Integrated Surface Dataset (Global)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Integrated Surface (ISD) Dataset (ISD) is composed of worldwide surface weather observations from over 35,000 stations, though the best spatial coverage is...

An introduction to testing techniques in the Intelsat TDMA/DSI system. II - Satellite system operations guide (SSOG) tests

Science.gov (United States)

Colby, R. J.; Parthasarathy, R.; Stimson, A. L.

1983-12-01

The test methods and procedures of the Intelsat TDMA/DSI SSOG are summarized. The overall structure of the SSOG is outlined, and the operational procedures to be followed for joining a new terminal to the system and for normal operations are reviewed, with an emphasis on the roles of the IOC and the TDMA reference and monitoring stations. The testing philosophy (based on minimal interruptions) and the star-test method are explained and illustrated with diagrams, and the test procedures are examined, including modem tests, electrical-path-length equalization, RF/IF downchain tests, protocol tests, nontransmitting protocol tests, IF/RF upchain tests, transmitting protocol tests, baseband tests, and orderwire lineups. The fundamental access discipline of the TDMA system is presented in an appendix.

Integrated Surface/subsurface flow modeling in PFLOTRAN

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Painter, Scott L [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2016-10-01

Understanding soil water, groundwater, and shallow surface water dynamics as an integrated hydrological system is critical for understanding the Earth’s critical zone, the thin outer layer at our planet’s surface where vegetation, soil, rock, and gases interact to regulate the environment. Computational tools that take this view of soil moisture and shallow surface flows as a single integrated system are typically referred to as integrated surface/subsurface hydrology models. We extend the open-source, highly parallel, subsurface flow and reactive transport simulator PFLOTRAN to accommodate surface flows. In contrast to most previous implementations, we do not represent a distinct surface system. Instead, the vertical gradient in hydraulic head at the land surface is neglected, which allows the surface flow system to be eliminated and incorporated directly into the subsurface system. This tight coupling approach leads to a robust capability and also greatly simplifies implementation in existing subsurface simulators such as PFLOTRAN. Successful comparisons to independent numerical solutions build confidence in the approximation and implementation. Example simulations of the Walker Branch and East Fork Poplar Creek watersheds near Oak Ridge, Tennessee demonstrate the robustness of the approach in geometrically complex applications. The lack of a robust integrated surface/subsurface hydrology capability had been a barrier to PFLOTRAN’s use in critical zone studies. This work addresses that capability gap, thus enabling PFLOTRAN as a community platform for building integrated models of the critical zone.

Bianchi surfaces: integrability in an arbitrary parametrization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nieszporski, Maciej; Sym, Antoni

2009-01-01

We discuss integrability of normal field equations of arbitrarily parametrized Bianchi surfaces. A geometric definition of the Bianchi surfaces is presented as well as the Baecklund transformation for the normal field equations in an arbitrarily chosen surface parametrization.

Integrated biomechanical and topographical surface characterization (IBTSC)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Löberg, Johanna, E-mail: Johanna.Loberg@dentsply.com [Dentsply Implants, Box 14, SE-431 21 Mölndal (Sweden); Mattisson, Ingela [Dentsply Implants, Box 14, SE-431 21 Mölndal (Sweden); Ahlberg, Elisabet [Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, SE-41296 Gothenburg (Sweden)

2014-01-30

In an attempt to reduce the need for animal studies in dental implant applications, a new model has been developed which combines well-known surface characterization methods with theoretical biomechanical calculations. The model has been named integrated biomechanical and topographical surface characterization (IBTSC), and gives a comprehensive description of the surface topography and the ability of the surface to induce retention strength with bone. IBTSC comprises determination of 3D-surface roughness parameters by using 3D-scanning electron microscopy (3D-SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), and calculation of the ability of different surface topographies to induce retention strength in bone by using the local model. Inherent in this integrated approach is the use of a length scale analysis, which makes it possible to separate different size levels of surface features. The IBTSC concept is tested on surfaces with different level of hierarchy, induced by mechanical as well as chemical treatment. Sequential treatment with oxalic and hydrofluoric acid results in precipitated nano-sized features that increase the surface roughness and the surface slope on the sub-micro and nano levels. This surface shows the highest calculated shear strength using the local model. The validity, robustness and applicability of the IBTSC concept are demonstrated and discussed.

Developing an integrated digitizing and display surface

Science.gov (United States)

Hipple, James D.; Wedding, Daniel K.; Wedding, Donald K., Sr.

1995-04-01

The development of an integrated digitizing and display surface, which utilizes touch entry and flat panel display (FPD) technology, is a significant hardware advance in the field of geographic information systems (GIS). Inherent qualities of the FPD, notably the ac gas plasma display, makes such a marriage inevitable. Large diagonal sizes, high resolution color, screen flatness, and monitor thickness are desirable features of an integrated digitizing and display surface. Recently, the GIS literature has addressed a need for such an innovation. The development of graphics displays based on sophisticated technologies include `photorealistic' (or high definition) imaging at resolutions of 2048 X 2048 or greater, palates of 16.7 million colors, formats greater than 30 inches diagonal, and integrated touch entry. In this paper, there is an evaluation of FPDs and data input technologies in the development of such a product.

Surface free energy for systems with integrable boundary conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goehmann, Frank; Bortz, Michael; Frahm, Holger

2005-01-01

The surface free energy is the difference between the free energies for a system with open boundary conditions and the same system with periodic boundary conditions. We use the quantum transfer matrix formalism to express the surface free energy in the thermodynamic limit of systems with integrable boundary conditions as a matrix element of certain projection operators. Specializing to the XXZ spin-1/2 chain we introduce a novel 'finite temperature boundary operator' which characterizes the thermodynamical properties of surfaces related to integrable boundary conditions

Covariant path integrals on hyperbolic surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Schaefer, Joe

1997-11-01

DeWitt's covariant formulation of path integration [B. De Witt, "Dynamical theory in curved spaces. I. A review of the classical and quantum action principles," Rev. Mod. Phys. 29, 377-397 (1957)] has two practical advantages over the traditional methods of "lattice approximations;" there is no ordering problem, and classical symmetries are manifestly preserved at the quantum level. Applying the spectral theorem for unbounded self-adjoint operators, we provide a rigorous proof of the convergence of certain path integrals on Riemann surfaces of constant curvature -1. The Pauli-DeWitt curvature correction term arises, as in DeWitt's work. Introducing a Fuchsian group Γ of the first kind, and a continuous, bounded, Γ-automorphic potential V, we obtain a Feynman-Kac formula for the automorphic Schrödinger equation on the Riemann surface ΓH. We analyze the Wick rotation and prove the strong convergence of the so-called Feynman maps [K. D. Elworthy, Path Integration on Manifolds, Mathematical Aspects of Superspace, edited by Seifert, Clarke, and Rosenblum (Reidel, Boston, 1983), pp. 47-90] on a dense set of states. Finally, we give a new proof of some results in C. Grosche and F. Steiner, "The path integral on the Poincare upper half plane and for Liouville quantum mechanics," Phys. Lett. A 123, 319-328 (1987).

Integrable mappings via rational elliptic surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsuda, Teruhisa

2004-01-01

We present a geometric description of the QRT map (which is an integrable mapping introduced by Quispel, Roberts and Thompson) in terms of the addition formula of a rational elliptic surface. By this formulation, we classify all the cases when the QRT map is periodic; and show that its period is 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6. A generalization of the QRT map which acts birationally on a pencil of K3 surfaces, or Calabi-Yau manifolds, is also presented

Covariant path integrals on hyperbolic surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaefer, J.

1997-01-01

DeWitt close-quote s covariant formulation of path integration [B. De Witt, open-quotes Dynamical theory in curved spaces. I. A review of the classical and quantum action principles,close quotes Rev. Mod. Phys. 29, 377 endash 397 (1957)] has two practical advantages over the traditional methods of open-quotes lattice approximations;close quotes there is no ordering problem, and classical symmetries are manifestly preserved at the quantum level. Applying the spectral theorem for unbounded self-adjoint operators, we provide a rigorous proof of the convergence of certain path integrals on Riemann surfaces of constant curvature -1. The Pauli endash DeWitt curvature correction term arises, as in DeWitt close-quote s work. Introducing a Fuchsian group Γ of the first kind, and a continuous, bounded, Γ-automorphic potential V, we obtain a Feynman endash Kac formula for the automorphic Schroedinger equation on the Riemann surface Γ backslash H. We analyze the Wick rotation and prove the strong convergence of the so-called Feynman maps [K. D. Elworthy, Path Integration on Manifolds, Mathematical Aspects of Superspace, edited by Seifert, Clarke, and Rosenblum (Reidel, Boston, 1983), pp. 47 endash 90] on a dense set of states. Finally, we give a new proof of some results in C. Grosche and F. Steiner, open-quotes The path integral on the Poincare upper half plane and for Liouville quantum mechanics,close quotes Phys. Lett. A 123, 319 endash 328 (1987). copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

Effect of different machining processes on the tool surface integrity and fatigue life

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cao, Chuan Liang [College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanchang University, Nanchang (China); Zhang, Xianglin [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan (China)

2016-08-15

Ultra-precision grinding, wire-cut electro discharge machining and lapping are often used to machine the tools in fine blanking industry. And the surface integrity from these machining processes causes great concerns in the research field. To study the effect of processing surface integrity on the fine blanking tool life, the surface integrity of different tool materials under different processing conditions and its influence on fatigue life were thoroughly analyzed in the present study. The result shows that the surface integrity of different materials was quite different on the same processing condition. For the same tool material, the surface integrity on varying processing conditions was quite different too and deeply influenced the fatigue life.

Optimizing integrated airport surface and terminal airspace operations under uncertainty

Science.gov (United States)

Bosson, Christabelle S.

In airports and surrounding terminal airspaces, the integration of surface, arrival and departure scheduling and routing have the potential to improve the operations efficiency. Moreover, because both the airport surface and the terminal airspace are often altered by random perturbations, the consideration of uncertainty in flight schedules is crucial to improve the design of robust flight schedules. Previous research mainly focused on independently solving arrival scheduling problems, departure scheduling problems and surface management scheduling problems and most of the developed models are deterministic. This dissertation presents an alternate method to model the integrated operations by using a machine job-shop scheduling formulation. A multistage stochastic programming approach is chosen to formulate the problem in the presence of uncertainty and candidate solutions are obtained by solving sample average approximation problems with finite sample size. The developed mixed-integer-linear-programming algorithm-based scheduler is capable of computing optimal aircraft schedules and routings that reflect the integration of air and ground operations. The assembled methodology is applied to a Los Angeles case study. To show the benefits of integrated operations over First-Come-First-Served, a preliminary proof-of-concept is conducted for a set of fourteen aircraft evolving under deterministic conditions in a model of the Los Angeles International Airport surface and surrounding terminal areas. Using historical data, a representative 30-minute traffic schedule and aircraft mix scenario is constructed. The results of the Los Angeles application show that the integration of air and ground operations and the use of a time-based separation strategy enable both significant surface and air time savings. The solution computed by the optimization provides a more efficient routing and scheduling than the First-Come-First-Served solution. Additionally, a data driven analysis is

Adaptive Fuzzy Integral Sliding-Mode Regulator for Induction Motor Using Nonlinear Sliding Surface

OpenAIRE

Yong-Kun Lu

2015-01-01

An adaptive fuzzy integral sliding-mode controller using nonlinear sliding surface is designed for the speed regulator of a field-oriented induction motor drive in this paper. Combining the conventional integral sliding surface with fractional-order integral, a nonlinear sliding surface is proposed for the integral sliding-mode speed control, which can overcome the windup problem and the convergence speed problem. An adaptive fuzzy control term is utilized to approximate the uncertainty. The ...

Integrated system of production information processing for surface mines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, K.; Wang, S.; Zeng, Z.; Wei, J.; Ren, Z. [China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou (China). Dept of Mining Engineering

2000-09-01

Based on the concept of geological statistic, mathematical program, condition simulation, system engineering, and the features and duties of each main department in surface mine production, an integrated system for surface mine production information was studied systematically and developed by using the technology of data warehousing, CAD, object-oriented and system integration, which leads to the systematizing and automating of the information management, data processing, optimization computing and plotting. In this paper, its overall object, system design, structure and functions and some key techniques were described. 2 refs., 3 figs.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Integrated Centrifugal Microfluidics Platform

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Durucan, Onur

This PhD thesis demonstrates (i) centrifugal microfluidics disc platform integrated with Au capped nanopillar (NP) substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) based sensing, and (ii) novel sample analysis concepts achieved by synergistical combination of sensing techniques and minia......This PhD thesis demonstrates (i) centrifugal microfluidics disc platform integrated with Au capped nanopillar (NP) substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) based sensing, and (ii) novel sample analysis concepts achieved by synergistical combination of sensing techniques...... dense array of NP structures. Furthermore, the wicking assisted nanofiltration procedure was accomplished in centrifugal microfluidics platform and as a result additional sample purification was achieved through the centrifugation process. In this way, the Au coated NP substrate was utilized...

Integrable systems twistors, loop groups, and Riemann surfaces

CERN Document Server

Hitchin, NJ; Ward, RS

2013-01-01

This textbook is designed to give graduate students an understanding of integrable systems via the study of Riemann surfaces, loop groups, and twistors. The book has its origins in a series of lecture courses given by the authors, all of whom are internationally known mathematicians and renowned expositors. It is written in an accessible and informal style, and fills a gap in the existing literature. The introduction by Nigel Hitchin addresses the meaning of integrability: how do werecognize an integrable system? His own contribution then develops connections with algebraic geometry, and inclu

Uniform surface-to-line integral reduction of physical optics for curved surfaces by modified edge representation with higher-order correction

Science.gov (United States)

Lyu, Pengfei; Ando, Makoto

2017-09-01

The modified edge representation is one of the equivalent edge currents approximation methods for calculating the physical optics surface radiation integrals in diffraction analysis. The Stokes' theorem is used in the derivation of the modified edge representation from the physical optics for the planar scatterer case, which implies that the surface integral is rigorously reduced into the line integral of the modified edge representation equivalent edge currents, defined in terms of the local shape of the edge. On the contrary, for curved surfaces, the results of radiation integrals depend upon the global shape of the scatterer. The physical optics surface integral consists of two components, from the inner stationary phase point and the edge. The modified edge representation is defined independently from the orientation of the actual edge, and therefore, it could be available not only at the edge but also at the arbitrary points on the scatterer except the stationary phase point where the modified edge representation equivalent edge currents becomes infinite. If stationary phase point exists inside the illuminated region, the physical optics surface integration is reduced into two kinds of the modified edge representation line integrations, along the edge and infinitesimally small integration around the inner stationary phase point, the former and the latter give the diffraction and reflection components, respectively. The accuracy of the latter has been discussed for the curved surfaces and published. This paper focuses on the errors of the former and discusses its correction. It has been numerically observed that the modified edge representation works well for the physical optics diffraction in flat and concave surfaces; errors appear especially for the observer near the reflection shadow boundary if the frequency is low for the convex scatterer. This paper gives the explicit expression of the higher-order correction for the modified edge representation.

Surfaces immersed in Lie algebras associated with elliptic integrals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grundland, A M; Post, S

2012-01-01

The objective of this work is to adapt the Fokas–Gel’fand immersion formula to ordinary differential equations written in the Lax representation. The formalism of generalized vector fields and their prolongation structure is employed to establish necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence and integration of immersion functions for surfaces in Lie algebras. As an example, a class of second-order, integrable, ordinary differential equations is considered and the most general solutions for the wavefunctions of the linear spectral problem are found. Several explicit examples of surfaces associated with Jacobian and P-Weierstrass elliptic functions are presented. (paper)

Near-Surface Engineered Environmental Barrier Integrity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piet, S.J.; Breckenridge, R.P.

2002-01-01

The INEEL Environmental Systems Research and Analysis (ESRA) program has launched a new R and D project on Near-Surface Engineered Environmental Barrier Integrity to increase knowledge and capabilities for using engineering and ecological components to improve the integrity of near-surface barriers used to confine contaminants from the public and the environment. The knowledge gained and the capabilities built will help verify the adequacy of past remedial decisions and enable improved solutions for future cleanup decisions. The research is planned to (a) improve the knowledge of degradation mechanisms (weathering, biological, geological, chemical, radiological, and catastrophic) in times shorter than service life, (b) improve modeling of barrier degradation dynamics, (c) develop sensor systems to identify degradation prior to failure, and (d) provide a better basis for developing and testing of new barrier systems to increase reliability and reduce the risk of failure. Our project combine s selected exploratory studies (benchtop and field scale), coupled effects accelerated aging testing and the meso-scale, testing of new monitoring concepts, and modeling of dynamic systems. The performance of evapo-transpiration, capillary, and grout-based barriers will be examined

Laser microtexturing of implant surfaces for enhanced tissue integration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ricci, J.L. [Univ. of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, NJ (United States). Dept. of Orthodontics; Alexander, H. [Orthogen Corp., Springfield, NJ (United States)

2001-07-01

The success or failure of bone and soft tissue-fixed medical devices, such as dental and orthopaedic implants, depends on a complex combination of biological and mechanical factors. These factors are intimately associated with the interface between the implant surface and the surrounding tissue, and are largely determined by the composition, surface chemistry, and surface microgeometry of the implant. The relative contributions of these factors are difficult to assess. This study addresses the contribution of surface microtexture, on a controlled level, to tissue integration. (orig.)

Non-integrability of geodesic flow on certain algebraic surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waters, T.J.

2012-01-01

This Letter addresses an open problem recently posed by V. Kozlov: a rigorous proof of the non-integrability of the geodesic flow on the cubic surface xyz=1. We prove this is the case using the Morales–Ramis theorem and Kovacic algorithm. We also consider some consequences and extensions of this result. -- Highlights: ► The behaviour of geodesics on surfaces defined by algebraic expressions is studied. ► The non-integrability of the geodesic equations is rigorously proved using differential Galois theory. ► Morales–Ramis theory and Kovacic's algorithm is used and the normal variational equation is of Fuchsian type. ► Some extensions and limitations are discussed.

Surface characteristics of bioactive Ti fabricated by chemical treatment for cartilaginous-integration.

Science.gov (United States)

Miyajima, Hiroyuki; Ozer, Fusun; Imazato, Satoshi; Mante, Francis K

2017-09-01

Artificial hip joints are generally expected to fail due to wear after approximately 15years and then have to be replaced by revision surgery. If articular cartilage can be integrated onto the articular surfaces of artificial joints in the same way as osseo-integration of titanium dental implants, the wear of joint implants may be reduced or prevented. However, very few studies have focused on the relationship between Ti surface and cartilage. To explore the possibility of cartilaginous-integration, we fabricated chemically treated Ti surfaces with H 2 O 2 /HCl, collagen type II and SBF, respectively. Then, we evaluated surface characteristics of the prepared Ti samples and assessed the cartilage formation by culturing chondrocytes on the Ti samples. When oxidized Ti was immersed in SBF for 7days, apatite was formed on the Ti surface. The surface characteristics of Ti indicated that the wettability was increased by all chemical treatments compared to untreated Ti, and that H 2 O 2 /HCl treated surface had significantly higher roughness compared to the other three groups. Chondrocytes produced significantly more cartilage matrix on all chemically treated Ti surfaces compared to untreated Ti. Thus, to realize cartilaginous-integration and to prevent wear of the implants in joints, application of bioactive Ti formed by chemical treatment would be a promising and effective strategy to improve durability of joint replacement. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Explanation of the surface peak in charge integrated LEIS spectra

CERN Document Server

Draxler, M; Taglauer, E; Schmid, K; Gruber, R; Ermolov, S N; Bauer, P

2003-01-01

Low energy ion scattering is very surface sensitive if scattered ions are analyzed. By time-of-flight (TOF) techniques, also neutral and charge integrated spectra (ions plus neutrals) can be obtained, which yield information about deeper layers. In the literature, the observation of a more or less pronounced surface peak was reported for charge integrated spectra, the intensity of the surface peak being higher at low energies and for heavy projectiles. Aiming at a more profound physical understanding of this surface peak, we performed TOF-experiments and computer simulations for He projectiles and a copper target. Experiments were done in the range 1-9 keV for a scattering angle of 129 deg. . The simulation was performed using the MARLOWE code for the given experimental parameters and a polycrystalline target. At low energies, a pronounced surface peak was observed, which fades away at higher energies. This peak is quantitatively reproduced by the simulation, and corresponds to scattering from approx 2 atomic...

¿`Desarrollo integral' o `prejuicio humanista'?: Una problematización de supuestos en la doctrina social de la Iglesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricio Miranda

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Pensando en la actualidad de la DSI de cara a los actuales desafíos que se plantean en la sociedad contemporánea, se discute un supuesto fundamental que está a la base del concepto de desarrollo, tal como ha sido trabajado conceptualmente desde Juan XXIII en adelante. En la DSI la categoría de `desarrollo integral' no solo tiene una explícita connotación normativa, sino que además refleja una teoría social implícita tal que supone una línea de continuidad entre individuo y sociedad. Tal supuesto de continuidad es contestado desde una de las más influyentes teorías sociales contemporáneas, como lo es la de Niklas Luhmann. La teoría de sistemas sociales autorreferenciales se constituye en una verdadera interpelación, cuando no impugnación, a los deseos bienintencionados de toda teoría normativa sobre el desarrollo (entre ellas, la DSI. De ahí que, más que intentar una exégesis del concepto en las formulaciones magisteriales, se indague por su actualidad en el contexto de las transformaciones sociales contemporáneasIn the present article, pondering the current applicability of the social doctrine of the Church to the challenges of contemporary society, a fundamental supposition grounding the concept of development is discussed, precisely as it has been conceptually worked from John XXIII onwards. In the social doctrine of the Church, the category of "integral development" not only contains an explicit normative connotation, but also reflects an implicit social theory to the extent that it presupposes a line of continuity between the individual and society. Such a supposition of continuity is contested by one of the most influential of contemporary social theories, that of Niklas Luhmann. The theory of self-referring social systems is based on a true interpellation, if not refutation, of the well-intentioned desires of every normative theory of development (among them, the social doctrine of the Church. From this point the

On the initial condition problem of the time domain PMCHWT surface integral equation

KAUST Repository

Uysal, Ismail Enes

2017-05-13

Non-physical, linearly increasing and constant current components are induced in marching on-in-time solution of time domain surface integral equations when initial conditions on time derivatives of (unknown) equivalent currents are not enforced properly. This problem can be remedied by solving the time integral of the surface integral for auxiliary currents that are defined to be the time derivatives of the equivalent currents. Then the equivalent currents are obtained by numerically differentiating the auxiliary ones. In this work, this approach is applied to the marching on-in-time solution of the time domain Poggio-Miller-Chan-Harrington-Wu-Tsai surface integral equation enforced on dispersive/plasmonic scatterers. Accuracy of the proposed method is demonstrated by a numerical example.

The Evaluation of Surface Integrity During Machining of Inconel 718 with Various Laser Assistance Strategies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wojciechowski Szymon

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The paper is focused on the evaluation of surface integrity formed during turning of Inconel 718 with the application of various laser assistance strategies. The primary objective of the work was to determine the relations between the applied machining strategy and the obtained surface integrity, in order to select the effective cutting conditions allowing the obtainment of high surface quality. The carried out experiment included the machining of Inconel 718 in the conventional turning conditions, as well as during the continuous laser assisted machining and sequential laser assistance. The surface integrity was evaluated by the measurements of machined surface topographies, microstructures and the microhardness. Results revealed that surface integrity of Inconel 718 is strongly affected by the selected machining strategy. The significant improvement of the surface roughness formed during machining of Inconel 718, can be reached by the application of simultaneous laser heating and cutting (LAM.

Eco-hydrological process simulations within an integrated surface water-groundwater model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Butts, Michael; Loinaz, Maria Christina; Bauer-Gottwein, Peter

2014-01-01

Integrated water resources management requires tools that can quantify changes in groundwater, surface water, water quality and ecosystem health, as a result of changes in catchment management. To address these requirements we have developed an integrated eco-hydrological modelling framework...... that allows hydrologists and ecologists to represent the complex and dynamic interactions occurring between surface water, ground water, water quality and freshwater ecosystems within a catchment. We demonstrate here the practical application of this tool to two case studies where the interaction of surface...... water and ground water are important for the ecosystem. In the first, simulations are performed to understand the importance of surface water-groundwater interactions for a restored riparian wetland on the Odense River in Denmark as part of a larger investigation of water quality and nitrate retention...

Effect of surface integrity of hard turned AISI 52100 steel on fatigue performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Stephen; Melkote, Shreyes N.; Lara-Curzio, Edgar; Watkins, Thomas R.; Allard, Larry; Riester, Laura

2007-01-01

This paper addresses the relationship between surface integrity and fatigue life of hard turned AISI 52100 steel (60-62 HRC), with grinding as a benchmark. The impact of superfinishing on the fatigue performance of hard turned and ground surfaces is also discussed. Specifically, the surface integrity and fatigue life of the following five distinct surface conditions are examined: hard turned with continuous white layer, hard turned with no white layer, ground, and superfinished hard turned and ground specimens. Surface integrity of the specimens is characterized via surface topography measurement, metallography, residual stress measurements, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and nano-indentation tests. High cycle tension-tension fatigue tests show that the presence of white layer does not adversely affect fatigue life and that, on average, the hard turned surface performs as well or better than the ground surface. The effect of superfinishing is to exaggerate these differences in performance. The results obtained from this study suggest that the effect of residual stress on fatigue life is more significant than the effect of white layer. For the hard turned surfaces, the fatigue life is found to be directly proportional to both the surface compressive residual stress and the maximum compressive residual stress. Possible explanations for the observed effects are discussed

Integrability of Liouville system on high genus Riemann surface: Pt. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Yixin; Gao Hongbo

1992-01-01

By using the theory of uniformization of Riemann-surfaces, we study properties of the Liouville equation and its general solution on a Riemann surface of genus g>1. After obtaining Hamiltonian formalism in terms of free fields and calculating classical exchange matrices, we prove the classical integrability of Liouville system on high genus Riemann surface

Accelerated sampling by infinite swapping of path integral molecular dynamics with surface hopping

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Jianfeng; Zhou, Zhennan

2018-02-01

To accelerate the thermal equilibrium sampling of multi-level quantum systems, the infinite swapping limit of a recently proposed multi-level ring polymer representation is investigated. In the infinite swapping limit, the ring polymer evolves according to an averaged Hamiltonian with respect to all possible surface index configurations of the ring polymer and thus connects the surface hopping approach to the mean-field path-integral molecular dynamics. A multiscale integrator for the infinite swapping limit is also proposed to enable efficient sampling based on the limiting dynamics. Numerical results demonstrate the huge improvement of sampling efficiency of the infinite swapping compared with the direct simulation of path-integral molecular dynamics with surface hopping.

An integrative pharmacological approach to radio telemetry and blood sampling in pharmaceutical drug discovery and safety assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Litwin, Dennis C; Lengel, David J; Kamendi, Harriet W; Bialecki, Russell A

2011-01-18

A successful integration of the automated blood sampling (ABS) and telemetry (ABST) system is described. The new ABST system facilitates concomitant collection of physiological variables with blood and urine samples for determination of drug concentrations and other biochemical measures in the same rat without handling artifact. Integration was achieved by designing a 13 inch circular receiving antenna that operates as a plug-in replacement for the existing pair of DSI's orthogonal antennas which is compatible with the rotating cage and open floor design of the BASi Culex® ABS system. The circular receiving antenna's electrical configuration consists of a pair of electrically orthogonal half-toroids that reinforce reception of a dipole transmitter operating within the coil's interior while reducing both external noise pickup and interference from other adjacent dipole transmitters. For validation, measured baclofen concentration (ABST vs. satellite (μM): 69.6 ± 23.8 vs. 76.6 ± 19.5, p = NS) and mean arterial pressure (ABST vs. traditional DSI telemetry (mm Hg): 150 ± 5 vs.147 ± 4, p = NS) variables were quantitatively and qualitatively similar between rats housed in the ABST system and traditional home cage approaches. The ABST system offers unique advantages over traditional between-group study paradigms that include improved data quality and significantly reduced animal use. The superior within-group model facilitates assessment of multiple physiological and biochemical responses to test compounds in the same animal. The ABST also provides opportunities to evaluate temporal relations between parameters and to investigate anomalous outlier events because drug concentrations, physiological and biochemical measures for each animal are available for comparisons.

Association of lipids with integral membrane surface proteins of Mycoplasma hyorhinis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bricker, T.M.; Boyer, M.J.; Keith, J.; Watson-McKown, R.; Wise, K.S.

1988-01-01

Triton X-114 (TX-114)-phase fractionation was used to identify and characterize integral membrane surface proteins of the wall-less procaryote Mycoplasma hyorhinis GDL. Phase fractionation of mycoplasmas followed by analysis by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed selective partitioning of approximately 30 [ 35 S]methionine-labeled intrinsic membrane proteins into the TX-114 phase. Similar analysis of [ 3 H]palmitate-labeled cells showed that approximately 20 proteins of this organism were associated with lipid, all of which also efficiently partitioned as integral membrane components into the detergent phase. Immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation of TX-114-phase proteins from 125 I-surface-labeled cells with four monoclonal antibodies to distinct surface epitopes of M. hyorhinis identified surface proteins p120, p70, p42, and p23 as intrinsic membrane components. Immunoprecipitation of [ 3 H]palmitate-labeled TX-114-phase proteins further established that surface proteins p120, p70, and p23 (a molecule that mediates complement-dependent mycoplasmacidal monoclonal antibody activity) were among the lipid-associated proteins of this organism. Two of these proteins, p120 and p123, were acidic (pI less than or equal to 4.5), as shown by two-dimensional isoelectric focusing. This study established that M. hyorhinis contains an abundance of integral membrane proteins tightly associated with lipids and that many of these proteins are exposed at the external surface of the single limiting plasma membrane. Monoclonal antibodies are reported that will allow detailed analysis of the structure and processing of lipid-associated mycoplasma proteins

A high-order boundary integral method for surface diffusions on elastically stressed axisymmetric rods

OpenAIRE

Li, Xiaofan; Nie, Qing

2009-01-01

Many applications in materials involve surface diffusion of elastically stressed solids. Study of singularity formation and long-time behavior of such solid surfaces requires accurate simulations in both space and time. Here we present a high-order boundary integral method for an elastically stressed solid with axi-symmetry due to surface diffusions. In this method, the boundary integrals for isotropic elasticity in axi-symmetric geometry are approximated through modified alternating quadratu...

Soliton surfaces associated with generalized symmetries of integrable equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grundland, A M; Post, S

2011-01-01

In this paper, based on the Fokas et al approach (Fokas and Gel'fand 1996 Commun. Math. Phys. 177 203-20; Fokas et al 2000 Sel. Math. 6 347-75), we provide a symmetry characterization of continuous deformations of soliton surfaces immersed in a Lie algebra using the formalism of generalized vector fields, their prolongation structure and links with the Frechet derivatives. We express the necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of such surfaces in terms of the invariance criterion for generalized symmetries and identify additional sufficient conditions which admit an explicit integration of the immersion functions of 2D surfaces in Lie algebras. We discuss in detail the su(N)-valued immersion functions generated by conformal symmetries of the CP N-1 sigma model defined on either the Minkowski or Euclidean space. We further show that the sufficient conditions for explicit integration of such immersion functions impose additional restrictions on the admissible conformal symmetries of the model defined on Minkowski space. On the other hand, the sufficient conditions are identically satisfied for arbitrary conformal symmetries of finite action solutions of the CP N-1 sigma model defined on Euclidean space.

An Integrated Software Suite for Surface-based Analyses of Cerebral Cortex

Science.gov (United States)

Van Essen, David C.; Drury, Heather A.; Dickson, James; Harwell, John; Hanlon, Donna; Anderson, Charles H.

2001-01-01

The authors describe and illustrate an integrated trio of software programs for carrying out surface-based analyses of cerebral cortex. The first component of this trio, SureFit (Surface Reconstruction by Filtering and Intensity Transformations), is used primarily for cortical segmentation, volume visualization, surface generation, and the mapping of functional neuroimaging data onto surfaces. The second component, Caret (Computerized Anatomical Reconstruction and Editing Tool Kit), provides a wide range of surface visualization and analysis options as well as capabilities for surface flattening, surface-based deformation, and other surface manipulations. The third component, SuMS (Surface Management System), is a database and associated user interface for surface-related data. It provides for efficient insertion, searching, and extraction of surface and volume data from the database. PMID:11522765

An integrated software suite for surface-based analyses of cerebral cortex

Science.gov (United States)

Van Essen, D. C.; Drury, H. A.; Dickson, J.; Harwell, J.; Hanlon, D.; Anderson, C. H.

2001-01-01

The authors describe and illustrate an integrated trio of software programs for carrying out surface-based analyses of cerebral cortex. The first component of this trio, SureFit (Surface Reconstruction by Filtering and Intensity Transformations), is used primarily for cortical segmentation, volume visualization, surface generation, and the mapping of functional neuroimaging data onto surfaces. The second component, Caret (Computerized Anatomical Reconstruction and Editing Tool Kit), provides a wide range of surface visualization and analysis options as well as capabilities for surface flattening, surface-based deformation, and other surface manipulations. The third component, SuMS (Surface Management System), is a database and associated user interface for surface-related data. It provides for efficient insertion, searching, and extraction of surface and volume data from the database.

Computation of Surface Integrals of Curl Vector Fields

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Chenglie

2007-01-01

This article presents a way of computing a surface integral when the vector field of the integrand is a curl field. Presented in some advanced calculus textbooks such as [1], the technique, as the author experienced, is simple and applicable. The computation is based on Stokes' theorem in 3-space calculus, and thus provides not only a means to…

SARDA: An Integrated Concept for Airport Surface Operations Management

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Gautam; Hoang, Ty; Jung, Yoon Chul

2013-01-01

The Spot and Runway Departure Advisor (SARDA) is an integrated decision support tool for airlines and air traffic control tower enabling surface collaborative decision making (CDM) and departure metering in order to enhance efficiency of surface operations at congested airports. The presentation describes the concept and architecture of the SARDA as a CDM tool, and the results from a human-in-the-loop simulation of the tool conducted in 2012 at the FutureFlight Central, the tower simulation facility. Also, presented is the current activities and future plan for SARDA development. The presentation was given at the meeting with the FAA senior advisor of the Surface Operations Office.

Design integration of liquid surface divertors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nygren, R.E.; Cowgill, D.F.; Ulrickson, M.A.; Nelson, B.E.; Fogarty, P.J.; Rognlien, T.D.; Rensink, M.E.; Hassanein, A.; Smolentsev, S.S.; Kotschenreuther, M.

2004-01-01

The US Enabling Technology Program in fusion is investigating the use of free flowing liquid surfaces facing the plasma. We have been studying the issues in integrating a liquid surface divertor into a configuration based upon an advanced tokamak, specifically the ARIES-RS configuration. The simplest form of such a divertor is to extend the flow of the liquid first wall into the divertor and thereby avoid introducing additional fluid streams. In this case, one can modify the flow above the divertor to enhance thermal mixing. For divertors with flowing liquid metals (or other electrically conductive fluids) MHD (magneto-hydrodynamics) effects are a major concern and can produce forces that redirect flow and suppress turbulence. An evaluation of Flibe (a molten salt) as a working fluid was done to assess a case in which the MHD forces could be largely neglected. Initial studies indicate that, for a tokamak with high power density, an integrated Flibe first wall and divertor does not seem workable. We have continued work with molten salts and replaced Flibe with Flinabe, a mixture of lithium, sodium and beryllium fluorides, that has some potential because of its lower melting temperature. Sn and Sn-Li have also been considered, and the initial evaluations on heat removal with minimal plasma contamination show promise, although the complicated 3D MHD flows cannot yet be fully modeled. Particle pumping in these design concepts is accomplished by conventional means (ports and pumps). However, trapping of hydrogen in these flowing liquids seems plausible and novel concepts for entrapping helium are also being studied

Integrated nanohole array surface plasmon resonance sensing device using a dual-wavelength source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Escobedo, C; Vincent, S; Choudhury, A I K; Campbell, J; Gordon, R; Brolo, A G; Sinton, D

2011-01-01

In this paper, we demonstrate a compact integrated nanohole array-based surface plasmon resonance sensing device. The unit includes a LED light source, driving circuitry, CCD detector, microfluidic network and computer interface, all assembled from readily available commercial components. A dual-wavelength LED scheme was implemented to increase spectral diversity and isolate intensity variations to be expected in the field. The prototype shows bulk sensitivity of 266 pixel intensity units/RIU and a limit of detection of 6 × 10 −4 RIU. Surface binding tests were performed, demonstrating functionality as a surface-based sensing system. This work is particularly relevant for low-cost point-of-care applications, especially those involving multiple tests and field studies. While nanohole arrays have been applied to many sensing applications, and their suitability to device integration is well established, this is the first demonstration of a fully integrated nanohole array-based sensing device.

Signal Integrity Applications of an EBG Surface

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MATEKOVITS, L.

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Electromagnetic band-gap (EBG surfaces have found applications in mitigation of parallel-plate noise that occurs in high speed circuits. A 2D periodic structure previously introduced by the same authors is dimensioned here for adjusting EBG parameters in view of meeting applications requirements by decreasing the phase velocity of the propagating waves. This adjustment corresponds to decreasing the lower bound of the EBG spectra. The positions of the EBGs' in frequency are determined through full-wave simulation, by solving the corresponding eigenmode equation and by imposing the appropriate boundary conditions on all faces of the unit cell. The operation of a device relying on a finite surface is also demonstrated. Obtained results show that the proposed structure fits for the signal integrity related applications as verified also by comparing the transmission along a finite structure of an ideal signal line and one with an induced discontinuity.

Integrating Satellite, Radar and Surface Observation with Time and Space Matching

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Y.; Weber, J.

2015-12-01

The Integrated Data Viewer (IDV) from Unidata is a Java™-based software framework for analyzing and visualizing geoscience data. It brings together the ability to display and work with satellite imagery, gridded data, surface observations, balloon soundings, NWS WSR-88D Level II and Level III RADAR data, and NOAA National Profiler Network data, all within a unified interface. Applying time and space matching on the satellite, radar and surface observation datasets will automatically synchronize the display from different data sources and spatially subset to match the display area in the view window. These features allow the IDV users to effectively integrate these observations and provide 3 dimensional views of the weather system to better understand the underlying dynamics and physics of weather phenomena.

An Updated Decision Support Interface: A Tool for Remote Monitoring of Crop Growing Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Husak, G. J.; Budde, M. E.; Rowland, J.; Verdin, J. P.; Funk, C. C.; Landsfeld, M. F.

2014-12-01

Remote sensing of agroclimatological variables to monitor food production conditions is a critical component of the Famine Early Warning Systems Network portfolio of tools for assessing food security in the developing world. The Decision Support Interface (DSI) seeks to integrate a number of remotely sensed and modeled variables to create a single, simplified portal for analysis of crop growing conditions. The DSI has been reformulated to incorporate more variables and give the user more freedom in exploring the available data. This refinement seeks to transition the DSI from a "first glance" agroclimatic indicator to one better suited for the differentiation of drought events. The DSI performs analysis of variables over primary agricultural zones at the first sub-national administrative level. It uses the spatially averaged rainfall, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), water requirement satisfaction index (WRSI), and actual evapotranspiration (ETa) to identify potential hazards to food security. Presenting this information in a web-based client gives food security analysts and decision makers a lightweight portal for information on crop growing conditions in the region. The crop zones used for the aggregation contain timing information which is critical to the DSI presentation. Rainfall and ETa are accumulated from different points in the crop phenology to identify season-long deficits in rainfall or transpiration that adversely affect the crop-growing conditions. Furthermore, the NDVI and WRSI serve as their own seasonal accumulated measures of growing conditions by capturing vegetation vigor or actual evapotranspiration deficits. The DSI is currently active for major growing regions of sub-Saharan Africa, with intention of expanding to other areas over the coming years.

Antimicrobial Effect of Biocompatible Silicon Nanoparticles Activated Using Therapeutic Ultrasound.

Science.gov (United States)

Shevchenko, Svetlana N; Burkhardt, Markus; Sheval, Eugene V; Natashina, Ulyana A; Grosse, Christina; Nikolaev, Alexander L; Gopin, Alexander V; Neugebauer, Ute; Kudryavtsev, Andrew A; Sivakov, Vladimir; Osminkina, Liubov A

2017-03-14

In this study, we report a method for the suppression of Escherichia coli (E. coli) vitality by means of therapeutic ultrasound irradiation (USI) using biocompatible silicon nanoparticles as cavitation sensitizers. Silicon nanoparticles without (SiNPs) and with polysaccharide (dextran) coating (DSiNPs) were used. Both types of nanoparticles were nontoxic to Hep 2 cells up to a concentration of 2 mg/mL. The treatment of bacteria with nanoparticles and application of 1 W/cm 2 USI resulted in the reduction of their viabilities up to 35 and 72% for SiNPs and DSiNPs, respectively. The higher bacterial viability reduction for DSiNPs as compared with SiNPs can be explained by the fact that the biopolymer shell of the polysaccharide provides a stronger adhesion of nanoparticles to the bacterial surface. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies showed that the bacterial lipid shell was partially perforated after the combined treatment of DSiNPs and USI, which can be explained by the lysis of bacterial membrane due to the cavitation sensitized by the SiNPs. Furthermore, we have shown that 100% inhibition of E. coli bacterial colony growth is possible by coupling the treatments of DSiNPs and USI with an increased intensity of up to 3 W/cm 2 . The observed results reveal the application of SiNPs as promising antimicrobial agents.

Application of the PredictAD Decision Support Tool to a Danish Cohort of Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Simonsen, A H; Mattila, J; Hejl, A M

2013-01-01

Background: The diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is based on an ever-increasing body of data and knowledge making it a complex task. The PredictAD tool integrates heterogeneous patient data using an interactive user interface to provide decision support. The aim of this project was to invest......Background: The diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is based on an ever-increasing body of data and knowledge making it a complex task. The PredictAD tool integrates heterogeneous patient data using an interactive user interface to provide decision support. The aim of this project...... forest. Results: The DSI performed best for this realistic dataset with an accuracy of 76.6% compared to the accuracies for the naïve Bayesian classifier and random forest of 67.4 and 66.7%, respectively. Furthermore, the DSI differentiated between the four diagnostic groups with a p value of ....0001. Conclusion: In this dataset, the DSI method used by the PredictAD tool showed a superior performance for the differentiation between patients with AD and those with other dementias. However, the methods need to be refined further in order to optimize the differential diagnosis between AD, FTD, VaD and DLB....

A high-order boundary integral method for surface diffusions on elastically stressed axisymmetric rods.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiaofan; Nie, Qing

2009-07-01

Many applications in materials involve surface diffusion of elastically stressed solids. Study of singularity formation and long-time behavior of such solid surfaces requires accurate simulations in both space and time. Here we present a high-order boundary integral method for an elastically stressed solid with axi-symmetry due to surface diffusions. In this method, the boundary integrals for isotropic elasticity in axi-symmetric geometry are approximated through modified alternating quadratures along with an extrapolation technique, leading to an arbitrarily high-order quadrature; in addition, a high-order (temporal) integration factor method, based on explicit representation of the mean curvature, is used to reduce the stability constraint on time-step. To apply this method to a periodic (in axial direction) and axi-symmetric elastically stressed cylinder, we also present a fast and accurate summation method for the periodic Green's functions of isotropic elasticity. Using the high-order boundary integral method, we demonstrate that in absence of elasticity the cylinder surface pinches in finite time at the axis of the symmetry and the universal cone angle of the pinching is found to be consistent with the previous studies based on a self-similar assumption. In the presence of elastic stress, we show that a finite time, geometrical singularity occurs well before the cylindrical solid collapses onto the axis of symmetry, and the angle of the corner singularity on the cylinder surface is also estimated.

Investigation of Selected Surface Integrity Features of Duplex Stainless Steel (DSS) after Turning

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Krolczyk, G.; Nieslony, P.; Legutko, S.; Hloch, Sergej; Samardžić, I.

2015-01-01

Roč. 54, č. 1 (2015), s. 91-94 ISSN 0543-5846 Institutional support: RVO:68145535 Keywords : duplex stainless steel * machining * turning * surface integrity * surface roughness Subject RIV: JQ - Machines ; Tools Impact factor: 0.959, year: 2014 http://hrcak.srce.hr/126702

Impacts of model initialization on an integrated surface water - groundwater model

KAUST Repository

Ajami, Hoori; McCabe, Matthew; Evans, Jason P.

2015-01-01

Integrated hydrologic models characterize catchment responses by coupling the subsurface flow with land surface processes. One of the major areas of uncertainty in such models is the specification of the initial condition and its influence

Machining the Integral Impeller and Blisk of Aero-Engines: A Review of Surface Finishing and Strengthening Technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Youzhi; Gao, Hang; Wang, Xuanping; Guo, Dongming

2017-05-01

The integral impeller and blisk of an aero-engine are high performance parts with complex structure and made of difficult-to-cut materials. The blade surfaces of the integral impeller and blisk are functional surfaces for power transmission, and their surface integrity has significant effects on the aerodynamic efficiency and service life of an aero-engine. Thus, it is indispensable to finish and strengthen the blades before use. This paper presents a comprehensive literature review of studies on finishing and strengthening technologies for the impeller and blisk of aero-engines. The review includes independent and integrated finishing and strengthening technologies and discusses advanced rotational abrasive flow machining with back-pressure used for finishing the integral impeller and blisk. A brief assessment of future research problems and directions is also presented.

Numerical simulation of liquid film flow on revolution surfaces with momentum integral method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bottoni Maurizio

2005-01-01

The momentum integral method is applied in the frame of safety analysis of pressure water reactors under hypothetical loss of coolant accident (LOCA) conditions to simulate numerically film condensation, rewetting and vaporization on the inner surface of pressure water reactor containment. From the conservation equations of mass and momentum of a liquid film arising from condensation of steam upon the inner of the containment during a LOCA in a pressure water reactor plant, an integro-differential equation is derived, referring to an arbitrary axisymmetric surface of revolution. This equation describes the velocity distribution of the liquid film along a meridian of a surface of revolution. From the integro-differential equation and ordinary differential equation of first order for the film velocity is derived and integrated numerically. From the velocity distribution the film thickness distribution is obtained. The solution of the enthalpy equation for the liquid film yields the temperature distribution on the inner surface of the containment. (authors)

Surface integrity and part accuracy in reaming and tapping stainless steel with new vegetable based cutting oils

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Belluco, Walter; De Chiffre, Leonardo

2002-01-01

This paper presents an investigation on the effect of new formulations of vegetable oils on surface integrity and part accuracy in reaming and tapping operations with AISI 316L stainless steel. Surface integrity was assessed with measurements of roughness, microhardness, and using metallographic...... as part accuracy. Cutting fluids based on vegetable oils showed comparable or better performance than mineral oils. ÆÉ2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd....... techniques, while part accuracy was measured on a coordinate measuring machine. A widely diffused commercial mineral oil was used as reference for all measurements. Cutting fluid was found to have a significant effect on surface integrity and thickness of the strain hardened layer in the sub-surface, as well...

Measurement of integrated coefficients of ultracold neutron reflection from solid surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golikov, V.V.; Kulagin, E.N.; Nikitenko, Yu.V.

1985-01-01

The method of measurement of the integrated coefficients of ultracold neutrons (UCN) reflection from solid surfaces is reported. A simple formula is suggested which expresses the integrated coefficients of UCN reflection from a given sample through the measured counting rate of the detector with and without strong absorber (polyethelene). The parameters are determined describing anisotropic and inhomogeneity properties of UCN reflection from Al, Mg, Pb, Zn, Mo, stainless steel, T and V are measured. The thickness of oxide layers is determined within the 5-10A accuracy limits from the experimental coefficients of UCN reflection from metals having on their surfaces the oxides with boundary velocity larger than that for the metal. It has been determined that the density of 5000 A layer of heavy ice freezed on aluminium is 0.83 +- 0.05 from the crystal ice density

Optoelectronic integrated circuits utilising vertical-cavity surface-emitting semiconductor lasers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zakharov, S D; Fyodorov, V B; Tsvetkov, V V

1999-01-01

Optoelectronic integrated circuits with additional optical inputs/outputs, in which vertical-cavity surface-emitting (VCSE) lasers perform the data transfer functions, are considered. The mutual relationship and the 'affinity' between optical means for data transfer and processing, on the one hand, and the traditional electronic component base, on the other, are demonstrated in the case of implementation of three-dimensional interconnects with a high transmission capacity. Attention is drawn to the problems encountered when semiconductor injection lasers are used in communication lines. It is shown what role can be played by VCSE lasers in solving these problems. A detailed analysis is made of the topics relating to possible structural and technological solutions in the fabrication of single lasers and of their arrays, and also of the problems hindering integrating of lasers into emitter arrays. Considerable attention is given to integrated circuits with optoelectronic smart pixels. Various technological methods for vertical integration of GaAs VCSE lasers with the silicon substrate of a microcircuit (chip) are discussed. (review)

Surface charge algebra in gauge theories and thermodynamic integrability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnich, Glenn; Compere, Geoffrey

2008-01-01

Surface charges and their algebra in interacting Lagrangian gauge field theories are constructed out of the underlying linearized theory using techniques from the variational calculus. In the case of exact solutions and symmetries, the surface charges are interpreted as a Pfaff system. Integrability is governed by Frobenius' theorem and the charges associated with the derived symmetry algebra are shown to vanish. In the asymptotic context, we provide a generalized covariant derivation of the result that the representation of the asymptotic symmetry algebra through charges may be centrally extended. Comparison with Hamiltonian and covariant phase space methods is made. All approaches are shown to agree for exact solutions and symmetries while there are differences in the asymptotic context

Characterizing ecosystem response to water supply changes inferred from GRACE drought severity index and surface soil moisture anomalies from ESA CCI and SMAP

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, M.; Velicogna, I.; Kimball, J. S.

2017-12-01

Climate change such as more frequent heatwaves and drought is threatening our food security and ecosystem by reducing water supply to vegetation. Characterizing vegetation response to water supply changes is not only important for evaluating and mitigating climatic change impacts on ecosystem functions and services, but also to determine the feedback mechanisms that ecosystem response may generate on the climate itself. However, such characterization is not well-known at the global scale partly because large scale observations of underground water supply changes are limited. Satellite observations of soil moisture (SM) datasets such as from Soil Moisture Active and Passive (SMAP) and European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative (ESA CCI) do not penetrate more than a few centimeters and do not capture the entire root-zone. Here we employ a newly developed Drought Severity Index from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE-DSI) to complement SM observations by informing total water supply changes in the entire terrestrial hydrological cycle. We use MODIS vegetation indices as proxies for vegetation growth and investigate their seasonal and interannual variability in relation to GRACE-DSI. We find that total water supply constrains vegetation growth across the entire continental US. Water constraint begins at an earlier date of year and lasts for a longer period in the lower latitude than in the higher latitude. We also find that water constraint occurs at different phenological stages depending on vegetation type. For instance, water constrain forest growth during reproductive period in eastern US but constrain shrub land growth during green-up in Arizona (Fig. 1). In western United States, eastern Australia and the horn of Africa, we find that vegetation growth changes closely follows GRACE-DSI but can have 16-day to one-month delay with respect to SM anomalies from SMAP and ESA CCI. This suggests that in these regions, vegetation is sensitive to water

Yet Another Lunar Surface Geologic Exploration Architecture Concept (What, Again?): A Senior Field Geologist's Integrated View

Science.gov (United States)

Eppler, D. B.

2015-01-01

Lunar surface geological exploration should be founded on a number of key elements that are seemingly disparate, but which can form an integrated operational concept when properly conceived and deployed. If lunar surface geological exploration is to be useful, this integration of key elements needs to be undertaken throughout the development of both mission hardware, training and operational concepts. These elements include the concept of mission class, crew makeup and training, surface mobility assets that are matched with mission class, and field tools and IT assets that make data collection, sharing and archiving transparent to the surface crew.

Integration of CubeSat Systems with Europa Surface Exploration Missions

Science.gov (United States)

Erdoǧan, Enes; Inalhan, Gokhan; Kemal Üre, Nazım

2016-07-01

Recent studies show that there is a high probability that a liquid ocean exists under thick icy surface of Jupiter's Moon Europa. The findings also show that Europa has features that are similar to Earth, such as geological activities. As a result of these studies, Europa has promising environment of being habitable and currently there are many missions in both planning and execution level that target Europa. However, these missions usually involve extremely high budgets over extended periods of time. The objective of this talk is to argue that the mission costs can be reduced significantly by integrating CubeSat systems within Europa exploration missions. In particular, we introduce an integrated CubeSat-micro probe system, which can be used for measuring the size and depth of the hypothetical liquid ocean under the icy surface of Europa. The systems consist of an entry module that houses a CubeSat combined with driller measurement probes. Driller measurement probes deploy before the system hits the surface and penetrate the surface layers of Europa. Moreover, a micro laser probe could be used to examine the layers. This process enables investigation of the properties of the icy layer and the environment beneath the surface. Through examination of different scenarios and cost analysis of the components, we show that the proposed CubeSat systems has a significant potential to reduce the cost of the overall mission. Both subsystem requirements and launch prices of CubeSats are dramatically cheaper than currently used satellites. In addition, multiple CubeSats may be used to dominate wider area in space and they are expandable in face of potential failures. In this talk we discuss both the mission design and cost reduction aspects.

Statistical characteristics of surface integrity by fiber laser cutting of Nitinol vascular stents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu, C.H.; Liu, J.F.; Guo, Andrew

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Precision kerf with tight tolerance of Nitinol stents can be cut by fiber laser. • No HAZ in the subsurface was detected due to large grain size. • Recast layer has lower hardness than the bulk. • Laser cutting speed has a higher influence on surface integrity than laser power. - Abstract: Nitinol alloys have been widely used in manufacturing of vascular stents due to the outstanding properties such as superelasticity, shape memory, and superior biocompatibility. Laser cutting is the dominant process for manufacturing Nitinol stents. Conventional laser cutting usually produces unsatisfactory surface integrity which has a significant detrimental impact on stent performance. Emerging as a competitive process, fiber laser with high beam quality is expected to produce much less thermal damage such as striation, dross, heat affected zone (HAZ), and recast layer. To understand the process capability of fiber laser cutting of Nitinol alloy, a design-of-experiment based laser cutting experiment was performed. The kerf geometry, roughness, topography, microstructure, and hardness were studied to better understand the nature of the HAZ and recast layer in fiber laser cutting. Moreover, effect size analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between surface integrity and process parameters.

Statistical characteristics of surface integrity by fiber laser cutting of Nitinol vascular stents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fu, C.H., E-mail: cfu5@crimson.ua.edu [Dept of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 (United States); Liu, J.F. [Dept of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 (United States); Guo, Andrew [Dept of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 (United States); College of Arts and Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235 (United States)

2015-10-30

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Precision kerf with tight tolerance of Nitinol stents can be cut by fiber laser. • No HAZ in the subsurface was detected due to large grain size. • Recast layer has lower hardness than the bulk. • Laser cutting speed has a higher influence on surface integrity than laser power. - Abstract: Nitinol alloys have been widely used in manufacturing of vascular stents due to the outstanding properties such as superelasticity, shape memory, and superior biocompatibility. Laser cutting is the dominant process for manufacturing Nitinol stents. Conventional laser cutting usually produces unsatisfactory surface integrity which has a significant detrimental impact on stent performance. Emerging as a competitive process, fiber laser with high beam quality is expected to produce much less thermal damage such as striation, dross, heat affected zone (HAZ), and recast layer. To understand the process capability of fiber laser cutting of Nitinol alloy, a design-of-experiment based laser cutting experiment was performed. The kerf geometry, roughness, topography, microstructure, and hardness were studied to better understand the nature of the HAZ and recast layer in fiber laser cutting. Moreover, effect size analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between surface integrity and process parameters.

An Integrated Transcriptome-Wide Analysis of Cave and Surface Dwelling Astyanax mexicanus

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, Joshua B.; Furterer, Allison; Carlson, Brian M.; Stahl, Bethany A.

2013-01-01

Numerous organisms around the globe have successfully adapted to subterranean environments. A powerful system in which to study cave adaptation is the freshwater characin fish, Astyanax mexicanus. Prior studies in this system have established a genetic basis for the evolution of numerous regressive traits, most notably vision and pigmentation reduction. However, identification of the precise genetic alterations that underlie these morphological changes has been delayed by limited genetic and genomic resources. To address this, we performed a transcriptome analysis of cave and surface dwelling Astyanax morphs using Roche/454 pyrosequencing technology. Through this approach, we obtained 576,197 Pachón cavefish-specific reads and 438,978 surface fish-specific reads. Using this dataset, we assembled transcriptomes of cave and surface fish separately, as well as an integrated transcriptome that combined 1,499,568 reads from both morphotypes. The integrated assembly was the most successful approach, yielding 22,596 high quality contiguous sequences comprising a total transcriptome length of 21,363,556 bp. Sequence identities were obtained through exhaustive blast searches, revealing an adult transcriptome represented by highly diverse Gene Ontology (GO) terms. Our dataset facilitated rapid identification of sequence polymorphisms between morphotypes. These data, along with positional information collected from the Danio rerio genome, revealed several syntenic regions between Astyanax and Danio. We demonstrated the utility of this positional information through a QTL analysis of albinism in a surface x Pachón cave F2 pedigree, using 65 polymorphic markers identified from our integrated assembly. We also adapted our dataset for an RNA-seq study, revealing many genes responsible for visual system maintenance in surface fish, whose expression was not detected in adult Pachón cavefish. Conversely, several metabolism-related genes expressed in cavefish were not detected in

Multi-response optimization of surface integrity characteristics of EDM process using grey-fuzzy logic-based hybrid approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shailesh Dewangan

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Surface integrity remains one of the major areas of concern in electric discharge machining (EDM. During the current study, grey-fuzzy logic-based hybrid optimization technique is utilized to determine the optimal settings of EDM process parameters with an aim to improve surface integrity aspects after EDM of AISI P20 tool steel. The experiment is designed using response surface methodology (RSM considering discharge current (Ip, pulse-on time (Ton, tool-work time (Tw and tool-lift time (Tup as process parameters. Various surface integrity characteristics such as white layer thickness (WLT, surface crack density (SCD and surface roughness (SR are considered during the current research work. Grey relational analysis (GRA combined with fuzzy-logic is used to determine grey fuzzy reasoning grade (GFRG. The optimal solution based on this analysis is found to be Ip = 1 A, Ton = 10 μs, Tw = 0.2 s, and Tup = 0.0 s. Analysis of variance (ANOVA results clearly indicate that Ton is the most contributing parameter followed by Ip, for multiple performance characteristics of surface integrity.

