original response factor method, the failure probabilities were compared estimated by these three methods. A similar method of SSMRP was used instead of the original SSMRP for saving time and labor. The viewpoints for selecting the methods to estimate failure probabilities of buildings and components were also proposed. (author). 55 refs

Relative response of TL and component-resolved OSL to alpha and beta radiations in annealed sedimentary quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Polymeris, George S.; Afouxenidis, Dimitrios; Raptis, Spyridoula; Liritzis, Ioannis; Tsirliganis, Nestor C.; Kitis, George

2011-01-01

Knowledge of the relative luminescence response to alpha and beta radiation is very important in TL and OSL dating. In the present study the relative alpha to beta response is studied in a sedimentary quartz sample, previously fired at 900 deg. C for 1 h, in the dose region between 1 and 128 Gy, for both thermoluminescence (TL) and linearly modulated optically stimulated luminescence (LM - OSL). The LM - OSL measurements were performed at room temperature and at 125 deg. C. All OSL signals were deconvolved into their individual components. Comparison of OSL curves after alpha and beta irradiation strongly supports that quartz OSL components follow first order kinetics in both cases. In the case of TL, the relative alpha to beta response is found to be very different for each TL glow-peak, but it does not depend strongly on irradiation dose. In the case of LM - OSL measurements, it is found that the relative behaviour of the alpha to beta response is different for three distinct regions, namely the fast OSL component, the region of medium OSL component originating from the TL glow-peak at 110 deg. C when stimulation takes place at room temperature and finally the region of slow OSL component. Following stimulation at ambient temperature, the relative alpha to beta response of all components was not observed to depend significantly on dose, with the value of ratio being 0.03 and a tendency to decrease with increasing dose. However, in the case of measurements performed at 125 deg. C, the relative response of the fast components is much enhanced, and for the remaining components it increases with increasing dose. Special care must be taken to examine the relative alpha to beta response of the fast component at 125 deg. C which contrasts the relative response of the TL peak at ca. 325 deg. C. The implications for the dating of annealed quartz are also briefly discussed. - Highlights: → Relative alpha to beta response for TL and LM-OSL is studied in annealed

A novel two-component system involved in secretion stress response in Streptomyces lividans.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sonia Gullón

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Misfolded proteins accumulating outside the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane can interfere with the secretory machinery, hence the existence of quality factors to eliminate these misfolded proteins is of capital importance in bacteria that are efficient producers of secretory proteins. These bacteria normally use a specific two-component system to respond to the stress produced by the accumulation of the misfolded proteins, by activating the expression of HtrA-like proteases to specifically eliminate the incorrectly folded proteins. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Overproduction of alpha-amylase in S. lividans causing secretion stress permitted the identification of a two-component system (SCO4156-SCO4155 that regulates three HtrA-like proteases which appear to be involved in secretion stress response. Mutants in each of the genes forming part of the two-genes operon that encodes the sensor and regulator protein components accumulated misfolded proteins outside the cell, strongly suggesting the involvement of this two-component system in the S. lividans secretion stress response. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: To our knowledge this is the first time that a specific secretion stress response two-component system is found to control the expression of three HtrA-like protease genes in S. lividans, a bacterium that has been repeatedly used as a host for the synthesis of homologous and heterologous secretory proteins of industrial application.

Near-surface thermal characterization of plasma facing components using the 3-omega method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dechaumphai, Edward; Barton, Joseph L.; Tesmer, Joseph R.; Moon, Jaeyun; Wang, Yongqiang; Tynan, George R.; Doerner, Russell P.; Chen, Renkun

2014-01-01

Near-surface regime plays an important role in thermal management of plasma facing components in fusion reactors. Here, we applied a technique referred to as the ‘3ω’ method to measure the thermal conductivity of near-surface regimes damaged by ion irradiation. By modulating the frequency of the heating current in a micro-fabricated heater strip, the technique enables the probing of near-surface thermal properties. The technique was applied to measure the thermal conductivity of a thin ion-irradiated layer on a tungsten substrate, which was found to decrease by nearly 60% relative to pristine tungsten for a Cu ion dosage of 0.2 dpa

Osteoblastic response to pectin nanocoating on titanium surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gurzawska, Katarzyna; Svava, Rikke; Yihua, Yu

2014-01-01

with respect to surface properties and osteogenic response in osteoblastic cells. Nanocoatings on titanium surfaces were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, contact angle measurements, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The effect of coated RG-Is on cell adhesion, cell...

Response Ant Colony Optimization of End Milling Surface Roughness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmed N. Abd Alla

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Metal cutting processes are important due to increased consumer demands for quality metal cutting related products (more precise tolerances and better product surface roughness that has driven the metal cutting industry to continuously improve quality control of metal cutting processes. This paper presents optimum surface roughness by using milling mould aluminium alloys (AA6061-T6 with Response Ant Colony Optimization (RACO. The approach is based on Response Surface Method (RSM and Ant Colony Optimization (ACO. The main objectives to find the optimized parameters and the most dominant variables (cutting speed, feedrate, axial depth and radial depth. The first order model indicates that the feedrate is the most significant factor affecting surface roughness.

Microclimatic models. Estimation of components of the energy balance over land surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heikinheimo, M; Venaelaeinen, A; Tourula, T [Finnish Meteorological Inst., Helsinki (Finland). Air Quality Dept.

1997-12-31

Climates at regional scale are strongly dependent on the interaction between atmosphere and its lower boundary, the oceans and the land surface mosaic. Land surfaces influence climate through their albedo, and the aerodynamic roughness, the processes of the biosphere and many soil hydrological properties; all these factors vary considerably geographically. Land surfaces receive a certain portion of the solar irradiance depending on the cloudiness, atmospheric transparency and surface albedo. Short-wave solar irradiance is the source of the heat energy exchange at the earth`s surface and also regulates many biological processes, e.g. photosynthesis. Methods for estimating solar irradiance, atmospheric transparency and surface albedo were reviewed during the course of this project. The solar energy at earth`s surface is consumed for heating the soil and the lower atmosphere. Where moisture is available, evaporation is one of the key components of the surface energy balance, because the conversion of liquid water into water vapour consumes heat. The evaporation process was studied by carrying out field experiments and testing parameterisation for a cultivated agricultural surface and for lakes. The micrometeorological study over lakes was carried out as part of the international `Northern Hemisphere Climatic Processes Experiment` (NOPEX/BAHC) in Sweden. These studies have been aimed at a better understanding of the energy exchange processes of the earth`s surface-atmosphere boundary for a more accurate and realistic parameterisation of the land surface in atmospheric models

Microclimatic models. Estimation of components of the energy balance over land surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heikinheimo, M.; Venaelaeinen, A.; Tourula, T. [Finnish Meteorological Inst., Helsinki (Finland). Air Quality Dept.

1996-12-31

Climates at regional scale are strongly dependent on the interaction between atmosphere and its lower boundary, the oceans and the land surface mosaic. Land surfaces influence climate through their albedo, and the aerodynamic roughness, the processes of the biosphere and many soil hydrological properties; all these factors vary considerably geographically. Land surfaces receive a certain portion of the solar irradiance depending on the cloudiness, atmospheric transparency and surface albedo. Short-wave solar irradiance is the source of the heat energy exchange at the earth`s surface and also regulates many biological processes, e.g. photosynthesis. Methods for estimating solar irradiance, atmospheric transparency and surface albedo were reviewed during the course of this project. The solar energy at earth`s surface is consumed for heating the soil and the lower atmosphere. Where moisture is available, evaporation is one of the key components of the surface energy balance, because the conversion of liquid water into water vapour consumes heat. The evaporation process was studied by carrying out field experiments and testing parameterisation for a cultivated agricultural surface and for lakes. The micrometeorological study over lakes was carried out as part of the international `Northern Hemisphere Climatic Processes Experiment` (NOPEX/BAHC) in Sweden. These studies have been aimed at a better understanding of the energy exchange processes of the earth`s surface-atmosphere boundary for a more accurate and realistic parameterisation of the land surface in atmospheric models

Responses of physiological and biochemical components in Gossypium hirsutum L. to mutagens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muthusamy, A.; Vasanth, K.; Jayabalan, N.

2003-01-01

The two tetraploid varieties of cotton were exposed to gamma rays, EMS and SA. Chlorophyll, carotenoids, sugar, starch, free amino acids, protein, lipids, DNA and RNA were estimated quantitatively. All the physiological and biochemical components were increased in lower dose/concentration of the mutagenic treatments and they were decreased in higher dose/concentrations. The stimulation of the biochemical contents was a dose/concentration dependent response. Among the two varieties, MCU 11 was found to be responsive to mutagens than MCU 5. Based on the study the lower dose/concentration of the mutagenic treatments could enhance the biochemical components which is used for improved economic characters of cotton. (author)

Tip-surface interactions at redox responsive poly(ferrocenylsilane) (PFS) interface by AFM-based force spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung Hongjing; Song Jing; Vancso, G. Julius

2009-01-01

Poly(ferrocenylsilanes) (PFS) belong to the class of redox responsive organometallic polymers. Atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based single molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) was used earlier to study single chain PFS response and redox energy driven single chain PFS molecular motors. Here we present further AFM investigations of force interactions between tip and a grafted PFS surface under potential control in electrochemical redox cycles. Typical tip-Au interaction is considered as reference in the force measurements. First the electrostatic component in the diffused double layer (DL) in NaClO 4 electrolyte environment was considered for a 'grafted to' PFS, which dominated the interplay between the tip and sample surface. The DL forces can also hinder the physisorption of PFS chain onto the tip when the voltage was applied at -0.1 V. On the other hand, if the tip contacted the PFS surface prior to the electrochemical process, physisorption of PFS chains governed the overall interaction regardless of subsequently applied surface potential. In addition, prolonged contact time, t c , may also contribute to the stability of tip-PFS bridging and detection of electrostatic forces between the tip-PFS interface. The results showed that tip-substrate interaction forces without PFS grafts have negligibly small force contributions under similar, electrochemically controlled, conditions used in single PFS chain based molecular motors.

Improvements to a Response Surface Thermal Model for Orion Mated to the International Space Station

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, StephenW.; Walker, William Q.

2011-01-01

This study is an extension of previous work to evaluate the applicability of Design of Experiments (DOE)/Response Surface Methodology to on-orbit thermal analysis. The goal was to determine if the methodology could produce a Response Surface Equation (RSE) that predicted the thermal model temperature results within +/-10 F. An RSE is a polynomial expression that can then be used to predict temperatures for a defined range of factor combinations. Based on suggestions received from the previous work, this study used a model with simpler geometry, considered polynomials up to fifth order, and evaluated orbital temperature variations to establish a minimum and maximum temperature for each component. A simplified Outer Mold Line (OML) thermal model of the Orion spacecraft was used in this study. The factors chosen were the vehicle's Yaw, Pitch, and Roll (defining the on-orbit attitude), the Beta angle (restricted to positive beta angles from 0 to 75), and the environmental constants (varying from cold to hot). All factors were normalized from their native ranges to a non-dimensional range from -1.0 to 1.0. Twenty-three components from the OML were chosen and the minimum and maximum orbital temperatures were calculated for each to produce forty-six responses for the DOE model. A customized DOE case matrix of 145 analysis cases was developed which used analysis points at the factor corners, mid-points, and center. From this data set, RSE s were developed which consisted of cubic, quartic, and fifth order polynomials. The results presented are for the fifth order RSE. The RSE results were then evaluated for agreement with the analytical model predictions to produce a +/-3(sigma) error band. Forty of the 46 responses had a +/-3(sigma) value of 10 F or less. Encouraged by this initial success, two additional sets of verification cases were selected. One contained 20 cases, the other 50 cases. These cases were evaluated both with the fifth order RSE and with the analytical

Osteoblastic response to pectin nanocoating on titanium surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gurzawska, Katarzyna, E-mail: kagu@sund.ku.dk [Research Center for Ageing and Osteoporosis, Departments of Medicine and Diagnostics, Copenhagen University Hospital Glostrup, Ndr. Ringvej 57, 2600 Glostrup (Denmark); Institute of Odontology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Nørre Allé 20, 2200 Copenhagen N (Denmark); Svava, Rikke [Department of Plant Environment Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C (Denmark); Copenhagen Center for Glycomics, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen N (Denmark); Yihua, Yu; Haugshøj, Kenneth Brian [Microtechnology and Surface Analysis, Danish Technological Institute, Gregersensvej 8, 2630 Taastrup (Denmark); Dirscherl, Kai [Dansk Fundamental Metrologi A/S, Matematiktorvet 307, 2800 Lyngby (Denmark); Levery, Steven B. [Copenhagen Center for Glycomics, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen N (Denmark); Byg, Inge [Department of Plant Environment Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C (Denmark); Damager, Iben [Novozymes A/S, Krogshoejvej 36, 2880 Bagsvaerd (Denmark); Nielsen, Martin W. [Department of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark, Matematiktorvet, Building 301, Kgs. Lyngby DK-2800 (Denmark); Jørgensen, Bodil [Department of Plant Environment Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C (Denmark); Jørgensen, Niklas Rye [Research Center for Ageing and Osteoporosis, Departments of Medicine and Diagnostics, Copenhagen University Hospital Glostrup, Ndr. Ringvej 57, 2600 Glostrup (Denmark); and others

2014-10-01

Osseointegration of titanium implants can be improved by organic and inorganic nanocoating of the surface. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of organic nanocoating of titanium surface with unmodified and modified pectin Rhamnogalacturonan-Is (RG-Is) isolated from potato and apple with respect to surface properties and osteogenic response in osteoblastic cells. Nanocoatings on titanium surfaces were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, contact angle measurements, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The effect of coated RG-Is on cell adhesion, cell viability, bone matrix formation and mineralization was tested using SaOS-2 cells. Nanocoating with pectin RG-Is affected surface properties and in consequence changed the environment for cellular response. The cells cultured on surfaces coated with RG-Is from potato with high content of linear 1.4-linked galactose produced higher level of mineralized matrix compared with control surfaces and surfaces coated with RG-I with low content of linear 1.4-linked galactose. The study showed that the pectin RG-Is nanocoating not only changed chemical and physical titanium surface properties, but also specific coating with RG-Is containing high amount of galactan increased mineralized matrix formation of osteoblastic cells in vitro. - Highlights: • Surface nanocoating with plant-derived Rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I) is proposed. • Titanium surface became more hydrophilic after RG-Is nanocoating. • RG-Is with high galactose content resulted in high level of mineralized matrix. • RG-I is a new candidate for improvement of bone healing and osseointegration.

Environmentally responsive surface-modified silica nanoparticles for enhanced oil recovery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Behzadi, Abed; Mohammadi, Aliasghar

2016-01-01

Environmentally responsive surface-modified nanoparticles are colloidal nanoparticles coated with, at least, two physicochemically distinct surface groups. Recent advances in the synthesis and production of nanoparticles have enabled the production of environmentally responsive surface-modified nanoparticles with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic surface groups. These nanoparticles act like colloidal surfactants. In this paper, environmentally responsive surface-modified silica nanoparticles are synthesized and used for enhancement of oil recovery. For this purpose, silica nanoparticles are coated with polyethylene glycol chains as hydrophilic agent and propyl chains as hydrophobic agent at various quantities, and their ability to modulate oil–water interface properties and oil recovery is examined. Oil–water interfacial tension and water surface tension are decreased by 50 % in the presence of silica nanoparticles coated with both agents. Measuring oil-drop contact angle on oil-wetted glass slides and carbonate rock sections, after aging in various surface-modified silica nanofluids, indicates that the wettability of various oil-wetted surfaces is modified from strongly oil-wet to water-wet. Flooding nanofluids to glass micro-models and pore-level investigations demonstrate that surface modification of silica nanoparticles, specially, with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic agents improves considerably their performance in increasing oil recovery and wettability alteration.

Environmentally responsive surface-modified silica nanoparticles for enhanced oil recovery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Behzadi, Abed; Mohammadi, Aliasghar, E-mail: amohammadi@sharif.edu [Sharif University of Technology, Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2016-09-15

Environmentally responsive surface-modified nanoparticles are colloidal nanoparticles coated with, at least, two physicochemically distinct surface groups. Recent advances in the synthesis and production of nanoparticles have enabled the production of environmentally responsive surface-modified nanoparticles with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic surface groups. These nanoparticles act like colloidal surfactants. In this paper, environmentally responsive surface-modified silica nanoparticles are synthesized and used for enhancement of oil recovery. For this purpose, silica nanoparticles are coated with polyethylene glycol chains as hydrophilic agent and propyl chains as hydrophobic agent at various quantities, and their ability to modulate oil–water interface properties and oil recovery is examined. Oil–water interfacial tension and water surface tension are decreased by 50 % in the presence of silica nanoparticles coated with both agents. Measuring oil-drop contact angle on oil-wetted glass slides and carbonate rock sections, after aging in various surface-modified silica nanofluids, indicates that the wettability of various oil-wetted surfaces is modified from strongly oil-wet to water-wet. Flooding nanofluids to glass micro-models and pore-level investigations demonstrate that surface modification of silica nanoparticles, specially, with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic agents improves considerably their performance in increasing oil recovery and wettability alteration.

Assessment of Wind Turbine Structural Integrity using Response Surface Methodology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Toft, Henrik Stensgaard; Svenningsen, Lasse; Moser, Wolfgang

2016-01-01

Highlights •A new approach to assessment of site specific wind turbine loads is proposed. •The approach can be applied in both fatigue and ultimate limit state. •Two different response surface methodologies have been investigated. •The model uncertainty introduced by the response surfaces...

Variance components and selection response for feather-pecking behavior in laying hens.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, G; Kjaer, J B; Sørensen, P

2005-01-01

Variance components and selection response for feather pecking behavior were studied by analyzing the data from a divergent selection experiment. An investigation indicated that a Box-Cox transformation with power lambda = -0.2 made the data approximately normally distributed and gave the best fit for the model. Variance components and selection response were estimated using Bayesian analysis with Gibbs sampling technique. The total variation was rather large for the investigated traits in both the low feather-pecking line (LP) and the high feather-pecking line (HP). Based on the mean of marginal posterior distribution, in the Box-Cox transformed scale, heritability for number of feather pecking bouts (FP bouts) was 0.174 in line LP and 0.139 in line HP. For number of feather-pecking pecks (FP pecks), heritability was 0.139 in line LP and 0.105 in line HP. No full-sib group effect and observation pen effect were found in the 2 traits. After 4 generations of selection, the total response for number of FP bouts in the transformed scale was 58 and 74% of the mean of the first generation in line LP and line HP, respectively. The total response for number of FP pecks was 47 and 46% of the mean of the first generation in line LP and line HP, respectively. The variance components and the realized selection response together suggest that genetic selection can be effective in minimizing FP behavior. This would be expected to reduce one of the major welfare problems in laying hens.

Different types of configurations of equipotential surfaces of binary systems with very luminous components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zorec, J [Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 75 - Paris (France). Inst. d' Astrophysique; Niemela, V [Instituto de Astronomia y Fisica del Espacio, Buenos Aires (Argentina)

1980-02-04

If the luminosities and the masses of the components of a binary system are known, it is possible to determine from the diagrams presented here, the type of configuration of equipotential surfaces that correspond to it.

2D surface temperature measurement of plasma facing components with modulated active pyrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amiel, S.; Loarer, T.; Pocheau, C.; Roche, H.; Gauthier, E.; Aumeunier, M.-H.; Courtois, X.; Jouve, M.; Balorin, C.; Moncada, V.; Le Niliot, C.; Rigollet, F.

2014-01-01

In nuclear fusion devices, such as Tore Supra, the plasma facing components (PFC) are in carbon. Such components are exposed to very high heat flux and the surface temperature measurement is mandatory for the safety of the device and also for efficient plasma scenario development. Besides this measurement is essential to evaluate these heat fluxes for a better knowledge of the physics of plasma-wall interaction, it is also required to monitor the fatigue of PFCs. Infrared system (IR) is used to manage to measure surface temperature in real time. For carbon PFCs, the emissivity is high and known (ε ∼ 0.8), therefore the contribution of the reflected flux from environment and collected by the IR cameras can be neglected. However, the future tokamaks such as WEST and ITER will be equipped with PFCs in metal (W and Be/W, respectively) with low and variable emissivities (ε ∼ 0.1–0.4). Consequently, the reflected flux will contribute significantly in the collected flux by IR camera. The modulated active pyrometry, using a bicolor camera, proposed in this paper allows a 2D surface temperature measurement independently of the reflected fluxes and the emissivity. Experimental results with Tungsten sample are reported and compared with simultaneous measurement performed with classical pyrometry (monochromatic and bichromatic) with and without reflective flux demonstrating the efficiency of this method for surface temperature measurement independently of the reflected flux and the emissivity

An Intelligent Method for Structural Reliability Analysis Based on Response Surface

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

桂劲松; 刘红; 康海贵

2004-01-01

As water depth increases, the structural safety and reliability of a system become more and more important and challenging. Therefore, the structural reliability method must be applied in ocean engineering design such as offshore platform design. If the performance function is known in structural reliability analysis, the first-order second-moment method is often used. If the performance function could not be definitely expressed, the response surface method is always used because it has a very clear train of thought and simple programming. However, the traditional response surface method fits the response surface of quadratic polynomials where the problem of accuracy could not be solved, because the true limit state surface can be fitted well only in the area near the checking point. In this paper, an intelligent computing method based on the whole response surface is proposed, which can be used for the situation where the performance function could not be definitely expressed in structural reliability analysis. In this method, a response surface of the fuzzy neural network for the whole area should be constructed first, and then the structural reliability can be calculated by the genetic algorithm. In the proposed method, all the sample points for the training network come from the whole area, so the true limit state surface in the whole area can be fitted. Through calculational examples and comparative analysis, it can be known that the proposed method is much better than the traditional response surface method of quadratic polynomials, because, the amount of calculation of finite element analysis is largely reduced, the accuracy of calculation is improved,and the true limit state surface can be fitted very well in the whole area. So, the method proposed in this paper is suitable for engineering application.

Different types of configurations of equipotential surfaces of binary systems with very luminous components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zorec, Juan

1980-01-01

If the luminosities and the masses of the components of a binary system are known, it is possible to determine from the diagrams presented here, the type of configuration of equipotential surfaces that correspond to it [fr

Responses of fibroblasts and glial cells to nanostructured platinum surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pennisi, C P; Sevcencu, C; Yoshida, K [Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI), Aalborg University, Aalborg (Denmark); Dolatshahi-Pirouz, A; Foss, M; Larsen, A Nylandsted; Besenbacher, F [Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus (Denmark); Hansen, J Lundsgaard [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Aarhus (Denmark); Zachar, V, E-mail: cpennisi@hst.aau.d [Laboratory for Stem Cell Research, Aalborg University (Denmark)

2009-09-23

The chronic performance of implantable neural prostheses is affected by the growth of encapsulation tissue onto the stimulation electrodes. Encapsulation is associated with activation of connective tissue cells at the electrode's metallic contacts, usually made of platinum. Since surface nanotopography can modulate the cellular responses to materials, the aim of the present work was to evaluate the 'in vitro' responses of connective tissue cells to platinum strictly by modulating its surface nanoroughness. Using molecular beam epitaxy combined with sputtering, we produced platinum nanostructured substrates consisting of irregularly distributed nanopyramids and investigated their effect on the proliferation, cytoskeletal organization and cellular morphology of primary fibroblasts and transformed glial cells. Cells were cultured on these substrates and their responses to surface roughness were studied. After one day in culture, the fibroblasts were more elongated and their cytoskeleton less mature when cultured on rough substrates. This effect increased as the roughness of the surface increased and was associated with reduced cell proliferation throughout the observation period (4 days). Morphological changes also occurred in glial cells, but they were triggered by a different roughness scale and did not affect cellular proliferation. In conclusion, surface nanotopography modulates the responses of fibroblasts and glial cells to platinum, which may be an important factor in optimizing the tissue response to implanted neural electrodes.

Reliability-based design optimization via high order response surface method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Hong Shuang

2013-01-01

To reduce the computational effort of reliability-based design optimization (RBDO), the response surface method (RSM) has been widely used to evaluate reliability constraints. We propose an efficient methodology for solving RBDO problems based on an improved high order response surface method (HORSM) that takes advantage of an efficient sampling method, Hermite polynomials and uncertainty contribution concept to construct a high order response surface function with cross terms for reliability analysis. The sampling method generates supporting points from Gauss-Hermite quadrature points, which can be used to approximate response surface function without cross terms, to identify the highest order of each random variable and to determine the significant variables connected with point estimate method. The cross terms between two significant random variables are added to the response surface function to improve the approximation accuracy. Integrating the nested strategy, the improved HORSM is explored in solving RBDO problems. Additionally, a sampling based reliability sensitivity analysis method is employed to reduce the computational effort further when design variables are distributional parameters of input random variables. The proposed methodology is applied on two test problems to validate its accuracy and efficiency. The proposed methodology is more efficient than first order reliability method based RBDO and Monte Carlo simulation based RBDO, and enables the use of RBDO as a practical design tool.

Effect of surface roughness and surface modification of indium tin oxide electrode on its potential response to tryptophan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, Md. Zaved Hossain; Nakanishi, Takuya; Kuroiwa, Shigeki; Hoshi, Yoichi; Osaka, Tetsuya

2011-01-01

Highlights: → We examine factors affecting potential response of ITO electrode to tryptophan. → Surface roughness of ITO electrode affects the stability of its rest potential. → Surface modification is effective for ITO electrode with a certain roughness. → Optimum values of work function exist for potential response of ITO to tryptophan. - Abstract: The effect of surface modification of indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode on its potential response to tryptophan was investigated for ITO substrates with different surface roughness. It was found that a small difference in surface roughness, between ∼1 and ∼2 nm of R a evaluated by atomic force microscopy, affects the rest potential of ITO electrode in the electrolyte. A slight difference in In:Sn ratio at the near surface of the ITO substrates, measured by angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectrometry and Auger electron spectroscopy is remarkable, and considered to relate with surface roughness. Interestingly, successive modification of the ITO surface with aminopropylsilane and disuccinimidyl suberate, of which essentiality to the potential response to indole compounds we previously reported, improved the stability of the rest potential and enabled the electrodes to respond to tryptophan in case of specimens with R a values ranging between ∼2 and ∼3 nm but not for those with R a of ∼1 nm. It was suggested that there are optimum values of effective work function of ITO for specific potential response to tryptophan, which can be obtained by the successive modification of ITO surface.

Multi-Response Optimization of Wire Electrical Discharge Machining for Titanium Grade-5 by Weighted Principal Component Analysis

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Sachin Ashok Sonawane

2018-04-01

Full Text Available This paper reports the results of research to examine the effects of cutting parameters such as pulse-on time, pulse-off time, servo voltage, peak current, wire feed rate and cable tension on surface finish, overcut and metal removal rate (MRR during Wire Electrical Discharge Machining (WEDM of grade-5 titanium (Ti-6Al-4V. Taguchi’s L27 orthogonal design method is used for experimentation. Multi-response optimization is performed by applying weighted principal component analysis (WPCA. The optimum values of cutting variables are found as a pulse on time 118 μs, pulse off time 45 μs, servo voltage 40 volts, peak current 190 Amp. , wire feed rate 5 m/min and cable tension 5 gram. On the other hand, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA, simulation results indicate that pulse-on time is the primary influencing variable which affects the response characteristics contributing 76.00%. The results of verification experiments show improvement in the value of output characteristics at the optimal cutting variables settings. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM analysis of the surface after machining indicates the formation of craters, resolidified material, tool material transfer and increase in the thickness of recast layer at higher values of the pulse on time.

Unequal-thickness billet optimization in transitional region during isothermal local loading forming of Ti-alloy rib-web component using response surface method

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Ke WEI

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Avoiding the folding defect and improving the die filling capability in the transitional region are desired in isothermal local loading forming of a large-scale Ti-alloy rib-web component (LTRC. To achieve a high-precision LTRC, the folding evolution and die filling process in the transitional region were investigated by 3D finite element simulation and experiment using an equal-thickness billet (ETB. It is found that the initial volume distribution in the second-loading region can greatly affect the amount of material transferred into the first-loading region during the second-loading step, and thus lead to the folding defect. Besides, an improper initial volume distribution results in non-concurrent die filling in the cavities of ribs after the second-loading step, and then causes die underfilling. To this end, an unequal-thickness billet (UTB was employed with the initial volume distribution optimized by the response surface method (RSM. For a certain eigenstructure, the critical value of the percentage of transferred material determined by the ETB was taken as a constraint condition for avoiding the folding defect in the UTB optimization process, and the die underfilling rate was considered as the optimization objective. Then, based on the RSM models of the percentage of transferred material and the die underfilling rate, non-folding parameter combinations and optimum die filling were achieved. Lastly, an optimized UTB was obtained and verified by the simulation and experiment. Keywords: Die filling, Folding defect, Isothermal local loading forming, Transitional region, Unequal-thickness billet optimization

Eye surface temperature detects stress response in budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus).

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Ikkatai, Yuko; Watanabe, Shigeru

2015-08-05

Previous studies have suggested that stressors not only increase body core temperature but also body surface temperature in many animals. However, it remains unclear whether surface temperature could be used as an alternative to directly measure body core temperature, particularly in birds. We investigated whether surface temperature is perceived as a stress response in budgerigars. Budgerigars have been used as popular animal models to investigate various neural mechanisms such as visual perception, vocal learning, and imitation. Developing a new technique to understand the basic physiological mechanism would help neuroscience researchers. First, we found that cloacal temperature correlated with eye surface temperature. Second, eye surface temperature increased after handling stress. Our findings suggest that eye surface temperature is closely related to cloacal temperature and that the stress response can be measured by eye surface temperature in budgerigars.

Optimization of the Medium for the Production of Cellulase by the Mutant Trichoderma reesei WX-112 Using Response Surface Methodology

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Xue-Cai Hao

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The mutant strain Trichoderma reesei WX-112 with high cellulase activity was isolated by a newly invented plate. The mutant’s ability to produce cellulase increased 1.95 times after the treatment with UV and N-methyl-N’-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG. Also, the medium composition was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM. A fractional factorial design (26–2 was applied to elucidate the medium components that significantly affect cellulase production. The concentration of Avicel and soybean cake flour in the medium were significant factors. The steepest ascent method was used to locate the optimal domain and a central composite design was used to estimate the quadratic response surface from which the factor levels for maximum production of cellulase were determined. The composition of fermentation medium optimized with response surface methodology was (in g/L: wheat bran 30, Avicel 36.4, soybean cake flour 24.7, KH2PO4 4 and corn steep flour 5. Compared to the original medium, the cellulase activity increased from 7.2 to 10.6 IU/mL.

Surface engineering glass-metal coatings designed for induction heating of ceramic components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, Amir Azam; Labbe, Jean Claude

2014-01-01

The term Surface Engineering is of relatively recent origin and use, however, the use of coatings and treatments to render surfaces of materials more suitable for certain application or environment is not new. With the advent of Vacuum Technology, Surface Engineering has gained a whole new impetus, whereby expensive materials with adequate mechanical, chemical and thermal properties are being coated or treated on their surfaces in order to achieve what is called as Surface Engineered materials. The present paper presents an overview of recent achievements in Surface Engineering and gives a detailed view of a specific application where glass-metal composite coatings were deposited on ceramic components in order to render them sensitive to induction heating. Sintered glaze coatings containing silver particles in appropriate concentration can be used for the induction heating of porcelain. Mixtures of glass ceramic powders with silver are used to prepare self-transfer patterns, which are deposited over porcelain. Several configurations of these coatings, which are aesthetic to start with, are employed and heating patterns are recorded. The microstructure of these coatings is discussed in relation to the heating ability by a classical household induction system. The results show that this technique is practical and commercially viable

Robust optimization of the billet for isothermal local loading transitional region of a Ti-alloy rib-web component based on dual-response surface method

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Ke; Fan, Xiaoguang; Zhan, Mei; Meng, Miao

2018-03-01

Billet optimization can greatly improve the forming quality of the transitional region in the isothermal local loading forming (ILLF) of large-scale Ti-alloy ribweb components. However, the final quality of the transitional region may be deteriorated by uncontrollable factors, such as the manufacturing tolerance of the preforming billet, fluctuation of the stroke length, and friction factor. Thus, a dual-response surface method (RSM)-based robust optimization of the billet was proposed to address the uncontrollable factors in transitional region of the ILLF. Given that the die underfilling and folding defect are two key factors that influence the forming quality of the transitional region, minimizing the mean and standard deviation of the die underfilling rate and avoiding folding defect were defined as the objective function and constraint condition in robust optimization. Then, the cross array design was constructed, a dual-RSM model was established for the mean and standard deviation of the die underfilling rate by considering the size parameters of the billet and uncontrollable factors. Subsequently, an optimum solution was derived to achieve the robust optimization of the billet. A case study on robust optimization was conducted. Good results were attained for improving the die filling and avoiding folding defect, suggesting that the robust optimization of the billet in the transitional region of the ILLF was efficient and reliable.

Prediction and Optimization of Phase Transformation Region After Spot Continual Induction Hardening Process Using Response Surface Method

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Qin, Xunpeng; Gao, Kai; Zhu, Zhenhua; Chen, Xuliang; Wang, Zhou

2017-09-01

The spot continual induction hardening (SCIH) process, which is a modified induction hardening, can be assembled to a five-axis cooperating computer numerical control machine tool to strengthen more than one small area or relatively large area on complicated component surface. In this study, a response surface method was presented to optimize phase transformation region after the SCIH process. The effects of five process parameters including feed velocity, input power, gap, curvature and flow rate on temperature, microstructure, microhardness and phase transformation geometry were investigated. Central composition design, a second-order response surface design, was employed to systematically estimate the empirical models of temperature and phase transformation geometry. The analysis results indicated that feed velocity has a dominant effect on the uniformity of microstructure and microhardness, domain size, oxidized track width, phase transformation width and height in the SCIH process while curvature has the largest effect on center temperature in the design space. The optimum operating conditions with 0.817, 0.845 and 0.773 of desirability values are expected to be able to minimize ratio (tempering region) and maximize phase transformation width for concave, flat and convex surface workpieces, respectively. The verification result indicated that the process parameters obtained by the model were reliable.

A Response Surface-Based Cost Model for Wind Farm Design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Jie; Chowdhury, Souma; Messac, Achille; Castillo, Luciano

2012-01-01

A Response Surface-Based Wind Farm Cost (RS-WFC) model is developed for the engineering planning of wind farms. The RS-WFC model is developed using Extended Radial Basis Functions (E-RBF) for onshore wind farms in the U.S. This model is then used to explore the influences of different design and economic parameters, including number of turbines, rotor diameter and labor cost, on the cost of a wind farm. The RS-WFC model is composed of three components that estimate the effects of engineering and economic factors on (i) the installation cost, (ii) the annual Operation and Maintenance (O and M) cost, and (iii) the total annual cost of a wind farm. The accuracy of the cost model is favorably established through comparison with pertinent commercial data. The final RS-WFC model provided interesting insights into cost variation with respect to critical engineering and economic parameters. In addition, a newly developed analytical wind farm engineering model is used to determine the power generated by the farm, and the subsequent Cost of Energy (COE). This COE is optimized for a unidirectional uniform “incoming wind speed” scenario using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). We found that the COE could be appreciably minimized through layout optimization, thereby yielding significant cost savings. - Highlights: ► We present a Response Surface-Based Wind Farm Cost (RS-WFC) model for wind farm design. ► The model could estimate installation cost, Operation and Maintenance cost, and total annual cost of a wind farm. ► The Cost of Energy is optimized using Particle Swarm Optimization. ► Layout optimization could yield significant cost savings.

Response surface methodology for the optimization of sludge solubilization by ultrasonic pre-treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Mingyue; Zhang, Xiaohui; Lu, Peng; Cao, Qiguang; Yuan, Yuan; Yue, Mingxing; Fu, Yiwei; Wu, Libin

2018-02-01

The present study examines the optimization of the ultrasonic pre-treatment conditions with response surface experimental design in terms of sludge disintegration efficiency (solubilisation of organic components). Ultrasonic pre-treatment for the maximum solubilization with residual sludge enhanced the SCOD release. Optimization of the ultrasonic pre-treatment was conducted through a Box-Behnken design (three variables, a total of 17 experiments) to determine the effects of three independent variables (power, residence time and TS) on COD solubilization of sludge. The optimal COD was obtained at 17349.4mg/L, when the power was 534.67W, the time was 10.77, and TS was 2%, while the SE of this condition was 28792J/kg TS.

Pavement Aging Model by Response Surface Modeling

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Manzano-Ramírez A.

2011-10-01

Full Text Available In this work, surface course aging was modeled by Response Surface Methodology (RSM. The Marshall specimens were placed in a conventional oven for time and temperature conditions established on the basis of the environment factors of the region where the surface course is constructed by AC-20 from the Ing. Antonio M. Amor refinery. Volatilized material (VM, load resistance increment (ΔL and flow resistance increment (ΔF models were developed by the RSM. Cylindrical specimens with real aging were extracted from the surface course pilot to evaluate the error of the models. The VM model was adequate, in contrast (ΔL and (ΔF models were almost adequate with an error of 20 %, that was associated with the other environmental factors, which were not considered at the beginning of the research.

A probability index for surface zonda wind occurrence at Mendoza city through vertical sounding principal components analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Otero, Federico; Norte, Federico; Araneo, Diego

2018-01-01

The aim of this work is to obtain an index for predicting the probability of occurrence of zonda event at surface level from sounding data at Mendoza city, Argentine. To accomplish this goal, surface zonda wind events were previously found with an objective classification method (OCM) only considering the surface station values. Once obtained the dates and the onset time of each event, the prior closest sounding for each event was taken to realize a principal component analysis (PCA) that is used to identify the leading patterns of the vertical structure of the atmosphere previously to a zonda wind event. These components were used to construct the index model. For the PCA an entry matrix of temperature ( T) and dew point temperature (Td) anomalies for the standard levels between 850 and 300 hPa was build. The analysis yielded six significant components with a 94 % of the variance explained and the leading patterns of favorable weather conditions for the development of the phenomenon were obtained. A zonda/non-zonda indicator c can be estimated by a logistic multiple regressions depending on the PCA component loadings, determining a zonda probability index \\widehat{c} calculable from T and Td profiles and it depends on the climatological features of the region. The index showed 74.7 % efficiency. The same analysis was performed by adding surface values of T and Td from Mendoza Aero station increasing the index efficiency to 87.8 %. The results revealed four significantly correlated PCs with a major improvement in differentiating zonda cases and a reducing of the uncertainty interval.

The effect of cell surface components on adhesion ability of Lactobacillus rhamnosus.

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Polak-Berecka, Magdalena; Waśko, Adam; Paduch, Roman; Skrzypek, Tomasz; Sroka-Bartnicka, Anna

2014-10-01

The aim of this study was to analyze the cell envelope components and surface properties of two phenotypes of Lactobacillus rhamnosus isolated from the human gastrointestinal tract. The ability of the bacteria to adhere to human intestinal cells and to aggregate with other bacteria was determined. L. rhamnosus strains E/N and PEN differed with regard to the presence of exopolysaccharides (EPS) and specific surface proteins. Transmission electron microscopy showed differences in the structure of the outer cell surface of the strains tested. Bacterial surface properties were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, fatty acid methyl esters and hydrophobicity assays. Aggregation capacity and adhesion of the tested strains to the human colon adenocarcinoma cell line HT29 was determined. The results indicated a high adhesion and aggregation ability of L. rhamnosus PEN, which possessed specific surface proteins, had a unique fatty acid content, and did not synthesize EPS. Adherence of L. rhamnosus was dependent on specific interactions and was promoted by surface proteins (42-114 kDa) and specific fatty acids. Polysaccharides likely hindered bacterial adhesion and aggregation by masking protein receptors. This study provides information on the cell envelope constituents of lactobacilli that influence bacterial aggregation and adhesion to intestinal cells. This knowledge will help to understand better their specific contribution in commensal-host interactions and adaptation to this ecological niche.

Response of the global surface ozone distribution to Northern Hemisphere sea surface temperature changes: implications for long-range transport

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Yi, Kan; Liu, Junfeng; Ban-Weiss, George; Zhang, Jiachen; Tao, Wei; Cheng, Yanli; Tao, Shu

2017-07-01

The response of surface ozone (O3) concentrations to basin-scale warming and cooling of Northern Hemisphere oceans is investigated using the Community Earth System Model (CESM). Idealized, spatially uniform sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies of ±1 °C are individually superimposed onto the North Pacific, North Atlantic, and North Indian oceans. Our simulations suggest large seasonal and regional variability in surface O3 in response to SST anomalies, especially in the boreal summer. The responses of surface O3 associated with basin-scale SST warming and cooling have similar magnitude but are opposite in sign. Increasing the SST by 1 °C in one of the oceans generally decreases the surface O3 concentrations from 1 to 5 ppbv. With fixed emissions, SST increases in a specific ocean basin in the Northern Hemisphere tend to increase the summertime surface O3 concentrations over upwind regions, accompanied by a widespread reduction over downwind continents. We implement the integrated process rate (IPR) analysis in CESM and find that meteorological O3 transport in response to SST changes is the key process causing surface O3 perturbations in most cases. During the boreal summer, basin-scale SST warming facilitates the vertical transport of O3 to the surface over upwind regions while significantly reducing the vertical transport over downwind continents. This process, as confirmed by tagged CO-like tracers, indicates a considerable suppression of intercontinental O3 transport due to increased tropospheric stability at lower midlatitudes induced by SST changes. Conversely, the responses of chemical O3 production to regional SST warming can exert positive effects on surface O3 levels over highly polluted continents, except South Asia, where intensified cloud loading in response to North Indian SST warming depresses both the surface air temperature and solar radiation, and thus photochemical O3 production. Our findings indicate a robust linkage between basin-scale SST

Response of the global surface ozone distribution to Northern Hemisphere sea surface temperature changes: implications for long-range transport

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Yi

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The response of surface ozone (O3 concentrations to basin-scale warming and cooling of Northern Hemisphere oceans is investigated using the Community Earth System Model (CESM. Idealized, spatially uniform sea surface temperature (SST anomalies of ±1 °C are individually superimposed onto the North Pacific, North Atlantic, and North Indian oceans. Our simulations suggest large seasonal and regional variability in surface O3 in response to SST anomalies, especially in the boreal summer. The responses of surface O3 associated with basin-scale SST warming and cooling have similar magnitude but are opposite in sign. Increasing the SST by 1 °C in one of the oceans generally decreases the surface O3 concentrations from 1 to 5 ppbv. With fixed emissions, SST increases in a specific ocean basin in the Northern Hemisphere tend to increase the summertime surface O3 concentrations over upwind regions, accompanied by a widespread reduction over downwind continents. We implement the integrated process rate (IPR analysis in CESM and find that meteorological O3 transport in response to SST changes is the key process causing surface O3 perturbations in most cases. During the boreal summer, basin-scale SST warming facilitates the vertical transport of O3 to the surface over upwind regions while significantly reducing the vertical transport over downwind continents. This process, as confirmed by tagged CO-like tracers, indicates a considerable suppression of intercontinental O3 transport due to increased tropospheric stability at lower midlatitudes induced by SST changes. Conversely, the responses of chemical O3 production to regional SST warming can exert positive effects on surface O3 levels over highly polluted continents, except South Asia, where intensified cloud loading in response to North Indian SST warming depresses both the surface air temperature and solar radiation, and thus photochemical O3 production. Our findings indicate a robust linkage

Multi-response optimization of T300/epoxy prepreg tape-wound cylinder by grey relational analysis coupled with the response surface method

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Kang, Chao; Shi, Yaoyao; He, Xiaodong; Yu, Tao; Deng, Bo; Zhang, Hongji; Sun, Pengcheng; Zhang, Wenbin

2017-09-01

This study investigates the multi-objective optimization of quality characteristics for a T300/epoxy prepreg tape-wound cylinder. The method integrates the Taguchi method, grey relational analysis (GRA) and response surface methodology, and is adopted to improve tensile strength and reduce residual stress. In the winding process, the main process parameters involving winding tension, pressure, temperature and speed are selected to evaluate the parametric influences on tensile strength and residual stress. Experiments are conducted using the Box-Behnken design. Based on principal component analysis, the grey relational grades are properly established to convert multi-responses into an individual objective problem. Then the response surface method is used to build a second-order model of grey relational grade and predict the optimum parameters. The predictive accuracy of the developed model is proved by two test experiments with a low prediction error of less than 7%. The following process parameters, namely winding tension 124.29 N, pressure 2000 N, temperature 40 °C and speed 10.65 rpm, have the highest grey relational grade and give better quality characteristics in terms of tensile strength and residual stress. The confirmation experiment shows that better results are obtained with GRA improved by the proposed method than with ordinary GRA. The proposed method is proved to be feasible and can be applied to optimize the multi-objective problem in the filament winding process.

Understanding the Asian summer monsoon response to greenhouse warming: the relative roles of direct radiative forcing and sea surface temperature change

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiaoqiong; Ting, Mingfang

2017-10-01

Future hydroclimate projections from state-of-the-art climate models show large uncertainty and model spread, particularly in the tropics and over the monsoon regions. The precipitation and circulation responses to rising greenhouse gases involve a fast component associated with direct radiative forcing and a slow component associated with sea surface temperature (SST) warming; the relative importance of the two may contribute to model discrepancies. In this study, regional hydroclimate responses to greenhouse warming are assessed using output from coupled general circulation models in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project-Phase 5 (CMIP5) and idealized atmospheric general circulation model experiments from the Atmosphere Model Intercomparison Project. The thermodynamic and dynamic mechanisms causing the rainfall changes are examined using moisture budget analysis. Results show that direct radiative forcing and SST change exert significantly different responses both over land and ocean. For most part of the Asian monsoon region, the summertime rainfall changes are dominated by the direct CO2 radiative effect through enhanced monsoon circulation. The response to SST warming shows a larger model spread compared to direct radiative forcing, possibly due to the cancellation between the thermodynamical and dynamical components. While the thermodynamical response of the Asian monsoon is robust across the models, there is a lack of consensus for the dynamical response among the models and weak multi-model mean responses in the CMIP5 ensemble, which may be related to the multiple physical processes evolving on different time scales.

Lactic acid bacteria in dairy food: surface characterization and interactions with food matrix components.

Science.gov (United States)

Burgain, J; Scher, J; Francius, G; Borges, F; Corgneau, M; Revol-Junelles, A M; Cailliez-Grimal, C; Gaiani, C

2014-11-01

This review gives an overview of the importance of interactions occurring in dairy matrices between Lactic Acid Bacteria and milk components. Dairy products are important sources of biological active compounds of particular relevance to human health. These compounds include immunoglobulins, whey proteins and peptides, polar lipids, and lactic acid bacteria including probiotics. A better understanding of interactions between bioactive components and their delivery matrix may successfully improve their transport to their target site of action. Pioneering research on probiotic lactic acid bacteria has mainly focused on their host effects. However, very little is known about their interaction with dairy ingredients. Such knowledge could contribute to designing new and more efficient dairy food, and to better understand relationships between milk constituents. The purpose of this review is first to provide an overview of the current knowledge about the biomolecules produced on bacterial surface and the composition of the dairy matter. In order to understand how bacteria interact with dairy molecules, adhesion mechanisms are subsequently reviewed with a special focus on the environmental conditions affecting bacterial adhesion. Methods dedicated to investigate the bacterial surface and to decipher interactions between bacteria and abiotic dairy components are also detailed. Finally, relevant industrial implications of these interactions are presented and discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Multivariate analysis of attachment of biofouling organisms in response to material surface characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Gatley-Montross, Caitlyn M; Finlay, John A; Aldred, Nick; Cassady, Harrison; Destino, Joel F; Orihuela, Beatriz; Hickner, Michael A; Clare, Anthony S; Rittschof, Daniel; Holm, Eric R; Detty, Michael R

2017-12-29

Multivariate analyses were used to investigate the influence of selected surface properties (Owens-Wendt surface energy and its dispersive and polar components, static water contact angle, conceptual sign of the surface charge, zeta potentials) on the attachment patterns of five biofouling organisms (Amphibalanus amphitrite, Amphibalanus improvisus, Bugula neritina, Ulva linza, and Navicula incerta) to better understand what surface properties drive attachment across multiple fouling organisms. A library of ten xerogel coatings and a glass standard provided a range of values for the selected surface properties to compare to biofouling attachment patterns. Results from the surface characterization and biological assays were analyzed separately and in combination using multivariate statistical methods. Principal coordinate analysis of the surface property characterization and the biological assays resulted in different groupings of the xerogel coatings. In particular, the biofouling organisms were able to distinguish four coatings that were not distinguishable by the surface properties of this study. The authors used canonical analysis of principal coordinates (CAP) to identify surface properties governing attachment across all five biofouling species. The CAP pointed to surface energy and surface charge as important drivers of patterns in biological attachment, but also suggested that differentiation of the surfaces was influenced to a comparable or greater extent by the dispersive component of surface energy.

Application of response surfaces for reliability analysis of marine structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leira, Bernt J.; Holmas, Tore; Herfjord, Kjell

2005-01-01

Marine structures subjected to multiple environmental loads (i.e. waves, current, wind) are considered. These loads are characterized by a set of corresponding parameters. The structural fatigue damage and long-term response are expressed in terms of these environmental parameters based on application of polynomial response surfaces. For both types of analysis, an integration across the range of variation for all the environmental parameters is required. The location of the intervals which give rise to the dominant contribution for these integrals depends on the relative magnitude of the coefficients defining the polynomials. The required degree of numerical subdivision in order to obtain accurate results is also of interest. These issues are studied on a non-dimensional form. The loss of accuracy which results when applying response surfaces of too low order is also investigated. Response surfaces with cut-off limits at specific lower-bound values for the environmental parameters are further investigated. Having obtained general expressions on non-dimensional form, examples which correspond to specific response quantities for marine structures are considered. Typical values for the polynomial coefficients, and for the statistical distributions representing the environmental parameters, are applied. Convergence studies are subsequently performed for the particular example response quantities in order to make comparison with the general formulation. For the extreme response, the application of 'extreme contours' obtained from the statistical distributions of the environmental parameters is explored

Theoretical Insight of Physical Adsorption for a Single-Component Adsorbent + Adsorbate System: I. Thermodynamic Property Surfaces

KAUST Repository

Chakraborty, Anutosh; Saha, Bidyut Baran; Ng, Kim Choon; Koyama, Shigeru; Srinivasan, Kandadai

2009-01-01

Thermodynamic property surfaces for a single-component adsorbent + adsorbate system are derived and developed from the viewpoint of classical thermodynamics, thermodynamic requirements of chemical equilibrium, Gibbs law, and Maxwell relations

pH and redox responsive polymer for antifouling surface coating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Kang Seok; In, Insik; Park, Sung Young

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: Dual responsive surface with highly fouling resistance with the formation of a pH-dependent benzoic imine and redox-sensitive disulfide bond has been developed using a catechol/benzoic acid conjugated polymer and disulfide containing amine end-capped Pluronic. - Highlights: • Stimuli-responsive antifouling surface was prepared by layer-by-layer method. • The surface contact angle showed responsive behavior via pH and redox environments. • Simply coated polymer completely prevented cell adhesion onto surfaces. - Abstract: A dual environmentally responsive polymer with a highly fouling-resistant surface has been developed using poly[(hydroxyethyl methacrylate-g-benzoic acid)-co-(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate-g-2-chloro-3′, 4′-dihydroxyacetophenone)] [poly[(HEMA-BA)-co-(DMAEMA-CCDP)], P1] as a coating material. The redox-sensitive disulfide containing amine end-capped Pluronic [(Plu-S-S-NH 2 ), P2] was then introduced over the P1 surface via the formation of a pH-dependent benzoic imine bond, where the polyethylene glycol (PEG) acts as an antifouling agent. The successful adhesion of P1 and the deposition of P2 onto the P1-coated substrate were ascertained with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In vitro cell adhesion followed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated an excellent antifouling nature of the P2 layer. Consequently, the reattachment of Hela cells was strongly observed when P2 layered on P1-coated substrates (P1–P2) was pretreated at lower pH and high redox conditions. The P1–P2 bilayer-coated substrate has exhibited a great advantage in its effective antifouling behaviors with well-tuned cell attachment and detachment

pH and redox responsive polymer for antifouling surface coating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Kang Seok [Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea National University of Transportation, Chungju, 380-702 (Korea, Republic of); In, Insik, E-mail: in1@ut.ac.kr [Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Korea National University of Transportation, Chungju, 380-702 (Korea, Republic of); Department of IT Convergence, Korea National University of Transportation, Chungju, 380-702 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Sung Young, E-mail: parkchem@ut.ac.kr [Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea National University of Transportation, Chungju, 380-702 (Korea, Republic of); Department of IT Convergence, Korea National University of Transportation, Chungju, 380-702 (Korea, Republic of)

2014-09-15

Graphical abstract: Dual responsive surface with highly fouling resistance with the formation of a pH-dependent benzoic imine and redox-sensitive disulfide bond has been developed using a catechol/benzoic acid conjugated polymer and disulfide containing amine end-capped Pluronic. - Highlights: • Stimuli-responsive antifouling surface was prepared by layer-by-layer method. • The surface contact angle showed responsive behavior via pH and redox environments. • Simply coated polymer completely prevented cell adhesion onto surfaces. - Abstract: A dual environmentally responsive polymer with a highly fouling-resistant surface has been developed using poly[(hydroxyethyl methacrylate-g-benzoic acid)-co-(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate-g-2-chloro-3′, 4′-dihydroxyacetophenone)] [poly[(HEMA-BA)-co-(DMAEMA-CCDP)], P1] as a coating material. The redox-sensitive disulfide containing amine end-capped Pluronic [(Plu-S-S-NH{sub 2}), P2] was then introduced over the P1 surface via the formation of a pH-dependent benzoic imine bond, where the polyethylene glycol (PEG) acts as an antifouling agent. The successful adhesion of P1 and the deposition of P2 onto the P1-coated substrate were ascertained with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In vitro cell adhesion followed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated an excellent antifouling nature of the P2 layer. Consequently, the reattachment of Hela cells was strongly observed when P2 layered on P1-coated substrates (P1–P2) was pretreated at lower pH and high redox conditions. The P1–P2 bilayer-coated substrate has exhibited a great advantage in its effective antifouling behaviors with well-tuned cell attachment and detachment.

Stimuli-Responsive Polymeric Nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiaolin; Yang, Ying; Urban, Marek W

2017-07-01

There is increasing evidence that stimuli-responsive nanomaterials have become significantly critical components of modern materials design and technological developments. Recent advances in synthesis and fabrication of stimuli-responsive polymeric nanoparticles with built-in stimuli-responsive components (Part A) and surface modifications of functional nanoparticles that facilitate responsiveness (Part B) are outlined here. The synthesis and construction of stimuli-responsive spherical, core-shell, concentric, hollow, Janus, gibbous/inverse gibbous, and cocklebur morphologies are discussed in Part A, with the focus on shape, color, or size changes resulting from external stimuli. Although inorganic/metallic nanoparticles exhibit many useful properties, including thermal or electrical conductivity, catalytic activity, or magnetic properties, their assemblies and formation of higher order constructs are often enhanced by surface modifications. Section B focuses on selected surface reactions that lead to responsiveness achieved by decorating nanoparticles with stimuli-responsive polymers. Although grafting-to and grafting-from dominate these synthetic efforts, there are opportunities for developing novel synthetic approaches facilitating controllable recognition, signaling, or sequential responses. Many nanotechnologies utilize a combination of organic and inorganic phases to produce ceramic or metallic nanoparticles. One can envision the development of new properties by combining inorganic (metals, metal oxides) and organic (polymer) phases into one nanoparticle designated as "ceramers" (inorganics) and "metamers" (metallic). © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Response surface optimisation for activation of bentonite with microwave irradiation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rožić Ljiljana S.

2011-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, the statistical design of the experimental method was applied on the acid activation process of bentonite with microwave irradiation. The influence of activation parameters (time, acid normality and microwave heating power on the selected process response of the activated bentonite samples was studied. The specific surface area was chosen for the process response, because the chemical, surface and structural properties of the activated clay determine and limit its potential applications. The relationship of various process parameters with the specific surface area of bentonite was examined. A mathematical model was developed using a second-order response surface model (RSM with a central composite design incorporating the above mentioned process parameters. The mathematical model developed helped in predicting the variation in specific surface area of activated bentonite with time (5-21 min, acid normality (2-7 N and microwave heating power (63-172 W. The calculated regression models were found to be statistically significant at the required range and presented little variability. Furthermore, high values of R2 (0.957 and R2 (adjusted (0.914 indicate a high dependence and correlation between the observed and the predicted values of the response. These high values also indicate that about 96% of the result of the total variation can be explained by this model. In addition, the model shows that increasing the time and acid normality improves the textural properties of bentonites, resulting in increased specific surface area. This model also can be useful for setting an optimum value of the activation parameters for achieving the maximum specific surface area. An optimum specific surface area of 142 m2g-1 was achieved with an acid normality of 5.2 N, activation time of 7.38 min and microwave power of 117 W. Acid activation of bentonite was found to occur faster with microwave irradiation than with conventional heating. Microwave

Calculating the sensitivity of wind turbine loads to wind inputs using response surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rinker, Jennifer M.

2016-01-01

This paper presents a methodology to calculate wind turbine load sensitivities to turbulence parameters through the use of response surfaces. A response surface is a highdimensional polynomial surface that can be calibrated to any set of input/output data and then used to generate synthetic data at a low computational cost. Sobol sensitivity indices (SIs) can then be calculated with relative ease using the calibrated response surface. The proposed methodology is demonstrated by calculating the total sensitivity of the maximum blade root bending moment of the WindPACT 5 MW reference model to four turbulence input parameters: a reference mean wind speed, a reference turbulence intensity, the Kaimal length scale, and a novel parameter reflecting the nonstationarity present in the inflow turbulence. The input/output data used to calibrate the response surface were generated for a previous project. The fit of the calibrated response surface is evaluated in terms of error between the model and the training data and in terms of the convergence. The Sobol SIs are calculated using the calibrated response surface, and the convergence is examined. The Sobol SIs reveal that, of the four turbulence parameters examined in this paper, the variance caused by the Kaimal length scale and nonstationarity parameter are negligible. Thus, the findings in this paper represent the first systematic evidence that stochastic wind turbine load response statistics can be modeled purely by mean wind wind speed and turbulence intensity. (paper)

Optimization of cocoa nib roasting based on sensory properties and colour using response surface methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D.M.H. A.H. Farah

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Roasting of cocoa beans is a critical stage for development of its desirable flavour, aroma and colour. Prior to roasting, cocoa bean may taste astringent, bitter, acidy, musty, unclean, nutty or even chocolate-like, depends on the bean sources and their preparations. After roasting, the bean possesses a typical intense cocoa flavour. The Maillard or non-enzymatic browning reactions is a very important process for the development of cocoa flavor, which occurs primarily during the roasting process and it has generally been agreed that the main flavor components, pyrazines formation is associated within this reaction involving amino acids and reducing sugars. The effect of cocoa nib roasting conditions on sensory properties and colour of cocoa beans were investigated in this study. Roasting conditions in terms of temperature ranged from 110 to 160OC and time ranged from 15 to 40 min were optimized by using Response Surface Methodology based on the cocoa sensory characteristics including chocolate aroma, acidity, astringency, burnt taste and overall acceptability. The analyses used 9- point hedonic scale with twelve trained panelist. The changes in colour due to the roasting condition were also monitored using chromameter. Result of this study showed that sensory quality of cocoa liquor increased with the increase in roasting time and temperature up to 160OC and up to 40 min, respectively. Based on the Response Surface Methodology, the optimised operating condition for the roaster was at temperature of 127OC and time of 25 min. The proposed roasting conditions were able to produce superior quality cocoa beans that will be very useful for cocoa manufactures.Key words : Cocoa, cocoa liquor, flavour, aroma, colour, sensory characteristic, response surface methodology.

Statistical optimization of cultural conditions by response surface ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2009-08-04

Aug 4, 2009 ... Full Length Research Paper. Statistical optimization of cultural conditions by response surface methodology for phenol degradation by a novel ... Phenol is a hydrocarbon compound that is highly toxic, ... Microorganism.

Transient temperature response of in-vessel components due to pulsed operation in tokamak fusion experimental reactor (FER)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minato, Akio; Tone, Tatsuzo

1985-12-01

A transient temperature response of the in-vessel components (first wall, blanket, divertor/limiter and shielding) surrounding plasma in Tokamak Fusion Experimental Reactor (FER) has been analysed. Transient heat load during start up/shut down and pulsed operation cycles causes the transient temperature response in those components. The fatigue lifetime of those components significantly depends upon the resulting cyclic thermal stress. The burn time affects the temperature control in the solid breeder (Li 2 O) and also affects the thermo-mechanical design of the blanket and shielding which are constructed with thick structure. In this report, results of the transient temperature response obtained by the heat transfer and conduction analyses for various pulsed operation scenarios (start up, shut down, burn and dwell times) have been investigated in view of thermo-mechanical design of the in-vessel components. (author)

``Smart'' Surfaces of Polymer Brushes

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qiang; Meng, Dong

2009-03-01

``Smart'' surfaces, also known as stimuli-responsive surfaces, can change their properties (e.g., wettability, adhesion, friction, elasticity, and biocompatibility) in response to external stimuli (e.g., temperature, pressure, light, solvent selectivity, ionic strength, type of salt, pH, applied electric field, etc.). In this work, we use numerical self-consistent field calculations to study in detail the structure and stimuli- responses of various polymer brushes, including (1) the thermo- response of PNIPAM brushes in water, (2) solvent-response of uncharged diblock copolymer brushes, and (3) the stimuli- response of charged two-component polymer brushes (including both the binary A/B brushes and diblock copolymer A-B brushes) to ionic strength, pH, and applied electric field. Among the many design parameters (e.g., chain lengths, grafting densities, A-B incompatibility, degree of ionization of charged polymers, etc.) we identify those that strongly affect the surface switchability. Such knowledge is useful to the experimental design of these smart polymer brushes for their applications.

Calculating the sensitivity of wind turbine loads to wind inputs using response surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rinker, Jennifer M.

2016-01-01

at a low computational cost. Sobol sensitivity indices (SIs) can then be calculated with relative ease using the calibrated response surface. The proposed methodology is demonstrated by calculating the total sensitivity of the maximum blade root bending moment of the WindPACT 5 MW reference model to four......This paper presents a methodology to calculate wind turbine load sensitivities to turbulence parameters through the use of response surfaces. A response surface is a high-dimensional polynomial surface that can be calibrated to any set of input/output data and then used to generate synthetic data...... turbulence input parameters: a reference mean wind speed, a reference turbulence intensity, the Kaimal length scale, and a novel parameter reflecting the nonstationarity present in the inflow turbulence. The input/output data used to calibrate the response surface were generated for a previous project...

Molecular dynamics simulation of potentiometric sensor response: the effect of biomolecules, surface morphology and surface charge.

Science.gov (United States)

Lowe, B M; Skylaris, C-K; Green, N G; Shibuta, Y; Sakata, T

2018-05-10

The silica-water interface is critical to many modern technologies in chemical engineering and biosensing. One technology used commonly in biosensors, the potentiometric sensor, operates by measuring the changes in electric potential due to changes in the interfacial electric field. Predictive modelling of this response caused by surface binding of biomolecules remains highly challenging. In this work, through the most extensive molecular dynamics simulation of the silica-water interfacial potential and electric field to date, we report a novel prediction and explanation of the effects of nano-morphology on sensor response. Amorphous silica demonstrated a larger potentiometric response than an equivalent crystalline silica model due to increased sodium adsorption, in agreement with experiments showing improved sensor response with nano-texturing. We provide proof-of-concept that molecular dynamics can be used as a complementary tool for potentiometric biosensor response prediction. Effects that are conventionally neglected, such as surface morphology, water polarisation, biomolecule dynamics and finite-size effects, are explicitly modelled.

Precise response function for the magnetic component of gravitational waves in scalar-tensor gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corda, Christian

2011-01-01

The important issue of the magnetic component of gravitational waves (GWs) has been considered in various papers in the literature. From such analyses, it has been found that such a magnetic component becomes particularly important in the high-frequency portion of the frequency range of ground based interferometers for GWs which arises from standard general theory of relativity (GTR). Recently, such a magnetic component has been extended to GWs arising from scalar-tensor gravity (STG) too. After a review of some important issues on GWs in STG, in this paper we reanalyze the magnetic component in the framework of STG from a different point of view, by correcting an error in a previous paper and by releasing a more precise response function. In this way, we also show that if one neglects the magnetic contribution considering only the low-frequency approximation of the electric contribution, an important part of the signal could be, in principle, lost. The determination of a more precise response function for the magnetic contribution is important also in the framework of the possibility of distinguishing other gravitational theories from GTR. At the conclusion of this paper, an expansion of the main results is also shown in order to recall the presence of the magnetic component in GTR too.

The adult brain tissue response to hollow fiber membranes of varying surface architecture with or without cotransplanted cells

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ning

A variety of biomaterials have been chronically implanted into the central nervous system (CNS) for repair or therapeutic purposes. Regardless of the application, chronic implantation of materials into the CNS induces injury and elicits a wound healing response, eventually leading to the formation of a dense extracellular matrix (ECM)-rich scar tissue that is associated with the segregation of implanted materials from the surrounding normal tissue. Often this reaction results in impaired performance of indwelling CNS devices. In order to enhance the performance of biomaterial-based implantable devices in the CNS, this thesis investigated whether adult brain tissue response to implanted biomaterials could be manipulated by changing biomaterial surface properties or further by utilizing the biology of co-transplanted cells. Specifically, the adult rat brain tissue response to chronically implanted poly(acrylonitrile-vinylchloride) (PAN-PVC) hollow fiber membranes (HFMs) of varying surface architecture were examined temporally at 2, 4, and 12 weeks postimplantation. Significant differences were discovered in the brain tissue response to the PAN-PVC HFMs of varying surface architecture at 4 and 12 weeks. To extend this work, whether the soluble factors derived from a co-transplanted cellular component further affect the brain tissue response to an implanted HFM in a significant way was critically exploited. The cells used were astrocytes, whose ability to influence scar formation process following CNS injury by physical contact with the host tissue had been documented in the literature. Data indicated for the first time that astrocyte-derived soluble factors ameliorate the adult brain tissue reactivity toward HFM implants in an age-dependent manner. While immature astrocytes secreted soluble factors that suppressed the brain tissue reactivity around the implants, mature astrocytes secreted factors that enhanced the gliotic response. These findings prove the feasibility

Assembling surface mounted components on ink-jet printed double sided paper circuit board

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andersson, Henrik A; Manuilskiy, Anatoliy; Haller, Stefan; Sidén, Johan; Nilsson, Hans-Erik; Hummelgård, Magnus; Olin, Håkan; Hummelgård, Christine

2014-01-01

Printed electronics is a rapidly developing field where many components can already be manufactured on flexible substrates by printing or by other high speed manufacturing methods. However, the functionality of even the most inexpensive microcontroller or other integrated circuit is, at the present time and for the foreseeable future, out of reach by means of fully printed components. Therefore, it is of interest to investigate hybrid printed electronics, where regular electrical components are mounted on flexible substrates to achieve high functionality at a low cost. Moreover, the use of paper as a substrate for printed electronics is of growing interest because it is an environmentally friendly and renewable material and is, additionally, the main material used for many packages in which electronics functionalities could be integrated. One of the challenges for such hybrid printed electronics is the mounting of the components and the interconnection between layers on flexible substrates with printed conductive tracks that should provide as low a resistance as possible while still being able to be used in a high speed manufacturing process. In this article, several conductive adhesives are evaluated as well as soldering for mounting surface mounted components on a paper circuit board with ink-jet printed tracks and, in addition, a double sided Arduino compatible circuit board is manufactured and programmed. (paper)

Assembling surface mounted components on ink-jet printed double sided paper circuit board.

Science.gov (United States)

Andersson, Henrik A; Manuilskiy, Anatoliy; Haller, Stefan; Hummelgård, Magnus; Sidén, Johan; Hummelgård, Christine; Olin, Håkan; Nilsson, Hans-Erik

2014-03-07

Printed electronics is a rapidly developing field where many components can already be manufactured on flexible substrates by printing or by other high speed manufacturing methods. However, the functionality of even the most inexpensive microcontroller or other integrated circuit is, at the present time and for the foreseeable future, out of reach by means of fully printed components. Therefore, it is of interest to investigate hybrid printed electronics, where regular electrical components are mounted on flexible substrates to achieve high functionality at a low cost. Moreover, the use of paper as a substrate for printed electronics is of growing interest because it is an environmentally friendly and renewable material and is, additionally, the main material used for many packages in which electronics functionalities could be integrated. One of the challenges for such hybrid printed electronics is the mounting of the components and the interconnection between layers on flexible substrates with printed conductive tracks that should provide as low a resistance as possible while still being able to be used in a high speed manufacturing process. In this article, several conductive adhesives are evaluated as well as soldering for mounting surface mounted components on a paper circuit board with ink-jet printed tracks and, in addition, a double sided Arduino compatible circuit board is manufactured and programmed.

Assembling surface mounted components on ink-jet printed double sided paper circuit board

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andersson, Henrik A; Manuilskiy, Anatoliy; Haller, Stefan; Sidén, Johan; Nilsson, Hans-Erik [Department of Electronics Design, Mid Sweden University, SE-851 70 Sundsvall (Sweden); Hummelgård, Magnus; Olin, Håkan [Department of Natural Science, Mid Sweden University, SE-851 70 Sundsvall (Sweden); Hummelgård, Christine [Acreo Swedish ICT AB, Håstaholmen 4, SE-824 42 Hudiksvall (Sweden)

2014-03-07

Printed electronics is a rapidly developing field where many components can already be manufactured on flexible substrates by printing or by other high speed manufacturing methods. However, the functionality of even the most inexpensive microcontroller or other integrated circuit is, at the present time and for the foreseeable future, out of reach by means of fully printed components. Therefore, it is of interest to investigate hybrid printed electronics, where regular electrical components are mounted on flexible substrates to achieve high functionality at a low cost. Moreover, the use of paper as a substrate for printed electronics is of growing interest because it is an environmentally friendly and renewable material and is, additionally, the main material used for many packages in which electronics functionalities could be integrated. One of the challenges for such hybrid printed electronics is the mounting of the components and the interconnection between layers on flexible substrates with printed conductive tracks that should provide as low a resistance as possible while still being able to be used in a high speed manufacturing process. In this article, several conductive adhesives are evaluated as well as soldering for mounting surface mounted components on a paper circuit board with ink-jet printed tracks and, in addition, a double sided Arduino compatible circuit board is manufactured and programmed. (paper)

Optimization of composite flour biscuits by mixture response surface methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Okpala, Laura C; Okoli, Eric C

2013-08-01

Biscuits were produced from blends of pigeon pea, sorghum and cocoyam flours. The study was carried out using mixture response surface methodology as the optimization technique. Using the simplex centroid design, 10 formulations were obtained. Protein and sensory quality of the biscuits were analyzed. The sensory attributes studied were appearance, taste, texture, crispness and general acceptability, while the protein quality indices were biological value and net protein utilization. The results showed that while the addition of pigeon pea improved the protein quality, its addition resulted in reduced sensory ratings for all the sensory attributes with the exception of appearance. Some of the biscuits had sensory ratings, which were not significantly different (p > 0.05) from biscuits made with wheat. Rat feeding experiments indicated that the biological value and net protein utilization values obtained for most of the biscuits were above minimum recommended values. Optimization suggested biscuits containing 75.30% sorghum, 0% pigeon pea and 24.70% cocoyam flours as the best proportion of these components. This sample received good scores for the sensory attributes.

Individual differences in anxiety responses to stressful situations : A three-mode component analysis model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Mechelen, Iven; Kiers, Henk A.L.

1999-01-01

The three-mode component analysis model is discussed as a tool for a contextualized study of personality. When applied to person x situation x response data, the model includes sets of latent dimensions for persons, situations, and responses as well as a so-called core array, which may be considered

Formulation and Evaluation of Cookies Containing Germinated Pigeon Pea, Fermented Sorghum and Cocoyam Flour Blends using Mixture Response Surface Methodology

OpenAIRE

Laura C. Okpala; Eric C. Okoli

2011-01-01

Cookies were produced from blends of germinated pigeon pea, fermented sorghum and cocoyam flours. The study was carried out to evaluate the effects of varying the proportions of these components on the sensory and protein quality of the cookies. The sensory attributes studied were colour, taste, texture, crispiness and general acceptability while the protein quality indices were Biological Value (BV) and Net Protein Utilization (NPU). Mixture response surface methodology was used to model the...

Counterbalancing Regulation in Response Memory of a Positively Autoregulated Two-Component System.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Rong; Godfrey, Katherine A; Sufian, Mahir A; Stock, Ann M

2017-09-15

Fluctuations in nutrient availability often result in recurrent exposures to the same stimulus conditions. The ability to memorize the past event and use the "memory" to make adjustments to current behaviors can lead to a more efficient adaptation to the recurring stimulus. A short-term phenotypic memory can be conferred via carryover of the response proteins to facilitate the recurrent response, but the additional accumulation of response proteins can lead to a deviation from response homeostasis. We used the Escherichia coli PhoB/PhoR two-component system (TCS) as a model system to study how cells cope with the recurrence of environmental phosphate (Pi) starvation conditions. We discovered that "memory" of prior Pi starvation can exert distinct effects through two regulatory pathways, the TCS signaling pathway and the stress response pathway. Although carryover of TCS proteins can lead to higher initial levels of transcription factor PhoB and a faster initial response in prestarved cells than in cells not starved, the response enhancement can be overcome by an earlier and greater repression of promoter activity in prestarved cells due to the memory of the stress response. The repression counterbalances the carryover of the response proteins, leading to a homeostatic response whether or not cells are prestimulated. A computational model based on sigma factor competition was developed to understand the memory of stress response and to predict the homeostasis of other PhoB-regulated response proteins. Our insight into the history-dependent PhoBR response may provide a general understanding of how TCSs respond to recurring stimuli and adapt to fluctuating environmental conditions. IMPORTANCE Bacterial cells in their natural environments experience scenarios that are far more complex than are typically replicated in laboratory experiments. The architectures of signaling systems and the integration of multiple adaptive pathways have evolved to deal with such complexity

Counterbalancing Regulation in Response Memory of a Positively Autoregulated Two-Component System

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Rong; Godfrey, Katherine A.; Sufian, Mahir A.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Fluctuations in nutrient availability often result in recurrent exposures to the same stimulus conditions. The ability to memorize the past event and use the “memory” to make adjustments to current behaviors can lead to a more efficient adaptation to the recurring stimulus. A short-term phenotypic memory can be conferred via carryover of the response proteins to facilitate the recurrent response, but the additional accumulation of response proteins can lead to a deviation from response homeostasis. We used the Escherichia coli PhoB/PhoR two-component system (TCS) as a model system to study how cells cope with the recurrence of environmental phosphate (Pi) starvation conditions. We discovered that “memory” of prior Pi starvation can exert distinct effects through two regulatory pathways, the TCS signaling pathway and the stress response pathway. Although carryover of TCS proteins can lead to higher initial levels of transcription factor PhoB and a faster initial response in prestarved cells than in cells not starved, the response enhancement can be overcome by an earlier and greater repression of promoter activity in prestarved cells due to the memory of the stress response. The repression counterbalances the carryover of the response proteins, leading to a homeostatic response whether or not cells are prestimulated. A computational model based on sigma factor competition was developed to understand the memory of stress response and to predict the homeostasis of other PhoB-regulated response proteins. Our insight into the history-dependent PhoBR response may provide a general understanding of how TCSs respond to recurring stimuli and adapt to fluctuating environmental conditions. IMPORTANCE Bacterial cells in their natural environments experience scenarios that are far more complex than are typically replicated in laboratory experiments. The architectures of signaling systems and the integration of multiple adaptive pathways have evolved to deal

Soil Structure - A Neglected Component of Land-Surface Models

Science.gov (United States)

Fatichi, S.; Or, D.; Walko, R. L.; Vereecken, H.; Kollet, S. J.; Young, M.; Ghezzehei, T. A.; Hengl, T.; Agam, N.; Avissar, R.

2017-12-01

Soil structure is largely absent in most standard sampling and measurements and in the subsequent parameterization of soil hydraulic properties deduced from soil maps and used in Earth System Models. The apparent omission propagates into the pedotransfer functions that deduce parameters of soil hydraulic properties primarily from soil textural information. Such simple parameterization is an essential ingredient in the practical application of any land surface model. Despite the critical role of soil structure (biopores formed by decaying roots, aggregates, etc.) in defining soil hydraulic functions, only a few studies have attempted to incorporate soil structure into models. They mostly looked at the effects on preferential flow and solute transport pathways at the soil profile scale; yet, the role of soil structure in mediating large-scale fluxes remains understudied. Here, we focus on rectifying this gap and demonstrating potential impacts on surface and subsurface fluxes and system wide eco-hydrologic responses. The study proposes a systematic way for correcting the soil water retention and hydraulic conductivity functions—accounting for soil-structure—with major implications for near saturated hydraulic conductivity. Modification to the basic soil hydraulic parameterization is assumed as a function of biological activity summarized by Gross Primary Production. A land-surface model with dynamic vegetation is used to carry out numerical simulations with and without the role of soil-structure for 20 locations characterized by different climates and biomes across the globe. Including soil structure affects considerably the partition between infiltration and runoff and consequently leakage at the base of the soil profile (recharge). In several locations characterized by wet climates, a few hundreds of mm per year of surface runoff become deep-recharge accounting for soil-structure. Changes in energy fluxes, total evapotranspiration and vegetation productivity

Computer program for post-flight evaluation of the control surface response for an attitude controlled missile

Science.gov (United States)

Knauber, R. N.

1982-01-01

A FORTRAN IV coded computer program is presented for post-flight analysis of a missile's control surface response. It includes preprocessing of digitized telemetry data for time lags, biases, non-linear calibration changes and filtering. Measurements include autopilot attitude rate and displacement gyro output and four control surface deflections. Simple first order lags are assumed for the pitch, yaw and roll axes of control. Each actuator is also assumed to be represented by a first order lag. Mixing of pitch, yaw and roll commands to four control surfaces is assumed. A pseudo-inverse technique is used to obtain the pitch, yaw and roll components from the four measured deflections. This program has been used for over 10 years on the NASA/SCOUT launch vehicle for post-flight analysis and was helpful in detecting incipient actuator stall due to excessive hinge moments. The program is currently set up for a CDC CYBER 175 computer system. It requires 34K words of memory and contains 675 cards. A sample problem presented herein including the optional plotting requires eleven (11) seconds of central processor time.

Questionnaire: involved actors in large disused components management - Summary Of Responses To The Questionnaire

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-01-01

The aim of the Questionnaire is to establish an overview of the various bodies [Actors] that have responsibilities or input to the issue of large component decommissioning. In answering the intent is to cover the overall organisation and those bits that have most relevance to large components. The answers should reflect the areas from site operations to decommissioning as well as the wider issue of disposal at another location. The Questionnaire covers the following points: 1 - What is the country (institutional) structure for decommissioning? 2 - who does what and where lie the responsibilities? 3 - Which bodies have responsibility for onsite safety regulation, discharges and disposal? 4 - Which body(s) owns the facilities? 5 - Describe the responsibilities for funding of the decommissioning plan and disposal plan. Are they one and the same body? Whilst there are differences between countries there are some common threads. Regulation is through the state though the number of regulators involved may vary. In summary, the IAEA principles concerning independence of the regulatory body are followed. Funding arrangements vary but there are plans. Similarly, ownership of facilities is a mix of state and private. Some systems require a separate decommissioning license with Spain having the clearest demarcation of responsibilities for the decommissioning phase and waste management responsibilities

Reliability Evaluation of Bridges Based on Nonprobabilistic Response Surface Limit Method

OpenAIRE

Chen, Xuyong; Chen, Qian; Bian, Xiaoya; Fan, Jianping

2017-01-01

Due to many uncertainties in nonprobabilistic reliability assessment of bridges, the limit state function is generally unknown. The traditional nonprobabilistic response surface method is a lengthy and oscillating iteration process and leads to difficultly solving the nonprobabilistic reliability index. This article proposes a nonprobabilistic response surface limit method based on the interval model. The intention of this method is to solve the upper and lower limits of the nonprobabilistic ...

Multimodel Surface Temperature Responses to Removal of U.S. Sulfur Dioxide Emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Conley, A. J.; Westervelt, D. M.; Lamarque, J.-F.; Fiore, A. M.; Shindell, D.; Correa, G.; Faluvegi, G.; Horowitz, L. W.

2018-03-01

Three Earth System models are used to derive surface temperature responses to removal of U.S. anthropogenic SO2 emissions. Using multicentury perturbation runs with and without U.S. anthropogenic SO2 emissions, the local and remote surface temperature changes are estimated. In spite of a temperature drift in the control and large internal variability, 200 year simulations yield statistically significant regional surface temperature responses to the removal of U.S. SO2 emissions. Both local and remote surface temperature changes occur in all models, and the patterns of changes are similar between models for northern hemisphere land regions. We find a global average temperature sensitivity to U.S. SO2 emissions of 0.0055 K per Tg(SO2) per year with a range of (0.0036, 0.0078). We examine global and regional responses in SO4 burdens, aerosol optical depths (AODs), and effective radiative forcing (ERF). While changes in AOD and ERF are concentrated near the source region (United States), the temperature response is spread over the northern hemisphere with amplification of the temperature increase toward the Arctic. In all models, we find a significant response of dust concentrations, which affects the AOD but has no obvious effect on surface temperature. Temperature sensitivity to the ERF of U.S. SO2 emissions is found to differ from the models' sensitivity to radiative forcing of doubled CO2.

[Screening based on response surface methodology of multi-fractions traditional Chinese medicine with anti-influenza virus neuraminidase activity: take shuanghuanglian injection as an example].

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Ling-Ling; Chen, Long-Hu; Yan, Dan; Zhang, Ping; Tan, Man-Rong; Li, Zheng-Ming; Xiao, Xiao-He

2012-04-01

This study aimed to establish a novel method to screen out the combined components of multi-fractions traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), so that the internal relationship between multi-ingredients could be objectively assessed and the proportioning ratio could be optimized. Taking antiviral effect on neuraminidase activity of influenza virus as the evaluating indicator and using Box-Behnken response surface methodology, the main effective ingredients of Shuanghuanglian injection (SHL) were screened. Meanwhile, the relationship between active ingredients was discussed. Taking SHL as a comparison, the optimum proportioning ratio was predicted. The results indicated that chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, caffeic acid and baicalin have comparatively strong antiviral activity against influenza virus. Moreover, antagonistic action existed between chlorogenic acid and cryptochlorogenic acid, whereas synergistic action between caffeic acid and other components. The optimum proportioning ratio resulted from fitted model is: chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, caffeic acid and baicalin (107 microg x mL(-1) : 279 microg x mL(-1) : 7.99 microg x mL(-1) : 92 microg x mL(-1)). The antiviral activity of the recombined components is stronger than that of SHL, which was consistent with the experiment results (P < 0.05). Box-Behnken response surface methodology has the advantages of general-screening, high-performance and accurate-prediction etc, which is appropriate for screening the combined components of multi-fractions TCM and the optimization of the proportioning ratio. The proposed method can serve as a technological support for the development of modern multi-fractions TCM.

Improved low frequency room responses by considering finiteness of room boundary surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jeong, Cheol-Ho

2013-01-01

surface impedance values that are assigned to all the boundary surfaces, the suggested reflection coefficient is found to improve low frequency responses compared to the infinite panel theory; larger improvements are found for a more disproportionate room, more absorptive surfaces, and surfaces having...

Antiproliferative activity of Curcuma phaeocaulis Valeton extract using ultrasonic assistance and response surface methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiaoqin; Jiang, Ying; Hu, Daode

2017-01-02

The objective of the study was to optimize the ultrasonic-assisted extraction of curdione, furanodienone, curcumol, and germacrone from Curcuma phaeocaulis Valeton (Val.) and investigate the antiproliferative activity of the extract. Under the suitable high-performance liquid chromatography condition, the calibration curves for these four tested compounds showed high levels of linearity and the recoveries of these four compounds were between 97.9 and 104.3%. Response surface methodology (RSM) combining central composite design and desirability function (DF) was used to define optimal extraction parameters. The results of RSM and DF revealed that the optimum conditions were obtained as 8 mL g -1 for liquid-solid ratio, 70% ethanol concentration, and 20 min of ultrasonic time. It was found that the surface structures of the sonicated herbal materials were fluffy and irregular. The C. phaeocaulis Val. extract significantly inhibited the proliferation of RKO and HT-29 cells in vitro. The results reveal that the RSM can be effectively used for optimizing the ultrasonic-assisted extraction of bioactive components from C. phaeocaulis Val. for antiproliferative activity.

Response of Antarctic sea surface temperature and sea ice to ozone depletion

Science.gov (United States)

Ferreira, D.; Gnanadesikan, A.; Kostov, Y.; Marshall, J.; Seviour, W.; Waugh, D.

2017-12-01

The influence of the Antarctic ozone hole extends all the way from the stratosphere through the troposphere down to the surface, with clear signatures on surface winds, and SST during summer. In this talk we discuss the impact of these changes on the ocean circulation and sea ice state. We are notably motivated by the observed cooling of the surface Southern Ocean and associated increase in Antarctic sea ice extent since the 1970s. These trends are not reproduced by CMIP5 climate models, and the underlying mechanism at work in nature and the models remain unexplained. Did the ozone hole contribute to the observed trends?Here, we review recent advances toward answering these issues using "abrupt ozone depletion" experiments. The ocean and sea ice response is rather complex, comprising two timescales: a fast ( 1-2y) cooling of the surface ocean and sea ice cover increase, followed by a slower warming trend, which, depending on models, flip the sign of the SST and sea ice responses on decadal timescale. Although the basic mechanism seems robust, comparison across climate models reveal large uncertainties in the timescales and amplitude of the response to the extent that even the sign of the ocean and sea ice response to ozone hole and recovery remains unconstrained. After briefly describing the dynamics and thermodynamics behind the two-timescale response, we will discuss the main sources of uncertainties in the modeled response, namely cloud effects and air-sea heat exchanges, surface wind stress response and ocean eddy transports. Finally, we will consider the implications of our results on the ability of coupled climate models to reproduce observed Southern Ocean changes.

Application of response surface methodology optimization for the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2009-04-20

Apr 20, 2009 ... of CQAs in tobacco waste were identified as three isomers containing chlorogenic acid (5-caffecylquinic acid ... Key words: Caffeic acid, caffeoylquinic acids (CQAs), hydrolysis reaction parameter optimization, response surface ..... Rosmarinic acid and caffeic acid produce antidepressive-like effect in.

Sediment studies at Bikini Atoll part 1. distribution of fine and coarse components in surface sediments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noshkin, V. E.; Eagle, R.J.; Robison, W.L.

1997-01-01

In 1979, 21 years after the moratorium on nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands, surface sediment samples (to depths of 2 and 4 cm) were collected from 87 locations over the floor of Bikini lagoon. The main purpose for the collections was to map the distribution of long- lived man-made radionuclides associated with the bottom material. In addition the samples were processed to estimate the fraction of fine and coarse components to show what modifications occurred since the sediment composition was first described in samples collected before testing in 1946. In this report a comparison is made of the amount and distribution of fine material associated with the lagoon surface sediment before and after the testing of nuclear devices. Nuclear testing produced more finely divided material in-the surface sediment layer over large areas of the lagoon and especially in regions of the lagoon and reef adjacent to test sites. Five cratering events at Bikini Atoll generated sufficient material to account for the inventory of new fine material found over the bottom surface of the lagoon. Although the fraction of fine material in the bottom sediments was altered by the nuclear events, the combined processes of formation, transport and deposition were not sufficiently dynamic to alter the geographical features of the major sedimentary components over most of the lagoon floor

Sediment studies at Bikini Atoll part 1. distribution of fine and coarse components in surface sediments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noshkin, V. E.; Eagle, R.J.; Robison, W.L.