Accurate fluid force measurement based on control surface integration

Science.gov (United States)

Lentink, David

2018-01-01

Nonintrusive 3D fluid force measurements are still challenging to conduct accurately for freely moving animals, vehicles, and deforming objects. Two techniques, 3D particle image velocimetry (PIV) and a new technique, the aerodynamic force platform (AFP), address this. Both rely on the control volume integral for momentum; whereas PIV requires numerical integration of flow fields, the AFP performs the integration mechanically based on rigid walls that form the control surface. The accuracy of both PIV and AFP measurements based on the control surface integration is thought to hinge on determining the unsteady body force associated with the acceleration of the volume of displaced fluid. Here, I introduce a set of non-dimensional error ratios to show which fluid and body parameters make the error negligible. The unsteady body force is insignificant in all conditions where the average density of the body is much greater than the density of the fluid, e.g., in gas. Whenever a strongly deforming body experiences significant buoyancy and acceleration, the error is significant. Remarkably, this error can be entirely corrected for with an exact factor provided that the body has a sufficiently homogenous density or acceleration distribution, which is common in liquids. The correction factor for omitting the unsteady body force, {{{ {ρ f}} {1 - {ρ f} ( {{ρ b}+{ρ f}} )}.{( {{{{ρ }}b}+{ρ f}} )}}} , depends only on the fluid, {ρ f}, and body, {{ρ }}b, density. Whereas these straightforward solutions work even at the liquid-gas interface in a significant number of cases, they do not work for generalized bodies undergoing buoyancy in combination with appreciable body density inhomogeneity, volume change (PIV), or volume rate-of-change (PIV and AFP). In these less common cases, the 3D body shape needs to be measured and resolved in time and space to estimate the unsteady body force. The analysis shows that accounting for the unsteady body force is straightforward to non

Tracing the origin of dissolved silicon transferred from various soil-plant systems towards rivers: a review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.-T. Cornelis

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Silicon (Si released as H₄SiO₄ by weathering of Si-containing solid phases is partly recycled through vegetation before its land-to-rivers transfer. By accumulating in terrestrial plants to a similar extent as some major macronutrients (0.1–10% Si dry weight, Si becomes largely mobile in the soil-plant system. Litter-fall leads to a substantial reactive biogenic silica pool in soil, which contributes to the release of dissolved Si (DSi in soil solution. Understanding the biogeochemical cycle of silicon in surface environments and the DSi export from soils into rivers is crucial given that the marine primary bio-productivity depends on the availability of H₄SiO₄ for phytoplankton that requires Si. Continental fluxes of DSi seem to be deeply influenced by climate (temperature and runoff as well as soil-vegetation systems. Therefore, continental areas can be characterized by various abilities to transfer DSi from soil-plant systems towards rivers. Here we pay special attention to those processes taking place in soil-plant systems and controlling the Si transfer towards rivers. We aim at identifying relevant geochemical tracers of Si pathways within the soil-plant system to obtain a better understanding of the origin of DSi exported towards rivers. In this review, we compare different soil-plant systems (weathering-unlimited and weathering-limited environments and the variations of the geochemical tracers (Ge/Si ratios and δ³⁰Si in DSi outputs. We recommend the use of biogeochemical tracers in combination with Si mass-balances and detailed physico-chemical characterization of soil-plant systems to allow better insight in the sources and fate of Si in these biogeochemical systems.

Surface integrity of GH4169 affected by cantilever finish grinding and the application in aero-engine blades

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Xun

2015-10-01

Full Text Available GH4169 is the main material for aero-engine blades and integrated blisks. Because GH4169 has a poor milling performance, the profile precision and surface integrity of blades and integrated blisks are difficult to be met by utilizing the conventional milling process, which directly influence the global performance and reliability of aero-engines. Through grinding experiments on parameters and surface integrity optimization, the helical cantilever grinding process utilizing a 300# CBN RB wheel is presented and applied in finish machining of GH4169 blades. The profile errors of the blade surface are within ±0.01 mm, the roughness is less than 0.4 μm, the residual compressive stresses and the hardening rate are appropriate, there are no phenomena of burr and smearing with the grinding chips, and the leading/trailing edge can be smoothly connected with the suction/pressure surface. All the experimental results indicate that this grinding process is greatly suitable for the profile finish machining of GH4169 blades.

Protein Crystal Growth

Science.gov (United States)

2003-01-01

In order to rapidly and efficiently grow crystals, tools were needed to automatically identify and analyze the growing process of protein crystals. To meet this need, Diversified Scientific, Inc. (DSI), with the support of a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract from NASA s Marshall Space Flight Center, developed CrystalScore(trademark), the first automated image acquisition, analysis, and archiving system designed specifically for the macromolecular crystal growing community. It offers automated hardware control, image and data archiving, image processing, a searchable database, and surface plotting of experimental data. CrystalScore is currently being used by numerous pharmaceutical companies and academic and nonprofit research centers. DSI, located in Birmingham, Alabama, was awarded the patent Method for acquiring, storing, and analyzing crystal images on March 4, 2003. Another DSI product made possible by Marshall SBIR funding is VaporPro(trademark), a unique, comprehensive system that allows for the automated control of vapor diffusion for crystallization experiments.

Integrated surface management for pipeline construction: The Mid-America Pipeline Company Four Corners Project

Science.gov (United States)

Maria L. Sonett

1999-01-01

Integrated surface management techniques for pipeline construction through arid and semi-arid rangeland ecosystems are presented in a case history of a 412-mile pipeline construction project in New Mexico. Planning, implementation and monitoring for restoration of surface hydrology, soil stabilization, soil cover, and plant species succession are discussed. Planning...

High-pressure coolant effect on the surface integrity of machining titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V: a review

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wentao; Liu, Zhanqiang

2018-03-01

Machinability improvement of titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V is a challenging work in academic and industrial applications owing to its low thermal conductivity, low elasticity modulus and high chemical affinity at high temperatures. Surface integrity of titanium alloys Ti-6Al-4V is prominent in estimating the quality of machined components. The surface topography (surface defects and surface roughness) and the residual stress induced by machining Ti-6Al-4V occupy pivotal roles for the sustainability of Ti-6Al-4V components. High-pressure coolant (HPC) is a potential choice in meeting the requirements for the manufacture and application of Ti-6Al-4V. This paper reviews the progress towards the improvements of Ti-6Al4V surface integrity under HPC. Various researches of surface integrity characteristics have been reported. In particularly, surface roughness, surface defects, residual stress as well as work hardening are investigated in order to evaluate the machined surface qualities. Several coolant parameters (including coolant type, coolant pressure and the injection position) deserve investigating to provide the guidance for a satisfied machined surface. The review also provides a clear roadmap for applications of HPC in machining Ti-6Al4V. Experimental studies and analysis are reviewed to better understand the surface integrity under HPC machining process. A distinct discussion has been presented regarding the limitations and highlights of the prospective for machining Ti-6Al4V under HPC.

Near-station terrain corrections for gravity data by a surface-integral technique

Science.gov (United States)

Gettings, M.E.

1982-01-01

A new method of computing gravity terrain corrections by use of a digitizer and digital computer can result in substantial savings in the time and manual labor required to perform such corrections by conventional manual ring-chart techniques. The method is typically applied to estimate terrain effects for topography near the station, for example within 3 km of the station, although it has been used successfully to a radius of 15 km to estimate corrections in areas where topographic mapping is poor. Points (about 20) that define topographic maxima, minima, and changes in the slope gradient are picked on the topographic map, within the desired radius of correction about the station. Particular attention must be paid to the area immediately surrounding the station to ensure a good topographic representation. The horizontal and vertical coordinates of these points are entered into the computer, usually by means of a digitizer. The computer then fits a multiquadric surface to the input points to form an analytic representation of the surface. By means of the divergence theorem, the gravity effect of an interior closed solid can be expressed as a surface integral, and the terrain correction is calculated by numerical evaluation of the integral over the surfaces of a cylinder, The vertical sides of which are at the correction radius about the station, the flat bottom surface at the topographic minimum, and the upper surface given by the multiquadric equation. The method has been tested with favorable results against models for which an exact result is available and against manually computed field-station locations in areas of rugged topography. By increasing the number of points defining the topographic surface, any desired degree of accuracy can be obtained. The method is more objective than manual ring-chart techniques because no average compartment elevations need be estimated ?

Integrating Surface Water Management in Urban and Regional Planning, Case Study of Wuhan in China

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Du, N.

2010-01-01

The main goal of the study is to examine and develop a spatial planning methodology that would enhance the sustainability of urban development by integrating the surface water system in the urban and regional planning process. Theoretically, this study proposes that proactive-integrated policy and

Redatuming borehole-to-surface electromagnetic data using Stratton-Chu integral transforms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhdanov, Michael; Cai, Hongzhu

2012-01-01

We present a new method of analyzing borehole-to-surface electromagnetic (BSEM) survey data based on redatuming of the observed data from receivers distributed over the surface of the earth onto virtual receivers located within the subsurface. The virtual receivers can be placed close to the target...... of interest, such as just above a hydrocarbon reservoir, which increases the sensitivity of the EM data to the target. The method is based on the principles of downward analytical continuation of EM fields. We use Stratton-Chu type integral transforms to calculate the EM fields at the virtual receivers. Model...

Investigation of selected surface integrity features of duplex stainless steel (DSS after turning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Krolczyk

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The article presents surface roughness profiles and Abbott - Firestone curves with vertical and amplitude parameters of surface roughness after turning by means of a coated sintered carbide wedge with a coating with ceramic intermediate layer. The investigation comprised the influence of cutting speed on the selected features of surface integrity in dry machining. The material under investigation was duplex stainless steel with two-phase ferritic-austenitic structure. The tests have been performed under production conditions during machining of parts for electric motors and deep-well pumps. The obtained results allow to draw conclusions about the characteristics of surface properties of the machined parts.

Characterization of interference thin films grown on stainless steel surface by alternate pulse current in a sulphochromic solution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosa Maria Rabelo Junqueira

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work was to characterize thin interference films grown on the surface of AISI 304 stainless steel for decorative purposes. Films were grown in a sulphochromic solution at room temperature by an alternating pulse current method. The morphology and chemical state of the elements in the films were investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM, atomic force microscopy (AFM, glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (GDOES, and infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (FTIR. Depth-sensing indentation (DSI experiments and wear abrasion tests were employed to assess the mechanical resistance of the films. The coloration process resulted in porous thin films which increased the surface roughness of the substrate. The interference films mainly consisted of hydrated chromium oxide containing iron. Increasing film thickness produced different colors and affected the mechanical properties of the coating-substrate system. Thicker films, such as those producing gold and green colors, were softer but more abrasion resistant.

Inversion of gravity and gravity gradiometry data for density contrast surfaces using Cauchy-type integrals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhdanov, Michael; Cai, Hongzhu

2014-01-01

We introduce a new method of modeling and inversion of potential field data generated by a density contrast surface. Our method is based on 3D Cauchy-type integral representation of the potential fields. Traditionally, potential fields are calculated using volume integrals of the domains occupied...

Surface integrity and fatigue behaviour of electric discharged machined and milled austenitic stainless steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lundberg, Mattias, E-mail: mattias.lundberg@liu.se; Saarimäki, Jonas; Moverare, Johan J.; Calmunger, Mattias

2017-02-15

Machining of austenitic stainless steels can result in different surface integrities and different machining process parameters will have a great impact on the component fatigue life. Understanding how machining processes affect the cyclic behaviour and microstructure are of outmost importance in order to improve existing and new life estimation models. Milling and electrical discharge machining (EDM) have been used to manufacture rectangular four-point bend fatigue test samples; subjected to high cycle fatigue. Before fatigue testing, surface integrity characterisation of the two surface conditions was conducted using scanning electron microscopy, surface roughness, residual stress profiles, and hardness profiles. Differences in cyclic behaviour were observed between the two surface conditions by the fatigue testing. The milled samples exhibited a fatigue limit. EDM samples did not show the same behaviour due to ratcheting. Recrystallized nano sized grains were identified at the severely plastically deformed surface of the milled samples. Large amounts of bent mechanical twins were observed ~ 5 μm below the surface. Grain shearing and subsequent grain rotation from milling bent the mechanical twins. EDM samples showed much less plastic deformation at the surface. Surface tensile residual stresses of ~ 500 MPa and ~ 200 MPa for the milled and EDM samples respectively were measured. - Highlights: •Milled samples exhibit fatigue behaviour, but not EDM samples. •Four-point bending is not suitable for materials exhibiting pronounced ratcheting. •LAGB density can be used to quantitatively measure plastic deformation. •Grain shearing and rotation result in bent mechanical twins. •Nano sized grains evolve due to the heat of the operation.

Photonic integrated single-sideband modulator / frequency shifter based on surface acoustic waves

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barretto, Elaine Cristina Saraiva; Hvam, Jørn Märcher

2010-01-01

Optical frequency shifters are essential components of many systems. In this paper, a compact integrated optical frequency shifter is designed making use of the combination of surface acoustic waves and Mach-Zehnder interferometers. It has a very simple operation setup and can be fabricated...

Use of surface electromyography in phonation studies: an integrative review

Science.gov (United States)

Balata, Patricia Maria Mendes; Silva, Hilton Justino da; Moraes, Kyvia Juliana Rocha de; Pernambuco, Leandro de Araújo; Moraes, Sílvia Regina Arruda de

2013-01-01

Summary Introduction: Surface electromyography has been used to assess the extrinsic laryngeal muscles during chewing and swallowing, but there have been few studies assessing these muscles during phonation. Objective: To investigate the current state of knowledge regarding the use of surface electromyography for evaluation of the electrical activity of the extrinsic muscles of the larynx during phonation by means of an integrative review. Method: We searched for articles and other papers in the PubMed, Medline/Bireme, and Scielo databases that were published between 1980 and 2012, by using the following descriptors: surface electromyography and voice, surface electromyography and phonation, and surface electromyography and dysphonia. The articles were selectedon the basis ofinclusion and exclusion criteria. Data Synthesis: This was carried out with a cross critical matrix. We selected 27 papers,i.e., 24 articles and 3 theses. The studies differed methodologically with regards to sample size and investigation techniques, making it difficult to compare them, but showed differences in electrical activity between the studied groups (dysphonicsubjects, non-dysphonicsubjects, singers, and others). Conclusion: Electromyography has clinical applicability when technical precautions with respect to application and analysis are obeyed. However, it is necessary to adopt a universal system of assessment tasks and related measurement techniques to allow comparisons between studies. PMID:25992030

Use of surface electromyography in phonation studies: an integrative review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Balata, Patricia Maria Mendes

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Surface electromyography has been used to assess the extrinsic laryngeal muscles during chewing and swallowing, but there have been few studies assessing these muscles during phonation. Objective: To investigate the current state of knowledge regarding the use of surface electromyography for evaluation of the electrical activity of the extrinsic muscles of the larynx during phonation by means of an integrative review. Method: We searched for articles and other papers in the PubMed, Medline/Bireme, and Scielo databases that were published between 1980 and 2012, by using the following descriptors: surface electromyography and voice, surface electromyography and phonation, and surface electromyography and dysphonia. The articles were selectedon the basis ofinclusion and exclusion criteria. Data Synthesis: This was carried out with a cross critical matrix. We selected 27 papers,i.e., 24 articles and 3 theses. The studies differed methodologically with regards to sample size and investigation techniques, making it difficult to compare them, but showed differences in electrical activity between the studied groups (dysphonicsubjects, non-dysphonicsubjects, singers, and others. Conclusion: Electromyography has clinical applicability when technical precautions with respect to application and analysis are obeyed. However, it is necessary to adopt a universal system of assessment tasks and related measurement techniques to allow comparisons between studies.

A boundary integral equation method using auxiliary interior surface approach for acoustic radiation and scattering in two dimensions.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, S A

2002-10-01

This paper presents an effective solution method for predicting acoustic radiation and scattering fields in two dimensions. The difficulty of the fictitious characteristic frequency is overcome by incorporating an auxiliary interior surface that satisfies certain boundary condition into the body surface. This process gives rise to a set of uniquely solvable boundary integral equations. Distributing monopoles with unknown strengths over the body and interior surfaces yields the simple source formulation. The modified boundary integral equations are further transformed to ordinary ones that contain nonsingular kernels only. This implementation allows direct application of standard quadrature formulas over the entire integration domain; that is, the collocation points are exactly the positions at which the integration points are located. Selecting the interior surface is an easy task. Moreover, only a few corresponding interior nodal points are sufficient for the computation. Numerical calculations consist of the acoustic radiation and scattering by acoustically hard elliptic and rectangular cylinders. Comparisons with analytical solutions are made. Numerical results demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the current solution method.

Prolonged silicon carbide integrated circuit operation in Venus surface atmospheric conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Philip G. Neudeck

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The prolonged operation of semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs needed for long-duration exploration of the surface of Venus has proven insurmountably challenging to date due to the ∼ 460 °C, ∼ 9.4 MPa caustic environment. Past and planned Venus landers have been limited to a few hours of surface operation, even when IC electronics needed for basic lander operation are protected with heavily cumbersome pressure vessels and cooling measures. Here we demonstrate vastly longer (weeks electrical operation of two silicon carbide (4H-SiC junction field effect transistor (JFET ring oscillator ICs tested with chips directly exposed (no cooling and no protective chip packaging to a high-fidelity physical and chemical reproduction of Venus’ surface atmosphere. This represents more than 100-fold extension of demonstrated Venus environment electronics durability. With further technology maturation, such SiC IC electronics could drastically improve Venus lander designs and mission concepts, fundamentally enabling long-duration enhanced missions to the surface of Venus.

On the initial condition problem of the time domain PMCHWT surface integral equation

KAUST Repository

Uysal, Ismail Enes; Bagci, Hakan; Ergin, A. Arif; Ulku, H. Arda

2017-01-01

Non-physical, linearly increasing and constant current components are induced in marching on-in-time solution of time domain surface integral equations when initial conditions on time derivatives of (unknown) equivalent currents are not enforced

Influence of steel implant surface microtopography on soft and hard tissue integration.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayes, J S; Klöppel, H; Wieling, R; Sprecher, C M; Richards, R G

2018-02-01

After implantation of an internal fracture fixation device, blood contacts the surface, followed by protein adsorption, resulting in either soft-tissue adhesion or matrix adhesion and mineralization. Without protein adsorption and cell adhesion under the presence of micro-motion, fibrous capsule formation can occur, often surrounding a liquid filled void at the implant-tissue interface. Clinically, fibrous capsule formation is more prevalent with electropolished stainless steel (EPSS) plates than with current commercially pure titanium (cpTi) plates. We hypothesize that this is due to lack of micro-discontinuities on the standard EPSS plates. To test our hypothesis, four EPSS experimental surfaces with varying microtopographies were produced and characterized for morphology using the scanning electron microscope, quantitative roughness analysis using laser profilometry and chemical analysis using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Clinically used EPSS (smooth) and cpTi (microrough) were included as controls. Six plates of each type were randomly implanted, one on both the left and right intact tibia of 18 white New Zealand rabbits for 12 weeks, to allow for a surface interface study. The results demonstrate that the micro-discontinuities on the upper surface of internal steel fixation plates reduced the presence of liquid filled voids within soft-tissue capsules. The micro-discontinuities on the plate under-surface increased bony integration without the presence of fibrous tissue interface. These results support the hypothesis that the fibrous capsule and the liquid filled void formation occurs mainly due to lack of micro-discontinuities on the polished smooth steel plates and that bony integration is increased to surfaces with higher amounts of micro-discontinuities. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 705-715, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Difusión selectiva de la información (DSI en una biblioteca de Ciencias de la Salud: gestión y desarrollo dentro de la Intranet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moreno Fernández, Yolanda Mª

2003-09-01

Full Text Available A very important service in the specialized libraries, such as a medical library, has always been the Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI Service. Electronic revolution in the library means a special opportunity for the SDI service, and for the librarian role development. New internal nets, Intranets, present a modern and effective tool for the librarians, documentalists work, and for the users too: the binomial dissemination/reception of information elements. This article analyses the different factors that one must bear in mind before an Intranet is introduced and developed in a specialized library. It analyses the specific case of SDI in our Medical Information Service.

La difusión selectiva de la información (DSIsiempre ha sido un servicio importante en determinado tipo de bibliotecas, tales como las bibliotecas médicas. La revolución de los nuevos medios tecnológicos significa una oportunidad para el desarrollo de este servicio, así como para el cambio del papel del bibliotecario. El presente artículo analiza los diferentes factores a tener en cuenta al implantar y desarrollar una Intranet en una biblioteca especializada, tomando para ello el análisis del caso específico del servicio de DSI desarrollado en nuestro centro.

Experimental investigation of various surface integrity aspects in hard turning of AISI 4340 alloy steel with coated and uncoated cermet

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Anshuman; Patel, S. K.; Sateesh Kumar, Ch.; Biswal, B. B.

2018-03-01

The newer technological developments are exerting immense pressure on domain of production. These fabrication industries are busy finding solutions to reduce the costs of cutting materials, enhance the machined parts quality and testing different materials, which can be made versatile for cutting materials, which are difficult for machining. High-speed machining has been the domain of paramount importance for mechanical engineering. In this study, the variation of surface integrity parameters of hardened AISI 4340 alloy steel was analyzed. The surface integrity parameters like surface roughness, micro hardness, machined surface morphology and white layer of hardened AISI 4340 alloy steel were compared using coated and uncoated cermet inserts under dry cutting condition. From the results, it was deduced that coated insert outperformed uncoated one in terms of different surface integrity characteristics.

Silicon dynamics in the Oder estuary, Baltic Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Pastuszak, Marianna; Conley, Daniel J.; Humborg, Christoph; Witek, Zbigniew; Sitek, Stanisław

2008-10-01

Studies on dissolved silicate (DSi) and biogenic silica (BSi) dynamics were carried out in the Oder estuary, Baltic Sea in 2000-2005. The Oder estuary proved to be an important component of the Oder River-Baltic Sea continuum where very intensive seasonal DSi uptake during spring and autumn, but also BSi regeneration during summer take place. Owing to the regeneration process annual DSi patterns in the river and the estuary distinctly differed; the annual patterns of DSi in the estuary showed two maxima and two minima in contrast to one maximum- and one minimum-pattern in the Oder River. DSi concentrations in the river and in the estuary were highest in winter (200-250 μmol dm - 3 ) and lowest (often less than 1 μmol dm - 3 ) in spring, concomitant with diatom growth; such low values are known to be limiting for new diatom growth. Secondary DSi summer peaks at the estuary exit exceeded 100 μmol dm - 3 , and these maxima were followed by autumn minima coinciding with the autumn diatom bloom. Seasonal peaks in BSi concentrations (ca. 100 μmol dm - 3 ) occurred during the spring diatom bloom in the Oder River. Mass balance calculations of DSi and BSi showed that DSi + BSi import to the estuary over a two year period was 103.2 kt and that can be compared with the DSi export of 98.5 kt. The difference between these numbers gives room for ca. 2.5 kt BSi to be annually exported to the Baltic Sea. Sediment cores studies point to BSi annual accumulation on the level of 2.5 kt BSi. BSi import to the estuary is on the level of ca. 10.5 kt, thus ca. 5 kt of BSi is annually converted into the DSi, increasing the pool of DSi that leaves the system. BSi concentrations being ca. 2 times higher at the estuary entrance than at its exit remain in a good agreement with the DSi and BSi budgeting presented in the paper.

Technical Note: Reducing the spin-up time of integrated surface water–groundwater models

KAUST Repository

Ajami, H.

2014-06-26

One of the main challenges in catchment scale application of coupled/integrated hydrologic models is specifying a catchment\\'s initial conditions in terms of soil moisture and depth to water table (DTWT) distributions. One approach to reduce uncertainty in model initialization is to run the model recursively using a single or multiple years of forcing data until the system equilibrates with respect to state and diagnostic variables. However, such "spin-up" approaches often require many years of simulations, making them computationally intensive. In this study, a new hybrid approach was developed to reduce the computational burden of spin-up time for an integrated groundwater-surface water-land surface model (ParFlow.CLM) by using a combination of ParFlow.CLM simulations and an empirical DTWT function. The methodology is examined in two catchments located in the temperate and semi-arid regions of Denmark and Australia respectively. Our results illustrate that the hybrid approach reduced the spin-up time required by ParFlow.CLM by up to 50%, and we outline a methodology that is applicable to other coupled/integrated modelling frameworks when initialization from equilibrium state is required.

Technical Note: Reducing the spin-up time of integrated surface water–groundwater models

KAUST Repository

Ajami, H.

2014-12-12

One of the main challenges in the application of coupled or integrated hydrologic models is specifying a catchment\\'s initial conditions in terms of soil moisture and depth-to-water table (DTWT) distributions. One approach to reducing uncertainty in model initialization is to run the model recursively using either a single year or multiple years of forcing data until the system equilibrates with respect to state and diagnostic variables. However, such "spin-up" approaches often require many years of simulations, making them computationally intensive. In this study, a new hybrid approach was developed to reduce the computational burden of the spin-up procedure by using a combination of model simulations and an empirical DTWT function. The methodology is examined across two distinct catchments located in a temperate region of Denmark and a semi-arid region of Australia. Our results illustrate that the hybrid approach reduced the spin-up period required for an integrated groundwater–surface water–land surface model (ParFlow.CLM) by up to 50%. To generalize results to different climate and catchment conditions, we outline a methodology that is applicable to other coupled or integrated modeling frameworks when initialization from an equilibrium state is required.

Microfabricated Microwave-Integrated Surface Ion Trap

Science.gov (United States)

Revelle, Melissa C.; Blain, Matthew G.; Haltli, Raymond A.; Hollowell, Andrew E.; Nordquist, Christopher D.; Maunz, Peter

2017-04-01

Quantum information processing holds the key to solving computational problems that are intractable with classical computers. Trapped ions are a physical realization of a quantum information system in which qubits are encoded in hyperfine energy states. Coupling the qubit states to ion motion, as needed for two-qubit gates, is typically accomplished using Raman laser beams. Alternatively, this coupling can be achieved with strong microwave gradient fields. While microwave radiation is easier to control than a laser, it is challenging to precisely engineer the radiated microwave field. Taking advantage of Sandia's microfabrication techniques, we created a surface ion trap with integrated microwave electrodes with sub-wavelength dimensions. This multi-layered device permits co-location of the microwave antennae and the ion trap electrodes to create localized microwave gradient fields and necessary trapping fields. Here, we characterize the trap design and present simulated microwave performance with progress towards experimental results. This research was funded, in part, by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA).

Effects of titanium surface topography on bone integration: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Wennerberg, Ann; Albrektsson, Tomas

2009-09-01

To analyse possible effects of titanium surface topography on bone integration. Our analyses were centred on a PubMed search that identified 1184 publications of assumed relevance; of those, 1064 had to be disregarded because they did not accurately present in vivo data on bone response to surface topography. The remaining 120 papers were read and analysed, after removal of an additional 20 papers that mainly dealt with CaP-coated and Zr implants; 100 papers remained and formed the basis for this paper. The bone response to differently configurated surfaces was mainly evaluated by histomorphometry (bone-to-implant contact), removal torque and pushout/pullout tests. A huge number of the experimental investigations have demonstrated that the bone response was influenced by the implant surface topography; smooth (S(a)1-2 microm) surfaces showed stronger bone responses than rough (S(a)>2 microm) in some studies. One limitation was that it was difficult to compare many studies because of the varying quality of surface evaluations; a surface termed 'rough' in one study was not uncommonly referred to as 'smooth' in another; many investigators falsely assumed that surface preparation per se identified the roughness of the implant; and many other studies used only qualitative techniques such as SEM. Furthermore, filtering techniques differed or only height parameters (S(a), R(a)) were reported. * Surface topography influences bone response at the micrometre level. * Some indications exist that surface topography influences bone response at the nanometre level. * The majority of published papers present an inadequate surface characterization. * Measurement and evaluation techniques need to be standardized. * Not only height descriptive parameters but also spatial and hybrid ones should be used.

Experimental investigation into effect of cutting parameters on surface integrity of hardened tool steel

Science.gov (United States)

Bashir, K.; Alkali, A. U.; Elmunafi, M. H. S.; Yusof, N. M.

2018-04-01

Recent trend in turning hardened materials have gained popularity because of its immense machinability benefits. However, several machining processes like thermal assisted machining and cryogenic machining have reveal superior machinability benefits over conventional dry turning of hardened materials. Various engineering materials have been studied. However, investigations on AISI O1 tool steel have not been widely reported. In this paper, surface finish and surface integrity dominant when hard turning AISI O1 tool steel is analysed. The study is focused on the performance of wiper coated ceramic tool with respect to surface roughness and surface integrity of hardened tool steel. Hard turned tool steel was machined at varying cutting speed of 100, 155 and 210 m/min and feed rate of 0.05, 0.125 and 0.20mm/rev. The depth of cut of 0.2mm was maintained constant throughout the machining trials. Machining was conducted using dry turning on 200E-axis CNC lathe. The experimental study revealed that the surface finish is relatively superior at higher cutting speed of 210m/min. The surface finish increases when cutting speed increases whereas surface finish is generally better at lower feed rate of 0.05mm/rev. The experimental study conducted have revealed that phenomena such as work piece vibration due to poor or improper mounting on the spindle also contributed to higher surface roughness value of 0.66Ra during turning at 0.2mm/rev. Traces of white layer was observed when viewed with optical microscope which shows evidence of cutting effects on the turned work material at feed rate of 0.2 rev/min

Chip formation and surface integrity in high-speed machining of hardened steel

Science.gov (United States)

Kishawy, Hossam Eldeen A.

Increasing demands for high production rates as well as cost reduction have emphasized the potential for the industrial application of hard turning technology during the past few years. Machining instead of grinding hardened steel components reduces the machining sequence, the machining time, and the specific cutting energy. Hard turning Is characterized by the generation of high temperatures, the formation of saw toothed chips, and the high ratio of thrust to tangential cutting force components. Although a large volume of literature exists on hard turning, the change in machined surface physical properties represents a major challenge. Thus, a better understanding of the cutting mechanism in hard turning is still required. In particular, the chip formation process and the surface integrity of the machined surface are important issues which require further research. In this thesis, a mechanistic model for saw toothed chip formation is presented. This model is based on the concept of crack initiation on the free surface of the workpiece. The model presented explains the mechanism of chip formation. In addition, experimental investigation is conducted in order to study the chip morphology. The effect of process parameters, including edge preparation and tool wear on the chip morphology, is studied using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The dynamics of chip formation are also investigated. The surface integrity of the machined parts is also investigated. This investigation focusses on residual stresses as well as surface and sub-surface deformation. A three dimensional thermo-elasto-plastic finite element model is developed to predict the machining residual stresses. The effect of flank wear is introduced during the analysis. Although residual stresses have complicated origins and are introduced by many factors, in this model only the thermal and mechanical factors are considered. The finite element analysis demonstrates the significant effect of the heat generated

Integrated Optical Components Utilizing Long-Range Surface Plasmon Polaritons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boltasseva, Alexandra; Nikolajsen, Thomas; Leosson, Kristjan

2005-01-01

New optical waveguide technology for integrated optics, based on propagation of long-range surface plasmon polaritons (LR-SPPs) along metal stripes embedded in dielectric, is presented. Guiding and routing of electromagnetic radiation along nanometer-thin and micrometer-wide gold stripes embedded......), and a bend loss of ~5 dB for a bend radius of 15 mm are evaluated for 15-nm-thick and 8-mm-wide stripes at the wavelength of 1550 nm. LR-SPP-based 3-dB power Y-splitters, multimode interference waveguides, and directional couplers are demonstrated and investigated. At 1570 nm, coupling lengths of 1.9 and 0...

A miniaturized oxygen sensor integrated on fiber surface based on evanescent-wave induced fluorescence quenching

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiong, Yan [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500 (China); Oil and Gas Field Applied Chemistry Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, 610500 (China); Tan, Jun; Wang, Chengjie; Zhu, Ying [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500 (China); Fang, Shenwen [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500 (China); Oil and Gas Field Applied Chemistry Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, 610500 (China); Wu, Jiayi; Wang, Qing [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500 (China); Duan, Ming, E-mail: swpua124@126.com [State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500 (China); School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500 (China); Oil and Gas Field Applied Chemistry Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, 610500 (China)

2016-11-15

In this work, a miniaturized sensor was integrated on fiber surface and developed for oxygen determination through evanescent-wave induced fluorescence quenching. The sensor was designed by using light emitting diode (LED) as light source and optical fiber as light transmission element. Tris(2,2′-bipyridyl) ruthenium ([Ru(bpy){sub 3}]{sup 2+}) fluorophore was immobilized in the organically modified silicates (ORMOSILs) film and coated onto the fiber surface. When light propagated by total internal reflection (TIR) in the fiber core, evanescent wave could be produced on the fiber surface and excite [Ru(bpy){sub 3}]{sup 2+} fluorophore to produce fluorescence emission. Then oxygen could be determinated by its quenching effect on the fluorescence and its concentration could be evaluated according to Stern–Volumer model. Through integrating evanescent wave excitation and fluorescence quenching on fiber surface, the sensor was successfully miniaturized and exhibit improved performances of high sensitivity (1.4), excellent repeatability (1.2%) and fast analysis (12 s) for oxygen determination. The sensor provided a newly portable method for in-situ and real-time measurement of oxygen and showed potential for practical oxygen analysis in different application fields. Furthermore, the fabrication of this sensor provides a miniaturized and portable detection platform for species monitoring by simple modular design. - Highlights: • ORMOSILs sensing film immobilized with [Ru(bpy){sub 3}]{sup 2+} fluorophore was coated on fiber surface. • Evanescent wave on the fiber surface was utilized as excitation source to produce fluorescence. • Oxygen was measured based on its quenching effect on evanescent wave-induce fluorescence. • Sensor fabrication was miniaturized by integrating detection and sensing elements on the fiber. • The modular design sensor provides a detection platform for other species monitoring.

Geostatistical integration and uncertainty in pollutant concentration surface under preferential sampling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Grisotto

2016-04-01

Full Text Available In this paper the focus is on environmental statistics, with the aim of estimating the concentration surface and related uncertainty of an air pollutant. We used air quality data recorded by a network of monitoring stations within a Bayesian framework to overcome difficulties in accounting for prediction uncertainty and to integrate information provided by deterministic models based on emissions meteorology and chemico-physical characteristics of the atmosphere. Several authors have proposed such integration, but all the proposed approaches rely on representativeness and completeness of existing air pollution monitoring networks. We considered the situation in which the spatial process of interest and the sampling locations are not independent. This is known in the literature as the preferential sampling problem, which if ignored in the analysis, can bias geostatistical inferences. We developed a Bayesian geostatistical model to account for preferential sampling with the main interest in statistical integration and uncertainty. We used PM10 data arising from the air quality network of the Environmental Protection Agency of Lombardy Region (Italy and numerical outputs from the deterministic model. We specified an inhomogeneous Poisson process for the sampling locations intensities and a shared spatial random component model for the dependence between the spatial location of monitors and the pollution surface. We found greater predicted standard deviation differences in areas not properly covered by the air quality network. In conclusion, in this context inferences on prediction uncertainty may be misleading when geostatistical modelling does not take into account preferential sampling.

Effect of diblock copolymer properties on the photophysical properties of dendrimer silicon phthalocyanine nanoconjugates

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Kuizhi; Pan, Sujuan; Zhuang, Xuemei; Lv, Hafei; Que, Shoulin; Xie, Shusen; Yang, Hongqin; Peng, Yiru

2016-07-01

1-2 generation poly(benzyl aryl ether) dendrimer silicon phthalocyanines with axially disubstituted cyano terminal functionalities (G n -DSiPc(CN)4 n , (G n = n-generation dendrimer, n = 1-2)) were synthesized. Their structures were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, 1H NMR, and ESI-MS. Polymeric nanoparticles (G n -DSiPc(CN)4 n /m) were formed through encapsulating G n -DSiPc(CN)4 n into three monomethoxyl poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(ɛ-caprolactone) diblock copolymers (MPEG-PCL) with different hydrophilic/hydrophobic proportion, respectively. The effect of dendritic generation and the hydrophilic/hydrophobic proportion of diblock copolymers on the UV/Vis and fluorescence spectra of G n -DSiPc(CN)4 n and G n -DSiPc(CN)4 n /m were studied. The photophysical properties of polymeric nanoparticles exhibited dendritic generation and hydrophilic/hydrophobic proportion dependence. The fluorescence intensities and lifetimes of G n -DSiPc(CN)4 n /m were lower than the corresponding free dendrimer phthalocyanines. G n -DSiPc(CN)4 n encapsulated into MPEG-PCL with hydrophilic/hydrophobic molecular weight ratio 2000:4000 exhibited excellent photophysical property. The mean diameter of MPEG2000-PCL2000 micelles was about 70 nm, which decreased when loaded with G n -DSiPc(CN)4 n .

FE Calculations of J-Integrals in a Constrained Elastomeric Disk with Crack Surface Pressure and Isothermal Load

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Ching, H. K; Liu, C. T; Yen, S. C

2004-01-01

.... For the linear analysis, material compressibility was modeled with Poisson's varying form 0.48 to 0.4999. In addition, with the presence of the crack surface pressure, the J-integral was modified by including an additional line integral...

Effect of processing parameters of rotary ultrasonic machining on surface integrity of potassium dihydrogen phosphate crystals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianfu Zhang

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Potassium dihydrogen phosphate is an important optical crystal. However, high-precision processing of large potassium dihydrogen phosphate crystal workpieces is difficult. In this article, surface roughness and subsurface damage characteristics of a (001 potassium dihydrogen phosphate crystal surface produced by traditional and rotary ultrasonic machining are studied. The influence of process parameters, including spindle speed, feed speed, type and size of sintered diamond wheel, ultrasonic power, and selection of cutting fluid on potassium dihydrogen phosphate crystal surface integrity, was analyzed. The surface integrity, especially the subsurface damage depth, was affected significantly by the ultrasonic power. Metal-sintered diamond tools with high granularity were most suitable for machining potassium dihydrogen phosphate crystal. Cutting fluid played a key role in potassium dihydrogen phosphate crystal machining. A more precise surface can be obtained in machining with a higher spindle speed, lower feed speed, and using kerosene as cutting fluid. Based on the provided optimized process parameters for machining potassium dihydrogen phosphate crystal, a processed surface quality with Ra value of 33 nm and subsurface damage depth value of 6.38 μm was achieved.

Non-uniqueness of quantum transition state theory and general dividing surfaces in the path integral space.

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Seogjoo; Voth, Gregory A

2017-05-07

Despite the fact that quantum mechanical principles do not allow the establishment of an exact quantum analogue of the classical transition state theory (TST), the development of a quantum TST (QTST) with a proper dynamical justification, while recovering the TST in the classical limit, has been a long standing theoretical challenge in chemical physics. One of the most recent efforts of this kind was put forth by Hele and Althorpe (HA) [J. Chem. Phys. 138, 084108 (2013)], which can be specified for any cyclically invariant dividing surface defined in the space of the imaginary time path integral. The present work revisits the issue of the non-uniqueness of QTST and provides a detailed theoretical analysis of HA-QTST for a general class of such path integral dividing surfaces. While we confirm that HA-QTST reproduces the result based on the ring polymer molecular dynamics (RPMD) rate theory for dividing surfaces containing only a quadratic form of low frequency Fourier modes, we find that it produces different results for those containing higher frequency imaginary time paths which accommodate greater quantum fluctuations. This result confirms the assessment made in our previous work [Jang and Voth, J. Chem. Phys. 144, 084110 (2016)] that HA-QTST does not provide a derivation of RPMD-TST in general and points to a new ambiguity of HA-QTST with respect to its justification for general cyclically invariant dividing surfaces defined in the space of imaginary time path integrals. Our analysis also offers new insights into similar path integral based QTST approaches.

Integrated immunoassay using tuneable surface acoustic waves and lensfree detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Bourquin, Yannyk; Reboud, Julien; Wilson, Rab; Zhang, Yi; Cooper, Jonathan M

2011-08-21

The diagnosis of infectious diseases in the Developing World is technologically challenging requiring complex biological assays with a high analytical performance, at minimal cost. By using an opto-acoustic immunoassay technology, integrating components commonly used in mobile phone technologies, including surface acoustic wave (SAW) transducers to provide pressure driven flow and a CMOS camera to enable lensfree detection technique, we demonstrate the potential to produce such an assay. To achieve this, antibody functionalised microparticles were manipulated on a low-cost disposable cartridge using the surface acoustic waves and were then detected optically. Our results show that the biomarker, interferon-γ, used for the diagnosis of diseases such as latent tuberculosis, can be detected at pM concentrations, within a few minutes (giving high sensitivity at a minimal cost). This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011

[Ocular surface system integrity].

Science.gov (United States)

Safonova, T N; Pateyuk, L S

2015-01-01

The interplay of different structures belonging to either the anterior segment of the eye or its accessory visual apparatus, which all share common embryological, anatomical, functional, and physiological features, is discussed. Explanation of such terms, as ocular surface, lacrimal functional unit, and ocular surface system, is provided.

Biogenic silica dissolution in diatom aggregates: insights from reactive transport modelling

KAUST Repository

Moriceau, B; Laruelle, GG; Passow, U; Van Cappellen, P; Ragueneau, O

2014-01-01

, dSi transport out of the aggregate is modulated by alternatively considering retention (decrease of the dSi diffusion constant) and adsorption (reversible chemical bonds between dSi and the aggregate matrix) processes. Modelled bSiO2 dissolution

Three-dimensional CaP/gelatin lattice scaffolds with integrated osteoinductive surface topographies for bone tissue engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nadeem, Danish; Su, Bo; Smith, Carol-Anne; Dalby, Matthew J; Dominic Meek, R M; Lin, Sien; Li, Gang

2015-01-01

Surface topography is known to influence stem cells and has been widely used as physical stimuli to modulate cellular behaviour including adhesion, proliferation and differentiation on 2D surfaces. Integration of well-defined surface topography into three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds for tissue engineering would be useful to direct the cell fate for intended applications. Technical challenges are remaining as how to fabricate such 3D scaffolds with controlled surface topography from a range of biodegradable and biocompatible materials. In this paper, a novel fabrication process using computer numerically controlled machining and lamination is reported to make 3D calcium phosphate/gelatin composite scaffolds with integrated surface micropatterns that are introduced by embossing prior to machining. Geometric analysis shows that this method is versatile and can be used to make a wide range of lattices with porosities that meet the basic requirements for bone tissue engineering. Both in vitro and in vivo studies show that micropatterned composite scaffolds with surfaces comprising 40 μm pits and 50 μm grooves were optimal for improved osteogenesis. The results have demonstrated the potential of a novel fabrication process for producing cell-instructive scaffolds with designed surface topographies to induce specific tissue regeneration. (paper)

Soliton surfaces and generalized symmetries of integrable systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grundland, A M; Riglioni, D; Post, S

2014-01-01

In this paper, we discuss some specific features of symmetries of integrable systems which can be used to construct the Fokas–Gel’fand formula for the immersion of 2D-soliton surfaces, associated with such systems, in Lie algebras. We establish a sufficient condition for the applicability of this formula. This condition requires the existence of two vector fields which generate a common symmetry of the initial system and its corresponding linear spectral problem. This means that these two fields have to be group-related and we determine an explicit form of this relation. It provides a criterion for the selection of symmetries suitable for use in the Fokas–Gel’fand formula. We include some examples illustrating its application. (paper)

Effects of surface states on device and interconnect isolation in GaAs MESFET and InP MISFET integrated circuits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasegawa, H.; Kitagawa, T.; Masuda, H.; Yano, H.; Ohno, H.

1985-01-01

Surface electrical breakdown and side-gating which cause failure of device and interconnect isolation are investigated for GaAs MESFET and InP MISFET integrated circuit structures. Striking differences in behavior are observed between GaAs and InP as regards to the surface conduction, surface breakdown and side-gating. These differences are shown to be related to the surface state properties of the insulator-semiconductor interface. In GaAs, high density of surface states rather than bulk trap states control the surface I-V characteristics and side-gating, causing serious premature avalanche breakdown and triggering side-gating at a low nominal field intensity of 1-3 kV/cm. On the other hand, InP MISFET integrated circuits are virtually free from these premature breakdown and side-gating effect under normal dark operating condition because of very low surface state density

Biogenic silica dissolution in diatom aggregates: insights from reactive transport modelling

KAUST Repository

Moriceau, B

2014-12-15

© Inter-Research 2014. Diatom aggregates contribute significantly to the vertical sinking flux of particulate matter in the ocean. These fragile structures form a specific microhabitat for the aggregated cells, but their internal chemical and physical characteristics remain largely unknown. Studies on the impact of aggregation on the Si cycle led to apparent inconsistency. Despite a lower biogenic silica (bSiO2) dissolution rate and diffusion of the silicic acid (dSi) being similar in aggregates and in sea-water, dSi surprisingly accumulates in aggregates. A reaction-diffusion model helps to clarify this incoherence by reconstructing dSi accumulation measured during batch experiments with aggregated and non-aggregated Skeletonema marinoi and Chaetoceros decipiens. The model calculates the effective bSiO2 dissolution rate as opposed to the experimental apparent bSiO2 dissolution rate, which is the results of the effective dissolution of bSiO2 and transport of dSi out of the aggregate. In the model, dSi transport out of the aggregate is modulated by alternatively considering retention (decrease of the dSi diffusion constant) and adsorption (reversible chemical bonds between dSi and the aggregate matrix) processes. Modelled bSiO2 dissolution is modulated by the impact of dSi concentration inside aggregates and diatom viability, as enhanced persistence of metabolically active diatoms has been observed in aggregates. Adsorption better explains dSi accumulation within and outside aggregates, raising the possible importance of dSi travelling within aggregates to the deep sea (potentially representing 20% of the total silica flux). The model indicates that bSiO2 dissolution is effectively decreased in aggregates mainly due to higher diatom viability but also to other parameters discussed herein.

A Calderón multiplicative preconditioner for coupled surface-volume electric field integral equations

KAUST Repository

Bagci, Hakan; Andriulli, Francesco P.; Cools, Kristof; Olyslager, Femke; Michielssen, Eric

2010-01-01

A well-conditioned coupled set of surface (S) and volume (V) electric field integral equations (S-EFIE and V-EFIE) for analyzing wave interactions with densely discretized composite structures is presented. Whereas the V-EFIE operator is well

Effect of cutting fluids and cutting conditions on surface integrity and tool wear in turning of Inconel 713C

Science.gov (United States)

Hikiji, R.

2018-01-01

The trend toward downsizing of engines helps to increase the number of turbochargers around Europe. As for the turbocharger, the temperature of the exhaust gas is so high that the parts made of nickel base super alloy Inconel 713C are used as high temperature strength metals. External turning of Inconel 713C which is used as the actual automotive parts was carried out. The effect of the cutting fluids and cutting conditions on the surface integrity and tool wear was investigated, considering global environment and cost performance. As a result, in the range of the cutting conditions used this time, when the depth of cut was small, the good surface integrity and tool life were obtained. However, in the case of the large corner radius, it was found that the more the cutting length increased, the more the tool wear increased. When the cutting length is so large, the surface integrity and tool life got worse. As for the cutting fluids, it was found that the synthetic type showed better performance in the surface integrity and tool life than the conventional emulsion. However, it was clear that the large corner radius made the surface roughness and tool life good, but it affected the size error etc. in machining the workpiece held in a cantilever style.

¿Cómo brindar servicios de Diseminación Selectiva de la Información (D.S.I. a través de las Plataformas de Aprendizaje Virtuales (P.A.V.?: una propuesta de convergencia de sistemas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Pablo Meza Pérez

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Los servicios de Diseminación Selectiva de Información (D.S.I. pese a su popularidad como servicios de las unidades de información, algunos no se han logrado contextualizar en la nueva realidad de la sociedad informacional; especialmente aquellos que se presentan en formato tradicional y atrapados en el cambio de los medios análogos a los digitales. Estos no solo son un mecanismo para divulgar los recursos de la unidad de información, también pueden ser un instrumento para acercar a nuestra comunidad de usuarios con la prestación de servicios a través de plataformas de aprendizaje virtual y herramientas de las red social o web 2.0. Su desarrollo e incursión a este nuevo escenario será parte de la estrategia de reposicionamiento de estos servicios.

¿Cómo brindar servicios de Diseminación Selectiva de la Información (D.S.I. a través de las Plataformas de Aprendizaje Virtuales (P.A.V.?: una propuesta de convergencia de sistemas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Pablo Meza Pérez

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Los servicios de Diseminación Selectiva de Información (D.S.I. pese a su popularidad como servicios de las unidades de información, algunos no se han logrado contextualizar en la nueva realidad de la sociedad informacional; especialmente aquellos que se presentan en formato tradicional y atrapados en el cambio de los medios análogos a los digitales. Estos no solo son un mecanismo para divulgar los recursos de la unidad de información, también pueden ser un instrumento para acercar a nuestra comunidad de usuarios con la prestación de servicios a través de plataformas de aprendizaje virtual y herramientas de las red social o web 2.0. Su desarrollo e incursión a este nuevo escenario será parte de la estrategia de reposicionamiento de estos servicios.

Integrated control of the cooling system and surface openings using the artificial neural networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moon, Jin Woo

2015-01-01

This study aimed at suggesting an indoor temperature control method that can provide a comfortable thermal environment through the integrated control of the cooling system and the surface openings. Four control logic were developed, employing different application levels of rules and artificial neural network models. Rule-based control methods represented the conventional approach while ANN-based methods were applied for the predictive and adaptive controls. Comparative performance tests for the conventional- and ANN-based methods were numerically conducted for the double-skin-facade building, using the MATLAB (Matrix Laboratory) and TRNSYS (Transient Systems Simulation) software, after proving the validity by comparing the simulation and field measurement results. Analysis revealed that the ANN-based controls of the cooling system and surface openings improved the indoor temperature conditions with increased comfortable temperature periods and decreased standard deviation of the indoor temperature from the center of the comfortable range. In addition, the proposed ANN-based logic effectively reduced the number of operating condition changes of the cooling system and surface openings, which can prevent system failure. The ANN-based logic, however, did not show superiority in energy efficiency over the conventional logic. Instead, they have increased the amount of heat removal by the cooling system. From the analysis, it can be concluded that the ANN-based temperature control logic was able to keep the indoor temperature more comfortably and stably within the comfortable range due to its predictive and adaptive features. - Highlights: • Integrated rule-based and artificial neural network based logics were developed. • A cooling device and surface openings were controlled in an integrated manner. • Computer simulation method was employed for comparative performance tests. • ANN-based logics showed the advanced features of thermal environment. • Rule

Drought variability in six catchments in the UK

Science.gov (United States)

Kwok-Pan, Chun; Onof, Christian; Wheater, Howard

2010-05-01

Drought is fundamentally related to consistent low precipitation levels. Changes in global and regional drought patterns are suggested by numerous recent climate change studies. However, most of the climate change adaptation measures are at a catchment scale, and the development of a framework for studying persistence in precipitation is still at an early stage. Two stochastic approaches for modelling drought severity index (DSI) are proposed to investigate possible changes in droughts in six catchments in the UK. They are the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) and the generalised linear model (GLM) approach. Results of ARIMA modelling show that mean sea level pressure and possibly the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index are important climate variables for short term drought forecasts, whereas relative humidity is not a significant climate variable despite its high correlation with the DSI series. By simulating rainfall series, the generalised linear model (GLM) approach can provide the probability density function of the DSI. GLM simulations indicate that the changes in the 10th and 50th quantiles of drought events are more noticeable than in the 90th extreme droughts. The possibility of extending the GLM approach to support risk-based water management is also discussed.

Assessing the impact of model spin-up on surface water-groundwater interactions using an integrated hydrologic model

KAUST Repository

Ajami, Hoori; McCabe, Matthew; Evans, Jason P.; Stisen, Simon

2014-01-01

is to minimize the impact of initialization while using the smallest spin-up time possible. In this study, multicriteria analysis was performed to assess the spin-up behavior of the ParFlow.CLM integrated groundwater-surface water-land surface model over a 208 km

A surface-integral-equation approach to the propagation of waves in EBG-based devices

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lancellotti, V.; Tijhuis, A.G.

2012-01-01

We combine surface integral equations with domain decomposition to formulate and (numerically) solve the problem of electromagnetic (EM) wave propagation inside finite-sized structures. The approach is of interest for (but not limited to) the analysis of devices based on the phenomenon of

Dysphonia Severity Index in Typically Developing Indian Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Pebbili, Gopi Kishore; Kidwai, Juhi; Shabnam, Srushti

2017-01-01

Dysphonia is a variation in an individual's quality, pitch, or loudness from the voice characteristics typical of a speaker of similar age, gender, cultural background, and geographic location. Dysphonia Severity Index (DSI) is a recognized assessment tool based on a weighted combination of maximum phonation time, highest frequency, lowest intensity, and jitter (%) of an individual. Although dysphonia in adults is accurately evaluated using DSI, standard reference values for school-age children have not been studied. This study aims to document the DSI scores in typically developing children (8-12 years). A total of 42 typically developing children (8-12 years) without complaint of voice problem on the day of testing participated in the study. DSI was computed by substituting the raw scores of substituent parameters: maximum phonation time, highest frequency, lowest intensity, and jitter% using various modules of CSL 4500 software. The average DSI values obtained in children were 2.9 (1.23) and 3.8 (1.29) for males and females, respectively. DSI values are found to be significantly higher (P = 0.027) for females than those for males in Indian children. This could be attributed to the anatomical and behavioral differences among females and males. Further, pubertal changes set in earlier for females approximating an adult-like physiology, thereby leading to higher DSI values in them. The mean DSI value obtained for male and female Indian children can be used as a preliminary reference data against which the DSI values of school-age children with dysphonia can be compared. Copyright © 2017 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multisensor satellite data integration for sea surface wind speed and direction determination

Science.gov (United States)

Glackin, D. L.; Pihos, G. G.; Wheelock, S. L.

1984-01-01

Techniques to integrate meteorological data from various satellite sensors to yield a global measure of sea surface wind speed and direction for input to the Navy's operational weather forecast models were investigated. The sensors were launched or will be launched, specifically the GOES visible and infrared imaging sensor, the Nimbus-7 SMMR, and the DMSP SSM/I instrument. An algorithm for the extrapolation to the sea surface of wind directions as derived from successive GOES cloud images was developed. This wind veering algorithm is relatively simple, accounts for the major physical variables, and seems to represent the best solution that can be found with existing data. An algorithm for the interpolation of the scattered observed data to a common geographical grid was implemented. The algorithm is based on a combination of inverse distance weighting and trend surface fitting, and is suited to combing wind data from disparate sources.

Shifts of integration variable within four- and N-dimensional Feynman integrals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elias, V.; McKeon, G.; Mann, R.B.

1983-01-01

We resolve inconsistencies between integration in four dimensions, where shifts of integration variable may lead to surface terms, and dimensional regularization, where no surface terms accompany such shifts, by showing that surface terms arise only for discrete values of the dimension parameter. General formulas for variable-of-integration shifts within N-dimensional Feynman integrals are presented, and the VVA triangle anomaly is interpreted as a manifestation of surface terms occurring in exactly four dimensions

Effect of diblock copolymer properties on the photophysical properties of dendrimer silicon phthalocyanine nanoconjugates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Kuizhi [Fujian Normal University, College of Materials Science & Engineering, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials (China); Pan, Sujuan [Fujian Normal University, College of Chemistry & Engineering (China); Zhuang, Xuemei [Fuzhou No.2 Hospital (China); Lv, Hafei; Que, Shoulin [Fujian Normal University, College of Chemistry & Engineering (China); Xie, Shusen; Yang, Hongqin, E-mail: hqyang@fjnu.edu.cn [Fujian Normal University, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Science and Technology for Medicine of Ministry of Education (China); Peng, Yiru, E-mail: yirupeng@fjnu.edu.cn [Fujian Normal University, College of Chemistry & Engineering (China)

2016-07-15

1–2 generation poly(benzyl aryl ether) dendrimer silicon phthalocyanines with axially disubstituted cyano terminal functionalities (G{sub n}-DSiPc(CN){sub 4n}, (G{sub n} = n-generation dendrimer, n = 1–2)) were synthesized. Their structures were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, {sup 1}H NMR, and ESI-MS. Polymeric nanoparticles (G{sub n}-DSiPc(CN){sub 4n}/m) were formed through encapsulating G{sub n}-DSiPc(CN){sub 4n} into three monomethoxyl poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(ε-caprolactone) diblock copolymers (MPEG–PCL) with different hydrophilic/hydrophobic proportion, respectively. The effect of dendritic generation and the hydrophilic/hydrophobic proportion of diblock copolymers on the UV/Vis and fluorescence spectra of G{sub n}-DSiPc(CN){sub 4n} and G{sub n}-DSiPc(CN){sub 4n}/m were studied. The photophysical properties of polymeric nanoparticles exhibited dendritic generation and hydrophilic/hydrophobic proportion dependence. The fluorescence intensities and lifetimes of G{sub n}-DSiPc(CN){sub 4n}/m were lower than the corresponding free dendrimer phthalocyanines. G{sub n}-DSiPc(CN){sub 4n} encapsulated into MPEG–PCL with hydrophilic/hydrophobic molecular weight ratio 2000:4000 exhibited excellent photophysical property. The mean diameter of MPEG{sub 2000}–PCL{sub 2000} micelles was about 70 nm, which decreased when loaded with G{sub n}-DSiPc(CN){sub 4n}.Graphical abstract .

A continental scale model for dissolved silica mobilization in North America

Science.gov (United States)

Jansen, N.; Lauerwald, R.; Hartmann, J.; Dürr, H. H.; Loos, S.; Kempe, S.; Middelkoop, H.

2009-04-01

Silicon is one of the few elements that link to both the organic and inorganic carbon cycles. Dissolved silicon (DSi) is an important nutrient in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Cations accompanying the release of DSi by chemical silicate rock weathering are generally balanced by soil/atmospheric CO2. Chemical weathering is the major source of "new" bioavailable DSi for continental aquatic systems to compensate for the loss of DSi by outflow or organic precipitation and burial. We use river water chemistry data from 164 monitoring stations from the conterminous United States (WQN and NAWQA networks). Selected stations are characterized by low population density and low influence of water bodies to minimize human and DSi retention impact. Observed DSi yield in these catchments is assumed to represent natural DSi mobilization by chemical weathering. The catchments have an average size of 4400 km2 (Median: 991 km2) with a discharge weighted average DSi yield of 4.34 t SiO2 km-2a-1. To predict mobilization of DSi from chemical weathering a lumped non-linear empirical model is developed, considering control factors such as climate, morphology, hydrology, land cover, soil and lithology. A multi-lithological model approach is chosen because only very few mono-lithological catchments were identified in the dataset. The model is then extrapolated to the conterminous United States to regionally quantify the amount of DSi that is released into the river systems by chemical weathering. Small outcrops of certain lithological classes characterized by a high DSi yield are not represented on previously available small scale lithological maps. Because such localities may have a major influence on DSi fluxes from small catchments (Hartmann et al., 2009) a new high resolution lithological vector-map for North America is developed and applied in the introduced model. In accordance with previous studies, runoff and lithology are identified as the major predictors for specific DSi

Preventive Strength of Dyadic Social Interaction against Reacquisition/Reexpression of Cocaine Conditioned Place Preference.