1997-01-01

In 1979, 21 years after the moratorium on nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands, surface sediment samples (to depths of 2 and 4 cm) were collected from 87 locations over the floor of Bikini lagoon. The main purpose for the collections was to map the distribution of long- lived man-made radionuclides associated with the bottom material. In addition the samples were processed to estimate the fraction of fine and coarse components to show what modifications occurred since the sediment composition was first described in samples collected before testing in 1946. In this report a comparison is made of the amount and distribution of fine material associated with the lagoon surface sediment before and after the testing of nuclear devices. Nuclear testing produced more finely divided material in-the surface sediment layer over large areas of the lagoon and especially in regions of the lagoon and reef adjacent to test sites. Five cratering events at Bikini Atoll generated sufficient material to account for the inventory of new fine material found over the bottom surface of the lagoon. Although the fraction of fine material in the bottom sediments was altered by the nuclear events, the combined processes of formation, transport and deposition were not sufficiently dynamic to alter the geographical features of the major sedimentary components over most of the lagoon floor.

Micro- and nano-scale damage on the surface of W divertor component during exposure to high heat flux loads with He

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, C.; Greuner, H.; Zhao, S.X.; Böswirth, B.; Luo, G.N.; Zhou, X.; Jia, Y.Z.; Liu, X.; Liu, W.

2015-01-01

Micro- and nano-scale surface damage on a W divertor component sample exposed to high heat flux loads generated with He atoms has been investigated through SEM, EBSD, AFM and FIB-SEM. The component sample was supplied by the Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP) and AT&M company, China, and the loading experiment was performed in the GLADIS facility at IPP Garching, Germany. Two typical damage structures were observed on the surface: the first one is characterized by obvious blisters and some grooves formed from ruptured blisters, and the other one is a kind of porous structure accompanying with at least ∼25 nm surface material loss. As the grain orientation is further away from , the damage morphology gradually changes from the former structure to the latter. The possible damage mechanism is discussed. - Highlights: • Two damage structures were observed on W component surface under He beam heating. • Blistering was more obvious in near grains. • Porous structure appeared in the grains away from . • A loose layer caused by He aggregation was formed in near-surface region.

QUANTITATION OF MOLECULAR ENDPOINTS FOR THE DOSE-RESPONSE COMPONENT OF CANCER RISK ASSESSMENT

Science.gov (United States)

Cancer risk assessment involves the steps of hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment and risk characterization. The rapid advances in the use of molecular biology approaches has had an impact on all four components, but the greatest overall current...

Northern Alaskan land surface response to reduced Arctic sea ice extent

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Higgins, Matthew E. [University of Colorado, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, Boulder, CO (United States); Cassano, John J. [University of Colorado, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Boulder, CO (United States)

2012-05-15

With Arctic sea ice extent at near-record lows, an improved understanding of the relationship between sea ice and the land surface is warranted. We examine the land surface response to changing sea ice by first conducting a simulation using the Community Atmospheric Model version 3.1 with end of the twenty-first century sea ice extent. This future atmospheric response is then used to force the Weather and Research Forecasting Model version 3.1 to examine the terrestrial land surface response at high resolution over the North Slope of Alaska. Similar control simulations with twentieth century sea ice projections are also performed, and in both simulations only sea ice extent is altered. In the future sea ice extent experiment, atmospheric temperature increases significantly due to increases in latent and sensible heat flux, particularly in the winter season. Precipitation and snow pack increase significantly, and the increased snow pack contributes to warmer soil temperatures for most seasons by insulating the land surface. In the summer, however, soil temperatures are reduced due to increased albedo. Despite warmer near-surface atmospheric temperatures, it is found that spring melt is delayed throughout much of the North Slope due to the increased snow pack, and the growing season length is shortened. (orig.)

Thermographic analysis of plasma facing components covered by carbon surface layer in tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gardarein, Jean-Laurent

2007-01-01

Tokamaks are reactors based on the thermonuclear fusion energy with magnetic confinement of the plasma. In theses machines, several MW are coupled to the plasma for about 10 s. A large part of this power is directed towards plasma facing components (PFC). For better understanding and control the heat flux transfer from the plasma to the surrounding wall, it is very important to measure the surface temperature of the PFC and to estimate the imposed heat flux. In most of tokamaks using carbon PFC, the eroded carbon is circulating in the plasma and redeposited elsewhere. During the plasma operations, this leads at some locations to the formation of thin or thick carbon layers usually poorly attached to the PFC. These surface layers with unknown thermal properties complicate the calculation of the heat flux from IR surface temperature measurements. To solve this problem, we develop first, inverse method to estimate the heat flux using thermocouple (not sensitive to the carbon surface layers) temperature measurements. Then, we propose a front face pulsed photothermal method allowing an estimation of layers thermal diffusivity, conductivity, effusivity and the thermal contact resistance between the layer and the tile. The principle is to study with an infrared sensor, the cooling of the layer surface after heating by a short laser pulse, this cooling depending on the thermal properties of the successive layers. (author) [fr

Designing Pulse Laser Surface Modification of H13 Steel Using Response Surface Method

Science.gov (United States)

Aqida, S. N.; Brabazon, D.; Naher, S.

2011-01-01

This paper presents a design of experiment (DOE) for laser surface modification process of AISI H13 tool steel in achieving the maximum hardness and minimum surface roughness at a range of modified layer depth. A Rofin DC-015 diffusion-cooled CO2 slab laser was used to process AISI H13 tool steel samples. Samples of 10 mm diameter were sectioned to 100 mm length in order to process a predefined circumferential area. The parameters selected for examination were laser peak power, overlap percentage and pulse repetition frequency (PRF). The response surface method with Box-Behnken design approach in Design Expert 7 software was used to design the H13 laser surface modification process. Metallographic study and image analysis were done to measure the modified layer depth. The modified surface roughness was measured using two-dimensional surface profilometer. The correlation of the three laser processing parameters and the modified surface properties was specified by plotting three-dimensional graph. The hardness properties were tested at 981 mN force. From metallographic study, the laser modified surface depth was between 37 μm and 150 μm. The average surface roughness recorded from the 2D profilometry was at a minimum value of 1.8 μm. The maximum hardness achieved was between 728 and 905 HV0.1. These findings are significant to modern development of hard coatings for wear resistant applications.

Verification of the local structural response of building structures in the anchorage areas of heavy components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krutzik, N.J.; Tropp, R.

1989-01-01

In conventional dynamic structural analyses for determining dynamic system response for various locations at which components are installed inside the structures it is common practice (in order to simplify analytical effort) to assume that the anchorage (anchor plate, anchor bolts or throughbolts, concrete and reinforcement in the area of bound) has rigid body characteristics and that the building structure itself does not display any local response of its own. The influence of the stiffness of the anchor plate as well anchor bolts and its stress level on the dynamic response is also neglected. For a large number of anchoring systems, especially for all those components and systems having only a small mass, this assumption is certainly appropriate. At some locations, particularly at points where heavy components are anchored or when loading input has been increased, this can lead to local loading of the anchor system as well as of the building structure well into the nonlinear range. Often, verification of capability to accommodate these loads is not possible without changing the wall thicknesses or increasing the percentage of reinforcement. Since the presence of linear or nonlinear effects can be expected to result in energy dissipation (increase in damping capacity and also a change in the stiffness of the coupled system) it must be assumed that the dynamic response between the theoretical coupling point A and the real connection point B of the component on the anchor plate can be considerably altered. Some changes of the dynamic response in the connection point B have to be expected generally even in cases of linear-elastic loading of the anchorage. Using typical anchoring systems as an example, the influence of consideration of nonlinear effects in the anchorage area of a typical anchor plate on the dynamic response as well as the conservatism of conventional analytical approaches are investigated

In vivo modulation of foreign body response on polyurethane by surface entrapment technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Khandwekar, Anand P; Patil, Deepak P; Hardikar, Anand A; Shouche, Yogesh S; Doble, Mukesh

2010-11-01

Implanted polymeric materials, such as medical devices, provoke the body to initiate an inflammatory reaction, known as the foreign body response (FBR), which causes several complications. In this study, polyurethane (Tecoflex®, PU) surface modified with the nonionic surfactant Tween80® (PU/T80) and the cell adhesive PLL-RGD peptide (PU/PLL-RGD) by a previously described entrapment technique were implanted in the peritoneal cavity of Wistar rats for 30 days. Implants were retrieved and examined for tissue reactivity and cellular adherence by various microscopic and analytical techniques. Surface-induced inflammatory response was assessed by real-time PCR based quantification of proinflammatory cytokine transcripts, namely, TNF-α and IL-1β, normalized to housekeeping gene GAPDH. Cellular adherence and their distribution profile were assessed by microscopic examination of H&E stained implant sections. It was observed that PU/PLL-RGD followed by the bare PU surface exhibited severe inflammatory and fibrotic response with an average mean thickness of 19 and 12 μm, respectively, in 30 days. In contrast, PU/T80 surface showed only a cellular monolayer of 2-3 μm in thickness, with a mild inflammatory response and no fibrotic encapsulation. The PU/PLL-RGD peptide-modified substrate promoted an enhanced rate of macrophage cell fusion to form foreign body giant cell (FBGCs), whereas FBGCs were rarely observed on Tween80®-modified substrate. The expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-1β) were upregulated on PU/PLL-RGD surface followed by bare PU, whereas the cytokine expressions were significantly suppressed on PU/T80 surface. Thus, our study highlights modulation of foreign body response on polyurethane surfaces through surface entrapment technique in the form of differential responses observed on PLL-RGD and Tween80® modified surfaces with the former effective in triggering tissue cell adhesion thereby fibrous encapsulation, while the later

Response of Moist Convection to Multi-scale Surface Flux Heterogeneity

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, S. L.; Ryu, J. H.

2015-12-01

We investigate response of moist convection to multi-scale feature of the spatial variation of surface sensible heat fluxes (SHF) in the afternoon evolution of the convective boundary layer (CBL), utilizing a mesoscale-domain large eddy simulation (LES) model. The multi-scale surface heterogeneity feature is analytically created as a function of the spectral slope in the wavelength range from a few tens of km to a few hundreds of m in the spectrum of surface SHF on a log-log scale. The response of moist convection to the κ-3 - slope (where κ is wavenumber) surface SHF field is compared with that to the κ-2 - slope surface, which has a relatively weak mesoscale feature, and the homogeneous κ0 - slope surface. Given the surface energy balance with a spatially uniform available energy, the prescribed SHF has a 180° phase lag with the latent heat flux (LHF) in a horizontal domain of (several tens of km)2. Thus, warmer (cooler) surface is relatively dry (moist). For all the cases, the same observation-based sounding is prescribed for the initial condition. For all the κ-3 - slope surface heterogeneity cases, early non-precipitating shallow clouds further develop into precipitating deep thunderstorms. But for all the κ-2 - slope cases, only shallow clouds develop. We compare the vertical profiles of domain-averaged fluxes and variances, and the contribution of the mesoscale and turbulence contributions to the fluxes and variances, between the κ-3 versus κ-2 slope cases. Also the cross-scale processes are investigated.

Surface conditioning with Escherichia coli cell wall components can reduce biofilm formation by decreasing initial adhesion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luciana C. Gomes

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation on food processing surfaces pose major risks to human health. Non-efficient cleaning of equipment surfaces and piping can act as a conditioning layer that affects the development of a new biofilm post-disinfection. We have previously shown that surface conditioning with cell extracts could reduce biofilm formation. In the present work, we hypothesized that E. coli cell wall components could be implicated in this phenomena and therefore mannose, myristic acid and palmitic acid were tested as conditioning agents. To evaluate the effect of surface conditioning and flow topology on biofilm formation, assays were performed in agitated 96-well microtiter plates and in a parallel plate flow chamber (PPFC, both operated at the same average wall shear stress (0.07 Pa as determined by computational fluid dynamics (CFD. It was observed that when the 96-well microtiter plate and the PPFC were used to form biofilms at the same shear stress, similar results were obtained. This shows that the referred hydrodynamic feature may be a good scale-up parameter from high-throughput platforms to larger scale flow cell systems as the PPFC used in this study. Mannose did not have any effect on E. coli biofilm formation, but myristic and palmitic acid inhibited biofilm development by decreasing cell adhesion (in about 50%. These results support the idea that in food processing equipment where biofilm formation is not critical below a certain threshold, bacterial lysis and adsorption of cell components to the surface may reduce biofilm buildup and extend the operational time.

Hot gas path component cooling system

Science.gov (United States)

Lacy, Benjamin Paul; Bunker, Ronald Scott; Itzel, Gary Michael

2014-02-18

A cooling system for a hot gas path component is disclosed. The cooling system may include a component layer and a cover layer. The component layer may include a first inner surface and a second outer surface. The second outer surface may define a plurality of channels. The component layer may further define a plurality of passages extending generally between the first inner surface and the second outer surface. Each of the plurality of channels may be fluidly connected to at least one of the plurality of passages. The cover layer may be situated adjacent the second outer surface of the component layer. The plurality of passages may be configured to flow a cooling medium to the plurality of channels and provide impingement cooling to the cover layer. The plurality of channels may be configured to flow cooling medium therethrough, cooling the cover layer.

Simulated plasma facing component measurements for an in situ surface diagnostic on Alcator C-Moda)

Science.gov (United States)

Hartwig, Z. S.; Whyte, D. G.

2010-10-01

The ideal in situ plasma facing component (PFC) diagnostic for magnetic fusion devices would perform surface element and isotope composition measurements on a shot-to-shot (˜10 min) time scale with ˜1 μm depth and ˜1 cm spatial resolution over large areas of PFCs. To this end, the experimental adaptation of the customary laboratory surface diagnostic—nuclear scattering of MeV ions—to the Alcator C-Mod tokamak is being guided by ACRONYM, a Geant4 synthetic diagnostic. The diagnostic technique and ACRONYM are described, and synthetic measurements of film thickness for boron-coated PFCs are presented.

Linear response theory of activated surface diffusion with interacting adsorbates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marti' nez-Casado, R. [Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Sanz, A.S.; Vega, J.L. [Instituto de Fi' sica Fundamental, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Serrano 123, 28006 Madrid (Spain); Rojas-Lorenzo, G. [Instituto Superior de Tecnologi' as y Ciencias Aplicadas, Ave. Salvador Allende, esq. Luaces, 10400 La Habana (Cuba); Instituto de Fi' sica Fundamental, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cienti' ficas, Serrano 123, 28006 Madrid (Spain); Miret-Artes, S., E-mail: s.miret@imaff.cfmac.csic.es [Instituto de Fi' sica Fundamental, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cienti' ficas, Serrano 123, 28006 Madrid (Spain)

2010-05-12

Graphical abstract: Activated surface diffusion with interacting adsorbates is analyzed within the Linear Response Theory framework. The so-called interacting single adsorbate model is justified by means of a two-bath model, where one harmonic bath takes into account the interaction with the surface phonons, while the other one describes the surface coverage, this leading to defining a collisional friction. Here, the corresponding theory is applied to simple systems, such as diffusion on flat surfaces and the frustrated translational motion in a harmonic potential. Classical and quantum closed formulas are obtained. Furthermore, a more realistic problem, such as atomic Na diffusion on the corrugated Cu(0 0 1) surface, is presented and discussed within the classical context as well as within the framework of Kramer's theory. Quantum corrections to the classical results are also analyzed and discussed. - Abstract: Activated surface diffusion with interacting adsorbates is analyzed within the Linear Response Theory framework. The so-called interacting single adsorbate model is justified by means of a two-bath model, where one harmonic bath takes into account the interaction with the surface phonons, while the other one describes the surface coverage, this leading to defining a collisional friction. Here, the corresponding theory is applied to simple systems, such as diffusion on flat surfaces and the frustrated translational motion in a harmonic potential. Classical and quantum closed formulas are obtained. Furthermore, a more realistic problem, such as atomic Na diffusion on the corrugated Cu(0 0 1) surface, is presented and discussed within the classical context as well as within the framework of Kramer's theory. Quantum corrections to the classical results are also analyzed and discussed.

Light Responsive Two-Component Supramolecular Hydrogel: A Sensitive Platform for Humidity Sensors

KAUST Repository

Samai, Suman

2016-02-15

The supramolecular assembly of anionic azobenzene dicarboxylate and cationic cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) formed a stimuli responsive hydrogel with a critical gelation concentration (CGC) of 0.33 wt%. This self-sustainable two-component system was able to repair damage upon light irradiation. Moreover, it was successfully employed in the fabrication of highly sensitive humidity sensors for the first time.

Light Responsive Two-Component Supramolecular Hydrogel: A Sensitive Platform for Humidity Sensors

KAUST Repository

Samai, Suman; Sapsanis, Christos; Patil, Sachin; Ezzeddine, Alaa; Moosa, Basem; Omran, Hesham; Emwas, Abdul-Hamid M.; Salama, Khaled N.; Khashab, Niveen M.

2016-01-01

The supramolecular assembly of anionic azobenzene dicarboxylate and cationic cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) formed a stimuli responsive hydrogel with a critical gelation concentration (CGC) of 0.33 wt%. This self-sustainable two-component system was able to repair damage upon light irradiation. Moreover, it was successfully employed in the fabrication of highly sensitive humidity sensors for the first time.

In Vitro Optimization of Enzymes Involved in Precorrin-2 Synthesis Using Response Surface Methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Huan; Dong, Huina; Cai, Tao; Zheng, Ping; Li, Haixing; Zhang, Dawei; Sun, Jibin

2016-01-01

In order to maximize the production of biologically-derived chemicals, kinetic analyses are first necessary for predicting the role of enzyme components and coordinating enzymes in the same reaction system. Precorrin-2 is a key precursor of cobalamin and siroheme synthesis. In this study, we sought to optimize the concentrations of several molecules involved in precorrin-2 synthesis in vitro: porphobilinogen synthase (PBGS), porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD), uroporphyrinogen III synthase (UROS), and S-adenosyl-l-methionine-dependent urogen III methyltransferase (SUMT). Response surface methodology was applied to develop a kinetic model designed to maximize precorrin-2 productivity. The optimal molar ratios of PBGS, PBGD, UROS, and SUMT were found to be approximately 1:7:7:34, respectively. Maximum precorrin-2 production was achieved at 0.1966 ± 0.0028 μM/min, agreeing with the kinetic model's predicted value of 0.1950 μM/min. The optimal concentrations of the cofactor S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) and substrate 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) were also determined to be 200 μM and 5 mM, respectively, in a tandem-enzyme assay. By optimizing the relative concentrations of these enzymes, we were able to minimize the effects of substrate inhibition and feedback inhibition by S-adenosylhomocysteine on SUMT and thereby increase the production of precorrin-2 by approximately five-fold. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of kinetic modeling via response surface methodology for maximizing the production of biologically-derived chemicals.

Response of fuzzy tungsten surfaces to pulsed plasma bombardment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishijima, D.; Doerner, R.P.; Iwamoto, D.; Kikuchi, Y.; Miyamoto, M.; Nagata, M.; Sakuma, I.; Shoda, K.; Ueda, Y.

2013-01-01

Damage of fuzzy tungsten surfaces due to a transient plasma load is characterized in terms of mass loss, surface morphology, and optical properties. A single D pulsed (∼0.1–0.2 ms) plasma shot with surface absorbed energy density of ∼1.1 MJ m −2 leads to a mass loss of ∼80 μg, which cannot be explained by physical sputtering. Thus, macroscopic erosion processes such as droplets and dust release as well as arcing are thought to be responsible for the mass loss. In fact, scanning electron microscopy observations reveal the melting of the tips of fuzz and arc tracks. The optical reflectivity of the damaged (melted) surface is measured to be higher than that of an undamaged fuzzy surface (below ∼0.01%). Spectroscopic ellipsometry shows that the refractive index, n, and extinction coefficient, k, increase from n ≈ 1 and k ≈ 0 for an undamaged fuzzy surface with an increase in the degree of damage of fuzz

Detecting geothermal anomalies and evaluating LST geothermal component by combining thermal remote sensing time series and land surface model data

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Romaguera, M.; Vaughan, R. G.; Ettema, J.; Izquierdo-Verdiguier, E.; Hecker, C. A.; van der Meer, F. D.

This paper explores for the first time the possibilities to use two land surface temperature (LST) time series of different origins (geostationary Meteosat Second Generation satellite data and Noah land surface modelling, LSM), to detect geothermal anomalies and extract the geothermal component of

Detecting geothermal anomalies and evaluating LST geothermal component by combining thermal remote sensing time series and land surface model data

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Romaguera, M.; Vaughan, R. G.; Ettema, J.; Izquierdo-Verdiguier, E.; Hecker, C. A.; van der Meer, F. D.

2017-01-01

This paper explores for the first time the possibilities to use two land surface temperature (LST) time series of different origins (geostationary Meteosat Second Generation satellite data and Noah land surface modelling, LSM), to detect geothermal anomalies and extract the geothermal component of

Dual-responsive surfaces modified with phenylboronic acid-containing polymer brush to reversibly capture and release cancer cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Hongliang; Li, Yingying; Sun, Kang; Fan, Junbing; Zhang, Pengchao; Meng, Jingxin; Wang, Shutao; Jiang, Lei

2013-05-22

Artificial stimuli-responsive surfaces that can mimic the dynamic function of living systems have attracted much attention. However, there exist few artificial systems capable of responding to dual- or multistimulation as the natural system does. Herein, we synthesize a pH and glucose dual-responsive surface by grafting poly(acrylamidophenylboronic acid) (polyAAPBA) brush from aligned silicon nanowire (SiNW) array. The as-prepared surface can reversibly capture and release targeted cancer cells by precisely controlling pH and glucose concentration, exhibiting dual-responsive AND logic. In the presence of 70 mM glucose, the surface is pH responsive, which can vary from a cell-adhesive state to a cell-repulsive state by changing the pH from 6.8 to 7.8. While keeping the pH at 7.8, the surface becomes glucose responsive--capturing cells in the absence of glucose and releasing cells by adding 70 mM glucose. Through simultaneously changing the pH and glucose concentration from pH 6.8/0 mM glucose to pH 7.8/70 mM glucose, the surface is dual responsive with the capability to switch between cell capture and release for at least 5 cycles. The cell capture and release process on this dual-responsive surface is noninvasive with cell viability higher than 95%. Moreover, topographical interaction between the aligned SiNW array and cell protrusions greatly amplifies the responsiveness and accelerates the response rate of the dual-responsive surface between cell capture and release. The responsive mechanism of the dual-responsive surface is systematically studied using a quartz crystal microbalance, which shows that the competitive binding between polyAAPBA/sialic acid and polyAAPBA/glucose contributes to the dual response. Such dual-responsive surface can significantly impact biomedical and biological applications including cell-based diagnostics, in vivo drug delivery, etc.

Derivation of design response spectra for analysis and testing of components and systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krutzik, N.

1996-01-01

Some institutions participating in the Benchmark Project performed parallel calculations for the WWER-1000 Kozloduy NPP. The investigations were based on various mathematical models and procedures for consideration of soil-structure interaction effects, simultaneously applying uniform soil dynamic and seismological input data. The methods, mathematical models and dynamic response results were evaluated and discussed in detail and finally compared by means of different structural models and soil representations with the aim of deriving final enveloped and smoothed dynamic response data (benchmark response spectra). This should be used for requalification by analysis testing of the mechanical and electrical components and systems located in this type of reactor building

Optimization of CO2 Laser Cutting Process using Taguchi and Dual Response Surface Methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Madić

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Selection of optimal cutting parameter settings for obtaining high cut quality in CO2 laser cutting process is of great importance. Among various analytical and experimental optimization methods, the application of Taguchi and response surface methodology is one of most commonly used for laser cutting process optimization. Although the concept of dual response surface methodology for process optimization has been used with success, till date, no experimental study has been reported in the field of laser cutting. In this paper an approach for optimization of CO2 laser cutting process using Taguchi and dual response surface methodology is presented. The goal was to determine the near optimal laser cutting parameter values in order to ensure robust condition for minimization of average surface roughness. To obtain experimental database for development of response surface models, Taguchi’s L25 orthogonal array was implemented for experimental plan. Three cutting parameters, the cutting speed (3, 4, 5, 6, 7 m/min, the laser power (0.7, 0.9, 1.1, 1.3, 1.5 kW, and the assist gas pressure (3, 4, 5, 6, 7 bar, were used in the experiment. To obtain near optimal cutting parameters settings, multi-stage Monte Carlo simulation procedure was performed on the developed response surface models.

Stem cell responses to plasma surface modified electrospun polyurethane scaffolds.

Science.gov (United States)

Zandén, Carl; Hellström Erkenstam, Nina; Padel, Thomas; Wittgenstein, Julia; Liu, Johan; Kuhn, H Georg

2014-07-01

The topographical effects from functional materials on stem cell behavior are currently of interest in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Here we investigate the influence of argon, oxygen, and hydrogen plasma surface modification of electrospun polyurethane fibers on human embryonic stem cell (hESC) and rat postnatal neural stem cell (NSC) responses. The plasma gases were found to induce three combinations of fiber surface functionalities and roughness textures. On randomly oriented fibers, plasma treatments lead to substantially increased hESC attachment and proliferation as compared to native fibers. Argon plasma was found to induce the most optimal combination of surface functionality and roughness for cell expansion. Contact guided migration of cells and alignment of cell processes were observed on aligned fibers. Neuronal differentiation around 5% was found for all samples and was not significantly affected by the induced variations of surface functional group distribution or individual fiber topography. In this study the influence of argon, oxygen, and hydrogen plasma surface modification of electrospun polyurethane fibers on human embryonic stem cell and rat postnatal neural stem cell (NSC) responses is studied with the goal of clarifying the potential effects of functional materials on stem cell behavior, a topic of substantial interest in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fatigue test results of flat plate specimens with surface cracks and evaluation of crack growth in structural components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shibata, Katsuyuki; Yokoyama, Norio; Ohba, Toshihiro; Kawamura, Takaichi; Miyazono, Shohachiro

1982-12-01

Part-through surface cracks are most frequently observed in the inspection of structural components, and it is one of the important subjects in the assessment of safety to evaluate appropriately the growth of such cracks during the service life of structural components. Due to the complexity of the stress at the front free surface, the crack growth at the surface shows a different behavior from the other part. Besides, an effect of interaction is caused in the growth of multiple surface cracks. These effects should be included in the growth analysis of surface part-through cracks. Authors have carried out a series of fatigue tests on some kinds of pipes with multiple cracks in the inner surface, and subsequently the fatigue test of flat plate specimens, made of Type 304L stainless steel, with a single or double surface cracks was carried out to study the basic characteristics in the growth of multiple surface cracks. Based on the results of the flat plate test. the correction factors for the front free surface (Cs) and interaction (Ci) of surface cracks were derived quantitatively by the following empirical expressions; Cs = 0.824. Ci = (0.227(a/b) 2 (sec(PI X/2) - 1) + 1)sup(1/m). Using these two correction factors, a procedure to predict the growth of surface cracks was developed by applying the crack growth formula to both the thickness and surface directions. Besides, the crack growth predictions based on the procedure of ASME Code Sex. XI, and the above procedure without the correction of the free surface and interactions on the crack growth behaviors were compared with the test results of flat plate specimens. The crack growth behavior predicted by the procedure described in this report showed the best agreement with the test results in respects of the crack growth life and the change in the crack shape. The criteria of the ASME Code did not agree with the test results. (author)

Proteomic Response of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 Adhering to Solid Surfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morgan Guilbaud

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a pathogenic micro-organism responsible for many hospital-acquired infections. It is able to adhere to solid surfaces and develop an immobilized community or so-called biofilm. Many studies have been focusing on the use of specific materials to prevent the formation of these biofilms, but the reactivity of the bacteria in contact to surfaces remains unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the abiotic surface on the physiology of adherent bacteria. Three different materials, stainless steel (SS, glass (G, and polystyrene (PS that were relevant to industrial or medical environments were characterized at the physicochemical level in terms of their hydrophobicity and roughness. We showed that SS was moderately hydrophilic and rough, potentially containing crevices, G was hydrophilic and smooth while PS was hydrophobic and smooth. We further showed that P. aeruginosa cells were more likely able to adhere to SS and G rather than PS surfaces under our experimental conditions. The physiological response of P. aeruginosa when adhering to each of these materials was then evaluated by global proteomic analysis. The abundance of 70 proteins was shown to differ between the materials suggesting that their abundance was modified as a function of the material to which bacteria adhered. Our data lead to enabling the identification of abundance patterns that appeared to be specific to a given surface. Taken together, our data showed that P. aeruginosa is capable of sensing and responding to a surface probably via specific programmes to adapt its physiological response accordingly.

A Novel Method for Surface Defect Detection of Photovoltaic Module Based on Independent Component Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xuewu Zhang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper proposed a new method for surface defect detection of photovoltaic module based on independent component analysis (ICA reconstruction algorithm. Firstly, a faultless image is used as the training image. The demixing matrix and corresponding ICs are obtained by applying the ICA in the training image. Then we reorder the ICs according to the range values and reform the de-mixing matrix. Then the reformed de-mixing matrix is used to reconstruct the defect image. The resulting image can remove the background structures and enhance the local anomalies. Experimental results have shown that the proposed method can effectively detect the presence of defects in periodically patterned surfaces.

Mass transfer in fuel cells. [electron microscopy of components, thermal decomposition of Teflon, water transport, and surface tension of KOH solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, R. D., Jr.

1973-01-01

Results of experiments on electron microscopy of fuel cell components, thermal decomposition of Teflon by thermogravimetry, surface area and pore size distribution measurements, water transport in fuel cells, and surface tension of KOH solutions are described.

Modification of surface/neuron interfaces for neural cell-type specific responses: a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Cen; Kong, Xiangdong; Lee, In-Seop

2016-01-01

Surface/neuron interfaces have played an important role in neural repair including neural prostheses and tissue engineered scaffolds. This comprehensive literature review covers recent studies on the modification of surface/neuron interfaces. These interfaces are identified in cases both where the surfaces of substrates or scaffolds were in direct contact with cells and where the surfaces were modified to facilitate cell adhesion and controlling cell-type specific responses. Different sources of cells for neural repair are described, such as pheochromocytoma neuronal-like cell, neural stem cell (NSC), embryonic stem cell (ESC), mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS). Commonly modified methods are discussed including patterned surfaces at micro- or nano-scale, surface modification with conducting coatings, and functionalized surfaces with immobilized bioactive molecules. These approaches to control cell-type specific responses have enormous potential implications in neural repair. (paper)

Plant surface wax affects parasitoid's response to host footprints

Science.gov (United States)

Rostás, Michael; Ruf, Daniel; Zabka, Vanessa; Hildebrandt, Ulrich

2008-10-01

The plant surface is the substrate upon which herbivorous insects and natural enemies meet and thus represents the stage for interactions between the three trophic levels. Plant surfaces are covered by an epicuticular wax layer which is highly variable depending on species, cultivar or plant part. Differences in wax chemistry may modulate ecological interactions. We explored whether caterpillars of Spodoptera frugiperda, when walking over a plant surface, leave a chemical trail (kairomones) that can be detected by the parasitoid Cotesia marginiventris. Chemistry and micromorphology of cuticular waxes of two barley eceriferum wax mutants ( cer-za.126, cer-yp.949) and wild-type cv. Bonus (wt) were assessed. The plants were then used to investigate potential surface effects on the detectability of caterpillar kairomones. Here we provide evidence that C. marginiventris responds to chemical footprints of its host. Parasitoids were able to detect the kairomone on wild-type plants and on both cer mutants but the response to cer-yp.949 (reduced wax, high aldehyde fraction) was less pronounced. Experiments with caterpillar-treated wt and mutant leaves offered simultaneously, confirmed this observation: no difference in wasp response was found when wt was tested against cer-za.126 (reduced wax, wt-like chemical composition) but wt was significantly more attractive than cer-yp.949. This demonstrates for the first time that the wax layer can modulate the detectability of host kairomones.

Surface effects on the electroelastic responses of a thin piezoelectric plate with nanoscale thickness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan Zhi; Jiang Liying

2012-01-01

This work aims to investigate the electroelastic responses of a thin piezoelectric plate under mechanical and electrical loads with the consideration of surface effects. Surface effects, including surface elasticity, residual surface stress and surface piezoelectricity, are incorporated into the conventional Kirchhoff plate theory for a piezoelectric plate via the surface piezoelectricity model and the generalized Young-Laplace equations. Different from the results predicted by the conventional plate theory ignoring the surface effects, the proposed model predicts size-dependent behaviours of the piezoelectric thin plate with nanoscale thickness. It is found that surface effects have significant influence on the electroelastic responses of the piezoelectric nanoplate. This work is expected to provide more accurate predictions on characterizing nanofilm or nanoribbon based piezoelectric devices in nanoelectromechanical systems. (paper)

Rumen bacteria: interaction with particulate dietary components and response to dietary variation.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, K J; Akin, D E; Costerton, J W

1977-02-01

The bovine rumen resembles many other ecosystems in that its component bacterial cells are universally surrounded and protected by extracellular structures. The most common form of these structures is a fibrous carbohydrate slime that extends away from the cell and may mediate the attachment of the bacterium to a surface. This attachment is relatively specific and it may occur at the surface of the rumen epithelium or on the cell walls of a specific tissue within the plant-derived food of the animal. The production of the extracellular slime is under nutritional control and slime may be overproduced when soluble carbohydrates are available in high concentration. This overproduction results in cell-cell adhesion among the rumen bacteria with the eventual formation of slime-enclosed microcolonies and, in extreme cases, the generation of sufficient viscosity to cause feedlot bloat.

Two component systems: physiological effect of a third component.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baldiri Salvado

Full Text Available Signal transduction systems mediate the response and adaptation of organisms to environmental changes. In prokaryotes, this signal transduction is often done through Two Component Systems (TCS. These TCS are phosphotransfer protein cascades, and in their prototypical form they are composed by a kinase that senses the environmental signals (SK and by a response regulator (RR that regulates the cellular response. This basic motif can be modified by the addition of a third protein that interacts either with the SK or the RR in a way that could change the dynamic response of the TCS module. In this work we aim at understanding the effect of such an additional protein (which we call "third component" on the functional properties of a prototypical TCS. To do so we build mathematical models of TCS with alternative designs for their interaction with that third component. These mathematical models are analyzed in order to identify the differences in dynamic behavior inherent to each design, with respect to functionally relevant properties such as sensitivity to changes in either the parameter values or the molecular concentrations, temporal responsiveness, possibility of multiple steady states, or stochastic fluctuations in the system. The differences are then correlated to the physiological requirements that impinge on the functioning of the TCS. This analysis sheds light on both, the dynamic behavior of synthetically designed TCS, and the conditions under which natural selection might favor each of the designs. We find that a third component that modulates SK activity increases the parameter space where a bistable response of the TCS module to signals is possible, if SK is monofunctional, but decreases it when the SK is bifunctional. The presence of a third component that modulates RR activity decreases the parameter space where a bistable response of the TCS module to signals is possible.

Effects and interactions of medium components on laccase from a marine-derived fungus using response surface methodology

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

DeSouza-Ticlo, D.; Garg, S.; Raghukumar, C.

The effects of various synthetic medium components and their interactions with each other ultimately impact laccase production in fungi. This was studied using a laccase-hyper-producing marine-derived basidiomycete, Cerrena unicolor MTCC 5159...

Process for surface treatment of zirconium-containing cladding materials for fuel element or other components for nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Videm, K.G.; Lunde, L.R.; Kooyman, H.H.

1975-01-01

A process for the surface treatment of zirconium-base cladding materials for fuel elements or other components for nuclear reactors is described. The treatment includes pickling the cladding material in a fluoride-containing bath, and then applying a protective coating through oxidation to the pickled cladding material. The fluoride-containing contaminants which remain on the surface of the cladding material during pickling are removed or rendered harmless by anodic oxidation

Response of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) leaf surface defenses to exogenous methyl jasmonate.

Science.gov (United States)

Rowe, Heather C; Ro, Dae-kyun; Rieseberg, Loren H

2012-01-01

Helianthus annuus, the common sunflower, produces a complex array of secondary compounds that are secreted into glandular trichomes, specialized structures found on leaf surfaces and anther appendages of flowers. The primary components of these trichome secretions are sesquiterpene lactones (STL), a diverse class of compounds produced abundantly by the plant family Compositae and believed to contribute to plant defense against herbivory. We treated wild and cultivated H. annuus accessions with exogenous methyl jasmonate, a plant hormone that mediates plant defense against insect herbivores and certain classes of fungal pathogens. The wild sunflower produced a higher density of glandular trichomes on its leaves than the cultivar. Comparison of the profiles of glandular trichome extracts obtained by liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (LC-MS) showed that wild and cultivated H. annuus were qualitatively similar in surface chemistry, although differing in the relative size and proportion of various compounds detected. Despite observing consistent transcriptional responses to methyl jasmonate treatment, we detected no significant effect on glandular trichome density or LC-MS profile in cultivated or wild sunflower, with wild sunflower exhibiting a declining trend in overall STL production and foliar glandular trichome density of jasmonate-treated plants. These results suggest that glandular trichomes and associated compounds may act as constitutive defenses or require greater levels of stimulus for induction than the observed transcriptional responses to exogenous jasmonate. Reduced defense investment in domesticated lines is consistent with predicted tradeoffs caused by selection for increased yield; future research will focus on the development of genetic resources to explicitly test the ecological roles of glandular trichomes and associated effects on plant growth and fitness.

The transient response for different types of erodable surface thermocouples using finite element analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammed Hussein

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The transient response of erodable surface thermocouples has been numerically assessed by using a two dimensional finite element analysis. Four types of base metal erodable surface thermocouples have been examined in this study, included type-K (alumel-chromel, type-E (chromel-constantan, type-T (copper-constantan, and type-J (iron-constantan with 50 mm thick- ness for each. The practical importance of these types of thermocouples is to be used in internal combustion engine studies and aerodynamics experiments. The step heat flux was applied at the surface of the thermocouple model. The heat flux from the measurements of the surface temperature can be commonly identified by assuming that the heat transfer within these devices is one-dimensional. The surface temperature histories at different positions along the thermocouple are presented. The normalized surface temperature histories at the center of the thermocouple for different types at different response time are also depicted. The thermocouple response to different heat flux variations were considered by using a square heat flux with 2 ms width, a sinusoidal surface heat flux variation width 10 ms period and repeated heat flux variation with 2 ms width. The present results demonstrate that the two dimensional transient heat conduction effects have a significant influence on the surface temperature history measurements made with these devices. It was observed that the surface temperature history and the transient response for thermocouple type-E are higher than that for other types due to the thermal properties of this thermocouple. It was concluded that the thermal properties of the surrounding material do have an impact, but the properties of the thermocouple and the insulation materials also make an important contribution to the net response.

Lateralization and Binaural Interaction of Middle-Latency and Late-Brainstem Components of the Auditory Evoked Response.

Science.gov (United States)

Dykstra, Andrew R; Burchard, Daniel; Starzynski, Christian; Riedel, Helmut; Rupp, Andre; Gutschalk, Alexander

2016-08-01

We used magnetoencephalography to examine lateralization and binaural interaction of the middle-latency and late-brainstem components of the auditory evoked response (the MLR and SN10, respectively). Click stimuli were presented either monaurally, or binaurally with left- or right-leading interaural time differences (ITDs). While early MLR components, including the N19 and P30, were larger for monaural stimuli presented contralaterally (by approximately 30 and 36 % in the left and right hemispheres, respectively), later components, including the N40 and P50, were larger ipsilaterally. In contrast, MLRs elicited by binaural clicks with left- or right-leading ITDs did not differ. Depending on filter settings, weak binaural interaction could be observed as early as the P13 but was clearly much larger for later components, beginning at the P30, indicating some degree of binaural linearity up to early stages of cortical processing. The SN10, an obscure late-brainstem component, was observed consistently in individuals and showed linear binaural additivity. The results indicate that while the MLR is lateralized in response to monaural stimuli-and not ITDs-this lateralization reverses from primarily contralateral to primarily ipsilateral as early as 40 ms post stimulus and is never as large as that seen with fMRI.

Simulating the Impact Response of Composite Airframe Components

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Karen E.; Littell, Justin D.; Fasanella, Edwin L.

2014-01-01

In 2010, NASA Langley Research Center obtained residual hardware from the US Army's Survivable Affordable Repairable Airframe Program (SARAP). The hardware consisted of a composite fuselage section that was representative of the center section of a Black Hawk helicopter. The section was fabricated by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation and designated the Test Validation Article (TVA). The TVA was subjected to a vertical drop test in 2008 to evaluate a tilting roof concept to limit the intrusion of overhead mass items, such as the rotor transmission, into the fuselage cabin. As a result of the 2008 test, damage to the hardware was limited primarily to the roof. Consequently, when the post-test article was obtained in 2010, the roof area was removed and the remaining structure was cut into six different types of test specimens including: (1) tension and compression coupons for material property characterization, (2) I-beam sections, (3) T-sections, (4) cruciform sections, (5) a large subfloor section, and (6) a forward framed fuselage section. In 2011, NASA and Sikorsky entered into a cooperative research agreement to study the impact responses of composite airframe structures and to evaluate the capabilities of the explicit transient dynamic finite element code, LS-DYNA®, to simulate these responses including damage initiation and progressive failure. Finite element models of the composite specimens were developed and impact simulations were performed. The properties of the composite material were represented using both a progressive in-plane damage model (Mat 54) and a continuum damage mechanics model (Mat 58) in LS-DYNA. This paper provides test-analysis comparisons of time history responses and the location and type of damage for representative I-beam, T-section, and cruciform section components.

Light-responsive smart surface with controllable wettability and excellent stability.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yin-Ning; Li, Jin-Jin; Zhang, Qing; Luo, Zheng-Hong

2014-10-21

Novel fluorinated gradient copolymer was designed for smart surface with light-responsive controllable wettability and excellent stability. The switchable mechanism and physicochemical characteristics of the as-prepared surface decorated by designed polymeric material were investigated by ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectrum, scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Thanks to the functional film and surface roughening, etched silicon surface fabricated by copolymer involving spiropyran (Sp) moieties possesses a fairly large variation range of WCA (28.1°) and achieves the transformation between hydrophilicity (95.2° 109.2°) relative to blank sample (109.2°). The synthetic strategy and developed smart surface offer a promising application in coating with controllable wettability, which bridge the gap between chemical structure and material properties.

Prediction of material removal rate and surface roughness for wire electrical discharge machining of nickel using response surface methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thangam Chinnadurai

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This study focuses on investigating the effects of process parameters, namely, Peak current (Ip, Pulse on time (Ton, Pulse off time (Toff, Water pressure (Wp, Wire feed rate (Wf, Wire tension (Wt, Servo voltage (Sv and Servo feed setting (Sfs, on the Material Removal Rate (MRR and Surface Roughness (SR for Wire electrical discharge machining (Wire-EDM of nickel using Taguchi method. Response Surface Methodology (RSM is adopted to evolve mathematical relationships between the wire cutting process parameters and the output variables of the weld joint to determine the welding input parameters that lead to the desired optimal wire cutting quality. Besides, using response surface plots, the interaction effects of process parameters on the responses are analyzed and discussed. The statistical software Mini-tab is used to establish the design and to obtain the regression equations. The developed mathematical models are tested by analysis-of-variance (ANOVA method to check their appropriateness and suitability. Finally, a comparison is made between measured and calculated results, which are in good agreement. This indicates that the developed models can predict the responses accurately and precisely within the limits of cutting parameter being used.

Prediction of material removal rate and surface roughness for wire electrical discharge machining of nickel using response surface methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chinnadurai, T.; Vendan, S.A.

2016-01-01

This study focuses on investigating the effects of process parameters, namely, Peak current (Ip), Pulse on time (Ton), Pulse off time (Toff), Water pressure (Wp), Wire feed rate (Wf), Wire tension (Wt), Servo voltage (Sv) and Servo feed setting (Sfs), on the Material Removal Rate (MRR) and Surface Roughness (SR) for Wire electrical discharge machining (Wire-EDM) of nickel using Taguchi method. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) is adopted to evolve mathematical relationships between the wire cutting process parameters and the output variables of the weld joint to determine the welding input parameters that lead to the desired optimal wire cutting quality. Besides, using response surface plots, the interaction effects of process parameters on the responses are analyzed and discussed. The statistical software Mini-tab is used to establish the design and to obtain the regression equations. The developed mathematical models are tested by analysis-of-variance (ANOVA) method to check their appropriateness and suitability. Finally, a comparison is made between measured and calculated results, which are in good agreement. This indicates that the developed models can predict the responses accurately and precisely within the limits of cutting parameter being used. (Author)

Prediction of material removal rate and surface roughness for wire electrical discharge machining of nickel using response surface methodology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chinnadurai, T.; Vendan, S.A.

2016-07-01

This study focuses on investigating the effects of process parameters, namely, Peak current (Ip), Pulse on time (Ton), Pulse off time (Toff), Water pressure (Wp), Wire feed rate (Wf), Wire tension (Wt), Servo voltage (Sv) and Servo feed setting (Sfs), on the Material Removal Rate (MRR) and Surface Roughness (SR) for Wire electrical discharge machining (Wire-EDM) of nickel using Taguchi method. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) is adopted to evolve mathematical relationships between the wire cutting process parameters and the output variables of the weld joint to determine the welding input parameters that lead to the desired optimal wire cutting quality. Besides, using response surface plots, the interaction effects of process parameters on the responses are analyzed and discussed. The statistical software Mini-tab is used to establish the design and to obtain the regression equations. The developed mathematical models are tested by analysis-of-variance (ANOVA) method to check their appropriateness and suitability. Finally, a comparison is made between measured and calculated results, which are in good agreement. This indicates that the developed models can predict the responses accurately and precisely within the limits of cutting parameter being used. (Author)

Multi-component joint analysis of surface waves

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Dal Moro, Giancarlo; Moura, R.M.M.; Moustafa, S.S.R.

2015-01-01

Roč. 119, AUG (2015), s. 128-138 ISSN 0926-9851 Institutional support: RVO:67985891 Keywords : surface waves * surface wave dispersion * seismic data acquisition * seismic data inversion * velocity spectrum Subject RIV: DB - Geology ; Mineralogy Impact factor: 1.355, year: 2015

Effect of the ODS-4 surfactant and its components on the efficiency of decontamination of solid surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dvorak, J.; Duris, P.

1994-01-01

The efficiency was examined of the desorption of carrier-free traces of 147 Pm adsorbed from an acid aqueous solution at pH 2.6 in static conditions on a paint routinely applied to military facilities. The desorption was performed by using the ODS-4 decontamination and deactivation mixture and its components at various concentrations. It is concluded that the surfactant is not very well suited to the decontamination of solid surfaces contaminated with radionuclides which form the water-soluble component of radioactive contamination (in dependence on pH). This is due to the composition and the associated high alkalinity of the ODS-4 agent, which, however, is necessary if detoxication of toxic agents is required. In practice, however, the efficiency of decontamination will be appreciably higher because the military decontamination procedures involve dynamic (mechanical) treatment of the surfaces using brushes with flowing liquid, pressure application of the surfactant and water, moving baths, etc. (P.A.). 7 tabs., 2 figs., 10 refs

Will surface winds weaken in response to global warming?

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Jian; Foltz, Gregory R.; Soden, Brian J.; Huang, Gang; He, Jie; Dong, Changming

2016-12-01

The surface Walker and tropical tropospheric circulations have been inferred to slow down from historical observations and model projections, yet analysis of large-scale surface wind predictions is lacking. Satellite measurements of surface wind speed indicate strengthening trends averaged over the global and tropical oceans that are supported by precipitation and evaporation changes. Here we use corrected anemometer-based observations to show that the surface wind speed has not decreased in the averaged tropical oceans, despite its reduction in the region of the Walker circulation. Historical simulations and future projections for climate change also suggest a near-zero wind speed trend averaged in space, regardless of the Walker cell change. In the tropics, the sea surface temperature pattern effect acts against the large-scale circulation slow-down. For higher latitudes, the surface winds shift poleward along with the eddy-driven mid-latitude westerlies, resulting in a very small contribution to the global change in surface wind speed. Despite its importance for surface wind speed change, the influence of the SST pattern change on global-mean rainfall is insignificant since it cannot substantially alter the global energy balance. As a result, the precipitation response to global warming remains ‘muted’ relative to atmospheric moisture increase. Our results therefore show consistency between projections and observations of surface winds and precipitation.

Effect of Q-switched Laser Surface Texturing of Titanium on Osteoblast Cell Response

Science.gov (United States)

Voisey, K. T.; Scotchford, C. A.; Martin, L.; Gill, H. S.

Titanium and its alloys are important biomedical materials. It is known that the surface texture of implanted medical devices affects cell response. Control of cell response has the potential to enhance fixation of implants into bone and, in other applications, to prevent undesired cell adhesion. The potential use of a 100W Q-switched YAG laser miller (DMG Lasertec 60 HSC) for texturing titanium is investigated. A series of regular features with dimensions of the order of tens of micrometers are generated in the surface of titanium samples and the cell response to these features is determined. Characterisation of the laser milled features reveals features with a lengthscale of a few microns superposed on the larger scale structures, this is attributed to resolidification of molten droplets generated and propelled over the surface by individual laser pulses. The laser textured samples are exposed to osteoblast cells and it is seen that cells do respond to the features in the laser textured surfaces.

Proceedings of US/Japan workshop, Q219 on high heat flux components and plasma surface interactions for next fusion devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ulrickson, M.A.; Stevens, P.L.; Hino, T.; Hirohata, Y. [eds.

1996-12-01

This report contains the viewgraphs from the proceedings of US/Japan Workshop on High Heat Flux Components and Plasma Surface Interactions for Next Fusion Devices. Some of the general topics covered by this report are: PFC/PSI in tokamak and helical devices; development of high heat flux components; PSIS and plasma facing materials;tritium; and material damage.

Proceedings of US/Japan workshop, Q219 on high heat flux components and plasma surface interactions for next fusion devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ulrickson, M.A.; Stevens, P.L.; Hino, T.; Hirohata, Y.

1996-12-01

This report contains the viewgraphs from the proceedings of US/Japan Workshop on High Heat Flux Components and Plasma Surface Interactions for Next Fusion Devices. Some of the general topics covered by this report are: PFC/PSI in tokamak and helical devices; development of high heat flux components; PSIS and plasma facing materials;tritium; and material damage

Quantitative determination of the intensities of known components in spectra obtained from surface analytical techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelson, G.C.

1984-01-01

Linear least-squares methods have been used to quantitatively decompose experimental data obtained from surface analytical techniques into its separate components. The mathematical procedure for accomplishing this is described and examples are given of the use of this method with data obtained from Auger electron spectroscopy [both N(E) and derivative], x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and low energy ion scattering spectroscopy. The requirements on the quality of the data are discussed

Proceedings of 1999 U.S./Japan Workshop (99FT-05) On High Heat Flux Components and Plasma Surface Interactions for Next Fusion Devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

NYGREN, RICHARD E.; STAVROS, DIANA T.

2000-01-01

The 1999 US-Japan Workshop on High Heat Flux Components and Plasma Surface Interactions in Next Step Fusion Devices was held at the St. Francis Hotel in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on November 1-4, 1999. There were 42 presentations as well as discussion on technical issues and planning for future collaborations. The participants included 22 researchers from Japan and the United States as well as seven researchers from Europe and Russia. There have been important changes in the programs in both the US and Japan in the areas of plasma surface interactions and plasma facing components. The US has moved away from a strong focus on the ITER Project and has introduced new programs on use of liquid surfaces for plasma facing components, and operation of NSTX has begun. In Japan, the Large Helical Device began operation. This is the first large world-class confinement device operating in a magnetic configuration different than a tokamak. In selecting the presentations for this workshop, the organizers sought a balance between research in laboratory facilities or confinement devices related to plasma surface interactions and experimental research in the development of plasma facing components. In discussions about the workshop itself, the participants affirmed their preference for a setting where ''work-in-progress'' could be informally presented and discussed

Electromechanical response of a curved piezoelectric nanobeam with the consideration of surface effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan Zhi; Jiang Liying

2011-01-01

This work investigates the electromechanical response of a curved piezoelectric nanobeam with the consideration of surface effects through the surface-layer-based model and the generalized Young-Laplace equations. For nanoscale piezoelectric structures, the surface effects also include surface piezoelectricity in addition to the residual surface stress and surface elasticity for elastic nanomaterials. A Euler-Bernoulli curved beam theory is used to get the explicit solutions for the electroelastic fields of a curved cantilever beam when subjected to mechanical and electrical loads. In order to apply the appropriate boundary conditions on the beam, effective axial force, shear force and moment are derived. The results indicate that the surface effects play a significant role in the electroelastic fields and the piezoelectric response of the curved piezoelectric nanobeam. It is also found that the coupling of the residual surface stress, the surface elasticity and the surface piezoelectricity may be dramatic despite that the influence of the individual one is small under some circumstances. This study is expected to be useful for design and applications of curved beam based piezoelectric nanodevices, such as the curved nanowires/nanobelts or nanorings as nanoswitches or nanoactuators for displacement control purpose.

Modelling and analysis of tool wear and surface roughness in hard turning of AISI D2 steel using response surface methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Junaid Mir

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The present work deals with some machinability studies on tool wear and surface roughness, in finish hard turning of AISI D2 steel using PCBN, Mixed ceramic and coated carbide inserts. The machining experiments are conducted based on the response surface methodology (RSM. Combined effects of three cutting parameters viz., cutting speed, cutting time and tool hardness on the two performance outputs (i.e. VB and Ra, are explored employing the analysis of variance (ANOVA.The relationship(s between input variables and the response parameters are determined using a quadratic regression model. The results show that the tool wear was influenced principally by the cutting time and in the second level by the cutting tool hardness. On the other hand, cutting time was the dominant factor affecting workpiece surface roughness followed by cutting speed. Finally, the multiple response optimizations of tool wear and surface roughness were carried out using the desirability function approach (DFA.

The utilization of the response surface methodology for the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SERVER

2007-12-03

Dec 3, 2007 ... Drojdiile ca aliment-medicament. In: Anghel I (ed). Biologia si Tehnologia Drojdiilor, vol 2, Editura Tehnica, Bucharest. Shieh CJ, Liao HF, Lee CC (2003). Optimization of lipase-catalyzed biodiesel by response surface methodology, Bioresour. Technol. 88: 103-106. Smigelschi O, Woinarovschy A (1978).

Response Surface Methodology's Steepest Ascent and Step Size Revisited

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kleijnen, J.P.C.; den Hertog, D.; Angun, M.E.

2002-01-01

Response Surface Methodology (RSM) searches for the input combination maximizing the output of a real system or its simulation.RSM is a heuristic that locally fits first-order polynomials, and estimates the corresponding steepest ascent (SA) paths.However, SA is scale-dependent; and its step size is

Modulation of expression of HLA components at the cell surface induced by anti-β2m reagents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ceppellini, R.; Malavasi, F.; Garotta, G.; Trucco, M.

1981-01-01

Antibodies against lymphocyte surface components are able to rearrange profoundly the topography of the cell membrane with a different modulation of surface antigens. Of particular interest is the effect of anti-β2m reagents, which are able to suppress completely the reactivity of epitopes carried by the two chains of the ABC dimers, while the expressivity of other antigens, such as DR, is significantly increased. These results have been obtained with immunoradiobinding under a varity of conditions, thus confirming the validity of the ''bb'' (β2m blanketing) test. (author)

Green ultrasound-assisted extraction of anthocyanin and phenolic compounds from purple sweet potato using response surface methodology

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Zhenzhou; Guan, Qingyan; Guo, Ying; He, Jingren; Liu, Gang; Li, Shuyi; Barba, Francisco J.; Jaffrin, Michel Y.

2016-01-01

Response surface methodology was used to optimize experimental conditions for ultrasound-assisted extraction of valuable components (anthocyanins and phenolics) from purple sweet potatoes using water as a solvent. The Box-Behnken design was used for optimizing extraction responses of anthocyanin extraction yield, phenolic extraction yield, and specific energy consumption. Conditions to obtain maximal anthocyanin extraction yield, maximal phenolic extraction yield, and minimal specific energy consumption were different; an overall desirability function was used to search for overall optimal conditions: extraction temperature of 68ºC, ultrasonic treatment time of 52 min, and a liquid/solid ratio of 20. The optimized anthocyanin extraction yield, phenolic extraction yield, and specific energy consumption were 4.91 mg 100 g-1 fresh weight, 3.24 mg g-1 fresh weight, and 2.07 kWh g-1, respectively, with a desirability of 0.99. This study indicates that ultrasound-assisted extraction should contribute to a green process for valorization of purple sweet potatoes.

How weather impacts the forced climate response

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kirtman, Ben P. [University of Miami, Division of Meteorology and Physical Oceanography, Rosenstiel School for Atmospheric and Marine Science, Miami, FL (United States); Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies, Calverton, MD (United States); Schneider, Edwin K.; Straus, David M. [George Mason University, Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Earth Sciences, Fairfax, VA (United States); Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies, Calverton, MD (United States); Min, Dughong; Burgman, Robert [University of Miami, Division of Meteorology and Physical Oceanography, Rosenstiel School for Atmospheric and Marine Science, Miami, FL (United States)

2011-12-15

The new interactive ensemble modeling strategy is used to diagnose how noise due to internal atmospheric dynamics impacts the forced climate response during the twentieth century (i.e., 1870-1999). The interactive ensemble uses multiple realizations of the atmospheric component model coupled to a single realization of the land, ocean and ice component models in order to reduce the noise due to internal atmospheric dynamics in the flux exchange at the interface of the component models. A control ensemble of so-called climate of the twentieth century simulations of the Community Climate Simulation Model version 3 (CCSM3) are compared with a similar simulation with the interactive ensemble version of CCSM3. Despite substantial differences in the overall mean climate, the global mean trends in surface temperature, 500 mb geopotential and precipitation are largely indistinguishable between the control ensemble and the interactive ensemble. Large differences in the forced response; however, are detected particularly in the surface temperature of the North Atlantic. Associated with the forced North Atlantic surface temperature differences are local differences in the forced precipitation and a substantial remote rainfall response in the deep tropical Pacific. We also introduce a simple variance analysis to separately compare the variance due to noise and the forced response. We find that the noise variance is decreased when external forcing is included. In terms of the forced variance, we find that the interactive ensemble increases this variance relative to the control. (orig.)

Simulation and analysis of surface scintillator signals at the Pierre Auger Observatory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schmidt, David; Veberic, Darko; Roth, Markus [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe (Germany); Collaboration: Pierre-Auger-Collaboration

2016-07-01

To improve reconstruction of cosmic ray primary mass, the Pierre Auger Observatory is upgrading its surface detectors by installing a scintillator on top of each existing water Cherenkov tank. The different responses of the coupled detectors to the components of extensive air showers facilitates estimation of the number of muons reaching Earth's surface, which is correlated with primary mass. Geant4 and the Offline framework are used to simulate the detectors' responses, construct signal traces for individual particle components, and calculate total expected signals. This enables assessment of proposed reconstruction algorithms. An overview of the simulations and selected algorithms is presented here.

An analytical solution to calculate bulk mole fractions for any number of components in aerosol droplets after considering partitioning to a surface layer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Topping

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Calculating the equilibrium composition of atmospheric aerosol particles, using all variations of Köhler theory, has largely assumed that the total solute concentrations define both the water activity and surface tension. Recently however, bulk to surface phase partitioning has been postulated as a process which significantly alters the predicted point of activation. In this paper, an analytical solution to calculate the removal of material from a bulk to a surface layer in aerosol particles has been derived using a well established and validated surface tension framework. The applicability to an unlimited number of components is possible via reliance on data from each binary system. Whilst assumptions regarding behaviour at the surface layer have been made to facilitate derivation, it is proposed that the framework presented can capture the overall impact of bulk-surface partitioning. Demonstrations of the equations for two and five component mixtures are given while comparisons are made with more detailed frameworks capable at modelling ternary systems at higher levels of complexity. Predictions made by the model across a range of surface active properties should be tested against measurements. Indeed, reccomendations are given for experimental validation and to assess sensitivities to accuracy and required level of complexity within large scale frameworks. Importantly, the computational efficiency of using the solution presented in this paper is roughly a factor of 20 less than a similar iterative approach, a comparison with highly coupled approaches not available beyond a 3 component system.

Surface tensions of multi-component mixed inorganic/organic aqueous systems of atmospheric significance: measurements, model predictions and importance for cloud activation predictions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. O. Topping

2007-01-01

Full Text Available In order to predict the physical properties of aerosol particles, it is necessary to adequately capture the behaviour of the ubiquitous complex organic components. One of the key properties which may affect this behaviour is the contribution of the organic components to the surface tension of aqueous particles in the moist atmosphere. Whilst the qualitative effect of organic compounds on solution surface tensions has been widely reported, our quantitative understanding on mixed organic and mixed inorganic/organic systems is limited. Furthermore, it is unclear whether models that exist in the literature can reproduce the surface tension variability for binary and higher order multi-component organic and mixed inorganic/organic systems of atmospheric significance. The current study aims to resolve both issues to some extent. Surface tensions of single and multiple solute aqueous solutions were measured and compared with predictions from a number of model treatments. On comparison with binary organic systems, two predictive models found in the literature provided a range of values resulting from sensitivity to calculations of pure component surface tensions. Results indicate that a fitted model can capture the variability of the measured data very well, producing the lowest average percentage deviation for all compounds studied. The performance of the other models varies with compound and choice of model parameters. The behaviour of ternary mixed inorganic/organic systems was unreliably captured by using a predictive scheme and this was dependent on the composition of the solutes present. For more atmospherically representative higher order systems, entirely predictive schemes performed poorly. It was found that use of the binary data in a relatively simple mixing rule, or modification of an existing thermodynamic model with parameters derived from binary data, was able to accurately capture the surface tension variation with concentration. Thus

Other components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1993-01-01

This chapter includes descriptions of electronic and mechanical components which do not merit a chapter to themselves. Other hardware requires mention because of particularly high tolerance or intolerance of exposure to radiation. A more systematic analysis of radiation responses of structures which are definable by material was given in section 3.8. The components discussed here are field effect transistors, transducers, temperature sensors, magnetic components, superconductors, mechanical sensors, and miscellaneous electronic components

Variability of emissivity and surface temperature over a sparsely vegetated surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Humes, K.S.; Kustas, W.P.; Moran, M.S.; Nichols, W.D.; Weltz, M.A.

1994-01-01

Radiometric surface temperatures obtained from remote sensing measurements are a function of both the physical surface temperature and the effective emissivity of the surface within the band pass of the radiometric measurement. For sparsely vegetated areas, however, a sensor views significant fractions of both bare soil and various vegetation types. In this case the radiometric response of a sensor is a function of the emissivities and kinetic temperatures of various surface elements, the proportion of those surface elements within the field of view of the sensor, and the interaction of radiation emitted from the various surface components. In order to effectively utilize thermal remote sensing data to quantify energy balance components for a sparsely vegetated area, it is important to examine the typical magnitude and degree of variability of emissivity and surface temperature for such surfaces. Surface emissivity measurements and ground and low-altitude-aircraft-based surface temperature measurements (8-13 micrometer band pass) made in conjunction with the Monsoon '90 field experiment were used to evaluate the typical variability of those quantities during the summer rainy season in a semiarid watershed. The average value for thermal band emissivity of the exposed bare soil portions of the surface was found to be approximately 0.96; the average value measured for most of the varieties of desert shrubs present was approximately 0.99. Surface composite emissivity was estimated to be approximately 0.98 for both the grass-dominated and shrub-dominated portions of the watershed. The spatial variability of surface temperature was found to be highly dependent on the spatial scale of integration for the instantaneous field of view (IFOV) of the instrument, the spatial scale of the total area under evaluation, and the time of day

Specific IgE response to different grass pollen allergen components in children undergoing sublingual immunotherapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcucci Francesco

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Grass pollen is a major cause of respiratory allergy worldwide and contain a number of allergens, some of theme (Phl p 1, Phl p 2, Phl p 5, and Phl 6 from Phleum pratense, and their homologous in other grasses are known as major allergens. The administration of grass pollen extracts by immunotherapy generally induces an initial rise in specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE production followed by a progressive decline during the treatment. Some studies reported that immunotherapy is able to induce a de novo sensitisation to allergen component previously unrecognized. Methods We investigated in 30 children (19 males and 11 females, mean age 11.3 years, 19 treated with sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT by a 5-grass extract and 11 untreated, the sIgE and sIgG4 response to the different allergen components. Results Significant increases (p  Conclusions These findings confirm that the initial phase of SLIT with a grass pollen extract enhances the sIgE synthesis and show that the sIgE response concerns the same allergen components which induce IgE reactivity during natural exposure.

Proposal of a method for evaluating tsunami risk using response-surface methodology

Science.gov (United States)

Fukutani, Y.

2017-12-01

Information on probabilistic tsunami inundation hazards is needed to define and evaluate tsunami risk. Several methods for calculating these hazards have been proposed (e.g. Løvholt et al. (2012), Thio (2012), Fukutani et al. (2014), Goda et al. (2015)). However, these methods are inefficient, and their calculation cost is high, since they require multiple tsunami numerical simulations, therefore lacking versatility. In this study, we proposed a simpler method for tsunami risk evaluation using response-surface methodology. Kotani et al. (2016) proposed an evaluation method for the probabilistic distribution of tsunami wave-height using a response-surface methodology. We expanded their study and developed a probabilistic distribution of tsunami inundation depth. We set the depth (x1) and the slip (x2) of an earthquake fault as explanatory variables and tsunami inundation depth (y) as an object variable. Subsequently, tsunami risk could be evaluated by conducting a Monte Carlo simulation, assuming that the generation probability of an earthquake follows a Poisson distribution, the probability distribution of tsunami inundation depth follows the distribution derived from a response-surface, and the damage probability of a target follows a log normal distribution. We applied the proposed method to a wood building located on the coast of Tokyo Bay. We implemented a regression analysis based on the results of 25 tsunami numerical calculations and developed a response-surface, which was defined as y=ax1+bx2+c (a:0.2615, b:3.1763, c=-1.1802). We assumed proper probabilistic distribution for earthquake generation, inundation height, and vulnerability. Based on these probabilistic distributions, we conducted Monte Carlo simulations of 1,000,000 years. We clarified that the expected damage probability of the studied wood building is 22.5%, assuming that an earthquake occurs. The proposed method is therefore a useful and simple way to evaluate tsunami risk using a response-surface

Proceedings of 1999 U.S./Japan Workshop (99FT-05) On High Heat Flux Components and Plasma Surface Interactions for Next Fusion Devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NYGREN,RICHARD E.; STAVROS,DIANA T.

2000-06-01

The 1999 US-Japan Workshop on High Heat Flux Components and Plasma Surface Interactions in Next Step Fusion Devices was held at the St. Francis Hotel in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on November 1-4, 1999. There were 42 presentations as well as discussion on technical issues and planning for future collaborations. The participants included 22 researchers from Japan and the United States as well as seven researchers from Europe and Russia. There have been important changes in the programs in both the US and Japan in the areas of plasma surface interactions and plasma facing components. The US has moved away from a strong focus on the ITER Project and has introduced new programs on use of liquid surfaces for plasma facing components, and operation of NSTX has begun. In Japan, the Large Helical Device began operation. This is the first large world-class confinement device operating in a magnetic configuration different than a tokamak. In selecting the presentations for this workshop, the organizers sought a balance between research in laboratory facilities or confinement devices related to plasma surface interactions and experimental research in the development of plasma facing components. In discussions about the workshop itself, the participants affirmed their preference for a setting where ''work-in-progress'' could be informally presented and discussed.

Surface mu heavy chain signals down-regulation of the V(D)J-recombinase machinery in the absence of surrogate light chain components.

Science.gov (United States)

Galler, Gunther R; Mundt, Cornelia; Parker, Mathew; Pelanda, Roberta; Mårtensson, Inga-Lill; Winkler, Thomas H

2004-06-07

Early B cell development is characterized by stepwise, ordered rearrangement of the immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy (HC) and light (LC) chain genes. Only one of the two alleles of these genes is used to produce a receptor, a phenomenon referred to as allelic exclusion. It has been suggested that pre-B cell receptor (pre-BCR) signals are responsible for down-regulation of the VDJH-recombinase machinery (Rag1, Rag2, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase [TdT]), thereby preventing further rearrangement on the second HC allele. Using a mouse model, we show that expression of an inducible muHC transgene in Rag2-/- pro-B cells induces down-regulation of the following: (a) TdT protein, (b) a transgenic green fluorescent protein reporter reflecting endogenous Rag2 expression, and (c) Rag1 primary transcripts. Similar effects were also observed in the absence of surrogate LC (SLC) components, but not in the absence of the signaling subunit Ig-alpha. Furthermore, in wild-type mice and in mice lacking either lambda5, VpreB1/2, or the entire SLC, the TdT protein is down-regulated in muHC+LC- pre-B cells. Surprisingly, muHC without LC is expressed on the surface of pro-/pre-B cells from lambda5-/-, VpreB1-/-VpreB2-/-, and SLC-/- mice. Thus, SLC or LC is not required for muHC cell surface expression and signaling in these cells. Therefore, these findings offer an explanation for the occurrence of HC allelic exclusion in mice lacking SLC components.

A comparison of response spectrum and direct integration analysis methods as applied to a nuclear component support structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bryan, B.J.; Flanders, H.E. Jr.

1992-01-01

Seismic qualification of Class I nuclear components is accomplished using a variety of analytical methods. This paper compares the results of time history dynamic analyses of a heat exchanger support structure using response spectrum and time history direct integration analysis methods. Dynamic analysis is performed on the detailed component models using the two methods. A nonlinear elastic model is used for both the response spectrum and direct integration methods. A nonlinear model which includes friction and nonlinear springs, is analyzed using time history input by direct integration. The loads from the three cases are compared

Verification of the local structural response of building structures in the anchorage areas of heavy components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krutzik, N.J.; Tropp, R.

1993-01-01

In both nuclear and non-nuclear areas of power plants, sections of structures, parts of systems and components are attached to walls and floors by means of anchor plates with bolts, anchor sleeves and bolts and through bolts arranged either in groups or individually. In order to simplify the determination of the transfered vibrations induced by external events (e.g. earthquake, aircraft crash), it is normally assumed that the nodal point between component and concrete possesses rigid body characteristics and the building structure (walls, floors) is also inflexible in the anchorage area. In the course of the parametric studies performed, the nonlinear effects on the anchorage area of a component (in this case an anchor plate and concrete slab) were calculated and the effect of these on the actual vibration behavior and the local structural responses of the building structure at the place of installation of heavy components were investigated. The investigations performed reveal that by taking into account the local behaviour in the anchoring point, it is possible to reduce the dynamic response considerably. More detailed examination of the influence of additional parameters (especially of the geometry of the anchor plates and anchor bolts and their material characteristics) will require further investigations aimed at establishing the characteristics of typical anchor plates. (orig.)

Application of Response Surface Methodology (RSM) for wastewater of hospital by using electrocoagulation

Science.gov (United States)

Murdani; Jakfar; Ekawati, D.; Nadira, R.; Darmadi

2018-04-01

Hospital wastewater is a source of potential environmental contamination. Therefore, the waste water needs to be treated before it is discharged into the landfill. Various research methods have been used to treat hospital wastewater. However, some methods that have been implemented have not achieved the effluent standards for hospitals that have been set by the government. The experiment was conducted by an electrochemical method is electrolysis using aluminum electrodes with independent variable is the voltage, contact time and concentration of electrolytes. The response optimization using response surface with optimum conditions obtained by the contact time of 34.26 min, voltage 12 V, concentration electrolyte 0.38 M can decrease of COD 65.039%. The model recommended by the response surface for the three variables, namely quadratic response.

Femtosecond tunneling response of surface plasmon polaritons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Keil, Ulrich Dieter Felix; Ha, Taekjip; Jensen, Jacob Riis

1998-01-01

We obtain femtosecond (200 fs) time resolution using a scanning tunneling microscope on surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) generated by two 100 fs laser beams in total internal reflection geometry. The tunneling gap dependence of the signal clearly indicates the tunneling origin of the signal...... and suggests that nanometer spatial resolution can be obtained together with femtosecond temporal resolution. This fast response, in contrast to the picosecond decay time of SPPs revealed by differential reflectivity measurements, can be attributed to a coherent superposition of SPPs rectified at the tunneling...

Reliability Evaluation of Bridges Based on Nonprobabilistic Response Surface Limit Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xuyong Chen

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Due to many uncertainties in nonprobabilistic reliability assessment of bridges, the limit state function is generally unknown. The traditional nonprobabilistic response surface method is a lengthy and oscillating iteration process and leads to difficultly solving the nonprobabilistic reliability index. This article proposes a nonprobabilistic response surface limit method based on the interval model. The intention of this method is to solve the upper and lower limits of the nonprobabilistic reliability index and to narrow the range of the nonprobabilistic reliability index. If the range of the reliability index reduces to an acceptable accuracy, the solution will be considered convergent, and the nonprobabilistic reliability index will be obtained. The case study indicates that using the proposed method can avoid oscillating iteration process, make iteration process stable and convergent, reduce iteration steps significantly, and improve computational efficiency and precision significantly compared with the traditional nonprobabilistic response surface method. Finally, the nonprobabilistic reliability evaluation process of bridge will be built through evaluating the reliability of one PC continuous rigid frame bridge with three spans using the proposed method, which appears to be more simple and reliable when lack of samples and parameters in the bridge nonprobabilistic reliability evaluation is present.

Differential Contribution of RNA Interference Components in Response to Distinct Fusarium graminearum Virus Infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Jisuk; Lee, Kyung-Mi; Cho, Won Kyong; Park, Ju Yeon; Kim, Kook-Hyung

2018-05-01

The mechanisms of RNA interference (RNAi) as a defense response against viruses remain unclear in many plant-pathogenic fungi. In this study, we used reverse genetics and virus-derived small RNA profiling to investigate the contributions of RNAi components to the antiviral response against Fusarium graminearum viruses 1 to 3 (FgV1, -2, and -3). Real-time reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) indicated that infection of Fusarium graminearum by FgV1, -2, or -3 differentially induces the gene expression of RNAi components in F. graminearum Transcripts of the DICER-2 and AGO-1 genes of F. graminearum ( FgDICER-2 and FgAGO-1 ) accumulated at lower levels following FgV1 infection than following FgV2 or FgV3 infection. We constructed gene disruption and overexpression mutants for each of the Argonaute and dicer genes and for two RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) genes and generated virus-infected strains of each mutant. Interestingly, mycelial growth was significantly faster for the FgV1-infected FgAGO-1 overexpression mutant than for the FgV1-infected wild type, while neither FgV2 nor FgV3 infection altered the colony morphology of the gene deletion and overexpression mutants. FgV1 RNA accumulation was significantly decreased in the FgAGO-1 overexpression mutant. Furthermore, the levels of induction of FgAGO-1 , FgDICER-2 , and some of the FgRdRP genes caused by FgV2 and FgV3 infection were similar to those caused by hairpin RNA-induced gene silencing. Using small RNA sequencing analysis, we documented different patterns of virus-derived small interfering RNA (vsiRNA) production in strains infected with FgV1, -2, and -3. Our results suggest that the Argonaute protein encoded by FgAGO-1 is required for RNAi in F. graminearum , that FgAGO-1 induction differs in response to FgV1, -2, and -3, and that FgAGO-1 might contribute to the accumulation of vsiRNAs in FgV1-infected F. graminearum IMPORTANCE To increase our understanding of how RNAi components in Fusarium

Near 7-day response of ocean bottom pressure to atmospheric surface pressure and winds in the northern South China Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Kun; Zhu, Xiao-Hua; Zhao, Ruixiang

2018-02-01

Ocean bottom pressures, observed by five pressure-recording inverted echo sounders (PIESs) from October 2012 to July 2014, exhibit strong near 7-day variability in the northern South China Sea (SCS) where long-term in situ bottom pressure observations are quite sparse. This variability was strongest in October 2013 during the near two years observation period. By joint analysis with European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) data, it is shown that the near 7-day ocean bottom pressure variability is closely related to the local atmospheric surface pressure and winds. Within a period band near 7 days, there are high coherences, exceeding 95% significance level, of observed ocean bottom pressure with local atmospheric surface pressure and with both zonal and meridional components of the wind. Ekman pumping/suction caused by the meridional component of the wind in particular, is suggested as one driving mechanism. A Kelvin wave response to the near 7-day oscillation would propagate down along the continental slope, observed at the Qui Nhon in the Vietnam. By multiple and partial coherence analyses, we find that local atmospheric surface pressure and Ekman pumping/suction show nearly equal influence on ocean bottom pressure variability at near 7-day periods. A schematic diagram representing an idealized model gives us a possible mechanism to explain the relationship between ocean bottom pressure and local atmospheric forcing at near 7-day periods in the northern SCS.

Minimization of Surface Roughness and Tool Vibration in CNC Milling Operation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sukhdev S. Bhogal

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Tool vibration and surface roughness are two important parameters which affect the quality of the component and tool life which indirectly affect the component cost. In this paper, the effect of cutting parameters on tool vibration, and surface roughness has been investigated during end milling of EN-31 tool steel. Response surface methodology (RSM has been used to develop mathematical model for predicting surface finish, tool vibration and tool wear with different combinations of cutting parameters. The experimental results show that feed rate is the most dominating parameter affecting surface finish, whereas cutting speed is the major factor effecting tool vibration. The results of mathematical model are in agreement with experimental investigations done to validate the mathematical model.

Prefrontal cortex activity is associated with biobehavioral components of the stress response

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muriah D Wheelock

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Contemporary theory suggests that prefrontal cortex (PFC function is associated with individual variability in the psychobiology of the stress response. Advancing our understanding of this complex biobehavioral pathway has potential to provide insight into processes that determine individual differences in stress susceptibility. The present study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI to examine brain activity during a variation of the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST in fifty-three young adults. Salivary cortisol was assessed as an index of the stress response, trait anxiety was assessed as an index of an individual’s disposition towards negative affectivity, and self-reported stress was assessed as an index of an individual’s subjective psychological experience. Heart rate and skin conductance responses were also assessed as additional measures of physiological reactivity. Dorsomedial PFC, dorsolateral PFC, and inferior parietal lobule demonstrated differential activity during the MIST. Further, differences in salivary cortisol reactivity to the MIST were associated with ventromedial PFC and posterior cingulate activity, while trait anxiety and self-reported stress were associated with dorsomedial and ventromedial PFC activity respectively. These findings underscore that PFC activity regulates behavioral and psychobiological components of the stress response.

Preparation of antinutrients-reduced dhokla using response surface process optimisation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sharma, Anand; Kumari, Sarita; Nout, Martinus J.R.; Sarkar, Prabir K.

2018-01-01

Dhokla, a popular indigenous savoury dish of India, is prepared by soaking bengalgram dal and rice, grinding separately, mixing the batters, and spontaneously fermenting and steaming of mixed batter. Central composite rotatable response surface designs for soaking, fermentation and steaming at

Response of surface buoy moorings in steady and wave flows

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Anand, N.M.; Nayak, B.U.; SanilKumar, V.

A numerical model has been developed to evaluate the dynamics of surface buoy mooring systems under wave and current loading. System tension response and variation of tension in the mooring line at various depths have been evaluated for deep water...

An Effective Vacuum Assisted Extraction Method for the Optimization of Labdane Diterpenoids from Andrographis paniculata by Response Surface Methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ya-Qi Wang

2014-12-01

Full Text Available An effective vacuum assisted extraction (VAE technique was proposed for the first time and applied to extract bioactive components from Andrographis paniculata. The process was carefully optimized by response surface methodology (RSM. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the best results were obtained using a boiling temperature of 65 °C, 50% ethanol concentration, 16 min of extraction time, one extraction cycles and a 12:1 liquid-solid ratio. Compared with conventional ultrasonic assisted extraction and heat reflux extraction, the VAE technique gave shorter extraction times and remarkable higher extraction efficiency, which indicated that a certain degree of vacuum gave the solvent a better penetration of the solvent into the pores and between the matrix particles, and enhanced the process of mass transfer. The present results demonstrated that VAE is an efficient, simple and fast method for extracting bioactive components from A. paniculata, which shows great potential for becoming an alternative technique for industrial scale-up applications.

An effective vacuum assisted extraction method for the optimization of labdane diterpenoids from Andrographis paniculata by response surface methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ya-Qi; Wu, Zhen-Feng; Ke, Gang; Yang, Ming

2014-12-31

An effective vacuum assisted extraction (VAE) technique was proposed for the first time and applied to extract bioactive components from Andrographis paniculata. The process was carefully optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). Under the optimized experimental conditions, the best results were obtained using a boiling temperature of 65 °C, 50% ethanol concentration, 16 min of extraction time, one extraction cycles and a 12:1 liquid-solid ratio. Compared with conventional ultrasonic assisted extraction and heat reflux extraction, the VAE technique gave shorter extraction times and remarkable higher extraction efficiency, which indicated that a certain degree of vacuum gave the solvent a better penetration of the solvent into the pores and between the matrix particles, and enhanced the process of mass transfer. The present results demonstrated that VAE is an efficient, simple and fast method for extracting bioactive components from A. paniculata, which shows great potential for becoming an alternative technique for industrial scale-up applications.

Response surface optimization of carbon and nitrogen sources for nuclease P1 production by Penicillium citrinum F-5-5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang Xinle; Huang Yingying; Zhang Hong; Chen Min; Liu Xuan

2011-01-01

Penicillium citrinum F-5-5, a nuclease P1 high-producing strain with 978.6 U/ml in potato glucose medium, was derived from the original Penicillium citrinum CICC 4011 with 60 Co γ-rays irradiation mutation and then protoplasts fusion treatment. Culture components were optimized for the nuclease P1 production, and response surface methodology was applied for the critical medium components(carbon and nitrogen sources) which were preselected by Plackett-Burman design approach. Glucose, soluble starch and corn steep powder showed significant effects on production of nuclease. Central composite design was used for the optimization levels by software Minitab 15, and it showed that, the optimal values for the concentration of glucose, soluble starch and corn steep powder were 30.89, 42.46 and 11.60 g/L, respectively. With this medium,an enzyme activity of 1687.16 U/ml could be obtained theoretically. Using this optimized medium, an experimental enzyme activity of 1672.6 U/ml was reached. (authors)

Additive Manufacturing Thermal Performance Testing of Single Channel GRCop-84 SLM Components

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia, Chance P.; Cross, Matthew

2014-01-01

The surface finish found on components manufactured by sinter laser manufacturing (SLM) is rougher (0.013 - 0.0006 inches) than parts made using traditional fabrication methods. Internal features and passages built into SLM components do not readily allow for roughness reduction processes. Alternatively, engineering literature suggests that the roughness of a surface can enhance thermal performance within a pressure drop regime. To further investigate the thermal performance of SLM fabricated pieces, several GRCop-84 SLM single channel components were tested using a thermal conduction rig at MSFC. A 20 kW power source running at 25% duty cycle and 25% power level applied heat to each component while varying water flow rates between 2.1 - 6.2 gallons/min (GPM) at a supply pressure of 550 to 700 psi. Each test was allowed to reach quasi-steady state conditions where pressure, temperature, and thermal imaging data were recorded. Presented in this work are the heat transfer responses compared to a traditional machined OHFC Copper test section. An analytical thermal model was constructed to anchor theoretical models with the empirical data.

Effect of surface loading on the hydro-mechanical response of a tunnel in saturated ground

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simon Heru Prassetyo

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The design of underground spaces in urban areas must account not only for the current overburden load but also for future surface loads, such as from construction of high-rise buildings above underground structures. In saturated ground, the surface load will generate an additional mechanical response through stress changes and ground displacement, as well as a hydraulic response through pore pressure changes. These hydro-mechanical (H-M changes can severely influence tunnel stability. This paper examines the effect of surface loading on the H-M response of a typical horseshoe-shaped tunnel in saturated ground. Two tunnel models were created in the computer code Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua (FLAC. One model represented weak and low permeability ground (stiff clay, and the other represented strong and high permeability ground (weathered granite. Each of the models was run under two liner permeabilities: permeable and impermeable. Two main cases were compared. In Case 1, the surface load was applied 10 years after tunnel construction. In Case 2, the surface load was applied after the steady state pore pressure condition was achieved. The simulation results show that tunnels with impermeable liners experienced the most severe influence from the surface loading, with high pore pressures, large inward displacement around the tunnels, and high bending moments in the liner. In addition, the severity of the response increased toward steady state. This induced H-M response was worse for tunnels in clay than for those in granite. Furthermore, the long-term liner stabilities in Case 1 and Case 2 were similar, indicating that the influence of the length of time between when the tunnel was completed and when the surface load was applied was negligible. These findings suggest that under surface loading, in addition to the ground strength, tunnel stability in saturated ground is largely influenced by liner permeability and the long-term H-M response of

Trypanosoma cruzi. Surface antigens of blood and culture forms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nogueira, N.; Chaplan, S.; Tydings, J.D.; Unkeless, J.; Cohn, Z.

1981-01-01

The surface polypeptides of both cultured and blood forms of Trypanosoma cruzi were iodinated by the glucose oxidase-lactoperoxidase technique. Blood-form trypomastigotes (BFT) isolated form infected mice displayed a major 90,000-Mr component. In contrast, both epimastigotes and trypomastigotes obtained form acellular cultures expressed a smaller 75,000-Mr peptide. Both major surface components were presumably glycoproteins in terms of their binding to concanavalin A-Sepharose 4B. Within a 3-h period, both blood and culture forms synthesized their respective surface glycoproteins (90,000 Mr and 75,000 Mr, respectively in vitro. [/sub 35/S]methionine-labeled surface peptides were immunoprecipitated with immune sera of both human and murine origin. A panel of sera form patients with chronic Chagas' disease and hyperimmunized mice recognized similar surface peptides. These immunogens were the same components as the major iodinated species. The major BFT surface peptide was readily removed by trypsin treatment of the parasites, although the procedure did not affect the 75,000-Mr peptide from the culture forms. Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that the 90,000-Mr peptide found on BFT was an acidic protein of isoelectric point (pI) 5.0, whereas, the 75,000-Mr peptide form culture-form trypomastigotes has a pI of 7.2. The 90,000-Mr component is thought to be responsible for the anti-phagocytic properties of the BFT

RACLETTE: a model for evaluating the thermal response of plasma facing components to slow high power plasma transients. Part I: Theory and description of model capabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Raffray, A. René; Federici, Gianfranco

1997-04-01

RACLETTE (Rate Analysis Code for pLasma Energy Transfer Transient Evaluation), a comprehensive but relatively simple and versatile model, was developed to help in the design analysis of plasma facing components (PFCs) under 'slow' high power transients, such as those associated with plasma vertical displacement events. The model includes all the key surface heat transfer processes such as evaporation, melting, and radiation, and their interaction with the PFC block thermal response and the coolant behaviour. This paper represents part I of two sister and complementary papers. It covers the model description, calibration and validation, and presents a number of parametric analyses shedding light on and identifying trends in the PFC armour block response to high plasma energy deposition transients. Parameters investigated include the plasma energy density and deposition time, the armour thickness and the presence of vapour shielding effects. Part II of the paper focuses on specific design analyses of ITER plasma facing components (divertor, limiter, primary first wall and baffle), including improvements in the thermal-hydraulic modeling required for better understanding the consequences of high energy deposition transients in particular for the ITER limiter case.