Science.gov (United States)

Bregolin, Tanja; Pinheiro, Barbara S; El Rawas, Rana; Zernig, Gerald

2017-01-01

The reorientation away from drugs of abuse and toward social interaction is a highly desirable but as yet elusive goal in the therapy of substance dependence. We could previously show that cocaine preferring Sprague-Dawley rats which engaged in only four 15 min episodes of dyadic social interaction (DSI) did not reacquire and reexpress cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP) after a single cocaine exposure. In the present study, we investigated how strong this preventive effect of DSI is. In corroboration of our previous findings in rats, four 15 min DSI episodes prevented the reacquisition/reexpression of cocaine CPP in mice. However, this effect was only observed if only one cocaine conditioning session (15 min) was used. If mice were counterconditioned with a total of four cocaine sessions, the cocaine CPP reemerged. Interestingly, the opposite also held true: in mice that had acquired/expressed cocaine CPP, one conditioning session with DSI did not prevent the persistence of cocaine CPP, whereas four DSI conditioning sessions reversed CPP for 15 mg/kg intraperitoneal cocaine. Of note, this cocaine dose was a strong reward in C57BL/6J mice, causing CPP in all tested animals. Our findings suggest that both the reversal (reconditioning) of CPP from cocaine to DSI as well as that from DSI to cocaine requires four conditioning sessions. As previously shown in C57BL/6 mice from the NIH substrain, mice from the Jackson substrain also showed a greater relative preference for 15 mg/kg intraperitoneal cocaine over DSI, whereas Sprague-Dawley rats were equally attracted to contextual stimuli associated with this cocaine dose and DSI. Also in corroboration of previous findings, both C57BL/6J mice and experimenters several generations removed from the original ones produced CPP for DSI to a lesser degree than Sprague-Dawley rats. Our findings demonstrate the robustness of our experimental model across several subject- and experimenter generations in two rodent genus (i

Preventive Strength of Dyadic Social Interaction against Reacquisition/Reexpression of Cocaine Conditioned Place Preference

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tanja Bregolin

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The reorientation away from drugs of abuse and toward social interaction is a highly desirable but as yet elusive goal in the therapy of substance dependence. We could previously show that cocaine preferring Sprague-Dawley rats which engaged in only four 15 min episodes of dyadic social interaction (DSI did not reacquire and reexpress cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP after a single cocaine exposure. In the present study, we investigated how strong this preventive effect of DSI is. In corroboration of our previous findings in rats, four 15 min DSI episodes prevented the reacquisition/reexpression of cocaine CPP in mice. However, this effect was only observed if only one cocaine conditioning session (15 min was used. If mice were counterconditioned with a total of four cocaine sessions, the cocaine CPP reemerged. Interestingly, the opposite also held true: in mice that had acquired/expressed cocaine CPP, one conditioning session with DSI did not prevent the persistence of cocaine CPP, whereas four DSI conditioning sessions reversed CPP for 15 mg/kg intraperitoneal cocaine. Of note, this cocaine dose was a strong reward in C57BL/6J mice, causing CPP in all tested animals. Our findings suggest that both the reversal (reconditioning of CPP from cocaine to DSI as well as that from DSI to cocaine requires four conditioning sessions. As previously shown in C57BL/6 mice from the NIH substrain, mice from the Jackson substrain also showed a greater relative preference for 15 mg/kg intraperitoneal cocaine over DSI, whereas Sprague-Dawley rats were equally attracted to contextual stimuli associated with this cocaine dose and DSI. Also in corroboration of previous findings, both C57BL/6J mice and experimenters several generations removed from the original ones produced CPP for DSI to a lesser degree than Sprague-Dawley rats. Our findings demonstrate the robustness of our experimental model across several subject- and experimenter generations in two

Cingulum correlates of cognitive functions in patients with mild cognitive impairment and early Alzheimer's disease: a diffusion spectrum imaging study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yi-Cheng; Shih, Yao-Chia; Tseng, Wen-Yih I; Chu, Yu-Hsiu; Wu, Meng-Tien; Chen, Ta-Fu; Tang, Pei-Fang; Chiu, Ming-Jang

2014-05-01

Diffusion spectrum imaging (DSI) of MRI can detect neural fiber tract changes. We investigated integrity of cingulum bundle (CB) in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early Alzheimer's disease (EAD) using DSI tractography and explored its relationship with cognitive functions. We recruited 8 patients with MCI, 9 with EAD and 15 healthy controls (HC). All subjects received a battery of neuropsychological tests to access their executive, memory and language functions. We used a 3.0-tesla MRI scanner to obtain T1- and T2-weighted images for anatomy and used a pulsed gradient twice-refocused spin-echo diffusion echo-planar imaging sequence to acquire DSI. Patients with EAD performed significantly poorer than the HC on most tests in executive and memory functions. Significantly smaller general fractional anisotropy (GFA) values were found in the posterior and inferior segments of left CB and of the anterior segment of right CB of the EAD compared with those of the HC. Spearman's correlation on the patient groups showed that GFA values of the posterior segment of the left CB were significantly negatively associated with the time used to complete Color Trails Test Part II and positively correlated with performance of the logical memory and visual reproduction. GFA values of inferior segment of bilateral CB were positively associated with the performance of visual recognition. DSI tractography demonstrates significant preferential degeneration of the CB on the left side in patients with EAD. The location-specific degeneration is associated with corresponding declines in both executive and memory functions.

Approaches for integrated assessment of ecological and eutrophication status of surface waters in Nordic Countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Jesper H.; Aroviita, Jukka; Carstensen, Jacob

2016-01-01

We review approaches and tools currently used in Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden) for integrated assessment of ‘ecological status’ sensu the EU Water Framework Directive as well as assessment of ‘eutrophication status’ in coastal and marine waters. Integration principles for...... principles applied within BQEs are critical and in need of harmonisation if we want a better understanding of potential transition in ecological status between surface water types, e.g. when riverine water enters a downstream lake or coastal water body.......We review approaches and tools currently used in Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden) for integrated assessment of ‘ecological status’ sensu the EU Water Framework Directive as well as assessment of ‘eutrophication status’ in coastal and marine waters. Integration principles...

Long-term measurements of tropospheric carbon dioxide and its isotopes in coastal East Asia

Science.gov (United States)

Ou-Yang, C. F.; Lin, N. H.; Wang, J. L.; Schnell, R. C.

2016-12-01

Many studies have reported that Asian continental outflow has significantly impacted on global atmospheric chemistry, affecting air quality over the western Pacific, even as far as North America. Taiwan is situated at an ideal location in the western North Pacific for monitoring biomass burning and Asian dust coincided with polluted air masses originating from Southeast Asia and Asian continent. A high-elevation baseline station, Lulin Atmospheric Background Station (LABS; 23.47°N, 120.87°E; 2,862 m a.s.l.), was thus established in April 2006 to investigate the characteristics of trace gases and atmospheric transport patterns in the lower free troposphere. In March 2010, as part of GMD's Cooperative Air Sampling Network, flask air sampling at Dongsha Island (DSI; 20.70°N, 116.73°E; 3 m a.s.l.) was launched to measure surface greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the South China Sea. As reported by IPCC in 2013, CO2 is the largest contributor of the atmospheric well-mixed GHGs, accounting for 64.3% of the total global radiative forcing from 1750 to 2011. The annual mean CO2 mixing ratio reached the milestone of 400 ppm at LABS (402.6±3.1 ppm) in 2015 and at DSI (401.7±4.7 ppm) in 2014. Vegetation growth in spring drew down CO2 mixing ratios and elevated its stable isotope ratio (δ13C of CO2) at LABS and DSI in summer. By the continuous measurement of CO2 using a cavity ring-down spectroscopy, a daily minimum with a lager standard deviation was observed at LABS during daytime when photosynthesis was active. The CO2 increased at an average rate of +2.69±2.30 ppm at LABS and +2.10±1.32 ppm at DSI during the measurement period, whereas the δ13C isotope ratio of CO2 decreased at an average rate of -0.060±0.099 ‰ at LABS and -0.021±0.053 ‰ at DSI. Increasing trends for the δ18O isotope ratio of CO2 were found at both LABS and DSI in recent years.

Integrated CLOS and PN Guidance for Increased Effectiveness of Surface to Air Missiles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Binte Fatima Tuz ZAHRA

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a novel approach has been presented to integrate command to line-of-sight (CLOS guidance and proportional navigation (PN guidance in order to reduce miss distance and to increase the effectiveness of surface to air missiles. Initially a comparison of command to line-of-sight guidance and proportional navigation has been presented. Miss distance, variation of angle-of-attack, normal and lateral accelerations and error of missile flight path from direct line-of-sight have been used as noteworthy criteria for comparison of the two guidance laws. Following this comparison a new approach has been proposed for determining the most suitable guidance gains in order to minimize miss distance and improve accuracy of the missile in delivering the warhead, while using CLOS guidance. This proposed technique is based on constrained nonlinear minimization to optimize the guidance gains. CLOS guidance has a further limitation of significant increase in normal and lateral acceleration demands during the terminal phase of missile flight. Furthermore, at large elevation angles, the required angle-of-attack during the terminal phase increases beyond design specifications. Subsequently, a missile with optical sensors only and following just the CLOS guidance has less likelihood to hit high speed targets beyond 45º in elevation plane. A novel approach has thus been proposed to overcome such limitations of CLOS-only guidance for surface to air missiles. In this approach, an integrated guidance algorithm has been proposed whereby the initial guidance law during rocket motor burnout phase remains CLOS, whereas immediately after this phase, the guidance law is automatically switched to PN guidance. This integrated approach has not only resulted in slight increase in range of the missile but also has significantly improved its likelihood to hit targets beyond 30 degrees in elevation plane, thus successfully overcoming various limitations of CLOS

Efficient uncertainty quantification in fully-integrated surface and subsurface hydrologic simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, K. L.; Berg, S. J.; Davison, J. H.; Sudicky, E. A.; Forsyth, P. A.

2018-01-01

Although high performance computers and advanced numerical methods have made the application of fully-integrated surface and subsurface flow and transport models such as HydroGeoSphere common place, run times for large complex basin models can still be on the order of days to weeks, thus, limiting the usefulness of traditional workhorse algorithms for uncertainty quantification (UQ) such as Latin Hypercube simulation (LHS) or Monte Carlo simulation (MCS), which generally require thousands of simulations to achieve an acceptable level of accuracy. In this paper we investigate non-intrusive polynomial chaos for uncertainty quantification, which in contrast to random sampling methods (e.g., LHS and MCS), represents a model response of interest as a weighted sum of polynomials over the random inputs. Once a chaos expansion has been constructed, approximating the mean, covariance, probability density function, cumulative distribution function, and other common statistics as well as local and global sensitivity measures is straightforward and computationally inexpensive, thus making PCE an attractive UQ method for hydrologic models with long run times. Our polynomial chaos implementation was validated through comparison with analytical solutions as well as solutions obtained via LHS for simple numerical problems. It was then used to quantify parametric uncertainty in a series of numerical problems with increasing complexity, including a two-dimensional fully-saturated, steady flow and transient transport problem with six uncertain parameters and one quantity of interest; a one-dimensional variably-saturated column test involving transient flow and transport, four uncertain parameters, and two quantities of interest at 101 spatial locations and five different times each (1010 total); and a three-dimensional fully-integrated surface and subsurface flow and transport problem for a small test catchment involving seven uncertain parameters and three quantities of interest at

Functional Analysis for an Integrated Capability of Arrival/Departure/Surface Management with Tactical Runway Management

Science.gov (United States)

Phojanamongkolkij, Nipa; Okuniek, Nikolai; Lohr, Gary W.; Schaper, Meilin; Christoffels, Lothar; Latorella, Kara A.

2014-01-01

The runway is a critical resource of any air transport system. It is used for arrivals, departures, and for taxiing aircraft and is universally acknowledged as a constraining factor to capacity for both surface and airspace operations. It follows that investigation of the effective use of runways, both in terms of selection and assignment as well as the timing and sequencing of the traffic is paramount to the efficient traffic flows. Both the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and NASA have developed concepts and tools to improve atomic aspects of coordinated arrival/departure/surface management operations and runway configuration management. In December 2012, NASA entered into a Collaborative Agreement with DLR. Four collaborative work areas were identified, one of which is called "Runway Management." As part of collaborative research in the "Runway Management" area, which is conducted with the DLR Institute of Flight Guidance, located in Braunschweig, the goal is to develop an integrated system comprised of the three DLR tools - arrival, departure, and surface management (collectively referred to as A/D/S-MAN) - and NASA's tactical runway configuration management (TRCM) tool. To achieve this goal, it is critical to prepare a concept of operations (ConOps) detailing how the NASA runway management and DLR arrival, departure, and surface management tools will function together to the benefit of each. To assist with the preparation of the ConOps, the integrated NASA and DLR tools are assessed through a functional analysis method described in this report. The report first provides the highlevel operational environments for air traffic management (ATM) in Germany and in the U.S., and the descriptions of the DLR's A/D/S-MAN and NASA's TRCM tools at the level of details necessary to compliment the purpose of the study. Functional analyses of each tool and a completed functional analysis of an integrated system design are presented next in the report. Future efforts to fully

Calibration of an integrated land surface process and radiobrightness (LSP/R) model during summertime

Science.gov (United States)

Judge, Jasmeet; England, Anthony W.; Metcalfe, John R.; McNichol, David; Goodison, Barry E.

2008-01-01

In this study, a soil vegetation and atmosphere transfer (SVAT) model was linked with a microwave emission model to simulate microwave signatures for different terrain during summertime, when the energy and moisture fluxes at the land surface are strong. The integrated model, land surface process/radiobrightness (LSP/R), was forced with weather and initial conditions observed during a field experiment. It simulated the fluxes and brightness temperatures for bare soil and brome grass in the Northern Great Plains. The model estimates of soil temperature and moisture profiles and terrain brightness temperatures were compared with the observed values. Overall, the LSP model provides realistic estimates of soil moisture and temperature profiles to be used with a microwave model. The maximum mean differences and standard deviations between the modeled and the observed temperatures (canopy and soil) were 2.6 K and 6.8 K, respectively; those for the volumetric soil moisture were 0.9% and 1.5%, respectively. Brightness temperatures at 19 GHz matched well with the observations for bare soil, when a rough surface model was incorporated indicating reduced dielectric sensitivity to soil moisture by surface roughness. The brightness temperatures of the brome grass matched well with the observations indicating that a simple emission model was sufficient to simulate accurate brightness temperatures for grass typical of that region and surface roughness was not a significant issue for grass-covered soil at 19 GHz. Such integrated SVAT-microwave models allow for direct assimilation of microwave observations and can also be used to understand sensitivity of microwave signatures to changes in weather forcings and soil conditions for different terrain types.

The effects of charge, polymerization, and cluster size on the diffusivity of dissolved Si species in pore water

Science.gov (United States)

Yokoyama, Tadashi; Sakuma, Hiroshi

2018-03-01

Silicon (Si) is the most abundant cation in crustal rocks. The charge and degree of polymerization of dissolved Si significantly change depending on solution pH and Si concentration. We used molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to predict the self-diffusion coefficients of dissolved Si, DSi, for 15 monomeric and polymeric species at ambient temperature. The results showed that DSi decreased with increasing negative charge and increasing degree of polymerization. The relationship between DSi and charge (Z) can be expressed by DSi/10-6 = 2.0 + 9.8e0.47Z, and that between DSi and number of polymerization (NSi) by DSi/10-6 = 9.7/NSi0.56. The results also revealed that multiple Si molecules assembled into a cluster and D decreased as the cluster size increased. Experiments to evaluate the diffusivity of Si in pore water revealed that the diffusion coefficient decreased with increasing Si concentration, a result consistent with the MD simulations. Simulation results can now be used to quantitatively assess water-rock interactions and water-concrete reactions over a wide range of environmentally relevant conditions.

Will the No Child Left Behind Act Promote Direct Instruction of Science?

Science.gov (United States)

Hake, Richard

2005-03-01

Education research in physics at the high school and undergraduate level strongly suggests that interactive engagement enhances students' conceptual understanding much more than traditional Direct Science Instruction (DSI). Similar conclusions can be drawn from K-8 science-education research. Nevertheless, DSI predominates in CA because of the DSI- orientation of the CA State Board of Education and Curriculum Commission [1]. Likewise the U.S. Dept. of Education's (USDE's): (a) DSI-orientation as demonstrated by its recent national-education summit showcasing of the research of Klahr and Nigam [2]; and (b) science achievement testing starting in 2007; threatens to promote DSI nationwide. It might be hoped that NRC's expert science education committees will steer the USDE away from promoting DSI, the antithesis of the NRC's own recommendations for inquiry methods. [1] R.R. Hake. ``Direct Science Instruction Suffers a Setback in California - Or Does It?" (2004), pdf>. [2] Klahr, D. & M. Nigam. 2004. ``The equivalence of learning paths in early science instruction: effects of direct instruction and discovery learning" (2004), .

Design and production of a new surface mount charge-integrating amplifier for CDF

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nelson, C.; Drake, G.

1991-12-31

We present our experiences in designing and producing 26,000 new charge-integrating amplifiers for CDF, using surface-mount components. The new amplifiers were needed to instrument 920 new 24-channel CDF RABBIT boards, which are replacing an older design rendered obsolete by increases in the collision rate. Important design considerations were frequency response, physical size and cost. 5 refs.

Design and production of a new surface mount charge-integrating amplifier for CDF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelson, C.; Drake, G.

1991-01-01

We present our experiences in designing and producing 26,000 new charge-integrating amplifiers for CDF, using surface-mount components. The new amplifiers were needed to instrument 920 new 24-channel CDF RABBIT boards, which are replacing an older design rendered obsolete by increases in the collision rate. Important design considerations were frequency response, physical size and cost. 5 refs

Machine integrated optical measurement of honed surfaces in presence of cooling lubricant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmitt, R; Koenig, N; Zheng, H

2011-01-01

The measurement of honed surfaces is one of the most important tasks in tribology. Although many established techniques exist for texture characterization, such as SEM, tactile stylus or white-light interferometry, none of them is suited for a machine integrated measurement. Harsh conditions such as the presence of cooling lubricant or vibrations prohibit the use of commercial sensors inside a honing machine. Instead, machined engine blocks need time-consuming cleaning and preparation while taken out of the production line for inspection. A full inspection of all produced parts is hardly possible this way. Within this paper, an approach for a machine-integrated measurement is presented, which makes use of optical sensors for texture profiling. The cooling lubricant here serves as immersion medium. The results of test measurements with a chromatic-confocal sensor and a fiber-optical low-coherence interferometer show the potential of both measuring principles for our approach. Cooling lubricant temperature and flow, scanning speed and measurement frequency have been varied in the tests. The sensor with best performance will later be chosen for machine integration.

Tool life and surface integrity aspects when drilling nickel alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Kannan, S.; Pervaiz, S.; Vincent, S.; Karthikeyan, R.

2018-04-01

. Overall the results indicate that the effect of drilling and milling parameters is most marked in terms of surface quality in the circumferential direction. Material removal rates and tool flank wear must be maintained within the control limits to maintain hole integrity.

Generation of wideband chaos with suppressed time-delay signature by delayed self-interference.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Anbang; Yang, Yibiao; Wang, Bingjie; Zhang, Beibei; Li, Lei; Wang, Yuncai

2013-04-08

We demonstrate experimentally and numerically a method using the incoherent delayed self-interference (DSI) of chaotic light from a semiconductor laser with optical feedback to generate wideband chaotic signal. The results show that, the DSI can eliminate the domination of laser relaxation oscillation existing in the chaotic laser light and therefore flatten and widen the power spectrum. Furthermore, the DSI depresses the time-delay signature induced by external cavity modes and improves the symmetry of probability distribution by more than one magnitude. We also experimentally show that this DSI signal is beneficial to the random number generation.

Integration of Chandrasekhar's integral equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Tasuku

2003-01-01

We solve Chandrasekhar's integration equation for radiative transfer in the plane-parallel atmosphere by iterative integration. The primary thrust in radiative transfer has been to solve the forward problem, i.e., to evaluate the radiance, given the optical thickness and the scattering phase function. In the area of satellite remote sensing, our problem is the inverse problem: to retrieve the surface reflectance and the optical thickness of the atmosphere from the radiance measured by satellites. In order to retrieve the optical thickness and the surface reflectance from the radiance at the top-of-the atmosphere (TOA), we should express the radiance at TOA 'explicitly' in the optical thickness and the surface reflectance. Chandrasekhar formalized radiative transfer in the plane-parallel atmosphere in a simultaneous integral equation, and he obtained the second approximation. Since then no higher approximation has been reported. In this paper, we obtain the third approximation of the scattering function. We integrate functions derived from the second approximation in the integral interval from 1 to ∞ of the inverse of the cos of zenith angles. We can obtain the indefinite integral rather easily in the form of a series expansion. However, the integrals at the upper limit, ∞, are not yet known to us. We can assess the converged values of those series expansions at ∞ through calculus. For integration, we choose coupling pairs to avoid unnecessary terms in the outcome of integral and discover that the simultaneous integral equation can be deduced to the mere integral equation. Through algebraic calculation, we obtain the third approximation as a polynomial of the third degree in the atmospheric optical thickness

Method of determination of temperature and heat resistance of the points on the integrated circuit crystal surface

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Popov V. M.

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Method for visualization of integrated circuit (IC surface temperature by means of the liquid crystal film deposited from solution on its surface is proposed. The boundaries of local regions represent isotherms with corresponding phase transitions. On the base of isotherms positions and consumed by IC power thermal resistances between crystal and environment are determined.

Total luminous flux measurement for flexible surface sources with an integrating sphere photometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Hsueh-Ling; Liu, Wen-Chun

2014-01-01

Applying an integrating sphere photometer for total luminous flux measurement is a widely used method. However, the measurement accuracy depends on the spatial uniformity of the integrating sphere, especially when the test sample has a different light distribution from that of the standard source. Therefore, spatial correction is needed to eliminate the effect caused by non-uniformity. To reduce the inconvenience of spatial correction but retain the measurement accuracy, a new type of working standard is designed for flexible and curved surface sources. Applying this new type standard source, the measurement deviation due to different orientations is reduced by an order of magnitude compared with using a naked incandescent lamp as the standard source. (paper)

Precision Interval Estimation of the Response Surface by Means of an Integrated Algorithm of Neural Network and Linear Regression

Science.gov (United States)

Lo, Ching F.

1999-01-01

The integration of Radial Basis Function Networks and Back Propagation Neural Networks with the Multiple Linear Regression has been accomplished to map nonlinear response surfaces over a wide range of independent variables in the process of the Modem Design of Experiments. The integrated method is capable to estimate the precision intervals including confidence and predicted intervals. The power of the innovative method has been demonstrated by applying to a set of wind tunnel test data in construction of response surface and estimation of precision interval.

Performance analysis of solar cogeneration system with different integration strategies for potable water and domestic hot water production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uday Kumar, N.T.; Mohan, Gowtham; Martin, Andrew

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Solar driven cogeneration system integrating membrane distillation technology is developed. • System utilizes solar thermal energy for the operations without auxiliary heaters. • Three different system integrations are experimentally investigated in UAE. • Economical benefits of solar cogeneration system is also reported. - Abstract: A novel solar thermal cogeneration system featuring the provision of potable water with membrane distillation in combination with domestic hot water supply has been developed and experimentally analyzed. The system integrates evacuated tube collectors, thermal storage, membrane distillation unit, and heat exchangers with the overall goals of maximizing the two outputs while minimizing costs for the given design conditions. Experiments were conducted during one month’s operation at AURAK’s facility in UAE, with average peak global irradiation levels of 650 W/m"2. System performance was determined for three integration strategies, all utilizing brackish water (typical conductivity of 20,000 μs/cm) as a feedstock: Thermal store integration (TSI), which resembles a conventional indirect solar domestic hot water system; Direct solar integration (DSI) connecting collectors directly to the membrane distillation unit without thermal storage; and Direct solar with thermal store integration (DSTSI), a combination of these two approaches. The DSTSI strategy offered the best performance given its operational flexibility. Here the maximum distillate productivity was 43 L/day for a total gross solar collector area of 96 m"2. In terms of simultaneous hot water production, 277 kWh/day was achieved with this configuration. An economic analysis shows that the DSTSI strategy has a payback period of 3.9 years with net cumulative savings of $325,000 during the 20 year system lifetime.

Surface integrity evaluation of brass CW614N after impact of acoustically\

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lehocká, D.; Klich, Jiří; Foldyna, Josef; Hloch, Sergej; Hvizdoš, P.; Fides, M.; Botko, F.; Cárach, J.

2016-01-01

Roč. 149, č. 149 (2016), s. 236-244 E-ISSN 1877-7058. [International Conference on Manufacturing Engineering and Materials, ICMEM 2016. Nový Smokovec, 06.06.2016-10.06.2016] R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LO1406; GA MŠk ED2.1.00/03.0082 Institutional support: RVO:68145535 Keywords : pulsating water jet * surface integrity * mass material removal * brass * nanoindentation Subject RIV: JQ - Machines ; Tools http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877705816311705

Effect of machining parameters on surface integrity of silicon carbide ceramic using end electric discharge milling and mechanical grinding hybrid machining

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji, Renjie; Liu, Yonghong; Zhang, Yanzhen; Cai, Baoping; Li, Xiaopeng; Zheng, Chao

2013-01-01

A novel hybrid process that integrates end electric discharge (ED) milling and mechanical grinding is proposed. The process is able to effectively machine a large surface area on SiC ceramic with good surface quality and fine working environmental practice. The polarity, pulse on-time, and peak current are varied to explore their effects on the surface integrity, such as surface morphology, surface roughness, micro-cracks, and composition on the machined surface. The results show that positive tool polarity, short pulse on-time, and low peak current cause a fine surface finish. During the hybrid machining of SiC ceramic, the material is mainly removed by end ED milling at rough machining mode, whereas it is mainly removed by mechanical grinding at finish machining mode. Moreover, the material from the tool can transfer to the workpiece, and a combination reaction takes place during machining.

Theory of differential and integral scattering of laser radiation by a dielectric surface taking a defect layer into account

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Azarova, VV; Dmitriev, VG; Lokhov, YN; Malitskii, KN

The differential and integral light scattering by dielectric surfaces is studied theoretically taking a thin nearsurface defect layer into account. The expressions for the intensities of differential and total integral scattering are found by the Green function method. Conditions are found under

Solution of volume-surface integral equations using higher-order hierarchical Legendre basis functions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kim, Oleksiy S.; Meincke, Peter; Breinbjerg, Olav

2007-01-01

The problem of electromagnetic scattering by composite metallic and dielectric objects is solved using the coupled volume-surface integral equation (VSIE). The method of moments (MoM) based on higher-order hierarchical Legendre basis functions and higher-order curvilinear geometrical elements...... with the analytical Mie series solution. Scattering by more complex metal-dielectric objects are also considered to compare the presented technique with other numerical methods....

Automatic monitoring of ecosystem structure and functions using integrated low-cost near surface sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, J.; Ryu, Y.; Jiang, C.; Hwang, Y.

2016-12-01

Near surface sensors are able to acquire more reliable and detailed information with higher temporal resolution than satellite observations. Conventional near surface sensors usually work individually, and thus they require considerable manpower from data collection through information extraction and sharing. Recent advances of Internet of Things (IoT) provides unprecedented opportunities to integrate various low-cost sensors as an intelligent near surface observation system for monitoring ecosystem structure and functions. In this study, we developed a Smart Surface Sensing System (4S), which can automatically collect, transfer, process and analyze data, and then publish time series results on public-available website. The system is composed of micro-computer Raspberry pi, micro-controller Arduino, multi-spectral spectrometers made from Light Emitting Diode (LED), visible and near infrared cameras, and Internet module. All components are connected with each other and Raspberry pi intelligently controls the automatic data production chain. We did intensive tests and calibrations in-lab. Then, we conducted in-situ observations at a rice paddy field and a deciduous broadleaf forest. During the whole growth season, 4S obtained landscape images, spectral reflectance in red, green, blue, and near infrared, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), fraction of photosynthetically active radiation (fPAR), and leaf area index (LAI) continuously. Also We compared 4S data with other independent measurements. NDVI obtained from 4S agreed well with Jaz hyperspectrometer at both diurnal and seasonal scales (R2 = 0.92, RMSE = 0.059), and 4S derived fPAR and LAI were comparable to LAI-2200 and destructive measurements in both magnitude and seasonal trajectory. We believe that the integrated low-cost near surface sensor could help research community monitoring ecosystem structure and functions closer and easier through a network system.

Elastic-Plastic J-Integral Solutions or Surface Cracks in Tension Using an Interpolation Methodology

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, P. A.; Wells, D. N.

2013-01-01

No closed form solutions exist for the elastic-plastic J-integral for surface cracks due to the nonlinear, three-dimensional nature of the problem. Traditionally, each surface crack must be analyzed with a unique and time-consuming nonlinear finite element analysis. To overcome this shortcoming, the authors have developed and analyzed an array of 600 3D nonlinear finite element models for surface cracks in flat plates under tension loading. The solution space covers a wide range of crack shapes and depths (shape: 0.2 less than or equal to a/c less than or equal to 1, depth: 0.2 less than or equal to a/B less than or equal to 0.8) and material flow properties (elastic modulus-to-yield ratio: 100 less than or equal to E/ys less than or equal to 1,000, and hardening: 3 less than or equal to n less than or equal to 20). The authors have developed a methodology for interpolating between the goemetric and material property variables that allows the user to reliably evaluate the full elastic-plastic J-integral and force versus crack mouth opening displacement solution; thus, a solution can be obtained very rapidly by users without elastic-plastic fracture mechanics modeling experience. Complete solutions for the 600 models and 25 additional benchmark models are provided in tabular format.

Biosilicification Drives a Decline of Dissolved Si in the Oceans through Geologic Time

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel J. Conley

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Biosilicification has driven variation in the global Si cycle over geologic time. The evolution of different eukaryotic lineages that convert dissolved Si (DSi into mineralized structures (higher plants, siliceous sponges, radiolarians, and diatoms has driven a secular decrease in DSi in the global ocean leading to the low DSi concentrations seen today. Recent studies, however, have questioned the timing previously proposed for the DSi decreases and the concentration changes through deep time, which would have major implications for the cycling of carbon and other key nutrients in the ocean. Here, we combine relevant genomic data with geological data and present new hypotheses regarding the impact of the evolution of biosilicifying organisms on the DSi inventory of the oceans throughout deep time. Although there is no fossil evidence for true silica biomineralization until the late Precambrian, the timing of the evolution of silica transporter genes suggests that bacterial silicon-related metabolism has been present in the oceans since the Archean with eukaryotic silicon metabolism already occurring in the Neoproterozoic. We hypothesize that biological processes have influenced oceanic DSi concentrations since the beginning of oxygenic photosynthesis.

Discover Science Initiative, outreach and professional development at the University of California, Irvine

Science.gov (United States)

Pestana, Jill; Earthman, James

Discover Science Initiative (DSI) is an unprecedented success in the Southern Californian community by reaching out to over 5,000 participants through eight hands-on workshops on topics from fungi to the physics of light, and two large events in the past year. The DSI vision is to provide an avenue for University of California, Irvine (UCI) students and faculty from all departments to engage with the local community through workshops and presentations on interdisciplinary, state-of-the-art STEM research unique to UCI. DSI provides professional development opportunities for diverse students at UCI, while providing outreach at one of the most popular educational centers in Southern California, the Discovery Cube, which hosts over 400,000 guests each year. In DSI, students engage in peer-to-peer mentoring with guidance from the UCI School of Education in designing workshops, leading meetings, and managing teams. Also, students practice science communication, coached by certified communications trainers. Students involved in DSI learn important skills to complement their academic degrees, and stay motivated to pursue their career goals. Support for DSI is from Diverse Educational and Doctoral Experience (DECADE) at UCI.

Study on the Surface Integrity of a Thin-Walled Aluminum Alloy Structure after a Bilateral Slid Rolling Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laixiao Lu

2016-04-01

Full Text Available For studying the influence of a bilateral slid rolling process (BSRP on the surface integrity of a thin-walled aluminum alloy structure, and revealing the generation mechanism of residual stresses, a self-designed BSRP appliance was used to conduct rolling experiments. With the aid of a surface optical profiler, an X-ray stress analyzer, and a scanning electron microscope (SEM, the differences in surface integrity before and after BSRP were explored. The internal changing mechanism of physical as well as mechanical properties was probed. The results show that surface roughness (Ra is reduced by 23.7%, microhardness is increased by 21.6%, and the depth of the hardening layer is about 100 μm. Serious plastic deformation was observed within the subsurface of the rolled region. The residual stress distributions along the depth of the rolling surface and milling surface were tested respectively. Residual stresses with deep and high amplitudes were generated via the BSRP. Based on the analysis of the microstructure, the generation mechanism of the residual stresses was probed. The residual stress of the rolling area consisted of two sections: microscopic stresses caused by local plastic deformation and macroscopic stresses caused by overall non-uniform deformation.

Simulation of integrated surface-water/ground-water flow and salinity for a coastal wetland and adjacent estuary

Science.gov (United States)

Langevin, C.; Swain, E.; Wolfert, M.

2005-01-01

The SWIFT2D surface-water flow and transport code, which solves the St Venant equations in two dimensions, was coupled with the SEAWAT variable-density ground-water code to represent hydrologic processes in coastal wetlands and adjacent estuaries. A sequentially coupled time-lagged approach was implemented, based on a variable-density form of Darcy's Law, to couple the surface and subsurface systems. The integrated code also represents the advective transport of salt mass between the surface and subsurface. The integrated code was applied to the southern Everglades of Florida to quantify flow and salinity patterns and to evaluate effects of hydrologic processes. Model results confirm several important observations about the coastal wetland: (1) the coastal embankment separating the wetland from the estuary is overtopped only during tropical storms, (2) leakage between the surface and subsurface is locally important in the wetland, but submarine ground-water discharge does not contribute large quantities of freshwater to the estuary, and (3) coastal wetland salinities increase to near seawater values during the dry season, and the wetland flushes each year with the onset of the wet season. ?? 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modelling silicon supply during the Last Interglacial (MIS 5e) at Lake Baikal

Science.gov (United States)

Panizzo, V. N.; Swann, G. E. A.; Mackay, A. W.; Pashley, V.; Horstwood, M. S. A.

2018-06-01

Limnological reconstructions of primary productivity have demonstrated its response over Quaternary timescales to drivers such as climate change, landscape evolution and lake ontogeny. In particular, sediments from Lake Baikal, Siberia, provide a valuable uninterrupted and continuous sequence of biogenic silica (BSi) records, which document orbital and sub-orbital frequencies of regional climate change. We here extend these records via the application of stable isotope analysis of silica in diatom opal (δ30Sidiatom) from sediments covering the Last Interglacial cycle (Marine Isotope Stage [MIS] 5e; c. 130 to 115 ka BP) as a means to test the hypothesis that it was more productive than the Holocene. δ30Sidiatom data for the Last Interglacial range between +1.29 and +1.78‰, with highest values between c. 127 to 124 ka BP (+1.57 to +1.78‰). Results show that diatom dissolved silicon (DSi) utilisation, was significantly higher (p = 0.001) during MIS 5e than the current interglacial, which reflects increased diatom productivity over this time (concomitant with high diatom biovolume accumulation rates [BVAR] and warmer pollen-inferred vegetation reconstructions). Diatom BVAR are used, in tandem with δ30Sidiatom data, to model DSi supply to Lake Baikal surface waters, which shows that highest delivery was between c. 123 to 120 ka BP (reaching peak supply at c. 120 ka BP). When constrained by sedimentary mineralogical archives of catchment weathering indices (e.g. the Hydrolysis Index), data highlight the small degree of weathering intensity and therefore representation that catchment-weathering DSi sources had, over the duration of MIS 5e. Changes to DSi supply are therefore attributed to variations in within-lake conditions (e.g. turbulent mixing) over the period, where periods of both high productivity and modelled-DSi supply (e.g. strong convective mixing) account for the decreasing trend in δ30Sidiatom compositions (after c. 124 ka BP).

NASA Research on an Integrated Concept for Airport Surface Operations Management

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Gautam

2012-01-01

Surface operations at airports in the US are based on tactical operations, where departure aircraft primarily queue up and wait at the departure runways. There have been attempts to address the resulting inefficiencies with both strategic and tactical tools for metering departure aircraft. This presentation gives an overview of Spot And Runway Departure Advisor with Collaborative Decision Making (SARDA-CDM): an integrated strategic and tactical system for improving surface operations by metering departure aircraft. SARDA-CDM is the augmentation of ground and local controller advisories through sharing of flight movement and related operations information between airport operators, flight operators and air traffic control at the airport. The goal is to enhance the efficiency of airport surface operations by exchanging information between air traffic control and airline operators, while minimizing adverse effects on stakeholders and passengers. The presentation motivates the need for departure metering, and provides a brief background on the previous work on SARDA. Then, the concept of operations for SARDA-CDM is described. Then the preliminary results from testing the concept in a real-time automated simulation environment are described. Results indicate benefits such as reduction in taxiing delay and fuel consumption. Further, the preliminary implementation of SARDA-CDM seems robust for two minutes delay in gate push-back times.

Magnetic field integral equation analysis of surface plasmon scattering by rectangular dielectric channel discontinuities.

Science.gov (United States)

Chremmos, Ioannis

2010-01-01

The scattering of a surface plasmon polariton (SPP) by a rectangular dielectric channel discontinuity is analyzed through a rigorous magnetic field integral equation method. The scattering phenomenon is formulated by means of the magnetic-type scalar integral equation, which is subsequently treated through an entire-domain Galerkin method of moments (MoM), based on a Fourier-series plane wave expansion of the magnetic field inside the discontinuity. The use of Green's function Fourier transform allows all integrations over the area and along the boundary of the discontinuity to be performed analytically, resulting in a MoM matrix with entries that are expressed as spectral integrals of closed-form expressions. Complex analysis techniques, such as Cauchy's residue theorem and the saddle-point method, are applied to obtain the amplitudes of the transmitted and reflected SPP modes and the radiated field pattern. Through numerical results, we examine the wavelength selectivity of transmission and reflection against the channel dimensions as well as the sensitivity to changes in the refractive index of the discontinuity, which is useful for sensing applications.

Study of surface integrity AISI 4140 as result of hard, dry and high speed machining using CBN

Science.gov (United States)

Ginting, B.; Sembiring, R. W.; Manurung, N.

2017-09-01

The concept of hard, dry and high speed machining can be combined, to produce high productivity, with lower production costs in manufacturing industry. Hard lathe process can be a solution to reduce production time. In lathe hard alloy steels reported problems relating to the integrity of such surface roughness, residual stress, the white layer and the surface integrity. AISI 4140 material is used for high reliable hydraulic system components. This material includes in cold work tool steel. Consideration election is because this material is able to be hardened up to 55 HRC. In this research, the experimental design using CCD model fit with three factors, each factor is composed of two levels, and six central point, experiments were conducted with 1 replications. The experimental design research using CCD model fit.

Groundfish overfishing, diatom decline, and the marine silica cycle: Lessons from Saanich Inlet, Canada, and the Baltic Sea cod crash

Science.gov (United States)

Katz, Timor; Yahel, Gitai; Yahel, Ruthy; Tunnicliffe, Verena; Herut, Barak; Snelgrove, Paul; Crusius, John; Lazar, Boaz

2009-12-01

In this study, we link groundfish activity to the marine silica cycle and suggest that the drastic mid-1980s crash of the Baltic Sea cod (Gadus morhua) population triggered a cascade of events leading to decrease in dissolved silica (DSi) and diatom abundance in the water. We suggest that this seemingly unrelated sequence of events was caused by a marked decline in sediment resuspension associated with reduced groundfish activity resulting from the cod crash. In a study in Saanich Inlet, British Columbia, Canada, we discovered that, by resuspending bottom sediments, groundfish triple DSi fluxes from the sediments and reduce silica accumulation therein. Using these findings and the available oceanographic and environmental data from the Baltic Sea, we estimate that overfishing and recruitment failure of Baltic cod reduced by 20% the DSi supply from bottom sediments to the surface water leading to a decline in the diatom population in the Baltic Sea. The major importance of the marginal ocean in the marine silica cycle and the associated high population density of groundfish suggest that groundfish play a major role in the silica cycle. We postulate that dwindling groundfish populations caused by anthropogenic perturbations, e.g., overfishing and bottom water anoxia, may cause shifts in marine phytoplankton communities.

The influence of log soaking temperature on surface quality and integrity performance of birch (Betula pendula Roth) veneer

Science.gov (United States)

Anti Rohumaa; Toni Antikainen; Christopher G. Hunt; Charles R. Frihart; Mark Hughes

2016-01-01

Wood material surface properties play an important role in adhesive bond formation and performance. In the present study, a test method was developed to evaluate the integrity of the wood surface, and the results were used to understand bond performance. Materials used were rotary cut birch (Betula pendula Roth) veneers, produced from logs soaked at 20 or 70 °C prior...

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...

Optimizing water resources management in large river basins with integrated surface water-groundwater modeling: A surrogate-based approach

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Bin; Zheng, Yi; Wu, Xin; Tian, Yong; Han, Feng; Liu, Jie; Zheng, Chunmiao

2015-04-01

Integrated surface water-groundwater modeling can provide a comprehensive and coherent understanding on basin-scale water cycle, but its high computational cost has impeded its application in real-world management. This study developed a new surrogate-based approach, SOIM (Surrogate-based Optimization for Integrated surface water-groundwater Modeling), to incorporate the integrated modeling into water management optimization. Its applicability and advantages were evaluated and validated through an optimization research on the conjunctive use of surface water (SW) and groundwater (GW) for irrigation in a semiarid region in northwest China. GSFLOW, an integrated SW-GW model developed by USGS, was employed. The study results show that, due to the strong and complicated SW-GW interactions, basin-scale water saving could be achieved by spatially optimizing the ratios of groundwater use in different irrigation districts. The water-saving potential essentially stems from the reduction of nonbeneficial evapotranspiration from the aqueduct system and shallow groundwater, and its magnitude largely depends on both water management schemes and hydrological conditions. Important implications for water resources management in general include: first, environmental flow regulation needs to take into account interannual variation of hydrological conditions, as well as spatial complexity of SW-GW interactions; and second, to resolve water use conflicts between upper stream and lower stream, a system approach is highly desired to reflect ecological, economic, and social concerns in water management decisions. Overall, this study highlights that surrogate-based approaches like SOIM represent a promising solution to filling the gap between complex environmental modeling and real-world management decision-making.

Sulfatide Preserves Insulin Crystals Not by Being Integrated in the Lattice but by Stabilizing Their Surface

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Buschard, Karsten; Bracey, Austin W.; McElroy, Daniel L.

2016-01-01

Background. Sulfatide is known to chaperone insulin crystallization within the pancreatic beta cell, but it is not known if this results from sulfatide being integrated inside the crystal structure or by binding the surface of the crystal. With this study, we aimed to characterize the molecular m...

Formulations by surface integral equations for numerical simulation of non-destructive testing by eddy currents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vigneron, Audrey

2015-01-01

The thesis addresses the numerical simulation of non-destructive testing (NDT) using eddy currents, and more precisely the computation of induced electromagnetic fields by a transmitter sensor in a healthy part. This calculation is the first step of the modeling of a complete control process in the CIVA software platform developed at CEA LIST. Currently, models integrated in CIVA are restricted to canonical (modal computation) or axially-symmetric geometries. The need for more diverse and complex configurations requires the introduction of new numerical modeling tools. In practice the sensor may be composed of elements with different shapes and physical properties. The inspected parts are conductive and may contain dielectric or magnetic elements. Due to the cohabitation of different materials in one configuration, different regimes (static, quasi-static or dynamic) may coexist. Under the assumption of linear, isotropic and piecewise homogeneous material properties, the surface integral equation (SIE) approach allows to reduce a volume-based problem to an equivalent surface-based problem. However, the usual SIE formulations for the Maxwell's problem generally suffer from numerical noise in asymptotic situations, and especially at low frequencies. The objective of this study is to determine a version that is stable for a range of physical parameters typical of eddy-current NDT applications. In this context, a block-iterative scheme based on a physical decomposition is proposed for the computation of primary fields. This scheme is accurate and well-conditioned. An asymptotic study of the integral Maxwell's problem at low frequencies is also performed, allowing to establish the eddy-current integral problem as an asymptotic case of the corresponding Maxwell problem. (author) [fr

NOAA JPSS Microwave Integrated Retrieval System (MIRS) Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) Precipitation and Surface Products from NDE

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains two-dimensional precipitation and surface products from the JPSS Microwave Integrated Retrieval System (MIRS) using sensor data from the...

Effect of Built-Up Edge Formation during Stable State of Wear in AISI 304 Stainless Steel on Machining Performance and Surface Integrity of the Machined Part.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Yassmin Seid; Fox-Rabinovich, German; Paiva, Jose Mario; Wagg, Terry; Veldhuis, Stephen Clarence

2017-10-25

During machining of stainless steels at low cutting -speeds, workpiece material tends to adhere to the cutting tool at the tool-chip interface, forming built-up edge (BUE). BUE has a great importance in machining processes; it can significantly modify the phenomenon in the cutting zone, directly affecting the workpiece surface integrity, cutting tool forces, and chip formation. The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) 304 stainless steel has a high tendency to form an unstable BUE, leading to deterioration of the surface quality. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the nature of the surface integrity induced during machining operations. Although many reports have been published on the effect of tool wear during machining of AISI 304 stainless steel on surface integrity, studies on the influence of the BUE phenomenon in the stable state of wear have not been investigated so far. The main goal of the present work is to investigate the close link between the BUE formation, surface integrity and cutting forces in the stable sate of wear for uncoated cutting tool during the cutting tests of AISI 304 stainless steel. The cutting parameters were chosen to induce BUE formation during machining. X-ray diffraction (XRD) method was used for measuring superficial residual stresses of the machined surface through the stable state of wear in the cutting and feed directions. In addition, surface roughness of the machined surface was investigated using the Alicona microscope and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to reveal the surface distortions created during the cutting process, combined with chip undersurface analyses. The investigated BUE formation during the stable state of wear showed that the BUE can cause a significant improvement in the surface integrity and cutting forces. Moreover, it can be used to compensate for tool wear through changing the tool geometry, leading to the protection of the cutting tool from wear.

Integrated dry NO{sub x}/SO{sub 2} emissions control system performance summary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hunt, T. [Public Service Company of Colorado, Denver, CO (United States); Muzio, L.J.; Smith, R. [Fossil Energy Research Corp., Laguna Hills, CA (United States); Jones, D. [NOELL, Inc., Long Beach, CA (United States); Hebb, J.L. [Dept. of Energy, Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Stallings, J. [Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States)

1997-12-31

The Integrated Dry NO{sub x}/SO{sub 2} Emissions Control System was installed at Public Service Company of Colorado`s Arapahoe 4 generating station in 1992 in cooperation with the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). This full-scale 100 MWe demonstration combines low-NO{sub x} burners, overfire, air, and selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) for NO{sub x} control and dry sorbent injection (DSI) with or without humidification for SO{sub 2} control. Operation and testing of the Integrated Dry NO{sub x}/SO{sub 2} Emissions Control System began in August 1992 and will continue through 1996. Results of the NO{sub x} control technologies show that the original system goal of 70% NO{sub x} removal has been easily met and the combustion and SNCR systems can achieve NO{sub x} removals of up to 80% at full load. Duct injection of commercial calcium hydroxide has achieved a maximum SO{sub 2} removal of nearly 40% while humidifying the flue gas to a 20 F approach to saturation. Sodium-based dry sorbent injection has provided SO{sub 2} removal of over 70% without the occurrence of a visible NO{sub 2} plume. Recent test work has improved SNCR performance at low loads and has demonstrated that combined dry sodium injection and SNCR yields both lower NO{sub 2} levels and NH{sub 3} slip than either technology alone.

Integrated Modeling of Groundwater and Surface Water Interactions in a Manmade Wetland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guobiao Huang Gour-Tsyh Yeh

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A manmade pilot wetland in south Florida, the Everglades Nutrient Removal (ENR project, was modeled with a physics-based integrated approach using WASH123D (Yeh et al. 2006. Storm water is routed into the treatment wetland for phosphorus removal by plant and sediment uptake. It overlies a highly permeable surficial groundwater aquifer. Strong surface water and groundwater interactions are a key component of the hydrologic processes. The site has extensive field measurement and monitoring tools that provide point scale and distributed data on surface water levels, groundwater levels, and the physical range of hydraulic parameters and hydrologic fluxes. Previous hydrologic and hydrodynamic modeling studies have treated seepage losses empirically by some simple regression equations and, only surface water flows are modeled in detail. Several years of operational data are available and were used in model historical matching and validation. The validity of a diffusion wave approximation for two-dimensional overland flow (in the region with very flat topography was also tested. The uniqueness of this modeling study is notable for (1 the point scale and distributed comparison of model results with observed data; (2 model parameters based on available field test data; and (3 water flows in the study area include two-dimensional overland flow, hydraulic structures/levees, three-dimensional subsurface flow and one-dimensional canal flow and their interactions. This study demonstrates the need and the utility of a physics-based modeling approach for strong surface water and groundwater interactions.

Maritime over the Horizon Sensor Integration: High Frequency Surface-Wave-Radar and Automatic Identification System Data Integration Algorithm.

Science.gov (United States)

Nikolic, Dejan; Stojkovic, Nikola; Lekic, Nikola

2018-04-09

To obtain the complete operational picture of the maritime situation in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) which lies over the horizon (OTH) requires the integration of data obtained from various sensors. These sensors include: high frequency surface-wave-radar (HFSWR), satellite automatic identification system (SAIS) and land automatic identification system (LAIS). The algorithm proposed in this paper utilizes radar tracks obtained from the network of HFSWRs, which are already processed by a multi-target tracking algorithm and associates SAIS and LAIS data to the corresponding radar tracks, thus forming an integrated data pair. During the integration process, all HFSWR targets in the vicinity of AIS data are evaluated and the one which has the highest matching factor is used for data association. On the other hand, if there is multiple AIS data in the vicinity of a single HFSWR track, the algorithm still makes only one data pair which consists of AIS and HFSWR data with the highest mutual matching factor. During the design and testing, special attention is given to the latency of AIS data, which could be very high in the EEZs of developing countries. The algorithm is designed, implemented and tested in a real working environment. The testing environment is located in the Gulf of Guinea and includes a network of HFSWRs consisting of two HFSWRs, several coastal sites with LAIS receivers and SAIS data provided by provider of SAIS data.

Effect of geographical and ethnic variation on Dysphonia Severity Index: a study of Indian population.

Science.gov (United States)

Jayakumar, T; Savithri, S R

2012-01-01

Dysphonia Severity Index (DSI) is a widely used multiparametric approach to objectively quantify the voice quality. Few research groups have investigated the test-retest, interobserver variability, and influence of age and gender. They have also verified the application of DSI in various voice rehabilitation conditions. However, all these studies have been conducted on European population. There is a possibility of variation in the basic parameters of DSI across geographical and ethnic groups. Hence, the present study evaluated DSI in Indian population. One hundred twenty voluntary participants (60 males, 60 females) who had G(0) on the Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Aesthenia, Strain (GRBAS) scale participated in the study (age range of 18-25 years, M=21.8, standard deviation=2.7). Maximum phonation time (MPT), frequency intensity, and jitter measurements were made using CSL 4500 (Kay Elemetrics, Pine Brook, NJ). Results showed noticeable difference between Indian and European population on MPT, Highest frequency (F(0)-High), and DSI values. Significant gender difference was also observed on MPT and F(0)-High. Test-retest reliability showed >95% for all the parameters. The MPT decrement lead to a reduction in the overall DSI value in both the genders. These results of the study caution voice professionals to reinvestigate and establish their own norms for their geographical and ethnic groups. Copyright © 2012 The Voice Foundation. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessment and monitoring of ballistic and maximal upper-body strength qualities in athletes.

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Kieran P; Haff, G Gregory; Newton, Robert U; Gabbett, Tim J; Sheppard, Jeremy M

2015-03-01

To evaluate whether the dynamic strength index (DSI: ballistic peak force/isometric peak force) could be effectively used to guide specific training interventions and detect training-induced changes in maximal and ballistic strength. Twenty-four elite male athletes were assessed in the isometric bench press and a 45% 1-repetition-maximum (1RM) ballistic bench throw using a force plate and linear position transducer. The DSI was calculated using the peak force values obtained during the ballistic bench throw and isometric bench press. Athletes were then allocated into 2 groups as matched pairs based on their DSI and strength in the 1RM bench press. Over the 5 wk of training, athletes performed either high-load (80-100% 1RM) bench press or moderate-load (40-55% 1RM) ballistic bench throws. The DSI was sensitive to disparate training methods, with the bench-press group increasing isometric bench-press peak force (P=.035, 91% likely), and the ballistic-bench-throw group increasing bench-throw peak force to a greater extent (P≤.001, 83% likely). A significant increase (P≤.001, 93% likely) in the DSI was observed for both groups. The DSI can be used to guide specific training interventions and can detect training-induced changes in isometric bench-press and ballistic bench-throw peak force over periods as short as 5 wk.

Validation of the Driver Stress Inventory in China: Relationship with dangerous driving behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Qu, Weina; Zhang, Qian; Zhao, Wenguo; Zhang, Kan; Ge, Yan

2016-02-01

Perceived stress while driving may affect how critical driving events are handled. The current study validates a Chinese version of the Driver Stress Inventory (DSI) and explores its correlation with dangerous driving behaviors and gender. A sample of 246 drivers completed the Chinese version of the DSI and the Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ). We also evaluated specific sociodemographic variables and traffic violations (including speeding, violating traffic signs or markings, driving while intoxicated, running a red light, and incurring penalty points). A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) verified the DSI's internal structure. The DSI was also validated using questionnaires related to the DBQ, self-reported traffic accidents and violations, and sociodemographic characteristics. First, all of the DSI dimensions were moderately or weakly correlated with the DBQ subscales. Second, aggression, hazard monitoring and fatigue were weakly correlated with minor accidents. Third, drivers who had sped and violated traffic signs during the previous three years reported higher aggression and thrill seeking, while drivers who had violated traffic signs or markings during the previous three years reported decreased hazard monitoring compared with non-offenders. Finally, there were significant gender differences in driver stress. The Chinese version of the DSI will be useful for classifying and diagnosing drivers who may be at an increased risk for stress reactions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A relationship between regional and global GCM surface air temperature changes and its application to an integrated model of climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jonas, M.; Ganopolski, A.V.; Krabec, J.; Olendrzyski, K.; Petoukhov, V.K.

1994-01-01

This study outlines the advantages of combining the Integrated Model to Assess the Greenhouse affect (IMAGE, an integrated quick turnaround, global model of climate change) with a spatially detailed General Circulation Model (GCM), in this case developed at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (MPI) in Hamburg. The outcome is a modified IMAGE model that simulates the MPI GCM projections of annual surface air temperature change globally and regionally. IMAGE thus provides policy analysts with integrated and regional information about global warming for a great range of policy-dependent greenhouse gas emission or concentration scenarios, while preserving its quick turnaround time. With the help of IMAGE various regional temperature response simulations have been produced. None of these simulations has yet been performed by any GCM. The simulations reflect the uncertainty range of a future warming. In this study the authors deal only with a simplified subsystem of such an integrated model of climate change, which begins with policy options, neglects the societal component in the greenhouse gas accounting tool, and ends with temperature change as the only output of the climate model. The model the authors employ is the Integrated Model to Assess the Greenhouse Effect (IMAGE, version 1.0), which was developed by the Netherlands National Institute of Public Health and Environmental Protection (RIVM). IMAGE is a scientifically based, parameterized simulation policy model designed to calculate the historical and future effects of greenhouse gases on global surface and surface air temperatures and sea-level rise

Low-loss integrated electrical surface plasmon source with ultra-smooth metal film fabricated by polymethyl methacrylate ‘bond and peel’ method

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wenjie; Hu, Xiaolong; Zou, Qiushun; Wu, Shaoying; Jin, Chongjun

2018-06-01

External light sources are mostly employed to functionalize the plasmonic components, resulting in a bulky footprint. Electrically driven integrated plasmonic devices, combining ultra-compact critical feature sizes with extremely high transmission speeds and low power consumption, can link plasmonics with the present-day electronic world. In an effort to achieve this prospect, suppressing the losses in the plasmonic devices becomes a pressing issue. In this work, we developed a novel polymethyl methacrylate ‘bond and peel’ method to fabricate metal films with sub-nanometer smooth surfaces on semiconductor wafers. Based on this method, we further fabricated a compact plasmonic source containing a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) waveguide with an ultra-smooth metal surface on a GaAs-based light-emitting diode wafer. An increase in propagation length of the SPP mode by a factor of 2.95 was achieved as compared with the conventional device containing a relatively rough metal surface. Numerical calculations further confirmed that the propagation length is comparable to the theoretical prediction on the MIM waveguide with perfectly smooth metal surfaces. This method facilitates low-loss and high-integration of electrically driven plasmonic devices, thus provides an immediate opportunity for the practical application of on-chip integrated plasmonic circuits.

Salt Marshes as Sources and Sinks of Silica

Science.gov (United States)

Carey, J.; Fulweiler, R. W.

2014-12-01

The role of salt marshes in controlling silica exchange between terrestrial and marine environments is unclear. In some studies, large quantities of dissolved silica (DSi) appear to be exported from marshes via tidal exchange, potentially fueling future diatom production in adjacent waters. In contrast, other studies report insignificant DSi export and found instead that salt marshes appeared to be Si sinks. Further, few studies examine salt marsh Si export in relation to inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and phosphorus (DIP). We address these uncertainties by quantifying net fluxes of DSi and biogenic Si (BSi), as well as DIN and DIP during the spring and summer in a relatively undisturbed southern New England salt marsh (Narragansett Bay, USA). Our data demonstrates that during the spring, when estuarine waters are deplete in DSi, the marsh serves as a net sink of BSi (132 mol h-1) and a source of DSi (31 mol h-1) to the estuary. The spring DIN:DSi ratios of ebbing water were more than five times lower than flood waters. Most importantly, the DSi export rates (6.5 x103 mol d-1 km-2) are an order of magnitude larger than the export by rivers in the region (115 mol d-1 km-2), indicating the marsh tidal exchange is vital in supplying the Si necessary for spring diatom blooms in the estuary. Conversely, during the summer the marsh served as a net Si sink, importing on average 59 mol DSi h-1 and 39 mol BSi h-1. These data highlight that the role of salt marshes in silica cycling appears to have a strong seasonality. We hypothesize that net import of Si increases the residence time of Si in estuarine systems, providing an important and previously over-looked ecosystem service. In the absence of salt marshes, ~5.1 x 104 kmol of Si would be exported from this system during the growing season, possibly decreasing Si availability and altering phytoplankton species composition in the estuary.

HESS Opinions "Integration of groundwater and surface water research: an interdisciplinary problem?"

Science.gov (United States)

Barthel, R.