RACLETTE: a model for evaluating the thermal response of plasma facing components to slow high power plasma transients. Pt. I. Theory and description of model capabilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raffray, A.R.; Federici, G.

1997-01-01

For pt.II see ibid., p.101-30, 1997. RACLETTE (Rate Analysis Code for pLasma Energy Transfer Transient Evaluation), a comprehensive but relatively simple and versatile model, was developed to help in the design analysis of plasma facing components (PFCs) under 'slow' high power transients, such as those associated with plasma vertical displacement events. The model includes all the key surface heat transfer processes such as evaporation, melting, and radiation, and their interaction with the PFC block thermal response and the coolant behaviour. This paper represents part I of two sister and complementary papers. It covers the model description, calibration and validation, and presents a number of parametric analyses shedding light on and identifying trends in the PFC armour block response to high plasma energy deposition transients. Parameters investigated include the plasma energy density and deposition time, the armour thickness and the presence of vapour shielding effects. Part II of the paper focuses on specific design analyses of ITER plasma facing components (divertor, limiter, primary first wall and baffle), including improvements in the thermal-hydraulic modeling required for better understanding the consequences of high energy deposition transients in particular for the ITER limiter case. (orig.)

An optimal design of wind turbine and ship structure based on neuro-response surface method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jae-Chul Lee

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The geometry of engineering systems affects their performances. For this reason, the shape of engineering systems needs to be optimized in the initial design stage. However, engineering system design problems consist of multi-objective optimization and the performance analysis using commercial code or numerical analysis is generally time-consuming. To solve these problems, many engineers perform the optimization using the approximation model (response surface. The Response Surface Method (RSM is generally used to predict the system performance in engi-neering research field, but RSM presents some prediction errors for highly nonlinear systems. The major objective of this research is to establish an optimal design method for multi-objective problems and confirm its applicability. The proposed process is composed of three parts: definition of geometry, generation of response surface, and optimization process. To reduce the time for performance analysis and minimize the prediction errors, the approximation model is generated using the Backpropagation Artificial Neural Network (BPANN which is considered as Neuro-Response Surface Method (NRSM. The optimization is done for the generated response surface by non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II. Through case studies of marine system and ship structure (substructure of floating offshore wind turbine considering hydrodynamics performances and bulk carrier bottom stiffened panels considering structure performance, we have confirmed the applicability of the proposed method for multi-objective side constraint optimization problems.

An optimal design of wind turbine and ship structure based on neuro-response surface method

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jae-Chul; Shin, Sung-Chul; Kim, Soo-Young

2015-07-01

The geometry of engineering systems affects their performances. For this reason, the shape of engineering systems needs to be optimized in the initial design stage. However, engineering system design problems consist of multi-objective optimization and the performance analysis using commercial code or numerical analysis is generally time-consuming. To solve these problems, many engineers perform the optimization using the approximation model (response surface). The Response Surface Method (RSM) is generally used to predict the system performance in engineering research field, but RSM presents some prediction errors for highly nonlinear systems. The major objective of this research is to establish an optimal design method for multi-objective problems and confirm its applicability. The proposed process is composed of three parts: definition of geometry, generation of response surface, and optimization process. To reduce the time for performance analysis and minimize the prediction errors, the approximation model is generated using the Backpropagation Artificial Neural Network (BPANN) which is considered as Neuro-Response Surface Method (NRSM). The optimization is done for the generated response surface by non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II). Through case studies of marine system and ship structure (substructure of floating offshore wind turbine considering hydrodynamics performances and bulk carrier bottom stiffened panels considering structure performance), we have confirmed the applicability of the proposed method for multi-objective side constraint optimization problems.

Biological response of Sr-containing coating with various surface treatments on titanium substrate for medical applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Shih-Ping [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan (China); Lee, Tzer-Min, E-mail: tmlee@mail.ncku.edu.tw [Institute of Oral Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan (China); School of Dentistry, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Lui, Truan-Sheng [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan (China)

2015-08-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Sr-containing coating prepared by plasma spraying and micro-arc oxidation process, respectively. • MAO coating stimulated high ECM-like structures of cells on early stage. • Sr-containing specimens had high cell responses on late stage. • Sr-MAO coating is a desirable implant surface treatment for clinical applications. - Abstract: An implant requires a suitable surface to trigger osteointegration. The surface characteristics and chemical composition are important factors in this process. Plasma spraying and micro-arc oxidation can be used to fabricate rough and porous structures for medical applications. Strontium (Sr) has been shown to prevent osteoporosis in vitro and in vivo. However, few scientists have evaluated the biological response of Sr-containing coatings on different surface treatments. In this study, a sand-blasted (SB) surface (as the control), plasma-sprayed hydroxyapatite (HA) and Sr-substituted HA coatings (HAPS and SrHAPS, respectively), calcium phosphate and Sr-containing calcium phosphate micro-arc oxidation surface (CPM and SrCPM, respectively) were analyzed in terms of human osteoblastic cell (MG63) response. Sr was confirmed to be incorporated into the surface. SrHAPS and SrCPM specimens had higher cell responses than those of the HAPS and CPM groups, respectively. The cells cultured on SrCPM and SrHAPS specimens exhibited high proliferation and differentiation. However, CPM and SrCPM specimens stimulated more ECM-like structures than other specimens. The results show that Sr-containing coatings have good characteristics that enhance cell response. The SrCPM coating is a suitable implant surface treatment for clinical applications.

Biological response of Sr-containing coating with various surface treatments on titanium substrate for medical applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Shih-Ping; Lee, Tzer-Min; Lui, Truan-Sheng

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Sr-containing coating prepared by plasma spraying and micro-arc oxidation process, respectively. • MAO coating stimulated high ECM-like structures of cells on early stage. • Sr-containing specimens had high cell responses on late stage. • Sr-MAO coating is a desirable implant surface treatment for clinical applications. - Abstract: An implant requires a suitable surface to trigger osteointegration. The surface characteristics and chemical composition are important factors in this process. Plasma spraying and micro-arc oxidation can be used to fabricate rough and porous structures for medical applications. Strontium (Sr) has been shown to prevent osteoporosis in vitro and in vivo. However, few scientists have evaluated the biological response of Sr-containing coatings on different surface treatments. In this study, a sand-blasted (SB) surface (as the control), plasma-sprayed hydroxyapatite (HA) and Sr-substituted HA coatings (HAPS and SrHAPS, respectively), calcium phosphate and Sr-containing calcium phosphate micro-arc oxidation surface (CPM and SrCPM, respectively) were analyzed in terms of human osteoblastic cell (MG63) response. Sr was confirmed to be incorporated into the surface. SrHAPS and SrCPM specimens had higher cell responses than those of the HAPS and CPM groups, respectively. The cells cultured on SrCPM and SrHAPS specimens exhibited high proliferation and differentiation. However, CPM and SrCPM specimens stimulated more ECM-like structures than other specimens. The results show that Sr-containing coatings have good characteristics that enhance cell response. The SrCPM coating is a suitable implant surface treatment for clinical applications

Selection of a design for response surface

Science.gov (United States)

Ranade, Shruti Sunil; Thiagarajan, Padma

2017-11-01

Box-Behnken, Central-Composite, D and I-optimal designs were compared using statistical tools. Experimental trials for all designs were generated. Random uniform responses were simulated for all models. R-square, Akaike and Bayesian Information Criterion for the fitted models were noted. One-way ANOVA and Tukey’s multiple comparison test were performed on these parameters. These models were evaluated based on the number of experimental trials generated in addition to the results of the statistical analyses. D-optimal design generated 12 trials in its model, which was lesser in comparison to both Central Composite and Box-Behnken designs. The R-square values of the fitted models were found to possess a statistically significant difference (P<0.0001). D-optimal design not only had the highest mean R-square value (0.7231), but also possessed the lowest means for both Akaike and Bayesian Information Criterion. The D-optimal design was recommended for generation of response surfaces, based on the assessment of the above parameters.

IAEA consultants' meeting on thermal response of plasma facing materials and components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janev, R.K.

1990-07-01

The present Summary Report contains brief proceedings and the main conclusions and recommendations of the IAEA Consultants' Meeting on ''Thermal Response of Plasma Facing Materials and Components'', which was organized by the IAEA Atomic and Molecular Data Unit and held on June 11-13, 1990, in Vienna, Austria. The Report also includes a categorization and assessment of currently studied plasma facing materials, a classification scheme of material properties data, required in fusion reactor design, and a survey of the urgently needed material properties data. (author)

Optimization of Coolant Technique Conditions for Machining A319 Aluminium Alloy Using Response Surface Method (RSM)

Science.gov (United States)

Zainal Ariffin, S.; Razlan, A.; Ali, M. Mohd; Efendee, A. M.; Rahman, M. M.

2018-03-01

Background/Objectives: The paper discusses about the optimum cutting parameters with coolant techniques condition (1.0 mm nozzle orifice, wet and dry) to optimize surface roughness, temperature and tool wear in the machining process based on the selected setting parameters. The selected cutting parameters for this study were the cutting speed, feed rate, depth of cut and coolant techniques condition. Methods/Statistical Analysis Experiments were conducted and investigated based on Design of Experiment (DOE) with Response Surface Method. The research of the aggressive machining process on aluminum alloy (A319) for automotive applications is an effort to understand the machining concept, which widely used in a variety of manufacturing industries especially in the automotive industry. Findings: The results show that the dominant failure mode is the surface roughness, temperature and tool wear when using 1.0 mm nozzle orifice, increases during machining and also can be alternative minimize built up edge of the A319. The exploration for surface roughness, productivity and the optimization of cutting speed in the technical and commercial aspects of the manufacturing processes of A319 are discussed in automotive components industries for further work Applications/Improvements: The research result also beneficial in minimizing the costs incurred and improving productivity of manufacturing firms. According to the mathematical model and equations, generated by CCD based RSM, experiments were performed and cutting coolant condition technique using size nozzle can reduces tool wear, surface roughness and temperature was obtained. Results have been analyzed and optimization has been carried out for selecting cutting parameters, shows that the effectiveness and efficiency of the system can be identified and helps to solve potential problems.

Optimization of Protease Production by Psychrotrophic Rheinheimera sp. with Response Surface Methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mrayam Mahjoubin-Tehran

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Psychrotrophic bacteria can produce enzymes at low temperatures; this provides a wide biotechnological potential, and offers numerous economical advantages over the use of mesophilic bacteria. In this study, extracellular protease production by psychrotrophic Rheinheimera sp. (KM459533 was optimized by the response surface methodology.Materials and Methods: The culture medium was tryptic soy broth containing 1% (w v -1 skim milk. First, the effects of variables were independently evaluated on the microbial growth and protease production by one-factor-at-a-time method within the following ranges: incubation time 24-120 h, temperature 15-37°C, pH 6- 11, skim milk concentration 0-2% (w v -1 , and inoculum size 0.5-3% (v v -1 . The combinational effects of the four major variable including temperature, pH, skim milk concentration, and inoculum size were then evaluated within 96 h using response surface methodology through 27 experiments.Results and Conclusion: In one-factor-at-a-time method, high cell density was detected at 72h, 20°C, pH 7, skim milk 2% (w v -1 , and inoculum size 3% (v v -1 , and maximum enzyme production (533.74 Uml-1 was achieved at 96h, 20°C, pH 9, skim milk 1% (w v -1 , and inoculum size 3% (v v -1 . The response surface methodology study showed that pH is the most effective factor in enzyme production, and among the other variables, only temperature had significant interaction with pH and inoculum size. The determination coefficient (R2 =0.9544 and non-significant lack of fit demonstrated correlation between the experimental and predicted values. The optimal conditions predicted by the response surface methodology for protease production were defined as: 22C, pH 8.5, skim milk 1.1% (w v -1 , and inoculum size 4% (v v -1 . Protease production under these conditions reached to 567.19 Uml-1 . The use of response surface methodology in this study increased protease production by eight times as

Hot gas path component having near wall cooling features

Science.gov (United States)

Miranda, Carlos Miguel; Kottilingam, Srikanth Chandrudu; Lacy, Benjamin Paul

2017-11-28

A method for providing micro-channels in a hot gas path component includes forming a first micro-channel in an exterior surface of a substrate of the hot gas path component. A second micro-channel is formed in the exterior surface of the hot gas path component such that it is separated from the first micro-channel by a surface gap having a first width. The method also includes disposing a braze sheet onto the exterior surface of the hot gas path component such that the braze sheet covers at least of portion of the first and second micro-channels, and heating the braze sheet to bond it to at least a portion of the exterior surface of the hot gas path component.

Optimization of the extraction of flavonoids from grape leaves by response surface methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brad, K.; Liu, W.

2013-01-01

The extraction of flavonoids from grape leaves was optimized to maximize flavonoids yield in this study. A central composite design of response surface methodology involving extracting time, power, liquid-solid ratio, and concentration was used, and second-order model for Y was employed to generate the response surfaces. The optimum condition for flavonoids yield was determined as follows: extracting time 24.95 min, power 72.05, ethanol concentration 63.35%, liquid-solid ratio 10.04. Under the optimum condition, the flavonoids yield was 76.84 %. (author)

The modification of equipotential surfaces in the binary systems due to the pressure of the radiation of its components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zorec, Juan; Niemela, Virpi

1980-01-01

The modification of the equipotential surfaces of a binary system is studied when the radiation pressure of both components must be taken into account. For suitable values of the radiation parameters, new forms of mass transfer or mass loss may arise [fr

Genetic Components of Root Architecture Remodeling in Response to Salt Stress

KAUST Repository

Julkowska, Magdalena; Koevoets, Iko Tamar; Mol, Selena; Hoefsloot, Huub CJ; Feron, Richard; Tester, Mark A.; Keurentjes, Joost J.B.; Korte, Arthur; Haring, Michel A; de Boer, Gert-Jan; Testerink, Christa

2017-01-01

Salinity of the soil is highly detrimental to plant growth. Plants respond by a redistribution of root mass between main and lateral roots, yet the genetic machinery underlying this process is still largely unknown. Here, we describe the natural variation among 347 Arabidopsis thaliana accessions in root system architecture (RSA) and identify the traits with highest natural variation in their response to salt. Salt-induced changes in RSA were associated with 100 genetic loci using genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Two candidate loci associated with lateral root development were validated and further investigated. Changes in CYP79B2 expression in salt stress positively correlated with lateral root development in accessions, and cyp79b2 cyp79b3 double mutants developed fewer and shorter lateral roots under salt stress, but not in control conditions. By contrast, high HKT1 expression in the root repressed lateral root development, which could be partially rescued by addition of potassium. The collected data and Multi-Variate analysis of multiple RSA traits, available through the Salt_NV_Root App, capture root responses to salinity. Together, our results provide a better understanding of effective RSA remodeling responses, and the genetic components involved, for plant performance in stress conditions.

Genetic Components of Root Architecture Remodeling in Response to Salt Stress

KAUST Repository

Julkowska, Magdalena

2017-11-07

Salinity of the soil is highly detrimental to plant growth. Plants respond by a redistribution of root mass between main and lateral roots, yet the genetic machinery underlying this process is still largely unknown. Here, we describe the natural variation among 347 Arabidopsis thaliana accessions in root system architecture (RSA) and identify the traits with highest natural variation in their response to salt. Salt-induced changes in RSA were associated with 100 genetic loci using genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Two candidate loci associated with lateral root development were validated and further investigated. Changes in CYP79B2 expression in salt stress positively correlated with lateral root development in accessions, and cyp79b2 cyp79b3 double mutants developed fewer and shorter lateral roots under salt stress, but not in control conditions. By contrast, high HKT1 expression in the root repressed lateral root development, which could be partially rescued by addition of potassium. The collected data and Multi-Variate analysis of multiple RSA traits, available through the Salt_NV_Root App, capture root responses to salinity. Together, our results provide a better understanding of effective RSA remodeling responses, and the genetic components involved, for plant performance in stress conditions.

A Study on a Multi-Objective Optimization Method Based on Neuro-Response Surface Method (NRSM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lee Jae-Chul

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The geometry of systems including the marine engineering problems needs to be optimized in the initial design stage. However, the performance analysis using commercial code is generally time-consuming. To solve this problem, many engineers perform the optimization process using the response surface method (RSM to predict the system performance, but RSM presents some prediction errors for nonlinear systems. The major objective of this research is to establish an optimal design framework. The framework is composed of three parts: definition of geometry, generation of response surface, and optimization process. To reduce the time for performance analysis and minimize the prediction errors, the response surface is generated using the artificial neural network (ANN which is considered as NRSM. The optimization process is done for the generated response surface by non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II. Through case study of a derrick structure, we have confirmed the proposed framework applicability. In the future, we will try to apply the constructed framework to multi-objective optimization problems.

Response surface method to optimize the low cost medium for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A protease producing Bacillus sp. GA CAS10 was isolated from ascidian Phallusia arabica, Tuticorin, Southeast coast of India. Response surface methodology was employed for the optimization of different nutritional and physical factors for the production of protease. Plackett-Burman method was applied to identify ...

PEGylated graphene oxide elicits strong immunological responses despite surface passivation

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Nana; Weber, Jeffrey K.; Wang, Shuang; Luan, Binquan; Yue, Hua; Xi, Xiaobo; Du, Jing; Yang, Zaixing; Wei, Wei; Zhou, Ruhong; Ma, Guanghui

2017-02-01

Engineered nanomaterials promise to transform medicine at the bio-nano interface. However, it is important to elucidate how synthetic nanomaterials interact with critical biological systems before such products can be safely utilized in humans. Past evidence suggests that polyethylene glycol-functionalized (PEGylated) nanomaterials are largely biocompatible and elicit less dramatic immune responses than their pristine counterparts. We here report results that contradict these findings. We find that PEGylated graphene oxide nanosheets (nGO-PEGs) stimulate potent cytokine responses in peritoneal macrophages, despite not being internalized. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations support a mechanism by which nGO-PEGs preferentially adsorb onto and/or partially insert into cell membranes, thereby amplifying interactions with stimulatory surface receptors. Further experiments demonstrate that nGO-PEG indeed provokes cytokine secretion by enhancing integrin β8-related signalling pathways. The present results inform that surface passivation does not always prevent immunological reactions to 2D nanomaterials but also suggest applications for PEGylated nanomaterials wherein immune stimulation is desired.

Nonzero Ideal Gas Contribution to the Surface Tension of Water.

Science.gov (United States)

Sega, Marcello; Fábián, Balázs; Jedlovszky, Pál

2017-06-15

Surface tension, the tendency of fluid interfaces to behave elastically and minimize their surface, is routinely calculated as the difference between the lateral and normal components of the pressure or, invoking isotropy in momentum space, of the virial tensor. Here we show that the anisotropy of the kinetic energy tensor close to a liquid-vapor interface can be responsible for a large part of its surface tension (about 15% for water, independent from temperature).

Surface energy of amorphous carbon films containing iron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, J. S.; Lau, S. P.; Tay, B. K.; Chen, G. Y.; Sun, Z.; Tan, Y. Y.; Tan, G.; Chai, J. W.

2001-01-01

Iron containing diamond-like amorphous carbon (a-C:Fe) films were deposited by filtered cathodic vacuum arc technique. The influences of Fe content and substrate bias on the surface energy of the films were investigated. The surface energy of a-C:Fe films was determined by the contact angle measurement. Atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and x-ray induced photoelectron spectroscopy were employed to analyze the origin of the variation of surface energy with various Fe content and substrate bias. It is found that the contact angle for water increases significantly after incorporating Fe into the films and the films become hydrophobic. The roughness of these films has no effect on the contact angle. The surface energy is reduced from 42.8 to 25 dyne/cm after incorporating Fe into the a-C film (10% Fe in the target), which is due to the reduction of both dispersive and polar component. The reduction in dispersive component is ascribed to the decrease of atomic density of the a-C:Fe films due to the increase in sp 2 bonded carbon. When sp 2 content increases to some extent, the atomic density remains constant and hence dispersive component does not change. The absorption of oxygen on the surface plays an important role in the reduction of the polar component for the a-C:Fe films. It is proposed that such network as (C n - O - Fe) - O - (Fe - O - C n ) may be formed and responsible for the reduction of polar component. [copyright] 2001 American Institute of Physics

Flow Components in a NaK Test Loop Designed to Simulate Conditions in a Nuclear Surface Power Reactor

Science.gov (United States)

Polzin, Kurt A.; Godfroy, Thomas J.

2008-01-01

A test loop using NaK as the working fluid is presently in use to study material compatibility effects on various components that comprise a possible nuclear reactor design for use on the lunar surface. A DC electromagnetic (EM) pump has been designed and implemented as a means of actively controlling the NaK flow rate through the system and an EM flow sensor is employed to monitor the developed flow rate. These components allow for the matching of the flow rate conditions in test loops with those that would be found in a full-scale surface-power reactor. The design and operating characteristics of the EM pump and flow sensor are presented. In the EM pump, current is applied to a set of electrodes to produce a Lorentz body force in the fluid. A measurement of the induced voltage (back-EMF) in the flow sensor provides the means of monitoring flow rate. Both components are compact, employing high magnetic field strength neodymium magnets thermally coupled to a water-cooled housing. A vacuum gap limits the heat transferred from the high temperature NaK tube to the magnets and a magnetically-permeable material completes the magnetic circuit. The pump is designed to produce a pressure rise of 5 psi, and the flow sensor's predicted output is roughly 20 mV at the loop's nominal flow rate of 0.5 GPM.

UV laser-ablated surface textures as potential regulator of cellular response.

Science.gov (United States)

Chandra, Prafulla; Lai, Karen; Sung, Hak-Joon; Murthy, N Sanjeeva; Kohn, Joachim

2010-06-01

Textured surfaces obtained by UV laser ablation of poly(ethylene terephthalate) films were used to study the effect of shape and spacing of surface features on cellular response. Two distinct patterns, cones and ripples with spacing from 2 to 25 μm, were produced. Surface features with different shapes and spacings were produced by varying pulse repetition rate, laser fluence, and exposure time. The effects of the surface texture parameters, i.e., shape and spacing, on cell attachment, proliferation, and morphology of neonatal human dermal fibroblasts and mouse fibroblasts were studied. Cell attachment was the highest in the regions with cones at ∼4 μm spacing. As feature spacing increased, cell spreading decreased, and the fibroblasts became more circular, indicating a stress-mediated cell shrinkage. This study shows that UV laser ablation is a useful alternative to lithographic techniques to produce surface patterns for controlling cell attachment and growth on biomaterial surfaces.

A Conserved Two-Component Signal Transduction System Controls the Response to Phosphate Starvation in Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Alvarez-Martin, P.; Fernandez, M.; O'Connell-Motherway, M.; O'Connell, K.J.; Sauvageot, N.; Fitzgerald, G.F.; Macsharry, J.; Zomer, A.L.; Sinderen, D. van

2012-01-01

This work reports on the identification and molecular characterization of the two-component regulatory system (2CRS) PhoRP, which controls the response to inorganic phosphate (P(i)) starvation in Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003. The response regulator PhoP was shown to bind to the promoter region of

Relationships between response surfaces for tablet characteristics of placebo and API-containing tablets manufactured by direct compression method.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayashi, Yoshihiro; Tsuji, Takahiro; Shirotori, Kaede; Oishi, Takuya; Kosugi, Atsushi; Kumada, Shungo; Hirai, Daijiro; Takayama, Kozo; Onuki, Yoshinori

2017-10-30

In this study, we evaluated the correlation between the response surfaces for the tablet characteristics of placebo and active pharmaceutical ingredient (API)-containing tablets. The quantities of lactose, cornstarch, and microcrystalline cellulose were chosen as the formulation factors. Ten tablet formulations were prepared. The tensile strength (TS) and disintegration time (DT) of tablets were measured as tablet characteristics. The response surfaces for TS and DT were estimated using a nonlinear response surface method incorporating multivariate spline interpolation, and were then compared with those of placebo tablets. A correlation was clearly observed for TS and DT of all APIs, although the value of the response surfaces for TS and DT was highly dependent on the type of API used. Based on this knowledge, the response surfaces for TS and DT of API-containing tablets were predicted from only two and four formulations using regression expression and placebo tablet data, respectively. The results from the evaluation of prediction accuracy showed that this method accurately predicted TS and DT, suggesting that it could construct a reliable response surface for TS and DT with a small number of samples. This technique assists in the effective estimation of the relationships between design variables and pharmaceutical responses during pharmaceutical development. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Active components for integrated plasmonic circuits

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krasavin, A.V.; Bolger, P.M.; Zayats, A.V.

2009-01-01

We present a comprehensive study of highly efficient and compact passive and active components for integrated plasmonic circuit based on dielectric-loaded surface plasmon polariton waveguides.......We present a comprehensive study of highly efficient and compact passive and active components for integrated plasmonic circuit based on dielectric-loaded surface plasmon polariton waveguides....

Role of Streptococcus mutans surface proteins for biofilm formation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michiyo Matsumoto-Nakano

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Summary: Streptococcus mutans has been implicated as a primary causative agent of dental caries in humans. An important virulence property of the bacterium is its ability to form biofilm known as dental plaque on tooth surfaces. In addition, this organism also produces glucosyltransferases, multiple glucan-binding proteins, protein antigen c, and collagen-binding protein, surface proteins that coordinate to produce dental plaque, thus inducing dental caries. Bacteria utilize quorum-sensing systems to modulate environmental stress responses. A major mechanism of response to signals is represented by the so called two-component signal transduction system, which enables bacteria to regulate their gene expression and coordinate activities in response to environmental stress. As for S. mutans, a signal peptide-mediated quorum-sensing system encoded by comCDE has been found to be a regulatory system that responds to cell density and certain environmental stresses by excreting a peptide signal molecule termed CSP (competence-stimulating peptide. One of its principal virulence factors is production of bacteriocins (peptide antibiotics referred to as mutacins. Two-component signal transduction systems are commonly utilized by bacteria to regulate bacteriocin gene expression and are also related to biofilm formation by S. mutans. Keywords: Streptococcus mutans, Surface proteins, Biofilm, Signal transduction

The optimization of essential oils supercritical CO2 extraction from Lavandula hybrida through static-dynamic steps procedure and semi-continuous technique using response surface method

Science.gov (United States)

Kamali, Hossein; Aminimoghadamfarouj, Noushin; Golmakani, Ebrahim; Nematollahi, Alireza

2015-01-01

Aim: The aim of this study was to examine and evaluate crucial variables in essential oils extraction process from Lavandula hybrida through static-dynamic and semi-continuous techniques using response surface method. Materials and Methods: Essential oil components were extracted from Lavandula hybrida (Lavandin) flowers using supercritical carbon dioxide via static-dynamic steps (SDS) procedure, and semi-continuous (SC) technique. Results: Using response surface method the optimum extraction yield (4.768%) was obtained via SDS at 108.7 bar, 48.5°C, 120 min (static: 8×15), 24 min (dynamic: 8×3 min) in contrast to the 4.620% extraction yield for the SC at 111.6 bar, 49.2°C, 14 min (static), 121.1 min (dynamic). Conclusion: The results indicated that a substantial reduction (81.56%) solvent usage (kg CO2/g oil) is observed in the SDS method versus the conventional SC method. PMID:25598636

Eddy current technique for detecting and sizing surface cracks in steel components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cecco, V.S.; Carter, J.R.; Sullivan, S.P.

1995-01-01

Cracking has occurred in pressure vessel nozzles and girth welds due to thermal fatigue. Pipe welds, welds in support structures, and welds in reactor vault liner panels in nuclear facilities have failed because of cracks. Cracking can also occur in turbine rotor bore surfaces due to high cycle fatigue. Dye penetrant, magnetic particle and other surface NDT methods are used to detect cracks but cannot be used for depth sizing. Crack depth can be measured with various NDT methods such as ultrasonic time-of-flight diffraction (TOFD), potential drop, and eddy current. The TOFD technique can be difficult to implement on nozzle welds and is best suited for sizing deep cracks (>5 mm). The conventional eddy current method is easy to implement, but crack sizing is normally limited to shallow cracks ( 2 mm) cracks. Eddy current testing (ET) techniques are readily amenable to remote/automatic inspections. These new probes could augment present magnetic particle (MT) and dye penetrant (PT) testing through provision of reliable defect depth information. Reliable crack sizing permits identification of critical cracks for plant life extension and licensing purposes. In addition, performing PT and MT generates low level radioactive waste in some inspection applications in nuclear facilities. Replacing these techniques with ET for some components will eliminate some of this radioactive waste. (author)

Response surfaces and sensitivity analyses for an environmental model of dose calculations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iooss, Bertrand [CEA Cadarache, DEN/DER/SESI/LCFR, 13108 Saint Paul lez Durance, Cedex (France)]. E-mail: bertrand.iooss@cea.fr; Van Dorpe, Francois [CEA Cadarache, DEN/DTN/SMTM/LMTE, 13108 Saint Paul lez Durance, Cedex (France); Devictor, Nicolas [CEA Cadarache, DEN/DER/SESI/LCFR, 13108 Saint Paul lez Durance, Cedex (France)

2006-10-15

A parametric sensitivity analysis is carried out on GASCON, a radiological impact software describing the radionuclides transfer to the man following a chronic gas release of a nuclear facility. An effective dose received by age group can thus be calculated according to a specific radionuclide and to the duration of the release. In this study, we are concerned by 18 output variables, each depending of approximately 50 uncertain input parameters. First, the generation of 1000 Monte-Carlo simulations allows us to calculate correlation coefficients between input parameters and output variables, which give a first overview of important factors. Response surfaces are then constructed in polynomial form, and used to predict system responses at reduced computation time cost; this response surface will be very useful for global sensitivity analysis where thousands of runs are required. Using the response surfaces, we calculate the total sensitivity indices of Sobol by the Monte-Carlo method. We demonstrate the application of this method to one site of study and to one reference group near the nuclear research Center of Cadarache (France), for two radionuclides: iodine 129 and uranium 238. It is thus shown that the most influential parameters are all related to the food chain of the goat's milk, in decreasing order of importance: dose coefficient 'effective ingestion', goat's milk ration of the individuals of the reference group, grass ration of the goat, dry deposition velocity and transfer factor to the goat's milk.

Using dual response surfaces to reduce variability in launch vehicle design: A case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yeniay, Ozgur; Unal, Resit; Lepsch, Roger A.

2006-01-01

Space transportation system conceptual design is a multidisciplinary process containing considerable element of risk. Uncertainties from one engineering discipline may propagate to another through linking parameters and the final system output may have an accumulation of risk. This may lead to significant deviations from expected performance. An estimate of variability or design risk therefore becomes essential for a robust design. This study utilizes the dual response surface approach to quantify variability in critical performance characteristics during conceptual design phase of a launch vehicle. Using design of experiments methods and disciplinary design analysis codes, dual response surfaces are constructed for the mean and standard deviation to quantify variability in vehicle weight and sizing analysis. Next, an optimum solution is sought to minimize variability subject to a constraint on mean weight. In this application, the dual response surface approach lead to quantifying and minimizing variability without much increase in design effort

Electrolyte effects on the surface chemistry and cellular response of anodized titanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohtsu, Naofumi; Kozuka, Taro; Hirano, Mitsuhiro; Arai, Hirofumi

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Ti samples were anodized using various electrolytes. • Anodization decreased carbon adsorption, improving hydrophilicity. • Improved hydrophilicity led to improved cellular attachment. • Only one electrolyte showed any heteroatom incorporation into the TiO 2 layer. • Choice of electrolyte played no role on the effects of anodization. - Abstract: Anodic oxidation of titanium (Ti) material is used to enhance biocompatibility, yet the effects of various electrolytes on surface characteristics and cellular behavior have not been completely elucidated. To investigate this topic, oxide layers were produced on Ti substrates by anodizing them in aqueous electrolytes of (NH 4 ) 2 O·5B 2 O 3 , (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 , or (NH 4 ) 3 PO 4 , after which their surface characteristics and cellular responses were examined. Overall, no surface differences between the electrolytes were visually observed. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed that the anodized surfaces are composed of titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ), while incorporation from electrolyte was only observed for (NH 4 ) 3 PO 4 . Surface adsorption of carbon contaminants during sterilization was suppressed by anodization, leading to lower water contact angles. The attachment of MC3T3-E1 osteoblast-like cells was also improved by anodization, as evidenced by visibly enlarged pseudopods. This improved attachment performance is likely due to TiO 2 formation. Overall, electrolyte selection showed no effect on either surface chemistry or cellular response of Ti materials

Temporal Arctic longwave surface emissivity feedbacks in the Community Earth System Model

Science.gov (United States)

Kuo, C.; Feldman, D.; Huang, X.; Flanner, M.; Yang, P.; Chen, X.

2017-12-01

We have investigated how the inclusion of realistic and consistent surface emissivity in both land-surface and atmospheric components of the CESM coupled-climate model affects a wide range of climate variables. We did this by replacing the unit emissivity values in RRTMG_LW for water, fine-grained snow, and desert scenes with spectral emissivity values, and by replacing broadband emissivity values in surface components with the Planck-curve weighted counterparts. We find that this harmonized treatment of surface emissivity within CESM can be important for reducing high-latitude temperature biases. We also find that short-term effects of atmospheric dynamics and spectral information need to be considered to understand radiative effects in higher detail, and are possible with radiative kernels computed for every grid and time point for the entire model integration period. We find that conventional climatological feedback calculations indicate that sea-ice emissivity feedback is positive in sign, but that the radiative effects of the difference in emissivity between frozen and unfrozen surfaces exhibit seasonal dependence. Furthermore, this seasonality itself exhibits meridional asymmetry due to differences in sea-ice response to climate forcing between the Arctic and the Antarctic. In the Arctic, this seasonal, temporally higher order analysis exhibits increasing outgoing surface emissivity radiative response in a warming climate. While the sea-ice emissivity feedback and seasonal sea-ice emissivity radiative response amplitudes are a few percent of surface albedo feedbacks, the feedback analysis methods outlined in this work demonstrate that spatially and temporally localized feedback analysis can give insight into the mechanisms at work on those scales which differ in amplitude and sign from conventional climatological analyses. We note that the inclusion of this realistic physics leads to improved agreement between CESM model results and Arctic surface

Theory of the surface dipole layer and of surface tension in liquids of charged particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Senatore, G.; Tosi, M.P.

1980-01-01

The problem of the surface density profiles and of the surface tension of a two-component liquid of charged particles in equilibrium with its vapour is examined. The exact equilibrium conditions for the profiles are given in terms of the inverse response functions of the inhomogeneous fluid, and alternative exact expressions for the surface tension are derived. The use of a density gradient expansion reduces the problem to knowledge of properties of a homogeneous charged fluid on a uniform neutralizing background, in which the total particle density and the charge density are independent variables. Additional simplifications are discussed for special cases for which a perturbative treatment of the surface charge density profile can be developed, and in particular for nearly symmetric ionic liquids and for simple liquid metals. (author)

Analysis and Modeling of the Galvanic Skin Response Spontaneous Component in the context of Intelligent Biofeedback Systems Development

Science.gov (United States)

Unakafov, A.

2009-01-01

The paper presents an approach to galvanic skin response (GSR) spontaneous component analysis and modeling. In the study a classification of biofeedback training methods is given, importance of intelligent methods development is shown. The INTENS method, which is perspective for intellectualization, is presented. An important problem of biofeedback training method intellectualization - estimation of the GSR spontaneous component - is solved in the main part of the work. Its main characteristics are described; results of GSR spontaneous component modeling are shown. Results of small research of an optimum material for GSR probes are presented.

Examining the Impact of Question Surface Features on Students' Answers to Constructed-Response Questions on Photosynthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Weston, Michele; Haudek, Kevin C.; Prevost, Luanna; Urban-Lurain, Mark; Merrill, John

2015-01-01

One challenge in science education assessment is that students often focus on surface features of questions rather than the underlying scientific principles. We investigated how student written responses to constructed-response questions about photosynthesis vary based on two surface features of the question: the species of plant and the order of…

Some Studies on Reduction of Ovality in Turned Component-Case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nilesh Dhirajlal Ghetiya

2014-08-01

Full Text Available In the competitive market and globalization phase, industries are required to manufacture good quality machine tools with optimized performance at the moderate cost. Moreover, the industries are facing competition internationally due to worldwide globalization of business. This work aims to reduce the error called ovality in the turned work piece. This work piece is a clutch component used for the clutch assembly. For the clutch to work perfectly, it is required for its component to be precise and error free. The machining parameters like cutting speed, feed rate and depth of cut are taken as input parameters and the ovality as output response. Response surface methodology is used for the optimization of process parameters. The most significant process parameter causing the ovality has been found. The other attempts like balancing of the work piece and radiography of the work piece is done to solve the problem which is causing the ovality. The centrifugal force analysis of the component is carried out using finite element analysis.

Hollow-Wall Heat Shield for Fuel Injector Component

Science.gov (United States)

Hanson, Russell B. (Inventor)

2018-01-01

A fuel injector component includes a body, an elongate void and a plurality of bores. The body has a first surface and a second surface. The elongate void is enclosed by the body and is integrally formed between portions of the body defining the first surface and the second surface. The plurality of bores extends into the second surface to intersect the elongate void. A process for making a fuel injector component includes building an injector component body having a void and a plurality of ports connected to the void using an additive manufacturing process that utilizes a powdered building material, and removing residual powdered building material from void through the plurality of ports.

A dynamic monitoring approach for the surface morphology evolution measurement of plasma facing components by means of speckle interferometry

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hongbei; Cui, Xiaoqian; Feng, Chunlei; Li, Yuanbo; Zhao, Mengge; Luo, Guangnan; Ding, Hongbin

2017-11-01

Plasma Facing Components (PFCs) in a magnetically confined fusion plasma device will be exposed to high heat load and particle fluxes, and it would cause PFCs' surface morphology to change due to material erosion and redeposition from plasma wall interactions. The state of PFCs' surface condition will seriously affect the performance of long-pulse or steady state plasma discharge in a tokamak; it will even constitute an enormous threat to the operation and the safety of fusion plasma devices. The PFCs' surface morphology evolution measurement could provide important information about PFCs' real-time status or damage situation and it would help to a better understanding of the plasma wall interaction process and mechanism. Meanwhile through monitoring the distribution of dust deposition in a tokamak and providing an upper limit on the amount of loose dust, the PFCs' surface morphology measurement could indirectly contribute to keep fusion operational limits and fusion device safety. Aiming at in situ dynamic monitoring PFCs' surface morphology evolution, a laboratory experimental platform DUT-SIEP (Dalian University of Technology-speckle interferometry experimental platform) based on the speckle interferometry technique has been constructed at Dalian University of Technology (DUT) in China. With directional specific designing and focusing on the real detection condition of EAST (Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak), the DUT-SIEP could realize a variable measurement range, widely increased from 0.1 μm to 300 μm, with high spatial resolution (<1 mm) and ultra-high time resolution (<2 s for EAST measuring conditions). Three main components of the DUT-SIEP are all integrated and synchronized by a time schedule control and data acquisition terminal and coupled with a three-dimensional phase unwrapping algorithm, the surface morphology information of target samples can be obtained and reconstructed in real-time. A local surface morphology of the real divertor

The effect of fluoride surface modification of ceramic TiO{sub 2} on the surface properties and biological response of osteoblastic cells in vitro

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tiainen, H; Knychala, J; Lyngstadaas, S P; Haugen, H J [Department of Biomaterials, Institute for Clinical Dentistry, University of Oslo, PO Box 1109 Blindern, NO-0317 Oslo (Norway); Monjo, M [Department of Fundamental Biology and Health Sciences, Research Institute on Health Sciences (IUNICS), University of the Balearic Islands, Cra. de Valldemossa, km 7.5, 07122 Palma de Mallorca (Spain); Nilsen, O [Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, PO Box 1033 Blindern, NO-0315 Oslo (Norway); Ellingsen, J E, E-mail: h.j.haugen@odont.uio.no [Oral Research Laboratory, Institute for Clinical Dentistry, University of Oslo, PO Box 1109 Blindern, NO-0317 Oslo (Norway)

2011-08-15

This study investigates the effect of fluoride surface modification on the surface properties of polycrystalline ceramic TiO{sub 2} and the biological response of murine osteoblast cells to fluoride-modified TiO{sub 2} in vitro. Fluoride concentrations up to 9 at.% were detected and the fluoride was found to bind to the surface in a ligand exchange reaction between surface hydroxyl groups and the fluoride anions from the HF. No significant changes in the surface topography were detected. In vitro experiments were performed in order to evaluate the biological response of the MC3T3-E1 cells to the fluoride-modified ceramic TiO{sub 2} surfaces. No difference in the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity was seen in comparison to unmodified samples, apart from the highest fluoride concentration ({approx}9 at.%) which was found to be more toxic to the cells. Real-time PCR analysis showed no conclusive evidence for the fluoride-induced promotion of osteoblast differentiation as no significant increase in the collagen-1, osteocalcin, or BMP-2 mRNA levels was detected on the fluoride-modified ceramic TiO{sub 2} surfaces apart from one group, which showed an elevated osteocalcin level and higher number of cells. Since the observed grain boundary corrosion is also anticipated to reduce the mechanical properties of ceramic TiO{sub 2}, this surface modification method may not be an ideal method for improving the osteogenic response of ceramic TiO{sub 2} scaffolds.

Functionalization of PDMS modified and plasma activated two-component polyurethane coatings by surface attachment of enzymes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kreider, Alexej; Richter, Katharina; Sell, Stephan; Fenske, Mandus; Tornow, Christian; Stenzel, Volkmar; Grunwald, Ingo

2013-01-01

This article describes a new strategy for coupling the enzyme horseradish peroxidase to a two-component polyurethane (2C-PUR) coating. A stable polymer conjugate was achieved by combining the enzyme and the 2C-PUR coating which was modified with poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), located at the surface. An atmospheric pressure plasma jet system was used to convert alkyl groups from the PDMS into polar silanol functionalities. This conversion was proven by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and dynamic contact angle measurements. In addition, the stability of the activated 2C-PUR surface containing silanol groups was determined by measuring the contact angle as a function of time. Compared to the non-modified 2C-PUR systems the one with PDMS displayed a higher stability over a time period over 28 h. In a silanization process the coating was treated with (3-aminopropyl) trimethoxysilane and the enzyme was subsequently immobilized to the coating via the cross linker glutaraldehyde to receive new biomimetic catalytic/enzymatic functions. The chemical immobilization (chemisorption) of the enzyme to the surface showed statistically significant higher biological activity as compared to references samples without using a cross linker (physisorption). The presented technique offers the opportunity to design new and smart multifunctional surface coatings which employ biomimetic capabilities.

Functionalization of PDMS modified and plasma activated two-component polyurethane coatings by surface attachment of enzymes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kreider, Alexej; Richter, Katharina; Sell, Stephan; Fenske, Mandus; Tornow, Christian; Stenzel, Volkmar [Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials - IFAM, Wiener Strasse 12, 28359 Bremen (Germany); Grunwald, Ingo, E-mail: ingo.grunwald@ifam.fraunhofer.de [Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials - IFAM, Wiener Strasse 12, 28359 Bremen (Germany)

2013-05-15

This article describes a new strategy for coupling the enzyme horseradish peroxidase to a two-component polyurethane (2C-PUR) coating. A stable polymer conjugate was achieved by combining the enzyme and the 2C-PUR coating which was modified with poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), located at the surface. An atmospheric pressure plasma jet system was used to convert alkyl groups from the PDMS into polar silanol functionalities. This conversion was proven by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and dynamic contact angle measurements. In addition, the stability of the activated 2C-PUR surface containing silanol groups was determined by measuring the contact angle as a function of time. Compared to the non-modified 2C-PUR systems the one with PDMS displayed a higher stability over a time period over 28 h. In a silanization process the coating was treated with (3-aminopropyl) trimethoxysilane and the enzyme was subsequently immobilized to the coating via the cross linker glutaraldehyde to receive new biomimetic catalytic/enzymatic functions. The chemical immobilization (chemisorption) of the enzyme to the surface showed statistically significant higher biological activity as compared to references samples without using a cross linker (physisorption). The presented technique offers the opportunity to design new and smart multifunctional surface coatings which employ biomimetic capabilities.

Response Surface Design Model to Predict Surface Roughness when Machining Hastelloy C-2000 using Uncoated Carbide Insert

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Razak, N H; Rahman, M M; Kadirgama, K

2012-01-01

This paper presents to develop of the response surface design model to predict the surface roughness for end-milling operation of Hastelloy C-2000 using uncoated carbide insert. Mathematical model is developed to study the effect of three input cutting parameters includes the feed rate, axial depth of cut and cutting speed. Design of experiments (DOE) was implemented with the aid of the statistical software package. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) has been performed to verify the fit and adequacy of the developed mathematical model. The result shows that the feed rate gave the more effect on the both prediction values of Ra compared to the cutting speed and axial depth of cut. SEM and EDX analyses were performed in different cutting conditions. It can be concluded that the feed rate and cutting force give the higher impact to influence the machining characteristics of surface roughness. Thus, the optimizing the cutting conditions are essential in order to improve the surface roughness in machining of Hastlelloy C-2000.

Effect of Non-Equilibrium Surface Thermochemistry in Simulation of Carbon Based Ablators

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yih-Kanq; Gokcen, Tahir

2012-01-01

This study demonstrates that coupling of a material thermal response code and a flow solver using non-equilibrium gas/surface interaction model provides time-accurate solutions for the multidimensional ablation of carbon based charring ablators. The material thermal response code used in this study is the Two-dimensional Implicit Thermal-response and AblatioN Program (TITAN), which predicts charring material thermal response and shape change on hypersonic space vehicles. Its governing equations include total energy balance, pyrolysis gas mass conservation, and a three-component decomposition model. The flow code solves the reacting Navier-Stokes equations using Data Parallel Line Relaxation (DPLR) method. Loose coupling between the material response and flow codes is performed by solving the surface mass balance in DPLR and the surface energy balance in TITAN. Thus, the material surface recession is predicted by finite-rate gas/surface interaction boundary conditions implemented in DPLR, and the surface temperature and pyrolysis gas injection rate are computed in TITAN. Two sets of nonequilibrium gas/surface interaction chemistry between air and the carbon surface developed by Park and Zhluktov, respectively, are studied. Coupled fluid-material response analyses of stagnation tests conducted in NASA Ames Research Center arc-jet facilities are considered. The ablating material used in these arc-jet tests was Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator (PICA). Computational predictions of in-depth material thermal response and surface recession are compared with the experimental measurements for stagnation cold wall heat flux ranging from 107 to 1100 Watts per square centimeter.

Damage identification in beams by a response surface based technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Teidj S.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In this work, identification of damage in uniform homogeneous metallic beams was considered through the propagation of non dispersive elastic torsional waves. The proposed damage detection procedure consisted of the following sequence. Giving a localized torque excitation, having the form of a short half-sine pulse, the first step was calculating the transient solution of the resulting torsional wave. This torque could be generated in practice by means of asymmetric laser irradiation of the beam surface. Then, a localized defect assumed to be characterized by an abrupt reduction of beam section area with a given height and extent was placed at a known location of the beam. Next, the response in terms of transverse section rotation rate was obtained for a point situated afterwards the defect, where the sensor was positioned. This last could utilize in practice the concept of laser vibrometry. A parametric study has been conducted after that by using a full factorial design of experiments table and numerical simulations based on a finite difference characteristic scheme. This has enabled the derivation of a response surface model that was shown to represent adequately the response of the system in terms of the following factors: defect extent and severity. The final step was performing the inverse problem solution in order to identify the defect characteristics by using measurement.

Electronic energy transfer from molecules to metal and semiconductor surfaces, and chemisorption-induced changes in optical response of the nickel (111) surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitmore, P.M.

1982-10-01

The evolution of molecular excited states near solid surfaces is investigated. The mechanisms through which energy is transferred to the surface are described within a classical image dipole picture of the interaction. More sophisticated models for the dielectric response of the solid surface add important new decay channels for the energy dissipation. The predictions and applicability of three of these refined theories are discussed

Optimization of biosurfactant production by Bacillus brevis using response surface methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Foukia E. Mouafi

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The present study aims to evaluate and validate a statistical model for maximizing biosurfactant productivity by Bacillus brevis using response surface methodology. In this respect, twenty bacterial isolates were screened for biosurfactant production using hemolytic activity, oil spreading technique, and emulsification index (E24. The most potent biosurfactant-producing bacterium (B. brevis was used for construction of the statistical response surface model. The optimum conditions for biosurfactant production by B. brevis were: 33 °C incubation temperature at pH 8 for 10 days incubation period and 8.5 g/L glucose concentration as a sole carbon source. The produced biosurfactant (BS (73% exhibited foaming activity, thermal stability in the range 30–80 °C for 30 min., pH stability, from 4 to 9 and antimicrobial activity against (Escherichia coli. The BS gave a good potential application as an emulsifier.

Antibacterial performance of polypropylene nonwoven fabric wound dressing surfaces containing passive and active components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xin, Zhirong, E-mail: xinzhirong2012@126.com [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 (China); Du, Shanshan; Zhao, Chunyu; Chen, Hao; Sun, Miao [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 (China); Yan, Shunjie [State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Luan, Shifang, E-mail: sfluan@ciac.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022 (China); Yin, Jinghua [State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022 (China)

2016-03-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • PNVP and PHMG components were covalently immobilized on PP{sub NWF} surface. • PP{sub NWF}-g-PNVP-PHMG possessed bacterial adhesion-resistant and bactericidal capabilities. • PP{sub NWF}-g-PNVP-PHMG obviously suppressed platelet and red blood cell adhesion. - Abstract: A growing number of wound dressing-related nosocomial infections necessitate the development of novel antibacterial strategies. Herein, polypropylene non-woven fabric (PP{sub NWF}) was facilely modified with passive and active antibacterial components, namely photografting polymerization both N-Vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (NVP) and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) monomers, and the introduction of guanidine polymer through the reaction between active amino groups and epoxy groups. The modified samples were confirmed by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. Water contact angle measurement, antibacterial test, platelet and red blood cell adhesion were used to evaluate the hydrophilicity, antibacterial properties and hemocompatibility of the samples. It was found that the antibacterial properties were obviously enhanced, meanwhile significantly suppressing platelet and red blood cell adhesion after the above modification. This PP{sub NWF} samples that possess antifouling and antimicrobial properties, have great potential in wound dressing applications.

Computational optimization of biodiesel combustion using response surface methodology

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Ganji Prabhakara Rao

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The present work focuses on optimization of biodiesel combustion phenomena through parametric approach using response surface methodology. Physical properties of biodiesel play a vital role for accurate simulations of the fuel spray, atomization, combustion, and emission formation processes. Typically methyl based biodiesel consists of five main types of esters: methyl palmitate, methyl oleate, methyl stearate, methyl linoleate, and methyl linolenate in its composition. Based on the amount of methyl esters present the properties of pongamia bio-diesel and its blends were estimated. CONVERGETM computational fluid dynamics software was used to simulate the fuel spray, turbulence and combustion phenomena. The simulation responses such as indicated specific fuel consumption, NOx, and soot were analyzed using design of experiments. Regression equations were developed for each of these responses. The optimum parameters were found out to be compression ratio – 16.75, start of injection – 21.9° before top dead center, and exhaust gas re-circulation – 10.94%. Results have been compared with baseline case.

Surface structures and dielectric response of ultrafine BaTiO3 particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, B.; Peng, J.L.; Bursill, L.A.

1998-01-01

Characteristic differences are observed for the dielectric response and microstructures of BaTiO 3 nanoscale fine powders prepared using sol gel (SG) and steric acid gel (SAG) methods. The former exhibit a critical size below which there is no paraelectric/ferroelectric phase transition whereas BaTiO 3 prepared via the SAG route remained cubic for all conditions. Atomic resolution images of both varieties showed a high density of interesting surface steps and facets. Computer simulated images of surface structure models showed that the outer (100) surface was typically a BaO layer and that at corners and ledges the steps are typically finished with Ba+2 ions; i.e. the surfaces and steps are Ba-rich. Otherwise the surfaces were typically clean and free of amorphous layers. The relationship between the observed surfaces structures and theoretical models for size effects on the dielectric properties is discussed. (authors)

A first principle simulation of competitive adsorption of SF6 decomposition components on nitrogen-doped anatase TiO2 (101) surface

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Xingchen; Zhang, Xiaoxing; Cui, Hao; Zhang, Jun

2017-11-01

Gas insulated switchgear has been widely used in modern electric systems due to its significantly excellent performances such as compact structure and low land occupation as well as the security stability. However, inside defects caused during manufacture process can lead to partial discharge which might develop into serious insulation failure. Online monitoring method on basis of gas sensors is considered a promising way of detecting partial discharge for alarm ahead of time. Research has found that TiO2 nanotubes sensors show good response to SO2, SOF2, SO2F2, the decomposition components as a result of partial discharge. In order to investigate the gas-sensing mechanism of nitrogen-doped TiO2 prepared via plasma treatment methods to SO2, SOF2, and SO2F2, the adsorption structures of both three gas molecules and anatase TiO2 (101) surface were built, and DFT calculations were then carried out for calculation and analysis of adsorption parameters. Adsorption property comparison of anatase TiO2 (101) surface after nitrogen doping with Au doping and without doping shows that nitrogen doping can obviously enhance the adsorption energy for SO2 and SOF2 adsorption and no charge transfer for SO2F2 adsorption, further explaining the adsorption mechanism and doping influence of different doping elements.

Dissecting Low Atmospheric Pressure Stress: Transcriptome Responses to the Components of Hypobaria in Arabidopsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Mingqi; Callaham, Jordan B; Reyes, Matthew; Stasiak, Michael; Riva, Alberto; Zupanska, Agata K; Dixon, Mike A; Paul, Anna-Lisa; Ferl, Robert J

2017-01-01

Controlled hypobaria presents biology with an environment that is never encountered in terrestrial ecology, yet the apparent components of hypobaria are stresses typical of terrestrial ecosystems. High altitude, for example, presents terrestrial hypobaria always with hypoxia as a component stress, since the relative partial pressure of O 2 is constant in the atmosphere. Laboratory-controlled hypobaria, however, allows the dissection of pressure effects away from the effects typically associated with altitude, in particular hypoxia, as the partial pressure of O 2 can be varied. In this study, whole transcriptomes of plants grown in ambient (97 kPa/pO 2 = 21 kPa) atmospheric conditions were compared to those of plants transferred to five different atmospheres of varying pressure and oxygen composition for 24 h: 50 kPa/pO 2 = 10 kPa, 25 kPa/pO 2 = 5 kPa, 50 kPa/pO 2 = 21 kPa, 25 kPa/pO 2 = 21 kPa, or 97 kPa/pO 2 = 5 kPa. The plants exposed to these environments were 10 day old Arabidopsis seedlings grown vertically on hydrated nutrient plates. In addition, 5 day old plants were also exposed for 24 h to the 50 kPa and ambient environments to evaluate age-dependent responses. The gene expression profiles from roots and shoots showed that the hypobaric response contained more complex gene regulation than simple hypoxia, and that adding back oxygen to normoxic conditions did not completely alleviate gene expression changes in hypobaric responses.

Near surface mechanical properties of optical single crystals and surface response to deterministic microgrinding

Science.gov (United States)

Randi, Joseph A., III

2005-12-01

This thesis makes use of microindentation, nanoindentation and nanoscratching methods to better understand the mechanical properties of single crystalline silicon, calcium fluoride, and magnesium fluoride. These properties are measured and are used to predict the material's response to material removal, specifically by grinding and polishing, which is a combination of elastic, plastic and fracture processes. The hardness anisotropy during Knoop microindentation, hardness from nanoindentation, and scratch morphology from nanoscratching are reported. This information is related to the surface microroughness from grinding. We show that mechanical property relationships that predict the surface roughness from lapping and deterministic microgrinding of optical glasses are applicable to single crystals. We show the range of hardness from some of the more common crystallographic faces. Magnesium fluoride, having a tetragonal structure, has 2-fold hardness anisotropy. Nanoindentation, as expected provides higher hardness than microindentation, but anisotropy is not observed. Nanoscratching provides the scratch profile during loading, after the load has been removed, and the coefficient of friction during the loading. Ductile and brittle mode scratching is present with brittle mode cracking being orientation specific. Subsurface damage (SSD) measurements are made using a novel process known as the MRF technique. Magnetorheological finishing is used to polish spots into the ground surface where SSD can be viewed. SSD is measured using an optical microscope and knowledge of the spot profile. This technique is calibrated with a previous technique and implemented to accurately measure SSD in single crystals. The data collected are compared to the surface microroughness of the ground surface, resulting in an upper bound relationship. The results indicate that SSD is always less than 1.4 times the peak-to-valley surface microroughness for single crystals regardless of the

Chemical stabilization of graphite surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bistrika, Alexander A.; Lerner, Michael M.

2018-04-03

Embodiments of a device, or a component of a device, including a stabilized graphite surface, methods of stabilizing graphite surfaces, and uses for the devices or components are disclosed. The device or component includes a surface comprising graphite, and a plurality of haloaryl ions and/or haloalkyl ions bound to at least a portion of the graphite. The ions may be perhaloaryl ions and/or perhaloalkyl ions. In certain embodiments, the ions are perfluorobenzenesulfonate anions. Embodiments of the device or component including stabilized graphite surfaces may maintain a steady-state oxidation or reduction surface current density after being exposed to continuous oxidation conditions for a period of at least 1-100 hours. The device or component is prepared by exposing a graphite-containing surface to an acidic aqueous solution of the ions under oxidizing conditions. The device or component can be exposed in situ to the solution.

A Unique Fungal Two-Component System Regulates Stress Responses, Drug Sensitivity, Sexual Development, and Virulence of Cryptococcus neoformans

Science.gov (United States)

Bahn, Yong-Sun; Kojima, Kaihei; Cox, Gary M.

2006-01-01

The stress-activated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway is widely used by eukaryotic organisms as a central conduit via which cellular responses to the environment effect growth and differentiation. The basidiomycetous human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans uniquely uses the stress-activated Pbs2-Hog1 MAPK system to govern a plethora of cellular events, including stress responses, drug sensitivity, sexual reproduction, and virulence. Here, we characterized a fungal “two-component” system that controls these fundamental cellular functions via the Pbs2-Hog1 MAPK cascade. A typical response regulator, Ssk1, modulated all Hog1-dependent phenotypes by controlling Hog1 phosphorylation, indicating that Ssk1 is the major upstream signaling component of the Pbs2-Hog1 pathway. A second response regulator, Skn7, governs sensitivity to Na+ ions and the antifungal agent fludioxonil, negatively controls melanin production, and functions independently of Hog1 regulation. To control these response regulators, C. neoformans uses multiple sensor kinases, including two-component–like (Tco) 1 and Tco2. Tco1 and Tco2 play shared and distinct roles in stress responses and drug sensitivity through the Hog1 MAPK system. Furthermore, each sensor kinase mediates unique cellular functions for virulence and morphological differentiation. Our findings highlight unique adaptations of this global two-component MAPK signaling cascade in a ubiquitous human fungal pathogen. PMID:16672377

Use of Mixture Designs to Investigate Contribution of Minor Sex Pheromone Components to Trap Catch of the Carpenterworm Moth, Chilecomadia valdiviana.

Science.gov (United States)

Lapointe, Stephen L; Barros-Parada, Wilson; Fuentes-Contreras, Eduardo; Herrera, Heidy; Kinsho, Takeshi; Miyake, Yuki; Niedz, Randall P; Bergmann, Jan

2017-12-01

Field experiments were carried out to study responses of male moths of the carpenterworm, Chilecomadia valdiviana (Lepidoptera: Cossidae), a pest of tree and fruit crops in Chile, to five compounds previously identified from the pheromone glands of females. Previously, attraction of males to the major component, (7Z,10Z)-7,10-hexadecadienal, was clearly demonstrated while the role of the minor components was uncertain due to the use of an experimental design that left large portions of the design space unexplored. We used mixture designs to study the potential contributions to trap catch of the four minor pheromone components produced by C. valdiviana. After systematically exploring the design space described by the five pheromone components, we concluded that the major pheromone component alone is responsible for attraction of male moths in this species. The need for appropriate experimental designs to address the problem of assessing responses to mixtures of semiochemicals in chemical ecology is described. We present an analysis of mixture designs and response surface modeling and an explanation of why this approach is superior to commonly used, but statistically inappropriate, designs.

The specificity of targeted vaccines for APC surface molecules influences the immune response phenotype.

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Gunnveig Grødeland

Full Text Available Different diseases require different immune responses for efficient protection. Thus, prophylactic vaccines should prime the immune system for the particular type of response needed for protection against a given infectious agent. We have here tested fusion DNA vaccines which encode proteins that bivalently target influenza hemagglutinins (HA to different surface molecules on antigen presenting cells (APC. We demonstrate that targeting to MHC class II molecules predominantly induced an antibody/Th2 response, whereas targeting to CCR1/3/5 predominantly induced a CD8(+/Th1 T cell response. With respect to antibodies, the polarizing effect was even more pronounced upon intramuscular (i.m delivery as compared to intradermal (i.d. vaccination. Despite these differences in induced immune responses, both vaccines protected against a viral challenge with influenza H1N1. Substitution of HA with ovalbumin (OVA demonstrated that polarization of immune responses, as a consequence of APC targeting specificity, could be extended to other antigens. Taken together, the results demonstrate that vaccination can be tailor-made to induce a particular phenotype of adaptive immune responses by specifically targeting different surface molecules on APCs.

Kiwifruit Non-Sugar Components Reduce Glycaemic Response to Co-Ingested Cereal in Humans

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Suman Mishra

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Kiwifruit (KF effects on the human glycaemic response to co-ingested wheat cereal were determined. Participants (n = 20 consumed four meals in random order, all being made to 40 g of the same available carbohydrate, by adding kiwifruit sugars (KF sug; glucose, fructose, sucrose 2:2:1 to meals not containing KF. The meals were flaked wheat biscuit (WB+KFsug, WB+KF, WB+guar gum+KFsug, WB+guar gum+KF, that was ingested after fasting overnight. Blood glucose was monitored 3 h and hunger measured at 180 min post-meal using a visual analogue scale. KF and guar reduced postprandial blood glucose response amplitude, and prevented subsequent hypoglycaemia that occurred with WB+KFsug. The area between the blood glucose response curve and baseline from 0 to 180 min was not significantly different between meals, 0–120 min areas were significantly reduced by KF and/or guar. Area from 120 to 180 min was positive for KF, guar, and KF+guar, while the area for the WB meal was negative. Hunger at 180 min was significantly reduced by KF and/or guar when compared with WB. We conclude that KF components other than available carbohydrate may improve the glycaemic response profile to co-ingested cereal food.

Optimization of a natural medium for cellulase by a marine Aspergillus niger using response surface methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Dong-Sheng; Chen, Hui-Yin; Lin, Dong-Qiang; Guan, Yi-Xin; Yao, Shan-Jing

2012-08-01

The components of a natural medium were optimized to produce cellulase from a marine Aspergillus niger under solid state fermentation conditions by response surface methodology. Eichhornia crassipes and natural seawater were used as a major substrate and a source of mineral salts, respectively. Mineral salts of natural seawater could increase cellulase production. Raw corn cob and raw rice straw showed a significant positive effect on cellulase production. The optimum natural medium consisted of 76.9 % E. crassipes (w/w), 8.9 % raw corn cob (w/w), 3.5 % raw rice straw (w/w), 10.7 % raw wheat bran (w/w), and natural seawater (2.33 times the weight of the dry substrates). Incubation for 96 h in the natural medium increased the biomass to the maximum. The cellulase production was 17.80 U/g the dry weight of substrates after incubation for 144 h. The natural medium avoided supplying chemicals and pretreating substrates. It is promising for future practical fermentation of environment-friendly producing cellulase.

Regulatory Guide 1.122: Development of floor design response spectra for seismic design of floor-supported equipment or components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1993-01-01

''Reactor Site Criteria,'' requires, in part, that safety-related structures, systems, and components remain functional in the event of a Safe Shutdown Earthquake (SSE). It specifies the use of a suitable dynamic analysis as one method of ensuring that the structures, systems, and components can withstand the seismic loads. Similarly, paragraph (a)(2) of Section VI of the same appendix requires, in part, that the structures, systems, and components necessary for continued operation without undue risk to the health and safety of the public remain functional in the event of an Operating Basis Earthquake (OBE). Again, the use of suitable dynamic analysis is specified as one method of ensuring that the structures, systems, and components can withstand the seismic loads. This guide describes methods acceptable to the NRC staff for developing two horizontal and one vertical floor design response spectra at various floors or other equipment-support locations of interest from the time-history motions resulting from the dynamic analysis of the supporting structure. These floor design response spectra are needed for the dynamic analysis of the systems or equipment supported at various locations of the supporting structure

Atmospheric components of the surface energy budget over young sea ice: Results from the N-ICE2015 campaign

Science.gov (United States)

Walden, Von P.; Hudson, Stephen R.; Cohen, Lana; Murphy, Sarah Y.; Granskog, Mats A.

2017-08-01

The Norwegian young sea ice campaign obtained the first measurements of the surface energy budget over young, thin Arctic sea ice through the seasonal transition from winter to summer. This campaign was the first of its kind in the North Atlantic sector of the Arctic. This study describes the atmospheric and surface conditions and the radiative and turbulent heat fluxes over young, thin sea ice. The shortwave albedo of the snow surface ranged from about 0.85 in winter to 0.72-0.80 in early summer. The near-surface atmosphere was typically stable in winter, unstable in spring, and near neutral in summer once the surface skin temperature reached 0°C. The daily average radiative and turbulent heat fluxes typically sum to negative values (-40 to 0 W m-2) in winter but then transition toward positive values of up to nearly +60 W m-2 as solar radiation contributes significantly to the surface energy budget. The sensible heat flux typically ranges from +20-30 W m-2 in winter (into the surface) to negative values between 0 and -20 W m-2 in spring and summer. A winter case study highlights the significant effect of synoptic storms and demonstrates the complex interplay of wind, clouds, and heat and moisture advection on the surface energy components over sea ice in winter. A spring case study contrasts a rare period of 24 h of clear-sky conditions with typical overcast conditions and highlights the impact of clouds on the surface radiation and energy budgets over young, thin sea ice.

Optimisation of wire-cut EDM process parameter by Grey-based response surface methodology

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Amit; Soota, Tarun; Kumar, Jitendra

2018-03-01

Wire electric discharge machining (WEDM) is one of the advanced machining processes. Response surface methodology coupled with Grey relation analysis method has been proposed and used to optimise the machining parameters of WEDM. A face centred cubic design is used for conducting experiments on high speed steel (HSS) M2 grade workpiece material. The regression model of significant factors such as pulse-on time, pulse-off time, peak current, and wire feed is considered for optimising the responses variables material removal rate (MRR), surface roughness and Kerf width. The optimal condition of the machining parameter was obtained using the Grey relation grade. ANOVA is applied to determine significance of the input parameters for optimising the Grey relation grade.

Optimization of Selenium-enriched Candida utilis by Response Surface Methodology

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ZHANG Fan

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The fermentation conditions of selenium enrichment by Candida utilis were studied. Based on the results of the single factor experiment, three factors including the concentration of sodium selenite, inital pH and incubation temperature were selected. The response surface method was used to optimize the various factors. The optimal conditions were obtained as follows: incubation time was 30 h, time of adding selenium was mid-logarithmic, the sodium selenite concentration was 35 mg·L-1 with inital pH of 6.6, incubation concentration of 10%, incubation temperature of 27 ℃, the medium volume of 150 mL/500 mL, respectively. Under the optimal condition, the biomass was 6.87 g·L-1. The total selenium content of Candida utilis was 12 639.7 μg·L-1, and the selenium content of the cells was 1 839.8 μg·g-1, in which sodium selenite conversion rate was 79.1% and the organic selenium was higher than 90%. The actual value of selenium content was substantially consistent with the theoretical value, and the response surface methodology was applicable for the fermentation conditions of selenium enriched by Candida utilis.

Potential Response to Selection of HSP70 as a Component of Innate Immunity in the Abalone Haliotis rufescens

Science.gov (United States)

Brokordt, Katherina B.; González, Roxana C.; Farías, William J.; Winkler, Federico M.

2015-01-01

Assessing components of the immune system may reflect disease resistance. In some invertebrates, heat shock proteins (HSPs) are immune effectors and have been described as potent activators of the innate immune response. Several diseases have become a threat to abalone farming worldwide; therefore, increasing disease resistance is considered to be a long-term goal for breeding programs. A trait will respond to selection only if it is determined partially by additive genetic variation. The aim of this study was to estimate the heritability (h 2) and the additive genetic coefficient of variation (CV A) of HSP70 as a component of innate immunity of the abalone Haliotis rufescens, in order to assess its potential response to selection. These genetic components were estimated for the variations in the intracellular (in haemocytes) and extracellular (serum) protein levels of HSP70 in response to an immunostimulant agent in 60 full-sib families of H. rufescens. Levels of HSP70 were measured twice in the same individuals, first when they were young and again when they were pre-harvest adults, to estimate the repeatability (R), the h 2 and the potential response to selection of these traits at these life stages. High HSP70 levels were observed in abalones subjected to immunostimulation in both the intracellular and extracellular haemolymph fractions. This is the first time that changes in serum levels of HSP70 have been reported in response to an immune challenge in molluscs. HSP70 levels in both fractions and at both ages showed low h 2 and R, with values that were not significantly different from zero. However, HSP70 induced levels had a CV A of 13.3–16.2% in young adults and of 2.7–8.1% in pre-harvest adults. Thus, despite its low h 2, HSP70 synthesis in response to an immune challenge in red abalone has the potential to evolve through selection because of its large phenotypic variation and the presence of additive genetic variance, especially in young animals. PMID

Potential Response to Selection of HSP70 as a Component of Innate Immunity in the Abalone Haliotis rufescens.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katherina B Brokordt

Full Text Available Assessing components of the immune system may reflect disease resistance. In some invertebrates, heat shock proteins (HSPs are immune effectors and have been described as potent activators of the innate immune response. Several diseases have become a threat to abalone farming worldwide; therefore, increasing disease resistance is considered to be a long-term goal for breeding programs. A trait will respond to selection only if it is determined partially by additive genetic variation. The aim of this study was to estimate the heritability (h2 and the additive genetic coefficient of variation (CVA of HSP70 as a component of innate immunity of the abalone Haliotis rufescens, in order to assess its potential response to selection. These genetic components were estimated for the variations in the intracellular (in haemocytes and extracellular (serum protein levels of HSP70 in response to an immunostimulant agent in 60 full-sib families of H. rufescens. Levels of HSP70 were measured twice in the same individuals, first when they were young and again when they were pre-harvest adults, to estimate the repeatability (R, the h2 and the potential response to selection of these traits at these life stages. High HSP70 levels were observed in abalones subjected to immunostimulation in both the intracellular and extracellular haemolymph fractions. This is the first time that changes in serum levels of HSP70 have been reported in response to an immune challenge in molluscs. HSP70 levels in both fractions and at both ages showed low h2 and R, with values that were not significantly different from zero. However, HSP70 induced levels had a CVA of 13.3-16.2% in young adults and of 2.7-8.1% in pre-harvest adults. Thus, despite its low h2, HSP70 synthesis in response to an immune challenge in red abalone has the potential to evolve through selection because of its large phenotypic variation and the presence of additive genetic variance, especially in young animals.

Auditory evoked responses to binaural beat illusion: stimulus generation and the derivation of the Binaural Interaction Component (BIC).

Science.gov (United States)

Ozdamar, Ozcan; Bohorquez, Jorge; Mihajloski, Todor; Yavuz, Erdem; Lachowska, Magdalena

2011-01-01

Electrophysiological indices of auditory binaural beats illusions are studied using late latency evoked responses. Binaural beats are generated by continuous monaural FM tones with slightly different ascending and descending frequencies lasting about 25 ms presented at 1 sec intervals. Frequency changes are carefully adjusted to avoid any creation of abrupt waveform changes. Binaural Interaction Component (BIC) analysis is used to separate the neural responses due to binaural involvement. The results show that the transient auditory evoked responses can be obtained from the auditory illusion of binaural beats.

[Concentrations and Component Profiles PAHs in Surface Soils and Wheat Grains from the Cornfields Close to the Steel Smelting Industry in Handan, Hebei Province].

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Di; Wang, Yi-long; Liu, Wei-jian; Chen, Yuan-chen; Fu, Xiao-fang; Tao, Shu; Liu, Wen-xin

2016-02-15

In this study, paired surface soil and mature wheat grain samples were collected in the cornfields near the large Handan Steel Manufacturer; and the total concentrations and compositional profiles of the parent PAHs were measured, then the spatial distribution characteristics and correlation with total organic carbon fractions in soil were determined. Accordingly, a preliminary source identification was performed, and the association between PAHs in surface soil and wheat grain was briefly discussed. The median concentration of total PAHs in surface soils from the cornfields of Handan was 398.9 ng x g(-1) (ranged from 123.4 ng x g(-1) to 1626.4 ng x g(-1), where around 18% and 10% of all the studied soil samples were over the corresponding quality criteria for total PAHs and B [a] P in soils, respectively. The MMW and HMW species were the main components in the compositional profiles of surface soils. Based on the specific isomeric ratios of PAHs species, coal/biomass combustion and transportation fuel (tail gas) were the dominant mixed sources for the local PAHs emission. The fractions of surface soil TOC had significant positive correlations with the total PAHs and also with the individual components with different rings. In addition, the median concentration of total PAHs in wheat grains collected in the cornfields near the Handan Steel Manufacture was 27.0 ng x g(-1) (ranged from 19.0-34.0 ng x g(-1)). The levels in wheat grains were not high, and lower than the related hygienic standards of food proposed by EU and China. The LMW and MMW PAHs with 2 to 4 rings occupied a larger proportion, more than 84% of the total PAHs, which was largely different from the component profiles in surface soils. This situation suggested that the local sources of PAHs in wheat grains may originate not only from surface soil via root absorption and internal transportation, but also from ambient air through dry and wet deposition on the leaf surface (stoma).

Leptospira surface adhesin (Lsa21) induces Toll like receptor 2 and 4 mediated inflammatory responses in macrophages

OpenAIRE

Syed M. Faisal; Vivek P. Varma; M. Subathra; Sarwar Azam; Anil K. Sunkara; Mohd Akif; Mirza. S. Baig; Yung-Fu Chang

2016-01-01

Leptospirosis is zoonotic and emerging infectious disease of global importance. Little is understood about Leptospira pathogenesis and host immune response. In the present work we have investigated how Leptospira modulates the host innate immune response mediated by Toll-like receptors (TLRs) via surface exposed proteins. We screened Leptospira outer membrane/surface proteins for their ability to activate/inhibit TLR2/4 signaling in HEK293 cell lines. Of these the 21?kDa Leptospira surface ad...

Immediate and heterogeneous response of the LiaFSR two-component system of Bacillus subtilis to the peptide antibiotic bacitracin.

Science.gov (United States)

Kesel, Sara; Mader, Andreas; Höfler, Carolin; Mascher, Thorsten; Leisner, Madeleine

2013-01-01

Two-component signal transduction systems are one means of bacteria to respond to external stimuli. The LiaFSR two-component system of Bacillus subtilis consists of a regular two-component system LiaRS comprising the core Histidine Kinase (HK) LiaS and the Response Regulator (RR) LiaR and additionally the accessory protein LiaF, which acts as a negative regulator of LiaRS-dependent signal transduction. The complete LiaFSR system was shown to respond to various peptide antibiotics interfering with cell wall biosynthesis, including bacitracin. Here we study the response of the LiaFSR system to various concentrations of the peptide antibiotic bacitracin. Using quantitative fluorescence microscopy, we performed a whole population study analyzed on the single cell level. We investigated switching from the non-induced 'OFF' state into the bacitracin-induced 'ON' state by monitoring gene expression of a fluorescent reporter from the RR-regulated liaI promoter. We found that switching into the 'ON' state occurred within less than 20 min in a well-defined switching window, independent of the bacitracin concentration. The switching rate and the basal expression rate decreased at low bacitracin concentrations, establishing clear heterogeneity 60 min after bacitracin induction. Finally, we performed time-lapse microscopy of single cells confirming the quantitative response as obtained in the whole population analysis for high bacitracin concentrations. The LiaFSR system exhibits an immediate, heterogeneous and graded response to the inducer bacitracin in the exponential growth phase.

Influence of refraction of p-polarized light on photoemission from metallic surface states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bagchi, A.; Barrera, R.G.

1979-01-01

The refraction of p-polarized light at a metal surface leads, under certain circumstances, to a large peak in the spatial distribution of the normal component of the electric field near the surface. The origin of this peak is explained both in terms of a classical correspondence and in terms of a theory based on the non-local dielectric response of the metal surface. The significance of the large magnitude and rapid variation of the surface electric field in exciting photoelectrons from surface states is discussed [pt

Thermal memory influence on the thermoconducting component of indirect photoacoustic response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nešić, M; Popović, M; Gusavac, P; Šoškić, Z; Galović, S

2012-01-01

In this paper, a model of the thermoconducting component of the indirect photoacoustic (PA) response is derived that includes thermal memory properties of the examined material and its fluid environment. A comparison is made between the derived model and the classic one, which neglects the influence of thermal memory. It has been shown that, at modulation frequencies lower than a certain boundary frequency of the light source, these models tend to overlap, while at higher frequencies, noticeable differences occur. The boundary frequency depends on heat propagation velocity through the sample and its thickness. This observation limits the validity domain of previous models to a range lower than the boundary frequency, offering, at the same time, the possibility of obtaining thermal memory properties using PA effects at frequencies above it.

The Role of Hierarchy in Response Surface Modeling of Wind Tunnel Data

Science.gov (United States)

DeLoach, Richard

2010-01-01

This paper is intended as a tutorial introduction to certain aspects of response surface modeling, for the experimentalist who has started to explore these methods as a means of improving productivity and quality in wind tunnel testing and other aerospace applications. A brief review of the productivity advantages of response surface modeling in aerospace research is followed by a description of the advantages of a common coding scheme that scales and centers independent variables. The benefits of model term reduction are reviewed. A constraint on model term reduction with coded factors is described in some detail, which requires such models to be well-formulated, or hierarchical. Examples illustrate the consequences of ignoring this constraint. The implication for automated regression model reduction procedures is discussed, and some opinions formed from the author s experience are offered on coding, model reduction, and hierarchy.

Antibacterial performance of polypropylene nonwoven fabric wound dressing surfaces containing passive and active components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xin, Zhirong; Du, Shanshan; Zhao, Chunyu; Chen, Hao; Sun, Miao; Yan, Shunjie; Luan, Shifang; Yin, Jinghua

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • PNVP and PHMG components were covalently immobilized on PP_N_W_F surface. • PP_N_W_F-g-PNVP-PHMG possessed bacterial adhesion-resistant and bactericidal capabilities. • PP_N_W_F-g-PNVP-PHMG obviously suppressed platelet and red blood cell adhesion. - Abstract: A growing number of wound dressing-related nosocomial infections necessitate the development of novel antibacterial strategies. Herein, polypropylene non-woven fabric (PP_N_W_F) was facilely modified with passive and active antibacterial components, namely photografting polymerization both N-Vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (NVP) and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) monomers, and the introduction of guanidine polymer through the reaction between active amino groups and epoxy groups. The modified samples were confirmed by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. Water contact angle measurement, antibacterial test, platelet and red blood cell adhesion were used to evaluate the hydrophilicity, antibacterial properties and hemocompatibility of the samples. It was found that the antibacterial properties were obviously enhanced, meanwhile significantly suppressing platelet and red blood cell adhesion after the above modification. This PP_N_W_F samples that possess antifouling and antimicrobial properties, have great potential in wound dressing applications.

'Faceness' and affectivity: evidence for genetic contributions to distinct components of electrocortical response to human faces.

Science.gov (United States)

Shannon, Robert W; Patrick, Christopher J; Venables, Noah C; He, Sheng

2013-12-01

The ability to recognize a variety of different human faces is undoubtedly one of the most important and impressive functions of the human perceptual system. Neuroimaging studies have revealed multiple brain regions (including the FFA, STS, OFA) and electrophysiological studies have identified differing brain event-related potential (ERP) components (e.g., N170, P200) possibly related to distinct types of face information processing. To evaluate the heritability of ERP components associated with face processing, including N170, P200, and LPP, we examined ERP responses to fearful and neutral face stimuli in monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins. Concordance levels for early brain response indices of face processing (N170, P200) were found to be stronger for MZ than DZ twins, providing evidence of a heritable basis to each. These findings support the idea that certain key neural mechanisms for face processing are genetically coded. Implications for understanding individual differences in recognition of facial identity and the emotional content of faces are discussed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Shear wave profiles from surface wave inversion: the impact of uncertainty on seismic site response analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boaga, J; Vignoli, G; Cassiani, G

2011-01-01

Inversion is a critical step in all geophysical techniques, and is generally fraught with ill-posedness. In the case of seismic surface wave studies, the inverse problem can lead to different equivalent subsoil models and consequently to different local seismic response analyses. This can have a large impact on an earthquake engineering design. In this paper, we discuss the consequences of non-uniqueness of surface wave inversion on seismic responses, with both numerical and experimental data. Our goal is to evaluate the consequences on common seismic response analysis in the case of different impedance contrast conditions. We verify the implications of inversion uncertainty, and consequently of data information content, on realistic local site responses. A stochastic process is used to generate a set of 1D shear wave velocity profiles from several specific subsurface models. All these profiles are characterized as being equivalent, i.e. their responses, in terms of a dispersion curve, are compatible with the uncertainty in the same surface wave data. The generated 1D shear velocity models are then subjected to a conventional one-dimensional seismic ground response analysis using a realistic input motion. While recent analyses claim that the consequences of surface wave inversion uncertainties are very limited, our test points out that a relationship exists between inversion confidence and seismic responses in different subsoils. In the case of regular and relatively smooth increase of shear wave velocities with depth, as is usual in sedimentary plains, our results show that the choice of a specific model among equivalent solutions strongly influences the seismic response. On the other hand, when the shallow subsoil is characterized by a strong impedance contrast (thus revealing a characteristic soil resonance period), as is common in the presence of a shallow bedrock, equivalent solutions provide practically the same seismic amplification, especially in the

Decontamination of CAGR gas circulator components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogers, L.N.; Hooper, A.J.

1985-01-01

This paper describes the development and full-scale trial of two methods for removal of radioactive contamination on the surfaces of CAGR gas circulator components. The two methods described are a particle impact cleaning (PIC) decontamination technique and an electrochemical technique, 'electro-swabbing', which is based on the principle of decontamination by electro-polishing. In developing these techniques it was necessary to take account of the physical and chemical nature of the surface deposits on the gas circulator components; these were shown to consist of magnetite-type oxide and carbonaceous material. In order to follow the progress of the decontamination it was also necessary to develop a surface sampling technique which was effective and precise under these conditions; an electrochemical technique, employing similar principles to the electro-swabbing process, was developed for this purpose. The full-scale trial of the PIC decontamination technique was carried out on an inlet guide vane (IGV) assembly, this having been identified as the component from the gas circulator which contributes most to the radiation dose accumulated during routine circulator maintenance. The technique was shown to be practically viable and some 99% of the radioactive contamination was readily removed from the treated surfaces with only negligible surface damage being caused. The full-scale trial of the electro-swabbing decontamination technique was carried out on a gas circulator impeller. High decontamination factors were again achieved with ≥ 99% of the radioactive contamination being removed from the treated surfaces. The technique has practical limitations in terms of handling and treatment of waste-arisings. However, the use of specially-designed swabbing electrodes may allow the treatment of constricted geometries inaccessible to techniques such as PIC. The technique is also highly suitable for the treatment of soft-finish materials and of components fabricated from a

Scanning tone burst eddy-current thermography (S-TBET) for NDT of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Libin, M. N.; Maxfield, B. W.; Balasubramanian, Krishnan

2014-01-01

Tone Burst Eddy Current technique uses eddy current to apply transient heating inside a component and uses a conventional IR camera for visualization of the response to the transient heating. This technique has been earliest demonstrated for metallic components made of AL, Steel, Stainless Steel, etc., and for detection of cracks, corrosion and adhesive dis-bonds. Although, not nearly as conducting as metals, the Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) material absorbs measurable electromagnetic radiation in the frequency range above 10 kHz. When the surface temperature is observed on the surface that is being heated (defined as the surface just beneath and slightly to one side of the heating coil), the surface temperature increases with increasing frequency because the internal heating increases with frequency. A 2-D anisotropic transient Eddy current heating and thermal conduction model has been developed that provides a reasonable description of the processes described above. The inherent anisotropy of CFRP laminates is included in this model by calculating the heating due to three superimposed, tightly coupled isotropic layers having a specified ply-layup. The experimental apparatus consists of an induction heating coil and an IR camera with low NETD and high frame rates. The coil is moved over the sample using a stepper motor controlled manipulator. The IR data recording is synchronized with the motion control to provide a movie of the surface temperature over time. Several components were evaluated for detection of impact damage, location of stiffeners, etc. on CFRP components

Scanning tone burst eddy-current thermography (S-TBET) for NDT of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Libin, M. N.; Maxfield, B. W.; Balasubramanian, Krishnan [Centre for Nondestructive Evaluation, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036 (India)

2014-02-18

Tone Burst Eddy Current technique uses eddy current to apply transient heating inside a component and uses a conventional IR camera for visualization of the response to the transient heating. This technique has been earliest demonstrated for metallic components made of AL, Steel, Stainless Steel, etc., and for detection of cracks, corrosion and adhesive dis-bonds. Although, not nearly as conducting as metals, the Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) material absorbs measurable electromagnetic radiation in the frequency range above 10 kHz. When the surface temperature is observed on the surface that is being heated (defined as the surface just beneath and slightly to one side of the heating coil), the surface temperature increases with increasing frequency because the internal heating increases with frequency. A 2-D anisotropic transient Eddy current heating and thermal conduction model has been developed that provides a reasonable description of the processes described above. The inherent anisotropy of CFRP laminates is included in this model by calculating the heating due to three superimposed, tightly coupled isotropic layers having a specified ply-layup. The experimental apparatus consists of an induction heating coil and an IR camera with low NETD and high frame rates. The coil is moved over the sample using a stepper motor controlled manipulator. The IR data recording is synchronized with the motion control to provide a movie of the surface temperature over time. Several components were evaluated for detection of impact damage, location of stiffeners, etc. on CFRP components.

Ceramic Surface Treatment with a Single-component Primer: Resin Adhesion to Glass Ceramics.

Science.gov (United States)

Prado, Mayara; Prochnow, Catina; Marchionatti, Ana Maria Estivalete; Baldissara, Paolo; Valandro, Luiz Felipe; Wandscher, Vinicius Felipe

2018-04-19

To evaluate the microshear bond strength (μSBS) of composite cement bonded to two machined glass ceramics and its durability, comparing conventional surface conditioning (hydrofluoric acid + silane) to a one-step primer (Monobond Etch & Prime). Machined slices of lithium disilicate ceramic (LDC) (IPS e.max CAD) and feldspathic ceramic (FC) (VITA Mark II) glass ceramics were divided into two groups (n = 10) according to two factors: 1. surface treatment: HF+S (ca 5% hydrofluoric acid [IPS Ceramic Etching GEL] + silane coupling agent [SIL; Monobond Plus]) or MEP (single-component ceramic conditioner; Monobond Etch & Prime); 2. storage condition: baseline (without aging; tested 24 h after cementing) or aged (70 days of water storage + 12,000 thermal cycles). Composite cement (Multilink Automix, Ivoclar Vivadent) was applied to starch matrices on the treated ceramic surfaces and photoactivated. A μSBS test was performed (0.5 mm/min) and the failure pattern was determined. Contact angle and micromorphological analyses were also performed. Data were analyzed with Student's t-test (α = 5%). For both ceramic materials, HF+S resulted in higher mean μSBS (MPa) at baseline (LDC: HF+S 21.2 ± 2.2 > MEP 10.4 ± 2.4; FC: HF+S 19.6 ± 4.3 > MEP 13.5 ± 5.4) and after aging (LDC: HF+S 14.64 ± 2.31 > MEP 9 ± 3.4; FC HF+S: 14.73 ± 3.33 > MEP 11.1 ± 3.3). HF+S resulted in a statistically significant decrease in mean μSBS after aging (p = 0.0001), while MEP yielded no significant reduction. The main failure type was adhesive between composite cement and ceramic. HF+S resuted in the lowest contact angle. Hydrofluoric acid + silane resulted in higher mean μSBS than Monobond Etch & Prime for both ceramics; however, Monobond Etch & Prime had stable bonding after aging.