2014-07-01

Today there is a great consensus that water resource research needs to become more holistic, integrating perspectives of a large variety of disciplines. Groundwater and surface water (hereafter: GW and SW) are typically identified as different compartments of the hydrological cycle and were traditionally often studied and managed separately. However, despite this separation, these respective fields of study are usually not considered to be different disciplines. They are often seen as different specializations of hydrology with a different focus yet similar theory, concepts, and methodology. The present article discusses how this notion may form a substantial obstacle in the further integration of GW and SW research and management. The article focuses on the regional scale (areas of approximately 103 to 106 km2), which is identified as the scale where integration is most greatly needed, but ironically where the least amount of fully integrated research seems to be undertaken. The state of research on integrating GW and SW research is briefly reviewed and the most essential differences between GW hydrology (or hydrogeology, geohydrology) and SW hydrology are presented. Groundwater recharge and baseflow are used as examples to illustrate different perspectives on similar phenomena that can cause severe misunderstandings and errors in the conceptualization of integration schemes. The fact that integration of GW and SW research on the regional scale necessarily must move beyond the hydrological aspects, by collaborating with the social sciences and increasing the interaction between science and society in general, is also discussed. The typical elements of an ideal interdisciplinary workflow are presented and their relevance with respect to the integration of GW and SW is discussed. The overall conclusions are that GW hydrology and SW hydrogeology study rather different objects of interest, using different types of observation, working on different problem settings

Study on the dual-synthetic antiferromagnetic property using the Co2FeAl Heulser electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, D L; Xu, X G; Wu, Y; Li, X Q; Miao, J; Jiang, Y

2011-01-01

In this paper, we present the experimental results of dual-synthetic antiferromagnets (DSyAFs) with Co 2 FeAl (CFA) Heusler electrodes. It is shown that when the thicknesses of Ru layers are (0.45, 0.65) and (0.45, 1.00) (in nm), the CFA-based DSyAFs have a strong synthetic antiferromagnetic coupling among three CFA layers at room temperature, with a large saturation magnetic field Hs of ∼11000 Oe, a low saturation magnetization Ms of ∼708 emu/cm 3 and a switching field Hsw of ∼2.0 Oe, respectively. It is exciting that the CFA-based DSyAFs have an excellent thermal stability up to 400 0 C. Therefore, the CFA-based DSyAFs are favourable for applications in future spintronic devices.

Mitigation of biofilm formation on corrugated cardboard fresh produce packaging surfaces using a novel thiazolidinedione derivative integrated in acrylic emulsion polymers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael eBrandwein

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Various surfaces associated with the storage and packing of food are known to harbor distinct bacterial pathogens. Conspicuously absent among the plethora of studies implicating food packaging materials and machinery is the study of corrugated cardboard packaging, the worldwide medium for transporting fresh produce. In this study, we observed the microbial communities of three different store-bought fruits and vegetables, along with their analogue cardboard packaging using high throughput sequencing technology. We further developed an anti-biofilm polymer meant to coat corrugated cardboard surfaces and mediate bacterial biofilm growth on said surfaces. Integration of a novel thiazolidinedione derivative into the acrylic emulsion polymers was assessed using Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry analysis and surface topography was visualized and quantified on corrugated cardboard surfaces. Biofilm growth was measured using q-PCR targeting the gene encoding 16s rRNA. Additionally, architectural structure of the biofilm was observed using SEM. The uniform integration of the thiazolidinedione derivative TZD-6 was confirmed, and it was determined via q-PCR to reduce biofilm growth by ~80% on tested surfaces. A novel and effective method for reducing microbial load and preventing contamination on food packaging is thereby proposed.

Mitigation of Biofilm Formation on Corrugated Cardboard Fresh Produce Packaging Surfaces Using a Novel Thiazolidinedione Derivative Integrated in Acrylic Emulsion Polymers.

Science.gov (United States)

Brandwein, Michael; Al-Quntar, Abed; Goldberg, Hila; Mosheyev, Gregory; Goffer, Moshe; Marin-Iniesta, Fulgencio; López-Gómez, Antonio; Steinberg, Doron

2016-01-01

Various surfaces associated with the storage and packing of food are known to harbor distinct bacterial pathogens. Conspicuously absent among the plethora of studies implicating food packaging materials and machinery is the study of corrugated cardboard packaging, the worldwide medium for transporting fresh produce. In this study, we observed the microbial communities of three different store-bought fruits and vegetables, along with their analog cardboard packaging using high throughput sequencing technology. We further developed an anti-biofilm polymer meant to coat corrugated cardboard surfaces and mediate bacterial biofilm growth on said surfaces. Integration of a novel thiazolidinedione derivative into the acrylic emulsion polymers was assessed using Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (EDS) analysis and surface topography was visualized and quantified on corrugated cardboard surfaces. Biofilm growth was measured using q-PCR targeting the gene encoding 16s rRNA. Additionally, architectural structure of the biofilm was observed using SEM. The uniform integration of the thiazolidinedione derivative TZD-6 was confirmed, and it was determined via q-PCR to reduce biofilm growth by ~80% on tested surfaces. A novel and effective method for reducing microbial load and preventing contamination on food packaging is thereby proposed.

Departure Queue Prediction for Strategic and Tactical Surface Scheduler Integration

Science.gov (United States)

Zelinski, Shannon; Windhorst, Robert

2016-01-01

A departure metering concept to be demonstrated at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) will integrate strategic and tactical surface scheduling components to enable the respective collaborative decision making and improved efficiency benefits these two methods of scheduling provide. This study analyzes the effect of tactical scheduling on strategic scheduler predictability. Strategic queue predictions and target gate pushback times to achieve a desired queue length are compared between fast time simulations of CLT surface operations with and without tactical scheduling. The use of variable departure rates as a strategic scheduler input was shown to substantially improve queue predictions over static departure rates. With target queue length calibration, the strategic scheduler can be tuned to produce average delays within one minute of the tactical scheduler. However, root mean square differences between strategic and tactical delays were between 12 and 15 minutes due to the different methods the strategic and tactical schedulers use to predict takeoff times and generate gate pushback clearances. This demonstrates how difficult it is for the strategic scheduler to predict tactical scheduler assigned gate delays on an individual flight basis as the tactical scheduler adjusts departure sequence to accommodate arrival interactions. Strategic/tactical scheduler compatibility may be improved by providing more arrival information to the strategic scheduler and stabilizing tactical scheduler changes to runway sequence in response to arrivals.

The Mothership Mission Architecture

Science.gov (United States)

Ernst, S. M.; DiCorcia, J. D.; Bonin, G.; Gump, D.; Lewis, J. S.; Foulds, C.; Faber, D.

2015-12-01

The Mothership is considered to be a dedicated deep space carrier spacecraft. It is currently being developed by Deep Space Industries (DSI) as a mission concept that enables a broad participation in the scientific exploration of small bodies - the Mothership mission architecture. A Mothership shall deliver third-party nano-sats, experiments and instruments to Near Earth Asteroids (NEOs), comets or moons. The Mothership service includes delivery of nano-sats, communication to Earth and visuals of the asteroid surface and surrounding area. The Mothership is designed to carry about 10 nano-sats, based upon a variation of the Cubesat standard, with some flexibility on the specific geometry. The Deep Space Nano-Sat reference design is a 14.5 cm cube, which accommodates the same volume as a traditional 3U CubeSat. To reduce cost, Mothership is designed as a secondary payload aboard launches to GTO. DSI is offering slots for nano-sats to individual customers. This enables organizations with relatively low operating budgets to closely examine an asteroid with highly specialized sensors of their own choosing and carry out experiments in the proximity of or on the surface of an asteroid, while the nano-sats can be built or commissioned by a variety of smaller institutions, companies, or agencies. While the overall Mothership mission will have a financial volume somewhere between a European Space Agencies' (ESA) S- and M-class mission for instance, it can be funded through a number of small and individual funding sources and programs, hence avoiding the processes associated with traditional space exploration missions. DSI has been able to identify a significant interest in the planetary science and nano-satellite communities.

Investigation of the physical parameters of duplex stainless steel (DSS surface integrity after turning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Krolczyk

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The article presents the influence of machining parameters on the microhardness of surface integrity (SI after turning by means of a coated sintered carbide wedge with a coating with ceramic intermediate layer. The investigation comprised the influence of cutting speed on the SI microhardness in dry machining. The material under investigation was duplex stainless steel with two-phase ferritic-austenitic structure. The results obtained allow for conclusions concerning the exploitation features of processed machine parts.

Turbulence Mitigation for Aircraft in Urban Environments

Science.gov (United States)

2018-03-02

DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT A DISTRIBUTION UNLIMITED: PB Public Release 13.  SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14.  ABSTRACT The PI and collaborators were...to technological limitations (poor deflection, max deflection speed limited by resonance of structure, high voltage). Alternatively leading edge...Federal Government and Defence Science Technology Institute, DSI) started in April 2016 to investigate the use of leading edge control surfaces for

A Calderón multiplicative preconditioner for coupled surface-volume electric field integral equations

KAUST Repository

Bagci, Hakan

2010-08-01

A well-conditioned coupled set of surface (S) and volume (V) electric field integral equations (S-EFIE and V-EFIE) for analyzing wave interactions with densely discretized composite structures is presented. Whereas the V-EFIE operator is well-posed even when applied to densely discretized volumes, a classically formulated S-EFIE operator is ill-posed when applied to densely discretized surfaces. This renders the discretized coupled S-EFIE and V-EFIE system ill-conditioned, and its iterative solution inefficient or even impossible. The proposed scheme regularizes the coupled set of S-EFIE and V-EFIE using a Calderón multiplicative preconditioner (CMP)-based technique. The resulting scheme enables the efficient analysis of electromagnetic interactions with composite structures containing fine/subwavelength geometric features. Numerical examples demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed scheme. © 2006 IEEE.

Integration of thin film giant magnetoimpedance sensor and surface acoustic wave transponder

KAUST Repository

Li, Bodong

2012-03-09

Passive and remote sensing technology has many potential applications in implantable devices, automation, or structural monitoring. In this paper, a tri-layer thin film giant magnetoimpedance (GMI) sensor with the maximum sensitivity of 16%/Oe and GMI ratio of 44% was combined with a two-port surface acoustic wave(SAW) transponder on a common substrate using standard microfabrication technology resulting in a fully integrated sensor for passive and remote operation. The implementation of the two devices has been optimized by on-chip matching circuits. The measurement results clearly show a magnetic field response at the input port of the SAW transponder that reflects the impedance change of the GMI sensor.

Integration of thin film giant magnetoimpedance sensor and surface acoustic wave transponder

KAUST Repository

Li, Bodong; Salem, Nedime Pelin M. H.; Giouroudi, Ioanna; Kosel, Jü rgen

2012-01-01

Passive and remote sensing technology has many potential applications in implantable devices, automation, or structural monitoring. In this paper, a tri-layer thin film giant magnetoimpedance (GMI) sensor with the maximum sensitivity of 16%/Oe and GMI ratio of 44% was combined with a two-port surface acoustic wave(SAW) transponder on a common substrate using standard microfabrication technology resulting in a fully integrated sensor for passive and remote operation. The implementation of the two devices has been optimized by on-chip matching circuits. The measurement results clearly show a magnetic field response at the input port of the SAW transponder that reflects the impedance change of the GMI sensor.

Imaging and chemical surface analysis of biomolecular functionalization of monolithically integrated on silicon Mach-Zehnder interferometric immunosensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gajos, Katarzyna; Angelopoulou, Michailia; Petrou, Panagiota; Awsiuk, Kamil; Kakabakos, Sotirios; Haasnoot, Willem; Bernasik, Andrzej; Rysz, Jakub; Marzec, Mateusz M.; Misiakos, Konstantinos; Raptis, Ioannis; Budkowski, Andrzej

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Optimization of probe immobilization with robotic spotter printing overlapping spots. • In-situ inspection of microstructured surfaces of biosensors integrated on silicon. • Imaging and chemical analysis of immobilization, surface blocking and immunoreaction. • Insight with molecular discrimination into step-by-step sensor surface modifications. • Optimized biofunctionalization improves sensor sensitivity and response repeatability. - Abstract: Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (imaging, micro-analysis) has been employed to evaluate biofunctionalization of the sensing arm areas of Mach-Zehnder interferometers monolithically integrated on silicon chips for the immunochemical (competitive) detection of bovine κ-casein in goat milk. Biosensor surfaces are examined after: modification with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane, application of multiple overlapping spots of κ-casein solutions, blocking with 100-times diluted goat milk, and reaction with monoclonal mouse anti-κ-casein antibodies in blocking solution. The areas spotted with κ-casein solutions of different concentrations are examined and optimum concentration providing homogeneous coverage is determined. Coverage of biosensor surfaces with biomolecules after each of the sequential steps employed in immunodetection is also evaluated with TOF-SIMS, supplemented by Atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Uniform molecular distributions are observed on the sensing arm areas after spotting with optimum κ-casein concentration, blocking and immunoreaction. The corresponding biomolecular compositions are determined with a Principal Component Analysis that distinguished between protein amino acids and milk glycerides, as well as between amino acids characteristic for Mabs and κ-casein, respectively. Use of the optimum conditions (κ-casein concentration) for functionalization of chips with arrays of ten Mach-Zehnder interferometers provided on-chips assays

Imaging and chemical surface analysis of biomolecular functionalization of monolithically integrated on silicon Mach-Zehnder interferometric immunosensors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gajos, Katarzyna, E-mail: kasia.fornal@uj.edu.pl [M. Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Łojasiewicza 11, 30-348 Kraków (Poland); Angelopoulou, Michailia; Petrou, Panagiota [Institute of Nuclear & Radiological Sciences & Technology, Energy & Safety, NCSR Demokritos, P. Grigoriou & Neapoleos St, Aghia Paraksevi 15310, Athens (Greece); Awsiuk, Kamil [M. Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Łojasiewicza 11, 30-348 Kraków (Poland); Kakabakos, Sotirios [Institute of Nuclear & Radiological Sciences & Technology, Energy & Safety, NCSR Demokritos, P. Grigoriou & Neapoleos St, Aghia Paraksevi 15310, Athens (Greece); Haasnoot, Willem [RIKILT Wageningen UR, Akkermaalsbos 2, 6708 WB Wageningen (Netherlands); Bernasik, Andrzej [Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, AGH University of Science and Technology, Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków (Poland); Academic Centre for Materials and Nanotechnology, AGH University of Science and Technology, Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków (Poland); Rysz, Jakub [M. Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Łojasiewicza 11, 30-348 Kraków (Poland); Marzec, Mateusz M. [Academic Centre for Materials and Nanotechnology, AGH University of Science and Technology, Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków (Poland); Misiakos, Konstantinos; Raptis, Ioannis [Department of Microelectronics, Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, NCSR Demokritos, P. Grigoriou & Neapoleos St, Aghia Paraksevi 15310, Athens (Greece); Budkowski, Andrzej [M. Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Łojasiewicza 11, 30-348 Kraków (Poland)

2016-11-01

Highlights: • Optimization of probe immobilization with robotic spotter printing overlapping spots. • In-situ inspection of microstructured surfaces of biosensors integrated on silicon. • Imaging and chemical analysis of immobilization, surface blocking and immunoreaction. • Insight with molecular discrimination into step-by-step sensor surface modifications. • Optimized biofunctionalization improves sensor sensitivity and response repeatability. - Abstract: Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (imaging, micro-analysis) has been employed to evaluate biofunctionalization of the sensing arm areas of Mach-Zehnder interferometers monolithically integrated on silicon chips for the immunochemical (competitive) detection of bovine κ-casein in goat milk. Biosensor surfaces are examined after: modification with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane, application of multiple overlapping spots of κ-casein solutions, blocking with 100-times diluted goat milk, and reaction with monoclonal mouse anti-κ-casein antibodies in blocking solution. The areas spotted with κ-casein solutions of different concentrations are examined and optimum concentration providing homogeneous coverage is determined. Coverage of biosensor surfaces with biomolecules after each of the sequential steps employed in immunodetection is also evaluated with TOF-SIMS, supplemented by Atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Uniform molecular distributions are observed on the sensing arm areas after spotting with optimum κ-casein concentration, blocking and immunoreaction. The corresponding biomolecular compositions are determined with a Principal Component Analysis that distinguished between protein amino acids and milk glycerides, as well as between amino acids characteristic for Mabs and κ-casein, respectively. Use of the optimum conditions (κ-casein concentration) for functionalization of chips with arrays of ten Mach-Zehnder interferometers provided on-chips assays

Towards the development of a hybrid-integrated chip interferometer for online surface profile measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, P.; Martin, H.; Jiang, X.

2016-01-01

Non-destructive testing and online measurement of surface features are pressing demands in manufacturing. Thus optical techniques are gaining importance for characterization of complex engineering surfaces. Harnessing integrated optics for miniaturization of interferometry systems onto a silicon wafer and incorporating a compact optical probe would enable the development of a handheld sensor for embedded metrology applications. In this work, we present the progress in the development of a hybrid photonics based metrology sensor device for online surface profile measurements. The measurement principle along with test and measurement results of individual components has been presented. For non-contact measurement, a spectrally encoded lateral scanning probe based on the laser scanning microscopy has been developed to provide fast measurement with lateral resolution limited to the diffraction limit. The probe demonstrates a lateral resolution of ∼3.6 μm while high axial resolution (sub-nanometre) is inherently achieved by interferometry. Further the performance of the hybrid tuneable laser and the scanning probe was evaluated by measuring a standard step height sample of 100 nm.

Towards the development of a hybrid-integrated chip interferometer for online surface profile measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, P.; Martin, H.; Jiang, X. [EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Advanced Metrology, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield HD1 3DH (United Kingdom)

2016-06-15

Non-destructive testing and online measurement of surface features are pressing demands in manufacturing. Thus optical techniques are gaining importance for characterization of complex engineering surfaces. Harnessing integrated optics for miniaturization of interferometry systems onto a silicon wafer and incorporating a compact optical probe would enable the development of a handheld sensor for embedded metrology applications. In this work, we present the progress in the development of a hybrid photonics based metrology sensor device for online surface profile measurements. The measurement principle along with test and measurement results of individual components has been presented. For non-contact measurement, a spectrally encoded lateral scanning probe based on the laser scanning microscopy has been developed to provide fast measurement with lateral resolution limited to the diffraction limit. The probe demonstrates a lateral resolution of ∼3.6 μm while high axial resolution (sub-nanometre) is inherently achieved by interferometry. Further the performance of the hybrid tuneable laser and the scanning probe was evaluated by measuring a standard step height sample of 100 nm.

Effect of flask vibration time on casting integrity, Surface Penetration and Coating Inclusion in lost foam casting of Al-Si Alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karimian, Majid; Idris, M. H.; Ourdjini, A.; Muthu, Kali

2011-01-01

The paper presents the result of an experimental investigation conducted on medium aluminum silicon alloy casting- LM6, using no-vacuum assisted lost foam casting process. The study is directed for establishing the relationship between the flask vibrations times developed for molded sample on the casting integrity, surface penetration and coating inclusion defects of the casting. Four different flask vibration times namely 180, 120, 90 and 60 sec. were investigated. The casting integrity was investigated in terms of fulfilling in all portions and edges. The surface penetration was measured using optical microscope whilst image analyzer was used to quantify the percentage of coating inclusion in the casting. The results show that vibration time has significant influence on the fulfilling as well as the internal integrity of the lost foam casting. It was found that the lower vibration time produced comparatively sound casing.

Assessing the impact of model spin-up on surface water-groundwater interactions using an integrated hydrologic model

KAUST Repository

Ajami, Hoori

2014-03-01

Integrated land surface-groundwater models are valuable tools in simulating the terrestrial hydrologic cycle as a continuous system and exploring the extent of land surface-subsurface interactions from catchment to regional scales. However, the fidelity of model simulations is impacted not only by the vegetation and subsurface parameterizations, but also by the antecedent condition of model state variables, such as the initial soil moisture, depth to groundwater, and ground temperature. In land surface modeling, a given model is often run repeatedly over a single year of forcing data until it reaches an equilibrium state: the point at which there is minimal artificial drift in the model state or prognostic variables (most often the soil moisture). For more complex coupled and integrated systems, where there is an increased computational cost of simulation and the number of variables sensitive to initialization is greater than in traditional uncoupled land surface modeling schemes, the challenge is to minimize the impact of initialization while using the smallest spin-up time possible. In this study, multicriteria analysis was performed to assess the spin-up behavior of the ParFlow.CLM integrated groundwater-surface water-land surface model over a 208 km2 subcatchment of the Ringkobing Fjord catchment in Denmark. Various measures of spin-up performance were computed for model state variables such as the soil moisture and groundwater storage, as well as for diagnostic variables such as the latent and sensible heat fluxes. The impacts of initial conditions on surface water-groundwater interactions were then explored. Our analysis illustrates that the determination of an equilibrium state depends strongly on the variable and performance measure used. Choosing an improper initialization of the model can generate simulations that lead to a misinterpretation of land surface-subsurface feedback processes and result in large biases in simulated discharge. Estimated spin

A Laboratory Experimental Study: An FBG-PVC Tube Integrated Device for Monitoring the Slip Surface of Landslides

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Shaojie; Chen, Jiang; Teng, Pengxiao; Wei, Fangqiang; Chen, Qiao

2017-01-01

A new detection device was designed by integrating fiber Bragg grating (FBG) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tube in order to monitor the slip surface of a landslide. Using this new FBG-based device, a corresponding slope model with a pre-set slip surface was designed, and seven tests with different soil properties were carried out in laboratory conditions. The FBG sensing fibers were fixed on the PVC tube to measure strain distributions of PVC tube at different elevation. Test results indicated that the PVC tube could keep deformation compatible with soil mass. The new device was able to monitor slip surface location before sliding occurrence, and the location of monitored slip surface was about 1–2 cm above the pre-set slip surface, which basically agreed with presupposition results. The monitoring results are expected to be used to pre-estimate landslide volume and provide a beneficial option for evaluating the potential impact of landslides on shipping safety in the Three Gorges area. PMID:29084157

Periodontal ligament stem/progenitor cells with protein-releasing scaffolds for cementum formation and integration on dentin surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Hankyu; Tarafder, Solaiman; Fogge, Michael; Kao, Kristy; Lee, Chang H

2016-11-01

Purpose/Aim: Cementogenesis is a critical step in periodontal tissue regeneration given the essential role of cementum in anchoring teeth to the alveolar bone. This study is designed to achieve integrated cementum formation on the root surfaces of human teeth using growth factor-releasing scaffolds with periodontal ligament stem/progenitor cells (PDLSCs). Human PDLSCs were sorted by CD146 expression, and characterized using CFU-F assay and induced multi-lineage differentiation. Polycaprolactone scaffolds were fabricated using 3D printing, embedded with poly(lactic-co-glycolic acids) (PLGA) microspheres encapsulating connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), or bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7). After removing cementum on human tooth roots, PDLSC-seeded scaffolds were placed on the exposed dentin surface. After 6-week culture with cementogenic/osteogenic medium, cementum formation and integration were evaluated by histomorphometric analysis, immunofluorescence, and qRT-PCR. Periodontal ligament (PDL) cells sorted by CD146 and single-cell clones show a superior clonogenecity and multipotency as compared with heterogeneous populations. After 6 weeks, all the growth factor-delivered groups showed resurfacing of dentin with a newly formed cementum-like layer as compared with control. BMP-2 and BMP-7 showed de novo formation of tissue layers significantly thicker than all the other groups, whereas CTGF and BMP-7 resulted in significantly improved integration on the dentin surface. The de novo mineralized tissue layer seen in BMP-7-treated samples expressed cementum matrix protein 1 (CEMP1). Consistently, BMP-7 showed a significant increase in CEMP1 mRNA expression. Our findings represent important progress in stem cell-based cementum regeneration as an essential part of periodontium regeneration.

Extreme drought decouples silicon and carbon geochemical linkages in lakes.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Tianyang; Li, Siyue; Bush, Richard T; Liang, Chuan

2018-09-01

Silicon and carbon geochemical linkages were usually regulated by chemical weathering and organism activity, but had not been investigated under the drought condition, and the magnitude and extent of drought effects remain poorly understood. We collected a comprehensive data set from a total of 13 sampling sites covering the main water body of the largest freshwater lake system in Australia, the Lower Lakes. Changes to water quality during drought (April 2008-September 2010) and post-drought (October 2010-October 2013) were compared to reveal the effects of drought on dissolved silica (DSi) and bicarbonate (HCO 3 - ) and other environmental factors, including sodium (Na + ), pH, electrical conductivity (EC), chlorophyll a (Chl-a), total dissolved solids (TDS), dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and water levels. Among the key observations, concentrations of DSi and DIN were markedly lower in drought than in post-drought period while pH, EC and concentrations of HCO 3 - , Na + , Chl-a, TDS, TN, TP and the ratio TN:TP had inverse trends. Stoichiometric ratios of DSi:HCO 3 - , DSi:Na + and HCO 3 - :Na + were significantly lower in the drought period. DSi exhibited significantly negative relationships with HCO 3 - , and DSi:Na + was strongly correlated with HCO 3 - :Na + in both drought and post-drought periods. The backward stepwise regression analysis that could avoid multicollinearity suggested that DSi:HCO 3 - ratio in drought period had significant relationships with fewer variables when compared to the post-drought, and was better predictable using nutrient variables during post-drought. Our results highlight the drought effects on variations of water constituents and point to the decoupling of silicon and carbon geochemical linkages in the Lower Lakes under drought conditions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Si cycling in a forest biogeosystem - the importance of transient state biogenic Si pools

Science.gov (United States)

Sommer, M.; Jochheim, H.; Höhn, A.; Breuer, J.; Zagorski, Z.; Busse, J.; Barkusky, D.; Meier, K.; Puppe, D.; Wanner, M.; Kaczorek, D.

2013-07-01

The relevance of biological Si cycling for dissolved silica (DSi) export from terrestrial biogeosystems is still in debate. Even in systems showing a high content of weatherable minerals, like Cambisols on volcanic tuff, biogenic Si (BSi) might contribute > 50% to DSi (Gerard et al., 2008). However, the number of biogeosystem studies is rather limited for generalized conclusions. To cover one end of controlling factors on DSi, i.e., weatherable minerals content, we studied a forested site with absolute quartz dominance (> 95%). Here we hypothesise minimal effects of chemical weathering of silicates on DSi. During a four year observation period (05/2007-04/2011), we quantified (i) internal and external Si fluxes of a temperate-humid biogeosystem (beech, 120 yr) by BIOME-BGC (version ZALF), (ii) related Si budgets, and (iii) Si pools in soil and beech, chemically as well as by SEM-EDX. For the first time two compartments of biogenic Si in soils were analysed, i.e., phytogenic and zoogenic Si pool (testate amoebae). We quantified an average Si plant uptake of 35 kg Si ha-1 yr-1 - most of which is recycled to the soil by litterfall - and calculated an annual biosilicification from idiosomic testate amoebae of 17 kg Si ha-1. The comparatively high DSi concentrations (6 mg L-1) and DSi exports (12 kg Si ha-1 yr-1) could not be explained by chemical weathering of feldspars or quartz dissolution. Instead, dissolution of a relictic, phytogenic Si pool seems to be the main process for the DSi observed. We identified canopy closure accompanied by a disappearance of grasses as well as the selective extraction of pine trees 30 yr ago as the most probable control for the phenomena observed. From our results we concluded the biogeosystem to be in a transient state in terms of Si cycling.

Si cycling in a forest biogeosystem – the importance of transient state biogenic Si pools

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Sommer

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The relevance of biological Si cycling for dissolved silica (DSi export from terrestrial biogeosystems is still in debate. Even in systems showing a high content of weatherable minerals, like Cambisols on volcanic tuff, biogenic Si (BSi might contribute > 50% to DSi (Gerard et al., 2008. However, the number of biogeosystem studies is rather limited for generalized conclusions. To cover one end of controlling factors on DSi, i.e., weatherable minerals content, we studied a forested site with absolute quartz dominance (> 95%. Here we hypothesise minimal effects of chemical weathering of silicates on DSi. During a four year observation period (05/2007–04/2011, we quantified (i internal and external Si fluxes of a temperate-humid biogeosystem (beech, 120 yr by BIOME-BGC (version ZALF, (ii related Si budgets, and (iii Si pools in soil and beech, chemically as well as by SEM-EDX. For the first time two compartments of biogenic Si in soils were analysed, i.e., phytogenic and zoogenic Si pool (testate amoebae. We quantified an average Si plant uptake of 35 kg Si ha−1 yr−1 – most of which is recycled to the soil by litterfall – and calculated an annual biosilicification from idiosomic testate amoebae of 17 kg Si ha−1. The comparatively high DSi concentrations (6 mg L−1 and DSi exports (12 kg Si ha−1 yr−1 could not be explained by chemical weathering of feldspars or quartz dissolution. Instead, dissolution of a relictic, phytogenic Si pool seems to be the main process for the DSi observed. We identified canopy closure accompanied by a disappearance of grasses as well as the selective extraction of pine trees 30 yr ago as the most probable control for the phenomena observed. From our results we concluded the biogeosystem to be in a transient state in terms of Si cycling.

Si cycling in a forest biogeosystem - the importance of anthropogenic perturbation and induced transient state of biogenic Si pools

Science.gov (United States)

Sommer, M.; Jochheim, H.; Höhn, A.; Breuer, J.; Zagorski, Z.; Busse, J.; Barkusky, D.; Puppe, D.; Wanner, M.; Kaczorek, D.

2012-12-01

The relevance of biological Si cycling for dissolved silica (DSi) export from terrestrial biogeosystems is still in debate. Even in systems showing a high content of weatherable minerals, like Cambisols on volcanic tuff, biogenic Si (BSi) might contribute > 50% to total DSi (Gerard et~al., 2008). However, the actual number of biogeosystem studies is rather limited for generalised conclusions. To cover one end of controlling factors on DSi - weatherable minerals content - we studied a~forested site with absolute quartz dominance (> 95%). Hence, we hypothesise minimal effects of chemical weathering of silicates on DSi. During a~four year observation period (May 2007-April 2011) we quantified (i) internal and external Si fluxes of a temperate-humid biogeosystem (beech, 120 yr) by BIOME-BGC (vers. ZALF), (ii) related Si budgets, and, (iii) Si pools in soil and beech, chemically as well as by SEM-EDX. For the first time both compartments of biogenic Si in soils were analysed, i.e. phytogenic and zoogenic Si pool (testate amoebae). We quantified an average Si plant uptake of 35 kg Si ha-1 yr-1 - most of which is recycled to the soil by litterfall - and calculated an annual biosilicification from idiosomic testate amoebae of 17 kg Si ha-1. High DSi concentrations (6 mg l-1) and DSi exports (12 kg Si ha-1 yr-1) could not be explained by chemical weathering of feldspars or quartz dissolution. Instead, dissolution of a relictic phytolith Si pool seems to be the main process for the DSi observed. We identified forest management, i.e. selective extraction of pine trees 20 yr ago followed by a disappearance of grasses, as the most probable control for the phenomena observed and hypothesised the biogeosystem to be in a transient state in terms of Si cycling.

Adaptation of Dunn Solar Telescope for Jovian Doppler spectro imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Underwood, Thomas A.; Voelz, David; Schmider, François-Xavier; Jackiewicz, Jason; Dejonghe, Julien; Bresson, Yves; Hull, Robert; Goncalves, Ivan; Gualme, Patrick; Morand, Frédéric; Preis, Olivier

2017-09-01

This paper describes instrumentation used to adapt the Dunn Solar Telescope (DST) located on Sacramento Peak in Sunspot, NM for observations using the Doppler Spectro Imager (DSI). The DSI is based on a Mach-Zehnder interferometer and measures the Doppler shift of solar lines allowing for the study of atmospheric dynamics of giant planets and the detection of their acoustic oscillations. The instrumentation is being designed and built through a collaborative effort between a French team from the Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur (OCA) that designed the DSI and a US team at New Mexico State University (NMSU). There are four major components that couple the DSI to the DST: a guider/tracker, fast steering mirror (FSM), pupil stabilizer and transfer optics. The guider/tracker processes digital video to centroid-track the planet and outputs voltages to the DST's heliostat controls. The FSM removes wavefront tip/tilt components primarily due to turbulence and the pupil stabilizer removes any slow pupil "wander" introduced by the telescope's heliostat/turret arrangement. The light received at a science port of the DST is sent through the correction and stabilization components and into the DSI. The FSM and transfer optics designs are being provided by the OCA team and serve much the same functions as they do for other telescopes at which DSI observations have been conducted. The pupil stabilization and guider are new and are required to address characteristics of the DST.

The mechanical problems on additive manufacturing of viscoelastic solids with integral conditions on a surface increasing in the growth process

Science.gov (United States)

Parshin, D. A.; Manzhirov, A. V.

2018-04-01

Quasistatic mechanical problems on additive manufacturing aging viscoelastic solids are investigated. The processes of piecewise-continuous accretion of such solids are considered. The consideration is carried out in the framework of linear mechanics of growing solids. A theorem about commutativity of the integration over an arbitrary surface increasing in the solid growing process and the time-derived integral operator of viscoelasticity with a limit depending on the solid point is proved. This theorem provides an efficient way to construct on the basis of Saint-Venant principle solutions of nonclassical boundary-value problems for describing the mechanical behaviour of additively formed solids with integral satisfaction of boundary conditions on the surfaces expanding due to the additional material influx to the formed solid. The constructed solutions will retrace the evolution of the stress-strain state of the solids under consideration during and after the processes of their additive formation. An example of applying the proved theorem is given.

Paediatric pelvic imaging: optimisation of dose and technique using digital grid-controlled pulsed fluoroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Waugh, R; McCallum, H M; McCarty, M; Montgomery, R; Aszkenasy, M

2001-05-01

An audit of paediatric pelvic radiographs identified deficiencies in gonad shield placement and radiographic technique. A technique using grid-controlled fluoroscopy (GCF), with hard copy images in frame grab and digital spot image (DSI) format was evaluated to optimise gonad shield placement and reduce the dose given to children with Perthes disease and Developmental Hip Dysplasia (DDH) attending for pelvic radiography. Phantom and patient dose surveys of conventional and fluoroscopic techniques were carried out. Image quality and radiation dose were compared for the frame grab and DSI techniques. Retrospective evaluation was undertaken to compare their clinical acceptability. Both fluoroscopic techniques gave considerably less radiation than conventional non-grid radiography (67-83%, P < 0.05). The frame grab technique gave less radiation than DSI (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the clinical acceptability scores of the DSI and frame grab images. Fluoroscopy acquired images are now used since the fluoroscopic techniques give much less dose than conventional radiography and provide images of sufficient quality for clinical assessment. Indeed, as there was no significant difference in clinical usefulness between the frame grab and DSI techniques, it is planned to use frame grab alone, thus gaining additional dose saving.

Conformal fields. From Riemann surfaces to integrable hierarchies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Semikhatov, A.M.

1991-01-01

I discuss the idea of translating ingredients of conformal field theory into the language of hierarchies of integrable differential equations. Primary conformal fields are mapped into (differential or matrix) operators living on the phase space of the hierarchy, whereas operator insertions of, e.g., a current or the energy-momentum tensor, become certain vector fields on the phase space and thus acquire a meaning independent of a given Riemann surface. A number of similarities are observed between the structures arising on the hierarchy and those of the theory on the world-sheet. In particular, there is an analogue of the operator product algebra with the Cauchy kernel replaced by its 'off-shell' hierarchy version. Also, hierarchy analogues of certain operator insertions admit two (equivalent, but distinct) forms, resembling the 'bosonized' and 'fermionized' versions respectively. As an application, I obtain a useful reformulation of the Virasoro constraints of the type that arise in matrix models, as a system of equations on dressing (or Lax) operators (rather than correlation functions, i.e., residues or traces). This also suggests an interpretation in terms of a 2D topological field theory, which might be extended to a correspondence between Virasoro-constrained hierarchies and topological theories. (orig.)

Surface profile measurement by using the integrated Linnik WLSI and confocal microscope system

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wei-Chung; Shen, Ming-Hsing; Hwang, Chi-Hung; Yu, Yun-Ting; Wang, Tzu-Fong

2017-06-01

The white-light scanning interferometer (WLSI) and confocal microscope (CM) are the two major optical inspection systems for measuring three-dimensional (3D) surface profile (SP) of micro specimens. Nevertheless, in practical applications, WLSI is more suitable for measuring smooth and low-slope surfaces. On the other hand, CM is more suitable for measuring uneven-reflective and low-reflective surfaces. As for aspect of surface profiles to be measured, the characteristics of WLSI and CM are also different. WLSI is generally used in semiconductor industry while CM is more popular in printed circuit board industry. In this paper, a self-assembled multi-function optical system was integrated to perform Linnik white-light scanning interferometer (Linnik WLSI) and CM. A connecting part composed of tubes, lenses and interferometer was used to conjunct finite and infinite optical systems for Linnik WLSI and CM in the self-assembled optical system. By adopting the flexibility of tubes and lenses, switching to perform two different optical measurements can be easily achieved. Furthermore, based on the shape from focus method with energy of Laplacian filter, the CM was developed to enhance the on focal information of each pixel so that the CM can provide all-in-focus image for performing the 3D SP measurement and analysis simultaneously. As for Linnik WLSI, eleven-step phase shifting algorithm was used to analyze vertical scanning signals and determine the 3D SP.

Enhancing tissue integration and angiogenesis of a novel nanocomposite polymer using plasma surface polymerisation, an in vitro and in vivo study.

Science.gov (United States)

Griffin, Michelle F; Palgrave, Robert G; Seifalian, Alexander M; Butler, Peter E; Kalaskar, Deepak M

2016-01-01

Current surgical reconstruction of facial defects including nose or ear involves harvesting patient's own autologous tissue, causing donor site morbidity and is limited by tissue availability. The use of alternative synthetic materials is also limited due to complications related to poor tissue integration and angiogenesis, which lead to extrusion of implants and infection. We intend to meet this clinical challenge by using a novel nanocomposite called polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane poly(carbonate-urea)urethane (POSS-PCU), which has already been successfully taken to the clinical bench-side as a replacement for trachea, tear duct and vascular by-pass graft. In this study, we aimed to enhance tissue integration and angiogenesis of POSS-PCU using an established surface treatment technique, plasma surface polymerisation (PSP), functionalising the surface using NH2 and COOH chemical groups. Physical characterisation of scaffolds was achieved by using a number of techniques, including water contact angle, SEM, AFM and XPS to study the effects of PSM modification on the POSS-PCU nanocomposite in detail, which has not been previously documented. Wettability evaluation confirmed that scaffolds become hydrophilic and AFM analysis confirmed that nano topographical alterations resulted as a consequence of PSP treatment. Chemical functionalisation was confirmed using XPS, which suggested the presence of NH2 and COOH functional groups on the scaffolds. The modified scaffolds were then tested both in vitro and in vivo to investigate the potential of PSP modified POSS-PCU scaffolds on tissue integration and angiogenesis. In vitro analysis confirmed that PSM modification resulted in higher cellular growth, proliferation and ECM production as assessed by biochemical assays and immunofluorescence. Subcutaneous implantation of modified POSS-PCU scaffolds was then carried out over 12-weeks, resulting in enhanced tissue integration and angiogenesis (p < 0.05). This study

Sensitivity study of voxel-based PET image comparison to image registration algorithms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yip, Stephen, E-mail: syip@lroc.harvard.edu; Chen, Aileen B.; Berbeco, Ross [Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115 (United States); Aerts, Hugo J. W. L. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115 and Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115 (United States)

2014-11-01

Purpose: Accurate deformable registration is essential for voxel-based comparison of sequential positron emission tomography (PET) images for proper adaptation of treatment plan and treatment response assessment. The comparison may be sensitive to the method of deformable registration as the optimal algorithm is unknown. This study investigated the impact of registration algorithm choice on therapy response evaluation. Methods: Sixteen patients with 20 lung tumors underwent a pre- and post-treatment computed tomography (CT) and 4D FDG-PET scans before and after chemoradiotherapy. All CT images were coregistered using a rigid and ten deformable registration algorithms. The resulting transformations were then applied to the respective PET images. Moreover, the tumor region defined by a physician on the registered PET images was classified into progressor, stable-disease, and responder subvolumes. Particularly, voxels with standardized uptake value (SUV) decreases >30% were classified as responder, while voxels with SUV increases >30% were progressor. All other voxels were considered stable-disease. The agreement of the subvolumes resulting from difference registration algorithms was assessed by Dice similarity index (DSI). Coefficient of variation (CV) was computed to assess variability of DSI between individual tumors. Root mean square difference (RMS{sub rigid}) of the rigidly registered CT images was used to measure the degree of tumor deformation. RMS{sub rigid} and DSI were correlated by Spearman correlation coefficient (R) to investigate the effect of tumor deformation on DSI. Results: Median DSI{sub rigid} was found to be 72%, 66%, and 80%, for progressor, stable-disease, and responder, respectively. Median DSI{sub deformable} was 63%–84%, 65%–81%, and 82%–89%. Variability of DSI was substantial and similar for both rigid and deformable algorithms with CV > 10% for all subvolumes. Tumor deformation had moderate to significant impact on DSI for progressor

Cleaning and disinfecting environmental surfaces in health care: Toward an integrated framework for infection and occupational illness prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Quinn, Margaret M; Henneberger, Paul K; Braun, Barbara; Delclos, George L; Fagan, Kathleen; Huang, Vanthida; Knaack, Jennifer L S; Kusek, Linda; Lee, Soo-Jeong; Le Moual, Nicole; Maher, Kathryn A E; McCrone, Susan H; Mitchell, Amber Hogan; Pechter, Elise; Rosenman, Kenneth; Sehulster, Lynne; Stephens, Alicia C; Wilburn, Susan; Zock, Jan-Paul

2015-05-01

The Cleaning and Disinfecting in Healthcare Working Group of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, National Occupational Research Agenda, is a collaboration of infection prevention and occupational health researchers and practitioners with the objective of providing a more integrated approach to effective environmental surface cleaning and disinfection (C&D) while protecting the respiratory health of health care personnel. The Working Group, comprised of >40 members from 4 countries, reviewed current knowledge and identified knowledge gaps and future needs for research and practice. An integrated framework was developed to guide more comprehensive efforts to minimize harmful C&D exposures without reducing the effectiveness of infection prevention. Gaps in basic knowledge and practice that are barriers to an integrated approach were grouped in 2 broad areas related to the need for improved understanding of the (1) effectiveness of environmental surface C&D to reduce the incidence of infectious diseases and colonization in health care workers and patients and (2) adverse health impacts of C&D on health care workers and patients. Specific needs identified within each area relate to basic knowledge, improved selection and use of products and practices, effective hazard communication and training, and safer alternatives. A more integrated approach can support multidisciplinary teams with the capacity to maximize effective and safe C&D in health care. Copyright © 2015 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. All rights reserved.

Adaptive Sliding Mode Control Method Based on Nonlinear Integral Sliding Surface for Agricultural Vehicle Steering Control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taochang Li

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Automatic steering control is the key factor and essential condition in the realization of the automatic navigation control of agricultural vehicles. In order to get satisfactory steering control performance, an adaptive sliding mode control method based on a nonlinear integral sliding surface is proposed in this paper for agricultural vehicle steering control. First, the vehicle steering system is modeled as a second-order mathematic model; the system uncertainties and unmodeled dynamics as well as the external disturbances are regarded as the equivalent disturbances satisfying a certain boundary. Second, a transient process of the desired system response is constructed in each navigation control period. Based on the transient process, a nonlinear integral sliding surface is designed. Then the corresponding sliding mode control law is proposed to guarantee the fast response characteristics with no overshoot in the closed-loop steering control system. Meanwhile, the switching gain of sliding mode control is adaptively adjusted to alleviate the control input chattering by using the fuzzy control method. Finally, the effectiveness and the superiority of the proposed method are verified by a series of simulation and actual steering control experiments.

Impacts of model initialization on an integrated surface water - groundwater model

KAUST Repository

Ajami, Hoori

2015-04-01

Integrated hydrologic models characterize catchment responses by coupling the subsurface flow with land surface processes. One of the major areas of uncertainty in such models is the specification of the initial condition and its influence on subsequent simulations. A key challenge in model initialization is that it requires spatially distributed information on model states, groundwater levels and soil moisture, even when such data are not routinely available. Here, the impact of uncertainty in initial condition was explored across a 208 km2 catchment in Denmark using the ParFlow.CLM model. The initialization impact was assessed under two meteorological conditions (wet vs dry) using five depth to water table and soil moisture distributions obtained from various equilibrium states (thermal, root zone, discharge, saturated and unsaturated zone equilibrium) during the model spin-up. Each of these equilibrium states correspond to varying computation times to achieve stability in a particular aspect of the system state. Results identified particular sensitivity in modelled recharge and stream flow to the different initializations, but reduced sensitivity in modelled energy fluxes. Analysis also suggests that to simulate a year that is wetter than the spin-up period, an initialization based on discharge equilibrium is adequate to capture the direction and magnitude of surface water–groundwater exchanges. For a drier or hydrologically similar year to the spin-up period, an initialization based on groundwater equilibrium is required. Variability of monthly subsurface storage changes and discharge bias at the scale of a hydrological event show that the initialization impacts do not diminish as the simulations progress, highlighting the importance of robust and accurate initialization in capturing surface water–groundwater dynamics.

An explicit asymptotic model for the surface wave in a viscoelastic half-space based on applying Rabotnov's fractional exponential integral operators

Science.gov (United States)

Wilde, M. V.; Sergeeva, N. V.

2018-05-01

An explicit asymptotic model extracting the contribution of a surface wave to the dynamic response of a viscoelastic half-space is derived. Fractional exponential Rabotnov's integral operators are used for describing of material properties. The model is derived by extracting the principal part of the poles corresponding to the surface waves after applying Laplace and Fourier transforms. The simplified equations for the originals are written by using power series expansions. Padè approximation is constructed to unite short-time and long-time models. The form of this approximation allows to formulate the explicit model using a fractional exponential Rabotnov's integral operator with parameters depending on the properties of surface wave. The applicability of derived models is studied by comparing with the exact solutions of a model problem. It is revealed that the model based on Padè approximation is highly effective for all the possible time domains.

Response Surface Methodology and Aspen Plus Integration for the Simulation of the Catalytic Steam Reforming of Ethanol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bernay Cifuentes

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The steam reforming of ethanol (SRE on a bimetallic RhPt/CeO2 catalyst was evaluated by the integration of Response Surface Methodology (RSM and Aspen Plus (version 9.0, Aspen Tech, Burlington, MA, USA, 2016. First, the effect of the Rh–Pt weight ratio (1:0, 3:1, 1:1, 1:3, and 0:1 on the performance of SRE on RhPt/CeO2 was assessed between 400 to 700 °C with a stoichiometric steam/ethanol molar ratio of 3. RSM enabled modeling of the system and identification of a maximum of 4.2 mol H2/mol EtOH (700 °C with the Rh0.4Pt0.4/CeO2 catalyst. The mathematical models were integrated into Aspen Plus through Excel in order to simulate a process involving SRE, H2 purification, and electricity production in a fuel cell (FC. An energy sensitivity analysis of the process was performed in Aspen Plus, and the information obtained was used to generate new response surfaces. The response surfaces demonstrated that an increase in H2 production requires more energy consumption in the steam reforming of ethanol. However, increasing H2 production rebounds in more energy production in the fuel cell, which increases the overall efficiency of the system. The minimum H2 yield needed to make the system energetically sustainable was identified as 1.2 mol H2/mol EtOH. According to the results of the integration of RSM models into Aspen Plus, the system using Rh0.4Pt0.4/CeO2 can produce a maximum net energy of 742 kJ/mol H2, of which 40% could be converted into electricity in the FC (297 kJ/mol H2 produced. The remaining energy can be recovered as heat.

Generalizability of the Disease State Index Prediction Model for Identifying Patients Progressing from Mild Cognitive Impairment to Alzheimer's Disease

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hall, A.; Munoz-Ruiz, M.; Mattila, J.; Koikkalainen, J.; Tsolaki, M.; Mecocci, P.; Kloszewska, I.; Vellas, B.; Lovestone, S.; Visser, P.J.; Lotjonen, J.; Soininen, H.

2015-01-01

Background: The Disease State Index (DSI) prediction model measures the similarity of patient data to diagnosed stable and progressive mild cognitive impairment (MCI) cases to identify patients who are progressing to Alzheimer's disease. Objectives: We evaluated how well the DSI generalizes across

An integrated model for assessing the risk of TCE groundwater contamination to human receptors and surface water ecosystems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McKnight, Ursula S.; Funder, S.G.; Rasmussen, J.J.

2010-01-01

The practical implementation of the European Water Framework Directive has resulted in an increased focus on the hyporheic zone. In this paper, an integrated model was developed for evaluating the impact of point sources in groundwater on human health and surface water ecosystems. This was accomp...

Solution of the Helmholtz-Poincare Wave Equation using the coupled boundary integral equations and optimal surface eigenfunctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Werby, M.F.; Broadhead, M.K.; Strayer, M.R.; Bottcher, C.

1992-01-01

The Helmholtz-Poincarf Wave Equation (H-PWE) arises in many areas of classical wave scattering theory. In particular it can be found for the cases of acoustical scattering from submerged bounded objects and electromagnetic scattering from objects. The extended boundary integral equations (EBIE) method is derived from considering both the exterior and interior solutions of the H-PWECs. This coupled set of expressions has the advantage of not only offering a prescription for obtaining a solution for the exterior scattering problem, but it also obviates the problem of irregular values corresponding to fictitious interior eigenvalues. Once the coupled equations are derived, they can be obtained in matrix form by expanding all relevant terms in partial wave expansions, including a bi-orthogonal expansion of the Green's function. However some freedom in the choice of the surface expansion is available since the unknown surface quantities may be expanded in a variety of ways so long as closure is obtained. Out of many possible choices, we develop an optimal method to obtain such expansions which is based on the optimum eigenfunctions related to the surface of the object. In effect, we convert part of the problem (that associated with the Fredholms integral equation of the first kind) an eigenvalue problem of a related Hermitian operator. The methodology will be explained in detail and examples will be presented

Integrated optical isolators using magnetic surface plasmon (Presentation Recording)

Science.gov (United States)

Shimizu, Hiromasa; Kaihara, Terunori; Umetsu, Saori; Hosoda, Masashi

2015-09-01

Optical isolators are one of the essential components to protect semiconductor laser diodes (LDs) from backward reflected light in integrated optics. In order to realize optical isolators, nonreciprocal propagation of light is necessary, which can be realized by magnetic materials. Semiconductor optical isolators have been strongly desired on Si and III/V waveguides. We have developed semiconductor optical isolators based on nonreciprocal loss owing to transverse magneto-optic Kerr effect, where the ferromagnetic metals are deposited on semiconductor optical waveguides1). Use of surface plasmon polariton at the interface of ferromagnetic metal and insulator leads to stronger optical confinement and magneto-optic effect. It is possible to modulate the optical confinement by changing the magnetic field direction, thus optical isolator operation is proposed2, 3). We have investigated surface plasmons at the interfaces between ferrimagnetic garnet/gold film, and applications to waveguide optical isolators. We assumed waveguides composed of Au/Si(38.63nm)/Ce:YIG(1700nm)/Si(220nm)/Si , and calculated the coupling lengths between Au/Si(38.63nm)/Ce:YIG plasmonic waveguide and Ce:YIG/Si(220nm)/Si waveguide for transversely magnetized Ce:YIG with forward and backward directions. The coupling length was calculated to 232.1um for backward propagating light. On the other hand, the coupling was not complete, and the length was calculated to 175.5um. The optical isolation by using the nonreciprocal coupling and propagation loss was calculated to be 43.7dB when the length of plasmonic waveguide is 700um. 1) H. Shimizu et al., J. Lightwave Technol. 24, 38 (2006). 2) V. Zayets et al., Materials, 5, 857-871 (2012). 3) J. Montoya, et al, J. Appl. Phys. 106, 023108, (2009).

Softlithographic partial integration of surface-active nanoparticles in a PDMS matrix for microfluidic biodevices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Demming, Stefanie; Buettgenbach, Stephanus [Institute for Microtechnology (IMT), Technische Universitaet Braunschweig, Alte Salzdahlumer Strasse 203, 38124 Braunschweig (Germany); Hahn, Anne; Barcikowski, Stephan [Nanotechnology Department, Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. (LZH), Hollerithallee 8, 30419 Hannover (Germany); Edlich, Astrid; Franco-Lara, Ezequiel; Krull, Rainer [Institute of Biochemical Engineering (IBVT), Technische Universitaet Braunschweig, Gaussstrasse 17, 38106 Braunschweig (Germany)

2010-04-15

The mergence of microfluidics and nanocomposite materials and their in situ structuring leads to a higher integration level within microsystems technology. Nanoparticles (Cu and Ag) produced via laser radiation were suspended in Poly(dimethylsiloxane) to permanently modify surface material. A microstructuring process was implemented which allows the incorporation of these nanomaterials globally or partially at defined locations within a microbioreactor (MBR) for the determination of their antiseptic and toxic effects on the growth of biomass. Partially structured PDMS with nanoparticle-PDMS composite. (Abstract Copyright [2010], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Propagation of waves from an arbitrary shaped surface-A generalization of the Fresnel diffraction integral

Science.gov (United States)

Feshchenko, R. M.; Vinogradov, A. V.; Artyukov, I. A.

2018-04-01

Using the method of Laplace transform the field amplitude in the paraxial approximation is found in the two-dimensional free space using initial values of the amplitude specified on an arbitrary shaped monotonic curve. The obtained amplitude depends on one a priori unknown function, which can be found from a Volterra first kind integral equation. In a special case of field amplitude specified on a concave parabolic curve the exact solution is derived. Both solutions can be used to study the light propagation from arbitrary surfaces including grazing incidence X-ray mirrors. They can find applications in the analysis of coherent imaging problems of X-ray optics, in phase retrieval algorithms as well as in inverse problems in the cases when the initial field amplitude is sought on a curved surface.

Dynamic postural stability differences between male and female players with and without ankle sprain

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dallinga, Joan M.; Does, van der Henrike T. D.; Benjaminse, Anne; Lemmink, Koen A. P. M.

Objectives: To evaluate dynamic stability index (DSI) differences between males and females for different jump directions. To examine both preseason DSI differences between players with and without a history of ankle sprain, and between players with and without an ankle sprain during the subsequent

Women's preferences of dynamic spectral imaging colposcopy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Louwers, J.A.; Zaal, Afra; Kocken, M.; Papagiannakis, E.; Meijer, C.J.; Verheijen, RHM

2015-01-01

Background: The focus of testing the dynamic spectral imaging (DSI) colposcope has been on the technical characteristics and clinical performance. However, aspects from a patient’s perspective are just as important. Methods: This study was designed as a substudy of the DSI validation study, a

Selective silicate-directed motility in diatoms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bondoc, Karen Grace V.; Heuschele, Jan; Gillard, Jeroen

2016-01-01

the major sink in the global Si cycle. Dissolved silicic acid (dSi) availability frequently limits diatom productivity and influences species composition of communities. We show that benthic diatoms selectively perceive and behaviourally react to gradients of dSi. Cell speed increases under d...

An integrated model for assessing the risk of TCE groundwater contamination to human receptors and surface water ecosystems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McKnight, Ursula S.; Funder, S.G.; Rasmussen, J.J.

2010-01-01

The practical implementation of the European Water Framework Directive has resulted in an increased focus on the hyporheic zone. In this paper, an integrated model was developed for evaluating the impact of point sources in groundwater on human health and surface water ecosystems....... This was accomplished by coupling the system dynamics-based decision support system CARO-PLUS to the aquatic ecosystem model AQUATOX using an analytical volatilization model for the stream. The model was applied to a case study where a TCE contaminated groundwater plume is discharging to a stream. The TCE source...... will not be depleted for many decades, however measured and predicted TCE concentrations in surface water were found to be below human health risk management targets. Volatilization rapidly attenuates TCE concentrations in surface water. Thus, only a 300 m stream reach fails to meet surface water quality criteria...

Contribution to the edaphic components definition in the desertification susceptibility index

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sampaio, E. P.; Corte-Real, J. A.

2009-01-01

Many of the biophysical processes involved in the scope of desertification depend on the hydric characteristics of the soils the impact on vegetation cover. To protect soils against desertification, it is necessary to understand how some of these characteristics (such as water storage) interact in a complex and integrated chain of degradation processes. Several works have been developed to contribute to the definition of a Index of Desertification Susceptibility (DSI) expressed as a function of several components, climatic, edaphic, vegetative and slope. However, the various built-in edaphic components already defined, leave aside the water retention in soil. Furthermore, these components only focus on the characteristics of the uppermost surface soil layer (A-layer). In fact, desertification is simultaneously cause and consequence of the depleted soil water retention with a positive feedback of the plant life and on the hydrological cycle. (Author) 10 refs.

Contribution to the edaphic components definition in the desertification susceptibility index

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sampaio, E. P.; Corte-Real, J. A.

2009-07-01

Many of the biophysical processes involved in the scope of desertification depend on the hydric characteristics of the soils the impact on vegetation cover. To protect soils against desertification, it is necessary to understand how some of these characteristics (such as water storage) interact in a complex and integrated chain of degradation processes. Several works have been developed to contribute to the definition of a Index of Desertification Susceptibility (DSI) expressed as a function of several components, climatic, edaphic, vegetative and slope. However, the various built-in edaphic components already defined, leave aside the water retention in soil. Furthermore, these components only focus on the characteristics of the uppermost surface soil layer (A-layer). In fact, desertification is simultaneously cause and consequence of the depleted soil water retention with a positive feedback of the plant life and on the hydrological cycle. (Author) 10 refs.

INTEGRATION OF HETEROGENOUS DIGITAL SURFACE MODELS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Boesch

2012-08-01

Full Text Available The application of extended digital surface models often reveals, that despite an acceptable global accuracy for a given dataset, the local accuracy of the model can vary in a wide range. For high resolution applications which cover the spatial extent of a whole country, this can be a major drawback. Within the Swiss National Forest Inventory (NFI, two digital surface models are available, one derived from LiDAR point data and the other from aerial images. Automatic photogrammetric image matching with ADS80 aerial infrared images with 25cm and 50cm resolution is used to generate a surface model (ADS-DSM with 1m resolution covering whole switzerland (approx. 41000 km2. The spatially corresponding LiDAR dataset has a global point density of 0.5 points per m2 and is mainly used in applications as interpolated grid with 2m resolution (LiDAR-DSM. Although both surface models seem to offer a comparable accuracy from a global view, local analysis shows significant differences. Both datasets have been acquired over several years. Concerning LiDAR-DSM, different flight patterns and inconsistent quality control result in a significantly varying point density. The image acquisition of the ADS-DSM is also stretched over several years and the model generation is hampered by clouds, varying illumination and shadow effects. Nevertheless many classification and feature extraction applications requiring high resolution data depend on the local accuracy of the used surface model, therefore precise knowledge of the local data quality is essential. The commercial photogrammetric software NGATE (part of SOCET SET generates the image based surface model (ADS-DSM and delivers also a map with figures of merit (FOM of the matching process for each calculated height pixel. The FOM-map contains matching codes like high slope, excessive shift or low correlation. For the generation of the LiDAR-DSM only first- and last-pulse data was available. Therefore only the point

Paediatric pelvic imaging: optimisation of dose and technique using digital grid-controlled pulsed fluoroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Waugh, R.; McCarty, M. [Div. of Radiology, South Cleveland Hospital, South Tees Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, Marton Road, Middlesbrough, Cleveland (United Kingdom); McCallum, H.M. [Regional Medical Physics Dept., South Cleveland Hospital, Middlesbrough (United Kingdom); Montgomery, R. [Dept. of Orthopaedics, South Tees Hospitals NITS Trust, Middlesbrough (United Kingdom); Aszkenasy, M. [Tees and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust, West Lane Hospital, Middlesbrough (United Kingdom)

2001-05-01

Background. An audit of paediatric pelvic radiographs identified deficiencies in gonad shield placement and radiographic technique. Objective. A technique using grid-controlled fluoroscopy (GCF), with hard copy images in frame grab and digital spot image (DSI) format was evaluated to optimise gonad shield placement and reduce the dose given to children with Perthes disease and Developmental Hip Dysplasia (DDH) attending for pelvic radiography. Materials and methods. Phantom and patient dose surveys of conventional and fluoroscopic techniques were carried out. Image quality and radiation dose were compared for the frame grab and DSI techniques. Retrospective evaluation was undertaken to compare their clinical acceptability. Results. Both fluoroscopic techniques gave considerably less radiation than conventional non-grid radiography (67-83 %, P < 0.05). The frame grab technique gave less radiation than DSI (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the clinical acceptability scores of the DSI and frame grab images. Conclusion. Fluoroscopy acquired images are now used since the fluoroscopic techniques give much less dose than conventional radiography and provide images of sufficient quality for clinical assessment. Indeed, as there was no significant difference in clinical usefulness between the frame grab and DSI techniques, it is planned to use frame grab alone, thus gaining additional dose saving. (orig.)