Inverse modeling of cloud-aerosol interactions -- Part 1: Detailed response surface analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Partridge, D.G.; Vrugt, J.A.; Tunved, P.; Ekman, A.M.L.; Gorea, D.; Sooroshian, A.

2011-01-01

New methodologies are required to probe the sensitivity of parameters describing cloud droplet activation. This paper presents an inverse modeling-based method for exploring cloud-aerosol interactions via response surfaces. The objective function, containing the difference between the measured and

Sloshing response of a reactor tank with internals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma, D.C.; Gvildys, J.; Chang, Y.W.

1984-01-01

The sloshing response of a large reactor tank with in-tank components is presented. The study indicates that the presence of the internal components can significantly change the dynamic characteristics of the sloshing motion. The sloshing frequency of a tank with internals is considerably higher than that of a tank without internal. The higher sloshing frequency reduces the sloshing wave height on the free-surface but increases the dynamic pressure in the fluid

Synthesis of Environmentally Responsive Polymers by Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization: Generation of Reversible Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Surfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vikas Mittal

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Environmentally responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide brushes were grafted from the surface of polymer particles or flat surfaces in order to generate reversible hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces. The use of atom transfer radical polymerization was demonstrated for the grafting of polymer brushes as it allows efficient control on the amount of grafted polymer. The polymer particles were generated with or without surfactant in the emulsion polymerization and their surface could be modified with the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP initiator. The uniform functionalization of the surface with ATRP initiator was responsible for the uniform grafting of polymer brushes. The grafted brushes responded reversibly with changes in temperature indicating that the reversible responsive behavior could be translated to the particle surfaces. The particles were observed to adsorb and desorb protein and virus molecules by changing the temperatures below or higher than 32 °C. The initiator functionalized particles could also be adsorbed on the flat surfaces. The adsorption process also required optimization of the heat treatment conditions to form a uniform layer of the particles on the substrate. The grafted polymer brushes also responded to the changes in temperatures similar to the spherical particles studied through water droplets placed on the flat substrates.

The absence of later wave components in auditory brainstem responses as an initial manifestation of type 2 Gaucher disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Okubo, Yusuke; Goto, Masahiro; Sakakibara, Hiroshi; Terakawa, Toshiro; Kaneko, Takashi; Miyama, Sahoko

2014-12-01

Type 2 Gaucher disease is the most severe neuronopathic form of Gaucher disease and is characterized by severe neurodegeneration with brainstem involvement and organ failure. Prediction or diagnosis of type 2 Gaucher disease before the development of neurological complications is difficult. A 5-month-old female infant presented with deafness without other neurological abnormalities. Auditory brainstem response analysis revealed the absence of later wave components. Two months later, muscular rigidity became evident, followed by the development of opisthotonus and strabismus. Rapid progression of splenomegaly led to the diagnosis of type 2 Gaucher disease. Abnormal auditory brainstem response findings may already exist before the development of severe brainstem abnormalities such as muscular rigidity and opisthotonus in type 2 Gaucher disease. When patients present with deafness and absent later wave components on auditory brainstem response, type 2 Gaucher disease should be included in the differential diagnosis even in the absence of other neurological abnormalities. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterization of Lactococcus lactis response to ampicillin and ciprofloxacin using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Panxue; Pang, Shintaro; Zhang, Hua; Fan, Mingtao; He, Lili

2016-01-01

Decades of antibiotic use or misuse has resulted in antibiotic resistance in lactic acid bacteria, a group of common culture starters and probiotic microorganisms. This has urged researchers to study how lactic acid bacteria respond to antibiotics, so as to have a better strategy to identify and predict the antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This study aimed to characterize the biochemical profiles of Lactococcus lactis responding to antibiotics using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Lactococcus lactis exposed to antibiotics was mixed with 50-nm gold nanoparticles for subsequent SERS measurements. The SERS spectra analyzed by principal component analysis showed no significant change after 30 min of antibiotic treatment, whereas distinct changes were clearly observed after 60 and 90 min of antibiotic treatment. Different antibiotics induced different spectral changes, and these changes revealed the detailed biochemical information of cellular responses. This study demonstrates that the SERS method developed not only senses the changes in the bacterial cell wall, but also reveals details of the biochemical profiles, which help us to understand how lactic acid bacteria respond to antibiotics, as well as to set a base for the detection of antibiotic susceptibility of bacteria by SERS.

Response surface optimization of biosurfactant produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa MA01 isolated from spoiled apples.

Science.gov (United States)

Abbasi, Habib; Sharafi, Hakimeh; Alidost, Leila; Bodagh, Atefe; Zahiri, Hossein Shahbani; Noghabi, Kambiz Akbari

2013-01-01

A potent biosurfactant-producing bacterial strain isolated from spoiled apples was identified by 16S rRNA as Pseudomonas aeruginosa MA01. Compositional analysis revealed that the extracted biosurfactant was composed of high percentages of lipid (66%, w/w) and carbohydrate (32%, w/w). The surface tension of pure water decreased gradually with increasing biosurfactant concentration to 32.5 mN m(-1) with critical micelle concentration (CMC) value of 10.1 mg L(-1). The Fourier transform infrared spectrum of extracted biosurfactant confirmed the glycolipid nature of this natural product. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the biosynthesis medium for the production of MA01 biosurfactant. Nineteen carbon sources and 11 nitrogen sources were examined, with soybean oil and sodium nitrate being the most effective carbon and nitrogen sources on biosurfactant production, respectively. Among the organic nitrogen sources examined, yeast extract was necessary as a complementary nitrogen source for high production yield. Biosurfactant production at the optimum value of fermentation processing factor (15.68 g/L) was 29.5% higher than the biosurfactant concentration obtained before the RSM optimization (12.1 g/L). A central composite design algorithm was used to optimize the levels of key medium components, and it was concluded that two stages of optimization using RSM could increase biosurfactant production by 1.46 times, as compared to the values obtained before optimization.

Chemotaxis and adherence to fungal surfaces are key components of the behavioral response of Burkholderia terrae BS001 to two selected soil fungi.

Science.gov (United States)

Haq, Irshad Ul; Calixto, Renata Oliveira da Rocha; Yang, Pu; Dos Santos, Giulia Maria Pires; Barreto-Bergter, Eliana; van Elsas, Jan Dirk

2016-11-01

Burkholderia terrae BS001 has previously been proposed to be a 'generalist' associate of soil fungi, but its strategies of interaction have been largely ignored. Here, we studied the chemotactic behavior of B. terrae BS001 towards Lyophyllum sp. strain Karsten and Trichoderma asperellum 302 and the role of fungal surface molecules in their physical interaction with the bacteria. To assess the involvement of the type 3 secretion system (T3SS), wild-type strain BS001 and T3SS mutant strain BS001-ΔsctD were used in the experiments. First, the two fungi showed divergent behavior when confronted with B. terrae BS001 on soil extract agar medium. Lyophyllum sp. strain Karsten revealed slow growth towards the bacterium, whereas T. asperellum 302 grew avidly over it. Both on soil extract and M9 agar, B. terrae BS001 and BS001-ΔsctD moved chemotactically towards the hyphae of both fungi, with a stronger response to Lyophyllum sp. strain Karsten than to T. asperellum 302. The presence of a progressively increasing glycerol level in the M9 agar enhanced the level of movement. Different oxalic acid concentrations exerted varied effects, with a significantly raised chemotactic response at lower, and a subdued response at higher concentrations. Testing of the adherence of B. terrae BS001 and BS001-ΔsctD to Lyophyllum sp. strain Karsten and to cell envelope-extracted ceramide monohexosides (CMHs) revealed that CMHs in both conidia and hyphae could bind strain BS001 cells. As BS001-ΔsctD adhered significantly less to the CMHs than BS001, the T3SS was presumed to have a role in the interaction. In contrast, such avid adherence was not detected with T. asperellum 302. Thus, B. terrae BS001 shows a behavior characterized by swimming towards Lyophyllum sp. strain Karsten and T. asperellum 302 and attachment to the CMH moiety in the cell envelope, in particular of the former. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Calculation of t8/5 by response surface methodology for electric arc welding applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meseguer-Valdenebro José Luis

2014-01-01

Full Text Available One of the greatest difficulties traditionally found in stainless steel constructions has been the execution of welding parts in them. At the present time, the available technology allows us to use arc welding processes for that application without any disadvantage. Response surface methodology is used to optimise a process in which the variables that take part in it are not related to each other by a mathematical law. Therefore, an empiric model must be formulated. With this methodology the optimisation of one selected variable may be done. In this work, the cooling time that takes place from 800 to 500ºC, t8/5, after TIG welding operation, is modelled by the response surface method. The arc power, the welding velocity and the thermal efficiency factor are considered as the variables that have influence on the t8/5 value. Different cooling times,t8/5, for different combinations of values for the variables are previously determined by a numerical method. The input values for the variables have been experimentally established. The results indicate that response surface methodology may be considered as a valid technique for these purposes.

Enhanced Production of Xylitol from Corncob by Pachysolen tannophilus Using Response Surface Methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Ramesh

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Optimization of the culture medium and process variables for xylitol production using corncob hemicellulose hydrolysate by Pachysolen tannophilus (MTTC 1077 was performed with statistical methodology based on experimental designs. The screening of nine nutrients for their influence on xylitol production was achieved using a Plackett-Burman design. Peptone, xylose, MgSO4·7H2O, and yeast extract were selected based on their positive influence on xylitol production. The selected components were optimized with Box-Behnken design using response surface methodology (RSM. The optimum levels (g/L were peptone: 6.03, xylose: 10.62, MgSO4·7H2O: 1.39, yeast extract: 4.66. The influence of various process variables on the xylitol production was evaluated. The optimal levels of these variables were quantified by the central composite design using RSM, for establishment of a significant mathematical model with a coefficient determination of . The validation experimental was consistent with the prediction model. The optimum levels of process variables were temperature (36.56°C, pH (7.27, substrate concentration (3.55 g/L, inoculum size (3.69 mL, and agitation speed (194.44 rpm. These conditions were validated experimentally which revealed an enhanced xylitol yield of 0.80 g/g.

Influence of inhomogeneous surface heat capacity on the estimation of radiative response coefficients in a two-zone energy balance model

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jungmin; Choi, Yong-Sang

2018-04-01

Observationally constrained values of the global radiative response coefficient are pivotal to assess the reliability of modeled climate feedbacks. A widely used approach is to measure transient global radiative imbalance related to surface temperature changes. However, in this approach, a potential error in the estimate of radiative response coefficients may arise from surface inhomogeneity in the climate system. We examined this issue theoretically using a simple two-zone energy balance model. Here, we dealt with the potential error by subtracting the prescribed radiative response coefficient from those calculated within the two-zone framework. Each zone was characterized by the different magnitude of the radiative response coefficient and the surface heat capacity, and the dynamical heat transport in the atmosphere between the zones was parameterized as a linear function of the temperature difference between the zones. Then, the model system was forced by randomly generated monthly varying forcing mimicking time-varying forcing like an observation. The repeated simulations showed that inhomogeneous surface heat capacity causes considerable miscalculation (down to -1.4 W m-2 K-1 equivalent to 31.3% of the prescribed value) in the global radiative response coefficient. Also, the dynamical heat transport reduced this miscalculation driven by inhomogeneity of surface heat capacity. Therefore, the estimation of radiative response coefficients using the surface temperature-radiation relation is appropriate for homogeneous surface areas least affected by the exterior.

Identification and characterization of sigma, a novel component of the Staphylococcus aureus stress and virulence responses.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lindsey N Shaw

Full Text Available S. aureus is a highly successful pathogen that is speculated to be the most common cause of human disease. The progression of disease in S. aureus is subject to multi-factorial regulation, in response to the environments encountered during growth. This adaptive nature is thought to be central to pathogenesis, and is the result of multiple regulatory mechanisms employed in gene regulation. In this work we describe the existence of a novel S. aureus regulator, an as yet uncharacterized ECF-sigma factor (sigma(S, that appears to be an important component of the stress and pathogenic responses of this organism. Using biochemical approaches we have shown that sigma(S is able to associates with core-RNAP, and initiate transcription from its own coding region. Using a mutant strain we determined that sigma(S is important for S. aureus survival during starvation, extended exposure to elevated growth temperatures, and Triton X-100 induced lysis. Coculture studies reveal that a sigma(S mutant is significantly outcompeted by its parental strain, which is only exacerbated during prolonged growth (7 days, or in the presence of stressor compounds. Interestingly, transcriptional analysis determined that under standard conditions, S. aureus SH1000 does not initiate expression of sigS. Assays performed hourly for 72 h revealed expression in typically background ranges. Analysis of a potential anti-sigma factor, encoded downstream of sigS, revealed it to have no obvious role in the upregulation of sigS expression. Using a murine model of septic arthritis, sigS-mutant infected animals lost significantly less weight, developed septic arthritis at significantly lower levels, and had increased survival rates. Studies of mounted immune responses reveal that sigS-mutant infected animals had significantly lower levels of IL-6, indicating only a weak immunological response. Finally, strains of S. aureus lacking sigS were far less able to undergo systemic dissemination

Local mechanical stimulation induces components of the pathogen defense response in parsley

Science.gov (United States)

Gus-Mayer, Sabine; Naton, Beatrix; Hahlbrock, Klaus; Schmelzer, Elmon

1998-01-01

Cell suspension cultures of parsley (Petroselinum crispum) have previously been used as a suitable system for studies of the nonhost resistance response to Phytophthora sojae. In this study, we replaced the penetrating fungus by local mechanical stimulation by using a needle of the same diameter as a fungal hypha, by local application of a structurally defined fungus-derived elicitor, or by a combination of the two stimuli. Similar to the fungal infection hypha, the local mechanical stimulus alone induced the translocation of cytoplasm and nucleus to the site of stimulation, the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI), and the expression of some, but not all, elicitor-responsive genes. When the elicitor was applied locally to the cell surface without mechanical stimulation, intracellular ROI also accumulated rapidly, but morphological changes were not detected. A combination of the mechanical stimulus with simultaneous application of low doses of elicitor closely simulated early reactions to fungal infection, including cytoplasmic aggregation, nuclear migration, and ROI accumulation. By contrast, cytoplasmic rearrangements were impaired at high elicitor concentrations. Neither papilla formation nor hypersensitive cell death occurred under the conditions tested. These results suggest that mechanical stimulation by the invading fungus is responsible for the observed intracellular rearrangements and may trigger some of the previously demonstrated changes in the activity of elicitor-responsive genes, whereas chemical stimulation is required for additional biochemical processes. As yet unidentified signals may be involved in papilla formation and hypersensitive cell death. PMID:9653198

Magneto-optical response of Cu/NiFe/Cu nanostructure under surface plasmon resonance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mahmoodi, S. [Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, University of Kashan, Kashan, 87317 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Moradi, M., E-mail: m.moradi@kashanu.ac.ir [Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, University of Kashan, Kashan, 87317 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mohseni, S.M. [Department of Physics, Shahid Beheshti University, Evin, Tehran, 19839 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2016-12-15

In this paper, we present theoretical and experimental studies about the surface plasmon resonance effects on the magneto-optical activity of Cu/NiFe/Cu nanostructures as a function of layers thickness and light incident angle. Device fabrication was done by an oblique deposition technique with RF magnetron sputtering to carefully cover fine step thickness variation of all constituted layers. Angular dependent transverse Kerr response of samples was measured in the Kretschmann configuration at a fixed wavelength of 632 nm. At an optimum layer thickness and incident angle, significant amplification of the transverse Kerr effect was observed. Enhancement in the transverse Kerr effect can be realized by hybridization of surface plasmon excitation and cavity resonance in the plasmonic nanostructure. Experimental results were in qualitative agreement with modeling based on the 4×4 transfer matrix formalism. - Highlights: • Large magneto-optical response in Cu/NiFe/Cu multilayer nanostructure is achieved. • Layer thickness and sequence are studied to find large transverse Kerr signal. • Hybridization of surface plasmon excitation and cavity resonance were done.

Understanding the biological responses of nanostructured metals and surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Lowe, Terry C.; Reiss, Rebecca A.

2014-08-01

Metals produced by Severe Plastic Deformation (SPD) offer distinct advantages for medical applications such as orthopedic devices, in part because of their nanostructured surfaces. We examine the current theoretical foundations and state of knowledge for nanostructured biomaterials surface optimization within the contexts that apply to bulk nanostructured metals, differentiating how their microstructures impact osteogenesis, in particular, for Ultrafine Grained (UFG) titanium. Then we identify key gaps in the research to date, pointing out areas which merit additional focus within the scientific community. For example, we highlight the potential of next-generation DNA sequencing techniques (NGS) to reveal gene and non-coding RNA (ncRNA) expression changes induced by nanostructured metals. While our understanding of bio-nano interactions is in its infancy, nanostructured metals are already being marketed or developed for medical devices such as dental implants, spinal devices, and coronary stents. Our ability to characterize and optimize the biological response of cells to SPD metals will have synergistic effects on advances in materials, biological, and medical science.

Understanding the biological responses of nanostructured metals and surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lowe, Terry C; A Reiss, Rebecca

2014-01-01

Metals produced by Severe Plastic Deformation (SPD) offer distinct advantages for medical applications such as orthopedic devices, in part because of their nanostructured surfaces. We examine the current theoretical foundations and state of knowledge for nanostructured biomaterials surface optimization within the contexts that apply to bulk nanostructured metals, differentiating how their microstructures impact osteogenesis, in particular, for Ultrafine Grained (UFG) titanium. Then we identify key gaps in the research to date, pointing out areas which merit additional focus within the scientific community. For example, we highlight the potential of next-generation DNA sequencing techniques (NGS) to reveal gene and non-coding RNA (ncRNA) expression changes induced by nanostructured metals. While our understanding of bio-nano interactions is in its infancy, nanostructured metals are already being marketed or developed for medical devices such as dental implants, spinal devices, and coronary stents. Our ability to characterize and optimize the biological response of cells to SPD metals will have synergistic effects on advances in materials, biological, and medical science

Effect of nanocoating with rhamnogalacturonan-I on surface properties and osteoblasts response

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gurzawska, Katarzyna Aleksandra; Svava, Rikke; Syberg, Susanne

2012-01-01

-I) on surface properties and osteoblasts response. Three different RG-Is from apple and lupin pectins were modified and coated on amino-functionalized tissue culture polystyrene plates (aminated TCPS). Surface properties were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, contact angle measurement, atomic force...... microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The effects of nanocoating on proliferation, matrix formation and mineralization, and expression of genes (real-time PCR) related to osteoblast differentiation and activity were tested using human osteoblast-like SaOS-2 cells. It was shown that RG-I coatings...

Estimating sub-surface dispersed oil concentration using acoustic backscatter response.

Science.gov (United States)

Fuller, Christopher B; Bonner, James S; Islam, Mohammad S; Page, Cheryl; Ojo, Temitope; Kirkey, William

2013-05-15

The recent Deepwater Horizon disaster resulted in a dispersed oil plume at an approximate depth of 1000 m. Several methods were used to characterize this plume with respect to concentration and spatial extent including surface supported sampling and autonomous underwater vehicles with in situ instrument payloads. Additionally, echo sounders were used to track the plume location, demonstrating the potential for remote detection using acoustic backscatter (ABS). This study evaluated use of an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) to quantitatively detect oil-droplet suspensions from the ABS response in a controlled laboratory setting. Results from this study showed log-linear ABS responses to oil-droplet volume concentration. However, the inability to reproduce ABS response factors suggests the difficultly in developing meaningful calibration factors for quantitative field analysis. Evaluation of theoretical ABS intensity derived from the particle size distribution provided insight regarding method sensitivity in the presence of interfering ambient particles. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optical response of a flat metallic surface coated with a monolayer array of latex spheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi Lei; Liu Xiaohan; Yin Haiwei; Zi Jian

2010-01-01

We report on the fabrication, characterization and simulation of a structure consisting of a flat metallic surface coated with a monolayer array of latex spheres. This structure shows interesting optical response: over flat metallic surfaces a series of reflection minima appear in reflection spectra. Numerical simulations revealed that the structure can support two types of surface modes: surface plasmon-polaritons bound at the metallic surface and guided modes confined to the array of latex spheres, or their hybrids. Both experimental and theoretical results indicated that these surface modes show well-defined band structures due to the introduced periodicity by the monolayer array of latex spheres.

Interaction between Palladium Nanoparticles and Surface-Modified Carbon Nanotubes: Role of Surface Functionalities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Bingsen; Shao, Lidong; Zhang, Wei

2014-01-01

degrees C. We focus on probing the effects of oxygen and nitrogen-containing functional groups on supported palladium nanoparticles (NPs) in the model catalytic system. The stability of palladium NPs supported on CNTs depends strongly on the surface properties of CNTs. Moreover, the oxygen...... feature, instability, and subtle response of the components upon application of an external field. Herein, we use insitu TEM, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques to record the interaction in palladium on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) from room temperature to 600...

Two discrete components of the 20 Hz steady-state response are distinguished through the modulation of activation level

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Griskova, Inga; Mørup, Morten; Parnas, Josef

2009-01-01

Objective: To investigate the modulation of amplitude and phase precision of the auditory steady-state response (SSR) to 20 Hz stimulation in two conditions varying in the level of activation. Methods: Click stimuli (20 Hz) were applied while subjects were sitting upright silently reading a book......-negative multi-way factorization (NMWF). Results: The NMWF decomposition of amplitude and phase precision measures resulted in the observation of two distinct components: a component at the frequency of stimulation – 20 Hz SSR and a component emerging at 40 Hz – 20 Hz SSR-related 40 Hz activity. Modulation...... by the activation level was observed only for 20 Hz SSR-related 40 Hz activity as increased amplitude and phase precision during low activation level. No such effects were observed for 20 Hz SSR. Conclusion: The discrete components of the 20 Hz SSR are distinguished through modulation of activation level, 20 Hz SSR...

Statistical analysis of surface roughness in turning based on cutting parameters and tool vibrations with response surface methodology (RSM)

Science.gov (United States)

Touati, Soufiane; Mekhilef, Slimane

2018-03-01

In this paper, we present an experimental study to determine the effect of the cutting conditions and tool vibration on the surface roughness in finish turning of 32CrMoV12-28 steel, using carbide cutting tool YT15. For these purposes, a linear quadratic model in interaction of connecting surface roughness (Ra, Rz) with different combinations of cutting parameters such as cutting speed, feed rate, depth of cut and tool vibration, in radial and in tangential cutting force directions (Vy) and (Vz) is elaborated. In order to express the degree of interaction of cutting parameters and tool vibration, a multiple linear regression and response surface methodology are adopted. The application of this statistical technique for predicting the surface roughness shows that the feed rate is the most dominant factor followed by the cutting speed. However, the depth of the cut and tool vibrations have secondary effect. The presented models have some interest since they are used in the cutting process optimization.

Atmospheric Circulation Response to Episodic Arctic Warming in an Idealized Model

Science.gov (United States)

Hell, M. C.; Schneider, T.; Li, C.

2017-12-01

Recent Arctic sea ice loss has drawn attention as a potential driver of fall/winter circulation changes. Past work has shown that sea ice loss can be related to a stratospheric polar vortex breakdown, with the result of long-delayed surface weather phenomena in late winter/early spring. In this study, we separate the atmospheric dynamic components and mean timescales to episodic polar surface heat fluxes using large ensembles of an idealized GCM in absence of continents and seasons. The atmospheric ensemble-mean response is linear related to the surface forcing strength and insensitive to the forcing symmetry. Analyses in the Transformed Eulerian Mean show that the responses can be separated into 1) an in-phase thermal adjustment, and 2) a lagged, eddy-driven component invoking long-standing anomalies in the lower stratosphere. The mid-latitude adjustment to the episodically reduced baroclinity leads to stratosphere-directed eddy-heat fluxes, establishing a stratospheric temperature anomaly responsible for vortex break down. In addition, we discuss the dependence on the background state via correlation in ensemble member space. Thus, we range the role of arctic perturbations in the transient large-scale circulation.

Response surface method optimization of ectoine fermentation medium with moderate halophilic bacteria Halomonas sp. H02

Science.gov (United States)

Li, T. T.; Qu, A.; Yuan, X. N.; Tan, F. X.; Li, X. W.; Wang, T.; Zhang, L. H.

2017-07-01

Moderate halophilic bacteria are of halophilic bacteria whose suitable growth of NaCl is 5-10%. When the moderate halophilic bacteria response to high osmotic stress, the intracellular will synthesize small organic molecule compatible solutes. Ectoine, which is the major synthetic osmotic compatible solutes for moderate halophilic bacteria, can help microbial enzymes, nucleic acids and the whole cell resist to hypertonic, high temperature, freezing and other inverse environment. In order to increase the Ectoine production of Moderate halophilic bacteria Halomonas sp. H02, the Ectoine fermentation medium component was optimized by Plackett-Burman (PB) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) based on the principle of non-complete equilibrium The results of PB experiments showed that the three main influencing factors of Moderate halophilic bacteria Halomonas sp. H02 synthesis Ectoine culture medium were C5H8NNaO4 concentration, NaCl concentration and initial pH. According to the center point of the steepest climbing experiment, the central combination design experiment was used to show that the model is consistent with the actual situation. The optimum combination of three influencing factors were C5H8NNaO4 41 g/L, NaCl 87.2 g/L and initial pH 5.9, and the predicted amount of Ectoine was 1835.8 mg/L, increased by 41.6%.

Component-Based Modelling for Scalable Smart City Systems Interoperability: A Case Study on Integrating Energy Demand Response Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Palomar, Esther; Chen, Xiaohong; Liu, Zhiming; Maharjan, Sabita; Bowen, Jonathan

2016-10-28

Smart city systems embrace major challenges associated with climate change, energy efficiency, mobility and future services by embedding the virtual space into a complex cyber-physical system. Those systems are constantly evolving and scaling up, involving a wide range of integration among users, devices, utilities, public services and also policies. Modelling such complex dynamic systems' architectures has always been essential for the development and application of techniques/tools to support design and deployment of integration of new components, as well as for the analysis, verification, simulation and testing to ensure trustworthiness. This article reports on the definition and implementation of a scalable component-based architecture that supports a cooperative energy demand response (DR) system coordinating energy usage between neighbouring households. The proposed architecture, called refinement of Cyber-Physical Component Systems (rCPCS), which extends the refinement calculus for component and object system (rCOS) modelling method, is implemented using Eclipse Extensible Coordination Tools (ECT), i.e., Reo coordination language. With rCPCS implementation in Reo, we specify the communication, synchronisation and co-operation amongst the heterogeneous components of the system assuring, by design scalability and the interoperability, correctness of component cooperation.

On the Application of Replica Molding Technology for the Indirect Measurement of Surface and Geometry of Micromilled Components

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baruffi, Federico; Parenti, Paolo; Cacciatore, Francesco

2017-01-01

the replica molding technology. The method consists of obtaining a replica of the feature that is inaccessible for standard measurement devices and performing its indirect measurement. This paper examines the performance of a commercial replication media applied to the indirect measurement of micromilled...... components. Two specifically designed micromilled benchmark samples were used to assess the accuracy in replicating both surface texture and geometry. A 3D confocal microscope and a focus variation instrument were employed and the associated uncertainties were evaluated. The replication method proved...... to be suitable for characterizing micromilled surface texture even though an average overestimation in the nano-metric level of the Sa parameter was observed. On the other hand, the replicated geometry generally underestimated that of the master, often leading to a different measurement output considering...

Effects of non-uniform temperature gradients on surface tension driven two component magneto convection in a porous- fluid system

Science.gov (United States)

Manjunatha, N.; Sumithra, R.

2018-04-01

The problem of surface tension driven two component magnetoconvection is investigated in a Porous-Fluid system, consisting of anincompressible two component electrically conducting fluid saturatedporous layer above which lies a layer of the same fluid in the presence of a uniform vertical magnetic field. The lower boundary of the porous layeris rigid and the upper boundary of the fluid layer is free with surfacetension effects depending on both temperature and concentration, boththese boundaries are insulating to heat and mass. At the interface thevelocity, shear and normal stress, heat and heat flux, mass and mass fluxare assumed to be continuous suitable for Darcy-Brinkman model. Theeigenvalue problem is solved in linear, parabolic and inverted parabolictemperature profiles and the corresponding Thermal Marangoni Numberis obtained for different important physical parameters.

Engineering the temporal response of photoconductive photodetectors via selective introduction of surface trap states.

Science.gov (United States)

Konstantatos, Gerasimos; Levina, Larissa; Fischer, Armin; Sargent, Edward H

2008-05-01

Photoconductive photodetectors fabricated using simple solution-processing have recently been shown to exhibit high gains (>1000) and outstanding sensitivities ( D* > 10(13) Jones). One ostensible disadvantage of exploiting photoconductive gain is that the temporal response is limited by the release of carriers from trap states. Here we show that it is possible to introduce specific chemical species onto the surfaces of colloidal quantum dots to produce only a single, desired trap state having a carefully selected lifetime. In this way we demonstrate a device that exhibits an attractive photoconductive gain (>10) combined with a response time ( approximately 25 ms) useful in imaging. We achieve this by preserving a single surface species, lead sulfite, while eliminating lead sulfate and lead carboxylate. In doing so we preserve the outstanding sensitivity of these devices, achieving a specific detectivity of 10(12) Jones in the visible, while generating a temporal response suited to imaging applications.

Pulse-height response of silicon surface-barrier detectors to high-energy heavy ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, G.D.

1973-01-01

The pulse-height defect (PHD) of high-energy heavy ions in silicon surface-barrier detectors can be divided into three components: (1) energy loss in the gold-surface layer, (2) a nuclear-stopping defect, and (3) a defect due to recombination of electron-hole pairs in the plasma created by the heavy ion. The plasma recombination portion of the PHD was the subject of this study using the variation of the PHD with (1) the angle of incidence of incoming heavy ions, and (2) changes in the detector bias. The Tandem Van de Graaff accelerator at Argonne National Laboratory was used to produce scattered beam ions ( 32 S, 35 Cl) and heavy target recoils (Ni, Cu, 98 Mo, Ag, Au) at sufficient energies to produce a significant recombination defect. The results confirm the existence of a recombination zone at the front surface of these detectors and the significance of plasma recombination as a portion of the pulse-height defect. (Diss. Abstr. Int., B)

Optimization of Electrochemical Treatment Process Conditions for Distillery Effluent Using Response Surface Methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Arulmathi

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Distillery industry is recognized as one of the most polluting industries in India with a large amount of annual effluent production. In this present study, the optimization of electrochemical treatment process variables was reported to treat the color and COD of distillery spent wash using Ti/Pt as an anode in a batch mode. Process variables such as pH, current density, electrolysis time, and electrolyte dose were selected as operation variables and chemical oxygen demand (COD and color removal efficiency were considered as response variable for optimization using response surface methodology. Indirect electrochemical-oxidation process variables were optimized using Box-Behnken response surface design (BBD. The results showed that electrochemical treatment process effectively removed the COD (89.5% and color (95.1% of the distillery industry spent wash under the optimum conditions: pH of 4.12, current density of 25.02 mA/cm2, electrolysis time of 103.27 min, and electrolyte (NaCl concentration of 1.67 g/L, respectively.

Minimization of Antinutrients in Idli by Using Response Surface Process Optimization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sharma, Anand; Kumari, Sarita; Nout, Martinus J.R.; Sarkar, Prabir K.

2017-01-01

Deploying response surface methodology, the stages of idli preparation were optimized for minimizing the level of antinutrients. Under optimum conditions of soaking blackgram dal (1:5 of dal and water at 16C, and pH 4.0 for 18 h) and rice (1:5 of rice and water at 16C, and pH 5.6 for 18 h), the

Shaking table test and dynamic response analysis of 3-D component base isolation system using multi-layer rubber bearings and coil springs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsutsumi, Hideaki; Yamada, Hiroyuki; Ebisawa, Katsumi; Shibata, Katsuyuki [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment; Fujimoto, Shigeru [Toshiba Corp., Tokyo (Japan)

2001-06-01

Introduction of the base isolation technique into the seismic design of nuclear power plant components as well as buildings has been expected as one of the effective countermeasure to reduce the seismic force applied to components. A research program on the base isolation of nuclear components has been carried out at the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) since 1991. A methodology and a computer code (EBISA: Equipment Base Isolation System Analysis) for evaluating the failure frequency of the nuclear component with the base isolation were developed. In addition, a test program, which is concerned with the above development, aiming at improvement of failure frequency analysis models in the code has been conducted since 1996 to investigate the dynamic behavior and to verify the effectiveness of component base isolation systems. Two base isolation test systems with different characteristics were fabricated and static and dynamic characteristics were measured by static loading and free vibration tests. One which consists of ball bearings and air springs was installed on the test bed to observe the dynamic response under natural earthquake motion. The effect of base isolation system has been observed under several earthquakes. Three-dimensional response and effect of base isolation of another system using multi-layer-rubber-bearings and coil springs has been investigated under various large earthquake motions by shaking table test. This report describes the results of the shaking table tests and dynamic response analysis. (author)

A surface acoustic wave response detection method for passive wireless torque sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Yanping; Kong, Ping; Qi, Hongli; Liu, Hongye; Ji, Xiaojun

2018-01-01

This paper presents an effective surface acoustic wave (SAW) response detection method for the passive wireless SAW torque sensor to improve the measurement accuracy. An analysis was conducted on the relationship between the response energy-entropy and the bandwidth of SAW resonator (SAWR). A self-correlation method was modified to suppress the blurred white noise and highlight the attenuation characteristic of wireless SAW response. The SAW response was detected according to both the variation and the duration of energy-entropy ascension of an acquired RF signal. Numerical simulation results showed that the SAW response can be detected even when the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is 6dB. The proposed SAW response detection method was evaluated with several experiments at different conditions. The SAW response can be well distinguished from the sinusoidal signal and the noise. The performance of the SAW torque measurement system incorporating the detection method was tested. The obtained repeatability error was 0.23% and the linearity was 0.9934, indicating the validity of the detection method.

Investigation of pH response and photo-control of wettability on spiropyran-derivatized surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Choong-Do

2009-12-01

One promising method to control a liquid drop on a surface for microfluidic devices is to use the surface tension gradient on a photo-responsive surface by light irradiation. A photo-switchable spiropyran monolayer was prepared on smooth glass or silicon wafers via 3-aminopropylmethyldiethoxysilane linkages. The pH response of the surface-bound spiropyran was investigated by measuring contact angle as a function of pH, since the pH value of the liquids applied to a microfluidic system can vary widely. Based on the contact angle titration and UV-Vis spectroscopic data, a protonation and deprotonation mechanism of the surface-bound spiropyran was proposed. The advancing contact angles under UV and under visible light irradiation at high pH values were about 100 smaller than those at low pH values. The decrease in contact angle under UV light with decreasing pH value was assigned to the protonation of open merocyanine (MC) to MC-OH+. Meanwhile, the decrease in contact angle under visible light was attributed to the protonation of the closed spiropryan (SP), generating a mixed state of MC-OH+ in equilibrium with N-protonated SP-NH+. In order to examine the possibility of light-induced liquid drop motion on the spiropyran-derivatized smooth surfaces, the light-induced surface tension change between SP and MC was estimated using the contact angle hysteresis (CAH) and the Lifshitz---van der Waals/Acid-Base (LWAB) approaches based on the contact angle data. The average light-induced surface energy change between the two isomers under UV and visible light exposure was 1.4 mJ/m 2, implying that the small change in surface tension is not sufficient to move a liquid droplet on the surface. Liquid drop motion requires that the light-induced switching angle be greater than the contact angle hysteresis. However, the light-induced switching angle of the spiropyran-derivatized surface was significantly smaller than the hysteresis. Thus, in order to achieve liquid drop motion on the

A new capacitive/resistive probe method for studying magnetic surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kitajima, Sumio; Takayama, Masakazu; Zama, Tatsuya; Takaya, Kazuhiro; Takeuchi, Nobunao; Watanabe, Hiroshige

1991-01-01

A new capacitive/resistive probe method for mapping the magnetic surfaces from resistance or capacitance between a magnetic surface and a vacuum vessel was developed and tested. Those resistances and capacitances can be regarded as components of a simple electrical bridge circuit. This method exploits electrical transient response of the bridge circuit for a square pulse. From equiresistance or equicapacitance points, the magnetic surface structure can be deduced. Measurements on the Tohoku University Heliac, which is a small-size standard heliac, show good agreement with numerical calculations. This method is particularly useful for pulse-operated machines. (author)

Inspection of disposal canisters components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pitkaenen, J.

2013-12-01

This report presents the inspection techniques of disposal canister components. Manufacturing methods and a description of the defects related to different manufacturing methods are described briefly. The defect types form a basis for the design of non-destructive testing because the defect types, which occur in the inspected components, affect to choice of inspection methods. The canister components are to nodular cast iron insert, steel lid, lid screw, metal gasket, copper tube with integrated or separate bottom, and copper lid. The inspection of copper material is challenging due to the anisotropic properties of the material and local changes in the grain size of the copper material. The cast iron insert has some acoustical material property variation (attenuation, velocity changes, scattering properties), which make the ultrasonic inspection demanding from calibration point of view. Mainly three different methods are used for inspection. Ultrasonic testing technique is used for inspection of volume, eddy current technique, for copper components only, and visual testing technique are used for inspection of the surface and near surface area

Identification of chemical components of combustion emissions that affect pro-atherosclerotic vascular responses in mice

OpenAIRE

Seilkop, Steven K.; Campen, Matthew J.; Lund, Amie K.; McDonald, Jacob D.; Mauderly, Joe L.

2012-01-01

Combustion emissions cause pro-atherosclerotic responses in apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE/−) mice, but the causal components of these complex mixtures are unresolved. In studies previously reported, ApoE−/− mice were exposed by inhalation 6 h/day for 50 consecutive days to multiple dilutions of diesel or gasoline exhaust, wood smoke, or simulated “downwind” coal emissions. In this study, the analysis of the combined four-study database using the Multiple Additive Regression Trees (MART) da...

Early human bone response to laser metal sintering surface topography: a histologic report.

Science.gov (United States)

Mangano, Carlo; Piattelli, Adriano; d'Avila, Susana; Iezzi, Giovanna; Mangano, Francesco; Onuma, Tatiana; Shibli, Jamil Awad

2010-01-01

This histologic report evaluated the early human bone response to a direct laser metal sintering implant surface retrieved after a short period of healing. A selective laser sintering procedure using a Ti-6Al-4V alloy powder with a particle size of 25-45 microm prepared this surface topography. One experimental microimplant was inserted into the anterior mandible of a patient during conventional implant surgery of the jaw. The microimplant and surrounding tissues were removed after 2 months of unloaded healing and were prepared for histomorphometric analysis. Histologically, the peri-implant bone appeared in close contact with the implant surface, whereas marrow spaces could be detected in other areas along with prominently stained cement lines. The mean of bone-to-implant contact was 69.51%. The results of this histologic report suggest that the laser metal sintering surface could be a promising alternative to conventional implant surface topographies.

On switching response surface models, with applications to the structural health monitoring of bridges

Science.gov (United States)

Worden, K.; Cross, E. J.

2018-01-01

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is the engineering discipline of diagnosing damage and estimating safe remaining life for structures and systems. Often, SHM is accomplished by detecting changes in measured quantities from the structure of interest; if there are no competing explanations for the changes, one infers that they are the result of damage. If the structure of interest is subject to changes in its environmental or operational conditions, one must understand the effects of these changes in order that one does not falsely claim that damage has occurred when changes in measured quantities are observed. This problem - the problem of confounding influences - is particularly pressing for civil infrastructure where the given structure is usually openly exposed to the weather and may be subject to strongly varying operational conditions. One approach to understanding confounding influences is to construct a data-based response surface model that can represent measurement variations as a function of environmental and operational variables. The models can then be used to remove environmental and operational variations so that change detection algorithms signal the occurrence of damage alone. The current paper is concerned with such response surface models in the case of SHM of bridges. In particular, classes of response surface models that can switch discontinuously between regimes are discussed. Recently, it has been shown that Gaussian Process (GP) models are an effective means of developing response surface or surrogate models. However, the GP approach runs into difficulties if changes in the latent variables cause the structure of interest to abruptly switch between regimes. A good example here, which is well known in the SHM literature, is given by the Z24 Bridge in Switzerland which completely changed its dynamical behaviour when it cooled below zero degrees Celsius as the asphalt of the deck stiffened. The solution proposed here is to adopt the recently

Lactoferricin B Inhibits the Phosphorylation of the Two-Component System Response Regulators BasR and CreB*

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Yu-Hsuan; Sung, Tzu-Cheng; Chen, Chien-Sheng

2012-01-01

Natural antimicrobial peptides provide fundamental protection for multicellular organisms from microbes, such as Lactoferricin B (Lfcin B). Many studies have shown that Lfcin B penetrates the cell membrane and has intracellular activities. To elucidate the intracellular behavior of Lfcin B, we first used Escherichia coli K12 proteome chips to identify the intracellular targets of Lfcin B. The results showed that Lfcin B binds to two response regulators, BasR and CreB, of the two-component system. For further analysis, we conducted several in vitro and in vivo experiments and utilized bioinformatics methods. The electrophoretic mobility shift assays and kinase assays indicate that Lfcin B inhibits the phosphorylation of the response regulators (BasR and CreB) and their cognate sensor kinases (BasS and CreC). Antibacterial assays showed that Lfcin B reduced E. coli's tolerance to environmental stimuli, such as excessive ferric ions and minimal medium conditions. This is the first study to show that an antimicrobial peptide inhibits the growth of bacteria by influencing the phosphorylation of a two-component system directly. PMID:22138548

Lactoferricin B inhibits the phosphorylation of the two-component system response regulators BasR and CreB.

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Yu-Hsuan; Sung, Tzu-Cheng; Chen, Chien-Sheng

2012-04-01

Natural antimicrobial peptides provide fundamental protection for multicellular organisms from microbes, such as Lactoferricin B (Lfcin B). Many studies have shown that Lfcin B penetrates the cell membrane and has intracellular activities. To elucidate the intracellular behavior of Lfcin B, we first used Escherichia coli K12 proteome chips to identify the intracellular targets of Lfcin B. The results showed that Lfcin B binds to two response regulators, BasR and CreB, of the two-component system. For further analysis, we conducted several in vitro and in vivo experiments and utilized bioinformatics methods. The electrophoretic mobility shift assays and kinase assays indicate that Lfcin B inhibits the phosphorylation of the response regulators (BasR and CreB) and their cognate sensor kinases (BasS and CreC). Antibacterial assays showed that Lfcin B reduced E. coli's tolerance to environmental stimuli, such as excessive ferric ions and minimal medium conditions. This is the first study to show that an antimicrobial peptide inhibits the growth of bacteria by influencing the phosphorylation of a two-component system directly.

Surface engineering and environmental issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aguero, A.