Paediatric pelvic imaging: optimisation of dose and technique using digital grid-controlled pulsed fluoroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waugh, R.; McCarty, M.; McCallum, H.M.; Montgomery, R.; Aszkenasy, M.

2001-01-01

Background. An audit of paediatric pelvic radiographs identified deficiencies in gonad shield placement and radiographic technique. Objective. A technique using grid-controlled fluoroscopy (GCF), with hard copy images in frame grab and digital spot image (DSI) format was evaluated to optimise gonad shield placement and reduce the dose given to children with Perthes disease and Developmental Hip Dysplasia (DDH) attending for pelvic radiography. Materials and methods. Phantom and patient dose surveys of conventional and fluoroscopic techniques were carried out. Image quality and radiation dose were compared for the frame grab and DSI techniques. Retrospective evaluation was undertaken to compare their clinical acceptability. Results. Both fluoroscopic techniques gave considerably less radiation than conventional non-grid radiography (67-83 %, P < 0.05). The frame grab technique gave less radiation than DSI (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the clinical acceptability scores of the DSI and frame grab images. Conclusion. Fluoroscopy acquired images are now used since the fluoroscopic techniques give much less dose than conventional radiography and provide images of sufficient quality for clinical assessment. Indeed, as there was no significant difference in clinical usefulness between the frame grab and DSI techniques, it is planned to use frame grab alone, thus gaining additional dose saving. (orig.)

Application of Intel Many Integrated Core (MIC) accelerators to the Pleim-Xiu land surface scheme

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Melin; Huang, Bormin; Huang, Allen H.

2015-10-01

The land-surface model (LSM) is one physics process in the weather research and forecast (WRF) model. The LSM includes atmospheric information from the surface layer scheme, radiative forcing from the radiation scheme, and precipitation forcing from the microphysics and convective schemes, together with internal information on the land's state variables and land-surface properties. The LSM is to provide heat and moisture fluxes over land points and sea-ice points. The Pleim-Xiu (PX) scheme is one LSM. The PX LSM features three pathways for moisture fluxes: evapotranspiration, soil evaporation, and evaporation from wet canopies. To accelerate the computation process of this scheme, we employ Intel Xeon Phi Many Integrated Core (MIC) Architecture as it is a multiprocessor computer structure with merits of efficient parallelization and vectorization essentials. Our results show that the MIC-based optimization of this scheme running on Xeon Phi coprocessor 7120P improves the performance by 2.3x and 11.7x as compared to the original code respectively running on one CPU socket (eight cores) and on one CPU core with Intel Xeon E5-2670.

Advanced Packaging Materials and Techniques for High Power TR Module: Standard Flight vs. Advanced Packaging

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffman, James Patrick; Del Castillo, Linda; Miller, Jennifer; Jenabi, Masud; Hunter, Donald; Birur, Gajanana

2011-01-01

The higher output power densities required of modern radar architectures, such as the proposed DESDynI [Deformation, Ecosystem Structure, and Dynamics of Ice] SAR [Synthetic Aperture Radar] Instrument (or DSI) require increasingly dense high power electronics. To enable these higher power densities, while maintaining or even improving hardware reliability, requires advances in integrating advanced thermal packaging technologies into radar transmit/receive (TR) modules. New materials and techniques have been studied and compared to standard technologies.

Hydrology of prairie wetlands: Understanding the integrated surface-water and groundwater processes

Science.gov (United States)

Hayashi, Masaki; van der Kamp, Garth; Rosenberry, Donald O.

2016-01-01

Wetland managers and policy makers need to make decisions based on a sound scientific understanding of hydrological and ecological functions of wetlands. This article presents an overview of the hydrology of prairie wetlands intended for managers, policy makers, and researchers new to this field (e.g., graduate students), and a quantitative conceptual framework for understanding the hydrological functions of prairie wetlands and their responses to changes in climate and land use. The existence of prairie wetlands in the semi-arid environment of the Prairie-Pothole Region (PPR) depends on the lateral inputs of runoff water from their catchments because mean annual potential evaporation exceeds precipitation in the PPR. Therefore, it is critically important to consider wetlands and catchments as highly integrated hydrological units. The water balance of individual wetlands is strongly influenced by runoff from the catchment and the exchange of groundwater between the central pond and its moist margin. Land-use practices in the catchment have a sensitive effect on runoff and hence the water balance. Surface and subsurface storage and connectivity among individual wetlands controls the diversity of pond permanence within a wetland complex, resulting in a variety of eco-hydrological functionalities necessary for maintaining the integrity of prairie-wetland ecosystems.

Bony integration of titanium implants with a novel bioactive calcium titanate (Ca4Ti3O10) surface treatment in a rabbit model.

Science.gov (United States)

Haenle, Maximilian; Lindner, Tobias; Ellenrieder, Martin; Willfahrt, Manfred; Schell, Hanna; Mittelmeier, Wolfram; Bader, Rainer

2012-10-01

Nowadays total joint replacement is an indispensable component of modern medicine. The surfaces characteristics of cementless prostheses may be altered to achieve an accelerated and enduring bony integration. Classic surface coatings bear the risk of loosening or flaking from the implant body. This risk is excluded by the chemical conversion of the naturally existing TiO(2) surface layer into calcium titanate. The aim of this experimental animal study was to investigate the bony integration of implants with a new calcium titanate surface (Ca(4)Ti(3)O(10)) compared with a conventional standard Ti6Al4V surface. Cylindrical implants, made of titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) were implanted in both lateral femoral condyles of New Zealand white rabbits. In each animal, an implant with and without surface treatment was inserted in a blinded manner. Animals were sacrificed after 4, 12, and 36 weeks, respectively. The axial pull-off forces were determined for 25 animals using a universal testing machine (Zwick Z010, Ulm, Germany). Furthermore, a histological analysis of the bony integration of the implants was performed in 12 specimens. In general, the pull-off forces for untreated and treated implants increased with longer survival times of the rabbits. No significant difference could be shown after 4 weeks between treated and untreated implants. After 12 weeks, the treated implants revealed a statistical significant higher pull-off force. After 36 weeks, the pull-off forces for treated and untreated implants aligned again. Titanium implants treated with calcium titanate, may offer an interesting and promising implant surface modification for endoprosthetic implants. They might lead to an accelerated osseointegration of total hip and knee replacements. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A Surface Temperature Initiated Closure (STIC) for surface energy balance fluxes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mallick, Kaniska; Jarvis, Andrew J.; Boegh, Eva

2014-01-01

The use of Penman–Monteith (PM) equation in thermal remote sensing based surface energy balance modeling is not prevalent due to the unavailability of any direct method to integrate thermal data into the PM equation and due to the lack of physical models expressing the surface (or stomatal......) and boundary layer conductances (gS and gB) as a function of surface temperature. Here we demonstrate a new method that physically integrates the radiometric surface temperature (TS) into the PM equation for estimating the terrestrial surface energy balance fluxes (sensible heat, H and latent heat, λ......E). The method combines satellite TS data with standard energy balance closure models in order to derive a hybrid closure that does not require the specification of surface to atmosphere conductance terms. We call this the Surface Temperature Initiated Closure (STIC), which is formed by the simultaneous solution...

Diatom stratigraphy and long-term dissolved silica concentrations in the Baltic Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Olli, Kalle; Clarke, Annemarie; Danielsson, Åsa; Aigars, Juris; Conley, Daniel J.; Tamminen, Timo

2008-10-01

In many parts of the world coastal waters with anthropogenic eutrophication have experienced a gradual depletion of dissolved silica (DSi) stocks. This could put pressure on spring bloom diatom populations, e.g. by limiting the intensity of blooms or by causing shifts in species composition. In addition, eutrophication driven enhanced diatom growth is responsible for the redistribution of DSi from the water phase to the sediments, and changes in the growth conditions may be reflected in the sediment diatom stratigraphy. To test for changes in diatom communities we have analyzed four sediment cores from the Baltic Sea covering approximately the last 100 years. The sediment cores originate from the western Gulf of Finland, the Kattegat, the Baltic Proper and the Gulf of Riga. Three out of the four cores reveal only minor changes in composition of diatom assemblages, while the Gulf of Riga core contains major changes, occurring after the second World War. This area is set apart from the other Baltic Sea basins by a high frequency of low after spring bloom DSi concentrations (< 2 µmol L - 1 ) during a relatively well defined time period from 1991-1998. In 1991 to 1993 a rapid decline of DSi spring concentrations and winter stocks (down to 5 µmol L - 1 ) in the Gulf was preceded by exceptionally intense diatom spring blooms dominated by the heavily silicified species Thalassiosira baltica (1991-1992; up to 5.5 mg ww L - 1 ). T. baltica has been the principal spring bloom diatom in the Gulf of Riga since records began in 1975. DSi consumption and biomass yield experiments with cultured T. baltica suggest that intense blooms can potentially exhaust the DSi stock of the water column and exceed the annual Si dissolution in the Gulf of Riga. The phytoplankton time series reveals another exceptional T. baltica bloom period in 1981-1983 (up to 8 mg L - 1 ), which, however, took place before the regular DSi measurements. These periods may be reflected in the conspicuous

Time Domain Surface Integral Equation Solvers for Quantum Corrected Electromagnetic Analysis of Plasmonic Nanostructures

KAUST Repository

Uysal, Ismail Enes

2016-10-01

Plasmonic structures are utilized in many applications ranging from bio-medicine to solar energy generation and transfer. Numerical schemes capable of solving equations of classical electrodynamics have been the method of choice for characterizing scattering properties of such structures. However, as dimensions of these plasmonic structures reduce to nanometer scale, quantum mechanical effects start to appear. These effects cannot be accurately modeled by available classical numerical methods. One of these quantum effects is the tunneling, which is observed when two structures are located within a sub-nanometer distance of each other. At these small distances electrons “jump" from one structure to another and introduce a path for electric current to flow. Classical equations of electrodynamics and the schemes used for solving them do not account for this additional current path. This limitation can be lifted by introducing an auxiliary tunnel with material properties obtained using quantum models and applying a classical solver to the structures connected by this auxiliary tunnel. Early work on this topic focused on quantum models that are generated using a simple one-dimensional wave function to find the tunneling probability and assume a simple Drude model for the permittivity of the tunnel. These tunnel models are then used together with a classical frequency domain solver. In this thesis, a time domain surface integral equation solver for quantum corrected analysis of transient plasmonic interactions is proposed. This solver has several advantages: (i) As opposed to frequency domain solvers, it provides results at a broad band of frequencies with a single simulation. (ii) As opposed to differential equation solvers, it only discretizes surfaces (reducing number of unknowns), enforces the radiation condition implicitly (increasing the accuracy), and allows for time step selection independent of spatial discretization (increasing efficiency). The quantum model

Substrate-Coated Illumination Droplet Spray Ionization: Real-Time Monitoring of Photocatalytic Reactions

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hong; Li, Na; Zhao, Dandan; Jiang, Jie; You, Hong

2017-09-01

Real-time monitoring of photocatalytic reactions facilitates the elucidation of the mechanisms of the reactions. However, suitable tools for real-time monitoring are lacking. Herein, a novel method based on droplet spray ionization named substrate-coated illumination droplet spray ionization (SCI-DSI) for direct analysis of photocatalytic reaction solution is reported. SCI-DSI addresses many of the analytical limitations of electrospray ionization (ESI) for analysis of photocatalytic-reaction intermediates, and has potential for both in situ analysis and real-time monitoring of photocatalytic reactions. In SCI-DSI-mass spectrometry (MS), a photocatalytic reaction occurs by loading sample solutions onto the substrate-coated cover slip and by applying UV light above the modified slip; one corner of this slip adjacent to the inlet of a mass spectrometer is the high-electric-field location for launching a charged-droplet spray. After both testing and optimizing the performance of SCI-DSI, the value of this method for in situ analysis and real-time monitoring of photocatalytic reactions was demonstrated by the removal of cyclophosphamide (CP) in TiO2/UV. Reaction times ranged from seconds to minutes, and the proposed reaction intermediates were captured and identified by tandem mass spectrometry. Moreover, the free hydroxyl radical (·OH) was identified as the main radicals for CP removal. These results show that SCI-DSI is suitable for in situ analysis and real-time monitoring of CP removal under TiO2-based photocatalytic reactions. SCI-DSI is also a potential tool for in situ analysis and real-time assessment of the roles of radicals during CP removal under TiO2-based photocatalytic reactions. Graphical Abstract[Figure not available: see fulltext.

The data assimilation method ''Latent Heat Nudging'' assessed with the Dynamic State Index

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Claussnitzer, Antje [Freie Univ. Berlin (Germany). Inst. fuer Meteorologie; Deutscher Wetterdienst, Offenbach (Germany); Schartner, Thomas; Nevir, Peter; Cubasch, Ulrich [Freie Univ. Berlin (Germany). Inst. fuer Meteorologie; Stephan, Klaus [Deutscher Wetterdienst, Offenbach (Germany)

2011-04-15

In April 2007, the German Weather Service (DWD) added the non-hydrostatic limited area model COSMODE to its model chain. COSMO-DE covers mainly Germany and bordering countries and has a horizontal resolution of 2.8 km (0.025 ). An advantage of the COSMO-DE is that deep convection is expected to be resolved explicitly. In order to improve the initial state of COSMO-DE an assimilation of radar derived precipitation rates is applied by using ''Latent Heat Nudging'' (LHN). The aim of LHN is to adjust the model state so that the model will respond by producing a rain rate close to the observed value. In this study, the influence of LHN on diabatic processes is investigated by evaluation of the Dynamic State Index (DSI). The DSI is calculated on both isentropic (DSI{sub {theta}}) and model levels (DSI{sub {sigma}}). To analyse the influence of LHN, model analyses with and without LHN are examined for summer 2009 (June to August). The influence of LHN is also examined in more detail in a case study of a heavy rainfall event on July 18, 2009 where a strong rainfall area was developed on the front side of a trough. Results, based on a statistical investigation and the case study, show that the model with LHN can reproduce the observed rainfall better than the runs without LHN. This is also suggested by a higher correlation between DSI and observed precipitation. The release of latent heat enhances the diabatic processes associated with the formation of additional potential vorticity anomalies resulting in stronger DSI -signals. (orig.)

Improvement of surface integrity of Nimonic C 263 super alloy produced by WEDM through various post-processing techniques

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mandal, A.; Dixit, A. R.; Chattopadhyaya, S.; Paramanik, A.; Hloch, Sergej; Królczyk, G.

2017-01-01

Roč. 93, 1-4 (2017), s. 433-443 ISSN 0268-3768 Institutional support: RVO:68145535 Keywords : surface integrity * wire-EDM * Nimonic C-263 * multi-cut * recast layer Subject RIV: JQ - Machines ; Tools OBOR OECD: Mechanical engineering Impact factor: 2.209, year: 2016 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00170-017-9993-x

Improvement of surface integrity of Nimonic C 263 super alloy produced by WEDM through various post-processing techniques

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mandal, A.; Dixit, A. R.; Chattopadhyaya, S.; Paramanik, A.; Hloch, Sergej; Królczyk, G.

2017-01-01

Roč. 93, 1-4 (2017), s. 433-443 ISSN 0268-3768 Institutional support: RVO:68145535 Keywords : surface integrity * wire-EDM * Nimonic C-263 * multi-cut * recast layer Subject RIV: JQ - Machines ; Tools OBOR OECD: Mechanical engineering Impact factor: 2.209, year: 2016 https://link.springer.com/ article /10.1007/s00170-017-9993-x

Coverage dependent desorption dynamics of deuterium on Si(100) surfaces: interpretation with a diffusion-promoted desorption model.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsuno, T; Niida, T; Tsurumaki, H; Namiki, A

2005-01-08

We studied coverage dependence of time-of-flight (TOF) spectra of D2 molecules thermally desorbed from the D/Si(100) surface. The mean translational energies Et of desorbed D2 molecules were found to increase from 0.20+/-0.05 eV to 0.40+/-0.04 eV as the desorption coverage window was decreased from 1.0 ML> or =thetaD> or =0.9 ML to 0.2 ML> or =thetaD> or =0 ML, being consistent with the kinetics switch predicted in the interdimer mechanism. The measured TOF spectra were deconvoluted into 2H, 3H, and 4H components by a curve fitting method along the principle of detailed balance. As a result, it turned out that the desorption kinetics changes from the 4H to the 3H situation at high coverage above thetaD=0.9 ML, while the 2H desorption is dominant for a quite wide coverage region up to thetaD=0.8 ML. A dynamic desorption mechanism by which the desorption is promoted by D-atom diffusion to dangling bonds was proposed. 2005 American Institute of Physics.

Integrating Multiple Autonomous Underwater Vessels, Surface Vessels and Aircraft into Oceanographic Research Vessel Operations

Science.gov (United States)

McGillivary, P. A.; Borges de Sousa, J.; Martins, R.; Rajan, K.

2012-12-01

Autonomous platforms are increasingly used as components of Integrated Ocean Observing Systems and oceanographic research cruises. Systems deployed can include gliders or propeller-driven autonomous underwater vessels (AUVs), autonomous surface vessels (ASVs), and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Prior field campaigns have demonstrated successful communication, sensor data fusion and visualization for studies using gliders and AUVs. However, additional requirements exist for incorporating ASVs and UASs into ship operations. For these systems to be optimally integrated into research vessel data management and operational planning systems involves addressing three key issues: real-time field data availability, platform coordination, and data archiving for later analysis. A fleet of AUVs, ASVs and UAS deployed from a research vessel is best operated as a system integrated with the ship, provided communications among them can be sustained. For this purpose, Disruptive Tolerant Networking (DTN) software protocols for operation in communication-challenged environments help ensure reliable high-bandwidth communications. Additionally, system components need to have considerable onboard autonomy, namely adaptive sampling capabilities using their own onboard sensor data stream analysis. We discuss Oceanographic Decision Support System (ODSS) software currently used for situational awareness and planning onshore, and in the near future event detection and response will be coordinated among multiple vehicles. Results from recent field studies from oceanographic research vessels using AUVs, ASVs and UAS, including the Rapid Environmental Picture (REP-12) cruise, are presented describing methods and results for use of multi-vehicle communication and deliberative control networks, adaptive sampling with single and multiple platforms, issues relating to data management and archiving, and finally challenges that remain in addressing these technological issues. Significantly, the

PALM-USM v1.0: A new urban surface model integrated into the PALM large-eddy simulation model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Resler

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Urban areas are an important part of the climate system and many aspects of urban climate have direct effects on human health and living conditions. This implies that reliable tools for local urban climate studies supporting sustainable urban planning are needed. However, a realistic implementation of urban canopy processes still poses a serious challenge for weather and climate modelling for the current generation of numerical models. To address this demand, a new urban surface model (USM, describing the surface energy processes for urban environments, was developed and integrated as a module into the PALM large-eddy simulation model. The development of the presented first version of the USM originated from modelling the urban heat island during summer heat wave episodes and thus implements primarily processes important in such conditions. The USM contains a multi-reflection radiation model for shortwave and longwave radiation with an integrated model of absorption of radiation by resolved plant canopy (i.e. trees, shrubs. Furthermore, it consists of an energy balance solver for horizontal and vertical impervious surfaces, and thermal diffusion in ground, wall, and roof materials, and it includes a simple model for the consideration of anthropogenic heat sources. The USM was parallelized using the standard Message Passing Interface and performance testing demonstrates that the computational costs of the USM are reasonable on typical clusters for the tested configurations. The module was fully integrated into PALM and is available via its online repository under the GNU General Public License (GPL. The USM was tested on a summer heat-wave episode for a selected Prague crossroads. The general representation of the urban boundary layer and patterns of surface temperatures of various surface types (walls, pavement are in good agreement with in situ observations made in Prague. Additional simulations were performed in order to assess the

Process for integrating surface drainage constraints on mine planning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sawatsky, L.F; Ade, F.L.; McDonald, D.M.; Pullman, B.J. [Golder Associates Ltd., Calgary, AB (Canada)

2009-07-01

Surface drainage for mine closures must be considered during all phases of mine planning and design in order to minimize environmental impacts and reduce costs. This paper discussed methods of integrating mine drainage criteria and associated mine planning constraints into the mine planning process. Drainage constraints included stream diversions; fish compensation channels; collection receptacles for the re-use of process water; separation of closed circuit water from fresh water; and the provision of storage ponds. The geomorphic approach replicated the ability of natural channels to respond to local and regional changes in hydrology as well as channel disturbances from extreme flood events, sedimentation, debris, ice jams, and beaver activity. The approach was designed to enable a sustainable system and provide conveyance capacity for extreme floods without spillage to adjacent watersheds. Channel dimensions, bank and bed materials, sediment loads, bed material supplies and the hydrologic conditions of the analogue stream were considered. Hydrologic analyses were conducted to determine design flood flow. Channel routes, valley slopes, sinuosity, width, and depth were established. It was concluded that by incorporating the geomorphic technique, mine operators and designers can construct self-sustaining drainage systems that require little or no maintenance in the long-term. 7 refs.

NASA/GEWEX Surface Radiation Budget: Integrated Data Product With Reprocessed Radiance, Cloud, and Meteorology Inputs, and New Surface Albedo Treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Cox, Stephen J.; Stackhouse, Paul W., Jr.; Gupta, Shashi K.; Mikovitz, J. Colleen; Zhang, Taiping

2016-01-01

The NASA/GEWEX Surface Radiation Budget (SRB) project produces shortwave and longwave surface and top of atmosphere radiative fluxes for the 1983-near present time period. Spatial resolution is 1 degree. The current release 3.0 (available at gewex-srb.larc.nasa.gov) uses the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) DX product for pixel level radiance and cloud information. This product is subsampled to 30 km. ISCCP is currently recalibrating and recomputing their entire data series, to be released as the H product, at 10km resolution. The ninefold increase in pixel number will allow SRB a higher resolution gridded product (e.g. 0.5 degree), as well as the production of pixel-level fluxes. In addition to the input data improvements, several important algorithm improvements have been made. Most notable has been the adaptation of Angular Distribution Models (ADMs) from CERES to improve the initial calculation of shortwave TOA fluxes, from which the surface flux calculations follow. Other key input improvements include a detailed aerosol history using the Max Planck Institut Aerosol Climatology (MAC), temperature and moisture profiles from HIRS, and new topography, surface type, and snow/ice. Here we present results for the improved GEWEX Shortwave and Longwave algorithm (GSW and GLW) with new ISCCP data, the various other improved input data sets and the incorporation of many additional internal SRB model improvements. As of the time of abstract submission, results from 2007 have been produced with ISCCP H availability the limiting factor. More SRB data will be produced as ISCCP reprocessing continues. The SRB data produced will be released as part of the Release 4.0 Integrated Product, recognizing the interdependence of the radiative fluxes with other GEWEX products providing estimates of the Earth's global water and energy cycle (I.e., ISCCP, SeaFlux, LandFlux, NVAP, etc.).

Study on Surface Integrity of AISI 1045 Carbon Steel when machined by Carbide Cutting Tool under wet conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tamin N. Fauzi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the evaluation of surface roughness and roughness profiles when machining carbon steel under wet conditions with low and high cutting speeds. The workpiece materials and cutting tools selected in this research were AISI 1045 carbon steel and canela carbide inserts graded PM25, respectively. The cutting tools undergo machining tests by CNC turning operations and their performances were evaluated by their surface roughness value and observation of the surface roughness profile. The machining tests were held at varied cutting speeds of 35 to 53 m/min, feed rate of 0.15 to 0.50 mm/rev and a constant depth of cut of 1 mm. From the analysis, it was found that surface roughness increased as the feed rate increased. Varian of surface roughness was suspected due to interaction between cutting speeds and feed rates as well as nose radius conditions; whether from tool wear or the formation of a built-up edge. This study helps us understand the effect of cutting speed and feed rate on surface integrity, when machining AISI 1045 carbon steel using carbide cutting tools, under wet cutting conditions.

Analysis of surface integrity in machining of AISI 304 stainless steel under various cooling and cutting conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Klocke, F.; Döbbeler, B.; Lung, S.; Seelbach, T.; Jawahir, I. S.

2018-05-01

Recent studies have shown that machining under specific cooling and cutting conditions can be used to induce a nanocrystalline surface layer in the workspiece. This layer has beneficial properties, such as improved fatigue strength, wear resistance and tribological behavior. In machining, a promising approach for achieving grain refinement in the surface layer is the application of cryogenic cooling. The aim is to use the last step of the machining operation to induce the desired surface quality to save time-consuming and expensive post machining surface treatments. The material used in this study was AISI 304 stainless steel. This austenitic steel suffers from low yield strength that limits its technological applications. In this paper, liquid nitrogen (LN2) as cryogenic coolant, as well as minimum quantity lubrication (MQL), was applied and investigated. As a reference, conventional flood cooling was examined. Besides the cooling conditions, the feed rate was varied in four steps. A large rounded cutting edge radius and finishing cutting parameters were chosen to increase the mechanical load on the machined surface. The surface integrity was evaluated at both, the microstructural and the topographical levels. After turning experiments, a detailed analysis of the microstructure was carried out including the imaging of the surface layer and hardness measurements at varying depths within the machined layer. Along with microstructural investigations, different topological aspects, e.g., the surface roughness, were analyzed. It was shown that the resulting microstructure strongly depends on the cooling condition. This study also shows that it was possible to increase the micro hardness in the top surface layer significantly.

Four chemical methods of porcelain conditioning and their influence over bond strength and surface integrity

Science.gov (United States)

Stella, João Paulo Fragomeni; Oliveira, Andrea Becker; Nojima, Lincoln Issamu; Marquezan, Mariana

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To assess four different chemical surface conditioning methods for ceramic material before bracket bonding, and their impact on shear bond strength and surface integrity at debonding. METHODS: Four experimental groups (n = 13) were set up according to the ceramic conditioning method: G1 = 37% phosphoric acid etching followed by silane application; G2 = 37% liquid phosphoric acid etching, no rinsing, followed by silane application; G3 = 10% hydrofluoric acid etching alone; and G4 = 10% hydrofluoric acid etching followed by silane application. After surface conditioning, metal brackets were bonded to porcelain by means of the Transbond XP system (3M Unitek). Samples were submitted to shear bond strength tests in a universal testing machine and the surfaces were later assessed with a microscope under 8 X magnification. ANOVA/Tukey tests were performed to establish the difference between groups (α= 5%). RESULTS: The highest shear bond strength values were found in groups G3 and G4 (22.01 ± 2.15 MPa and 22.83 ± 3.32 Mpa, respectively), followed by G1 (16.42 ± 3.61 MPa) and G2 (9.29 ± 1.95 MPa). As regards surface evaluation after bracket debonding, the use of liquid phosphoric acid followed by silane application (G2) produced the least damage to porcelain. When hydrofluoric acid and silane were applied, the risk of ceramic fracture increased. CONCLUSIONS: Acceptable levels of bond strength for clinical use were reached by all methods tested; however, liquid phosphoric acid etching followed by silane application (G2) resulted in the least damage to the ceramic surface. PMID:26352845

Benchmarking, Research, Development, and Support for ORNL Automated Image and Signature Retrieval (AIR/ASR) Technologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tobin, K.W.

2004-06-01

This report describes the results of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) of Santa Clara, California. This project encompassed the continued development and integration of the ORNL Automated Image Retrieval (AIR) technology, and an extension of the technology denoted Automated Signature Retrieval (ASR), and other related technologies with the Defect Source Identification (DSI) software system that was under development by AMAT at the time this work was performed. In the semiconductor manufacturing environment, defect imagery is used to diagnose problems in the manufacturing line, train yield management engineers, and examine historical data for trends. Image management in semiconductor data systems is a growing cause of concern in the industry as fabricators are now collecting up to 20,000 images each week. In response to this concern, researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) developed a semiconductor-specific content-based image retrieval method and system, also known as AIR. The system uses an image-based query-by-example method to locate and retrieve similar imagery from a database of digital imagery using visual image characteristics. The query method is based on a unique architecture that takes advantage of the statistical, morphological, and structural characteristics of image data, generated by inspection equipment in industrial applications. The system improves the manufacturing process by allowing rapid access to historical records of similar events so that errant process equipment can be isolated and corrective actions can be quickly taken to improve yield. The combined ORNL and AMAT technology is referred to hereafter as DSI-AIR and DSI-ASR.

Modelling the Influence of Ground Surface Relief on Electric Sounding Curves Using the Integral Equations Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Balgaisha Mukanova

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The problem of electrical sounding of a medium with ground surface relief is modelled using the integral equations method. This numerical method is based on the triangulation of the computational domain, which is adapted to the shape of the relief and the measuring line. The numerical algorithm is tested by comparing the results with the known solution for horizontally layered media with two layers. Calculations are also performed to verify the fulfilment of the “reciprocity principle” for the 4-electrode installations in our numerical model. Simulations are then performed for a two-layered medium with a surface relief. The quantitative influences of the relief, the resistivity ratios of the contacting media, and the depth of the second layer on the apparent resistivity curves are established.

A novel fabrication method for surface integration of metal structures into polymers (SIMSIP)

Science.gov (United States)

Carrion-Gonzalez, Hector

Recently developed flexible electronics applications require that the thin metal films embedded on elastomer substrates also be flexible. These electronic systems are radically different in terms of performance and functionality than conventional silicon-based devices. A key question is whether the metal deposited on flexible films can survive large strains without rupture. Cumbersome macro-fabrication methods have been developed for functional and bendable electronics (e.g., interconnects) encapsulated between layers of polymer films. However, future electronic applications may require electronic flexible devices to be in intimate contact with curved surfaces (e.g., retinal implants) and to be robust enough to withstand large and repeated mechanical deformations. In this research, a novel technique for surface integration of metal structures into polymers (SIMSIP) was developed. Surface embedding, as opposed to placing metal on polymers, provides better adherence while leaving the surface accessible for contacts. This was accomplished by first fabricating the micro-scale metal patterns on a quartz or Teflon mother substrate, and then embedding them to a flexible polyimide thin film. The technique was successfully used to embed micro-metal structures of gold (Au), silver (Ag), and copper (Cu) into polyimide films without affecting the functional properties of the either the metals or the polymers. Experimental results confirm the successful surface-embedding of metal structures as narrow as 0.6 microm wide for different geometries commonly used in circuit design. Although similar approaches exist in literature, the proposed methodology provides a simpler and more reliable way of producing flexible circuits/electronics that is also suitable for high volume manufacturing. In order to demonstrate the flexibility of metal interconnects fabricated using the SIMSIP technique, multiple Au electrodes (5 microm and 2.5 microm wide) were tested using the X-theta bending

Application of Terrestrial Laser Scanner with an Integrated Thermal Camera in Non-Destructive Evaluation of Concrete Surface of Hydrotechnical Objects

Science.gov (United States)

Kaczmarek, Łukasz Dominik; Dobak, Paweł Józef; Kiełbasiński, Kamil

2017-12-01

The authors present possible applications of thermal data as an additional source of information on an object's behaviour during the technical assessment of the condition of a concrete surface. For the study one of the most recent propositions introduced by Zoller + Fröhlich company was used, which is an integration of a thermal camera with a terrestrial laser scanner. This solution enables an acquisition of geometric and spectral data on the surveyed object and also provides information on the surface's temperature in the selected points. A section of the dam's downstream concrete wall was selected as the subject of the study for which a number of scans were carried out and a number of thermal images were taken at different times of the day. The obtained thermal data was confronted with the acquired spectral information for the specified points. This made it possible to carry out broader analysis of the surface and an inspection of the revealed fissure. The thermal analysis of said fissure indicated that the temperature changes within it are slower, which may affect the way the concrete works and may require further elaboration by the appropriate experts. Through the integration of a thermal camera with a terrestrial laser scanner one can not only analyse changes of temperature in the discretely selected points but on the whole surface as well. Moreover, it is also possible to accurately determine the range and the area of the change affecting the surface. The authors note the limitations of the presented solution like, inter alia, the resolution of the thermal camera.

A biophysical model of endocannabinoid-mediated short term depression in hippocampal inhibition.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Margarita Zachariou

Full Text Available Memories are believed to be represented in the synaptic pathways of vastly interconnected networks of neurons. The plasticity of synapses, that is, their strengthening and weakening depending on neuronal activity, is believed to be the basis of learning and establishing memories. An increasing number of studies indicate that endocannabinoids have a widespread action on brain function through modulation of synaptic transmission and plasticity. Recent experimental studies have characterised the role of endocannabinoids in mediating both short- and long-term synaptic plasticity in various brain regions including the hippocampus, a brain region strongly associated with cognitive functions, such as learning and memory. Here, we present a biophysically plausible model of cannabinoid retrograde signalling at the synaptic level and investigate how this signalling mediates depolarisation induced suppression of inhibition (DSI, a prominent form of short-term synaptic depression in inhibitory transmission in hippocampus. The model successfully captures many of the key characteristics of DSI in the hippocampus, as observed experimentally, with a minimal yet sufficient mathematical description of the major signalling molecules and cascades involved. More specifically, this model serves as a framework to test hypotheses on the factors determining the variability of DSI and investigate under which conditions it can be evoked. The model reveals the frequency and duration bands in which the post-synaptic cell can be sufficiently stimulated to elicit DSI. Moreover, the model provides key insights on how the state of the inhibitory cell modulates DSI according to its firing rate and relative timing to the post-synaptic activation. Thus, it provides concrete suggestions to further investigate experimentally how DSI modulates and is modulated by neuronal activity in the brain. Importantly, this model serves as a stepping stone for future deciphering of the role of

Anhydrous proton exchange membrane of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) enabled by polydopamine-modified silica nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Jingtao; Bai, Huijuan; Zhang, Haoqin; Zhao, Liping; Chen, Huiling; Li, Yifan

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The concept of acid/base pairs was employed to design anhydrous PEMs. • Polydopamine-modified silica particles were uniformly dispersed in SPEEK membrane. • The membranes displayed enhancement in both stability and anhydrous proton conductivity. - Abstract: Novel anhydrous proton exchange membrane is (PEM) facilely prepared by embedding dopamine-modified silica nanoparticles (DSiOis 2 ) into sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) polymer matrix. DSiO 2 bearing -NH 2 /-NH- groups are synthesized inspired by the bioadhesion principle, which are uniformly dispersed within SPEEK membrane due to the good interfacial compatibility. The interfacial electrostatic attractions render unique rearrangement of the nanophase-separated structure and the chain packing of the resultant hybrid membranes. As a result, the thermal and mechanical stabilities as well as structural stability of the hybrid membranes are enhanced when compared to SPEEK control membrane. On the other hand, induced by the attractions, acid–base pairs are formed at the SPEEK/DSiOarewere 2 interface, where fast proton transfer via Grotthuss mechanism is expected. These features confer much higher proton conductivities on the DSiO 2 -filled membranes under both hydrated and anhydrous conditions, compared to those of the SPEEK control membrane and SiO 2 -filled membranes. Particularly, the hybrid membrane with 15 wt% DSiO 2 achieve the highest conductivities of 4.52achieveachieved × 10 −3 S cm −1 at 120 °C under anhydrous condition, which is much higher than the SPEEK control membrane and the commercial Nafion membrane (0.1iswas × 10 −3 S cm −1 ). The membrane with 9 wt% DSiO 2 show an open cell potential of 0.98showshowed V and an optimum power density of 111.7 mW cm −2 , indicative of its potential application in fuel cell under anhydrous condition

Older Adults With a Combination of Vision and Hearing Impairment Experience Higher Rates of Cognitive Impairment, Functional Dependence, and Worse Outcomes Across a Set of Quality Indicators.

Science.gov (United States)

Davidson, Jacob G S; Guthrie, Dawn M

2017-08-01

Hearing and vision impairment were examined across several health-related outcomes and across a set of quality indicators (QIs) in home care clients with both vision and hearing loss (or dual sensory impairment [DSI]). Data collected using the Resident Assessment Instrument for Home Care (RAI-HC) were analyzed in a sample of older home care clients. The QIs represent the proportion of clients experiencing negative outcomes (e.g., falls, social isolation). The average age of clients was 82.8 years ( SD = 7.9), 20.5% had DSI and 8.5% had a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Clients with DSI were more likely to have a diagnosis of dementia (not AD), have functional impairments, report loneliness, and have higher rates across 20 of the 22 QIs, including communication difficulty and cognitive decline. Clients with highly impaired hearing, and any visual impairment, had the highest QI rates. Individuals with DSI experience higher rates of adverse events across many health-related outcomes and QIs. Understanding the unique contribution of hearing and vision in this group can promote optimal quality of care.

Integration of microplasma and microfluidic technologies for localised microchannel surface modification

Science.gov (United States)

Szili, Endre J.; Al-Bataineh, Sameer A.; Priest, Craig; Gruner, Philipp J.; Ruschitzka, Paul; Bradley, James W.; Ralston, John; Steele, David A.; Short, Robert D.

2011-12-01

In this paper we describe the spatial surface chemical modification of bonded microchannels through the integration of microplasmas into a microfluidic chip (MMC). The composite MMC comprises an array of precisely aligned electrodes surrounding the gas/fluid microchannel. Pairs of electrodes are used to locally ignite microplasmas inside the microchannel. Microplasmas, comprising geometrically confined microscopic electrically-driven gas discharges, are used to spatially functionalise the walls of the microchannels with proteins and enzymes down to scale lengths of 300 μm inside 50 μm-wide microchannels. Microchannels in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) or glass were used in this study. Protein specifically adsorbed on to the regions inside the PDMS microchannel that were directly exposed to the microplasma. Glass microchannels required pre-functionalisation to enable the spatial patterning of protein. Firstly, the microchannel wall was functionalised with a protein adhesion layer, 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane (APTES), and secondly, a protein blocking agent (bovine serum albumin, BSA) was adsorbed onto APTES. The functionalised microchannel wall was then treated with an array of spatially localised microplasmas that reduced the blocking capability of the BSA in the region that had been exposed to the plasma. This enabled the functionalisation of the microchannel with an array of spatially separated protein. As an alternative we demonstrated the feasibility of depositing functional thin films inside the MMC by spatially plasma depositing acrylic acid and 1,7-octadiene within the microchannel. This new MMC technology enables the surface chemistry of microchannels to be engineered with precision, which is expected to broaden the scope of lab-on-a-chip type applications.

Modeling of the integrity of machining surfaces: application to the case of 15-5 PH stainless steel finish turning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mondelin, A.

2012-01-01

During machining, extreme conditions of pressure, temperature and strain appear in the cutting zone. In this thermo-mechanical context, the link between the cutting conditions (cutting speed, lubrication, feed rate, wear, tool coating...) and the machining surface integrity represents a major scientific target. This PhD study is a part of a global project called MIFSU (Modeling of the Integrity and Fatigue resistance of Machining Surfaces) and it focuses on the finish turning of the 15-5PH (a martensitic stainless steel used for parts of helicopter rotor). Firstly, material behavior has been studied in order to provide data for machining simulations. Stress-free dilatometry tests were conducted to obtain the austenitization kinetics of 15-5PH steel for high heating rates (up to 11,000 degrees C/s). Then, parameters of Leblond metallurgical model have been calibrated. In addition, dynamic compression tests (de/dt ranging from 0.01 to 80/s and e ≥ 1) have been performed to calibrate a strain-rate dependent elasto-plasticity model (for high strains). These tests also helped to highlight the dynamic recrystallization phenomena and their influence on the flow stress of the material. Thus, recrystallization model has also been implemented.In parallel, a numerical model for the prediction of machined surface integrity has been constructed. This model is based on a methodology called 'hybrid' (developed during the PhD thesis of Frederic Valiorgue for the AISI 304L steel). The method consists in replacing tool and chip modeling by equivalent loadings (obtained experimentally). A calibration step of these loadings has been carried out using orthogonal cutting and friction tests (with sensitivity studies of machining forces, friction and heat partition coefficients to cutting parameters variations).Finally, numerical simulations predictions of microstructural changes (austenitization and dynamic recrystallization) and residual stresses have been successfully compared with

Integrable perturbed magnetic fields in toroidal geometry: An exact analytical flux surface label for large aspect ratio

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kallinikos, N.; Isliker, H.; Vlahos, L.; Meletlidou, E. [Department of Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124 Thessaloniki (Greece)

2014-06-15

An analytical description of magnetic islands is presented for the typical case of a single perturbation mode introduced to tokamak plasma equilibrium in the large aspect ratio approximation. Following the Hamiltonian structure directly in terms of toroidal coordinates, the well known integrability of this system is exploited, laying out a precise and practical way for determining the island topology features, as required in various applications, through an analytical and exact flux surface label.

Integrable perturbed magnetic fields in toroidal geometry: An exact analytical flux surface label for large aspect ratio

Science.gov (United States)

Kallinikos, N.; Isliker, H.; Vlahos, L.; Meletlidou, E.

2014-06-01

An analytical description of magnetic islands is presented for the typical case of a single perturbation mode introduced to tokamak plasma equilibrium in the large aspect ratio approximation. Following the Hamiltonian structure directly in terms of toroidal coordinates, the well known integrability of this system is exploited, laying out a precise and practical way for determining the island topology features, as required in various applications, through an analytical and exact flux surface label.

Integrable perturbed magnetic fields in toroidal geometry: An exact analytical flux surface label for large aspect ratio

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kallinikos, N.; Isliker, H.; Vlahos, L.; Meletlidou, E.

2014-01-01

An analytical description of magnetic islands is presented for the typical case of a single perturbation mode introduced to tokamak plasma equilibrium in the large aspect ratio approximation. Following the Hamiltonian structure directly in terms of toroidal coordinates, the well known integrability of this system is exploited, laying out a precise and practical way for determining the island topology features, as required in various applications, through an analytical and exact flux surface label

An Integrated Approach for Understanding Anthropogenic and Climatic Impacts on Lakes: A Case study from Lake Iznik, Turkey

Science.gov (United States)

Derin, Y.; Milewski, A.; Fryar, A. E.; Schroeder, P.

2013-12-01

Lakes are among the most vital natural water resource, providing many environmental and economic advantages to a region. Unfortunately, many lakes are disappearing or continue to be polluted as industrial and agricultural practices increase to keep pace with rising populations. Lake Iznik, the biggest lake (approximately 300 km2) in the Marmara Region in Turkey, is a significant water resource as it provides opportunities for recreational activities, agriculture, industry, and water production for the region. However, rapid population growth combined with poor land management practices in this water basin has contributed to decreased water quality and water levels. As a result, Lake Iznik has switched from being Mesotrophic to Eutrophic in the past thirty years. This research aims to understand both the anthropogenic and climatic impacts on Lake Iznik. An integrated approach combining satellite remote sensing, hydrogeology, hydrologic modeling, and climatology was utilized to identify the source and timing responsible for the decline in water quality and quantity. Specifically, Landsat TM images from 1990, 2000, 2005, and 2010 were collected, processed, and analyzed for changes in landuse/landcover and surface area extent of Lake Iznik. Water level and water quality data (e.g. streamflow, lake level, pH, conductivity, total nitrogen, total dissolved solid etc.) collected from the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works (DSI) from 1980-2012 were obtained from 4 stations and compared to the Landsat landuse mosaics. Meteorological data collected from Turkish State Meteorological Service from 1983-2012 were obtained from 3 stations (precipitation, temperature, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, vapor pressure, wind speed and pan evaporation). A hydrologic model using MIKE21 was constructed to measure the change in streamflow and subsequent lake level as a result of changes in both land use and climate. Results have demonstrated the drop in water level from

Immigration, Suicidal Ideation and Deliberate Self-Injury in the Boston Youth Survey 2006

Science.gov (United States)

Borges, Guilherme; Azrael, Deborah; Almeida, Joanna; Johnson, Renee M.; Molnar, Beth E.; Hemenway, David; Miller, Matthew

2011-01-01

The prevalence and immigration-related correlates of deliberate self-injury (DSI) and suicidal ideation (SI) were estimated in a sample of Boston public high school students in 2006. Compared with U.S.-born youth, immigrant youth were not at increased risk for DSI or SI, even if they had experienced discrimination due to their ancestry. By…

Ecological and meteorological drought monitoring in East Asia

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, J. B.; Um, M. J.; Kim, Y.; Chae, Y.

2016-12-01

This study aims to how well the ecological drought index can capture the drought status in the East Asia. We estimated the drought severe index (DSI), which uses the evapotranspiration, potential evapotranspiration and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), suggested by Mu et al. (2013) to define the ecological drought. In addition, the meteorological drought index, which is standardized precipitation and evapotranspiration index (SPEI), are estimated and compared to the DSI. The satellite data by moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) and advanced very-high-resolution radiometer (AVHRR) are used to analyze the DSI and the monthly precipitation and temperature data in the climate research unit (CRU) are applied to estimate the SPEI for 2000-2013 in the East Asia. We conducted the statistical analyses to investigate the drought characteristics of the ecological and meteorological drought indices (i.e. the DSI and SPEI, respectively) and then compared those characteristics drought indices depending on the drought status. We found the DSI did not well captured the drought status when the categories originally suggested by Mu et al. (2013) are applied to divide the drought status in the study area. Consequently, the modified categories for the DSI in this study is suggested and then applied to define the drought status. The modified categories in this study show the great improvement to capture the drought status in the East Asia even though the results cannot be acquired around Taklamakan desert due to the lack of the satellite data. These results illustrate the ecological drought index, such as the DSI, can be applied for the monitoring of the drought in the East Asia and then can give the detailed information of drought status because the satellite data have the relatively high spatial resolutions compared to the observations such as the CRU data. Reference Mu Q, Zhao M, Kimball JS, McDowell NG, Running SW (2013) A remotely sensed global

Dyadic social interaction of C57BL/6 mice versus interaction with a toy mouse: conditioned place preference/aversion, substrain differences, and no development of a hierarchy

Science.gov (United States)

Pinheiro, Barbara S.; Seidl, Simon S.; Habazettl, Eva; Gruber, Bernadette E.; Bregolin, Tanja

2016-01-01

Impaired social interaction is a hallmark symptom of many psychiatric diseases, including dependence syndromes (substance use disorders). Helping the addict reorient her/his behavior away from the drug of abuse toward social interaction would be of considerable therapeutic benefit. To study the neural basis of such a reorientation, we have developed several animal models in which the attractiveness of a dyadic (i.e. one-to-one) social interaction (DSI) can be compared directly with that of cocaine as a prototypical drug of abuse. Our models are based on the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. In an ongoing effort to validate our experimental paradigms in C57BL/6 mice to make use of the plethora of transgenic models available in this genus, we found the following: (a) DSI with a live mouse produced CPP, whereas an interaction with an inanimate mouse-like object (i.e. a ‘toy mouse’; toy mouse interaction) led to conditioned place aversion – but only in the Jackson substrain (C57BL/6J). (b) In the NIH substrain (C57BL/6N), both DSI and toy mouse interaction produced individual aversion in more than 50% of the tested mice. (c) Four 15 min DSI episodes did not result in the development of an observable hierarchy, that is, dominance/subordination behavior in the overwhelming majority (i.e. 30 of 32) of the tested Jackson mouse pairs. Therefore, dominance/subordination does not seem to be a confounding variable in our paradigm, at least not in C57BL/6J mice. Respective data for NIH mice were too limited to allow any conclusion. The present findings indicate that (a) DSI with a live mouse produces CPP to a greater degree than an interaction with an inanimate object resembling a mouse and that (b) certain substrain differences with respect to CPP/aversion to DSI do exist between the Jax and NIH substrain of C57BL/6 mice. These differences have to be considered when choosing a proper mouse substrain model for investigating the neural basis of DSI reward

Dyadic social interaction of C57BL/6 mice versus interaction with a toy mouse: conditioned place preference/aversion, substrain differences, and no development of a hierarchy.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinheiro, Barbara S; Seidl, Simon S; Habazettl, Eva; Gruber, Bernadette E; Bregolin, Tanja; Zernig, Gerald

2016-04-01

Impaired social interaction is a hallmark symptom of many psychiatric diseases, including dependence syndromes (substance use disorders). Helping the addict reorient her/his behavior away from the drug of abuse toward social interaction would be of considerable therapeutic benefit. To study the neural basis of such a reorientation, we have developed several animal models in which the attractiveness of a dyadic (i.e. one-to-one) social interaction (DSI) can be compared directly with that of cocaine as a prototypical drug of abuse. Our models are based on the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. In an ongoing effort to validate our experimental paradigms in C57BL/6 mice to make use of the plethora of transgenic models available in this genus, we found the following: (a) DSI with a live mouse produced CPP, whereas an interaction with an inanimate mouse-like object (i.e. a 'toy mouse'; toy mouse interaction) led to conditioned place aversion - but only in the Jackson substrain (C57BL/6J). (b) In the NIH substrain (C57BL/6N), both DSI and toy mouse interaction produced individual aversion in more than 50% of the tested mice. (c) Four 15 min DSI episodes did not result in the development of an observable hierarchy, that is, dominance/subordination behavior in the overwhelming majority (i.e. 30 of 32) of the tested Jackson mouse pairs. Therefore, dominance/subordination does not seem to be a confounding variable in our paradigm, at least not in C57BL/6J mice. Respective data for NIH mice were too limited to allow any conclusion. The present findings indicate that (a) DSI with a live mouse produces CPP to a greater degree than an interaction with an inanimate object resembling a mouse and that (b) certain substrain differences with respect to CPP/aversion to DSI do exist between the Jax and NIH substrain of C57BL/6 mice. These differences have to be considered when choosing a proper mouse substrain model for investigating the neural basis of DSI reward versus

Perceptual integration without conscious access.

Science.gov (United States)

Fahrenfort, Johannes J; van Leeuwen, Jonathan; Olivers, Christian N L; Hogendoorn, Hinze

2017-04-04

The visual system has the remarkable ability to integrate fragmentary visual input into a perceptually organized collection of surfaces and objects, a process we refer to as perceptual integration. Despite a long tradition of perception research, it is not known whether access to consciousness is required to complete perceptual integration. To investigate this question, we manipulated access to consciousness using the attentional blink. We show that, behaviorally, the attentional blink impairs conscious decisions about the presence of integrated surface structure from fragmented input. However, despite conscious access being impaired, the ability to decode the presence of integrated percepts remains intact, as shown through multivariate classification analyses of electroencephalogram (EEG) data. In contrast, when disrupting perception through masking, decisions about integrated percepts and decoding of integrated percepts are impaired in tandem, while leaving feedforward representations intact. Together, these data show that access consciousness and perceptual integration can be dissociated.

Path-integral theory of the scattering of 4He atoms at the surface of liquid 4He

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swanson, D.R.; Edwards, D.O.

1988-01-01

The path-integral theory of the scattering of a 4 He atom near the free surface of liquid 4 He, which was originally formulated by Echenique and Pendry, has been recalculated with use of a physically realistic static potential and atom-ripplon interaction outside the liquid. The static potential and atom-ripplon interaction are based on the variational calculation of Edwards and Fatouros. An important assumption in the path-integral theory is the ''impulse approximation'': that the motion of the scattered atom is very fast compared with the motion of the surface due to ripplons. This is found to be true only for ripplons with wave vectors smaller than q/sub m/∼0.2 A/sup -1/. If ripplons above q/sub m/ made an important contribution to the scattering of the atom there would be a substantial dependence of the elastic reflection coefficient on the angle of incidence of the atom. Since this is not observed experimentally, it is argued that ripplons above q/sub m/ give a negligible effect and should be excluded from the calculation. With this modification the theory gives a good fit to the experimental reflection coefficient as a function of the momentum and angle of incidence of the atom. The new version of the theory indicates that there is a substantial probability that an atom may reach the surface of the liquid without exciting any ripplons. The theory is not valid when the atom enters the liquid but analysis of the experiments shows that, once inside the liquid, the atom has a negligible chance of being scattered out again

Vertical and lateral heterogeneous integration

Science.gov (United States)

Geske, Jon; Okuno, Yae L.; Bowers, John E.; Jayaraman, Vijay

2001-09-01

A technique for achieving large-scale monolithic integration of lattice-mismatched materials in the vertical direction and the lateral integration of dissimilar lattice-matched structures has been developed. The technique uses a single nonplanar direct-wafer-bond step to transform vertically integrated epitaxial structures into lateral epitaxial variation across the surface of a wafer. Nonplanar wafer bonding is demonstrated by integrating four different unstrained multi-quantum-well active regions lattice matched to InP on a GaAs wafer surface. Microscopy is used to verify the quality of the bonded interface, and photoluminescence is used to verify that the bonding process does not degrade the optical quality of the laterally integrated wells. The authors propose this technique as a means to achieve greater levels of wafer-scale integration in optical, electrical, and micromechanical devices.

Integration of InSAR and GIS in the Study of Surface Faults Caused by Subsidence-Creep-Fault Processes in Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Avila-Olivera, Jorge A.; Farina, Paolo; Garduno-Monroy, Victor H.

2008-01-01

In Celaya city, Subsidence-Creep-Fault Processes (SCFP) began to become visible at the beginning of the 1980s with the sprouting of the crackings that gave rise to the surface faults 'Oriente' and 'Poniente'. At the present time, the city is being affected by five surface faults that display a preferential NNW-SSE direction, parallel to the regional faulting system 'Taxco-San Miguel de Allende'. In order to study the SCFP in the city, the first step was to obtain a map of surface faults, by integrating in a GIS field survey and an urban city plan. The following step was to create a map of the current phreatic level decline in city with the information of deep wells and using the 'kriging' method in order to obtain a continuous surface. Finally the interferograms maps resulted of an InSAR analysis of 9 SAR images covering the time interval between July 12 of 2003 and May 27 of 2006 were integrated to a GIS. All the maps generated, show how the surface faults divide the city from North to South, in two zones that behave in a different way. The difference of the phreatic level decline between these two zones is 60 m; and the InSAR study revealed that the Western zone practically remains stable, while sinkings between the surface faults 'Oriente' and 'Universidad Pedagogica' are present, as well as in portions NE and SE of the city, all of these sinkings between 7 and 10 cm/year

Integration of InSAR and GIS in the Study of Surface Faults Caused by Subsidence-Creep-Fault Processes in Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Avila-Olivera, Jorge A.; Farina, Paolo; Garduño-Monroy, Victor H.

2008-05-01

In Celaya city, Subsidence-Creep-Fault Processes (SCFP) began to become visible at the beginning of the 1980s with the sprouting of the crackings that gave rise to the surface faults "Oriente" and "Poniente". At the present time, the city is being affected by five surface faults that display a preferential NNW-SSE direction, parallel to the regional faulting system "Taxco-San Miguel de Allende". In order to study the SCFP in the city, the first step was to obtain a map of surface faults, by integrating in a GIS field survey and an urban city plan. The following step was to create a map of the current phreatic level decline in city with the information of deep wells and using the "kriging" method in order to obtain a continuous surface. Finally the interferograms maps resulted of an InSAR analysis of 9 SAR images covering the time interval between July 12 of 2003 and May 27 of 2006 were integrated to a GIS. All the maps generated, show how the surface faults divide the city from North to South, in two zones that behave in a different way. The difference of the phreatic level decline between these two zones is 60 m; and the InSAR study revealed that the Western zone practically remains stable, while sinkings between the surface faults "Oriente" and "Universidad Pedagógica" are present, as well as in portions NE and SE of the city, all of these sinkings between 7 and 10 cm/year.

Meandered-line antenna with integrated high-impedance surface.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Forman, Michael A.

2010-09-01

A reduced-volume antenna composed of a meandered-line dipole antenna over a finite-width, high-impedance surface is presented. The structure is novel in that the high-impedance surface is implemented with four Sievenpiper via-mushroom unit cells, whose area is optimized to match the meandered-line dipole antenna. The result is an antenna similar in performance to patch antenna but one fourth the area that can be deployed directly on the surface of a conductor. Simulations demonstrate a 3.5 cm ({lambda}/4) square antenna with a bandwidth of 4% and a gain of 4.8 dBi at 2.5 GHz.

Novel in situ mechanical testers to enable integrated metal surface micro-machines.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Follstaedt, David Martin; de Boer, Maarten Pieter; Kotula, Paul Gabriel; Hearne, Sean Joseph; Foiles, Stephen Martin; Buchheit, Thomas Edward; Dyck, Christopher William

2005-10-01

The ability to integrate metal and semiconductor micro-systems to perform highly complex functions, such as RF-MEMS, will depend on developing freestanding metal structures that offer improved conductivity, reflectivity, and mechanical properties. Three issues have prevented the proliferation of these systems: (1) warpage of active components due to through-thickness stress gradients, (2) limited component lifetimes due to fatigue, and (3) low yield strength. To address these issues, we focus on developing and implementing techniques to enable the direct study of the stress and microstructural evolution during electrodeposition and mechanical loading. The study of stress during electrodeposition of metal thin films is being accomplished by integrating a multi-beam optical stress sensor into an electrodeposition chamber. By coupling the in-situ stress information with ex-situ microstructural analysis, a scientific understanding of the sources of stress during electrodeposition will be obtained. These results are providing a foundation upon which to develop a stress-gradient-free thin film directly applicable to the production of freestanding metal structures. The issues of fatigue and yield strength are being addressed by developing novel surface micromachined tensile and bend testers, by interferometry, and by TEM analysis. The MEMS tensile tester has a ''Bosch'' etched hole to allow for direct viewing of the microstructure in a TEM before, during, and after loading. This approach allows for the quantitative measurements of stress-strain relations while imaging dislocation motion, and determination of fracture nucleation in samples with well-known fatigue/strain histories. This technique facilitates the determination of the limits for classical deformation mechanisms and helps to formulate a new understanding of the mechanical response as the grain sizes are refined to a nanometer scale. Together, these studies will result in a science

Integrated assessment of groundwater - surface water exchange in the hillslope - riparian interface of a montane catchment

Science.gov (United States)

Scheliga, Bernhard; Tetzlaff, Doerthe; Nuetzmann, Gunnar; Soulsby, Chris

2016-04-01

Groundwater-surface water dynamics play an important role in runoff generation and the hydrologic connectivity between hillslopes and streams. Here, we present findings from a suite of integrated, empirical approaches to increase our understanding of groundwater-surface water interlinkages in a 3.2 km ^ 2 experimental catchment in the Scottish Highlands. The montane catchment is mainly underlain by granite and has extensive (70%) cover of glacial drift deposits which are up to 40 m deep and form the main aquifer in the catchment. Flat valley bottom areas fringe the stream channel and are characterised by peaty soils (0.5-4 m deep) which cover about 10% of the catchment and receive drainage from upslope areas. The transition between the hillslopes and riparian zone forms a critical interface for groundwater-surface water interactions that controls both the dynamics of riparian saturation and stream flow generation. We nested observations using wells to assess the groundwater - surface water transition, LiDAR surveys to explore the influence of micro-topography on shallow groundwater efflux and riparian wells to examine the magnitude and flux rates of deeper groundwater sources. We also used electrical resistivity surveys to assess the architecture and storage properties of drift aquifers. Finally, we used isotopic tracers to differentiate recharge sources and associated residence times as well as quantifying how groundwater dynamics affect stream flow. These new data have provided a novel conceptual framework for local groundwater - surface water exchange that is informing the development of new deterministic models for the site.