2007-01-01

Surface engineering addresses the modification of the microstructure and/or composition of the surface of components by mechanical, physical or chemical methods that may imply adding a material in order to change the surface properties of said components. One of its most important consequences is the significant increase of the useful life of a variety of components in a large number of industrial applications. Moreover, it contributes to energy savings by increasing efficiencies as it allows higher combustion temperatures, by allowing the use of lighter components and by significant friction reduction. In this paper, surface engineering is introduced, as well as its different modalities, examples of industrial applications and positive and negative environmental impacts. (Author) 29 refs

Do Aging and Tactile Noise Stimulation Affect Responses to Support Surface Translations in Healthy Adults?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marius Dettmer

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Appropriate neuromuscular responses to support surface perturbations are crucial to prevent falls, but aging-related anatomical and physiological changes affect the appropriateness and efficiency of such responses. Low-level noise application to sensory receptors has shown to be effective for postural improvement in a variety of different balance tasks, but it is unknown whether this intervention may have value for improvement of corrective postural responses. Ten healthy younger and ten healthy older adults were exposed to sudden backward translations of the support surface. Low-level noise (mechanical vibration to the foot soles was added during random trials and temporal (response latency and spatial characteristics (maximum center-of-pressure excursion and anterior-posterior path length of postural responses were assessed. Mixed-model ANOVA was applied for analysis of postural response differences based on age and vibration condition. Age affected postural response characteristics, but older adults were well able to maintain balance when exposed to a postural perturbation. Low-level noise application did not affect any postural outcomes. Healthy aging affects some specific measures of postural stability, and in high-functioning older individuals, a low-level noise intervention may not be valuable. More research is needed to investigate if recurring fallers and neuropathy patients could benefit from the intervention in postural perturbation tasks.

Study of Syngas Conversion to Light Olefins by Response Surface Methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hossein Atashi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The effect of adding MgO to a precipitated iron-cobalt-manganese based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS catalyst was investigated via response surface methodology. The catalytic performance of the catalysts was examined in a fixed bed microreactor at a total pressure of 1–7 bar, temperature of 280–380°C, MgO content of 5–25% and using a syngas having a H2 to CO ratio equal to 2.The dependence of the activity and product distribution on MgO content, temperature, and pressure was successfully correlated via full quadratic second-order polynomial equations. The statistical analysis and response surface demonstrations indicated that MgO significantly influences the CO conversion and chain growth probability as well as ethane, propane, propylene, butylene selectivity, and alkene/alkane ratio. A strong interaction between variables was also evidenced in some cases. The decreasing effect of pressure on alkene to alkane ratio is investigated through olefin readsorption effects and CO hydrogenation kinetics. Finally, a multiobjective optimization procedure was employed to calculate the best amount of MgO content in different reactor conditions.

Correlation of horizontal and vertical components of strong ground motion for response-history analysis of safety-related nuclear facilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Yin-Nan, E-mail: ynhuang@ntu.edu.tw [Dept. of Civil Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Yen, Wen-Yi, E-mail: b01501059@ntu.edu.tw [Dept. of Civil Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Whittaker, Andrew S., E-mail: awhittak@buffalo.edu [Dept. of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, MCEER, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260 (United States)

2016-12-15

Highlights: • The correlation of components of ground motion is studied using 1689 sets of records. • The data support an upper bound of 0.3 on the correlation coefficient. • The data support the related requirement in the upcoming edition of ASCE Standard 4. - Abstract: Design standards for safety-related nuclear facilities such as ASCE Standard 4-98 and ASCE Standard 43-05 require the correlation coefficient for two orthogonal components of ground motions for response-history analysis to be less than 0.3. The technical basis of this requirement was developed by Hadjian three decades ago using 50 pairs of recorded ground motions that were available at that time. In this study, correlation coefficients for (1) two horizontal components, and (2) the vertical component and one horizontal component, of a set of ground motions are computed using records from a ground-motion database compiled recently for large-magnitude shallow crustal earthquakes. The impact of the orientation of the orthogonal horizontal components on the correlation coefficient of ground motions is discussed. The rules in the forthcoming edition of ASCE Standard 4 for the correlation of components in a set of ground motions are shown to be reasonable.

Habituation of the cold shock response may include a significant perceptual component.

Science.gov (United States)

Barwood, Martin J; Corbett, Jo; Wagstaff, Christopher R D

2014-02-01

Accidental immersion in cold water is a risk factor for many occupations. Habituation to cold-water immersion (CWI) is one practical means of reducing the cold shock response (CSR) on immersion. We investigated whether repeated thermoneutral water immersion (TWI) induced a perceptual habituation (i.e., could lessen perceived threat and anxiety) and consequently reduce the CSR on subsequent CWI. There were 12 subjects who completed seven 7-min head-out immersions. Immersions one and seven were CWls [15.0 (0.1) degrees C], and immersions two to six were TWI [34.9 (0.10) degrees C]. Anxiety 120-cm visual analogue scale) and the cardiorespiratory responses [heart rate (f(C)), respiratory frequency (f(R)), tidal volume (V(T)), and minute ventilation (V(E))] to immersion were measured throughout. Data were compared within subject between conditions using ANOVA to an alpha level of 0.05. Acute anxiety was significantly reduced after repeated exposure to the immersion scenario (i.e., TWI): CWI-1: 6.3 (4.4) cm; and CWI-2: 4.5 (4.0) cm [condition mean (SD)]. These differences did not influence the peak in the CSR. The f(C), f(R), and V(E) responses were similar between CWI-1 and CWI-2. V(T) response was significantly lower in CWI-2; mean (SD) across the immersion: CWI-1 1.27 (0.17) vs. CWI-2 1.11 0.21 L. Repeated TWI lessened the anxiety associated with CWI (perceptual habituation). This had a negligible effect on the primary components of the CSR, but did lower VT, which may reduce the volume of any aspirated water in an emergency situation. Reducing the threat appraisal of an environmental stressor may be a useful biproduct of survival training, thereby minimizing psychophysiological strain.

Proceedings of US/Japan Workshop (97FT5-06) on High Heat Flux Components and Plasma Surface Interactions for Next Fusion Devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nygren, Richard; Kureczko, Diana

1998-10-01

The 1997 US-Japan Workshop on High Heat Flux Components and Plasma Surface Interactions for Next Fusion Devices was held at the Warwick Regis Hotel in San Francisco, California, on December 8-11, 1997. There were 53 presentations as well as discussions on technical issues and on planning for future collaborations, and 35 researchers from japan and the US participated in the workshop. Over the last few years, with the strong emphasis in the US on technology for ITER, there has been less work done in the US fusion program on basic plasma materials interaction and this change in emphasis workshops. The program this year emphasized activities that were not carried out under the ITER program and a new element this year in the US program was planning and some analysis on liquid surface concepts for advanced plasma facing components. The program included a ceremony to honor Professor Yamashina, who was retiring this year and a special presentation on his career

Predicting biomaterial property-dendritic cell phenotype relationships from the multivariate analysis of responses to polymethacrylates

Science.gov (United States)

Kou, Peng Meng; Pallassana, Narayanan; Bowden, Rebeca; Cunningham, Barry; Joy, Abraham; Kohn, Joachim; Babensee, Julia E.

2011-01-01

Dendritic cells (DCs) play a critical role in orchestrating the host responses to a wide variety of foreign antigens and are essential in maintaining immune tolerance. Distinct biomaterials have been shown to differentially affect the phenotype of DCs, which suggested that biomaterials may be used to modulate immune response towards the biologic component in combination products. The elucidation of biomaterial property-DC phenotype relationships is expected to inform rational design of immuno-modulatory biomaterials. In this study, DC response to a set of 12 polymethacrylates (pMAs) was assessed in terms of surface marker expression and cytokine profile. Principal component analysis (PCA) determined that surface carbon correlated with enhanced DC maturation, while surface oxygen was associated with an immature DC phenotype. Partial square linear regression, a multivariate modeling approach, was implemented and successfully predicted biomaterial-induced DC phenotype in terms of surface marker expression from biomaterial properties with R2prediction = 0.76. Furthermore, prediction of DC phenotype was effective based on only theoretical chemical composition of the bulk polymers with R2prediction = 0.80. These results demonstrated that immune cell response can be predicted from biomaterial properties, and computational models will expedite future biomaterial design and selection. PMID:22136715

Thermal-structural response of EBR-II major components under reactor operational transients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, L.K.; Lee, M.J.

1983-01-01

Until recently, the LMFBR safety research has been focused primarily on severe but highly unlikely accident, such as hypothetical-core-disruptive accidents (HCDA's), and not enough attention has been given to accident prevention, which is less severe but more likely sequence. The objective of the EBR-II operational reliability testing (ORT) is to demonstrate that the reactor can be designed and operated to prevent accident. A series of mild duty cycles and overpower transients were designed for accident prevention tests. An assessment of the EBR-II major plant components has been performed to assure structural integrity of the reactor plant for the ORT program. In this paper, the thermal-structural response and structural evaluation of the reactor vessel, the reactor-vessel cover, the intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) and the superheater are presented

Optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction of charantin from Momordica charantia fruits using response surface methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahamad, Javed; Amin, Saima; Mir, Showkat R

2015-01-01

Momordica charantia Linn. (Cucurbitaceae) fruits are well known for their beneficial effects in diabetes that are often attributed to its bioactive component charantin. The aim of the present study is to develop and optimize an efficient protocol for the extraction of charantin from M. charantia fruits. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used for the optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) conditions. RSM was based on a three-level, three-variable Box-Behnken design (BBD), and the studied variables included solid to solvent ratio, extraction temperature, and extraction time. The optimal conditions predicted by the BBD were: UAE with methanol: Water (80:20, v/v) at 46°C for 120 min with solid to solvent ratio of 1:26 w/v, under which the yield of charantin was 3.18 mg/g. Confirmation trials under slightly adjusted conditions yielded 3.12 ± 0.14 mg/g of charantin on dry weight basis of fruits. The result of UAE was also compared with Soxhlet extraction method and UAE was found 2.74-fold more efficient than the Soxhlet extraction for extracting charantin. A facile UAE protocol for a high extraction yield of charantin was developed and validated.

Influence of Drilling Parameters on Torque during Drilling of GFRP Composites Using Response Surface Methodology

Science.gov (United States)

Mohan, N. S.; Kulkarni, S. M.

2018-01-01

Polymer based composites have marked their valuable presence in the area of aerospace, defense and automotive industry. Components made of composite, are assembled to main structure by fastener, which require accurate, precise high quality holes to be drilled. Drilling the hole in composite with accuracy require control over various processes parameters viz., speed, feed, drill bit size and thickens of specimen. TRIAC VMC machining center is used to drill the hole and to relate the cutting and machining parameters on the torque. MINITAB 14 software is used to analyze the collected data. As a function of cutting and specimen parameters this method could be useful for predicting torque parameters. The purpose of this work is to investigate the effect of drilling parameters to get low torque value. Results show that thickness of specimen and drill bit size are significant parameters influencing the torque and spindle speed and feed rate have least influence and overlaid plot indicates a feasible and low region of torque is observed for medium to large sized drill bits for the range of spindle speed selected. Response surface contour plots indicate the sensitivity of the drill size and specimen thickness to the torque.

Analyzing containment leakage from a sodium fire by the response surface method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Person, L.W.

1978-01-01

The SPOOL-FIRE code has been used with the response surface method and a Monte Carlo simulation to study sodium fire accidents. The study provides a simple method of estimating the radioactive release via containment leakage; the sensitivity of the output consequences to the variations in the input parameters is also presented

Influence of activated carbon characteristics on toluene and hexane adsorption: Application of surface response methodology

Science.gov (United States)

Izquierdo, Mª Teresa; de Yuso, Alicia Martínez; Valenciano, Raquel; Rubio, Begoña; Pino, Mª Rosa

2013-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the adsorption capacity of toluene and hexane over activated carbons prepared according an experimental design, considering as variables the activation temperature, the impregnation ratio and the activation time. The response surface methodology was applied to optimize the adsorption capacity of the carbons regarding the preparation conditions that determine the physicochemical characteristics of the activated carbons. The methodology of preparation produced activated carbons with surface areas and micropore volumes as high as 1128 m2/g and 0.52 cm3/g, respectively. Moreover, the activated carbons exhibit mesoporosity, ranging from 64.6% to 89.1% the percentage of microporosity. The surface chemistry was characterized by TPD, FTIR and acid-base titration obtaining different values of surface groups from the different techniques because the limitation of each technique, but obtaining similar trends for the activated carbons studied. The exhaustive characterization of the activated carbons allows to state that the measured surface area does not explain the adsorption capacity for either toluene or n-hexane. On the other hand, the surface chemistry does not explain the adsorption results either. A compromise between physical and chemical characteristics can be obtained from the appropriate activation conditions, and the response surface methodology gives the optimal activated carbon to maximize adsorption capacity. Low activation temperature, intermediate impregnation ratio lead to high toluene and n-hexane adsorption capacities depending on the activation time, which a determining factor to maximize toluene adsorption.

Fibroblast response to initial attachment and proliferation on titanium and zirconium surfaces.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Araceli Meza-Rodríguez

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Introduction: In recent decades, dental implants have become one of the best options for comprehensive dental restoration; their placement is a multidisciplinary task that requires a solid understanding of biological, periodontal, surgical and prosthetic principles. Objective: The aim of this study was to quantify in vitro the adhesion and proliferation of human gingival fibroblasts (HGF response on titanium (Ti and zirconia (Zr surfaces. Methodology: Samples of Ti and Zr were observed under atomic force microscopy (AFM. HGFs were inoculated in each sample to determine adhesion and cell proliferation. The reagent MTT was mixed with medium DMEM and inoculated in each plate; formazan was dissolved with dimethyl sulfoxide and analyzed at 540nm in a microplate spectrophotometer. The test was performed with three independent experiments. Data were analyzed with Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests (Lilliefors, Kruskal-Wallis tests and Mann-Whitney test comparisons. Results: Topography of the Zr plates showed greater roughness (Ra=0.39μm than Ti (Ra=0.049μm. Quantification of HGF adhesion was significantly higher (p<0.05 in Ti, while proliferation showed no statistically significant differences between the groups. Conclusion: It is noteworthy that, even though Ti initially showed increased cell adhesion on the surface, after 24h Zr samples showed similar proliferation; this demonstrates that both surfaces have a comparable biological response.

Functional Dissociation of Latency-Variable, Stimulus- and Response-Locked Target P3 Sub-components in Task-Switching.

Science.gov (United States)

Brydges, Christopher R; Barceló, Francisco

2018-01-01

Cognitive control warrants efficient task performance in dynamic and changing environments through adjustments in executive attention, stimulus and response selection. The well-known P300 component of the human event-related potential (ERP) has long been proposed to index "context-updating"-critical for cognitive control-in simple target detection tasks. However, task switching ERP studies have revealed both target P3 (300-350 ms) and later sustained P3-like potentials (400-1,200 ms) to first targets ensuing transition cues, although it remains unclear whether these target P3-like potentials also reflect context updating operations. To address this question, we applied novel single-trial EEG analyses-residue iteration decomposition (RIDE)-in order to disentangle target P3 sub-components in a sample of 22 young adults while they either repeated or switched (updated) task rules. The rationale was to revise the context updating hypothesis of P300 elicitation in the light of new evidence suggesting that "the context" consists of not only the sensory units of stimulation, but also associated motor units, and intermediate low- and high-order sensorimotor units, all of which may need to be dynamically updated on a trial by trial basis. The results showed functionally distinct target P3-like potentials in stimulus-locked, response-locked, and intermediate RIDE component clusters overlying parietal and frontal regions, implying multiple functionally distinct, though temporarily overlapping context updating operations. These findings support a reformulated version of the context updating hypothesis, and reveal a rich family of distinct target P3-like sub-components during the reactive control of target detection in task-switching, plausibly indexing the complex and dynamic workings of frontoparietal cortical networks subserving cognitive control.

Adaptation response surfaces for managing wheat under perturbed climate and CO2 in a Mediterranean environment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ruiz-Ramos, M.; Ferrise, Roberto; Rodríguez, A

2018-01-01

type were analysed by constructing response surfaces, which we termed, in accordance with their specific purpose, adaptation response surfaces (ARSs). These were created to assess the effect of adaptations through a range of plausible P, T and [CO2] perturbations. The results indicated that impacts....... However, a single sI was sufficient to develop a high adaptation potential, including options mainly based on spring wheat, current cycle duration and early sowing date. Depending on local environment (e.g. soil type), many of these adaptations can maintain current yield levels under moderate changes in T...

Following the surface response of caffeine cocrystals to controlled humidity storage by atomic force microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Cassidy, A M C; Gardner, C E; Jones, W

2009-09-08

Active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) stability in solid state tablet formulation is frequently a function of the relative humidity (RH) environment in which the drug is stored. Caffeine is one such problematic API. Previously reported caffeine cocrystals, however, were found to offer increased resistance to caffeine hydrate formation. Here we report on the use of atomic force microscopy (AFM) to image the surface of two caffeine cocrystal systems to look for differences between the surface and bulk response of the cocrystal to storage in controlled humidity environments. Bulk responses have previously been assessed by powder X-ray diffraction. With AFM, pinning sites were identified at step edges on caffeine/oxalic acid, with these sites leading to non-uniform step movement on going from ambient to 0% RH. At RH >75%, areas of fresh crystal growth were seen on the cocrystal surface. In the case of caffeine/malonic acid the cocrystals were observed to absorb water anisotropically after storage at 75% RH for 2 days, affecting the surface topography of the cocrystal. These results show that AFM expands on the data gathered by bulk analytical techniques, such as powder X-ray diffraction, by providing localised surface information. This surface information may be important for better predicting API stability in isolation and at a solid state API-excipient interface.

Development of cookies made with cocoyam, fermented sorghum and germinated pigeon pea flour blends using response surface methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Okpala, Laura C; Okoli, Eric C

2014-10-01

Cookies were produced from blends of cocoyam, fermented sorghum and germinated pigeon pea flours. The study was carried out to evaluate the effects of varying the proportions of these components on the sensory and protein quality of the cookies. The sensory attributes studied were colour, taste, texture, crispness and general acceptability while the protein quality indices were biological value (BV) and net protein utilization (NPU). Mixture response surface methodology was used to model the sensory and protein quality with single, binary and ternary combinations of germinated pigeon pea, fermented sorghum and cocoyam flours. Results showed that BV and NPU of most of the cookies were above minimum acceptable levels. With the exception of cookies containing high levels of pigeon pea flour, cookies had acceptable sensory scores. Increase in pigeon pea flour resulted in increase in the BV and NPU. Regression equations suggested that the ternary blends produced the highest increase in all the sensory attributes (with the exception of colour).

Physicochemical characterization of engineered nanoparticles under physiological conditions: effect of culture media components and particle surface coating.

Science.gov (United States)

Fatisson, Julien; Quevedo, Ivan R; Wilkinson, Kevin J; Tufenkji, Nathalie

2012-03-01

The use of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in commercial products has increased substantially over the last few years. Some research has been conducted in order to determine whether or not such materials are cytotoxic, but questions remain regarding the role that physiological media and sera constituents play in ENP aggregation or stabilization. In this study, several characterization methods were used to evaluate the particle size and surface potential of 6 ENPs suspended in a number of culture media and in the presence of different culture media constituents. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) were employed for size determinations. Results were interpreted on the basis of ENP surface potentials evaluated from particle electrophoretic mobilities (EPM). Measurements made after 24h of incubation at 37°C showed that the cell culture medium constituents had only moderate impact on the physicochemical properties of the ENP, although incubation in bovine serum albumin destabilized the colloidal system. In contrast, most of the serum proteins increased colloidal stabilization. Moreover, the type of ENP surface modification played a significant role in ENP behavior whereby the complexity of interactions between the ENPs and the medium components generally decreased with increasing complexity of the particle surface. This investigation emphasizes the importance of ENP characterization under conditions that are representative of cell culture media or physiological conditions for improved assessments of nanoparticle cytotoxicity. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Response of the Shockley surface state to an external electrical field: A density-functional theory study of Cu(111)

Science.gov (United States)

Berland, K.; Einstein, T. L.; Hyldgaard, P.

2012-01-01

The response of the Cu(111) Shockley surface state to an external electrical field is characterized by combining a density-functional theory calculation for a slab geometry with an analysis of the Kohn-Sham wave functions. Our analysis is facilitated by a decoupling of the Kohn-Sham states via a rotation in Hilbert space. We find that the surface state displays isotropic dispersion, quadratic until the Fermi wave vector but with a significant quartic contribution beyond. We calculate the shift in energetic position and effective mass of the surface state for an electrical field perpendicular to the Cu(111) surface; the response is linear over a broad range of field strengths. We find that charge transfer occurs beyond the outermost copper atoms and that accumulation of electrons is responsible for a quarter of the screening of the electrical field. This allows us to provide well converged determinations of the field-induced changes in the surface state for a moderate number of layers in the slab geometry.

Accelerating solving the dynamic multi-objective nework design problem using response surface methods

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wismans, Luc Johannes Josephus; van Berkum, Eric C.; Bliemer, Michiel C.J.; Viti, F.; Immers, B.; Tampere, C.

2011-01-01

Multi objective optimization of externalities of traffic solving a network design problem in which Dynamic Traffic Management measures are used, is time consuming while heuristics are needed and solving the lower level requires solving the dynamic user equilibrium problem. Use of response surface

Detection of explosives on the surface of banknotes by Raman hyperspectral imaging and independent component analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Almeida, Mariana R; Correa, Deleon N; Zacca, Jorge J; Logrado, Lucio Paulo Lima; Poppi, Ronei J

2015-02-20

The aim of this study was to develop a methodology using Raman hyperspectral imaging and chemometric methods for identification of pre- and post-blast explosive residues on banknote surfaces. The explosives studied were of military, commercial and propellant uses. After the acquisition of the hyperspectral imaging, independent component analysis (ICA) was applied to extract the pure spectra and the distribution of the corresponding image constituents. The performance of the methodology was evaluated by the explained variance and the lack of fit of the models, by comparing the ICA recovered spectra with the reference spectra using correlation coefficients and by the presence of rotational ambiguity in the ICA solutions. The methodology was applied to forensic samples to solve an automated teller machine explosion case. Independent component analysis proved to be a suitable method of resolving curves, achieving equivalent performance with the multivariate curve resolution with alternating least squares (MCR-ALS) method. At low concentrations, MCR-ALS presents some limitations, as it did not provide the correct solution. The detection limit of the methodology presented in this study was 50 μg cm(-2). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Salinity-Dependent Adhesion Response Properties of Aluminosilicate (K-Feldspar) Surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lorenz, Bärbel; Ceccato, Marcel; Andersson, Martin Peter

2017-01-01

is composed predominantly of quartz with some clay, but feldspar grains are often also present. While the wettability of quartz and clay surfaces has been thoroughly investigated, little is known about the adhesion properties of feldspar. We explored the interaction of model oil compounds, molecules...... in well sorted sandstone. Adhesion forces, measured with the chemical force mapping (CFM) mode of atomic force microscopy (AFM), showed a low salinity effect on the fresh feldspar surfaces. Adhesion force, measured with -COO(H)-functionalized tips, was 60% lower in artificial low salinity seawater (LS......, ∼1500 ppm total dissolved solids) than in the high salinity solution, artificial seawater (HS, ASW, ∼35 600 ppm). Adhesion with the -CH3 tips was as much as 30% lower in LS than in HS. Density functional theory calculations indicated that the low salinity response resulted from expansion of the electric...

Response of concrete exposed to a high heat flux on one surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muir, J.F.

1977-11-01

Experiments were performed to investigate the response of concrete to severe thermal environments such as might be encountered during the interaction of molten reactor core materials with the containment substructure following a hypothetical fuel melt accident. The dominant mechanism for erosion of both limestone and basaltic concrete appears to be melting of the cementitious material in the matrix. The erosion proceeded in a quiescent manner with negligible spallation. The erosion rate increased with heat flux, becoming as large as approximately 70 cm/hr for a net surface heat flux of roughly 190 W/cm 2 . Analyses reveal the surface temperature to be the single most significant parameter affecting the net surface heat flux, through its importance to emitted radiation; and that the greatest fraction of the net energy transmitted to the concrete goes into sensible heat

Middle components of the auditory evoked response in bilateral temporal lobe lesions. Report on a patient with auditory agnosia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Parving, A; Salomon, G; Elberling, Claus

1980-01-01

An investigation of the middle components of the auditory evoked response (10--50 msec post-stimulus) in a patient with auditory agnosia is reported. Bilateral temporal lobe infarctions were proved by means of brain scintigraphy, CAT scanning, and regional cerebral blood flow measurements...

2-component heating systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Radtke, W

1987-03-01

The knowledge accumulated only recently of the damage to buildings and the hazards of formaldehyde, radon and hydrocarbons has been inducing louder calls for ventilation, which, on their part, account for the fact that increasing importance is being attached to the controlled ventilation of buildings. Two-component heating systems provide for fresh air and thermal comfort in one. While the first component uses fresh air blown directly and controllably into the rooms, the second component is similar to the Roman hypocaustic heating systems, meaning that heated outer air is circulating under the floor, thus providing for hot surfaces and thermal comfort. Details concerning the two-component heating system are presented along with systems diagrams, diagrams of the heating system and tables identifying the respective costs. Descriptions are given of the two systems components, the fast heat-up, the two-component made, the change of air, heat recovery and control systems. Comparative evaluations determine the differences between two-component heating systems and other heating systems. Conclusive remarks are dedicated to energy conservation and comparative evaluations of costs. (HWJ).

Optimum Design of a Helicopter Rotor for Low Vibration Using Aeroelastic Analysis and Response Surface Methods

Science.gov (United States)

Ganguli, R.

2002-11-01

An aeroelastic analysis based on finite elements in space and time is used to model the helicopter rotor in forward flight. The rotor blade is represented as an elastic cantilever beam undergoing flap and lag bending, elastic torsion and axial deformations. The objective of the improved design is to reduce vibratory loads at the rotor hub that are the main source of helicopter vibration. Constraints are imposed on aeroelastic stability, and move limits are imposed on the blade elastic stiffness design variables. Using the aeroelastic analysis, response surface approximations are constructed for the objective function (vibratory hub loads). It is found that second order polynomial response surfaces constructed using the central composite design of the theory of design of experiments adequately represents the aeroelastic model in the vicinity of the baseline design. Optimization results show a reduction in the objective function of about 30 per cent. A key accomplishment of this paper is the decoupling of the analysis problem and the optimization problems using response surface methods, which should encourage the use of optimization methods by the helicopter industry.

Continuous vs. pulsating flow boiling. Part 2: Statistical comparison using response surface methodology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kærn, Martin Ryhl; Elmegaard, Brian; Meyer, Knud Erik

2016-01-01

Response surface methodology is used to investigate an active method for flow boiling heat transfer enhancement by means of fluid flow pulsation. The flow pulsations are introduced by a flow modulating expansion device and compared with the baseline continuous flow provided by a stepper...

Response of human corneal fibroblasts on silk film surface patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

Gil, Eun Seok; Park, Sang-Hyug; Marchant, Jeff; Omenetto, Fiorenzo; Kaplan, David L

2010-06-11

Transparent, biodegradable, mechanically robust, and surface-patterned silk films were evaluated for the effect of surface morphology on human corneal fibroblast (hCF) cell proliferation, orientation, and ECM deposition and alignment. A series of dimensionally different surface groove patterns were prepared from optically graded glass substrates followed by casting poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) replica molds. The features on the patterned silk films showed an array of asymmetric triangles and displayed 37-342 nm depths and 445-3 582 nm widths. hCF DNA content on all patterned films were not significantly different from that on flat silk films after 4 d in culture. However, the depth and width of the grooves influenced cell alignment, while the depth differences affected cell orientation; overall, deeper and narrower grooves induced more hCF orientation. Over 14 d in culture, cell layers and actin filament organization demonstrated that confluent hCFs and their cytoskeletal filaments were oriented along the direction of the silk film patterned groove axis. Collagen type V and proteoglycans (decorin and biglycan), important markers of corneal stromal tissue, were highly expressed with alignment. Understanding corneal stromal fibroblast responses to surface features on a protein-based biomaterial applicable in vivo for corneal repair potential suggests options to improve corneal tissue mimics. Further, the approaches provide fundamental biomaterial designs useful for bioengineering oriented tissue layers, an endemic feature in most biological tissue structures that lead to critical tissue functions.

Optimization of lysine production in Corynebacteriumglutamicum ATCC15032 by Response surface methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehrnaz Haghi

2017-03-01

Discussion and conclusion: According to the results, the proposed culture media by response surface methodology causes 1400 times increase in the lysine production compared with M9 culture media and methionine had an important role in the production of lysine, probably by inhibiting the other metabolic pathway which has common metabolic precursor with lysine production metabolic pathway.

Mathematical modelling of ultrasonic testing of components with defects close to a non-planar surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Westlund, Jonathan; Bostroem, Anders

2011-05-01

Nondestructive testing with ultrasound is a standard procedure in the nuclear power industry. To develop and qualify the methods extensive experimental work with test blocks is usually required. This can be very time-consuming and costly and it also requires a good physical intuition of the situation. A reliable mathematical model of the testing situation can, therefore, be very valuable and cost-effective as it can reduce experimental work significantly. A good mathematical model enhances the physical intuition and is very useful for parametric studies, as a pedagogical tool, and for the qualification of procedures and personnel. The aim of the present report is to describe work that has been performed to model ultrasonic testing of components that contain a defect close to a nonplanar surface. For nuclear power applications this may be a crack or other defect on the inside of a pipe with a diameter change or connection. This is an extension of the computer program UTDefect, which previously only admits a planar back surface (which is often applicable also to pipes if the pipe diameter is large enough). The problems are investigated in both 2D and 3D, and in 2D both the simpler anti-plane (SH) and the in-plane (P-SV) problem are studied. The 2D investigations are primarily solved to get a 'feeling' for the solution procedure, the discretizations, etc. In all cases an integral equation approach with a Green's function in the kernel is taken. The nonplanar surface is treated by the boundary element method (BEM) where a division of the surface is made in small elements. The defects are mainly cracks, strip-like (in 2D) or rectangular (in 3D), and these are treated with more analytical methods. In 2D also more general defects are treated with the help of their transition (T) matrix. As in other parts of UTDefect the ultrasonic probes in transmission and reception are included in the model. In 3D normalization by a side drilled hole is possible. Some numerical results

Comprehensive simulation of vertical plasma instability events and their serious damage to ITER plasma facing components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassanein, A.; Sizyuk, T.

2008-01-01

Safe and reliable operation is still one of the major challenges in the development of the new generation of ITER-like fusion reactors. The deposited plasma energy during major disruptions, edge-localized modes (ELMs) and vertical displacement events (VDEs) causes significant surface erosion, possible structural failure and frequent plasma contamination. While plasma disruptions and ELM will have no significant thermal effects on the structural materials or coolant channels because of their short deposition time, VDEs having longer-duration time could have a destructive impact on these components. Therefore, modelling the response of structural materials to VDE has to integrate detailed energy deposition processes, surface vaporization, phase change and melting, heat conduction to coolant channels and critical heat flux criteria at the coolant channels. The HEIGHTS 3D upgraded computer package considers all the above processes to specifically study VDE in detail. Results of benchmarking with several known laboratory experiments prove the validity of HEIGHTS implemented models. Beryllium and tungsten are both considered surface coating materials along with copper structure and coolant channels using both smooth tubes with swirl tape insert. The design requirements and implications of plasma facing components are discussed along with recommendations to mitigate and reduce the effects of plasma instabilities on reactor components.

Efficient numerical methods for simulating surface tension of multi-component mixtures with the gradient theory of fluid interfaces

KAUST Repository

Kou, Jisheng

2015-08-01

Surface tension significantly impacts subsurface flow and transport, and it is the main cause of capillary effect, a major immiscible two-phase flow mechanism for systems with a strong wettability preference. In this paper, we consider the numerical simulation of the surface tension of multi-component mixtures with the gradient theory of fluid interfaces. Major numerical challenges include that the system of the Euler-Lagrange equations is solved on the infinite interval and the coefficient matrix is not positive definite. We construct a linear transformation to reduce the Euler-Lagrange equations, and naturally introduce a path function, which is proven to be a monotonic function of the spatial coordinate variable. By using the linear transformation and the path function, we overcome the above difficulties and develop the efficient methods for calculating the interface and its interior compositions. Moreover, the computation of the surface tension is also simplified. The proposed methods do not need to solve the differential equation system, and they are easy to be implemented in practical applications. Numerical examples are tested to verify the efficiency of the proposed methods. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.

Psychophysical and physiological responses to gratings with luminance and chromatic components of different spatial frequencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Bonnie; Sun, Hao; Lee, Barry B

2012-02-01

Gratings that contain luminance and chromatic components of different spatial frequencies were used to study the segregation of signals in luminance and chromatic pathways. Psychophysical detection and discrimination thresholds to these compound gratings, with luminance and chromatic components of the one either half or double the spatial frequency of the other, were measured in human observers. Spatial frequency tuning curves for detection of compound gratings followed the envelope of those for luminance and chromatic gratings. Different grating types were discriminable at detection threshold. Fourier analysis of physiological responses of macaque retinal ganglion cells to compound waveforms showed chromatic information to be restricted to the parvocellular pathway and luminance information to the magnocellular pathway. Taken together, the human psychophysical and macaque physiological data support the strict segregation of luminance and chromatic information in independent channels, with the magnocellular and parvocellular pathways, respectively, serving as likely the physiological substrates. © 2012 Optical Society of America

The Influence of the Tool Surface Texture on Friction and the Surface Layers Properties of Formed Component

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jana Šugárová

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The morphological texturing of forming tool surfaces has high potential to reduce friction and tool wear and also has impact on the surface layers properties of formed material. In order to understand the effect of different types of tool textures, produced by nanosecond fibre laser, on the tribological conditions at the interface tool-formed material and on the integrity of formed part surface layers, the series of experimental investigations have been carried out. The coefficient of friction for different texture parameters (individual feature shape, including the depth profile of the cavities and orientation of the features relative to the material flow was evaluated via a Ring Test and the surface layers integrity of formed material (surface roughness and subsurface micro hardness was also experimentally analysed. The results showed a positive effect of surface texturing on the friction coefficients and the strain hardening of test samples material. Application of surface texture consisting of dimple-like depressions arranged in radial layout contributed to the most significant friction reduction of about 40%. On the other hand, this surface texture contributed to the increase of surface roughness parameters, Ra parameter increased from 0.49 μm to 2.19 μm and the Rz parameter increased from 0.99 μm to 16.79 μm.

A Smart Superwetting Surface with Responsivity in Both Surface Chemistry and Microstructure.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Dongjie; Cheng, Zhongjun; Kang, Hongjun; Yu, Jianxin; Liu, Yuyan; Jiang, Lei

2018-03-26

Recently, smart surfaces with switchable wettability have aroused much attention. However, only single surface chemistry or the microstructure can be changed on these surfaces, which significantly limits their wetting performances, controllability, and applications. A new surface with both tunable surface microstructure and chemistry was prepared by grafting poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) onto the pillar-structured shape memory polymer on which multiple wetting states from superhydrophilicity to superhydrophobicity can be reversibly and precisely controlled by synergistically regulating the surface microstructure and chemistry. Meanwhile, based on the excellent controllability, we also showed the application of the surface as a rewritable platform, and various gradient wettings can be obtained. This work presents for the first time a surface with controllability in both surface chemistry and microstructure, which starts some new ideas for the design of novel superwetting materials. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Arsenic Removal from Natural Groundwater by Electrocoagulation Using Response Surface Methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. M. García-Lara

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Contamination of natural groundwater by arsenic (As is a serious problem that appears in some areas of Northern Central Mexico (NCM. In this research, As was removed from NCM wells groundwater by the electrocoagulation (EC technique. Laboratory-scale arsenic electroremoval experiments were carried out at continuous flow rates between 0.25 and 1.00 L min−1 using current densities of 5, 10, and 20 A m−2. Experiments were performed under galvanostatic conditions during 5 min, at constant temperature and pH. The response surface methodology (RSM was used for the optimization of the processing variables (flow rate and current density, response modeling, and predictions. The highest arsenic removal efficiency from underground water (99% was achieved at low flow rates (0.25 L min−1 and high current densities (20 A m−2. The response models developed explained 93.7% variability for As removal efficiency.

Error Decomposition and Adaptivity for Response Surface Approximations from PDEs with Parametric Uncertainty

KAUST Repository

Bryant, C. M.; Prudhomme, S.; Wildey, T.

2015-01-01

In this work, we investigate adaptive approaches to control errors in response surface approximations computed from numerical approximations of differential equations with uncertain or random data and coefficients. The adaptivity of the response surface approximation is based on a posteriori error estimation, and the approach relies on the ability to decompose the a posteriori error estimate into contributions from the physical discretization and the approximation in parameter space. Errors are evaluated in terms of linear quantities of interest using adjoint-based methodologies. We demonstrate that a significant reduction in the computational cost required to reach a given error tolerance can be achieved by refining the dominant error contributions rather than uniformly refining both the physical and stochastic discretization. Error decomposition is demonstrated for a two-dimensional flow problem, and adaptive procedures are tested on a convection-diffusion problem with discontinuous parameter dependence and a diffusion problem, where the diffusion coefficient is characterized by a 10-dimensional parameter space.

The Covalent Binding of Photosensitive Dyes to Monocrystalline Silicon Surface and Their Spectral Response

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

郭志新; 郝纪祥; 张祖训; 曹子祥

1993-01-01

A chemical method is proposed to bond photo-sensitive dyes directly to the surface of polished monocrystalline silicon. A methincyanine dye and a trimethincyanine dye have been bonded covalently onto silicon surface through Si—N bond, which are characterized by XPS technique and laser Raman spectra. Photovoltaic effect has been observed with the In/dye/n-Si sandwich devices composed of the dye-bonded n-Si wafers. Significant spectral response shows the characteristic absorptance maxima of the bonded dyes.

Clarification of Pharmaceutical Wastewater with Moringa Oleifera: Optimization Through Response Surface Methodology

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Iva Rustanti Eri

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Herbal pharmaceutical industrial wastewater contains a high amount of suspended solids and alkaline (pH > 8; therefore it requires approprite coagulant and flocculant compounds for its wastewater treatment. The most widely used flocculant is a synthetic that has certain problems such as non-biodegradability and releases of toxic residual monomers. The use of eco-friendly flocculants as alternative materials for conventional flocculant in water and wastewater treatments is increasing. Numerous factors influence the performance of coagulation-flocculation process, such as coagulant dosage, flocculant dosage, initial potential of hydrogen (pH and velocity gradient of coagulation-flocculation. The main aim of this research is to evaluate the capability and effectiveness of Moringa oleifera extract for removal of suspended solid in herbal pharmaceutical industry. A coagulation-flocculation test was done by performing jar test at various speeds, according to the variation of the conducted treatment research. In this study, response surface methodology (RSM approach was used to optimize the concentration of coagulant dosage, flocculant dosage and flocculation velocity gradient (G, and the results were measured as maximum percentage of suspended solid removal. The wastewater used in this research originally came from the inlet of herbal pharmaceutical industry wastewater treatment plant, which was collected over 3 days. The wastewater has a total suspended solids of more than 1250 mg/L, and was alkaline (pH 9-10. The moringa extract was made from the extraction of a fat free moringa powder with a salt solution in a certain ratio. The percentage removal of suspended solid was 93.42-99.54%. The final results of the analysis of response surface showed that the variables of flocculant dosage and the flocculation velocity gradient (G have a huge impact on the amount of suspended solid removal, compared with the coagulant dosage. The model generated from the

Effects of titanium surface anodization with CaP incorporation on human osteoblastic response

Science.gov (United States)

OLIVEIRA, Natássia Cristina Martins; MOURA, Camilla Christian Gomes; ZANETTA-BARBOSA, Darceny; MENDONÇA, Daniela Baccelli Silveira; MENDONÇA, Gustavo; DECHICHI, Paula

2015-01-01

In this study we investigated whether anodization with calcium phosphate (CaP) incorporation (Vulcano®) enhances growth factors secretion, osteoblast-specific gene expression, and cell viability, when compared to acid etched surfaces (Porous®) and machined surfaces (Screw®) after 3 and 7 days. Results showed significant cell viability for Porous and Vulcano at day 7, when compared with Screw (p=0.005). At the same time point, significant differences regarding runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and bone sialoprotein (BSP) expression were found for all surfaces (p0.05). Although no significant correlation was found for growth factors secretion and Runx2 expression, a significant positive correlation between this gene and ALP/BSP expression showed that their strong association is independent on the type of surface. The incorporation of CaP affected the biological parameters evaluated similar to surfaces just acid etched. The results presented here support the observations that roughness also may play an important role in determining cell response. PMID:23498218

Vulnerability and behavioral response to ultraviolet radiation in the components of a foliar mite prey-predator system

Science.gov (United States)

Tachi, Fuyuki; Osakabe, Masahiro

2012-12-01

Ambient ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation impacts plant-dwelling arthropods including herbivorous and predatory mites. However, the effects of UVB on prey-predator systems, such as that between the herbivorous spider mite and predatory phytoseiid mite, are poorly understood. A comparative study was conducted to determine the vulnerability and behavioral responses of these mites to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. First, we analyzed dose-response (cumulative irradiance-mortality) curves for the eggs of phytoseiid mites ( Neoseiulus californicus, Neoseiulus womersleyi, and Phytoseiulus persimilis) and the spider mite ( Tetranychus urticae) to UVB radiation from a UV lamp. This indicated that the phytoseiid mites were more vulnerable than the spider mite, although P. persimilis was slightly more tolerant than the other two phytoseiid mites. Second, we compared the avoidance behavior of adult female N. californicus and two spider mite species ( T. urticae, a lower leaf surface user; Panonychus citri, an upper leaf surface user) in response to solar UV and visible light. N. californicus actively avoided both types of radiation, whereas P. citri showed only minimal avoidance behavior. T. urticae actively avoided UV as well as N. californicus but exhibited a slow response to visible light as well as P. citri. Such variation in vulnerability and avoidance behavior accounts for differences in the species adaptations to solar UVB radiation. This may be the primary factor determining habitat use among these mites on host plant leaves, subsequently affecting accessibility by predators and also intraguild competition.

Spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy experiments on the rough surface of a polycrystalline NiFe film with a fine magnetic tip sensitive to a well-defined magnetization component

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Matsuyama

2016-03-01

Full Text Available We developed a micrometer-sized magnetic tip integrated onto the write head of a hard disk drive for spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (SP-STM in the modulated tip magnetization mode. Using SP-STM, we measured a well-defined in-plane spin-component of the tunneling current of the rough surface of a polycrystalline NiFe film. The spin asymmetry of the NiFe film was about 1.3% within the bias voltage range of -3 to 1 V. We obtained the local spin component image of the sample surface, switching the magnetic field of the sample to reverse the sample magnetization during scanning. We also obtained a spin image of the rough surface of a polycrystalline NiFe film evaporated on the recording medium of a hard disk drive.

Spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy experiments on the rough surface of a polycrystalline NiFe film with a fine magnetic tip sensitive to a well-defined magnetization component

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsuyama, H., E-mail: matsu@phys.sci.hokudai.ac.jp [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810 (Japan); Nara, D.; Kageyama, R.; Honda, K.; Sato, T.; Kusanagi, K. [Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810 (Japan); Srinivasan, E. [Creative Research Institution (CRIS), Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001-0021 (Japan); Koike, K. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810 (Japan); Creative Research Institution (CRIS), Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001-0021 (Japan)

2016-03-15

We developed a micrometer-sized magnetic tip integrated onto the write head of a hard disk drive for spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (SP-STM) in the modulated tip magnetization mode. Using SP-STM, we measured a well-defined in-plane spin-component of the tunneling current of the rough surface of a polycrystalline NiFe film. The spin asymmetry of the NiFe film was about 1.3% within the bias voltage range of -3 to 1 V. We obtained the local spin component image of the sample surface, switching the magnetic field of the sample to reverse the sample magnetization during scanning. We also obtained a spin image of the rough surface of a polycrystalline NiFe film evaporated on the recording medium of a hard disk drive.