Forecasting in an integrated surface water-ground water system: The Big Cypress Basin, South Florida

Science.gov (United States)

Butts, M. B.; Feng, K.; Klinting, A.; Stewart, K.; Nath, A.; Manning, P.; Hazlett, T.; Jacobsen, T.

2009-04-01

The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) manages and protects the state's water resources on behalf of 7.5 million South Floridians and is the lead agency in restoring America's Everglades - the largest environmental restoration project in US history. Many of the projects to restore and protect the Everglades ecosystem are part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). The region has a unique hydrological regime, with close connection between surface water and groundwater, and a complex managed drainage network with many structures. Added to the physical complexity are the conflicting needs of the ecosystem for protection and restoration, versus the substantial urban development with the accompanying water supply, water quality and flood control issues. In this paper a novel forecasting and real-time modelling system is presented for the Big Cypress Basin. The Big Cypress Basin includes 272 km of primary canals and 46 water control structures throughout the area that provide limited levels of flood protection, as well as water supply and environmental quality management. This system is linked to the South Florida Water Management District's extensive real-time (SCADA) data monitoring and collection system. Novel aspects of this system include the use of a fully distributed and integrated modeling approach and a new filter-based updating approach for accurately forecasting river levels. Because of the interaction between surface- and groundwater a fully integrated forecast modeling approach is required. Indeed, results for the Tropical Storm Fay in 2008, the groundwater levels show an extremely rapid response to heavy rainfall. Analysis of this storm also shows that updating levels in the river system can have a direct impact on groundwater levels.

TU-CD-BRA-12: Coupling PET Image Restoration and Segmentation Using Variational Method with Multiple Regularizations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, L; Tan, S [Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei (China); Lu, W [University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (United States)

2015-06-15

Purpose: To propose a new variational method which couples image restoration with tumor segmentation for PET images using multiple regularizations. Methods: Partial volume effect (PVE) is a major degrading factor impacting tumor segmentation accuracy in PET imaging. The existing segmentation methods usually need to take prior calibrations to compensate PVE and they are highly system-dependent. Taking into account that image restoration and segmentation can promote each other and they are tightly coupled, we proposed a variational method to solve the two problems together. Our method integrated total variation (TV) semi-blind deconvolution and Mumford-Shah (MS) segmentation. The TV norm was used on edges to protect the edge information, and the L{sub 2} norm was used to avoid staircase effect in the no-edge area. The blur kernel was constrained to the Gaussian model parameterized by its variance and we assumed that the variances in the X-Y and Z directions are different. The energy functional was iteratively optimized by an alternate minimization algorithm. Segmentation performance was tested on eleven patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and evaluated by Dice similarity index (DSI) and classification error (CE). For comparison, seven other widely used methods were also tested and evaluated. Results: The combination of TV and L{sub 2} regularizations effectively improved the segmentation accuracy. The average DSI increased by around 0.1 than using either the TV or the L{sub 2} norm. The proposed method was obviously superior to other tested methods. It has an average DSI and CE of 0.80 and 0.41, while the FCM method — the second best one — has only an average DSI and CE of 0.66 and 0.64. Conclusion: Coupling image restoration and segmentation can handle PVE and thus improves tumor segmentation accuracy in PET. Alternate use of TV and L2 regularizations can further improve the performance of the algorithm. This work was supported in part by National Natural

Gaussian-windowed frame based method of moments formulation of surface-integral-equation for extended apertures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shlivinski, A., E-mail: amirshli@ee.bgu.ac.il [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105 (Israel); Lomakin, V., E-mail: vlomakin@eng.ucsd.edu [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0407 (United States)

2016-03-01

Scattering or coupling of electromagnetic beam-field at a surface discontinuity separating two homogeneous or inhomogeneous media with different propagation characteristics is formulated using surface integral equation, which are solved by the Method of Moments with the aid of the Gabor-based Gaussian window frame set of basis and testing functions. The application of the Gaussian window frame provides (i) a mathematically exact and robust tool for spatial-spectral phase-space formulation and analysis of the problem; (ii) a system of linear equations in a transmission-line like form relating mode-like wave objects of one medium with mode-like wave objects of the second medium; (iii) furthermore, an appropriate setting of the frame parameters yields mode-like wave objects that blend plane wave properties (as if solving in the spectral domain) with Green's function properties (as if solving in the spatial domain); and (iv) a representation of the scattered field with Gaussian-beam propagators that may be used in many large (in terms of wavelengths) systems.

Transient analysis of electromagnetic wave interactions on plasmonic nanostructures using a surface integral equation solver

KAUST Repository

Uysal, Ismail Enes

2016-08-09

Transient electromagnetic interactions on plasmonic nanostructures are analyzed by solving the Poggio-Miller-Chan-Harrington-Wu-Tsai (PMCHWT) surface integral equation (SIE). Equivalent (unknown) electric and magnetic current densities, which are introduced on the surfaces of the nanostructures, are expanded using Rao-Wilton-Glisson and polynomial basis functions in space and time, respectively. Inserting this expansion into the PMCHWT-SIE and Galerkin testing the resulting equation at discrete times yield a system of equations that is solved for the current expansion coefficients by a marching on-in-time (MOT) scheme. The resulting MOT-PMCHWT-SIE solver calls for computation of additional convolutions between the temporal basis function and the plasmonic medium\\'s permittivity and Green function. This computation is carried out with almost no additional cost and without changing the computational complexity of the solver. Time-domain samples of the permittivity and the Green function required by these convolutions are obtained from their frequency-domain samples using a fast relaxed vector fitting algorithm. Numerical results demonstrate the accuracy and applicability of the proposed MOT-PMCHWT solver. © 2016 Optical Society of America.

Integrated Optic Surface Plasmon Resonance Measurements in a Borosilicate Glass Substrate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonino Parisi

2008-11-01

Full Text Available The surface plasmon resonance (SPR technique is a well-known optical method that can be used to measure the refractive index of organic nano-layers adsorbed on a thin metal film. Although there are many configurations for measuring biomolecular interactions, SPR-based techniques play a central role in many current biosensing experiments, since they are the most suited for sensitive and quantitative kinetic measurements. Here we give some results from the analysis and numerical elaboration of SPR data from integrated optics experiments in a particular borosilicate glass, chosen for its composition offering the rather low refractive index of 1.4701 at 633 nm wavelength. These data regard the flow over the sensing region (metal window of different solutions with refractive indexes in the range of interest (1.3÷1.5 for the detection of contaminants in aqueous solutions. After a discussion of the principles of SPR, of the metal window design optimization by means of optical interaction numerical modeling, and of waveguide fabrication techniques, we give a description of system setup and experimental results. Optimum gold film window thickness and width in this guided-wave configuration has been for the first time derived and implemented on an integrated optic prototype device. Its characterization is given by means of the real time waveguide output intensity measurements, which correspond to the interaction between the sensing gold thin film window and the flowing analyte. The SPR curve was subsequently inferred. Finally, a modified version of the device is reported, with channel waveguides arranged in a Y-junction optical circuit, so that laser source stability requirements are lowered by a factor of 85 dB, making possible the use of low cost sources in practical applications.

Enhanced antiferromagnetic coupling in dual-synthetic antiferromagnet with Co2FeAl electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, D.L.; Xu, X.G.; Wu, Y.; Li, X.Q.; Miao, J.; Jiang, Y.

2012-01-01

We study dual-synthetic antiferromagnets (DSyAFs) using Co 2 FeAl (CFA) Heusler electrodes with a stack structure of Ta/CFA/Ru/CFA/Ru/CFA/Ta. When the thicknesses of the two Ru layers are 0.45 nm, 0.65 nm or 0.45 nm, 1.00 nm, the CFA-based DSyAF has a strong antiferromagnetic coupling between adjacent CFA layers at room temperature with a saturation magnetic field of ∼11,000 Oe, a saturation magnetization of ∼710 emu/cm 3 and a coercivity of ∼2.0 Oe. Moreover, the DSyAF has a good thermal stability up to 400 °C, at which CFA films show B2-ordered structure. Therefore, the CFA-based DSyAFs are favorable for applications in future spintronic devices. - Graphical abstract: Display Omitted Highlights: ► Co 2 FeAl can be applied in room temperature dual-synthetic antiferromagnets. ► Co 2 FeAl dual-synthetic antiferromagnets have a good thermal stability up to 400 °C. ► The Co 2 FeAl has B2-ordered structure in annealed dual-synthetic antiferromagnets.

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....

The effect of product quality on the integrity of advanced surface engineering treatments applied to high speed steel circular saw blades

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bradbury, S.R.; Sarwar, M.

1996-01-01

Advanced surface engineering technologies have been successfully applied to high speed steel drills and carbide single-point cutting tools, but, as yet, limited benefits have been realized when applying the same technologies to multi-point cutting tools of commercial quality. This paper discusses the factors that have limited the benefits of advanced surface engineering treatments when applied to high speed steel circular saw blades. Common manufacturing defects have been identified on the teeth of the blades. Tests which evaluate the blade performance throughout its useful life and examination by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have shown that these defects adversely affect the performance and wear resistance of surface engineered blades. Further investigations suggest that significant improvements in coating integrity can be achieved through the careful preparation of the substrate surface and refinement of the cutting edge geometry prior to treatment. For this application, the need for refinement and enhancement of current manufacturing practices is demonstrated if the full benefits of advanced surface engineering are to be realized. (orig.)

Identifying Key Issues and Potential Solutions for Integrated Arrival, Departure, Surface Operations by Surveying Stakeholder Preferences

Science.gov (United States)

Aponso, Bimal; Coppenbarger, Richard A.; Jung, Yoon; Quon, Leighton; Lohr, Gary; O’Connor, Neil; Engelland, Shawn

2015-01-01

NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) collaborates with the FAA and industry to provide concepts and technologies that enhance the transition to the next-generation air-traffic management system (NextGen). To facilitate this collaboration, ARMD has a series of Airspace Technology Demonstration (ATD) sub-projects that develop, demonstrate, and transitions NASA technologies and concepts for implementation in the National Airspace System (NAS). The second of these sub-projects, ATD-2, is focused on the potential benefits to NAS stakeholders of integrated arrival, departure, surface (IADS) operations. To determine the project objectives and assess the benefits of a potential solution, NASA surveyed NAS stakeholders to understand the existing issues in arrival, departure, and surface operations, and the perceived benefits of better integrating these operations. NASA surveyed a broad cross-section of stakeholders representing the airlines, airports, air-navigation service providers, and industry providers of NAS tools. The survey indicated that improving the predictability of flight times (schedules) could improve efficiency in arrival, departure, and surface operations. Stakeholders also mentioned the need for better strategic and tactical information on traffic constraints as well as better information sharing and a coupled collaborative planning process that allows stakeholders to coordinate IADS operations. To assess the impact of a potential solution, NASA sketched an initial departure scheduling concept and assessed its viability by surveying a select group of stakeholders for a second time. The objective of the departure scheduler was to enable flights to move continuously from gate to cruise with minimal interruption in a busy metroplex airspace environment using strategic and tactical scheduling enhanced by collaborative planning between airlines and service providers. The stakeholders agreed that this departure concept could improve schedule

The relations of age and pubertal development with cortisol and daily stress in youth at clinical risk for psychosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Moskow, Danielle M; Addington, Jean; Bearden, Carrie E; Cadenhead, Kristin S; Cornblatt, Barbara A; Heinssen, Robert; Mathalon, Daniel H; McGlashan, Thomas H; Perkins, Diana O; Seidman, Larry J; Tsuang, Ming T; Cannon, Tyrone D; Woods, Scott W; Walker, Elaine F

2016-04-01

Prodromal syndromes often begin in adolescence - a period of neurodevelopmental changes and heightened stress sensitivity. Research has shown elevated stress and cortisol in individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis. This cross-sectional study examined relations of age and pubertal status with cortisol and self-reported stress in healthy controls (HCs) and CHR adolescents. It was hypothesized that the relations of age and pubertal stage with cortisol and stress would be more pronounced in CHR youth. Participants were 93 HCs and 348 CHR adolescents from the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study (NAPLS). At baseline, measures of stress (Daily Stress Inventory - DSI), Tanner stage (TS), and salivary cortisol were obtained. ANCOVA revealed increased DSI scores with age for both groups, and higher DSI scores in CHR adolescents than HCs, with a more pronounced difference for females. Contrary to prediction, with age controlled, HCs showed greater TS-related DSI increases. Analysis of cortisol showed no significant interactions, but a main effect of age and a trend toward higher cortisol in the CHR group. Correlations of cortisol with TS were higher in HC than CHR group. Stress measures increased with age in HC and CHR adolescents, and DSI scores also increased with TS in HCs. The results do not support a more pronounced age or TS increase in stress measures in CHR adolescents, but instead suggest that stress indices tend to be elevated earlier in adolescence in the CHR group. Potential determinants of findings and future directions are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Entrainment of bed material by Earth-surface mass flows: review and reformulation of depth-integrated theory

Science.gov (United States)

Iverson, Richard M.; Chaojun Ouyang,

2015-01-01

Earth-surface mass flows such as debris flows, rock avalanches, and dam-break floods can grow greatly in size and destructive potential by entraining bed material they encounter. Increasing use of depth-integrated mass- and momentum-conservation equations to model these erosive flows motivates a review of the underlying theory. Our review indicates that many existing models apply depth-integrated conservation principles incorrectly, leading to spurious inferences about the role of mass and momentum exchanges at flow-bed boundaries. Model discrepancies can be rectified by analyzing conservation of mass and momentum in a two-layer system consisting of a moving upper layer and static lower layer. Our analysis shows that erosion or deposition rates at the interface between layers must in general satisfy three jump conditions. These conditions impose constraints on valid erosion formulas, and they help determine the correct forms of depth-integrated conservation equations. Two of the three jump conditions are closely analogous to Rankine-Hugoniot conditions that describe the behavior of shocks in compressible gasses, and the third jump condition describes shear traction discontinuities that necessarily exist across eroding boundaries. Grain-fluid mixtures commonly behave as compressible materials as they undergo entrainment, because changes in bulk density occur as the mixtures mobilize and merge with an overriding flow. If no bulk density change occurs, then only the shear-traction jump condition applies. Even for this special case, however, accurate formulation of depth-integrated momentum equations requires a clear distinction between boundary shear tractions that exist in the presence or absence of bed erosion.

Robust, Rework-able Thermal Electronic Packaging: Applications in High Power TR Modules for Space

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffman, James Patrick; Del Castillo, Linda; Hunter, Don; Miller, Jennifer

2012-01-01

The higher output power densities required of modern radar architectures, such as the proposed DESDynI [Deformation, Ecosystem Structure, and Dynamics of Ice] SAR [Synthetic Aperture Radar] Instrument (or DSI) require increasingly dense high power electronics. To enable these higher power densities, while maintaining or even improving hardware reliability, requires improvements in integrating advanced thermal packaging technologies into radar transmit/receive (TR) modules. New materials and techniques have been studied and are now being implemented side-by-side with more standard technology typically used in flight hardware.

The influence of ultra-pasteurization by indirect heating versus direct steam injection on skim and 2% fat milks.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, A P; Barbano, D M; Drake, M A

2017-03-01

Fluid milk is traditionally pasteurized by high temperature, short time (HTST) pasteurization, which requires heating to at least 72°C for 15 s. Ultra-pasteurization (UP) extends milk shelf life and is defined as heating to at least 138°C for 2 s. The UP process can be done by indirect heating (IND) or by direct steam injection (DSI). The influence of these 2 UP methods on milk flavor has not been widely investigated. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of HTST, IND-UP, and DSI-UP on sensory perception of fluid milk. Raw skim and standardized 2% milks were pasteurized at 140°C for 2.3 s by IND or DSI or by HTST (78°C, 15 s) and homogenized at 20.7 MPa. The processed milks were stored in light-shielded opaque high-density polyethylene containers at 4°C and examined by descriptive analysis and microbial analysis on d 3, 7, and 14. Furosine and serum protein denaturation analyses were performed on d 0 and 14 as an indicator of heat treatment. Last, consumer acceptance testing was conducted at d 10, with adults (n = 250) and children (ages 8 to13 y, n = 100) who were self-reported consumers of skim or 2% milk; consumers only received samples for either skim or 2% milk. The entire experiment was repeated in triplicate. Milks treated by HTST had lower cooked flavor than either UP milk. Milks heated by DSI-UP were characterized by sulfur or eggy and cooked flavors, whereas IND-UP milks had higher sweet aromatic and sweet taste compared with DSI-UP milk. Aromatic flavor intensities of all milks decreased across 14 d of storage. Furosine concentrations and serum protein denaturation were highest for the IND treatments, followed by DSI and HTST. Furosine content in both skim and 2% milk increased with time, but the increase was faster in IND-UP skim milk. Adult and child consumers preferred HTST milk over either UP milk, regardless of fat content. Ultra-pasteurization by IND or DSI did not affect consumer acceptance at 10 d postprocessing, but

Application of Terrestrial Laser Scanner with an Integrated Thermal Camera in Non-Destructive Evaluation of Concrete Surface of Hydrotechnical Objects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kowalska Maria

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The authors present possible applications of thermal data as an additional source of information on an object’s behaviour during the technical assessment of the condition of a concrete surface. For the study one of the most recent propositions introduced by Zoller + Fröhlich company was used, which is an integration of a thermal camera with a terrestrial laser scanner. This solution enables an acquisition of geometric and spectral data on the surveyed object and also provides information on the surface’s temperature in the selected points. A section of the dam’s downstream concrete wall was selected as the subject of the study for which a number of scans were carried out and a number of thermal images were taken at different times of the day. The obtained thermal data was confronted with the acquired spectral information for the specified points. This made it possible to carry out broader analysis of the surface and an inspection of the revealed fissure. The thermal analysis of said fissure indicated that the temperature changes within it are slower, which may affect the way the concrete works and may require further elaboration by the appropriate experts. Through the integration of a thermal camera with a terrestrial laser scanner one can not only analyse changes of temperature in the discretely selected points but on the whole surface as well. Moreover, it is also possible to accurately determine the range and the area of the change affecting the surface. The authors note the limitations of the presented solution like, inter alia, the resolution of the thermal camera.

Evaluation of Surface Fatigue Strength Based on Surface Temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Gang; Nakanishi, Tsutomu

Surface temperature is considered to be an integrated index that is dependent on not only the load and the dimensions at the contact point but also the sliding velocity, rolling velocity, surface roughness, and lubrication conditions. Therefore, the surface durability of rollers and gears can be evaluated more exactly and simply by the use of surface temperature rather than Hertzian stress. In this research, surface temperatures of rollers under different rolling and sliding conditions are measured using a thermocouple. The effects of load P, mean velocity Vm and sliding velocity Vs on surface temperature are clarified. An experimental formula, which expresses the linear relationship between surface temperature and the P0.86Vs1.31Vm-0.83 value, is used to determine surface temperature. By comparing calculated and measured temperature on the tooth surface of a gear, this formula is confirmed to be applicable for gear tooth surface temperature calculation.

Mid-infrared thermal imaging for an effective mapping of surface materials and sub-surface detachments in mural paintings: integration of thermography and thermal quasi-reflectography

Science.gov (United States)

Daffara, C.; Parisotto, S.; Mariotti, P. I.

2015-06-01

Cultural Heritage is discovering how precious is thermal analysis as a tool to improve the restoration, thanks to its ability to inspect hidden details. In this work a novel dual mode imaging approach, based on the integration of thermography and thermal quasi-reflectography (TQR) in the mid-IR is demonstrated for an effective mapping of surface materials and of sub-surface detachments in mural painting. The tool was validated through a unique application: the "Monocromo" by Leonardo da Vinci in Italy. The dual mode acquisition provided two spatially aligned dataset: the TQR image and the thermal sequence. Main steps of the workflow included: 1) TQR analysis to map surface features and 2) to estimate the emissivity; 3) projection of the TQR frame on reference orthophoto and TQR mosaicking; 4) thermography analysis to map detachments; 5) use TQR to solve spatial referencing and mosaicking for the thermal-processed frames. Referencing of thermal images in the visible is a difficult aspect of the thermography technique that the dual mode approach allows to solve in effective way. We finally obtained the TQR and the thermal maps spatially referenced to the mural painting, thus providing the restorer a valuable tool for the restoration of the detachments.

Assessment of Surface Area Characteristics of Dental Implants with Gradual Bioactive Surface Treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Czan, Andrej; Babík, Ondrej; Miklos, Matej; Záušková, Lucia; Mezencevová, Viktória

2017-10-01

Since most of the implant surface is in direct contact with bone tissue, shape and integrity of said surface has great influence on successful osseointegration. Among other characteristics that predetermine titanium of different grades of pureness as ideal biomaterial, titanium shows high mechanical strength making precise miniature machining increasingly difficult. Current titanium-based implants are often anodized due to colour coding. This anodized layer has important functional properties for right usage and also bio-compatibility of dental implants. Physical method of anodizing and usage of anodizing mediums has a significant influence on the surface quality and itself functionality. However, basic requirement of the dental implant with satisfactory properties is quality of machined surface before anodizing. Roughness, for example, is factor affecting of time length of anodizing operation and so whole productivity. The paper is focused on monitoring of surface and area characteristics, such as roughness or surface integrity after different cutting conditions of miniature machining of dental implants and their impact on suitability for creation of satisfactory anodized layer with the correct biocompatible functional properties.

Integrated antibacterial and antifouling surfaces via cross-linking chitosan-g-eugenol/zwitterionic copolymer on electrospun membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhenguang; Hu, Wenhong; Zhao, Yunhui; Ren, Lixia; Yuan, Xiaoyan

2018-04-27

Integrated antibacterial and antifouling surfaces in favor of avoiding implant-related infections are necessarily required for biomaterials when they contact with the body fluid. In this work, an antibacterial and antifouling membrane was developed via cross-linking chitosan-g-eugenol and the zwitterionic copolymer poly(sulfobetaine methylacrylate-co-2-aminoethyl methacrylate) on the electrospun polycarbonate urethane substrate using genipin as a cross-linker. Antibacterial assays demonstrated that the prepared membranes had efficient antibacterial activity with 92.8 ± 2.5% and 95.2 ± 1.3% growth inhibition rates against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. The investigations on antifouling activity and hemocompatibility of the membranes showed significant resistances to bacterial attachment, non-specific protein adsorption and platelet adhesion, and presented lower hemolytic activity and good anticoagulant activity as well. Moreover, cell culture assays indicated that the prepared membranes exerted no obvious cytotoxicity with more than 80% of relative L929 fibroblast viability. Therefore, the membranes with integrated antibacterial and antifouling properties could be potentially applied in promising indwelling devices. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Integration of sparse electrophysiological measurements with preoperative MRI using 3D surface estimation in deep brain stimulation surgery

Science.gov (United States)

Husch, Andreas; Gemmar, Peter; Thunberg, Johan; Hertel, Frank

2017-03-01

Intraoperative microelectrode recordings (MER) have been used for several decades to guide neurosurgeons during the implantation of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) electrodes, especially when targeting the subthalamic nucleus (STN) to suppress the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease. The standard approach is to use an array of up to five MER electrodes in a fixed configuration. Interpretation of the recorded signals yields a spatially very sparse set of information about the morphology of the respective brain structures in the targeted area. However, no aid is currently available for surgeons to intraoperatively integrate this information with other data available on the patient's individual morphology (e.g. MR imaging data used for surgical planning). This integration might allow surgeons to better determine the most probable position of the electrodes within the target structure during surgery. This paper suggests a method for reconstructing a surface patch from the sparse MER dataset utilizing additional a priori knowledge about the geometrical configuration of the measurement electrodes. The conventional representation of MER measurements as intervals of target region/non-target region is therefore transformed into an equivalent boundary set representation, allowing ecient point-based calculations. Subsequently, the problem is to integrate the resulting patch with a preoperative model of the target structure, which can be formulated as registration problem minimizing a distance measure between the two surfaces. When restricting this registration procedure to translations, which is reasonable given certain geometric considerations, the problem can be solved globally by employing an exhaustive search with arbitrary precision in polynomial time. The proposed method is demonstrated using bilateral STN/Substantia Nigra segmentation data from preoperative MRIs of 17 Patients with simulated MER electrode placement. When using simulated data of heavily perturbed electrodes

Optimization of integrated chemical-biological degradation of a reactive azo dye using response surface methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sudarjanto, Gatut; Keller-Lehmann, Beatrice; Keller, Jurg

2006-01-01

The integrated chemical-biological degradation combining advanced oxidation by UV/H 2 O 2 followed by aerobic biodegradation was used to degrade C.I. Reactive Azo Red 195A, commonly used in the textile industry in Australia. An experimental design based on the response surface method was applied to evaluate the interactive effects of influencing factors (UV irradiation time, initial hydrogen peroxide dosage and recirculation ratio of the system) on decolourisation efficiency and optimizing the operating conditions of the treatment process. The effects were determined by the measurement of dye concentration and soluble chemical oxygen demand (S-COD). The results showed that the dye and S-COD removal were affected by all factors individually and interactively. Maximal colour degradation performance was predicted, and experimentally validated, with no recirculation, 30 min UV irradiation and 500 mg H 2 O 2 /L. The model predictions for colour removal, based on a three-factor/five-level Box-Wilson central composite design and the response surface method analysis, were found to be very close to additional experimental results obtained under near optimal conditions. This demonstrates the benefits of this approach in achieving good predictions while minimising the number of experiments required

A new integrated and homogenized global monthly land surface air temperature dataset for the period since 1900

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Wenhui; Li, Qingxiang; Jones, Phil; Wang, Xiaolan L.; Trewin, Blair; Yang, Su; Zhu, Chen; Zhai, Panmao; Wang, Jinfeng; Vincent, Lucie; Dai, Aiguo; Gao, Yun; Ding, Yihui

2018-04-01

A new dataset of integrated and homogenized monthly surface air temperature over global land for the period since 1900 [China Meteorological Administration global Land Surface Air Temperature (CMA-LSAT)] is developed. In total, 14 sources have been collected and integrated into the newly developed dataset, including three global (CRUTEM4, GHCN, and BEST), three regional and eight national sources. Duplicate stations are identified, and those with the higher priority are chosen or spliced. Then, a consistency test and a climate outlier test are conducted to ensure that each station series is quality controlled. Next, two steps are adopted to assure the homogeneity of the station series: (1) homogenized station series in existing national datasets (by National Meteorological Services) are directly integrated into the dataset without any changes (50% of all stations), and (2) the inhomogeneities are detected and adjusted for in the remaining data series using a penalized maximal t test (50% of all stations). Based on the dataset, we re-assess the temperature changes in global and regional areas compared with GHCN-V3 and CRUTEM4, as well as the temperature changes during the three periods of 1900-2014, 1979-2014 and 1998-2014. The best estimates of warming trends and there 95% confidence ranges for 1900-2014 are approximately 0.102 ± 0.006 °C/decade for the whole year, and 0.104 ± 0.009, 0.112 ± 0.007, 0.090 ± 0.006, and 0.092 ± 0.007 °C/decade for the DJF (December, January, February), MAM, JJA, and SON seasons, respectively. MAM saw the most significant warming trend in both 1900-2014 and 1979-2014. For an even shorter and more recent period (1998-2014), MAM, JJA and SON show similar warming trends, while DJF shows opposite trends. The results show that the ability of CMA-LAST for describing the global temperature changes is similar with other existing products, while there are some differences when describing regional temperature changes.

The International Decision Support Initiative Reference Case for Economic Evaluation: An Aid to Thought.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkinson, Thomas; Sculpher, Mark J; Claxton, Karl; Revill, Paul; Briggs, Andrew; Cairns, John A; Teerawattananon, Yot; Asfaw, Elias; Lopert, Ruth; Culyer, Anthony J; Walker, Damian G

2016-12-01

Policymakers in high-, low-, and middle-income countries alike face challenging choices about resource allocation in health. Economic evaluation can be useful in providing decision makers with the best evidence of the anticipated benefits of new investments, as well as their expected opportunity costs-the benefits forgone of the options not chosen. To guide the decisions of health systems effectively, it is important that the methods of economic evaluation are founded on clear principles, are applied systematically, and are appropriate to the decision problems they seek to inform. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a major funder of economic evaluations of health technologies in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), commissioned a "reference case" through the International Decision Support Initiative (iDSI) to guide future evaluations, and improve both the consistency and usefulness to decision makers. The iDSI Reference Case draws on previous insights from the World Health Organization, the US Panel on Cost-Effectiveness in Health Care, and the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Comprising 11 key principles, each accompanied by methodological specifications and reporting standards, the iDSI Reference Case also serves as a means of identifying priorities for methods research, and can be used as a framework for capacity building and technical assistance in LMICs. The iDSI Reference Case is an aid to thought, not a substitute for it, and should not be followed slavishly without regard to context, culture, or history. This article presents the iDSI Reference Case and discusses the rationale, approach, components, and application in LMICs. Copyright © 2016 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Estimation of time-series properties of gourd observed solar irradiance data using cloud properties derived from satellite observations

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, T.; Nohara, D.

2017-12-01

The shorter temporal scale variation in the downward solar irradiance at the ground level (DSI) is not understood well because researches in the shorter-scale variation in the DSI is based on the ground observation and ground observation stations are located coarsely. Use of dataset derived from satellite observation will overcome such defect. DSI data and MODIS cloud properties product are analyzed simultaneously. Three metrics: mean, standard deviation and sample entropy, are used to evaluate time-series properties of the DSI. Three metrics are computed from two-hours time-series centered at the observation time of MODIS over the ground observation stations. We apply the regression methods to design prediction models of each three metrics from cloud properties. The validation of the model accuracy show that mean and standard deviation are predicted with a higher degree of accuracy and that the accuracy of prediction of sample entropy, which represents the complexity of time-series, is not high. One of causes of lower prediction skill of sample entropy is the resolution of the MODIS cloud properties. Higher sample entropy is corresponding to the rapid fluctuation, which is caused by the small and unordered cloud. It seems that such clouds isn't retrieved well.

Development of a Late-Life Dementia Prediction Index with Supervised Machine Learning in the Population-Based CAIDE Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Pekkala, Timo; Hall, Anette; Lötjönen, Jyrki; Mattila, Jussi; Soininen, Hilkka; Ngandu, Tiia; Laatikainen, Tiina; Kivipelto, Miia; Solomon, Alina

2017-01-01

This study aimed to develop a late-life dementia prediction model using a novel validated supervised machine learning method, the Disease State Index (DSI), in the Finnish population-based CAIDE study. The CAIDE study was based on previous population-based midlife surveys. CAIDE participants were re-examined twice in late-life, and the first late-life re-examination was used as baseline for the present study. The main study population included 709 cognitively normal subjects at first re-examination who returned to the second re-examination up to 10 years later (incident dementia n = 39). An extended population (n = 1009, incident dementia 151) included non-participants/non-survivors (national registers data). DSI was used to develop a dementia index based on first re-examination assessments. Performance in predicting dementia was assessed as area under the ROC curve (AUC). AUCs for DSI were 0.79 and 0.75 for main and extended populations. Included predictors were cognition, vascular factors, age, subjective memory complaints, and APOE genotype. The supervised machine learning method performed well in identifying comprehensive profiles for predicting dementia development up to 10 years later. DSI could thus be useful for identifying individuals who are most at risk and may benefit from dementia prevention interventions.

Riemann surfaces with boundaries and string theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morozov, A.Yu.; Roslyj, A.A.

1989-01-01

A consideration of the cutting and joining operations for Riemann surfaces permits one to express the functional integral on a Riemann surface in terms of integrals over its pieces which are suarfaces with boundaries. This yields an expression for the determinant of the Laplacian on a Riemann surface in terms of Krichever maps for its pieces. Possible applications of the methods proposed to a study of the string perturbation theory in terms of an universal moduli space are mentioned

TU-H-CAMPUS-IeP3-01: Simultaneous PET Restoration and PET/CT Co-Segmentation Using a Variational Method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, L; Tan, S; Lu, W

2016-01-01

Purpose: PET images are usually blurred due to the finite spatial resolution, while CT images suffer from low contrast. Segment a tumor from either a single PET or CT image is thus challenging. To make full use of the complementary information between PET and CT, we propose a novel variational method for simultaneous PET image restoration and PET/CT images co-segmentation. Methods: The proposed model was constructed based on the Γ-convergence approximation of Mumford-Shah (MS) segmentation model for PET/CT co-segmentation. Moreover, a PET de-blur process was integrated into the MS model to improve the segmentation accuracy. An interaction edge constraint term over the two modalities were specially designed to share the complementary information. The energy functional was iteratively optimized using an alternate minimization (AM) algorithm. The performance of the proposed method was validated on ten lung cancer cases and five esophageal cancer cases. The ground truth were manually delineated by an experienced radiation oncologist using the complementary visual features of PET and CT. The segmentation accuracy was evaluated by Dice similarity index (DSI) and volume error (VE). Results: The proposed method achieved an expected restoration result for PET image and satisfactory segmentation results for both PET and CT images. For lung cancer dataset, the average DSI (0.72) increased by 0.17 and 0.40 than single PET and CT segmentation. For esophageal cancer dataset, the average DSI (0.85) increased by 0.07 and 0.43 than single PET and CT segmentation. Conclusion: The proposed method took full advantage of the complementary information from PET and CT images. This work was supported in part by the National Cancer Institute Grants R01CA172638. Shan Tan and Laquan Li were supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, under Grant Nos. 60971112 and 61375018.

The Goddard Snow Radiance Assimilation Project: An Integrated Snow Radiance and Snow Physics Modeling Framework for Snow/cold Land Surface Modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, E.; Tedesco, M.; Reichle, R.; Choudhury, B.; Peters-Lidard C.; Foster, J.; Hall, D.; Riggs, G.

2006-01-01

Microwave-based retrievals of snow parameters from satellite observations have a long heritage and have so far been generated primarily by regression-based empirical "inversion" methods based on snapshots in time. Direct assimilation of microwave radiance into physical land surface models can be used to avoid errors associated with such retrieval/inversion methods, instead utilizing more straightforward forward models and temporal information. This approach has been used for years for atmospheric parameters by the operational weather forecasting community with great success. Recent developments in forward radiative transfer modeling, physical land surface modeling, and land data assimilation are converging to allow the assembly of an integrated framework for snow/cold lands modeling and radiance assimilation. The objective of the Goddard snow radiance assimilation project is to develop such a framework and explore its capabilities. The key elements of this framework include: a forward radiative transfer model (FRTM) for snow, a snowpack physical model, a land surface water/energy cycle model, and a data assimilation scheme. In fact, multiple models are available for each element enabling optimization to match the needs of a particular study. Together these form a modular and flexible framework for self-consistent, physically-based remote sensing and water/energy cycle studies. In this paper we will describe the elements and the integration plan. All modules will operate within the framework of the Land Information System (LIS), a land surface modeling framework with data assimilation capabilities running on a parallel-node computing cluster. Capabilities for assimilation of snow retrieval products are already under development for LIS. We will describe plans to add radiance-based assimilation capabilities. Plans for validation activities using field measurements will also be discussed.

Subcomponents and Connectivity of the Inferior Fronto-Occipital Fasciculus Revealed by Diffusion Spectrum Imaging Fiber Tracking

OpenAIRE

Wu, Yupeng; Sun, Dandan; Wang, Yong; Wang, Yibao

2016-01-01

The definitive structure and functional role of the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF) are still controversial. In this study, we aimed to investigate the connectivity, asymmetry, and segmentation patterns of this bundle. High angular diffusion spectrum imaging (DSI) analysis was performed on 10 healthy adults and a 90-subject DSI template (NTU-90 Atlas). In addition, a new tractography approach based on the anatomic subregions and two regions of interest (ROI) was evaluated for the ...

Structural integrity of additive materials: Microstructure, fatigue behavior, and surface processing

Science.gov (United States)

Book, Todd A.

Although Additive Manufacturing (AM) offers numerous performance advantages over existing methods, AM structures are not being utilized for critical aerospace and mechanical applications due to uncertainties in their structural integrity as a result of the microstructural variations and defects arising from the AM process itself. Two of these uncertainties are the observed scatter in tensile strength and fatigue lives of direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) parts. With strain localization a precursor for material failure, this research seeks to explore the impact of microstructural variations in DMLS produced materials on strain localization. The first part of this research explores the role of the microstructure in strain localization of DMLS produced IN718 and Ti6Al4V specimens (as-built and post-processed) through the characterization of the linkage between microstructural variations, and the accumulation of plastic strain during monotonic and low cycle fatigue loading. The second part of this research explores the feasibility for the application of select surface processing techniques in-situ during the DMLS build process to alter the microstructure in AlSi10Mg to reduce strain localization and improve material cohesion. This study is based on utilizing experimental observations through the employment of advanced material characterization techniques such as digital image correlation to illustrate the impacts of DMLS microstructural variation.

The SIMPSONS project: An integrated Mars transportation system

Science.gov (United States)

Kaplan, Matthew; Carlson, Eric; Bradfute, Sherie; Allen, Kent; Duvergne, Francois; Hernandez, Bert; Le, David; Nguyen, Quan; Thornhill, Brett

In response to the Request for Proposal (RFP) for an integrated transportation system network for an advanced Martian base, Frontier Transportation Systems (FTS) presents the results of the SIMPSONS project (Systems Integration for Mars Planetary Surface Operations Networks). The following topics are included: the project background, vehicle design, future work, conclusions, management status, and cost breakdown. The project focuses solely on the surface-to-surface transportation at an advanced Martian base.

On the relationship between cardboard burning in a sunshine recorder and the direct solar irradiance.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez, A.; Calbó, J.; González, J. A.

2012-04-01

Since the end of XIX century, the Campbell-Stokes recorder (CSR) has been the instrument used to measure the insolation (hours of sunshine during per day). Due to the large number of records that exist worldwide (some of them extending over more than 100 years), valuable climatic information can be extracted from them. There are various articles that relate the insolation with the cloudiness and the global solar irradiation (Angstrom-Prescott type formulas). Theoretically, the insolation is defined as the number of hours that direct solar irradiance (DSI) exceeds 120 W/m2, thus corresponding to the total length of the burning in the bands. The width of the burn has not been well studied, so the aim of this research is to relate this width, first with the DSI and then, with other variables. The research was carried out in Girona (NE Spain) for a period extending since February 2011. A CSR from Thies Clima and a pyrheliometer from Kipp&Zonen were used to measure insolation and the direct solar irradiance. Other meteorological variables were also stored for the study. For each band, we made two independent measurements of the width of the burn every 10 minutes: first, we measured directly the width of the perforated portion of the burn; second, we measured the width of the burn after applying a digital image process that increases the contrast of the burn. The burn in a band has a direct relationship with the DSI. Specifically, correlation coefficients of the perforation width and the burning width with DSI were 0.838 and 0.864 respectively. However, we found that there are times when despite of DSI is as high as 400 W/m2 (i.e. much greater than 120 W/m2), there is no burn in the band. Contrarily, sometimes a burn occurs with almost no DSI. Furthermore, a higher DSI does not always correspond to a wider burn of the band. Because of this, we consider that characteristics of band burns must also depend on other meteorological variables (temperature, humidity...). The

Surface Habitat Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Kriss J.

2009-01-01

the 1) surface habitat concept definition, 2) inflatable surface habitat development, and 3) autonomous habitat operations, and 4) cross-cutting / systems engineering. In subsequent years, the SHS-FIG will solicit a call for innovations and technologies that will support the development of these four development areas. The other development areas will be assessed yearly and identified on the SHS-FIG s Strategic Development Roadmap. Initial investment projects that are funded by the Constellation Program Office (CxPO), LSSPO, or the Exploration Technology Development Projects (ETDP) will also be included on the Roadmap. For example, in one or two years from now, the autonomous habitat operations and testbed would collaborations with the Integrated Systems Health Management (ISHM) and Automation for Operations ETDP projects, which will give the surface habitat projects an integrated habitat autonomy testbed to test software and systems. The SHS-FIG scope is to provide focused direction for multiple innovations, technologies and subsystems that are needed to support humans at a remote planetary surface habitat during the concept development, design definition, and integration phases of that project. Subsystems include: habitability, lightweight structures, power management, communications, autonomy, deployment, outfitting, life support, wireless connectivity, lighting, thermal and more.

Surface light scattering: integrated technology and signal processing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lading, L.; Dam-Hansen, C.; Rasmussen, E.

1997-01-01

systems representing increasing levels of integration are considered. It is demonstrated that efficient signal and data processing can be achieved by evaluation of the statistics of the derivative of the instantaneous phase of the detector signal. (C) 1997 Optical Society of America....

Surface temperature and surface heat flux determination of the inverse heat conduction problem for a slab

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuroyanagi, Toshiyuki

1983-07-01

Based on an idea that surface conditions should be a reflection of interior temperature and interior heat flux variation as inverse as interior conditions has been determined completely by the surface temperature and/on surface heat flux as boundary conditions, a method is presented for determining the surface temperature and the surface heat flux of a solid when the temperature and heat flux at an interior point are a prescribed function of time. The method is developed by the integration of Duhumels' integral which has unknown temperature or unknown heat flux in its integrand. Specific forms of surface condition determination are developed for a sample inverse problem: slab. Ducussing the effect of a degree of avairable informations at an interior point due to damped system and the effect of variation of surface conditions on those formulations, it is shown that those formulations are capable of representing the unknown surface conditions except for small time interval followed by discontinuous change of surface conditions. The small un-resolved time interval is demonstrated by a numerical example. An evaluation method of heat flux at an interior point, which is requested by those formulations, is discussed. (author)

Optimization of integrated chemical-biological degradation of a reactive azo dye using response surface methodology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sudarjanto, Gatut [Advanced Wastewater Management Centre, The University of Queensland, Qld 4072 (Australia); Keller-Lehmann, Beatrice [Advanced Wastewater Management Centre, The University of Queensland, Qld 4072 (Australia); Keller, Jurg [Advanced Wastewater Management Centre, The University of Queensland, Qld 4072 (Australia)]. E-mail: j.keller@awmc.uq.edu.au

2006-11-02

The integrated chemical-biological degradation combining advanced oxidation by UV/H{sub 2}O{sub 2} followed by aerobic biodegradation was used to degrade C.I. Reactive Azo Red 195A, commonly used in the textile industry in Australia. An experimental design based on the response surface method was applied to evaluate the interactive effects of influencing factors (UV irradiation time, initial hydrogen peroxide dosage and recirculation ratio of the system) on decolourisation efficiency and optimizing the operating conditions of the treatment process. The effects were determined by the measurement of dye concentration and soluble chemical oxygen demand (S-COD). The results showed that the dye and S-COD removal were affected by all factors individually and interactively. Maximal colour degradation performance was predicted, and experimentally validated, with no recirculation, 30 min UV irradiation and 500 mg H{sub 2}O{sub 2}/L. The model predictions for colour removal, based on a three-factor/five-level Box-Wilson central composite design and the response surface method analysis, were found to be very close to additional experimental results obtained under near optimal conditions. This demonstrates the benefits of this approach in achieving good predictions while minimising the number of experiments required.

Effects of surface hydrophilicity and microtopography on early stages of soft and hard tissue integration at non-submerged titanium implants: an immunohistochemical study in dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwarz, Frank; Ferrari, Daniel; Herten, Monika; Mihatovic, Ilja; Wieland, Marco; Sager, Martin; Becker, Jürgen

2007-11-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of surface hydrophilicity and microtopography on soft and hard tissue integration at non-submerged titanium implants. Implantation of conventional sand-blasted large grit and acid-etched (SLA) and chemically modified SLA (modSLA) titanium implants with differently structured transmucosal surfaces (SLA implants: machined [M-SLA] or SLA [SLA-SLA]; modSLA implants: mod acid-etched [modA] [modA-modSLA] or modSLA [modSLA-modSLA]) was performed bilaterally in the upper and lower jaws of 15 beagle dogs. The animals were sacrificed after 1, 4, 7, 14, or 28 days. Tissue reactions were assessed histomorphometrically and immunohistochemically using monoclonal antibodies to transglutaminase II (angiogenesis) and osteocalcin. Although the junctional epithelium commonly was separated from M-SLA and SLA-SLA implants by a gap, the epithelial cells appeared to be in close contact with modA-modSLA surfaces after 14 days of healing. Moreover, modA-modSLA and modSLA-modSLA groups showed a well-vascularized subepithelial connective tissue exhibiting collagen fibers that started to extend and attach partially perpendicular to the implant surface. The highest and statistically significant mean bone-to-implant contact areas were observed in the modA-modSLA and modSLA-modSLA groups at days 7, 14, and 28. Within the limits of this study, it may be concluded that soft and hard tissue integration was influenced mainly by surface hydrophilicity rather than by microtopography.

Behavior of surface integrity in cylindrical plunge grinding using different cooling systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leonardo Roberto Silva

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The superficial texture of the material can exert a decisive influence on the application and performance of the machined component. The conventional fluids used in grinding processes are environmental risk and can also be dangerous to the health. The disposal of these toxic fluids is expensive and the contamination in the proximities of the machines can present risks to the health for the personnel in the shop floor. This paper analyzes the performance of the minimum quantity lubricant (MQL technique and compares it with the conventional cooling method, developing an optimized fluid application method using a specially designed nozzle, through which a minimum amount of oil is sprayed in a compressed air flow. This paper also explores and discusses the concept of the MQL in the grinding process of hardened AISI 4340 steel. The performance of the MQL technique in grinding was evaluated based on an analysis of the surface integrity (roughness, microstructure and microhardness. As a result, it was realized that the MQL technique provides very similar characteristics to conventional process and can be applied in industry, thus contributing to an environment friendly manufacturing.

A titanium surface with nano-ordered spikes and pores enhances human dermal fibroblastic extracellular matrix production and integration of collagen fibers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, Masahiro; Kato, Eiji; Sakurai, Kaoru; Yamamoto, Akiko

2016-01-01

-/anisotropically-patterned, nano-topographic titanium surfaces with AH treatment-created nano-spikes and pores enhanced human dermal fibroblastic ECM synthesis and established sufficient mechanical integration between the surfaces and ECM to resist various detachment treatments used to experimentally mimic overloading and inflammation. (paper)

Effect and origin of the structure of hyperbranched polysiloxane on the surface and integrated performances of grafted Kevlar fibers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Hongrui; Yuan, Li; Liang, Guozheng; Gu, Aijuan

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Four new hyperbranched polysiloxanes (HPSis) with various structures were prepared. • HPSis have different molecular weights and contents of active groups. • Four grafted Kevlar fibers (HPSi-g-KFs) were facilely prepared with different HPSis. • The structure and properties of HPSi-g-KF depend on the structure of HPSi. • The origin behind greatly improved integrated properties of HPSi-g-KF is discussed. - Abstract: Four hyperbranched polysiloxanes (HPSis) with different molecular weights and concentration ratios of double bonds to epoxy groups (1:6.5–1:0.7) were synthesized and characterized. Each HPSi was facilely grafted onto surfaces of Kevlar fibers (KFs) to develop novel modified fibers (HPSi-g-KFs). The structures and integrated properties of HPSi-g-KFs as well as the origin behind were systematically investigated. Results show that HPSi-g-KFs have much rougher surface morphologies, and their surface free energies are as high as about 1.7 times that of KFs, showing greatly improved wettability. Besides, HPSi-g-KFs have excellent UV resistance after 168 h UV irradiation, the retentions of tenacity, energy to break, modulus and break extension are as high as 92, 86, 95 and 96%, respectively, while those of KFs are 66–85%. In addition, compared with KFs, HPSi-g-KFs have higher tensile tenacity and energy to break with similar modulus and break extension, much better thermal stability and flame retardancy. The nature of HPSi has different influence on different property of fibers, the HPSi with smaller molecular weight and more epoxy groups is beneficial to prepare HPSi-g-KFs with better wettability, while that with larger molecular weight and more double bonds tends to prepare HPSi-g-KF with better flame retardancy and UV resistance

Parallel computers and three-dimensional computational electromagnetics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madsen, N.K.

1994-01-01

The authors have continued to enhance their ability to use new massively parallel processing computers to solve time-domain electromagnetic problems. New vectorization techniques have improved the performance of their code DSI3D by factors of 5 to 15, depending on the computer used. New radiation boundary conditions and far-field transformations now allow the computation of radar cross-section values for complex objects. A new parallel-data extraction code has been developed that allows the extraction of data subsets from large problems, which have been run on parallel computers, for subsequent post-processing on workstations with enhanced graphics capabilities. A new charged-particle-pushing version of DSI3D is under development. Finally, DSI3D has become a focal point for several new Cooperative Research and Development Agreement activities with industrial companies such as Lockheed Advanced Development Company, Varian, Hughes Electron Dynamics Division, General Atomic, and Cray

Rendimento e composição físico-química do queijo prato elaborado com leite pasteurizado pelo sistema HTST e injeção direta de vapor Yield and physical-chemistry composition of prato cheese elaborated with milk pasteurized by the HTST and direct steam injection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia Rodrigues da Silveira

2003-12-01

Full Text Available Avaliaram-se o rendimento, a transição de gordura e extrato seco do leite para a coalhada e as características físico-químicas do queijo prato produzido com leite pasteurizado pelo sistema de placas (ou HTST e injeção direta de vapor (IDV. Utilizou-se o delineamento inteiramente casualizado, constituído por dois tratamentos (HTST e IDV e seis repetições (fabricações. O sistema IDV incorporou cerca de 8,5% de água ao leite, havendo como conseqüência redução (PCheese yield, fat and dry matter transitions from milk pasteurized by the two pasteurization systems to the curd, as well as, the physical-chemistry characteristics of cheeses were evaluated. The statistical treatment was full randomly, with two treatments: pasteurization by high temperature short time system (HTST and direct steam injection (DSI, with six replications. The DSI system incorporated about 8,5% of water to the milk, having as consequence reduction (P<.05 in the total solids, in the fat and in the acidity of the pasteurized milk. Larger transition of fat of the milk to the curd was observed, when this was pasteurized by the DSI system, it resulted in larger cheeses yield manufactured with milk pasteurized by this system. (8.48 liters of milk /kg of cheese, when compared to the HTST system (9.54 liters of milk /kg of cheese. Cheeses manufactured by the DSI system presented higher fat content and fat in dry matter (29.06 and 55.25%, compared to the HTST system (27.02 and 49.88%, respectively. The DSI system provides expressive increases in the cheeses yield and, of the components of the milk it was conclude that the fat was the main responsible for this increase.

Direct stratospheric injection of biomass burning emissions: a case study of the 2009 Australian bushfires using the NASA GISS ModelE2 composition-climate model

Science.gov (United States)

Field, Robert; From, Mike; Voulgarakis, Apostolos; Shindell, Drew; Flannigan, Mike; Bernath, Peter

2014-05-01

Direct stratospheric injection (DSI) of forest fire smoke represents a direct biogeochemical link between the land surface and stratosphere. DSI events occur regularly in the northern and southern extratropics, and have been observed across a wide range of measurements, but their fate and effects are not well understood. DSIs result from explosive, short-lived fires, and their plumes stand out from background concentrations immediately. This makes it easier to associate detected DSIs to individual fires and their estimated emissions. Because the emissions pulses are brief, chemical decay can be more clearly assessed, and because the emissions pulses are so large, a wide range of rare chemical species can be detected. Observational evidence suggests that they can persist in the stratosphere for several months, enhance ozone production, and be self-lofted to the middle stratosphere through shortwave absorption and diabatic heating. None of these phenomena have been evaluated, however, with a physical model. To that end, we are simulating the smoke plumes from the February 2009 Australia 'Black Saturday' bushfires using the NASA GISS ModelE2 composition-climate model, nudged toward horizontal winds from reanalysis. To-date, this is the best-observed DSI in the southern hemisphere. Chemical and aerosol signatures of the plume were observed in a wide array of limb and nadir satellite retrievals. Detailed estimates of fuel consumption and injection height have been made because of the severity of the fires. Uncommon among DSIs events was a large segment of the plume that entrained into the upper equatorial easterlies. Preliminary modeling results show that the relative strengths of the equatorial and extratropical plume segments are sensitive to the plume's initial injection height. This highlights the difficulty in reconciling uncertainty in the reanalysis over the Southern Hemisphere with fairly-well constrained estimates of fire location and injection height at the

Perceptual integration without conscious access

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fahrenfort, Johannes J.; Van Leeuwen, Jonathan; Olivers, Christian N.L.; Hogendoorn, Hinze

2017-01-01

The visual system has the remarkable ability to integrate fragmentary visual input into a perceptually organized collection of surfaces and objects, a process we refer to as perceptual integration. Despite a long tradition of perception research, it is not known whether access to consciousness is

Well Conditioned Formulations for Open Surface Scattering

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Ottusch, John J; Visher, John L

2008-01-01

.... This report describes an analytical preconditioner method for the EFIE on open surface PEC targets that converts the EFIE to a well conditioned, second-kind integral equation. We present theory and the results from a numerical implementation. We also discuss a 2d extension of the Poincare-Bertrand identity could be used to develop an explicitly second-kind integral equation for open surface scattering problems.

Integrated microcantilevers for high-resolution sensing and probing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Xinxin; Lee, Dong-Weon

2012-01-01

This topical review is focused on microcantilever-based sensing and probing functions that are realized by integrating a mechanically compliant cantilever with self-sensing and self-actuating elements, specific sensing materials as well as functionalized nano-tips. Such integrated cantilever devices have shown great promise in ultra-sensitive applications such as on-the-spot portable bio/chemical detection and in situ micro/nanoscale surface analysis and manipulation. The technical details of this review will be given in a sequence of cantilever sensors and, then, cantilever-tip probes. For the integrated cantilever sensors, the frequency-output style dynamic cantilevers are described first, with the contents including optimized resonance modes, sensing-group-modified nanostructures for specific bio/chemical mass adsorption and nanoscale sensing effects, etc. Thereafter, the static cantilever sensors for surface-stress detection are described in the sequence of the sensing mechanism, surface modification of the sensitive molecule layer and the model of specific reaction-induced surface-energy variation. After technical description of the cantilever sensors, the emphasis of the review moves to functionalized nano-tip equipped cantilever-tip probing devices. The probing functions are not only integrated on the cantilever but also integrated at the sharp apex of the tip. After description of single integrated cantilever probes and their applications in surface scanning and imaging, arrayed cantilever-tip devices and their simultaneous parallel operation for high throughput imaging and nanomechanical data storage are also addressed. With cantilever-tip probes as key elements, micro-analysis instruments are introduced that can be widely used for macro/nanoscale characterizations. (topical review)

Direct Surface and Droplet Microsampling for Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry Analysis with an Integrated Dual-Probe Microfluidic Chip

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Cong-Min [Institute of Microanalytical; Zhu, Ying [Institute of Microanalytical; Jin, Di-Qiong [Institute of Microanalytical; Kelly, Ryan T. [Environmental; Fang, Qun [Institute of Microanalytical

2017-08-15

Ambient mass spectrometry (MS) has revolutionized the way of MS analysis and broadened its application in various fields. This paper describes the use of microfluidic techniques to simplify the setup and improve the functions of ambient MS by integrating the sampling probe, electrospray emitter probe, and online mixer on a single glass microchip. Two types of sampling probes, including a parallel-channel probe and a U-shaped channel probe, were designed for dryspot and liquid-phase droplet samples, respectively. We demonstrated that the microfabrication techniques not only enhanced the capability of ambient MS methods in analysis of dry-spot samples on various surfaces, but also enabled new applications in the analysis of nanoliter-scale chemical reactions in an array of droplets. The versatility of the microchip-based ambient MS method was demonstrated in multiple different applications including evaluation of residual pesticide on fruit surfaces, sensitive analysis of low-ionizable analytes using postsampling derivatization, and high-throughput screening of Ugi-type multicomponent reactions.

A Reassessment of the Integrated Impact of Tropical Cyclones on Surface Chlorophyll in the Western Subtropical North Atlantic

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Foltz, Gregory R.; Balaguru, Karthik; Leung, Lai-Yung R.

2015-02-28

The impact of tropical cyclones on surface chlorophyll concentration is assessed in the western subtropical North Atlantic Ocean during 1998–2011. Previous studies in this area focused on individual cyclones and gave mixed results regarding the importance of tropical cyclone-induced mixing for changes in surface chlorophyll. Using a more integrated and comprehensive approach that includes quantification of cyclone-induced changes in mixed layer depth, here it is shown that accumulated cyclone energy explains 22% of the interannual variability in seasonally-averaged (June–November) chlorophyll concentration in the western subtropical North Atlantic, after removing the influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The variance explained by tropical cyclones is thus about 70% of that explained by the NAO, which has well-known impacts in this region. It is therefore likely that tropical cyclones contribute significantly to interannual variations of primary productivity in the western subtropical North Atlantic during the hurricane season.

An integrated approach for analysing earthquake-induced surface effects: A case study from the Northern Apennines, Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Castaldini, D.; Genevois, R.; Panizza, M.; Puccinelli, A.; Berti, M.; Simoni, A.

This paper illustrates research addressing the subject of the earthquake-induced surface effects by means of a multidisciplinary approach: tectonics, neotectonics, seismology, geology, hydrogeology, geomorphology, soil/rock mechanics have been considered. The research is aimed to verify in areas affected by earthquake-triggered landslides a methodology for the identification of potentially unstable areas. The research was organized according to regional and local scale studies. In order to better emphasise the complexity of the relationships between all the parameters affecting the stability conditions of rock slopes in static and dynamic conditions a new integrated approach, Rock Engineering Systems (RES), was applied in the Northern Apennines. In the paper, the different phases of the research are described in detail and an example of the application of RES method in a sample area is reported. A significant aspect of the study can be seen in its attempt to overcome the exclusively qualitative aspects of research into the relationship between earthquakes and induced surface effects, and to advance the idea of beginning a process by which this interaction can be quantified.

III-V nanoelectronics and related surface/interface issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasegawa, Hideki

2003-01-01

The conventional logic gate architecture is not suitable for high-density integration of quantum devices which are non-robust and extremely structure- and charge-sensitive. In this paper, our novel hexagonal binary-decision-diagram (BDD) quantum circuit approach for III-V nanoelectronics is reviewed and related critical surface/interface issues for high-density integration are discussed. First, the basic concept and actual implementation method of our approach are explained, giving examples of novel BDD quantum integrated circuits where nanowire networks are controlled by nanoscale Schottky wrap gates. For high-density integration, growth of embedded sub-10 nm III-V quantum wire networks by selective molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on patterned substrates is described, including effects of atomic hydrogen irradiation and kinetic control of wire width. The key processing issue lies in understanding and control of nanostructure surfaces/interfaces. Behavior of nanoscale Schottky gates, recent scanning tunneling microscopy (STM)/scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) studies of surface states, and successful removal of surface states by MBE-grown silicon interface control layer are discussed

Psychometric evaluation of the DMSS-4 in a cohort of elderly post-operative hip fracture patients with delirium.

Science.gov (United States)

Adamis, Dimitrios; Scholtens, Rikie M; de Jonghe, Annemarieke; van Munster, Barbara C; de Rooij, Sophia E J A; Meagher, David J

2016-07-01

Delirium is a common neuropsychiatric syndrome with considerable heterogeneity in clinical profile. Rapid reliable identification of clinical subtypes can allow for more targeted research efforts. We explored the concordance in attribution of motor subtypes between the Delirium Motor Subtyping Scale 4 (DMSS-4) and the original Delirium Motor Subtyping Scale (DMSS) (assessed cross-sectionally) and subtypes defined longitudinally using the Delirium Symptom Interview (DSI). We included 113 elderly patients developing DSM-IV delirium after hip-surgery [mean age 86.9 ± 6.6 years; range 65-102; 68.1% females; 25 (22.1%) had no previous history of cognitive impairment]. Concordance for the first measurement was high for both the DMSS-4 and original DMSS (k = 0.82), and overall for the DMSS-4 and DSI (k = 0.84). The DMSS-4 also demonstrated high internal consistency (McDonald's omega = 0.90). The DSI more often allocated an assessment to "no subtype" compared to the DMSS-4 and DMSS-11, which showed higher inclusion rates for motor subtypes. The DMSS-4 provides a rapid method of identifying motor-defined clinical subtypes of delirium and appears to be a reliable alternative to the more detailed and time-consuming original DMSS and DSI methods of subtype attribution. The DMSS-4, so far translated into three languages, can be readily applied to further studies of causation, treatment and outcome in delirium.

AN INTEGRATED PHOTOGRAMMETRIC AND PHOTOCLINOMETRIC APPROACH FOR PIXEL-RESOLUTION 3D MODELLING OF LUNAR SURFACE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. C. Liu

2018-04-01

Full Text Available High-resolution 3D modelling of lunar surface is important for lunar scientific research and exploration missions. Photogrammetry is known for 3D mapping and modelling from a pair of stereo images based on dense image matching. However dense matching may fail in poorly textured areas and in situations when the image pair has large illumination differences. As a result, the actual achievable spatial resolution of the 3D model from photogrammetry is limited by the performance of dense image matching. On the other hand, photoclinometry (i.e., shape from shading is characterised by its ability to recover pixel-wise surface shapes based on image intensity and imaging conditions such as illumination and viewing directions. More robust shape reconstruction through photoclinometry can be achieved by incorporating images acquired under different illumination conditions (i.e., photometric stereo. Introducing photoclinometry into photogrammetric processing can therefore effectively increase the achievable resolution of the mapping result while maintaining its overall accuracy. This research presents an integrated photogrammetric and photoclinometric approach for pixel-resolution 3D modelling of the lunar surface. First, photoclinometry is interacted with stereo image matching to create robust and spatially well distributed dense conjugate points. Then, based on the 3D point cloud derived from photogrammetric processing of the dense conjugate points, photoclinometry is further introduced to derive the 3D positions of the unmatched points and to refine the final point cloud. The approach is able to produce one 3D point for each image pixel within the overlapping area of the stereo pair so that to obtain pixel-resolution 3D models. Experiments using the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera - Narrow Angle Camera (LROC NAC images show the superior performances of the approach compared with traditional photogrammetric technique. The results and findings from this

Initial Northwest Power Act Power Sales Contracts : Final Environmental Impact Statement. Volume 3, Appendix M, Contract Copies.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

United States. Bonneville Power Administration.

1992-01-01

This report, is part of the final environmental impact statement of the Bonneville Power Administration, consists of an appendix of contract copies related to the following: Detailed Index to Generic Utility Power Sales Contracts, Text of Generic Utility Contract, Detailed Index to Generic DSI Power Sales Contracts, Text of Generic DSI Contract, Text of Residential Purchase and Sale Agreement (Residential Exchange), and Detailed Index to General Contract Provisions -- GCP Form PSC-2 (Incorporated into all three types of contracts as an Exhibit).

Numerical Integration Techniques for Curved-Element Discretizations of Molecule–Solvent Interfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Bardhan, Jaydeep P.; Altman, Michael D.; Willis, David J.; Lippow, Shaun M.; Tidor, Bruce; White, Jacob K.

2012-01-01

Surface formulations of biophysical modeling problems offer attractive theoretical and computational properties. Numerical simulations based on these formulations usually begin with discretization of the surface under consideration; often, the surface is curved, possessing complicated structure and possibly singularities. Numerical simulations commonly are based on approximate, rather than exact, discretizations of these surfaces. To assess the strength of the dependence of simulation accuracy on the fidelity of surface representation, we have developed methods to model several important surface formulations using exact surface discretizations. Following and refining Zauhar’s work (J. Comp.-Aid. Mol. Des. 9:149-159, 1995), we define two classes of curved elements that can exactly discretize the van der Waals, solvent-accessible, and solvent-excluded (molecular) surfaces. We then present numerical integration techniques that can accurately evaluate nonsingular and singular integrals over these curved surfaces. After validating the exactness of the surface discretizations and demonstrating the correctness of the presented integration methods, we present a set of calculations that compare the accuracy of approximate, planar-triangle-based discretizations and exact, curved-element-based simulations of surface-generalized-Born (sGB), surface-continuum van der Waals (scvdW), and boundary-element method (BEM) electrostatics problems. Results demonstrate that continuum electrostatic calculations with BEM using curved elements, piecewise-constant basis functions, and centroid collocation are nearly ten times more accurate than planartriangle BEM for basis sets of comparable size. The sGB and scvdW calculations give exceptional accuracy even for the coarsest obtainable discretized surfaces. The extra accuracy is attributed to the exact representation of the solute–solvent interface; in contrast, commonly used planar-triangle discretizations can only offer improved

Integration of surface and groundwater resources for the development of Hamad Basin project

Science.gov (United States)

Rofail, Nabil; Asaad, S. I.

1989-11-01

Hamad Basin (166,000 km2) is an extensive basin, inhabited by 219,000 souls. It is located in the arid region within the border of four Arab States: Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. Average annual precipitation depth is 78 mm, falling mostly during winter. Integrated studies of the natural resources, (water, soil, range, and animal) were carried out with other complementary studies to formulate a socioeconomic development plan for the promissing areas within the basin. Modern technologies were applied such as remote sensing, isotope analysis, processing, and documenting of basic hydrogeological data within the data bank system using computer facilities. Results revealed that the output of the natural dry plant production amounts to 2.0 × 106 tons. Animal wealth comprise 2 × 106 head mainly of sheep. Average annual surface runoff is 146 × 106 m3, which could be appropriately exploited in water spreading schemes to improve range. Water lost presently through evaporation from vast flat depression (Khabra) could be conserved through deepening the Khabras, and recharging shallow perched aquifer by surface runoff, which could be mined later. Results of regional geology, partial geophysical studies, and hydrogeological, hydrochemical interpretations have concuded the existance of two main aquifer systems, the first lies within the tertiary and quaternary formations, while the second extends to the mesozoic, and paleozoic. Their yield varies quantitively and qualitively, up to 100 × 106 m3 could be safely drawn annually. One compound pilot project was selected within the sector of each of the four Arab States to test the feasibility of the proposed development program for the promissing areas of the basin.

Emerging trends in surface metrology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lonardo, P.M.; Lucca, D.A.; De Chiffre, Leonardo

2002-01-01

Recent advancements and some emerging trends in the methods and instruments used for surface and near surface characterisation are presented, considering the measurement of both topography and physical properties. In particular, surfaces that present difficulties in measurement or require new...... procedures are considered, with emphasis on measurements approaching the nanometre scale. Examples of new instruments and promising innovations for roughness measurement and surface integrity characterisation are presented. The new needs for tolerancing, traceability and calibration are also addressed....

Interference effects with surface plasmons

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuzmin, Nikolay Victorovich

2008-01-01

A surface plasmon is a purely two-dimensional electromagnetic excitation bound to the interface between metal and dielectric and quickly decaying away from it. A surface plasmon is able to concentrate light on sub-wavelength scales – a feature that is attractive for nano-photonics and integrated

Semiconductor integrated circuits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michel, A.E.; Schwenker, R.O.; Ziegler, J.F.

1979-01-01

An improved method involving ion implantation to form non-epitaxial semiconductor integrated circuits. These are made by forming a silicon substrate of one conductivity type with a recessed silicon dioxide region extending into the substrate and enclosing a portion of the silicon substrate. A beam of ions of opposite conductivity type impurity is directed at the substrate at an energy and dosage level sufficient to form a first region of opposite conductivity within the silicon dioxide region. This impurity having a concentration peak below the surface of the substrate forms a region of the one conductivity type which extends from the substrate surface into the first opposite type region to a depth between the concentration peak and the surface and forms a second region of opposite conductivity type. The method, materials and ion beam conditions are detailed. Vertical bipolar integrated circuits can be made this way when the first opposite type conductivity region will function as a collector. Also circuits with inverted bipolar devices when this first region functions as a 'buried'' emitter region. (U.K.)

Influence of elastomeric seal plate surface chemistry on interface integrity in biofouling-prone systems: Evaluation of a hydrophobic "easy-release" silicone-epoxy coating for maintaining water seal integrity of a sliding neoprene/steel interface

Science.gov (United States)

Andolina, Vincent L.

Attenuated Internal Reflection (MAIR-IR) and Microscopic Infrared Spectroscopy for organic surface compositional details, light microscopy for wear area quantification, and profilometry for surface roughness estimation and wear depth quantification. Pin-on-disc dynamic Coefficient of Friction (CoF) measurements provided data relevant to forecasts of seal integrity in dry, wet and biofouling-influenced sliding contact. Actual wear of neoprene seal material against uncoated and coated steel surfaces, wet and dry, was monitored after both rotary and linear cyclic wear testing, demonstrating significant reductions in elastomer wear areas and depths (and resultant volumes) when the coating was present. Coating the steel eliminated a 270% increase in neoprene surface area wear and an 11-fold increase in seal abrasive volume loss associated with underwater rusting in rotary experiments. Linear testing results confirm coating efficacy by reducing wear area in both loading regimes by about half. No coating delamination was observed, apparently due to a differential distribution of silicone and epoxy ingredients at the air-exposed vs. steel-bonded interfaces demonstrated by IR and EDS methods. Frictional testing revealed higher Coefficients of Friction (CoF) associated with the low-speed sliding of Neoprene over coated rather than uncoated steel surfaces in a wet environment, indicating better potential seal adhesion between the hydrophobic elastomer and coating than between the elastomer and intrinsically hydrophilic uncoated steel. When zebra mussel biofouling debris was present in the articulating joints, CoF was reduced as a result of a water channel path produced between the articulating surfaces by the retained biological matter. Easier release of the biofouling from the low-CST coated surfaces restored the seal integrity more rapidly with further water rinsing. Rapid sliding diminished these biofouling-related differences, but revealed a significant advantage in reducing the Co

GSFLOW - Coupled Ground-Water and Surface-Water Flow Model Based on the Integration of the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) and the Modular Ground-Water Flow Model (MODFLOW-2005)

Science.gov (United States)

Markstrom, Steven L.; Niswonger, Richard G.; Regan, R. Steven; Prudic, David E.; Barlow, Paul M.

2008-01-01

The need to assess the effects of variability in climate, biota, geology, and human activities on water availability and flow requires the development of models that couple two or more components of the hydrologic cycle. An integrated hydrologic model called GSFLOW (Ground-water and Surface-water FLOW) was developed to simulate coupled ground-water and surface-water resources. The new model is based on the integration of the U.S. Geological Survey Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) and the U.S. Geological Survey Modular Ground-Water Flow Model (MODFLOW). Additional model components were developed, and existing components were modified, to facilitate integration of the models. Methods were developed to route flow among the PRMS Hydrologic Response Units (HRUs) and between the HRUs and the MODFLOW finite-difference cells. This report describes the organization, concepts, design, and mathematical formulation of all GSFLOW model components. An important aspect of the integrated model design is its ability to conserve water mass and to provide comprehensive water budgets for a location of interest. This report includes descriptions of how water budgets are calculated for the integrated model and for individual model components. GSFLOW provides a robust modeling system for simulating flow through the hydrologic cycle, while allowing for future enhancements to incorporate other simulation techniques.

Integration of antibody by surface functionalization of graphite-encapsulated magnetic beads using ammonia gas plasma technology for capturing influenza A virus.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakudo, Akikazu; Chou, Han; Ikuta, Kazuyoshi; Nagatsu, Masaaki

2015-05-01

Antibody-integrated magnetic beads have been functionalized for influenza A virus capture. First, ammonia plasma produced by a radio frequency power source was reacted with the surface of graphite-encapsulated magnetic beads to introduce amino groups. Anti-influenza A virus hemagglutinin antibody was then anchored by its surface sulfide groups to the amino groups on the beads via N-succinimidyl 3-(2-pyridyldithio) propionate. After incubation with influenza A virus, adsorption of the virus to the beads was confirmed by immunochromatography, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and inoculation of chicken embryonated eggs, indicating that virus infectivity is maintained and that the proposed method is useful for the enhanced detection and isolation of influenza A virus. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Resonance integral of cylindrical absorber; Rezonantni integral cilindricnog absorbera

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Slipicevic, K [Elektrotehnicki fakultet, Belgrade (Yugoslavia)

1968-07-01

This paper presents the procedure for calculating effective resonance integral for cylindrical rod which enables derivation of improved spatial distribution of source neutron flux. Application of this new expression for penetration factor, simultaneously with Doppler broadening of Breight-Wigner line enabled derivation of new equation for resonance integral which is valid for the whole range of surface-volume ratio of the rod, has correct boundary conditions and gives as special, results same as Wigner and Pomeranchuk. Functions for correcting the effects of interference of potential and resonance dissipation are derived separately.

Polymeric cantilever-based biosensors with integrated readout

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansson, Alicia; Blagoi, Gabriela; Boisen, Anja

2006-01-01

The authors present an SU-8 cantilever chip with integrated piezoresistors for detection of surface stress changes due to adsorption of biomolecules on the cantilever surface. Mercaptohexanol is used as a model biomolecule to study molecular interactions with Au-coated SU-8 cantilevers and surfac...

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...

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.

Are ghost surfaces quadratic-flux-minimizing?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hudson, S.R.; Dewar, R.L.

2009-01-01

Two candidates for 'almost-invariant' toroidal surfaces passing through magnetic islands, namely quadratic-flux-minimizing (QFMin) surfaces and ghost surfaces, use families of periodic pseudo-orbits (i.e. paths for which the action is not exactly extremal). QFMin pseudo-orbits, which are coordinate-dependent, are field lines obtained from a modified magnetic field, and ghost-surface pseudo-orbits are obtained by displacing closed field lines in the direction of steepest descent of magnetic action, ∫A.dl. A generalized Hamiltonian definition of ghost surfaces is given and specialized to the usual Lagrangian definition. A modified Hamilton's Principle is introduced that allows the use of Lagrangian integration for calculation of the QFMin pseudo-orbits. Numerical calculations show QFMin and Lagrangian ghost surfaces give very similar results for a chaotic magnetic field perturbed from an integrable case, and this is explained using a perturbative construction of an auxiliary poloidal angle for which QFMin and Lagrangian ghost surfaces are the same up to second order. While presented in the context of 3-dimensional magnetic field line systems, the concepts are applicable to defining almost-invariant tori in other 11/2 degree-of-freedom nonintegrable Lagrangian/Hamiltonian systems.

50 years of Dutch immunology--founders, institutions, highlights.

Science.gov (United States)

Gmelig-Meyling, Frits H J; Meyaard, Linde; Mebius, Reina E

2014-12-01

At the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Dutch Society for Immunology (DSI, de Nederlandse Vereniging voor Immunologie), this contribution deals with some highlights of 50 years of Immunology in the Netherlands. It narrates about the founders and first board members of the DSI, their institutes, progeny and patrimony, describes major centers of immunological activities, mentions key persons in the field, and touches upon some events dear to the Society and its members. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Market Returns and Weak-Form Efficiency: the case of the Ghana Stock Exchange

OpenAIRE

Frimpong, Joseph Magnus; Oteng-Abayie, Eric Fosu

2007-01-01

This paper examines the weak-form efficient market hypothesis (EMH) in the case of the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) an emerging market. Daily returns from the Databank Stock Index (DSI) over a 5-year period 1999-2004 were used for the exercise. Random walk (RW) and GARCH(1,1) models are used as the basis for our analysis. The GSE DSI returns series exhibit volatility clustering, an indication of inefficiency on the GSE. The weak-form efficient market (random walk) hypothesis was rejected for t...

A disease state fingerprint for evaluation of Alzheimer's disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mattila, Jussi; Koikkalainen, Juha; Virkki, Arho

2011-01-01

Diagnostic processes of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are evolving. Knowledge about disease-specific biomarkers is constantly increasing and larger volumes of data are being measured from patients. To gain additional benefits from the collected data, a novel statistical modeling and data visualization...... interpretation of the information. To model the AD state from complex and heterogeneous patient data, a statistical Disease State Index (DSI) method underlying the DSF has been developed. Using baseline data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), the ability of the DSI to model disease...

An introduction to the integrated design of surface mine haul roads

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thompson, R.J.; Visser, A.T. [University of Pretoria, Pretoria (South Africa). Dept. of Mining Engineering

1997-12-01

The world-wide expansion of surface mining has led to the development of very large off-highway trucks currently capable of hauling layloads in excess of 160 t. Typical axle loads ranging from 110 t to 170 t are applied to haul roads that have been, at best, empirically designed on the premise of `satisfactory` or `failed`, both in terms of structure and function of the road. The use of these empirical pavement design techniques will prove inadequate when high axle loads are encountered. Not only will the maintenance costs of existing haul roads of inadequate thickness increase, but vehicle operating and maintenance costs will also increase prohibitively. Under these conditions there is thus a clearly defined need for improved construction and management techniques for flexible mine haulage roads, appropriate for the wheel loads of vehicles now in use. The aim of this paper is to introduce developments in haul road structural, functional and maintenance design and management which overcome the limitations associated with the previously empirical design techniques and to show how these developments are combined into an integrated design strategy combining construction techniques, available material and road maintenance equipment with hauler choice to realise a reduction in haulage and road maintenance costs. Future contributions will enumerate on the fundamental haul road structural, functional and maintenance design and management research from which these developments originated. 7 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs.

Electroless plating technology of integral hohlraum Cu target

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Jiguang; Fu Qu; Wan Xiaobo; Zhou Lan; Xiao Jiang

2005-01-01

The electroless plating method of making integral hohlraum Cu target and corrosion-resistant technology of target's surface were researched. The actual process was as follows, choosing plexiglass (PMMA) as arbor, taking cationic activation and electroless plating Cu on the arbor surface, taking arbor surface passivation and chemical etching by C 6 H 5 N 3 solution. The technology is easy to realize and its cost is lower, so it is of great reference value for fabricating other integral hohlraum metal or alloy targets used for inertial confinement fusion study. (author)

Using an equation based on flow stress to estimate structural integrity of annealed Type 304 stainless steel plate and pipes containing surface defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reuter, W.G.; Place, T.A.

1981-01-01

An accurate assessment of the influence of defects on structural component integrity is needed. Generally accepted analytical techniques are not available for the very ductile materials used in many nuclear reactor components. Some results are presented from a test programme to obtain data by which to evaluate proposed models. Plate and pipe specimens containing surface flaws were fabricated from annealed Type 304 stainless steel and tested at room temperature. An evaluation of an empirical equation based on flow stress is presented. In essentially all instances the flow stress is not a constant but varies as a function of the size of the surface flaw. (author)

Surface geochemical data evaluation and integration with geophysical observations for hydrocarbon prospecting, Tapti graben, Deccan Syneclise, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Satish Kumar

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The Deccan Syneclise is considered to have significant hydrocarbon potential. However, significant hydrocarbon discoveries, particularly for Mesozoic sequences, have not been established through conventional exploration due to the thick basalt cover over Mesozoic sedimentary rocks. In this study, near-surface geochemical data are used to understand the petroleum system and also investigate type of source for hydrocarbons generation of the study area. Soil samples were collected from favorable areas identified by integrated geophysical studies. The compositional and isotopic signatures of adsorbed gaseous hydrocarbons (methane through butane were used as surface indicators of petroleum micro-seepages. An analysis of 75 near-surface soil-gas samples was carried out for light hydrocarbons (C1–C4 and their carbon isotopes from the western part of Tapti graben, Deccan Syneclise, India. The geochemical results reveal sites or clusters of sites containing anomalously high concentrations of light hydrocarbon gases. High concentrations of adsorbed thermogenic methane (C1 = 518 ppb and ethane plus higher hydrocarbons (ΣC2+ = 977 ppb were observed. Statistical analysis shows that samples from 13% of the samples contain anomalously high concentrations of light hydrocarbons in the soil-gas constituents. This seepage suggests largest magnitude of soil gas anomalies might be generated/source from Mesozoic sedimentary rocks, beneath Deccan Traps. The carbon isotopic composition of methane, ethane and propane ranges are from −22.5‰ to −30.2‰ PDB, −18.0‰ to 27.1‰ PDB and 16.9‰–32.1‰ PDB respectively, which are in thermogenic source. Surface soil sample represents the intersection of a migration conduit from the deep subsurface to the surface connected to sub-trappean Mesozoic sedimentary rocks. Prominent hydrocarbon concentrations were associated with dykes, lineaments and presented on thinner basaltic cover in the study area

Modeling Fate and Transport of Rotavirus in Surface Flow by Integrating WEPP and a Pathogen Transport Model

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattarai, R.; Kalita, P. K.; Davidson, P. C.; Kuhlenschmidt, M. S.

2012-12-01

observed and predicted results; however, transport of pathogens from vegetated surface has been challenging. This paper will provide concepts of the pathogen transport model, integration with WEPP, and results obtained from the modeling framework.

Integrable structure in discrete shell membrane theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Schief, W K

2014-05-08

We present natural discrete analogues of two integrable classes of shell membranes. By construction, these discrete shell membranes are in equilibrium with respect to suitably chosen internal stresses and external forces. The integrability of the underlying equilibrium equations is proved by relating the geometry of the discrete shell membranes to discrete O surface theory. We establish connections with generalized barycentric coordinates and nine-point centres and identify a discrete version of the classical Gauss equation of surface theory.

Nutrient regeneration susceptibility under contrasting sedimentary conditions from the Rio de Janeiro coast, Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matos, Christiene R.L.; Mendoza, Ursula; Diaz, Rut; Moreira, Manuel; Belem, Andre L.; Metzger, Edouard; Albuquerque, Ana Luiza S.

2016-01-01

Dissolved silicate (DSi), NH 4 + , NO 3 − and PO 4 3− susceptibility to be exchanged between sediment pore waters and overlying waters was evaluated in Jurujuba Sound (JS station) and Coroa Grande Sound (CGS station), southeastern Brazil. Sedimentary elemental (C, N and P) and isotopic (δ 13 C and δ 15 N) compositions evidenced stronger anthropogenic fertilization in JS station. Net NO 3 − influxes from overlying waters occurred, which was two orders of magnitude higher under the more fertilized condition. This condition resulted in 6–13-times higher net effluxes of NH 4 + , DSi and PO 4 3− to overlying waters. Vertical alternation between production and consumption processes in pore waters contributed for a more limited regeneration in CGS station. This was associated with diagenetic responses to sedimentary grain size variability in deeper layers and biological disturbance in upper layers. Nearly continuous production of NH 4 + , DSi and PO 4 3− in pore waters implied in intensified susceptibility to remobilization under the eutrophic condition of JS station. - Highlights: • SO 4 2− reduction was a driver for the larger nutrient regeneration susceptibilities. • NO 3 − reduction processes resulted in net NO 3 − influxes from overlying waters. • Effluxes (NH 4 + > DSi > PO 4 3− ) were accentuated under the more fertilized condition. • Fluxes were limited by alternations between consumption and production processes.

Global Surface Summary of the Day - GSOD

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Global Surface Summary of the Day is derived from The Integrated Surface Hourly (ISH) dataset. The ISH dataset includes global data obtained from the USAF...

Frequency selective surfaces integrated with phased array antennas

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Monni, S.

2005-01-01

Frequency Selective Surfaces (FSS's) are periodic arrays of patches and/or slots etched on a metal plate, having frequency and angular ??ltering properties. The FSS response to an excitation (for example a plane wave) is characterized in terms of its re ection and transmission coe??cient, and

Simultaneous measurement of dynamic force and spatial thin film thickness between deformable and solid surfaces by integrated thin liquid film force apparatus.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xurui; Tchoukov, Plamen; Manica, Rogerio; Wang, Louxiang; Liu, Qingxia; Xu, Zhenghe

2016-11-09

Interactions involving deformable surfaces reveal a number of distinguishing physicochemical characteristics that do not exist in interactions between rigid solid surfaces. A unique fully custom-designed instrument, referred to as integrated thin liquid film force apparatus (ITLFFA), was developed to study the interactions between one deformable and one solid surface in liquid. Incorporating a bimorph force sensor with interferometry, this device allows for the simultaneous measurement of the time-dependent interaction force and the corresponding spatiotemporal film thickness of the intervening liquid film. The ITLFFA possesses the specific feature of conducting measurement under a wide range of hydrodynamic conditions, with a displacement velocity of deformable surfaces ranging from 2 μm s -1 to 50 mm s -1 . Equipped with a high speed camera, the results of a bubble interacting with hydrophilic and partially hydrophobic surfaces in aqueous solutions indicated that ITLFFA can provide information on interaction forces and thin liquid film drainage dynamics not only in a stable film but also in films of the quick rupture process. The weak interaction force was extracted from a measured film profile. Because of its well-characterized experimental conditions, ITLFFA permits the accurate and quantitative comparison/validation between measured and calculated interaction forces and temporal film profiles.

Derivations of the solid angle subtended at a point by first- and second-order surfaces and volumes as a function of elliptic integrals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cramer, S.N.

1999-01-01

An analytical study of the solid angle subtended at a point by objects of first and second algebraic order has been made. It is shown that the derived solid angle for all such objects is in the form of a general elliptic integral, which can be written as a linear combination of elliptic integrals of the first and third kind and elementary functions. Many common surfaces and volumes have been investigated, including the conic sections and their volumes of revolution. The principal feature of the study is the manipulation of solid-angle equations into integral forms that can be matched with those found in handbook tables. These integrals are amenable to computer special function library routine analysis requiring no direct interaction with elliptic integrals by the user. The general case requires the solution of a fourth-order equation before specific solid-angle formulations can be made, but for many common geometric objects this equation can be solved by elementary means. Methods for the testing and application of solid-angle equations with Monte Carlo rejection and estimation techniques are presented. Approximate and degenerate forms of the equations are shown, and methods for the evaluation of the solid angle of a torus are outlined

Work surface for soluble plutonium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silver, G.L.

2005-01-01

A three-dimensional work surface for aqueous plutonium is illustrated. It is constructed by means of estimating work as a function of the ambient pH and redox potential in a plutonium solution. The surface is useful for illustrating the chemistry of disproportionation reactions. Work expressions are easier to use than work integrals. (author)

Guiding, bending, and splitting of coupled defect surface modes in a surface-wave photonic crystal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao, Zhen; Gao, Fei [Division of Physics and Applied Physics, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore 637371 (Singapore); Zhang, Baile, E-mail: blzhang@ntu.edu.sg [Division of Physics and Applied Physics, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore 637371 (Singapore); Centre for Disruptive Photonic Technologies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore 637371 (Singapore)

2016-01-25

We experimentally demonstrate a type of waveguiding mechanism for coupled surface-wave defect modes in a surface-wave photonic crystal. Unlike conventional spoof surface plasmon waveguides, waveguiding of coupled surface-wave defect modes is achieved through weak coupling between tightly localized defect cavities in an otherwise gapped surface-wave photonic crystal, as a classical wave analogue of tight-binding electronic wavefunctions in solid state lattices. Wave patterns associated with the high transmission of coupled defect surface modes are directly mapped with a near-field microwave scanning probe for various structures including a straight waveguide, a sharp corner, and a T-shaped splitter. These results may find use in the design of integrated surface-wave devices with suppressed crosstalk.

Guiding, bending, and splitting of coupled defect surface modes in a surface-wave photonic crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Zhen; Gao, Fei; Zhang, Baile

2016-01-01

We experimentally demonstrate a type of waveguiding mechanism for coupled surface-wave defect modes in a surface-wave photonic crystal. Unlike conventional spoof surface plasmon waveguides, waveguiding of coupled surface-wave defect modes is achieved through weak coupling between tightly localized defect cavities in an otherwise gapped surface-wave photonic crystal, as a classical wave analogue of tight-binding electronic wavefunctions in solid state lattices. Wave patterns associated with the high transmission of coupled defect surface modes are directly mapped with a near-field microwave scanning probe for various structures including a straight waveguide, a sharp corner, and a T-shaped splitter. These results may find use in the design of integrated surface-wave devices with suppressed crosstalk

Nonlinear surface electromagnetic phenomena

CERN Document Server

Ponath, H-E

1991-01-01

In recent years the physics of electromagnetic surface phenomena has developed rapidly, evolving into technologies for communications and industry, such as fiber and integrated optics. The variety of phenomena based on electromagnetism at surfaces is rich and this book was written with the aim of summarizing the available knowledge in selected areas of the field. The book contains reviews written by solid state and optical physicists on the nonlinear interaction of electromagnetic waves at and with surfaces and films. Both the physical phenomena and some potential applications are

Concordance and reproducibility between M-mode, tissue Doppler imaging, and two-dimensional strain imaging in the assessment of mitral annular displacement and velocity in patients with various heart conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

de Knegt, Martina Chantal; Biering-Sorensen, Tor; Sogaard, Peter

2014-01-01

AIMS: Mitral annular (MA) displacement reflects longitudinal left ventricular (LV) deformation and systolic velocity measurements reflect the rate of contraction; both are valuable in the diagnosis and prognosis of cardiac disease. The aim of this study was to test the agreement and reproducibility...... between motion mode (M-mode), colour tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), and two-dimensional strain imaging (2DSI) when measuring MA displacement and systolic velocity. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using GE Healthcare Vivid 7 and E9 and Echopac BT11 software, MA displacement and velocity measurements by 2DSI, TDI...

Solving very large scattering problems using a parallel PWTD-enhanced surface integral equation solver

KAUST Repository

Liu, Yang

2013-07-01

The computational complexity and memory requirements of multilevel plane wave time domain (PWTD)-accelerated marching-on-in-time (MOT)-based surface integral equation (SIE) solvers scale as O(NtNs(log 2)Ns) and O(Ns 1.5); here N t and Ns denote numbers of temporal and spatial basis functions discretizing the current [Shanker et al., IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., 51, 628-641, 2003]. In the past, serial versions of these solvers have been successfully applied to the analysis of scattering from perfect electrically conducting as well as homogeneous penetrable targets involving up to Ns ≈ 0.5 × 106 and Nt ≈ 10 3. To solve larger problems, parallel PWTD-enhanced MOT solvers are called for. Even though a simple parallelization strategy was demonstrated in the context of electromagnetic compatibility analysis [M. Lu et al., in Proc. IEEE Int. Symp. AP-S, 4, 4212-4215, 2004], by and large, progress in this area has been slow. The lack of progress can be attributed wholesale to difficulties associated with the construction of a scalable PWTD kernel. © 2013 IEEE.

Computer aided surface representation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barnhill, R E

1987-11-01

The aims of this research are the creation of new surface forms and the determination of geometric and physical properties of surfaces. The full sweep from constructive mathematics through the implementation of algorithms and the interactive computer graphics display of surfaces is utilized. Both three-dimensional and multi- dimensional surfaces are considered. Particular emphasis is given to the scientific computing solution of Department of Energy problems. The methods that we have developed and that we are proposing to develop allow applications such as: Producing smooth contour maps from measured data, such as weather maps. Modeling the heat distribution inside a furnace from sample measurements. Terrain modeling based on satellite pictures. The investigation of new surface forms includes the topics of triangular interpolants, multivariate interpolation, surfaces defined on surfaces and monotone and/or convex surfaces. The geometric and physical properties considered include contours, the intersection of surfaces, curvatures as a interrogation tool, and numerical integration.

Integrated Dry NOx/SO2 Emissions Control System, A DOE Assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

National Energy Technology Laboratory

2001-10-01

The goal of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Clean Coal Technology (CCT) Program is to furnish the energy marketplace with a number of advanced, more efficient, and environmentally responsible coal utilization technologies through demonstration projects. These projects seek to establish the commercial feasibility of the most promising advanced coal technologies that have developed beyond the proof-of-concept stage. This document serves as a DOE post-project assessment (PPA) of a project selected in CCT Round III, the Integrated Dry NO{sub x}/SO{sub 2} Emissions Control System (IDECS), as described in a Report to Congress (U.S. Department of Energy 1991). The desire to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO, nitric oxide, and NO{sub 2}, nitrogen dioxide, collectively referred to as NO{sub x}) and sulfur dioxide (SO{sub 2}) by up to 70 percent at a minimum capital expenditure, while limiting waste production to dry solids that can be handled by conventional ash-removal equipment, prompted Public Service Company of Colorado (PSCC) to submit the proposal for the IDECS project. In March 1991, PSCC entered into a cooperative agreement with DOE to conduct the study. The project was sited at PSCC's Arapahoe Steam Electric Generating Station in Denver, Colorado. The purpose of this CCT project was to demonstrate the reduction of NO{sub x} and SO{sub 2} emissions by installing a combination of existing and emerging technologies, which were expected to work synergistically to reduce emissions. The technologies were low-NO{sub x} burners (LNBS), overfire air (OFA), and selective noncatalytic reduction (SNCR) for NO{sub x} reduction; and dry sorbent injection (DSI), both with and without flue-gas humidification (FGH), for SO{sub 2} reduction. DOE provided 50 percent of the total project funding of $26.2 million.

Substrate integrated ferrite phase shifters and active frequency selective surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cahill, B.M.

2002-01-01

There are two distinct parts to this thesis; the first investigates the use of ferrite tiles in the construction of printed phase shifting transmission lines, culminating in the design of two compact electromagnetic controlled beam steered patch and slot antenna arrays. The second part investigates the use of active frequency selective surfaces (AFSS), which are later used to cover a uPVC constructed enclosure. Field intensity measurements are taken from within the enclosure to determine the dynamic screening effectiveness. Trans Tech G-350 Ferrite is investigated to determine its application in printed microstrip and stripline phase shifting transmission lines. 50-Ohm transmission lines are constructed using the ferrite tile and interfaced to Rogers RT Duroid 5870 substrate. Scattering parameter measurements are made under the application of variable magnetic fields to the ferrite. Later, two types of planar microwave beam steering antennas are constructed. The first uses the ferrites integrated into the Duroid as microstrip lines with 3 patch antennas as the radiating elements. The second uses stripline transmission lines, with slot antennas as the radiating sources etched into the ground plane of the triplate. Beam steering is achieved by the application of an external electromagnet. An AFSS is constructed by the interposition of PIN diodes into a dipole FSS array. Transmission response measurements are then made for various angles of electromagnetic wave incidence. Two states of operation exist: when a current is passed through the diodes and when the diodes are switched off. These two states form a high pass and band stop space filter respectively. An enclosure covered with the AFSS is constructed and externally illuminated in the range 2.0 - 2.8GHz. A probe antenna inside the enclosure positioned at various locations through out the volume is used to establish the effective screening action of the AFSS in 3 dimensional space. (author)

Acoustic propagation operators for pressure waves on an arbitrarily curved surface in a homogeneous medium

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Yimin; Verschuur, Eric; van Borselen, Roald

2018-03-01

The Rayleigh integral solution of the acoustic Helmholtz equation in a homogeneous medium can only be applied when the integral surface is a planar surface, while in reality almost all surfaces where pressure waves are measured exhibit some curvature. In this paper we derive a theoretically rigorous way of building propagation operators for pressure waves on an arbitrarily curved surface. Our theory is still based upon the Rayleigh integral, but it resorts to matrix inversion to overcome the limitations faced by the Rayleigh integral. Three examples are used to demonstrate the correctness of our theory - propagation of pressure waves acquired on an arbitrarily curved surface to a planar surface, on an arbitrarily curved surface to another arbitrarily curved surface, and on a spherical cap to a planar surface, and results agree well with the analytical solutions. The generalization of our method for particle velocities and the calculation cost of our method are also discussed.

The relative impact of work-related stress, life stress and driving environment stress on driving outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Rowden, Peter; Matthews, Gerald; Watson, Barry; Biggs, Herbert

2011-07-01

Previous research has shown the association between stress and crash involvement. The impact of stress on road safety may also be mediated by behaviours including cognitive lapses, errors, and intentional traffic violations. This study aimed to provide a further understanding of the impact that stress from different sources may have upon driving behaviour and road safety. It is asserted that both stress extraneous to the driving environment and stress directly elicited by driving must be considered part of a dynamic system that may have a negative impact on driving behaviours. Two hundred and forty-seven public sector employees from Queensland, Australia, completed self-report measures examining demographics, subjective work-related stress, daily hassles, and aspects of general mental health. Additionally, the Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ) and the Driver Stress Inventory (DSI) were administered. All participants drove for work purposes regularly, however the study did not specifically focus on full-time professional drivers. Confirmatory factor analysis of the predictor variables revealed three factors: DSI negative affect; DSI risk taking; and extraneous influences (daily hassles, work-related stress, and general mental health). Moderate intercorrelations were found between each of these factors confirming the 'spillover' effect. That is, driver stress is reciprocally related to stress in other domains including work and domestic life. Structural equation modelling (SEM) showed that the DSI negative affect factor influenced both lapses and errors, whereas the DSI risk-taking factor was the strongest influence on violations. The SEMs also confirmed that daily hassles extraneous to the driving environment may influence DBQ lapses and violations independently. Accordingly, interventions may be developed to increase driver awareness of the dangers of excessive emotional responses to both driving events and daily hassles (e.g. driving fast to 'blow off steam

Silica uptake and release in live and decaying biomass in a northern hardwood forest.

Science.gov (United States)

Clymans, Wim; Conley, Daniel J; Battles, John J; Frings, Patrick J; Koppers, Mary Margaret; Likens, Gene E; Johnson, Chris E

2016-11-01

In terrestrial ecosystems, a large portion (20-80%) of the dissolved Si (DSi) in soil solution has passed through vegetation. While the importance of this "terrestrial Si filter" is generally accepted, few data exist on the pools and fluxes of Si in forest vegetation and the rate of release of Si from decomposing plant tissues. We quantified the pools and fluxes of Si through vegetation and coarse woody debris (CWD) in a northern hardwood forest ecosystem (Watershed 6, W6) at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF) in New Hampshire, USA. Previous work suggested that the decomposition of CWD may have significantly contributed to an excess of DSi reported in stream-waters following experimental deforestation of Watershed 2 (W2) at the HBEF. We found that woody biomass (wood + bark) and foliage account for approximately 65% and 31%, respectively, of the total Si in biomass at the HBEF. During the decay of American beech (Fagus grandifolia) boles, Si loss tracked the whole-bole mass loss, while yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum) decomposition resulted in a preferential Si retention of up to 30% after 16 yr. A power-law model for the changes in wood and bark Si concentrations during decomposition, in combination with an exponential model for whole-bole mass loss, successfully reproduced Si dynamics in decaying boles. Our data suggest that a minimum of 50% of the DSi annually produced in the soil of a biogeochemical reference watershed (W6) derives from biogenic Si (BSi) dissolution. The major source is fresh litter, whereas only ~2% comes from the decay of CWD. Decay of tree boles could only account for 9% of the excess DSi release observed following the experimental deforestation of W2. Therefore, elevated DSi concentrations after forest disturbance are largely derived from other sources (e.g., dissolution of BSi from forest floor soils and/or mineral weathering). © 2016 The Authors. Ecology, published by Wiley Periodicals

New integrable problems in a rigid body dynamics with cubic integral in velocities

Science.gov (United States)

Elmandouh, A. A.

2018-03-01

We introduce a new family of the 2D integrable mechanical system possessing an additional integral of the third degree in velocities. This system contains 20 arbitrary parameters. We also clarify that the majority of the previous systems with a cubic integral can be reconstructed from it as a special version for certain values of those parameters. The applications of this system are extended to include the problem of motion of a particle and rigid body about its fixed point. We announce new integrable problems describing the motion of a particle in the plane, pseudosphere, and surfaces of variable curvature. We also present a new integrable problem in a rigid body dynamics and this problem generalizes some of the previous results for Sokolov-Tsiganov, Yehia, Stretensky, and Goriachev.

A wavelet-based PWTD algorithm-accelerated time domain surface integral equation solver

KAUST Repository

Liu, Yang

2015-10-26

© 2015 IEEE. The multilevel plane-wave time-domain (PWTD) algorithm allows for fast and accurate analysis of transient scattering from, and radiation by, electrically large and complex structures. When used in tandem with marching-on-in-time (MOT)-based surface integral equation (SIE) solvers, it reduces the computational and memory costs of transient analysis from equation and equation to equation and equation, respectively, where Nt and Ns denote the number of temporal and spatial unknowns (Ergin et al., IEEE Trans. Antennas Mag., 41, 39-52, 1999). In the past, PWTD-accelerated MOT-SIE solvers have been applied to transient problems involving half million spatial unknowns (Shanker et al., IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., 51, 628-641, 2003). Recently, a scalable parallel PWTD-accelerated MOT-SIE solver that leverages a hiearchical parallelization strategy has been developed and successfully applied to the transient problems involving ten million spatial unknowns (Liu et. al., in URSI Digest, 2013). We further enhanced the capabilities of this solver by implementing a compression scheme based on local cosine wavelet bases (LCBs) that exploits the sparsity in the temporal dimension (Liu et. al., in URSI Digest, 2014). Specifically, the LCB compression scheme was used to reduce the memory requirement of the PWTD ray data and computational cost of operations in the PWTD translation stage.

Effects of Ultrasonics-Assisted Face Milling on Surface Integrity and Fatigue Life of Ni-Alloy 718

Science.gov (United States)

Suárez, Alfredo; Veiga, Fernando; de Lacalle, Luis N. López; Polvorosa, Roberto; Lutze, Steffen; Wretland, Anders

2016-11-01

This work investigates the effects of ultrasonic vibration-assisted milling on important aspects such us material surface integrity, tool wear, cutting forces and fatigue resistance. As an alternative to natural application of ultrasonic milling in brittle materials, in this study, ultrasonics have been applied to a difficult-to-cut material, Alloy 718, very common in high-temperature applications. Results show alterations in the sub-superficial part of the material which could influence fatigue resistance of the material, as it has been observed in a fatigue test campaign of specimens obtained with the application of ultrasonic milling in comparison with another batch obtained applying conventional milling. Tool wear pattern was found to be very similar for both milling technologies, concluding the study with the analysis of cutting forces, exhibiting certain improvement in case of the application of ultrasonic milling with a more stable evolution.

Hydrological land surface modelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ridler, Marc-Etienne Francois

Recent advances in integrated hydrological and soil-vegetation-atmosphere transfer (SVAT) modelling have led to improved water resource management practices, greater crop production, and better flood forecasting systems. However, uncertainty is inherent in all numerical models ultimately leading...... temperature are explored in a multi-objective calibration experiment to optimize the parameters in a SVAT model in the Sahel. The two satellite derived variables were effective at constraining most land-surface and soil parameters. A data assimilation framework is developed and implemented with an integrated...... and disaster management. The objective of this study is to develop and investigate methods to reduce hydrological model uncertainty by using supplementary data sources. The data is used either for model calibration or for model updating using data assimilation. Satellite estimates of soil moisture and surface...

Surface-based vertexwise analysis of morphometry and microstructural integrity for white matter tracts in diffusion tensor imaging: With application to the corpus callosum in Alzheimer's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Xiaoying; Qin, Yuanyuan; Zhu, Wenzhen; Miller, Michael I

2017-04-01

In this article, we present a unified statistical pipeline for analyzing the white matter (WM) tracts morphometry and microstructural integrity, both globally and locally within the same WM tract, from diffusion tensor imaging. Morphometry is quantified globally by the volumetric measurement and locally by the vertexwise surface areas. Meanwhile, microstructural integrity is quantified globally by the mean fractional anisotropy (FA) and trace values within the specific WM tract and locally by the FA and trace values defined at each vertex of its bounding surface. The proposed pipeline consists of four steps: (1) fully automated segmentation of WM tracts in a multi-contrast multi-atlas framework; (2) generation of the smooth surface representations for the WM tracts of interest; (3) common template surface generation on which the localized morphometric and microstructural statistics are defined and a variety of statistical analyses can be conducted; (4) multiple comparison correction to determine the significance of the statistical analysis results. Detailed herein, this pipeline has been applied to the corpus callosum in Alzheimer's disease (AD) with significantly decreased FA values and increased trace values, both globally and locally, being detected in patients with AD when compared to normal aging populations. A subdivision of the corpus callosum in both hemispheres revealed that the AD pathology primarily affects the body and splenium of the corpus callosum. Validation analyses and two multiple comparison correction strategies are provided. Hum Brain Mapp 38:1875-1893, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Function integrated track system

OpenAIRE

Hohnecker, Eberhard

2010-01-01

The paper discusses a function integrated track system that focuses on the reduction of acoustic emissions from railway lines. It is shown that the combination of an embedded rail system (ERS), a sound absorbing track surface, and an integrated mini sound barrier has significant acoustic advantages compared to a standard ballast superstructure. The acoustic advantages of an embedded rail system are particularly pronounced in the case of railway bridges. Finally, it is shown that a...

Integration of the subsurface and the surface sectors for a more holistic approach for sustainable redevelopment of urban brownfields.

Science.gov (United States)

Norrman, Jenny; Volchko, Yevheniya; Hooimeijer, Fransje; Maring, Linda; Kain, Jaan-Henrik; Bardos, Paul; Broekx, Steven; Beames, Alistair; Rosén, Lars

2016-09-01

This paper presents a holistic approach to sustainable urban brownfield redevelopment where specific focus is put on the integration of a multitude of subsurface qualities in the early phases of the urban redevelopment process, i.e. in the initiative and plan phases. Achieving sustainability in brownfield redevelopment projects may be constrained by a failure of engagement between two key expert constituencies: urban planners/designers and subsurface engineers, leading to missed opportunities and unintended outcomes in the plan realisation phase. A more integrated approach delivers greater benefits. Three case studies in the Netherlands, Belgium and Sweden were used to test different sustainability assessment instruments in terms of the possibility for knowledge exchange between the subsurface and the surface sectors and in terms of cooperative learning among experts and stakeholders. Based on the lessons learned from the case studies, a generic decision process framework is suggested that supports holistic decision making. The suggested framework focuses on stakeholder involvement, communication, knowledge exchange and learning and provides an inventory of instruments that can support these processes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ascorbic acid surface modified TiO2-thin layers as a fully integrated analysis system for visual simultaneous detection of organophosphorus pesticides

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shunxing; Liang, Wenjie; Zheng, Fengying; Lin, Xiaofeng; Cai, Jiabai

2014-11-01

TiO2 photocatalysis and colorimetric detection are coupled with thin layer chromatography (TLC) for the first time to develop a fully integrated analysis system. Titania@polystyrene hybrid microspheres were surface modified with ascorbic acid, denoted AA-TiO2@PS, and used as the stationary phase for TLC. Because the affinity between AA-TiO2@PS and organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) was different for different species of OPs (including chlopyrifos, malathion, parathion, parathion-methyl, and methamidophos), OPs could be separated simultaneously by the mobile phase in 12.0 min with different Rf values. After surface modification, the UV-vis wavelength response range of AA-TiO2@PS was expanded to 650 nm. Under visible-light irradiation, all of the OPs could be photodegraded to PO43- in 25.0 min. Based on the chromogenic reaction between PO43- and chromogenic agents (ammonium molybdate and ascorbic acid), OPs were quantified from color intensity images using a scanner in conjunction with image processing software. So, AA-TiO2@PS was respectively used as the stationary phase of TLC for efficient separation of OPs, as a photocatalyst for species transformation of phosphorus, and as a colorimetric probe for on-field simultaneous visual detection of OPs in natural water. Linear calibration curves for each OP ranged from 19.3 nmol P L-1 to 2.30 μmol P L-1. This integrated analysis system was simple, inexpensive, easy to operate, and sensitive.TiO2 photocatalysis and colorimetric detection are coupled with thin layer chromatography (TLC) for the first time to develop a fully integrated analysis system. Titania@polystyrene hybrid microspheres were surface modified with ascorbic acid, denoted AA-TiO2@PS, and used as the stationary phase for TLC. Because the affinity between AA-TiO2@PS and organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) was different for different species of OPs (including chlopyrifos, malathion, parathion, parathion-methyl, and methamidophos), OPs could be separated

Minimal models on Riemann surfaces: The partition functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foda, O.

1990-01-01

The Coulomb gas representation of the A n series of c=1-6/[m(m+1)], m≥3, minimal models is extended to compact Riemann surfaces of genus g>1. An integral representation of the partition functions, for any m and g is obtained as the difference of two gaussian correlation functions of a background charge, (background charge on sphere) x (1-g), and screening charges integrated over the surface. The coupling constant x (compacitification radius) 2 of the gaussian expressions are, as on the torus, m(m+1), and m/(m+1). The partition functions obtained are modular invariant, have the correct conformal anomaly and - restricting the propagation of states to a single handle - one can verify explicitly the decoupling of the null states. On the other hand, they are given in terms of coupled surface integrals, and it remains to show how they degenerate consistently to those on lower-genus surfaces. In this work, this is clear only at the lattice level, where no screening charges appear. (orig.)

Minimal models on Riemann surfaces: The partition functions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Foda, O. (Katholieke Univ. Nijmegen (Netherlands). Inst. voor Theoretische Fysica)

1990-06-04

The Coulomb gas representation of the A{sub n} series of c=1-6/(m(m+1)), m{ge}3, minimal models is extended to compact Riemann surfaces of genus g>1. An integral representation of the partition functions, for any m and g is obtained as the difference of two gaussian correlation functions of a background charge, (background charge on sphere) x (1-g), and screening charges integrated over the surface. The coupling constant x (compacitification radius){sup 2} of the gaussian expressions are, as on the torus, m(m+1), and m/(m+1). The partition functions obtained are modular invariant, have the correct conformal anomaly and - restricting the propagation of states to a single handle - one can verify explicitly the decoupling of the null states. On the other hand, they are given in terms of coupled surface integrals, and it remains to show how they degenerate consistently to those on lower-genus surfaces. In this work, this is clear only at the lattice level, where no screening charges appear. (orig.).

Flat Surface Damage Detection System (FSDDS)

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Martha; Lewis, Mark; Gibson, Tracy; Lane, John; Medelius, Pedro; Snyder, Sarah; Ciarlariello, Dan; Parks, Steve; Carrejo, Danny; Rojdev, Kristina

2013-01-01

The Flat Surface Damage Detection system (FSDDS} is a sensory system that is capable of detecting impact damages to surfaces utilizing a novel sensor system. This system will provide the ability to monitor the integrity of an inflatable habitat during in situ system health monitoring. The system consists of three main custom designed subsystems: the multi-layer sensing panel, the embedded monitoring system, and the graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI LABVIEW software uses a custom developed damage detection algorithm to determine the damage location based on the sequence of broken sensing lines. It estimates the damage size, the maximum depth, and plots the damage location on a graph. Successfully demonstrated as a stand alone technology during 2011 D-RATS. Software modification also allowed for communication with HDU avionics crew display which was demonstrated remotely (KSC to JSC} during 2012 integration testing. Integrated FSDDS system and stand alone multi-panel systems were demonstrated remotely and at JSC, Mission Operations Test using Space Network Research Federation (SNRF} network in 2012. FY13, FSDDS multi-panel integration with JSC and SNRF network Technology can allow for integration with other complementary damage detection systems.

The 3D Lagrangian Integral Method. Henrik Koblitz Rasmussen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Henrik Koblitz

2003-01-01

. This are processes such as thermo-forming, gas-assisted injection moulding and all kind of simultaneous multi-component polymer processing operations. Though, in all polymer processing operations free surfaces (or interfaces) are present and the dynamic of these surfaces are of interest. In the "3D Lagrangian...... Integral Method" to simulate viscoelastic flow, the governing equations are solved for the particle positions (Lagrangian kinematics). Therefore, the transient motion of surfaces can be followed in a particularly simple fashion even in 3D viscoelastic flow. The "3D Lagrangian Integral Method" is described...

Integrated Surface Topography Characterization of Variously Polished Niobium for Superconducting Particle Accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian, Hui; Reece, Charles; Kelley, Michael; Ribeill, G.

2009-01-01

As superconducting niobium radio-frequency (SRF) cavities approach fundamental material limits, there is increased interest in understanding the details of topographical influences on realized performance limitations. Micro-and nano-roughness are implicated in both direct geometrical field enhancements as well as complications of the composition of the 50 nm surface layer in which the super-currents flow. Interior surface chemical polishing (BCP/EP) to remove mechanical damage leaves surface topography, including pits and protrusions of varying sharpness. These may promote RF magnetic field entry, locally quenching superconductivity, so as to degrade cavity performance. A more incisive analysis of surface topography than the widely-used average roughness is needed. In this study, a power spectral density (PSD) approach based on Fourier analysis of surface topography data acquired by both stylus profilometry and atomic force microscopy (AFM) is being used to distinguish the scale-dependent smoothing effects. The topographical evolution of the Nb surface as a function of different steps of EP is reported, resulting in a novel qualitative and quantitative description of Nb surface topography.

Measurement of Dynamic Friction Coefficient on the Irregular Free Surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yeom, S. H.; Seo, K. S.; Lee, J. H.; Lee, K. H.

2007-01-01

A spent fuel storage cask must be estimated for a structural integrity when an earthquake occurs because it freely stands on ground surface without a restriction condition. Usually the integrity estimation for a seismic load is performed by a FEM analysis, the friction coefficient for a standing surface is an important parameter in seismic analysis when a sliding happens. When a storage cask is placed on an irregular ground surface, measuring a friction coefficient of an irregular surface is very difficult because the friction coefficient is affected by the surface condition. In this research, dynamic friction coefficients on the irregular surfaces between a concrete cylinder block and a flat concrete slab are measured with two methods by one direction actuator

Surface-groundwater interactions in hard rocks in Sardon Catchment of western Spain: an integrated modeling approach

Science.gov (United States)

Hassan, S.M. Tanvir; Lubczynski, Maciek W.; Niswonger, Richard G.; Zhongbo, Su

2014-01-01

The structural and hydrological complexity of hard rock systems (HRSs) affects dynamics of surface–groundwater interactions. These complexities are not well described or understood by hydrogeologists because simplified analyses typically are used to study HRSs. A transient, integrated hydrologic model (IHM) GSFLOW (Groundwater and Surface water FLOW) was calibrated and post-audited using 18 years of daily groundwater head and stream discharge data to evaluate the surface–groundwater interactions in semi-arid, ∼80 km2 granitic Sardon hilly catchment in Spain characterized by shallow water table conditions, relatively low storage, dense drainage networks and frequent, high intensity rainfall. The following hydrological observations for the Sardon Catchment, and more generally for HRSs were made: (i) significant bi-directional vertical flows occur between surface water and groundwater throughout the HRSs; (ii) relatively large groundwater recharge represents 16% of precipitation (P, 562 mm.y−1) and large groundwater exfiltration (∼11% of P) results in short groundwater flow paths due to a dense network of streams, low permeability and hilly topographic relief; deep, long groundwater flow paths constitute a smaller component of the water budget (∼1% of P); quite high groundwater evapotranspiration (∼5% of P and ∼7% of total evapotranspiration); low permeability and shallow soils are the main reasons for relatively large components of Hortonian flow and interflow (15% and 11% of P, respectively); (iii) the majority of drainage from the catchment leaves as surface water; (iv) declining 18 years trend (4.44 mm.y−1) of groundwater storage; and (v) large spatio-temporal variability of water fluxes. This IHM study of HRSs provides greater understanding of these relatively unknown hydrologic systems that are widespread throughout the world and are important for water resources in many regions.

Reactive physical vapor deposition of TixAlyN: Integrated plasma-surface modeling characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Da; Schaeffer, J.K.

2004-01-01

Reactive physical vapor deposition (RPVD) has been widely applied in the microelectronic industry for producing thin films. Fundamental understanding of RPVD mechanisms is needed for successful process development due to the high sensitivity of film properties on process conditions. An integrated plasma equipment-target nitridation modeling infrastructure for RPVD has therefore been developed to provide mechanistic insights and assist optimal process design. The target nitridation model computes target nitride coverage based on self-consistently derived plasma characteristics from the plasma equipment model; target sputter yields needed in the plasma equipment model are also self-consistently derived taking into account the yield-suppressing effect from nitridation. The integrated modeling infrastructure has been applied to investigating RPVD processing with a Ti 0.8 Al 0.2 compound target and an Ar/N 2 gas supply. It has been found that the process produces athermal metal neutrals as the primary deposition precursor. The metal stoichiometry in the deposited film is close to the target composition due to the predominance of athermal species in the flux that reaches the substrate. Correlations between process parameters (N 2 flow, target power), plasma characteristics, surface conditions, and deposition kinetics have been studied with the model. The deposition process is characterized by two regimes when the N 2 flow rate is varied. When N 2 is dilute relative to argon, target nitride coverage increases rapidly with increasing N 2 flow. The sputter yield and deposition rate consequently decrease. For less dilute N 2 mixtures, the sputter yield and deposition rate are stable due to the saturation of target nitridation. With increasing target power, the electron density increases nearly linearly while the variation of N generation is much smaller. Target nitridation and its suppression of the sputter yield saturate at high N 2 flow rendering these parameters

Impact of seasonality on the nutrient concentrations in Gautami-Godavari Estuarine Mangrove Complex, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, Karuna; Priya, Namrata; Ramanathan, A L

2018-04-01

Spatiotemporal variations of dissolved nutrients were studied along Gautami-Godavari mangrove ecosystem to delineate their sources and fate. Average values of nitrate (NO 3 - ), dissolved silica (DSi) and phosphate (PO 4 3- ) is 2.09 mg/l, 12.7 mg/l and 0.16 mg/l in wet season and 0.47 mg/l, 6.96 mg/l and 0.29 mg/l in dry season respectively. In wet season river discharge has significant influence on NO 3 - and DSi. In dry season, NO 3 - and PO 4 3- are controlled by groundwater discharge, benthic exchange and various in situ processes owing to sediment redox condition. Mixing model shows net addition of phosphate in Coringa mangroves (95%) and Lower estuary (13%) and net removal of nitrate (24.79%) in Coringa mangrove and in estuary (58.9%). Thus present mangrove acts as net source for phosphate and net sink for nitrate and DSi. Nutrient ratio shows seasonal switching between potential Phosphorus and Nitrogen limitation in wet and dry season respectively. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Retrofit acid gas emission control for municipal waste incineration application of dry sorbent injection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zmuda, J.T.; Smith, P.V.

1991-01-01

Dry sorbent injection (DSI) has been successfully demonstrated on coal fired boiler applications as a means of reducing sulfur dioxide emissions. More recently, the dry sorbent injection process was applied to an existing municipal waste incinerator to provide acid gas emission controls. The results obtained from the successful demonstration of the sorbent injection system on an existing municipal incinerator are presented. Removal efficiencies of compounds such as HCl, SO 2 , SO 3 , mercury, and others by the use of sorbent injection are shown. Effects of the DSI system on downstream equipment, such as electrostatic precipitators, fabric filters, ash handling systems, and waste management is included. The impacts of the DSI system on the furnace is also discussed. In this paper a discussion of dry sorbent injection as a means of reducing acid gas and other emissions from existing municipal waste incinerators which may be affected by the regulations is presented. An application case study will outline typical exhaust conditions, expected pollution reductions, capital and operating costs, and type of available sorbents and their costs

An appraisal of the geologic structure beneath the Ikogosi warm spring in south-western Nigeria using integrated surface geophysical methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.S Ojo

2011-06-01

Full Text Available An integrated surface geophysical investigation involving resistivity and magnetic methods was carried out in the immediate vicinity of the Ikogosi warm spring situated in south-western Nigeria with a view to delineating its subsurface geological sequence and evaluating the structural setting beneath the warmspring. Total field magnetic measurements and vertical electrical sounding (VES data were acquired along five N-S traverses. Magnetic and VES data interpretation
involved inverse modelling. The inverse magnetic models delineated fractured quartzite/faulted areas within fresh massive quartzite at varying depths and beneath all traverses. The geoelectrical sections developed from VESinterpretation results also delineated a subsurface sequence consisting of a topsoil/weathered layer, fresh quartzite, fractured/faulted quartzite and fresh quartzite bedrock. It was deduced that the fractured/faulted quartzite may have acted as conduit for the
movement of warm groundwater from profound depths to the surface while the spring outlet was located on a geological interface  (lineament.

Finite element modelling of shot peening process: Prediction of the compressive residual stresses, the plastic deformations and the surface integrity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frija, M.; Hassine, T.; Fathallah, R.; Bouraoui, C.; Dogui, A.

2006-01-01

This paper presents a numerical simulation of the shot peening process using finite element method. The majority of the controlling parameters of the process have been taken into account. The shot peening loading has been characterised by using energy equivalence between the dynamic impact and a static indentation of a peening shot in the treated surface. The behaviour of the subjected material is supposed to be elastic plastic with damage. An integrated law of the damage proposed by Lemaitre and Chaboche has been used. The proposed model leads to obtain the residual stress, the plastic deformation profiles and the surface damage. An application on a shot peened Ni-based super alloy Waspaloy has been carried out. The comparison of the residual stresses, obtained by X-ray diffraction method and by finite element calculation, shows a good correlation. The in-depth profile of the plastic deformations and the superficial damage values are in good agreement with the experimental observations

Bending and splitting of spoof surface acoustic waves through structured rigid surface

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sujun Xie

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we demonstrated that a 90°-bended imaging of spoof surface acoustic waves with subwavelength resolution of 0.316λ can be realized by a 45° prism-shaped surface phononic crystal (SPC, which is composed of borehole arrays with square lattice in a rigid plate. Furthermore, by combining two identical prism-shaped phononic crystal to form an interface (to form a line-defect, the excited spoof surface acoustic waves can be split into bended and transmitted parts. The power ratio between the bended and transmitted surface waves can be tuned arbitrarily by adjusting the defect size. This acoustic system is believed to have potential applications in various multifunctional acoustic solutions integrated by different acoustical devices.

Effect of the structure and mechanical properties of the near-surface layer of lithium niobate single crystals on the manufacture of integrated optic circuits

Science.gov (United States)

Sosunov, A. V.; Ponomarev, R. S.; Yur'ev, V. A.; Volyntsev, A. B.

2017-01-01

This paper shows that the near-surface layer of a lithium niobate single layer 15 μm in depth is essentially different from the rest of the volume of the material from the standpoint of composition, structure, and mechanical properties. The pointed out differences are due to the effect of cutting, polishing, and smoothing of the lithium niobate plates, which increase the density of point defects and dislocations. The increasing density of the structural defects leads to uncontrollable changes in the conditions of the formations of waveguides and the drifting of characteristics of integrated optical circuits. The results obtained are very important for the manufacture of lithium niobate based integrated optical circuits.

Recent Progresses in Incorporating Human Land-Water Management into Global Land Surface Models Toward Their Integration into Earth System Models

Science.gov (United States)

Pokhrel, Yadu N.; Hanasaki, Naota; Wada, Yoshihide; Kim, Hyungjun

2016-01-01

The global water cycle has been profoundly affected by human land-water management. As the changes in the water cycle on land can affect the functioning of a wide range of biophysical and biogeochemical processes of the Earth system, it is essential to represent human land-water management in Earth system models (ESMs). During the recent past, noteworthy progress has been made in large-scale modeling of human impacts on the water cycle but sufficient advancements have not yet been made in integrating the newly developed schemes into ESMs. This study reviews the progresses made in incorporating human factors in large-scale hydrological models and their integration into ESMs. The study focuses primarily on the recent advancements and existing challenges in incorporating human impacts in global land surface models (LSMs) as a way forward to the development of ESMs with humans as integral components, but a brief review of global hydrological models (GHMs) is also provided. The study begins with the general overview of human impacts on the water cycle. Then, the algorithms currently employed to represent irrigation, reservoir operation, and groundwater pumping are discussed. Next, methodological deficiencies in current modeling approaches and existing challenges are identified. Furthermore, light is shed on the sources of uncertainties associated with model parameterizations, grid resolution, and datasets used for forcing and validation. Finally, representing human land-water management in LSMs is highlighted as an important research direction toward developing integrated models using ESM frameworks for the holistic study of human-water interactions within the Earths system.

Prediction of Compressional, Shear, and Stoneley Wave Velocities from Conventional Well Log Data Using a Committee Machine with Intelligent Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Asoodeh, Mojtaba; Bagheripour, Parisa

2012-01-01

Measurement of compressional, shear, and Stoneley wave velocities, carried out by dipole sonic imager (DSI) logs, provides invaluable data in geophysical interpretation, geomechanical studies and hydrocarbon reservoir characterization. The presented study proposes an improved methodology for making a quantitative formulation between conventional well logs and sonic wave velocities. First, sonic wave velocities were predicted from conventional well logs using artificial neural network, fuzzy logic, and neuro-fuzzy algorithms. Subsequently, a committee machine with intelligent systems was constructed by virtue of hybrid genetic algorithm-pattern search technique while outputs of artificial neural network, fuzzy logic and neuro-fuzzy models were used as inputs of the committee machine. It is capable of improving the accuracy of final prediction through integrating the outputs of aforementioned intelligent systems. The hybrid genetic algorithm-pattern search tool, embodied in the structure of committee machine, assigns a weight factor to each individual intelligent system, indicating its involvement in overall prediction of DSI parameters. This methodology was implemented in Asmari formation, which is the major carbonate reservoir rock of Iranian oil field. A group of 1,640 data points was used to construct the intelligent model, and a group of 800 data points was employed to assess the reliability of the proposed model. The results showed that the committee machine with intelligent systems performed more effectively compared with individual intelligent systems performing alone.

Effect and origin of the structure of hyperbranched polysiloxane on the surface and integrated performances of grafted Kevlar fibers

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hongrui; Yuan, Li; Liang, Guozheng; Gu, Aijuan

2014-11-01

Four hyperbranched polysiloxanes (HPSis) with different molecular weights and concentration ratios of double bonds to epoxy groups (1:6.5-1:0.7) were synthesized and characterized. Each HPSi was facilely grafted onto surfaces of Kevlar fibers (KFs) to develop novel modified fibers (HPSi-g-KFs). The structures and integrated properties of HPSi-g-KFs as well as the origin behind were systematically investigated. Results show that HPSi-g-KFs have much rougher surface morphologies, and their surface free energies are as high as about 1.7 times that of KFs, showing greatly improved wettability. Besides, HPSi-g-KFs have excellent UV resistance after 168 h UV irradiation, the retentions of tenacity, energy to break, modulus and break extension are as high as 92, 86, 95 and 96%, respectively, while those of KFs are 66-85%. In addition, compared with KFs, HPSi-g-KFs have higher tensile tenacity and energy to break with similar modulus and break extension, much better thermal stability and flame retardancy. The nature of HPSi has different influence on different property of fibers, the HPSi with smaller molecular weight and more epoxy groups is beneficial to prepare HPSi-g-KFs with better wettability, while that with larger molecular weight and more double bonds tends to prepare HPSi-g-KF with better flame retardancy and UV resistance.

Ascorbic acid surface modified TiO₂-thin layers as a fully integrated analysis system for visual simultaneous detection of organophosphorus pesticides.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shunxing; Liang, Wenjie; Zheng, Fengying; Lin, Xiaofeng; Cai, Jiabai

2014-11-06

TiO₂ photocatalysis and colorimetric detection are coupled with thin layer chromatography (TLC) for the first time to develop a fully integrated analysis system. Titania@polystyrene hybrid microspheres were surface modified with ascorbic acid, denoted AA-TiO₂@PS, and used as the stationary phase for TLC. Because the affinity between AA-TiO₂@PS and organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) was different for different species of OPs (including chlopyrifos, malathion, parathion, parathion-methyl, and methamidophos), OPs could be separated simultaneously by the mobile phase in 12.0 min with different Rf values. After surface modification, the UV-vis wavelength response range of AA-TiO₂@PS was expanded to 650 nm. Under visible-light irradiation, all of the OPs could be photodegraded to PO₄(3-) in 25.0 min. Based on the chromogenic reaction between PO₄(3-) and chromogenic agents (ammonium molybdate and ascorbic acid), OPs were quantified from color intensity images using a scanner in conjunction with image processing software. So, AA-TiO₂@PS was respectively used as the stationary phase of TLC for efficient separation of OPs, as a photocatalyst for species transformation of phosphorus, and as a colorimetric probe for on-field simultaneous visual detection of OPs in natural water. Linear calibration curves for each OP ranged from 19.3 nmol P L(-1) to 2.30 μmol P L(-1). This integrated analysis system was simple, inexpensive, easy to operate, and sensitive.

Integrated Dry NOx/SO2 Emissions Control System, A DOE Assessment; FINAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

National Energy Technology Laboratory

2001-01-01

The goal of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Clean Coal Technology (CCT) Program is to furnish the energy marketplace with a number of advanced, more efficient, and environmentally responsible coal utilization technologies through demonstration projects. These projects seek to establish the commercial feasibility of the most promising advanced coal technologies that have developed beyond the proof-of-concept stage. This document serves as a DOE post-project assessment (PPA) of a project selected in CCT Round III, the Integrated Dry NO(sub x)/SO(sub 2) Emissions Control System (IDECS), as described in a Report to Congress (U.S. Department of Energy 1991). The desire to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO, nitric oxide, and NO(sub 2), nitrogen dioxide, collectively referred to as NO(sub x)) and sulfur dioxide (SO(sub 2)) by up to 70 percent at a minimum capital expenditure, while limiting waste production to dry solids that can be handled by conventional ash-removal equipment, prompted Public Service Company of Colorado (PSCC) to submit the proposal for the IDECS project. In March 1991, PSCC entered into a cooperative agreement with DOE to conduct the study. The project was sited at PSCC's Arapahoe Steam Electric Generating Station in Denver, Colorado. The purpose of this CCT project was to demonstrate the reduction of NO(sub x) and SO(sub 2) emissions by installing a combination of existing and emerging technologies, which were expected to work synergistically to reduce emissions. The technologies were low-NO(sub x) burners (LNBS), overfire air (OFA), and selective noncatalytic reduction (SNCR) for NO(sub x) reduction; and dry sorbent injection (DSI), both with and without flue-gas humidification (FGH), for SO(sub 2) reduction. DOE provided 50 percent of the total project funding of$26.2 million

Second-order domain derivative of normal-dependent boundary integrals

KAUST Repository

Balzer, Jonathan

2010-03-17

Numerous reconstruction tasks in (optical) surface metrology allow for a variational formulation. The occurring boundary integrals may be interpreted as shape functions. The paper is concerned with the second-order analysis of such functions. Shape Hessians of boundary integrals are considered difficult to find analytically because they correspond to third-order derivatives of an, in a sense equivalent, domain integral. We complement previous results by considering cost functions depending explicitly on the surface normal. The correctness and practicability of our calculations are verified in the context of a Newton-type shape reconstruction method. © 2010 Birkhäuser / Springer Basel AG.

Repeated homotypic stress elevates 2-arachidonoylglycerol levels and enhances short-term endocannabinoid signaling at inhibitory synapses in basolateral amygdala.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Sachin; Kingsley, Philip J; Mackie, Ken; Marnett, Lawrence J; Winder, Danny G

2009-12-01

Psychosocial stress is a risk factor for development and exacerbation of neuropsychiatric illness. Repeated stress causes biochemical adaptations in endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling that contribute to stress-response habituation, however, the synaptic correlates of these adaptations have not been examined. Here, we show that the synthetic enzyme for the eCB 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), diacylglycerol (DAG) lipase alpha, is heterogeneously expressed in the amygdala, and that levels of 2-AG and precursor DAGs are increased in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) after 10 days, but not 1 day, of restraint stress. In contrast, arachidonic acid was decreased after both 1 and 10 days of restraint stress. To examine the synaptic correlates of these alterations in 2-AG metabolism, we used whole-cell electrophysiology to determine the effects of restraint stress on depolarization-induced suppression of inhibition (DSI) in the BLA. A single restraint stress exposure did not alter DSI compared with control mice. However, after 10 days of restraint stress, DSI duration, but not magnitude, was significantly prolonged. Inhibition of 2-AG degradation with MAFP also prolonged DSI duration; the effects of repeated restraint stress and MAFP were mutually occlusive. These data indicate that exposure to repeated, but not acute, stress produces neuroadaptations that confer BLA neurons with an enhanced capacity to elevate 2-AG content and engage in 2-AG-mediated short-term retrograde synaptic signaling. We suggest stress-induced enhancement of eCB-mediated suppression of inhibitory transmission in the BLA could contribute to affective dysregulation associated with chronic stress.

Connectivity and tissue microstructural alterations in right and left temporal lobe epilepsy revealed by diffusion spectrum imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Lemkaddem, Alia; Daducci, Alessandro; Kunz, Nicolas; Lazeyras, François; Seeck, Margitta; Thiran, Jean-Philippe; Vulliémoz, Serge

2014-01-01

Focal epilepsy is increasingly recognized as the result of an altered brain network, both on the structural and functional levels and the characterization of these widespread brain alterations is crucial for our understanding of the clinical manifestation of seizure and cognitive deficits as well as for the management of candidates to epilepsy surgery. Tractography based on Diffusion Tensor Imaging allows non-invasive mapping of white matter tracts in vivo. Recently, diffusion spectrum imaging (DSI), based on an increased number of diffusion directions and intensities, has improved the sensitivity of tractography, notably with respect to the problem of fiber crossing and recent developments allow acquisition times compatible with clinical application. We used DSI and parcellation of the gray matter in regions of interest to build whole-brain connectivity matrices describing the mutual connections between cortical and subcortical regions in patients with focal epilepsy and healthy controls. In addition, the high angular and radial resolution of DSI allowed us to evaluate also some of the biophysical compartment models, to better understand the cause of the changes in diffusion anisotropy. Global connectivity, hub architecture and regional connectivity patterns were altered in TLE patients and showed different characteristics in RTLE vs LTLE with stronger abnormalities in RTLE. The microstructural analysis suggested that disturbed axonal density contributed more than fiber orientation to the connectivity changes affecting the temporal lobes whereas fiber orientation changes were more involved in extratemporal lobe changes. Our study provides further structural evidence that RTLE and LTLE are not symmetrical entities and DSI-based imaging could help investigate the microstructural correlate of these imaging abnormalities.

3-D fracture analysis using a partial-reduced integration scheme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leitch, B.W.

1987-01-01

This paper presents details of 3-D elastic-plastic analyses of axially orientated external surface flaw in an internally pressurized thin-walled cylinder and discusses the variation of the J-integral values around the crack tip. A partial-reduced-integration-penalty method is introduced to minimize this variation of the J-integral near the crack tip. Utilizing 3-D symmetry, an eighth segment of a tube containing an elliptically shaped external surface flaw is modelled using 20-noded isoparametric elements. The crack-tip elements are collapsed to form a 1/r stress singularity about the curved crack front. The finite element model is subjected to internal pressure and axial pressure-generated loads. The virtual crack extension method is used to determine linear elastic stress intensity factors from the J-integral results at various points around the crack front. Despite the different material constants and the thinner wall thickness in this analysis, the elastic results compare favourably with those obtained by other researchers. The nonlinear stress-strain behaviour of the tube material is modelled using an incremental theory of plasticity. Variations of the J-integral values around the curved crack front of the 3-D flaw were seen. These variations could not be resolved by neglecting the immediate crack-tip elements J-integral results in favour of the more remote contour paths or else smoothed out when all the path results are averaged. Numerical incompatabilities in the 20-noded 3-D finite elements used to model the surface flaw were found. A partial-reduced integration scheme, using a combination of full and reduced integration elements, is proposed to determine J-integral results for 3-D fracture analyses. This procedure is applied to the analysis of an external semicircular surface flaw projecting halfway into the tube wall thickness. Examples of the J-integral values, before and after the partial-reduced integration method is employed, are given around the

Speed-up of ab initio hybrid Monte Carlo and ab initio path integral hybrid Monte Carlo simulations by using an auxiliary potential energy surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakayama, Akira; Taketsugu, Tetsuya; Shiga, Motoyuki

2009-01-01

Efficiency of the ab initio hybrid Monte Carlo and ab initio path integral hybrid Monte Carlo methods is enhanced by employing an auxiliary potential energy surface that is used to update the system configuration via molecular dynamics scheme. As a simple illustration of this method, a dual-level approach is introduced where potential energy gradients are evaluated by computationally less expensive ab initio electronic structure methods. (author)

Reactions at surfaces in the atmosphere: integration of experiments and theory as necessary (but not necessarily sufficient) for predicting the physical chemistry of aerosols.

Science.gov (United States)

Finlayson-Pitts, Barbara J

2009-09-28

While particles have significant deleterious impacts on human health, visibility and climate, quantitative understanding of their formation, composition and fates remains problematic. Indeed, in many cases, even qualitative understanding is lacking. One area of particular uncertainty is the nature of particle surfaces and how this determines interactions with gases in the atmosphere, including water, which is important for cloud formation and properties. The focus in this Perspective article is on some chemistry relevant to airborne particles and especially to reactions occurring on their surfaces. The intent is not to provide a comprehensive review, but rather to highlight a few selected examples of interface chemistry involving inorganic and organic species that may be important in the lower atmosphere. This includes sea salt chemistry, nitrate and nitrite ion photochemistry, organics on surfaces and heterogeneous reactions of oxides of nitrogen on proxies for airborne mineral dust and boundary layer surfaces. Emphasis is on the molecular level understanding that can only be gained by fully integrating experiment and theory to elucidate these complex systems.

On the Development of a Web-Based M-Learning System for Dual Screen Handheld Game Consoles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hend S. Al-Khalifa

2011-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents our experience on the design and development of an M-Learning web-based system for the Nintendo DSi game console. The paper starts by addressing the difficulties that emerged from the lack of resources on design guidelines for dual screen devices also the absence of adequate techniques and methods to support the design decisions. Then it explains how we overcame these challenges by adopting a design decision suitable for the screen requirements of the Nintendo DSi console. Finally, we present the components of our M-Learning system and the results of a preliminary usability evaluation.

Analysis of Leaky Modes in Photonic Crystal Fibers Using the Surface Integral Equation Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jung-Sheng Chiang

2018-04-01

Full Text Available A fully vectorial algorithm based on the surface integral equation method for the modelling of leaky modes in photonic crystal fibers (PCFs by solely solving the complex propagation constants of characteristic equations is presented. It can be used for calculations of the complex effective index and confinement losses of photonic crystal fibers. As complex root examination is the key technique in the solution, the new algorithm which possesses this technique can be used to solve the leaky modes of photonic crystal fibers. The leaky modes of solid-core PCFs with a hexagonal lattice of circular air-holes are reported and discussed. The simulation results indicate how the confinement loss by the imaginary part of the effective index changes with air-hole size, the number of rings of air-holes, and wavelength. Confinement loss reductions can be realized by increasing the air-hole size and the number of air-holes. The results show that the confinement loss rises with wavelength, implying that the light leaks more easily for longer wavelengths; meanwhile, the losses are decreased significantly as the air-hole size d/Λ is increased.

Global change integrating factors: Tropical tropopause trends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reck, R.A.

1994-01-01

This research proposes new criteria, shifts in the height and temperature of the tropical tropopause, as measures of global climate change. The search for signs of global warming in the temperature signal near the earth's surface is extremely difficult, largely because numerous factors contribute to surface temperature forcing with only a small signal-to-noise ratio relative to long-term effects. In the long term, no part of the atmosphere can be considered individually because the evolution will be a function of all states of all portions. A large surface greenhouse signal might ultimately be expected, but the analysis of surface temperature may not be particularly useful for early detection. What is suggested here is not an analysis of trends in the surface temperature field or any of its spatial averages, but rather an integrating factor or integrator, a single measure of global change that could be considered a test of significant change for the entire global system. Preferably, this global change integrator would vary slowly and would take into account many of the causes of climate change, with a relatively large signal-to-noise ratio. Such an integrator could be monitored, and abrupt or accelerated changes could serve as an early warning signal for policy makers and the public. Earlier work has suggested that temperature has much less short-term and small-scale noise in the lower stratosphere, and thus the global warming signal at that level might be more easily deconvoluted, because the cooling rate near the 200-mb level is almost constant with latitude. A study of the temperature signal at this pressure level might show a clearer trend due to increased levels of greenhouse gases, but it would yield information about the troposphere only by inference

Intrinsic neuromodulation in the Tritonia swim CPG: serotonin mediates both neuromodulation and neurotransmission by the dorsal swim interneurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Katz, P S; Frost, W N

1995-12-01

1. Neuromodulation has previously been shown to be intrinsic to the central pattern generator (CPG) circuit that generates the escape swim of the nudibranch mollusk Tritonia diomedea; the dorsal swim interneurons (DSIs) make conventional monosynaptic connections and evoke neuromodulatory effects within the swim motor circuit. The conventional synaptic potentials evoked by a DSI onto cerebral neuron 2 (C2) and onto the dorsal flexion neurons (DFNs) consist of a fast excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) followed by a prolonged slow EPSP. In their neuromodulatory role, the DSIs produce an enhancement of the monosynaptic connections made by C2 onto other CPG circuit interneurons and onto efferent flexion neurons. Previous work showed that the DSIs are immunoreactive for serotonin. Here we provide evidence that both the neurotransmission and the neuromodulation evoked by the DSIs are produced by serotonin, and that these effects may be pharmacologically separable. 2. Previously it was shown that bath-applied serotonin both mimics and occludes the modulation of the C2 synapses by the DSIs. Here we find that pressure-applied puffs of serotonin mimic both the fast and slow EPSPs evoked by a DSI onto a DFN, whereas high concentrations of bath-applied serotonin occlude both of these synaptic components. 3. Consistent with the hypothesis that serotonin mediates the actions of the DSIs, the serotonin reuptake inhibitor imipramine prolongs the duration of the fast DSI-DFN EPSP, increases the amplitude of the slow DSI-DFN EPSP, and increases both the amplitude and duration of the modulation of the C2-DFN synapse by the DSIs. 4. Two serotonergic antagonists were found that block the actions of the DSIs. Gramine blocks the fast DSI-DFN EPSP, and has far less of an effect on the slow EPSP and the modulation. Gramine also diminishes the depolarization evoked by pressure-applied serotonin, showing that it is a serotonin antagonist in this system. In contrast, methysergide greatly

Enhancing structural integrity of adhesive bonds through pulsed laser surface micro-machining

KAUST Repository

Diaz, Edwin Hernandez

2015-06-01

Enhancing the effective peel resistance of plastically deforming adhesive joints through laser-based surface micro-machining Edwin Hernandez Diaz Inspired by adhesion examples commonly found in nature, we reached out to examine the effect of different kinds of heterogeneous surface properties that may replicate this behavior and the mechanisms at work. In order to do this, we used pulsed laser ablation on copper substrates (CuZn40) aiming to increase adhesion for bonding. A Yb-fiber laser was used for surface preparation of the substrates, which were probed with a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Heterogeneous surface properties were devised through the use of simplified laser micromachined patterns which may induce sequential events of crack arrest propagation, thereby having a leveraging effect on dissipation. The me- chanical performance of copper/epoxy joints with homogeneous and heterogeneous laser micromachined interfaces was then analyzed using the T-peel test. Fractured surfaces were analyzed using SEM to resolve the mechanism of failure and adhesive penetration within induced surface asperities from the treatment. Results confirm positive modifications of the surface morphology and chemistry from laser ablation that enable mechanical interlocking and cohesive failure within the adhesive layer. Remarkable improvements of apparent peel energy, bond toughness, and effective peel force were appreciated with respect to sanded substrates as control samples.

Integrating remotely sensed surface water extent into continental scale hydrology.

Science.gov (United States)

Revilla-Romero, Beatriz; Wanders, Niko; Burek, Peter; Salamon, Peter; de Roo, Ad

2016-12-01

In hydrological forecasting, data assimilation techniques are employed to improve estimates of initial conditions to update incorrect model states with observational data. However, the limited availability of continuous and up-to-date ground streamflow data is one of the main constraints for large-scale flood forecasting models. This is the first study that assess the impact of assimilating daily remotely sensed surface water extent at a 0.1° × 0.1° spatial resolution derived from the Global Flood Detection System (GFDS) into a global rainfall-runoff including large ungauged areas at the continental spatial scale in Africa and South America. Surface water extent is observed using a range of passive microwave remote sensors. The methodology uses the brightness temperature as water bodies have a lower emissivity. In a time series, the satellite signal is expected to vary with changes in water surface, and anomalies can be correlated with flood events. The Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) is a Monte-Carlo implementation of data assimilation and used here by applying random sampling perturbations to the precipitation inputs to account for uncertainty obtaining ensemble streamflow simulations from the LISFLOOD model. Results of the updated streamflow simulation are compared to baseline simulations, without assimilation of the satellite-derived surface water extent. Validation is done in over 100 in situ river gauges using daily streamflow observations in the African and South American continent over a one year period. Some of the more commonly used metrics in hydrology were calculated: KGE', NSE, PBIAS%, R 2 , RMSE, and VE. Results show that, for example, NSE score improved on 61 out of 101 stations obtaining significant improvements in both the timing and volume of the flow peaks. Whereas the validation at gauges located in lowland jungle obtained poorest performance mainly due to the closed forest influence on the satellite signal retrieval. The conclusion is that

Impact of equatorial and continental airflow on primary greenhouse gases in the northern South China Sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ou-Yang, Chang-Feng; Yen, Ming-Cheng; Lin, Neng-Huei; Lin, Tang-Huang; Wang, Jia-Lin; Schnell, Russell C; Lang, Patricia M; Chantara, Somporn

2015-01-01

Four-year ground-level measurements of the two primary greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and methane (CH 4 )) were conducted at Dongsha Island (DSI), situated in the northern South China Sea (SCS), from March 2010 to February 2014. Their mean mixing ratios are calculated to be 396.3 ± 5.4 ppm and 1863.6 ± 50.5 ppb, with an annual growth rate of +2.19 ± 0.5 ppm yr –1 and +4.70 ± 4.4 ppb yr –1 for CO 2 and CH 4 , respectively, over the study period. Our results suggest that the Asian continental outflow driven by the winter northeast monsoon could have brought air pollutants into the northern SCS, as denoted by significantly elevated levels of 6.5 ppm for CO 2 and 59.6 ppb for CH 4 , which are greater than the marine boundary layer references at Cape Kumukahi (KUM) in the tropical northern Pacific in January. By contrast, the summertime CH 4 at DSI is shown to be lower than that at KUM by 19.7 ppb, whereas CO 2 is shown to have no differences (<0.42 ppm in July) during the same period. Positive biases of the Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT) L4B data against the surface measurements are estimated to be 2.4 ± 3.4 ppm for CO 2 and 43.2 ± 36.8 ppb for CH 4 . The satellite products retrieved from the GOSAT showed the effects of anthropogenic emissions and vegetative sinks on land on a vertical profiling basis. The prevailing southeasterly winds originating from as far south as the equator or Southern Hemisphere pass through the lower troposphere in the northern SCS, forming a tunnel of relatively clean air masses as indicated by the low CH 4 mixing ratios observed on the DSI in summer. (letter)

Surface thiolation of silicon for antifouling application.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaoning; Gao, Pei; Hollimon, Valerie; Brodus, DaShan; Johnson, Arion; Hu, Hongmei

2018-02-07

Thiol groups grafted silicon surface was prepared as previously described. 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecanethiol (PFDT) molecules were then immobilized on such a surface through disulfide bonds formation. To investigate the contribution of PFDT coating to antifouling, the adhesion behaviors of Botryococcus braunii (B. braunii) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) were studied through biofouling assays in the laboratory. The representative microscope images suggest reduced B. braunii and E. coli accumulation densities on PFDT integrated silicon substrate. However, the antifouling performance of PFDT integrated silicon substrate decreased over time. By incubating the aged substrate in 10 mM TCEP·HCl solution for 1 h, the fouled PFDT coating could be removed as the disulfide bonds were cleaved, resulting in reduced absorption of algal cells and exposure of non-fouled silicon substrate surface. Our results indicate that the thiol-terminated substrate can be potentially useful for restoring the fouled surface, as well as maximizing the effective usage of the substrate.

An integrated study of surface roughness in EDM process using regression analysis and GSO algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Zainal, Nurezayana; Zain, Azlan Mohd; Sharif, Safian; Nuzly Abdull Hamed, Haza; Mohamad Yusuf, Suhaila

2017-09-01

The aim of this study is to develop an integrated study of surface roughness (Ra) in the die-sinking electrical discharge machining (EDM) process of Ti-6AL-4V titanium alloy with positive polarity of copper-tungsten (Cu-W) electrode. Regression analysis and glowworm swarm optimization (GSO) algorithm were considered for modelling and optimization process. Pulse on time (A), pulse off time (B), peak current (C) and servo voltage (D) were selected as the machining parameters with various levels. The experiments have been conducted based on the two levels of full factorial design with an added center point design of experiments (DOE). Moreover, mathematical models with linear and 2 factor interaction (2FI) effects of the parameters chosen were developed. The validity test of the fit and the adequacy of the developed mathematical models have been carried out by using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and F-test. The statistical analysis showed that the 2FI model outperformed with the most minimal value of Ra compared to the linear model and experimental result.

Optimization of surface roughness in CNC end milling using ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

International Journal of Engineering, Science and Technology ... In this study, minimization of surface roughness has been investigated by integrating design of experiment method, Response surface methodology (RSM) and genetic algorithm ...

Liouville gravity on bordered surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaskolski, Z.

1991-11-01

The functional quantization of the Liouville gravity on bordered surfaces in the conformal gauge is developed. It was shown that the geometrical interpretation of the Polyakov path integral as a sum over bordered surfaces uniquely determines the boundary conditions for the fields involved. The gravitational scaling dimensions of boundary and bulk operators and the critical exponents are derived. In particular, the boundary Hausdorff dimension is calculated. (author). 21 refs

Partial Automated Alignment and Integration System

Science.gov (United States)

Kelley, Gary Wayne (Inventor)

2014-01-01

The present invention is a Partial Automated Alignment and Integration System (PAAIS) used to automate the alignment and integration of space vehicle components. A PAAIS includes ground support apparatuses, a track assembly with a plurality of energy-emitting components and an energy-receiving component containing a plurality of energy-receiving surfaces. Communication components and processors allow communication and feedback through PAAIS.

Numerical modelling of surface plasmonic polaritons

Science.gov (United States)

Mansoor, Riyadh; AL-Khursan, Amin Habbeb

2018-06-01

Extending optoelectronics into the nano-regime seems problematic due to the relatively long wavelengths of light. The conversion of light into plasmons is a possible way to overcome this problem. Plasmon's wavelengths are much shorter than that of light which enables the propagation of signals in small size components. In this paper, a 3D simulation of surface plasmon polariton (SPP) excitation is performed. The Finite integration technique was used to solve Maxwell's equations in the dielectric-metal interface. The results show how the surface plasmon polariton was generated at the grating assisted dielectric-metal interface. SPP is a good candidate for signal confinement in small size optoelectronics which allow high density optical integrated circuits in all optical networks.

Reduction of surface erosion in fusion reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rossing, T.D.; Das, S.K.; Kaminsky, M.

1976-01-01

Some of the major processes leading to surface erosion in fusion reactors are reviewed briefly, including blistering by implanted gas, sputtering by ions, atoms, and neutrons, and vaporization by local heating. Surface erosion affects the structural integrity and limits the lifetime of reactor components exposed to plasma radiation. In addition, some of the processes leading to surface erosion also cause the release of plasma contaminants. Methods proposed to reduce surface erosion have included control of surface temperature, selection of materials with a favorable microstructure, chemical and mechanical treatment of surfaces, and employment of protective surface coatings, wall liners, and divertors. The advantages and disadvantages of some of these methods are discussed

Eddy current analysis by BEM utilizing loop electric and surface magnetic currents as unknowns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishibashi, Kazuhisa

2002-01-01

The surface integral equations whose unknowns are the surface electric and magnetic currents are widely used in eddy current analysis. However, when the skin depth is thick, computational error is increased especially in obtaining electromagnetic fields near the edge of the conductor. In order to obtain the electromagnetic field accurately, we propose an approach to solve surface integral equations utilizing loop electric and surface magnetic currents as unknowns. (Author)

Integrable topological billiards and equivalent dynamical systems

Science.gov (United States)

Vedyushkina, V. V.; Fomenko, A. T.

2017-08-01

We consider several topological integrable billiards and prove that they are Liouville equivalent to many systems of rigid body dynamics. The proof uses the Fomenko-Zieschang theory of invariants of integrable systems. We study billiards bounded by arcs of confocal quadrics and their generalizations, generalized billiards, where the motion occurs on a locally planar surface obtained by gluing several planar domains isometrically along their boundaries, which are arcs of confocal quadrics. We describe two new classes of integrable billiards bounded by arcs of confocal quadrics, namely, non-compact billiards and generalized billiards obtained by gluing planar billiards along non-convex parts of their boundaries. We completely classify non-compact billiards bounded by arcs of confocal quadrics and study their topology using the Fomenko invariants that describe the bifurcations of singular leaves of the additional integral. We study the topology of isoenergy surfaces for some non-convex generalized billiards. It turns out that they possess exotic Liouville foliations: the integral trajectories of the billiard that lie on some singular leaves admit no continuous extension. Such billiards appear to be leafwise equivalent to billiards bounded by arcs of confocal quadrics in the Minkowski metric.

A modified integrated NDVI for improving estimates of terrestrial net primary production

Science.gov (United States)

Running, Steven W.

1990-01-01

Logic is presented for a time-integrated NDVI that is modified by an AVHRR derived surface evaporation resistance factor sigma, and truncated by temperatures that cause plant dormancy, to improve environmental sensitivity. With this approach, NDVI observed during subfreezing temperatures is not integrated. Water stress-related impairment in plant activity is incorporated by reducing the effective NDVI at each integration with sigma, which is derived from the slope of the surface temperature to NDVI ratio for climatically similar zones of the scene. A comparison of surface resistance before and after an extended drought period for a 1200 sq km region of coniferous forest in Montana is presented.

SECTION 6.2 SURFACE TOPOGRAPHY ANALYSIS

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Seah, M. P.; De Chiffre, Leonardo

2005-01-01

Surface physical analysis, i.e. topography characterisation, encompasses measurement, visualisation, and quantification. This is critical for both component form and for surface finish at macro-, micro- and nano-scales. The principal methods of surface topography measurement are stylus profilometry......, optical scanning techniques, and scanning probe microscopy (SPM). These methods, based on acquisition of topography data from point by point scans, give quantitative information of heights with respect to position. Based on a different approach, the so-called integral methods produce parameters...

A Polyakov action on Riemann surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zucchini, R.

1991-02-01

A calculation of the effective action for induced conformal gravity on higher genus Riemann surfaces is presented. Our expression, generalizing Polyakov's formula, depends holomorphically on the Beltrami and integrates the diffeomorphism anomaly. A solution of the conformal Ward identity on an arbitrary compact Riemann surfaces without boundary is presented, and its remarkable properties are studied. (K.A.) 16 refs., 2 figs

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....

An integrated high temperature environmental cell for atom probe tomography studies of gas-surface reactions: Instrumentation and results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dumpala, S.; Broderick, S.R.; Bagot, P.A.J.; Rajan, K.

2014-01-01

An integrated environmental cell has been designed and developed for the latest generation of Atom Probe Tomography LEAP™ instruments, allowing controlled exposure of samples to gases at high temperatures. Following treatment, samples can be transferred through the LEAP vacuum system for subsequent APT analysis, which provides detailed information on changes to chemical microstructures following the reactions with near-atomic resolution. A full description of the cell is presented, along with some sample results on the oxidation of aluminum and two platinum-group alloys, demonstrating the capability of combining exposure/characterization functionality in a single instrument. - Highlights: • Designed and built atom probe environmental cell for in situ reactions. • Investigated Al oxidation, and demonstrated improvement with new cell. • in situ APT analysis of Pt-alloys showed surface segregation of Rh and Ir

Improving yield and water productivity of maize grown under deficit-irrigated in dry area conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed H. Abd el-wahed

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Scarcity of water is the most severe constraint for development of maize in arid and semi-arid areas. Based on the actual crop need, the irrigation management has to be improved so that the water supply to the crop can be reduced while still achieving high yield. Therefore, the current study has been organized to evaluate the effects of deficit sprinkler irrigation (DSI and farmyard manure (FYM on Grain yield (GY and crop water productivity (CWP of corn, a 2-year experiment was conducted in arid region of Libya. The DSI treatments were (I100 = 100%, I85 = 85% or I70 = 70% of the crop evapotranspiration. FYM treatments were (0, 10 ton ha−1 spread either on the soil surface, incorporated with surface or subsurface layer (FYM10s, FYM10m or FYM10ss, respectively and 20 ton ha−1 spread as before (FYM20s, FYM20m or FYM20ss, respectively. Results indicated that the highest values of grain yield (GY were obtained from I100 treatment, while the lowest were observed in I70. FYM20ss enhanced GY than other FYM treatments in both seasons. The highest GY and CWP were recorded with I100 and received FYM20ss. It could be considered as a suitable under arid environmental conditions and similar regions, the treatment (I100 × FYM20ss is the most suitable for producing high GY and CWP. Under limited irrigation water, application of (I85 ×FYM20ss treatment was found to be favorable to save 15% of the applied irrigation water, at the time in which produced the same GY.

Simplified nonplanar wafer bonding for heterogeneous device integration

Science.gov (United States)

Geske, Jon; Bowers, John E.; Riley, Anton

2004-07-01

We demonstrate a simplified nonplanar wafer bonding technique for heterogeneous device integration. The improved technique can be used to laterally integrate dissimilar semiconductor device structures on a lattice-mismatched substrate. Using the technique, two different InP-based vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser active regions have been integrated onto GaAs without compromising the quality of the photoluminescence. Experimental and numerical simulation results are presented.

Integrated control system for electron beam processes

Science.gov (United States)

Koleva, L.; Koleva, E.; Batchkova, I.; Mladenov, G.

2018-03-01

The ISO/IEC 62264 standard is widely used for integration of the business systems of a manufacturer with the corresponding manufacturing control systems based on hierarchical equipment models, functional data and manufacturing operations activity models. In order to achieve the integration of control systems, formal object communication models must be developed, together with manufacturing operations activity models, which coordinate the integration between different levels of control. In this article, the development of integrated control system for electron beam welding process is presented as part of a fully integrated control system of an electron beam plant, including also other additional processes: surface modification, electron beam evaporation, selective melting and electron beam diagnostics.

Symmetric and asymmetric capillary bridges between a rough surface and a parallel surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yongxin; Michielsen, Stephen; Lee, Hoon Joo

2013-09-03

Although the formation of a capillary bridge between two parallel surfaces has been extensively studied, the majority of research has described only symmetric capillary bridges between two smooth surfaces. In this work, an instrument was built to form a capillary bridge by squeezing a liquid drop on one surface with another surface. An analytical solution that describes the shape of symmetric capillary bridges joining two smooth surfaces has been extended to bridges that are asymmetric about the midplane and to rough surfaces. The solution, given by elliptical integrals of the first and second kind, is consistent with a constant Laplace pressure over the entire surface and has been verified for water, Kaydol, and dodecane drops forming symmetric and asymmetric bridges between parallel smooth surfaces. This solution has been applied to asymmetric capillary bridges between a smooth surface and a rough fabric surface as well as symmetric bridges between two rough surfaces. These solutions have been experimentally verified, and good agreement has been found between predicted and experimental profiles for small drops where the effect of gravity is negligible. Finally, a protocol for determining the profile from the volume and height of the capillary bridge has been developed and experimentally verified.

Low Level Engraftment and Improvement following a Single Colonoscopic Administration of Fecal Microbiota to Patients with Ulcerative Colitis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher J Damman

Full Text Available Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT is an investigational treatment for diseases thought to involve alterations in the intestinal microbiota including ulcerative colitis (UC. Case reports have described therapeutic benefit of FMT in patients with UC, possibly due to changes in the microbiota. We measured the degree to which the transplanted microbiota engraft following FMT in patients with UC using a donor similarity index (DSI.Seven patients with mild to moderate UC (UC disease activity index scores 3-10 received a single colonoscopic administration of FMT. Metagenomic sequence data from stool were analyzed using an alignment-free comparison tool, to measure the DSI, and a phylogenetic analysis tool, to characterize taxonomic changes. Clinical, endoscopic, histologic, and fecal calprotectin outcome measures were also collected.One of 5 patients from whom sequencing data were available achieved the primary endpoint of 50% donor similarity at week 4; an additional 2 patients achieved 40% donor similarity. One patient with 40% donor similarity achieved clinical and histologic remission 1 month after FMT. However, these were lost by 2-3 months, and loss correlated with a decrease in DSI. The remaining patients did not demonstrate clinical response or remission. Histology scores improved in all but 1 patient. No patients remained in remission at 3 months after FMT.Following a single colonoscopic fecal transplant, a DSI of 40-50% is achieved in about two-thirds of recipients. This level of engraftment correlated with a temporary clinical improvement in only 1/5 patients. Larger sample sizes could further validate this method for measuring engraftment, and changes in transplant frequency or method might improve microbiota engraftment and efficacy.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01742754.

A study on the surface roughness of a thin HSQ coating on a fine milled surface

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mohaghegh, Kamran; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard; Pranov, Henrik

2014-01-01

The paper discusses a novel application of a thin layer coating on a metallic machined surface with particular attention to roughness of the coating compared to the original surface before coating. The coating is a nominally 1 μm film of Hydrogen Silsesquioxane (HSQ) which is commonly used in the...... in the semiconductor industry in the manufacture of integrated circuits. The work piece is a fine peripheral-milled tool steel surface which is widely used in industrial applications. Roughness improvement after the application of HSQ coating is reported....

Silicon Isotopes of Marine Pore Water: Tracking the Destiny of Marine Biogenic Opal

Science.gov (United States)

Cassarino, L.; Hendry, K. R.

2017-12-01

Silicon isotopes (δ30Si) are a powerful tool for the studying of the past and present silicon cycles, which is closely linked to the carbon cycle. Siliceous phytoplankton, such as diatoms, as one of the major conveyors of carbon to marine sediments. δ30Si from fossil diatoms has been shown to represent past silicic acid (DSi) utilization in the photic zone, since the lighter isotope is preferentially incorporated in their skeleton, the frustule. This assumes that species in the sediments depict past blooms and that frustules are preserved in their initial state during burial. Here we present new silicon isotopes data of sea water and pore water of deep marine sediments from two contrasted environments, the Equatorial Atlantic and West Antarctic Peninsula. δ30Si and DSi concentration, of both sea water and pore water, are negatively correlated. Marine biogenic opal dissolution can be tracked using δ30Si signature of pore water as lighter signals and high DSi concentrations are associated with the biogenic silica. Our data enhances post depositional and diagenesis processes during burial with a clear highlight on the sediment water interface exchanges.

Optimized scheduling technique of null subcarriers for peak power control in 3GPP LTE downlink.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Soobum; Park, Sang Kyu

2014-01-01

Orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) is a key multiple access technique for the long term evolution (LTE) downlink. However, high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) can cause the degradation of power efficiency. The well-known PAPR reduction technique, dummy sequence insertion (DSI), can be a realistic solution because of its structural simplicity. However, the large usage of subcarriers for the dummy sequences may decrease the transmitted data rate in the DSI scheme. In this paper, a novel DSI scheme is applied to the LTE system. Firstly, we obtain the null subcarriers in single-input single-output (SISO) and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, respectively; then, optimized dummy sequences are inserted into the obtained null subcarrier. Simulation results show that Walsh-Hadamard transform (WHT) sequence is the best for the dummy sequence and the ratio of 16 to 20 for the WHT and randomly generated sequences has the maximum PAPR reduction performance. The number of near optimal iteration is derived to prevent exhausted iterations. It is also shown that there is no bit error rate (BER) degradation with the proposed technique in LTE downlink system.

Convergent validity of two decision making style measures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Berisha, Gentrit

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Decision making research has witnessed a growing number of studies on individual differences and decision making styles, yet the lack of comprehensive frameworks and widely accepted measures has hindered research for a long time. There is an ongoing debate on whether individuals’ styles dynamically change across time and situations according to circumstances. Furthermore, it is an open question whether these styles are mutually exclusive. Decision style measures seek to determine one’s dominant style as well as less used styles. To our knowledge this is the first study of the convergent validity of two widely used decision making style measures: The Decision Style Inventory (DSI and the General Decision Making Style (GDMS. The direction and strength of correlation between directive, analytical, conceptual and behavioral styles as measured by DSI and rational, intuitive, dependent, avoidant and spontaneous styles as measured by GDMS have been tested. Results of the current study are compared with previous studies that have used one or both of the instruments. Correlations between styles are consistent with findings from other studies using one of the decision style measures, but the strength of correlations indicates that there is no convergent validity between DSI and GDMS.

Surface reconstruction, figure-ground modulation, and border-ownership

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jeurissen, D.; Self, M.W.; Roelfsema, P.R.

2013-01-01

The Differentiation-Integration for Surface Completion (DISC) model aims to explain the reconstruction of visual surfaces. We find the model a valuable contribution to our understanding of figure-ground organization. We point out that, next to border-ownership, neurons in visual cortex code whether

Surface reconstruction, figure-ground modulation, and border-ownership

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jeurissen, Danique; Self, Matthew W.; Roelfsema, Pieter R.

2013-01-01

Abstract The Differentiation-Integration for Surface Completion (DISC) model aims to explain the reconstruction of visual surfaces. We find the model a valuable contribution to our understanding of figure-ground organization. We point out that, next to border-ownership, neurons in visual cortex code

Integrated modeling of groundwater–surface water interactions in a tile-drained agricultural field

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rosemeijer, J.C.; Velde, van der Y.; McLaren, R.G.; Geer, van F.C.; Broers, H.P.; Bierkens, M.F.P.

2010-01-01

Understanding the dynamics of groundwater–surface water interaction is needed to evaluate and simulate water and solute transport in catchments. However, direct measurements of the contributions of different flow routes from specific surfaces within a catchment toward the surface water are rarely

Bubbling surface operators and S-duality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomis, Jaume; Matsuura, Shunji

2007-01-01

We construct smooth asymptotically /ADS solutions of Type IIB supergravity corresponding to all the half-BPS surface operators in N = 4 SYM. All the parameters labeling a half-BPS surface operator are identified in the corresponding bubbling geometry. We use the supergravity description of surface operators to study the action of the SL(2,Z) duality group of N 4 SYM on the parameters of the surface operator, and find that it coincides with the recent proposal by Gukov and Witten in the framework of the gauge theory approach to the geometrical Langlands with ramification. We also show that whenever a bubbling geometry becomes singular that the path integral description of the corresponding surface operator also becomes singular

Integration of Multiplexed Microfluidic Electrokinetic Concentrators with a Morpholino Microarray via Reversible Surface Bonding for Enhanced DNA Hybridization.

Science.gov (United States)

Martins, Diogo; Wei, Xi; Levicky, Rastislav; Song, Yong-Ak

2016-04-05

We describe a microfluidic concentration device to accelerate the surface hybridization reaction between DNA and morpholinos (MOs) for enhanced detection. The microfluidic concentrator comprises a single polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannel onto which an ion-selective layer of conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) ( PSS) was directly printed and then reversibly surface bonded onto a morpholino microarray for hybridization. Using this electrokinetic trapping concentrator, we could achieve a maximum concentration factor of ∼800 for DNA and a limit of detection of 10 nM within 15 min. In terms of the detection speed, it enabled faster hybridization by around 10-fold when compared to conventional diffusion-based hybridization. A significant advantage of our approach is that the fabrication of the microfluidic concentrator is completely decoupled from the microarray; by eliminating the need to deposit an ion-selective layer on the microarray surface prior to device integration, interfacing between both modules, the PDMS chip for electrokinetic concentration and the substrate for DNA sensing are easier and applicable to any microarray platform. Furthermore, this fabrication strategy facilitates a multiplexing of concentrators. We have demonstrated the proof-of-concept for multiplexing by building a device with 5 parallel concentrators connected to a single inlet/outlet and applying it to parallel concentration and hybridization. Such device yielded similar concentration and hybridization efficiency compared to that of a single-channel device without adding any complexity to the fabrication and setup. These results demonstrate that our concentrator concept can be applied to the development of a highly multiplexed concentrator-enhanced microarray detection system for either genetic analysis or other diagnostic assays.

Reconstruction of surface impedance of an object located over a planar PEC surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uenal, Guel Seda; Cayoeren, Mehmet; Tetik, Evrim

2008-01-01

A method for the determination of inhomogeneous surface impedance of an arbitrary shaped cylindrical object located over a perfectly conducting (PEC) plane is presented. The problem is reduced to the solution of an ill-posed integral equation by the use of single layer representation which is handled by Truncated Singular Value Decomposition (TSVD). The total field and its normal derivative on the boundary of the object which are required for the evaluation of the surface impedance are obtained through Nystroem method. The method can also be used in shape reconstruction by using the relation between the shape of a PEC object and its equivalent one in terms of the surface impedance. The numerical implementations yield quite satisfactory results.

Magnetic field integral equation analysis of interaction between a surface plasmon polariton and a circular dielectric cavity embedded in the metal.

Science.gov (United States)

Chremmos, Ioannis

2009-12-01

A rigorous integral equation (IE) analysis of the interaction between a surface plasmon polariton (SPP) and a circular dielectric cavity embedded in a metal half-space is presented. The device is addressed as the plasmonic counterpart of the established integrated optics filter comprising a whispering gallery (WG) resonator coupled to a waveguide. The mathematical formulation is that of a transverse magnetic scattering problem. Using a magnetic-type Green's function of the two-layer medium with boundary conditions that cancel the line integral contributions along the interface, an IE for the magnetic field inside the cavity is obtained. The IE is treated through an entire-domain method of moments (MoM) with cylindrical-harmonic basis functions. The entries of the MoM matrix are determined analytically by utilizing the inverse Fourier transform of Green's function and the Jacobi-Anger formula for interchanging between plane and cylindrical waves. Complex analysis techniques are applied to determine the transmitted, reflected, and radiated field quantities in series forms. The numerical results show that the scattered SPPs' spectra exhibit pronounced wavelength selectivity that is related to the excitation of WG-like cavity modes. It seems feasible to exploit the device as a bandstop or reflective filter or even as an efficient radiating element. In addition, the dependence of transmission on the cavity refractive index endows this structure with a sensing functionality.

Path integration in conical space

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inomata, Akira; Junker, Georg

2012-01-01

Quantum mechanics in conical space is studied by the path integral method. It is shown that the curvature effect gives rise to an effective potential in the radial path integral. It is further shown that the radial path integral in conical space can be reduced to a form identical with that in flat space when the discrete angular momentum of each partial wave is replaced by a specific non-integral angular momentum. The effective potential is found proportional to the squared mean curvature of the conical surface embedded in Euclidean space. The path integral calculation is compatible with the Schrödinger equation modified with the Gaussian and the mean curvature. -- Highlights: ► We study quantum mechanics on a cone by the path integral approach. ► The path integral depends only on the metric and the curvature effect is built in. ► The approach is consistent with the Schrödinger equation modified by an effective potential. ► The effective potential is found to be of the “Jensen–Koppe” and “da Costa” type.

Integrated use of surface geophysical methods for site characterization — A case study in North Kingstown, Rhode Island

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Carole D.; Lane, John W.; Brandon, William C.; Williams, Christine A.P.; White, Eric A.

2010-01-01

A suite of complementary, non‐invasive surface geophysical methods was used to assess their utility for site characterization in a pilot investigation at a former defense site in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. The methods included frequency‐domain electromagnetics (FDEM), ground‐penetrating radar (GPR), electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), and multi‐channel analysis of surface‐wave (MASW) seismic. The results of each method were compared to each other and to drive‐point data from the site. FDEM was used as a reconnaissance method to assess buried utilities and anthropogenic structures; to identify near‐surface changes in water chemistry related to conductive leachate from road‐salt storage; and to investigate a resistive signature possibly caused by groundwater discharge. Shallow anomalies observed in the GPR and ERT data were caused by near‐surface infrastructure and were consistent with anomalies observed in the FDEM data. Several parabolic reflectors were observed in the upper part of the GPR profiles, and a fairly continuous reflector that was interpreted as bedrock could be traced across the lower part of the profiles. MASW seismic data showed a sharp break in shear wave velocity at depth, which was interpreted as the overburden/bedrock interface. The MASW profile indicates the presence of a trough in the bedrock surface in the same location where the ERT data indicate lateral variations in resistivity. Depths to bedrock interpreted from the ERT, MASW, and GPR profiles were similar and consistent with the depths of refusal identified in the direct‐push wells. The interpretations of data collected using the individual methods yielded non‐unique solutions with considerable uncertainty. Integrated interpretation of the electrical, electromagnetic, and seismic geophysical profiles produced a more consistent and unique estimation of depth to bedrock that is consistent with ground‐truth data at the site. This test case shows that using

On the integrability of the generalized Fisher-type nonlinear diffusion equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Dengshan; Zhang Zhifei

2009-01-01

In this paper, the geometric integrability and Lax integrability of the generalized Fisher-type nonlinear diffusion equations with modified diffusion in (1+1) and (2+1) dimensions are studied by the pseudo-spherical surface geometry method and prolongation technique. It is shown that the (1+1)-dimensional Fisher-type nonlinear diffusion equation is geometrically integrable in the sense of describing a pseudo-spherical surface of constant curvature -1 only for m = 2, and the generalized Fisher-type nonlinear diffusion equations in (1+1) and (2+1) dimensions are Lax integrable only for m = 2. This paper extends the results in Bindu et al 2001 (J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 34 L689) and further provides the integrability information of (1+1)- and (2+1)-dimensional Fisher-type nonlinear diffusion equations for m = 2

49 CFR 1106.4 - The Safety Integration Plan process.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false The Safety Integration Plan process. 1106.4 Section 1106.4 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) SURFACE... CONSIDERATION OF SAFETY INTEGRATION PLANS IN CASES INVOLVING RAILROAD CONSOLIDATIONS, MERGERS, AND ACQUISITIONS...

Integrating Surface Modeling into the Engineering Design Graphics Curriculum

Science.gov (United States)

Hartman, Nathan W.

2006-01-01

It has been suggested there is a knowledge base that surrounds the use of 3D modeling within the engineering design process and correspondingly within engineering design graphics education. While solid modeling receives a great deal of attention and discussion relative to curriculum efforts, and rightly so, surface modeling is an equally viable 3D…

The integral form of supergravity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Castellani, L. [Dipartimento di Scienze e Innovazione Tecnologica, Università del Piemonte Orientale,Viale T. Michel, 11, 15121 Alessandria (Italy); INFN - Sezione di Torino,via P. Giuria 1, 10125 Torino (Italy); Catenacci, R. [Dipartimento di Scienze e Innovazione Tecnologica, Università del Piemonte Orientale,Viale T. Michel, 11, 15121 Alessandria (Italy); Gruppo Nazionale di Fisica Matematica, INdAM,P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Roma (Italy); Grassi, P.A. [Dipartimento di Scienze e Innovazione Tecnologica, Università del Piemonte Orientale,Viale T. Michel, 11, 15121 Alessandria (Italy); INFN - Sezione di Torino,via P. Giuria 1, 10125 Torino (Italy)

2016-10-11

By using integral forms we derive the superspace action of D=3,N=1 supergravity as an integral on a supermanifold. The construction is based on target space picture changing operators, here playing the rôle of Poincaré duals to the lower-dimensional spacetime surfaces embedded into the supermanifold. We show how the group geometrical action based on the group manifold approach interpolates between the superspace and the component supergravity actions, thus providing another proof of their equivalence.

Defect vectors and path integrals in fracture mechanics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roche, R.L.

1979-01-01

Several criteria have been proposed in Elastic Plastic Fracture Mechanics. One of the most interesting ones is the J 1 criterion where J 1 is a path integral surrounding the crack tip. Other path integrals (or surface integrals in 3D problems) can be used. But all these integrals are introduced on an elastic basis, though they are applied in plasticity. This paper shows that it is possible to introduce these integrals without any reference to the elastic behavior of the material. The method is based on the 'defect vector theory' which is an extension of the energy-momentum tensor theory. (orig.)

Quantum Yang-Mills theory on arbitrary surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blau, Matthias; Thompson, George

1991-05-01

Quantum Yang-Mills theory on 2-dimensional surfaces is studied. Using path integral methods general and explicit expressions are derived for the partition function and expectation values of homologically trivial and non-trivial Wilson loops on closed surfaces of any genus, as well as for the kernels on manifolds with handles and boundaries. (author). 15 refs

Predicting freshwater habitat integrity using land-use surrogates

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2007-04-02

Apr 2, 2007 ... Quantification of potential surrogates of freshwater habitat integrity. We chose a series of land-use variables that might be suitable predictors for assessing freshwater habitat integrity from the land cover map (CSIR 2005) and added separate GIS surfaces for human population density and the distribution of ...

Flamelet Surface Density and Burning Rate Integral in Premixed Combustion

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Gouldin, F

1999-01-01

We have developed, tested and applied in V-flames and a spark ignition engine a new experimental method, crossed-plane laser imaging, for measuring flamelet surface normals in premixed turbulent flames...

Inverse analysis of inner surface temperature history from outer surface temperature measurement of a pipe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kubo, S; Ioka, S; Onchi, S; Matsumoto, Y

2010-01-01

When slug flow runs through a pipe, nonuniform and time-varying thermal stresses develop and there is a possibility that thermal fatigue occurs. Therefore it is necessary to know the temperature distributions and the stress distributions in the pipe for the integrity assessment of the pipe. It is, however, difficult to measure the inner surface temperature directly. Therefore establishment of the estimation method of the temperature history on inner surface of pipe is needed. As a basic study on the estimation method of the temperature history on the inner surface of a pipe with slug flow, this paper presents an estimation method of the temperature on the inner surface of a plate from the temperature on the outer surface. The relationship between the temperature history on the outer surface and the inner surface is obtained analytically. Using the results of the mathematical analysis, the inverse analysis method of the inner surface temperature history estimation from the outer surface temperature history is proposed. It is found that the inner surface temperature history can be estimated from the outer surface temperature history by applying the inverse analysis method, even when it is expressed by the multiple frequency components.

Surface integrity analysis of abrasive water jet-cut surfaces of friction stir welded joints

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kumar, R.; Chattopadhyaya, S.; Dixit, A. R.; Bora, B.; Zeleňák, Michal; Foldyna, Josef; Hloch, Sergej; Hlaváček, Petr; Ščučka, Jiří; Klich, Jiří; Sitek, Libor; Vilaca, P.

2017-01-01